Twin Boom Group Build 2013

Thanks guys. It has its first coat of green on now and its looking much better. Tomorrow will be the mammouth masking session and then the second green.

Theuns, that's looking really nice. Airfix certainly have come a long way.

That Vampire is shaping up nicely Theuns!!

Since the SA weather is all screwed up (wet and cold) and I am not able to spray the dopes I need to on the projects I have been droening my sorrows in tamiya cement! LOL

The intakes on the Vamp in my view (for what it is worth) has been designed overly complex. They give full inlet trunking and turbine face , but behind the seperate intakes I can't see how much would be visalbe anyway. (but I am not complaining Airfix.....keep the new stuff comming!)

I can see some filler will be needed on the intake to wing seams.

lol, but if YOU DO forget the lead until after... I, uhh, I know how to put it in afterwards. Just don't ask me how I know. 

Theuns the Vamp is looking great ! Good call on the dark grey for the office!

Bish ca'nt wait to see the update pics!

I wasn't planning on posting my next update until I had completed the paint job. I was hoping this would be today, with pics following tomorrow.

However, the masking took slightly long than expected. In fact its taken the best part of the day in small sessions, well as long as my nerves could handle.

So I just had to share the results of my efforts.

By the way, I HATE masking.

Well, I do now.

More pics tomorrow.

lol, yessir bish, that is a pile of masking. Time to take a break with a cool one!

I attended my local IPMS "build day" yesterday and there were 2 floks aosl also building the Vamp. Interesting how they to had a "hard time" getting the inlets to seat nicely and all of us had to trim the internal seats of the booms to get them to sit right.

I wonder then if this is a slight problem with the kit's engineering?? Nothing major though, just nice to know about it.

In the meantime I got the booms in, tail on and wings completed. It will be an interesting exersize in filling and sanding and not loose any of the detail.................stay tuned!

Theuns

The wing and boom fit will defenately need work to get it right.

I nearly changed my build to the Airfix Vampire, Theuns, but given that you've got it covered I'll stay with my Sea Vixen. It's looking good, but more work than I expected.

Cheers

Tony

Tony, we must not loose sight of the fact that I might not be able to actually build these things and just stuffed it up LOL!

I have been able to fill all the joints with thin superglue, just need to sand it now, hopefully it will be OK, otherwize the kit is not all that bad really. I understand from an IPMS guy that the 3 times more expensive Trump 1/48 Vamp it even worse!  

Theuns

vance, I was nearly tempted after that, and I don't even drink.

I got it painted yesterday but decided to leave in the shed. Its just to be to be lumping around with a still wet paint job, and there's less dust out there. Going to bring it in later and get some pics.

Thuens, defiantly a bit of work needed on those wing joins, but she is looking good.

Most of the sanding completed on the Vamp's joints (superglue only) and the primes shows an OK look to them. As soon as it cures I will do re-scribing and sanding for paint.

Theuns

So here's the results of all that masking.

I have also been working on some of the smaller bit, like painting the wheels and getting the two engines together. And doing the gun mounts for the top position. I have used some brass wire for the frame that supports the gunners seat.

I can now get on to my favourite bit, decaling. But most of this week I will be concentrating on the ground equipment and vehicles.   

Theuns looks like some serious gaps to fill in and the Trump kit is worse!? Wow. Sounds like you've got it figured looking forward to seeing the update pics!

Bish I hope you're buying that tape by the case! That's a masking session I'm not looking forward to! The Zwil is looking awesome ,you did an excellent job on the masking and its really looking sweet! Those seat frames look amazing as well,very nicely done!

Thanks TREY. The kit part is a thick piece of plastic that curves round and is supposed to be the seat. There's a bit or Eduard PE that's supposed to fit onto that. So I just cut the plastic off and replaced it with the frame.

Bish: Seems like I completely missed your update, buddy! She's looking great! You did a very good job on the masking!

Thanks, I am really pleased how it came out. The decaling is taking longer than expected, but I am taking my time, there's a lot of stencilling.

The Vamp has the canopy on, primed ans sanded with some minor re-scribing completed. I am happy with the joints.

Next will be a basecoat of gloss while for the dayglow, mask that off ans dhen silver. I have found in the past the silver doesn't like masking much.

Looking good there Theuns.

Time for a short update. Finally got the decals finished, which like everything else took longer than expected.

And I got the two resin engines finished. 

I have just started the weathering tonight using some Flory  wash on the underside, so its getting close. 

Great work, mate! What colors are you using?

Thanks, I am using xtracolor enamels, my usual paint of choice, RLM 65, 70 and 71.

I manage to spray some gloss white as a base for the dayglow on the Vamp, only to have the airbrush "fail me" putting some "splatters" in the paint! As soon as it is cured I will sand them with micro mesh and do the dayglow.

Theuns

Now this is what I gall "hurt your eyes" bright!

As soon as it cured I will mask off the daygolw as on the instructions and shoot the silver. This orange does take very long to cure though.

Nice finish! That's one unusual color for sure...

Basic painting completed. It was an interesting masking exersize.

After a light sanding I will do the decals. The orrange took allot of paint to cover and lead to loosing some of the pannel detail, but I am still OK with the build sofar.

Bright enough for ya?

Interesting how the adition of the silver makes the orrange look darker.

Thats looking really nice Theuns.

Nice looking Vamp Theuns. What did you use for the International Orange ? I've never sprayed it, but I've heard it is a very tough colour to get coverage with.

Bish  - That Zwilling looks fantastic. I've always admired that aircraft. One day when I haven't got so many GBs (ha ha when will that be) I'm gonna gave a go myself. I do like that splinter camo too, it must have been a fair job of masking on that thing.

errr...Sea Vixen still to come

Cheers

Tony

I used humbrol 209 dayglow orange.

It is a hard colour to spray, it is VERY translucent and takes a few coats, I was impatient and did not want to wait long between coats so it covered poorly.

You do need either white or yellow base for it to go over.

I have tried brushing the stuff, but for me like silver it just can not be done well.

Theuns

Well, finally got back on the site and time for another update. The undercarriage and outer engines are on and most of the weathering is done. I did have some drama's with a couple of the decals after adding the flat coat. The right upper wing and one of the fuselage crosses both silvered a lot, so I painted over the centre of the crosses. One recommendation I would make is to try and use AM decals especially for the crosses, swastika's and probably the tail code. The decals are rather thick.

This is probably the last update before its done. I only have a few bits to add, such as the window's, upper gun position and so on, and a bit of work to do on the main undercarriage. But I still have a lot to do on the base, ground equipment and other bits for the dio.