The 50 Shades of Gray Group Build!

Don't want to leave anybody out so I will say fantastic work on all entries. TC great looking F-111. 

I finally started on this gargantuan beast comission that will be OOB (I hope). Here's where I'm at:

Got the wings and tanks together. Lots of sanding and glue used here.

Tires, seats and pit parts ready for paint. The molded detail is actually pretty good and will look better once paint goes on.

Forward fuselage is quite large

Is this big or what?

Formal start on the Gripen. Ordnance 

Sure, go for it!  Roster has been updated.

I did a little on the Freedom, just enough to realize I have no  paint on hand for the modern US Navy.  So I had to order deck gray and haze gray from a local hobby supplier.

The bridge is complete, not too much to it, and I do not feel a need to add much more or clean up the sink marks, considering it is only seen through a line of small windows.   

And a subsection of the superstructure:

To be continued...

How about the third or fourth from the bottom? I would also like to do another. How about a Monogram 1/72 F-15E Strike Eagle?

Very impressive, Mark.  Congrats on a great build, and thanks for participating.  Any preferance on a picture for the roster?

I've gotten the canopy fixed, the landing gear installed and she's ready to fly. Here is the cleaned up canopy. Well at it's as good as its going to get...

and now here she is all done...

After a few bumps along the way, I think it turned out OK, certainly not perfect but I'm OK with it. Thanks for looking and thanks for a fun group build.

Sounds like a nice save Mark, looking forward to seeing it.

Took some time today for reviewing the build, and even though I have 3 other builds going right now I need to finish, did a little work on the Freedom.

Not looking foward to all these PE railings!

stikpusher

What did you use to attach the canopy? Some glues are much easier to deal with in removing than others.

 

Tamiya thin cement.

In retrospect I probably shouldn't have used the phrase "going for broke " when trying to remove cemented parts.  But, I was able to remove the canopy only breaking off a tiny corner.

Not a big deal really as I can clean the glass and repaint the canopy. After reattaching it, I can blend in the tiny break. I am Almost done with this. I should be posting some pictures tomorrow.

I like the way that is looking Theuns!  Exhaust area looks great.

A gambler....I love it.  

Good luck with the canopy!

What did you use to attach the canopy? Some glues are much easier to deal with in removing than others.

Even though the decals were on the old side, they weren't in too bad a shape. The problem with them is they were so darn thick. Setting solution just made them wrinkle up. Fortunately, all the decals went on flat surfaces except for the two wingtip yellows. I just painted those on instead. The decal sheet was folded in half at one time. The crease split all of the stars/bars insignia decals. I put a coat of microsacle liquid decal film over those to try and keep them togther. However, all of them split apart, right down the middle. Luckily, I could butt them together into a single piece.

So after removing the cockpit canopy mask, I noticed the inside surface had some "frosting" on them. Not to mention my clumsy removal technique chipped away some of the paint ugh! 

After cleaning and polishing, the frosting was definately on the inside. So what do I do now? Touch up the paint and live with it? Or, do I remove the canopy to clean up the inside, all while risking damaging or breaking it?

What the heck, I am going to go for broke and will try to remove the canopy and fix it. I'm going to roll the dice and see what happens.

Very nice, I like it!  It is amazing the decals held up after 3 decades.  I once had a 15 or 20 year NASCAR kit that had most of the decals shatter as soon as they touched water.

Looking good, Mark - 30 year old decals and all!  I have to say I like your painting stand - I must pinch your idea and make one similar.  I have a contraption of like construction (coat-hanger wire & a wooden base), but it's an airbrush holder - these materials are versatile!  

Again, very nice work on the Raven.

                Hutch.

The decals are on the raven and the flat clear applied. I used the original kit decals. Seeing that I've had this kit for about oh 30 years, I figured they would be a pain in the you know where.....and they were...

All that's left to do is finish building out and installing the landing gear, unmask and clean up the canopy, install the engines and a little weathering.

Coming along nicely, guys!

Painting on the Raven has been started in earnest...

Underside first (Light Grey). some of the close in areas were brush painted so as to get good coverage deep in those recesses...

The top side ready for paint (Dark Ghost Grey)...

Underside painted and masked for the topside coat...

After the Dark Ghost sprayed...

Some birds had their nose painted in a Gull? grey. I've added it here with something close...

I've taken some modelers license and added the gull color to the top of the tail...

After removing all the masking...

Ready for a gloss coat then decals.

Just a quick update on the Type VIIC - props & rudders fitted - 

Hull assembly completed - 

And primed - 

Conning tower construction started - 

And tried with a dry fit, just to see what it looked like - 

And it's starting to look like a U-Boat!

Going from the kit instructions (and a few on-line build videos) I had expected a fairly straightforward build but, apart from the hull halves, I've found flash and/or fairly prominent mould seams on almost all the parts.  Nothing that can't be dealt with, but very time-consuming, and requiring care with the smaller or thinner parts. Most of the parts fit very well, once cleaned up, but the AA guns are putting up a bit of a fight.  Still, if it was too easy it'd be boring!

Next job is to finish the conning tower, prime it, & attach the deck fittings (also primed, of course!)

More to follow, hopefully in a week or so.

Stay safe,

              Hutch.

Just wondering... I am already building the USS Arizona in the, "Ships of the American Flag" GB. I am building it to represent the early 1941 paint scheme, which will be many shades of gray. Currently I am over half way on the PE. Nothing is on the hull and the superstructure has not been built, only various PE sub-assemblies. Can I include it in this group build?

Ben

Theuns . You gotta love those intakes , looking good.

TC. That's moving along nicely 

Good progress there TC.

Got some work done on the Raven this week. The lower forward fuselage is together...

The cockpit is in:

It model is designed to be built from the inside to the outside, centered on the after landing gear bay...

With the most convoluted landing gear system I have ever seen...

I'll Install these toward the end. I don't want to damage them during the paint/decal process. Some of the sub assemblies are done.

Wheels...

Engines painted, ready to install...

And wings glued up ready to install...

I need to address some seams, then the upper fuselage will be ready to be married to the lower half. With any luck It will be for paint by the weekend.

I got those rather illfitting intakes sorted out now and have 95% of the rescribing done.

IMG_20200712_104618 by Theunis van Vuuren, on Flickr

Theuns

Yes I remember seeing it, but I didnt know the history behind it. That was a very busy show case with all those r/c planes and trains on the wall..... The F-14 in 1/32nd wow it will take me a few years to finish  lol.....

Thanks Robert. I’ll have something up soon.

crown

What a blast from the past, Orange Blossom Hobbies! Hey do you remember the funny looking locomotive/airplane bomber contraption on display there?  I think a guy named Karl built it. He was an Eastern European MiG pilot that defected in the late 60s. 

I'm in with a lizzard camo something ? Or blue it's was a lot of fun thanks again.

TC that's a good looking F-111.

crown r n7

Thank you Robert . I like the 1st pic and thank you for hosting this GB.

 

Glad you said that, the 1st one is my favorite.  Thanks for participating, and congrats on being the first one done.  Hope you will join in for next year's iteration...I'm thing 50 shades of green!

Got you added Plasticjunkie, welcome!

Good luck to you Tomcat!  The Raven should be interesting