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F-16 Thunderbird Team Lead in 1/32 scale

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  • Member since
    January 2015
F-16 Thunderbird Team Lead in 1/32 scale
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 24, 2017 8:29 PM

The saga continues this Christmas as we head into 2018 with my 3rd rendition of the USAF demonstration team. I decided on the F-16 because I bought too much paint for the F-35A so this one allows me to use the most of that up. This time I’m doing the Team Leader, Mike Chandler’s plane from the 2003-2004 season. I found a full walk around of his plane which will definitely help with details. My plan is to do this OOB except for a few scratch details...originally it was 100% oob but once i saw the flag and stop watch in the cockpit weren’t there that thought went by the wayside. 

I got the Encyclopedia of Aircraft Modeling series by Ammo Mig Jimenez for my birthday. I’ve moved on to the advanced cockpit section here so let me know how you think it’s going - all comments are appreciated. Here’s a few teaser picks of what I have done after 2 days of holiday ‍ 

 

I think I have to redo the attempt at lettering on the oxy bottle? Looks more like lol I don’t have a big enough stash of old decals so I’m trying to make it look oike lettering from a distance.

 

 

 

 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    November 2003
  • From: Naples, FL
Posted by tempestjohnny on Monday, December 25, 2017 3:19 AM
Excellent start. Can't wait to follow this

 

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Streetsboro, Ohio
Posted by Toshi on Monday, December 25, 2017 4:03 AM

Great start, love to see more.

Your friend, Toshi Merry Christmas

On The Bench: Revell 1/48 B-25 Mitchell

 

Married to the most caring, loving, understanding, and beautiful wife in the world.  Mrs. Toshi

 

 

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Monday, December 25, 2017 10:35 AM

WOW that seat looks so real , great job. Looking forward to the rest of your build Mate

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Thursday, December 28, 2017 10:49 PM

Made enough progress this week to update the post  i have a bunchof miscellaneous stuff done but I’ll just show the major stuff here for now.

 

I think the fan has a little depth to it. I tried to replicate the wear on the leading edge of the blades...

 

I’ve got the top half of the fuselage ready to go. Once i paint the stripes inside the intake duct i can put it all together. Should have both halves together this weekend!

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    November 2008
  • From: Far Northern CA
Posted by mrmike on Thursday, December 28, 2017 11:09 PM

Pulling up my chair, beverages and snacks on hand. Looking forward to your build!

Mike

  • Member since
    December 2002
  • From: Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England
Posted by Bish on Friday, December 29, 2017 1:54 AM

After seeing the F-35, will be looking forwardto this one. Great start.

I am a Norfolk man and i glory in being so

 

On the bench: Airfix 1/72nd Harrier GR.3/Fujimi 1/72nd Ju 87D-3

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 30, 2017 12:01 AM

Mike i‘ll try to keep the commercial interruptions down!

Thanks Bish! I’m trying to pull all the skills together in one build this time. We’ll see how it goes Big Smile

I spent tonight on the stock NSI intake. I laid out the stripe on Maketar kabuki mask. Then put a piece of tape over it to hold it all together until placed. This held the spacing right...except one if my stripes ended up thin once painted. Go figure, it looked ok to the naked eye, guess I need new glasses lol when i do the white i can update it so not a great loss.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: USA
Posted by keavdog on Saturday, December 30, 2017 12:08 AM

Bish

After seeing the F-35, will be looking forwardto this one. Great start.

 

Me too!

Thanks,

John

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, December 30, 2017 11:57 PM

Didn’t get a ton of time on it today but it is starting to look like a fighter now  Toast I put the flaperons together and a few more little things. I’m almost at the point where i need to decide what order to paint things. I’m thinking of painting blue on the bottom where the intake covers it and then masking it and painting the white over blue. Experimented with a scrap piece and the RCW paint does cover the red...we’ll see how brave i am when decision time comes.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 31, 2017 1:20 PM

 

 

I also started on the canopy. These have kicked my butt since I was 8  :help:   I've spent alot of time reading posts and deciding what method to use. I have everything for polishing. All I can find locally for future so far is the "blue" colored Pledge version of it and I'm worried it will leave a blue tint when dried. I am trying it right now on a 1/48 canopy to see what happens. Following the youtube videos I've cleaned up the seam and polished the canopy. It's looking pretty good. In certain lights I can see some very very faint scuff marks on it. I'm quite happy with it and think I will use this clear one since the plane will be in flight and the canopy of course closed. I think it will show off the cockpit better than with the tinted one.

Posted Image

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, December 31, 2017 3:09 PM

Bet you can tell it's a bitter cold, snowed in, type of day here in Ohio    Lot's of modeling time. I like the tinted canopy best after looking at them both. My 2nd effort turned out even better so the practice paid off. I also got the striping under the intake completed. Off to finish up enough parts to primer this baby and maybe get it Body In White by New Year's Day.

 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Sunday, December 31, 2017 7:30 PM

Coming along nicely!  I know all about the cold stay indoors days.  I think it's currently a whole 3 degrees out right now!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Monday, January 1, 2018 8:23 PM

Thanks Kayda. Another cold one here again. 

My progress was rudely interrupted by a bathroom plumbing project. And the kids wantd dinner, geez you’d nk i could be irresponsible for just 1 weekend lol

didn’t realize how many little detailed components there were on this F-16! Spent what day I had building these...seems like each subassembly has another 3-5 little ducts or other detail to add to it. Going to be a sharp plane when it’s done. 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Wednesday, January 3, 2018 10:40 PM

Tonights effort was on the exhaust. Since it’s in flight I attempted to light it up. This effort may need improved for future builds. If you have an opinion when you look at it let me know. It won’t be very visible on this jet because the nozzle is in cruise and not afterburner in the pose I’ve chosen.

