Special Hobby Northrop Delta

For a relatively simple kit, my Special Hobby Northrop Delta has a complicated and somewhat difficult history. It really does go together pretty well, and the problems I experienced were emphatically self-inflicted.

The major construction was completed before the summer hit. Given that it was to be a NMF, I thought a primer coat was in order to turn up any spots that needed additional attention. My mistake was in using a matt grey for the primer. To my horror, when I shot the Alclad Aluminum coat, the paint just sort of sank down and absorbed into the primer, turning the surface into a multicolored, multi-surfaced mess. One area (the cowling) which had not received any primer, came out looking exactly like I wanted, so it wasn’t the paint’s fault.  But the rest of the model….did not.

This event managed to exhaust even my deep reserve of colorful language that would make a sailor proud. Then I just left it on the Shelf of Shame until I could calm down enough to deal with the problem.

As sanity gradually returned, I spent a couple of sessions removing what I could of the surface with lacquer thinner. Then, when I figured I could go no further in that direction, I began buffing it down with progressively less abrasive sandpaper. Eventually I got it to a point where most of the former paint was gone, and removing the last traces was more effort than I was willing to put out at that point.

Things were rather tense as I sprayed the new Aluminum coat, but it went well enough. I let the paint cure and proceeded to apply decals. These were straight from the box, but are perilously thin. One of them folded on itself and one actually fell off the surface and was eaten by what must be the fattest Carpet Monster in the land. But, as they say, it is what it is. That’s the 72 Land motto if there ever was one.

I did not add a top clear coat (which was the last chance for a fatal screw-up that I was not willing to risk) but did apply Kristal Kleer to the passenger windows. Given that I enjoy models of commercial airliners in 1:72, this may have earned a spot in the back of the display case, but at least it made it there without the short flight into a solid wall.

I’ve just noticed that I haven’t properly replaced the wing pitot (another snack for the Carpet Monster) but that will have to be done later, after this posting.

This is completed aircraft #494 (11 aircraft, 0 ordnance, 3 vehicles for the year 2018), finished in August of 2018.