So you build models the Henry Maske way? I could do this sometimes, too … 
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@Joel_W I kind of lost track of you when leaving the old platform! Glad you turn up in aviation-land every now and then even if you seem to concentrate fully on the autos nowadays! I promise to go over and have a look every now and then (getting around in the new Armorama-system doesn’t come natural yet even if I like the software and the old one certainly wasn’t any wonder of simplicity either ).
Magnus
Great progress on the Shooting Star, Torsten 
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Nice sharp masking job Torsten 
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Magnusf,
I’ll be lurking in the Aeroscale background following certain builds, and yours are definitely in that small group.
Like you, I’ve struggled to learn enough of the new site to get where I want to go MOST of the times, and sometimes I still manage to get lost.
joel
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Have made some more progress on the Shooting Star in the last days.
No, this is no landing accident, I have attached the landing gear and their doors. Here you can see some not well sanded seams left but they are on the underside, so no one will see them except us
… et voilá - no tail sitter!
No wonder, the kit has a weight of 60 gram now.
Tomorrow I’ll fix some minor paint issues and start with the decals soon after. I intend to bring them directly on the paint with no sealing before or after because I don’t want to loose that lovely metallic shine. It worked really fine on my FAU-Mustang you can see in Post 324. On the other hand, those decals are quality made by Aztec/Mexico and no crappy chinese ones. I’ll see how it works this time on the F-80.
Have a nice Sunday, folks!
Torsten 
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Torsten,
Your F-80 is looking real good finally standing on it’s own legs. As for the slight seam issues on the bottom, NMF finishes just show every little issue that paint would cover up. Still, it looks darn good to me.
As for decaling without clear gloss as a base. I do that for every car build no matter whose decals I’m using, and never had any issues with flash or silvering.
Sunday here on Long Island, and the sun is actually shinning but it’s only 17F degrees!! Of course tomorrow when we have appointments, it’s light snow (which usually ends up being inches and inches) turning into rain till Tuesday some time. We just can’t get a weather break here.
joel
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Thanks for your always encouraging words, Joel! I’ll leave the seams as they are now.
Have done all small painting corrections yesterday and started with the decals today. The underside is completed and some on the fuselage. They were a little too glossy first but are thin and easy to work with coming out of warm water. Quality is better than I thought. The stencils are a little better than on my Saab J-32 Lansen from a few years ago, but they still look ugly.
Here you can see a nasty seam in front of the air brakes. Oh well … 
Weather here yesterday was nothing, as the weatherman said in the evening. When I looked out of the window in the morning it was raining, at midday it was raining, in the afternoon - raining, in the evening - yes, you got it! Perfect to work on the F-80. Temperatures are around 5°C (about 41°F). That’s the usual winter weather here in Karlsruhe. Would love to have 17°F and some snow here …
Torsten
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Torsten,
Decals are looking darn good. As for the seam, it’s up to you as whether or not to leave it or deal with it. If it’s not going to any shows, then as a display model, leave it. But if it’s show bound, then I’d deal with it so it’s up to your usual high standards.
Funny that you’d like some snow. We’re already sick of it. I’ll send you my single digit and low teens temp in F with trucks full of the white stuff, for your early spring like weather.
joel
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Yes, please send some truckloads of snow over here, Joel! The last day with some snow in my town, afaik, we had on the 10. February 2021 … It’s so rare over here that I even took a photo of it early in the morning before I went to work.
Anyway, after 6 weeks building time I call this build finished.
Lockheed F-80 A Shooting Star, 56th FS, 1948
Kit: Hobbyboss 1/48
… and the bird is already pushed to its parking position …
Everything is painted with Revell Aqua paints. The fitting of the parts is good, except for the fuselage/wings transition, which is a problem to most kits. The quality of the decals is surprisingly good, though some of the stencils are again poorly printed. The decals went well on the unsealed paint without leaving a shadow of the clear film like in the word USAF. But there’s a tone difference in the Blue on the fuselage band and the rudder. I’m quite happy how the model looks now in the end and that no spray fog went under the canopy. Some of the flaws are made by me …
Thanks to everyone, who followed the build and supported me with comments and/or likes. It’s much appreciated! But now on to new sins, the next build is already flying waiting loops over the work bench
Happy modelling!
Torsten
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Another gorgeous addition to the collection Torsten. Looks a bit lonely with the rest of the prop powered squadron.
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Nice one Torsten, the splash of colour really makes the kit stand out
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Thanks for your replies, guys!
Peter, I recently started a new board on my shelf of pride, that’s why there are not many finished models yet to see here. On the board above this I have 6 jets side by side.
Tim, you’re right, the F-80 looks a bit like a colour splash. That’s what attracts me on this decal option. The early post war US jets were really colourful.
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As I said, the next build flies already waiting loops over my work bench and here it is. It’s the new de Havilland Chipmunk T.10 from Airfix. There’s the Hot Out Of The Molds 2022 Campaign going on now and I will jump in with this kit. The whole kit has only 84 pieces. Let’s have a closer look in the box now
… Sprue A has the wing parts which look nicely detailed …
… Sprue B comes with the fuselage halves, cockpit parts and the engine covers. The kit has the option to build it with open covers but I have decided not to do that …
… Sprue C has various parts for the engine and landing gear plus cockpit parts. Part 27 is a jig for the canopy parts …
… which are on Sprue D …
… the instruction comes in A4 format as usual …
… the decals are made by Cartograph and that means high quality. Further I’ve got the Eduard mask EX809 for the canopy parts. Always a nice little helper …
… Airfix offers 4 decal options and I’ll go for option C, a restored colourful Chipmunk from 2009 …
… I have checked the paints needed and here I have a question to the experts. The numbers shown are Humbrol paints which I don’t have. No. 166 is Light Aircraft Grey BS381C 627. What FS No. would it equal? So far I have chosen FS36495 USAF Light Grey. Would that come close enough? Any suggestions? All other paints are okay for me.
Will probably start next week with the build. Hope that some of you will again join me here.
Have a nice Sunday!
Torsten
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No Federal Standard equivalent but this might help Torsten:
There is a ‘Real Colours’ equivalent
Gunze version
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Torsten,
Your F-80 A turned out fantastic. Love the finish, and the decaling looks like you stenciled on all the markings.
Looking forward to your Chipmunk build.
Just thought I’d let you know that it’s been lightly snowing here since 6am and it’s still snowing at 7:30pm with no let up in sight. Sure wish I could box up enough snow and cold to make it a proper winter by you.
joel
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Another fine addition to the display Torsten! Great example of a Shooting Star! 
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Thanks a lot for your feedback, guys!
Peter, thanks for taking your time and checking the right colour for my Chipmunk. It’s much appreciated! I have just ordered a tin of Gunze H332. Should be here in the next days. Comes just from another corner here in Germany.
Joel, yesterday we had spring here for a day with bright sunshine shining from a clear blue sky and 12°C (53°F) outside. The city was crowded with people. But it should be cooler again in the next days …
I probably start with the Chipmunk tomorrow.
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Waiting…
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Torsten,
We actually had one 40F degree day followed by a sneak peak of Spring with a 50F day. Naturally that night it snowed lightly and the temps in the morning when I got up to shovel/snow blow was a balmy 16F with double digit winds just to add that little extra touch of winter.
Have I mentioned just how much I truly hate winter? And with each passing year as I’m now looking at 75 this year, I hate the cold even more.
joel
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