African Group Build - The Official Thread

[quote user="Theuns"]

"Not sure about shipping costs, but 1 US$ is about 8ZAR , so round 6,25 US$ for a nice set that will not curl up and seat nicely."

Mav charged me postage R50  for three sets to Oz (bit pricey for an envelope)....  they arrived yesterday - look impressive

I'll be making some headway now , RZ , Gripen & C-130

Tried out my new airbrush on the weekend, Iwata HP-CS,  what a difference from old Paasche H! Did three planes in the space of an hour (would normally take best part of day), so efficient, can change colors with minimum fuss, cleanup quick & easy - first time I have used double action, gravity feed AB !

So Mirage RZ (warts & all) got its underside done in sky blue, so did the Me 109 and i did  the Pete in a metal undercoat for Jap GB (want to try the salt weathering on this one) - will do the RZ sand/yellow top coat hopefully by week end, then I've got the weekend GB which looks like fun

I'll post some pics soon

Nice Harvard Theuns - what kit & scale ?

Thanx, it was a 1/48 Italeri T-6 out the box eccept for decals.

Yes I do think R50-00 ($6 odd) is stiff for shipping, but then when I need something from the US it will most likely be the same. Bottom line - order allot to cut down on unit costs LOL!

Theuns

OK, so I got my stuff today and as it is the first time I have recieved AM resin stuff I am extremely happy with the level of detail in 1/72 scale!

There is just no way plastic could ever compare again!

Here is the "standard" kit shot of the 1/72 Italeri Kfir C-7

The resin wheels and exhaust detail

Might start on the "office" this week, stay tuned.

Theuns

Theuns - glad you found a kit. Will be following your progress here with interest

Here's a pic of the RZ I'm hoping to copy (alsots me & my son, taken at Swartkops museum in 2008) - do you know what the official colours are here, particularly the orange/earth/sand/tan colour - whats the best match in Tamiya, Model master, Testors or Humbrol or is there a mix to get this match?

I've done my first coat in French Earth but its too brown, nothing like this?

NeedBeer

Theuns - glad you found a kit. Will be following your progress here with interest

Here's a pic of the RZ I'm hoping to copy (alsots me & my son, taken at Swartkops museum in 2008) - do you know what the official colours are here, particularly the orange/earth/sand/tan colour - whats the best match in Tamiya, Model master, Testors or Humbrol or is there a mix to get this match?

I've done my first coat in French Earth but its too brown, nothing like this?

Nice pic! I don't recall the paint #s I used on mine, I'll track them down for you this evening so you'll at least know what I was working with - your results may vary!

I can't say offhand, but wil post on the SAAF website and get some imput from the lads................

Theuns

I posted the question on the SAAF forum and a few codes came back. Please go and check out the link to my thread, it might help those who need the info.

http://www.saairforce.co.za/forum/viewtopic.php?f=12&t=4029

Theuns

That was a great help thanks Theuns!

I did these blindly on my previous builds using Revel which came pretty close but some of these have dried up now

Looks like i'll be mixing acrylics & enamels on this one - i have some but not all

Done the underside in correct Tamiya acrylic 

Done the first topside coat in MM French earth enamel but its nowhere close, I can go over this with the recommended #63 Humbrol enamel which I have but I dont think its the correct match (I used this on my F1)?

Alternatively I'll have to go down to LHS get some Tamiya colours to mix/make a deep buff ?

Whats the deal going over enamel with acrylic?

And here I am showing up just in time to add to the confusion! The last few kits I've built, I decided to try to use up the paint I have in-hand rather than buy specific new paint. (I realized that I had 4 different brands on the go!)

Anyway, the combination I used on my Mirage F1 is

• underside - Model Master enamel RLM 63 Lichtgrau
• topside deep buff - Humbrol enamel 63 matt + a little 160 matt (probably a 12 or 15 to 1 ratio)
• topside green - Tamiya acrylic XF26 deep green.
• clear gloss coat of Future, which ends up darkening the topside colours quite a bit.

Hope that helps a little. The colours look good to my eye for a "factory fresh" paint job, they would have to be lightened quite a bit to give you that sun-baked look.

As far as enamel over acrylic - I generally try not to mix them when possible. This time I went acrylics (green) over enamel (buff), I waited about a week between coats & didn't have any problems.

I think that if you want a "factory fresh" look it will have to be gloss (over the codes given) but if you want a faded plane the clearcoat wil have to be more matt.

The SAAF's planes were actually well looked after (remember we could not replace them due to the arms embargo) and only after standing at a meseum did they start to fade.

Personally I try to stick to either enamels or acrylics on a project, just because I don't know any better LOL!

As for presice colours, well I tendto use what I have in the paintbox and mix if nesessary. I need to paint the Super Etandard soon and will be mixing what I have with my "Mk-1 eyeball"

Colour is a personal thing and we all see it in different ways , so I try to get close, but not do a "rivet count" on it.Afterall, it is supose to be fun!

Theuns

I eventually started on my 1/72 Kfir to Cheetah convex.

