by Bill Dunn
1/110 Tuna Clipper (Lindberg)
This is the ancient, low-tech, Tuna Clipper kit from Lindberg. Previously issued by Pyro and Life Like, the kit is over 50 years old (like me). Based on the real Gulf Star tuna clipper, this old kit is not up to the standards of current offerings, but is a great start for modifications and enhancement. Inspired by an old photograph showing a helicopter on a raised platform of a tuna clipper, I modified a scale metal helicopter toy to depict a "tuna scout" seen in the photo. Several other modifications and enhancements were made to the kit using a variety of spare parts and stock styrene. this kit is sometimes described as being 1/90th scale, but I believe it is close to 1/110 based on some crew figures I salvaged from another kit. Testors Model Master enamels were airbrushed with my antique Badger 200 and sealed with clear gloss. Black and rust washes were sealed with flat clear. Old silk thread was used for rigging and transparent blue plastic used for the windows.
Thank you for looking. Your comments, questions, and suggestions are always welcome.
