Monogram Mafia III

Thanks Josiah! When I test fit it all in there, it is starting to get the busy look in there.

I know what I'll be doing tomorrow midday... Vandenberg AFB will be launching a satellite into orbit, so weather permitting I should be able to see the launch once it gets high enough to be visible locally... Sweet!

http://www.americaspace.com/?page_id=11236

Here's where I'm at on the MiG. Sanding on the guns is done at least until I prime the thing, I'm adding an afterburner because, well the thing looks wimpy without them...I've got some work and sanding to do to get them to look right but it'll come. This kit is very low on parts but what it lacks in time of assembly the necessary filling and sanding make up for it, not to mention all the stuff I'm putting into it. Not TOO much more left to do assembly wise though...

Maybe you should have bought an Academy or Eduard Fishbed as well. Both come with enough extra weapons to arm 2 or 3 Migs... The 21 has an afterburner, but it is buried in the tail and only visible from the rearmost angles. I like the early Mig-21s as they were more stripped down no frills fighters, like a roadster hot rod.

Gotcha, wrong choice of words I guess....would nozzle be the correct word  for what I'm putting on it? I do like some planes that are no frills as you say...but the MiG-21 isn't one of them for me...just something about it's profile that makes me think it needs...meaner looking...to each their own though! Thanks for the tip on the other MiGs, I'll have to check them out when I get the urge to build another one.

Got more progress done...Just a couple more tidbits to add on and then it'll be off to painting which means I've got to hurry and decide what kind of camo I want to do on this

Nice progress, Josiah!  Looks like you mastered the seam issue pretty well.

Finally was able to spray the Voodoo.

I shot Testors gloss black in the small bottle

Then shot Alclad polished aluminum then masked and picked off some panels with Alclad white aluminum. The flash reflected off the polished Alclad making things brighter than in reality.

It looks like actual metal

The tanks are very shiny

I still have to pick out some more panels and mask for the darker exhaust area at the lower rear of the fuselage. This is very time consuming but the results are super! The trick to Alclad is not to use any putty, polishing out the plastic helps and a glass smooth gloss primer application is a must.

I definitely want to get in on this! But I want to finish up a couple of other GB's first! I'm pretty "stretched out" right now!! 

Thanks Baron.

PJ the results are indeed excellent. I'll have to remember the no putty tip. I eventually want to do a NMF bird....hmmm maybe someday.

Oooohhhh, nice work, y'all!

The Alclad looks great, PJ!  At first glance, I thought that was foil.  It really looks great.

PJ, I don't know how you do it. I followed your directions to the letter and I can't even get past the Gloss Black stage. I always have some blemishes or other and for some reason I can never ever get a glass-smooth coat of paint! I didn't use putty either and yet I always seem to have to strip and re-spray five times before getting something that is "close enough".  That still isn't "good enough", but to keep my model from languishing for more than two years, I just accept it finally. I'm tired of being such a screw-up that I can't even do what you do so well no matter how closely I follow your directions.

Nice job. Maybe 100 years from now I'll be able to do the same.

Thanks guys. I compared it to the Reynolds foil and it's a dead ringer for it.

Duke,

the plastic has to be 120% clean cause even a finger print will show under the Alclad. The slightest imperfection will be noticed so it takes a little prep work. I went one step further this time in polishing the plastic with Micromesh pads then used the gloss black enamel. I thin it about 50-50 and spray at about 12 lbs. If the black or any other primer is not glass smooth, then all bets are off. I'm very pleased with the results.

Don't give up, experiment on a cheap kit and you will see how nice it comes out.

Looking great everyone! especially compared to my stuff

As much as I wanted to do the night-fighter scheme, I went ahead and went with the more accurate Black Sheep livery. (excuse the brush marks)

Thanks PJ, I'll keep trying.

Matt, looking good. Keep it up man.

Stickpusher,

I would like to join up with two crossover kits.

A 1/48 Monogram F100 for the Century Series GB.

A 1/48 Monogram Mi-24 Hind for the Ground Attack GB.

I will be starting the Hun after I'm finished with my M4A1.

How about it. Watcha think?

