'After The Battle' Group build progress photos. Part 2 (F-105D)
Hello gang. Here's part 2 of my build. enjoy and more to follow soon.
Part 2
After installing the engine bay bulkheads, I used .020 styrene rod to simulate the hydraulic lines. The bulkheads had holes drilled in them before they were glued into place. The styrene rods were run through the bulkheads and glued in place at each end. Then they were painted aluminum.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/Enginebayhydrauliclines.jpg
This hydraulic line will be cut and bent as part of the battle damage later during construction.
Next thing I did was to make an electrical wiring bundle to run along the length of the fuselage and along the bulkheads. I stripped the insulation from a length of steel wire that came from a small toy electrical motor, painted it white and installed it. (This type of wire is very thin and perfect for making such wire bundles/harnesses.) This also will have some damage applied to it later during construction.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/smallguagewireforwirebundles.jpg
I assembled the engine according to the instructions and painted it with Tamiya acrylics.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/assembledengine.jpg
The colors used are dark gray, NATO brown, aluminum, and titanium. Then the engine was given a black wash, weathered by dry-brushing oils. The NATO brown seems to have a very good shade for simulating rust on the areas that have high operating temperatures. (Squadron F-105 in action had a great photo of this.) The engine has a thermal heat shroud that is wrapped around the afterburner pipe. I made the shroud by measuring the diameter of that area then cutting a piece of paper towel to size. I cut a piece of Bare Metal Foil slightly larger than the paper towel and folded over the edges to cover the paper towel edges. I wrapped the completed shroud around the pipe and used 5 minute epoxy to hold it in place. If you've ever seen such engine shrouds up close as I have, then you'd be able to see that there is a texture in the shroud. The paper towel simulates this quite well and the Bare Metal Foil is so thin that it shows it.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/Engineheatshroud1.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/Engineheatshroud2.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/Engineheatshroudonengine.jpg
I also used a silver artist pencil to highlight the bare metal areas.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/Engineweathering.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y78/Csaulet2001/Engineweathering2.jpg
Part 3 is on the way. Cockpit assembly and tips for the Black Box set.