 

Here’s the individual parts as i painted them. After the color wash I rolled the can sideways to let the paint pool in an attempt to make the striations down the inside of the exhaust housing.

 

After an overall wash to try and even out the colors here is what I got

 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Streetsboro, Ohio
Posted by Toshi on Thursday, January 4, 2018 12:16 AM

Excellent prep work.  Everythings looking great.

Your friend, Toshi

On The Bench: Revell 1/48 B-25 Mitchell

 

Married to the most caring, loving, understanding, and beautiful wife in the world.  Mrs. Toshi

 

 

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Friday, January 5, 2018 11:10 PM

Thanks Toshi, I read through all your builds! Appreciate the props Toast

I've been puttering around with the exhaust tonight. Seems like I should have more done. You really lose track of time when you’re focussed on details don’t you! The petals are done in magnesium with a gloss finish. The outside of the ceramic insert is a mix of dark grey and red. Then i cut in the moveable linkage between petals and the details on the fuselage side of the nozzle in duraluminum. I won’t paint the fuselage metal sections till I’m all done because I’ve had trouble with the vallejo colors pulling up with the tape. 

 

 

I thought the inside flames were too red so I went over everything with a yellow wash and then added a skull white and yellow mix up near the flame holder. May do a little more up there.  I almost think it’s the bright orange/red reflecting off the white that’s washing out the flame holder? Once everything was assembled I think it came out pretty darn good. 

 

The through hole you see is for the Tamiya stand. They eliminate the flame holder in the instructions but i found a way to modify the holder so I could put it in.

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Saturday, January 6, 2018 12:59 PM

I was kinda scepticle about the reds and oranges you painted inside the nozzle but now that you have assembled it it looks rather convincing of a bird in full burn. You sir have an artists eye. Good idea and a great job

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, January 7, 2018 7:19 PM

Hit the milestone i was hoping to achieve this weekend. I’m traveling this week so i really wanted to have primer on it so there’d be plenty of time for it to dry before the top coat.ive got a spot under one wing where i had to take these small bulges off the wing root to portray the 2004 season aircraft And it probably needs sanded and reworked again. That’s it for now. Enjoy the pics and have a great week everyone!

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, January 20, 2018 6:35 AM

I’m really out on a limb now! I’ve done the upper surface in a grey panel line wash and everything else in light grey. 

 Hopefully it comes out as nice as my test parts did. 

I got the jet intake glued in yesterday. If all goes well it’ll be gloss white this weekend.

 

 

Edit:  After looking at the picture above and then going back to look at the plane I wasn’t happy with the contrast from front to back along the top. I decided to go over the lines in gray and leave the light gray in the rivets. Here’s what it looks like now. I think this will cover better, only time will tell

 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, January 20, 2018 3:35 PM

It’s white!

 

 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Saturday, January 20, 2018 8:46 PM

Looking good!  What kind of white paint did you use?  I've tried a few and still trying to find a favorite.

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Saturday, January 20, 2018 9:13 PM

MCW - model car world. It’s a lacquer. Needs lots of ventilation. The great part is their white will cover red! FSM did a review on it last summer. The lhs carries it now so i decided to try it out. Sprays on smooth and runs tend to smooth out to. You can put tape on it within an hour, no problem. 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Saturday, January 20, 2018 9:26 PM

I might just have to give that a try when I attempt Fat Albert for the second time.  I had troubles with the paint the first time around.  I just haven't found a white that works well for me.  If I think I have it will work great the first time around, but not the second, lol.

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, January 21, 2018 6:54 AM

I had that same experience! My F-4 Phantom has different color wings, tail, and fuselage when you see it under bright light. I painted it with the same brand and mix. Ive also learned its important to have a consistent base color otherwise the shadows from the primer coat show through and change the appearance of the color. The F-16 seems to have this happening with the flaps. The wings have light gray panel line wash on them and i think this is causing the difference. Ok so probably more then you were asking for lol , hope it’s helpful though!

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Sunday, January 21, 2018 7:52 AM

Oh Boy ! 

 Went through here going Ollie Chit ! !  You are doing one fine job . I had the large Tamiya one years ago and I went loopy on the Gun bay . Back when it first came out . Niiice ! ! 

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, January 21, 2018 5:22 PM

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2016
Posted by Keyda81 on Sunday, January 21, 2018 5:26 PM

Wow, you must have a super high amount of paitence!  I did a 1/48 Tamiya one, and it was all decals, that annoyed the crap out of me, lol.  It didn't turn out to well either.  I'll have to build another one of these days.  It's looking great!

  • Member since
    January 2015
Posted by TheMongoose on Sunday, January 21, 2018 6:51 PM

Keyda I have to be honest, twice I thought about using the decals! I bought all the paint so that really drove my motivation. Definitely a lesson in patience, Smile Burger , just have to take it one bite at a time! 

In the pattern: Scale Shipyard's 1/48 Balao Class Sub! leaning out the list...NOT! Ha, added to it again - Viper MkVii, 1/32 THUD & F-15J plus a weekend madness build!

  • Member since
    August 2013
Posted by Jay Jay on Monday, January 22, 2018 9:47 AM

I find that an incredably ambitious masking project and my hat's off to ya for your dilligence and ability to pull it off ( no pun intended)

 

 

 

 

 

 I'm finally retired. Now time I got, money I don't.

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