Stealth GB

Thought it would be good for a comparison shot. Couldn't resist it, such a large 1/48 kit!

My Meteor is the same scale, just unbelievable how big this plane really is!

Cheers

Casper nice work on that pit man Course I always like seeing your work That SR-71 is a big bird isnt it.

It's looking good there Casper.

Thanks guys!

After a look at a few reference shots of the exhausts and the engine I decided the kit parts were lacking a bit of much needed detail.

Lucky I had a lot of left over PE from my F-104 project. Despite that bird being 1/32 and the SR-71 in 1/48 the engine parts are roughly the same size. I also used some unused ordinance from my ME-262, the ends of some bombs make a rough approximation of the tips of the turbines. I had nothing with a spheroid shape so this was close enough.

Anyways after it is all painted and detailed I doubt it will be that noticeable.

Cheers

Inside of the exhaust I applied different shades of various metallic paints, gun metal, burnt iron, steel, etc. I then used at a very low PSI and heavily thinned mix of red brown and aluminum.

This was sprayed over every interior surface.

I then used a very dirty oil wash (mostly black with some brown) and slopped it over everything. When this drained I then applied all the drained stuff again and so. After a while the run off started to dry and harden so I kept applying it.

I also noticed where I had not entirely covered the surface with primer, the oil wash reacted nicely with the black surface. I plan to paint the exhaust ports in burnt iron and blend that into black back mid nacelles. Once the whole plane is oil washed it should simulate that stressed, heated metal look gradually to where the temperature is the hottest.

Cheers

Hey guys, here's a picture of the state of my build.  I'm using squadron white putty, but I think its time to switch to something better soon...

Hey I will bite man how about the Monogram SR-71. Build up pics to come soon.

PeteAnd82

Hey I will bite man how about the Monogram SR-71. Build up pics to come soon.

Welcome aboard Pete, you're on the front page. Feel free to grab the badge.

Cheers

The SR-71 seems ok so far. The decals though I am a little concerned about though. Date on the back of the Sheet says 10\94 so. The decals are not yellow but the paper seems to be.

Bummer about the decals. Perhaps use one of the letter codes as a test? For something so delicate and fragile, they can make or break the finish on a kit!

Cheers

I applied a little more brown oil colour last night around the inner rims of the exhaust.

I think it now matches quite well with the reference shot I was trying for

http://www.cybermodeler.net/aircraft/sr-71/images/nasm_sr-71_14.jpg

Cheers

Peteand82 I have had nothing but luck using Microscale's Liquid decal film to save old decals. Just make sure if you do try the decal film to apply it to the decal before cuttung it from the sheet. The paper on the back being yellowed doesnt really matter much as most of my sheets are that way and the decals themselves are fine

Thanks for the info, I do have some of that. How should I brush it on the decals? How long of a cure time does it need? Thanks again.

Peteand82 I use a soft brush to brush it on with, the softest one I have and I try and cover all of the carrier film, if you go past no worries. The film is self leveling to a point as long as you dont glob it on. Play with it on a decal or two you wont be using to see how it brushes on for you. I like to let it dry for a couple hours just to be on the safe side, it is said you can place the decal 20 minutes after brushing it on. Do not cut the decal from the sheet before applying the decal film !!! Once the film is dry I cut the decal off the sheet as close as I can to the carrier film and sometimes on larger decals I will cut right up to the colored portion. The reason I do that is out of laziness to be honest, the liquid film will leave sometimes a hazy white goo on the model after the decal dries past where the carrier film ends. It isnt hard to clean up just a water damp Q-tip will do the trick, but like I said I am lazy

The one warning I will give you from what has happened to me, I cut the decal from the sheet then applied the film let it dry and popped it into water to apply the decal. The decal would not come off the backing, it seems the film leveled out and spread over the edges where I had cut the decal and sealed the carrier to the backing paper. Hope this helps you out and I hope it makes sense to ya I am very sleepy as I write this.

I will give it a shot on some of my other decals first man thanks. Also my cockpit is done. Pictures coming soon.

Please check out my blog its all about the models I own and I am currently working on.

http://sot82.wordpress.com/

Got a UMM scriber in the mail today, practice on some plastruct this weekend, scribe it up sometime next week!

Got the whole bird together today. pretty big! Some ugly gaps and will be quit a bit of gap filling to do. Especially the bad joins on the tail piece. Also the right wing didn't quite line up with the fuselage.

But it looks pretty cool. Also masked and sprayed inside the canopies and they turned out perfectly. There are some instruments molded inside the canopy so it should look good when they are in the open position.

Cheers

Looking good Casper!!

Woot. Thats gonna be a swish birdy when shes done. Any fit issues? The LHS has 2 of them and im tempted to get one.

A couple of fit issues Scorpiomonkey, but worth the dosh. Tail and wings seem to be the main issues. If your gonna get this kit I do suggest shelling out a little extra for a resin cockpit. What is included is rudimentary at best and I think the extra will really lift the model up to the next level.

Cheers

Casper the Chihuahua

 Tail and wings seem to be the main issues.

So...Everything? lol. Ill certainly look into it.

Not quite everything!

The fuselage has been great. To have no middle seam and the join actually occurs under the lip around the side where even the most shoddy puttying job can't really be seen is something special!

Cheers

Nearly went cross-eyed from the amount of milliputting this thing needed. The underside is done, I'll wait for it to dry before I can even face doing the top. I think the top may not have as many gaps.

Cheers

Hey Pete, I think you've sold me on the trumpeter A-10 sweet kit especially the resin engine. May have to save some pocket money fo that one.

Cheers

Casper thats a nice job of filling those gaps I know they are, or in this case were, nasty ones. Never thought of using miliputt as a filler, will have to give it a try

Hi Vetteman, I use the Superfine (White) Milliput. I find I don't need to demarcate sections with tape, the Milliput just gets smooshed into the gap and wet Q-tips do the rest. I can clean up all of the excess with water and the putty can be very easily molded when wet. It also goes rock hard quite quickly.

Cheers

vetteman42

Casper thats a nice job of filling those gaps I know they are, or in this case were, nasty ones. Never thought of using miliputt as a filler, will have to give it a try

All gaps finished

Yeah Vetteman, I prefer Milliput because it is so pliable during the wet stage. If I have done it right no sanding required. I HATE sanding! Almost as much as I hate decals. I will do anything not to sand to Milliput seems to be the trick. I think it takes about as long as sanding and a lot of Q-tips but not nearly as messy or hard work.

Cheers

I'm doing a two-seat F-19 for the Red Storm Rising GB, can I enter it here as well?  Testors 1/48 kit.  Since it's a year, may bring the Monogram version F-19 in later on as well.

Chris

Hi Chris, you're on the front page. Please grab the badge and have fun!

Cheers