1/48 AFV Club F-5E Tiger II

Gallery Article by Mike Cabral on Apr 9 2012

 

 

More than enough has been published in multiple locations about the AFV Club F-5E, so I'll skip any description of the kit in this gallery.  Personally, this was one of the most enjoyable kits I've built in some time.  It assembles quickly, with minimal fuss, excellent fit, and allowed me to get to painting and decalling the model in a very short time frame. I find as I have less time to build these days, smaller sized kits which have good fit and rapid assembly are quickly becoming my preference.  Anything in the MiG-21 class size (small jet, at most IPMS venue events) is preferable.  I just can't seem to find the time to complete anything larger.

 

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This particular kit was built up to allow me a chance to practice with my new airbrush, a Grex Tritium TG.  I can't say enough nice things about this airbrush.  I painted this entire scheme free hand, in one setting.  The gravity feed and short paint chamber to nozzle design made cleanup a snap.  I really enjoyed painting this scheme.  Decals are TwoBobs 48-143 "Bad Boy Sundowners," but I combined two of the schemes to get the look I liked. 

Overall, a fun kit, a great painting experience with an excellent airbrush, and a rewarding model building experience.  Hey, just finishing something these days is rewarding enough.

Mike Cabral

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Photos and text © by Mike Cabral