I cut off the fin and filled the wingroot internal area where the electrical cable duckts are located on the Kfir. The Cheetahs don't have them.

To paint the bangseat was "fun" and I have finally realized that my eyes are not so good anymore LOL! Just need to make and install the eject handle.

Theuns

Seat completed , bang handle from thin copper wire glued to seat base. This MB Mk-10 seems to have no top handle.

Next the inst pannel needs assembly and PE detail.

Theuns

PS, there are allot of rough detail, but luckely the small actual size hides most of it LOL!

Good to see some of your efforts here - very impressive detail Theuns

I bet you have a few spare parts hiding in that carpet monster?

No progress on the RZ yet - have been doing the Weekend Madness GB (sacrificing quality for speed) with Vance and learning about what not to do with NMF.

Decided I am going to mix my own paints to achieve the deep buff and have bought  the paint to do this - will give this a go tonight 

I did the nose and exhaust replacement, the cheetah has a marked longer nose than the Kfir.

After it's all nicely sanded I will fit the fin and wings this weekend I hope.

Sofar working with the resin parts has been fun, but then again I have not strted any sanding yet!LOL

Theuns

Hopefully after 3 failed attempts at this post it will go through now :-(   !!!!

I completed the filling/sanding of the new nose and exhaust. I put in the new instrument pannel top, just need to add the HUD and PE pannel.

The rear cockpit bulkhead looked very bare so I scratch built a few electrical boxes/wiringharnasses and the seat rail from some pix I had.

Light drybrushing to bring out the detail a bit.

Next comes the new intake shock cones and getting that lot all smooth LOL!

Theuns

Nice work Theuns!

A little bit of progress on the Cheetah.

Filled ,sanded and re-scribed the sinkspots on the wing LE's. Same on the intakes.

Juts look at how poor the fit of the wing to fuse is :-(     lots of filling to be done there.

I must tell you that the tip of the dogtooth is darn sharp!

Theuns

Good to see some progress Theuns - good luck with the gaps!

Numerous distractions & onset of summer since my last effort - finally mixed up the buff & orange last night & sprayed the base "deep buff" for the RZ this morning, almost satisfied with colour, my pics show more orange

Here are some pics of the first three coats. I'll put the green camo on over the weekend

NeedBeer

...my pics show more orange

Maybe it just has a bit of a tan?? Nice variation along the panel lines.

Is this group build still alive?/

Sorry to bump if it isnt!

got an entry or two for myself...

ICM Spitfire XVIe to build as the MkIXe at the SAAF museum...

And the Hasegawa CL13 Mk6 Sabre... in 1Sqn camo... she needs a bit more work to be finished..

Am I eligible to join in the group build?

Hope it's still alive!

Have a pile of kits lined up for this one .....

Hot weather,festive season & work commitments slowing my progress

My RZ has been painted in 70's camo scheme ready for gloss cote & decals - will post a pic soon

Just noticed a bulbous shape on the underside under cockpit that isn't part of the academy kit - not sure what this is but will attempt to scratch build this as well as the camera ports 

Theuns hows your resin kit going?

Still alive? - I certainly hope so!! The Christmas break has slowed things down I suppose. I have the opposite problem of you folks on the southern side - expecting temps of -30C tonight, including the wind chill!

I need to get my decals ordered so I can finish off the Mirage!

Tacan - you're pretty far into the builds but I suppose as long as you are sharing some progress pics along the way you're in. (You'll find a pretty friendly crowd around here!) Any pics you have already taken up to now would be great to see. I love the camo on that Sabre!!!

My African Builds are really lagging behind! I finished a P-40E in north africa, but I don't think that's elegible as it was started a month before... Anyway, since I'm meant to be running this, I'd better do another P-40..

Glad to see it's still going.

I had way too much work over the past few weeks to be able to build models, but then I shouldn't complain as the work brings in the models LOL!

I have added the new chaff/flare dispencer,filled and sanded it to the rear fuse.

Then the new fin was contoured to the top fuse and cynoed on. I have in the meantime filled and smoothed the jointline of the fin aswell.

Note my guards over the dog tooth on the wing LE's, they are VERY sharp!

A few intakes needed to be removed from the mid fuse as the Kfir and Cheetah were not the same in that regard.New resin scoops will be added after final sanding.

I need to do a bit of re-scribing on the fuse and then the new cannards will go on.

Atleast it is starting to almost resemble a cheetah now.

Theuns

Theuns - look at all that resin!! Seems to be coming together quite nicely now.  I'd love to see that Cheetah sitting beside a standard Kfir to better see the differences.

VanceCrozier

  I'd love to see that Cheetah sitting beside a standard Kfir to better see the differences.

Now there is an interesting idea for a GB hey? Planes and their improved versions...........

Theuns

Well the Kfir is already a Mirage V variant, but I'd definitely be up for a "Dassault GB" which could include Dassault aircraft and their variants, (Kfir, Nesher, Cheetah etc.)

Interesting thought for later in the year, I've got a Kfir and an Ouragan in the stash, and I know where to find a few Mirages. .  (Or a french-only kinda GB??)

"Made in France GB"