Mighty Mini's GB! 1/144 scale

Thanks IL2.  I hate to say it but I don't quite remember where I got it.  It was either Spruebrothers.com or Luckymodel.com.  But I've also seen them on Ebay.

Moving on, the ramp is on and in need of some sanding from the mass of putty needed. I did get that done last night and it looks okay. I'll spray the white upper and lower areas white, put the wings on, fill any gaps, touch up the paint, then see what needs tackling then. 

Mighty good looking progress everyone!

Might I suggest folks put a scaling element in their photos, like an xacto or a bottle of paint? I think we are all used to seeing all of these subjects BIGGER!

I will do so ...ummm... when I've made some progress.

better post pics of this before I get it finished!

Started on the F-18D today.

Not a lot of parts (but more than the Su-33):

Got the 'pit put together and painted in about an hour (including drying time for the glue!):

Now, it's really hard to tell in these photos, but I painted an entire instrument set up for the pit, with three screens for the pilot in the front seat, gray consoles on the sidearms and sides of the cockpit.

then, I glued the halves together:

In that last one, you can sort-of see the cockpit, but, alas, no pilots for this one (thanks a lot, Revell). I got no less than eight separate parts for the cockpit, and not a single pilot figure (which is more detail than Dragon gets, with a pilot molded into the seat:)

By the way, you guys were asking about 1/144th figures, so I took a pic of one of mine:

From the Left: 1/35th, 1/72nd, 1/100th, and 1/144th:

For scale, with a ruler: (those are CENTIMETER marks)

Keep up the great work, and if you want to see more of the Su-33 (my favorite of my 1/144th fleet so far), I've got pics.

Klik

Nice work Klik.

I think the Su33 is one of my favorite jets of all time.  Is yours still a work in progress?

Nope. Finished it last Monday, a bit too early for my entry into this GB.

Got more pics, if you like.

Klik

Some progress on the C-17A...

This isn't the most exciting update.  Since I'm not going to bother showing the interior I'll I need to do is assemble it:

I've attached the flight deck and painted it.  I don't know how much detail I'm going to put into the seats.  With the windshield on not much is visible inside:

I'm approaching this like its 3 different models...the fuselage, the wings and the engines.

I'd like to join.  Either the Dragon SR-71 or the Revell/Germany F-16 in the Texas flag marking.  Haven't decided which yet.

Moving along. Most of the paintings done, I'm going to do the thin fuselage stripe before I glue the wings on, once they are on, I'll fill the gaps, just a little touch up paint, then all the fiddly bits and decals. 

Nice job on that Greyhound KG4. My dad worked on the C-2 project and the E-2B and D projects as well.

Looks great, KG4

I just got my Revell Eurofighter Typhoon in today, just now actually, and let me tell you it's incredible for such a little model... The amount of detail on this thing. 27 steps (including adding decals for two different versions and adding decals to the weaponry...) on this thing with 100 decals exactly.

I'm going to start it soon, but I'm swamped with kits to build right now

Some really impressive work oging on in here.

I still have a ways to go on the M1A1 I am working on but I think I should be able to work this in to get it done.  In anticipation of that I am getting all my ducks in a row.  Got the Sweet kit and boy oh boy is it ever appropriately named.  2 in the box.  Some pics of the contents below.

You can barley see the carrier film on the decals… incredible.

The color schemes

 A few years back when I was doing a bunch of 144^th stuff, a guy sent me a bunch of resin details to use.  Most were for an Fw 190D but some were for a 109.  Engine, engine covers, exhausts, choice of intake filters (not pictured) and a seat.

And I have ordered some nice looking PE stuff to go with it…

 http://www.brengun.cz/e-shop/1-144-accessories-19/luftwaffe-wheel-chocks-(10pcs)-698

 http://www.brengun.cz/e-shop/1-144-accessories-19/bf-109-f-detail-set-two-in-pack-(sweet)-813

Awesome 109 Wing_nut. I gotta get me a Sweet kit at some point... And which M1A1 are you working on?

Both of those kits look awesome.  Looking forward to the builds

The 1/35 Dragon M1A1 AIM.  Here's the thread...

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/3/t/155645.aspx

Ahh ok. Very cool. So your part of the Thunder Run project  I was watching a show yesterday about one if the Thunder Runs through Baghdad. One of the tanks in the column was shot in the center engine exhaust and the fuel tanks caught on fire. They later destroyed that Abrams.

yeah, I caught some onlooking chatter about the show being on.  Too bad it was a bout an hour after it finished.