Steve

1997 Ford Expedition SSV update:

I managed to get the interior assembled. I put the back seat in to help with the cargo area dimensions. The front seats will go in once I decide on MDT or laptop and mounting....

I was confused about what exactly to put in the cargo area, then I remembered seeing a Tufbox in a command SUV on a neighboring FD.  I found a website that had decent pictures and gave the different dimensions. It will be painted once the glue's set. 

The box will be painted flat black with a textured/fabric top. I didn't add the lock because it won't be visible thru the windows.

Looking good to me Greg, nice job on the tufbox.

I've decided on how I'm going to paint this...I've got some left over shark teeth decals from a vampire I did awhile ago and that got me thinking...although it is over I'm going to dress this MiG up in honor of shark week.  Gonna do my best to replicate a tiger shark using these photos as guidelines...

pyrman64

1997 Ford Expedition SSV update:

I managed to get the interior assembled. I put the back seat in to help with the cargo area dimensions. The front seats will go in once I decide on MDT or laptop and mounting....

I was confused about what exactly to put in the cargo area, then I remembered seeing a Tufbox in a command SUV on a neighboring FD.  I found a website that had decent pictures and gave the different dimensions. It will be painted once the glue's set. 

The box will be painted flat black with a textured/fabric top. I didn't add the lock because it won't be visible thru the windows.

     Looking really nice, Pryman......hopefully, you won't be modeling a GETAC MDT....that's what our local guys use in PD and FD....IMHO, it is a POS.....the interior definitely has a municipal/public service vehicle look about it!!

Pretty creative look for the Mig 21.....how about making a pilot that looks like Rob Lowe????  (Think crazy Shark Week commercial with him riding a pair of sharks, throwing chum into the air!!!)

ygmodeler4

Looking good to me Greg, nice job on the tufbox.

I've decided on how I'm going to paint this...I've got some left over shark teeth decals from a vampire I did awhile ago and that got me thinking...although it is over I'm going to dress this MiG up in honor of shark week.  Gonna do my best to replicate a tiger shark using these photos as guidelines...

YES, that commercial had me in tears the first time I saw it

Okay, here it is a few months down the line and I finally have some progress done and a camera to document it!

First off,  I shot some Tamiya Navy Blue from a spraycan on my F-8 Bearcat. This came out nice and smooth, now this bird is ready for decals:

Earlier in the week, I worked on my little F4-B4 biplane at Hobby Day. I got some paint on this and then added a few more detail parts. I had painted the tail surfaces and upper wing white to help the yellow go on better. Then I brushed on the yellow paint on the tail and it turned out great:



The top wing didn't work out though, so I wiped it off as much as I could to shoot some yellow on it later through the airbrush:



Later I'll apply the decals to this since it is easier to do when the upper wing is not on it. I might even get them on this tomorrow.

Anyway, that's all I have to show for now. It sure felt good to get back to the workbench again. Hopefully I'll be able to make more progress tomorrow. Meanwhile, thanks for looking in, comments are always welcome.

ygmodeler4

YES, that commercial had me in tears the first time I saw it

Yeah, me too!!!  Took me awhile to figure out that it was Rob Lowe!  Even funnier after that!!  LOL

Pyr, nice work on the interior so far. Nice work on the storage box. Mark, I like your two kits so far as well! That yellow tail came out really nice on the bipe. The Bearcat is looing really sharp too.

Thanks Carlos! I hope to have more done soon.

modelcrazy, your kit selections are added to the front page roster. Welcome aboard!

Matt, I really like that Corsair!  I built that same one maybe 20 years ago.  Yes, I know what they say about the quality of it and how it compares to other manufacturers' versions and blah-blah-blah.  But I still have it hanging from my ceiling downstairs and I still love the look of the Monogram -4 kit.

I hope you enjoyed yours just as much!

Eric

echolmberg- Thank you very much. I had a little trouble with the wing fitment. Other than that it IS a great kit! All it needs now is the ordinance and final decaling!

O, and i forgot; I have the canopy and windscreen drying in my KLEAR dungeon LOL

Here is a pic of my KLEAR drying Dungeon  

I call it Purgatory! LOL They seem to be right about prisons being overcrowded now-days!

Too many kits going at once, as you see!