Pitts S2C "Hot Stuff"

		This is another of those pesky little models produced by Peter Groves of Airshowmodels.com. It is a resin and brass reproduction of the Aviat Aircraft Co.'s factory demonstrator Pitts S2C.
The decal art work is by Greg Thompson of Horizonsnz.com, who had only photos to work from. As it is the first test of both the resin and decals, I am amazed how closely the decals fit. The art work is being revised for better fit and ease of application, however in spite of what looks like a complicated pattern, the decals went on with few problems.
	As can be seen in the above photo, I used a slightly different approach to completing the model, by painting and decaling the upper wings and horizontal tailplane before assembly. This ensures an easy and accurate line-up of the decals. The photo-etched fret in this kit is the same as the S2B and S2S Bulldog so there will be a few items left over, notably the spades, otherwise the construction is the same as the S2B. There is a full build article on the S2B here on the site.
There were a few spots where I had to touch up the decals, but the colours can be approximated by using Model Master Guards Red and Testors Blue #1143 (in the small bottle). The next release by Airshowmodels.com will be the Extra 300 in Patty Wagstaff's paint scheme...and it will be followed by a PT-17 Stearman in both military and air show configurations. All photos are made using a Nikon Coolpix 990 and my better half, Ingrid, produced the one on the right.