As pointed out in the review below, building this kit has been a small hell. Truth be told I started building it twice, but only the second attempt is now finished. This has been the single most frustrating kit I’ve ever worked on – investing so much time and effort yielded an average-looking model – “Good from far, but far from good” as they say.

Closing the weapon bay doors, cutting out their inside frames to add supports for the doors and filling this whole mess flush was the single biggest filling-sanding challenge. I am totally not proud of my first attempt at the vertical stabilizers – ended up in different angles and gaps, with filler constantly cracking on me. Potholes down joining lines due to the plastic melting under regular Humbrol modelling glue. Two nose jobs on my second attempt due to the same reason. Sanding the **** out of the nose and arrestor hook cover. Rescribing multiple zones more than once due to lost panel lines. Landing gear unstable at best. Multiple strip-downs and resprays for various reasons and about 10 meters of Tamiya tape lost in the process.

Revell paints and protective coats on the camo, using Revell’s color callouts on the instruction of their own kit. Exhausts from front to back are MM Burnt Metal, MM Gun metal, Alclad II Engine Manifold (these stink like hell). Panel lines were highlighted using ProModeller Dark Dirt wash – perhaps a tad dark, yet I still consider using the solution a success – will try and pick up a better shade next time. Final coat is 66% gloss, 33% matt and 1% steel.

The only actual joy in the process (bar removing the ready model from my residence) has been decaling the glossed-to-death thing, using a Future equivalent as a solution.

Boy am I glad it’s over or what?