Roadrunner

Looks like you're off to a great start here.

With that lip now ground off, I have added the bolting plates to the cast gusset mount. Not absolutely correct, but a definite improvement.

Dragon has molded a strange lip onto the frame that needs to go, so out will come the trusty Dremel.

Leveling pads now look much better, though post diameter is too small, so I'll add some plastic tube there.

Well, there's this, the ultra cool 4-8-8-4 Big Boy.

Neither do I, but I won't let that trivial problem stop me.

Nice. Rivarossi is supposed to make some good quality stuff. I'll be buying my first HO set later this year (I hope).

Thanks, Jeremy. It will be large, that's for sure. Base will measure roughly 18" x 20", and that's just for the gun.

I really have no idea what these boxes were for, but they seem to show up on all of the photos I’ve seen. Kit doesn’t provide them, so a scratching we go. Construction is .030 sheet plastic, with .030 quarter round corners. Once they’re thoroughly dry (one box per side), I’ll sand them out and get them installed.

As coincidence would have it, I discovered today that my hole punch was perfect for punching out the necessary clearance opening so that I could add some .030 sheet plastic to the leveling pads. (They’re molded with open tops, when in fact, the real things were solid castings.) I’m a happy guy!

This is looking splendid. As to the rigging, I really have no idea, as I have no solid information on this type of ship.

Cool concept. I like it.

I'd love to tackle some 1:16 stuff one of these days, but I certainly need to be able to do a small one right, before I attempt one of the biggies. I've considered doing the AMT 1:16 '55 T-Bird for my brother (he used to own a sweet one), but he's showed no real interest, so I'll probably just do it for myself,... some day.

I appreciate that very much, Vince, I really do. No, not much to be done now but strip it and start all over, I'm afraid. I considered starting the Phaeton, but want to finish the Vic and a Challenger first. I already have way too many stalled projects sitting around here now (armor ships and aircraft), and don't want to start doing the same thing now with cars. Here's a photo of my 1:35 Tamiya kit (pre-digital era for me) while it was under construction several years ago; this big monster will be done much the same way.

That tape should prove wonderful for masking, Pat. I have some Crêpe tape that I use for certain applications, got it cheap at Hobby Lobby.

Thanks, fellas. i feel that I should have no major problems with finishing this kit in time for the regional. All of my car projects are dead for the moment, so that helps.

Right side gun elevating area gets more details, and again, still not finished adding "stuff".

Gunners foot tray (for lack of a better term), gets some additional access panels.

More weld seams on existing gussets. Most of these gussets, as it turns out, will be visible, so I figured adding the weld seams was a good idea.

More gizmos added to turntable. I have no earthly idea what these are for, but they show up on many photos. Still not finished with this area yet.

I just recently discovered that WWP does a book on the Flak 30/38, as does Ryton, so those will be "must haves" somewhere down the line; preferably sooner than later. These books may not only prove valuable for this effort, but for my 20mm single as well.

Work continues (at a snails pace), with these gussets and weld seams being added. Once I take the soldering iron to them, they'll looks lots better.

Yep, child like impatience got the better of me, but it certainly won't happen again (I hope).

Christian, I find that Rambler strangely appealing.

I have a similar dilemma; every single car that I feel like working on right now, needs money spent to proceed, that I just don't have available at this time. To solve the dilemma, I'm resuming work on my (temporarily abandoned) 1:6 scale Dragon Flak 38, here. This I can finish, without spending a dime (I think).