Trumpeter Tomahawk

Now that life has started to settle down and the fall has arrived, it is time to think about modeling again. Rather than actually finishing one of the three...yes three...Spitfires awaiting canopy masking and paint, I started something new. Airfix has just issued a new Tomahawk at a very fair price and in one fell swoop has condemned the high priced Trumpeter kit to has-been status. Never a great kit, for a short while it was a contender only because its competition was so weak. Rather than give up on it, I decided it would make a nice no-stress build to practice on. So the cockpit was brush painted Humbrol Interior Green, given a quick ProModelelers wash and here we are.

The goal of this build is very simple, finish it and rediscover the joy of modeling. Don't worry about all the silly AMS things that always stand in my way. Heck, it isn't that good a kit, so why worry? So far, so good. I can't say I'm enjoying the build...it just isn't that fun a kit, but I am making progress. I'm at the dreaded filling and sanding stage now.

So why is this kit not a contender? First off the cockpit interior is comically small, not that it will matter with the canopy shut. The surface detail has many overdone and intrusive rivets in odd places, and some of the hatches and other fuselage details are raised. Not to mention it is just not that crisply modeled and the fit isn't awesome. It isn't bad, just nothing special. (And just too damn expensive for what you get.)

So the big question is what scheme? Do the usual and paint it in RCAF markings or go really left field and surprise everyone with US markings? Hmm...