Ha. Yeah I saw it. It was pretty good. It actually talked about Sgt. Booker, the perso not the tank. It was a good show. I actually want to try to find it online or on iTunes and download it. But anyways, back on topic:

Im currently still doing the paint job for the Eurofighter which I shall reveal after I finished painting it. I'm painting before assembling.

Sorry I haven't been on lately, been busy.

@ MikeyBugs95:

I built that Eurofighter Typhoon kit a few years back. A real beaut of a kit (although I don't remember so many decals--Probably because I didn't use them... )

@ Wing_nut:

That is a cool Double kit. Have to find one for myself--though a bf109 in 1/144th sounds tough, since it's such a small scale! Good luck with those teeny-tiny parts!

one question though, what are the "OTTO" decals for? I've never seen such markings before.

I also have nearly finished my F-18; pics below:

Construction was (nearly) finished before I painted the plane.

Now, here I have to be honest. I am not a fan of the straight grey-on-grey paint scheme used on all modern fighters, so whenever I work on planes in 1/144th, I never paint them straight grey.

Examples for y'all:

Besides, these paint schemes are so much fun to paint (btw, I have about 6 more of these, but no photos of them to share). So when it came to the F-18, I wanted to get inventive, while still referencing the original grey-on-grey scheme (sounds 'artsy', no?).

(without flash)

Personally, I think this paint scheme is too polka-dotty. I had originally wanted to go with a sort of high-altitude mountainous region-type scheme, but something went wrong.

I don't know, what do you think? It isn't quite finished yet, so I can still make 'corrections'.

Klik

I like it. Its looks nice... and dotty.

Klik, nice work on the little jets.  Those are complicated paint schemes in any scale much less 144th.

"OTTO"  (Italian for the #8) was a kubelwagon given to Marseille by an Regia Aeronautica squadron when he shot down 8 planes in 1 day.  

Photo used for discussion purposes only

Some progress and potential disaster. The fuselage is decal'd up with exception of a couple I'm waiting to apply later. I'll decal the engines tonight with the red danger arrows tonight then mount and fill the wing. The rear is going to take a bit as I have lost the right verticle stabilizer somehow. Luckily I hadn't put the decal on yet and I'm going to try to make one from card. Two this sheets gave me an accetable thickness and I got it cut, just need to fine-tune the shape, sand it to this it out in the rear, scribe it and decal it then I'll be back on track. Somehow OzMods molds got confused. The windows on both sides are in the wrong place, based on reference pics I have. I'm just going to paint over them and put a dark grey round decal or paint spot in the correct location, or even drill them out and use some clear glue in them. The panel likes on the left side don't match the right side and are incorrect as well. They set up the side about a 1/4" to high.  I'm actually please with this build despite how amatuer I feel after reading the build thread another member did on a 1/72 B-52D from Viet Nam.  Some super talented model builders here on Finescale forums.

So, enough of my dribble, here's a couple pics.

That sucks but at least at this scale it isn't too hard to scratch your own parts like that.

KG4, your build looks terrific!  That vertical stabilizer looks just fine, good job.  I've been there, having to scratch a new part like that.  Take it from me, just when you finish it you'll find the original piece!  But you will still be better off for all the skills you developed to make the new one.

Klik, your F18 camo is really interesting.  Sort of reminds me of digi-camo, but more organic.  Like something a South American air force would come up with :)

So I haven't posted anything for a while, but I've been busy.  For instance, I watched the whole 'Empire Strikes Back' for inspiration the other day 

Photo from my, uh... "research".  Lucas, please don't sue me.

Seriously though... I've been busy spec'ing out my electrical system: choosing components that will (1) actually fit in my hand-sized model, and (2) will electrically compliment each other.  I needed the right combination of components for voltage, battery life, current draw, etc...  I choose AAAA batteries because they are small enough to fit through the landing gear bays (which will be turned into battery doors... somehow?).  Together, the two AAAA's deliver enough amperage at 3V to power at least 10 white LEDs for several hours.  The idea is to fit the entire electrical setup inside, so one could fly the ship around the house with the engine lit-up.... not that I do that sort of thing at my age 

Miniature switch that I will hide somewhere on the model.

5mm cool white LED's, 1/4 watt resistors, and AAAA batteries.

5mm cool white LED's, testing for function

battery trays will go inside two of the landing gear bays

Well, looks like a save. I still haven't found the kit part, but with some patience, I was able to make another from card stock. Can you tell which one it is?

Man, that's great work KG4.  I truly cannot tell the difference

Yeah...nice save kg.

I think it's the stabilizer on the right. But it's very nice. I had a hard time trying to figure out which one to choose...

IL2: Nice "research." It's always the best form . And good luck trying to fit those batteries in side the gear doors.