Rolling Shelf of Doom GB

Here's where I got it on it's wheels last week. One of the inherent weaknesses of this kit (and there are a few) lies in the main landing gear. Really flimsy parts and allow excessive "wobble" when loaded with the weight of the aircraft. I fixed this by putting a hidden shim between each main landing gear strut and the fuselage opening for the gear bays. I just cut a small square piece of styrene and slipped it between the strut and the rear bay wall. Can't even see it but it worked like a charm in making the main gear ALOT more sturdy. Gear doors have to be painted and installed and some touch ups are needed on the gear after gluing into place as well as a little weathering on the tires but the wheels are now down.

Folks I never thought I'd get this far with this plane. I consider it a small milestone in getting back to aircraft building as it was really hard to break away from the automotive stuff but I'm feel like I'm finally getting back in the groove to where I can at least have an aircraft build going while working on the auto subjects.

Sorry for the absence guys. Sometimes I forget that I'm in a GB as well.

There's some really good work going on in here with that Enterprise build Mark!!

Mach 1: I shelved my 234 about three years ago because I hit what seemed like an impossible snag with it. As a matter of fact I left aircraft building because I simply could not start another aircraft until I had this one off of the bench. Hang in there with it bro. Can't wait to see more magic unfold.

Ok....catching you all up on my build:

Here's after I got the flat coat applied. No fading on the sides but some on the upper surfaces of the bird.

Sometimes a break  is good for a reboot.   You have good progress already Mach.

Digging back into the F5-E, I'm remembering why this got shelved. I've got most of the loadout assembled and started modifying the attachment tabs on the wing pylons to get a passably acceptable fit.

Since the photo, I've modified and attached the other two pylons, assembled the rest of the loadout, attached the canopy, and painted the ventral surfaces.

Next step is the three color camo. Nose and exhaust are being saved for last.

Tomcat:  Looks to be shaping up nicely!

Mach1:  Build away!  If it's started and stalled it's more than welcome.

Mind if I join in with a pair of shelf queens?

They are a 1/72 Jaguar A and a 1/72 F-5E, both from HobbyBoss.

Assembled and ready for primer, paint, decals...

Thank you so much!

Looks like a good call with the seam.

Progress at last!! It took me a while to get it all sorted out with an approach to this but I think I found one that worked for me. I had glossed the entire aircraft, applied the decals and then adhered the cockpit assy to the front of the aircraft and masked it off. From there I filled the huge lip that was on the top of the fuselage to cockpit join and worked it all in together by sanding and yet more filling. This resulted in the seam not disappearing from the top of the fuselage at the cockpit join so I added a seam in the name of uniformity. It's not "correct" but it looks uniform. After that I black based the entire sanded and filled area, applied the irregular gray pattern and went back over it in RLM 82. Still a little touch up painting to do on the starboard side of the affected area. Here's where we're at so far.

Bringing this one forward a page just because it looks that good. Very nice work on this build Ed. Bravo!!!!

If they are started and stalled then they are more than welcome!

Does thinking about models count as progress?  Anyways if possible I would like to dive in to this.  Got Revell 1/72 Morane Saulnier N, a couple of DH-2s, a Monogram FW-190, and Revell's 350 Emden. Plus a Monogram 1/48 Zero I can't seem to finish for Mafia IV.

Looking good Mark,  any kind of progress is good progress

I Finally got around to working on this. I decided to forgo internal lighting as I just want to get this done finally. If I decide I want a lighted model, I'll just start a new model, after all they are pretty easy to find.

Anyway, I permanently glued in the battry cover and sealed in the on/off switch. I filled the seams and rescribed (horribly) the panel lines...

Still needs some clean up and refinement.

Next the impulse engines were to be internally lit. So scrapping that idea, I had to rebuild the impulse deck. Here puttied over and waiting for clean up then some embellishments to be added...

Again still a lot of cleanup ahead, but still its progress.

Just a little work and I went old school with the pilot.

And for my next shelf squatter is a Monogram F-106A.

I'm sticking a fork in the A-1 and calling it done after a good dusting and some more flat.

Anybody have any progress photos?  I unfortunatly havn't touched a thing in 2 weeks.

Welcome aboard Tomcat, I'm looking forward to seeing some of your work on the Enterprise.

That bird is coming together nicely Ed.

Mark: Since 86?? Wow! Looking forward to the progress.

So here is my entry for the shelf...I hope to get her out of space dock soon...

I originally wanted to add lights the saucer section and secondary hull and make the impulse engine deck glow. Access as you can see has been added to the bottom of the secondary hull complete with on/off switch and a means of mounting the ship on a plaque when completed. But now I think I might abandon that approach and just get this thing done. 

It's been sitting for years as I bought it new when the movie came out circe 1986?!?

The A1 is looking very nice GT!

Thanks, I have some A-1 updates also

@68,

The A-1 looks great, I really like that SEA camo scheme.

@Mustang,

Your 234 looks great. I still think that cockpit is one ofthe best I've seen. I'm looking forward to seeing this one finished!

Looking good lm glad you got that undercarriage resolved. that camo very impressive now would you do that black basing again? I haven’t tried it yet.

I'm back in the saddle again my fine feathered friends.

I've done ALOT of work on this one as of late. The friggin' landing gear legs broke loose from their mounting and I had to re-glue those back on.  I've pretty much completed the camo scheme for this aircraft and have to say that this one goes down as one of the most difficult paint jobs that I've done yet with all the black basing, marbling and masking. Sheesh!!! With all that being said and aside from needing to paint the back of the engine nacelle a burnt black here's where we are now:





and the bottom side.



after the burnt black application on the engine nacelle we'll be off to completing the nose section and applying a gloss coat! My FAVORITE part.

68GT

Looks great!  Thats the way to do it if you want to have the preshading to not be hidden.  I'll do this often with WWII german stuff and SEA camo and it's well worth the effort.

 

Almost ready for the painting the lighter undersides of her after some more color border touch up:

Looks great!  Thats the way to do it if you want to have the preshading to not be hidden.  I'll do this often with WWII german stuff and SEA camo and it's well worth the effort.

 I spent the better part of 3 hours applying paint. I already know I'm going to hear it from somebody because I've been telling myself all morning long that I must like to make things difficult. I have applied these colors in patches rather than go over most of the bird with the predominant color. I made the mistake of applying the predominant color once on my Stuka and I didn't much care for it because when I went back over the base color with the second camo color it looked to thick. So I opted to do things this way. I've also opted not to put the cockpit on just yet. I'll get to that in due time and in my own fashion...……..the hard way. I do like the benefits of the marble pattern and will more than likely continue that trend. There is a couple of touch ups that I need to do between the camo colors but I do like this way even though it is time consuming. I spend more time masking than I've spent on any other area of the model.

Thanks Mustang, I'm looking forward to some more pictures.