I've started the Crusader. The office is complete and I started to dry fit the assemblies into the fuse. I sprayed the dreaded gloss white in the interior.

Steve

Oh wow, a week without a post here? And sharp work on the F-111 Bish. I saw her, meant to comment and it must have slipped my mind.

I have gotten the Viper to almost ready for paint. As I think I've said this is my first Kinetic kit. Great detail but the fit isn't too great and the instructions are horrible.

Thanks Steve. Ye, it is a bit of a size.

I sort of went in the middle out of what was left. At least i can live with the subject, i have one in 72nd scale.

That's got to be a big bird at 1/48 and ot looks like you saved that seam. 

This next Christmas you'll have to pick out the small box.

Thanks BK. I started it last weekend, so ye, its coming together fast. I guess thats the advantage of OOB. And i am not faffying around with this, i just want it done.

That is certainly an EF-111. Looks like you addressed the issue, and it did look bad, but nice save. And fast work too, holy cow!! Ready for paint. 

BK

Guess its time for me to get started on this. But first, i just want to be clear.

No, i have not been obducted and replaced by an Alien. I am not undergoing some sort of religious conversion. I am not feeling the effects of old age (well i am, but that has nothing to do with it). In short, i am not, repeat NOT upscaleing from 1/72nd. I am building this because this is what i picked out of the model clubs secret santa last Dec (it could have been a lot worse) and i need to have it done by this Dec's meeting.

Its going to be completly OOB, though i may be geting a set of AM decals for it if the guys remembers them at this months meeting.

First of, the pit. From pics i have found, looking at the IP, this appears to be an F-111 pit rather than an EF, but i am just making the most of it. There is some raised detail on the side panels but nothing in the middle. After primer, it was painted light grey, dry brushed and some flory washes added. Then all the otehr details painted in.

The rear secion of the fuselage was also put together, this wasn't to bad with no real issues. I am useing masking tape for the covers over the opening for the wings to retract into.

And with the cockpit fitted into the font section, it was time to bring the two ends together.

As you can see, the front needed a little bit of filler, but the join between the two halfs on the under side is not to bad.

On top however, all does not look well.

After useing everything to hand short of a Mig welder and rivet gun, i managed to get the two edges to meet, with just a little filler and sanding.

And now she is just about reading for painting. Going to get the wheel bays done, and while that drying i can fit and mask the canopy.

cool thanx

Theuns

modelcrazy

I took a look at the dates of this GB and it scared me a little, then I noticed the end was November NEXT year.

Phew.

BK

Theuns

Brandon, since we still have time left on this GB please put me down for an Italeri 1/48 F-22.

Will post pix soon.

 

Thanx

 

Theuns

 

BK

I took a look at the dates of this GB and it scared me a little, then I noticed the end was November NEXT year.

Phew.

I'll get to the F8 as soon as I complete the U-boat and halftrack.

Theuns: Ack that blows but as you said sometimes the stress just isn't worth it. Hope the F-22 goes better.

Funny, I did the same thing last night, first had a small part somehow fall off and vanish after I cemented it to the model. Then couldn't find a single bottle of US green zinc chromate even though last time I checked I had about a half-dozen bottles. I cursed and yelled a little bit and then just carefully set the thing aside and went and watched TV for the rest of the evening. 

Brandon, since we still have time left on this GB please put me down for an Italeri 1/48 F-22.

Will post pix soon.

Thanx

Theuns

I have today finally decided to let the MH 53 go. I , for the umteenth time tried to fix the paint but by now allot of the glue seams have failed and bits broke off so I just chucked it in the bin.....my sanity is worth more than the $30 odd it cost me.

Strangely it actually feels rather good not weighing on me anymore LOL

Theuns

BrandonK

 

 

Wiz

I was wondering if I could join in with a Trumpeter F-106B please?

 

 

 

 

You bet. I'll get you on the roster.

 

BK

 

Thank you, appericiate it!

Wiz

I was wondering if I could join in with a Trumpeter F-106B please?

 

BK

I was wondering if I could join in with a Trumpeter F-106B please?

Gee, can't argue with that- those seats look great BK!

Bish

Lovely job on that pit BK, those seats look amazing.

 

Lovely job on that pit BK, those seats look amazing.

Gamera

BD: Great job there whipping the seam into shape and despite your issues the paint looks good.

Personally I've never tried to airbrush Vallejo other than the Model Air. My bottles tend to separate out into clumps of paint and runny solvent. I have to pull the caps off and mix them every now and then. Love the paint but it can be annoying.  

 

I have noticed the same issue with Model Color and Scale 75, which come in the same bottle. I have taken to taking the dropper off and just taking out some paint on a cocktail stick. I do like Model color for figures, but not so keen on model air.

That cockpit is looking sharp, we'll done. 

Progress continues, if not slowly. I completed the seats and then waited for the Eduard PE set for the seats to arrive. That was well worth the wait as you can see with the kit seat and then the seats with PE added. Now they are resting in the cockpit and I can close it up now. WOOT!!

BK

Ive expierienced the same issues with Model color paints, I just don't like them and I find them to be very delicate when you do get them down. I'll stick to my Mr Color, MM and Tamiya paints thank you.

BD, nice work on the paint, it really looks quite good.

BK

BD: Great job there whipping the seam into shape and despite your issues the paint looks good.

Personally I've never tried to airbrush Vallejo other than the Model Air. My bottles tend to separate out into clumps of paint and runny solvent. I have to pull the caps off and mix them every now and then. Love the paint but it can be annoying.  

Thats looking nice BD.

For all the disfficulties, it's looking good Brandon. I'm looking forward to seeing it after you do some more work to the finish.

Cheers

Tony

Ok, I *almost* got the topcoat on on Monday, but I had some issues.

Namely, the issue was with Vallejo's paint. I've never used it before, and I know they have Model Air, which is airbrush-ready, but I also read you can use this stuff thinned with distilled water. Turns out I absolutely hate it. It didn't thin well with distilled water, tap water, alcohol or anything else (I even tried lacquer thinner just to see what would happen). The paint either sputtered or was watery, and there seemed to be no in between. Maybe I got a bad bottle, but I am not inclined to ever stray from my tried-and-true paints again.

I ended up just hosing it on the aircraft, since there was no way to do my normal paint procedure, and I misted water over it afterward to help it level out. It did, but the paint is way too uniform for my liking, so I'll have to do a lot of post-paint work.

Afraid of even touching the paint, I waited a day, painted the red bands around the intakes and then cleared it with Tamiya X-22.

Last night I got the major decals on. Eduard provides them for a natural metal bird, but I like the blue ones, and wanted to model the same aircraft once they started painting them instead of leaving them bare metal.

Most of the blue ones have yellow and red wing walk lines on them, but I found a pic of an aircraft with the same nose lettering as mine that doesn't have them, so I didn't worry about masking and painting them.

Anyway, this build has been frustrating in so many ways, mostly caused by me, but I can see the finish line and hope that the major frustrations are behind me.

-BD-

Thanks, Modelcrazy and BK!

-BD-