After Dave Morrissette performed his construction magic, he returned the subject to me for paint, decals and find assembly. I cannot say enough about the quality of this kit and it’s all there. The only items used other than kit supplied were “Remove Before Flight” ribbons and intake covers.

As to paint, I wet sanded the entire model with 600 wet sand paper followed by Alclad II grey primer with microfillers. I was concerned that the primer might fill the exquisitely engraved panel lines, but not so. They took a brown/grey acrylic wash perfectly. The underside white used was Tamiya gloss white, decanted and sprayed through a Paasche “H” model airbrush at 12 lbs pressure. This dries quickly to a high gloss in about 30 to 45 minutes. The light gull grey used on the topside was Floquil S.P. Lettering Grey, a perfect match for the Gull Grey.

Fisher Models provides the modeler with pre-cut vinyl window masks for BOTH inside and outside placement. The clear parts are also extremely well done in clear cast resin with a “Future” dip for more clarity. After painting, photo etched mirrors and side braces were added. Just a side note here: This is one heavy model to work with (I think I increased my left bicep by at least one inch just from handling it!) The more pieces you add the tougher it becomes to find a way to pick it up without breaking something off in that there are numerous small parts at stake. Luckily, I was able to form a jig using a cardboard box to support the model for both top and bottom sides. One particularly difficult installation is that of the underwing tanks that are solid resin and very heavy…so much so that I used 5 minute epoxy to attach them and strongly recommend you do the same.

Once the model was up on the gear with most of the wee stuff attached, it was time for decals. As with all other Fisher Models, the decals are perfection and went down without incident. When dry, I gave the model a thin coat of Floquil flat finish, which is more eggshell than matte. Slight dusting with pastels rounded out the process. I also left off the superb exhaust until the end- it is a magnificent piece by itself but leaving it off made painting and decaling easier. Nothing left but to attach the canopy pieces, the fuel dump tube and the tiny pitot tube just forward of the windscreen, and there you have it. It sure looks like a Skyray to me.

In summary, this kit can only be listed as superb! There is nothing about it that was disappointing in the least. Certainly no surprise for a Fisher Model. These folks are most certainly the top of the food chain when it comes to outstanding quality. Let me take this opportunity to thank Fisher Model and Pattern and Paul Fisher for the review sample. Please keep up the great work.