The 50 Shades of Gray Group Build!

Hutch the weathering looks really good. Worth the redo I'm sure based on what i see.

Das Boot is looking good Hutch! 

OK, all parts assembled, and weathering touched up with some pin washes.  Part of the problems - entirely of my own making - I had with this build were adjusting overdone weathering.  It's just so easy to get carried away!  So I repainted the affected areas & re-did the weathering.  Twice.  This time I managed to exercise a bit of restraint, and I'm now happy with it.

The rigging isn't done yet, because I can't find my damn rigging line.  When it arrived in the post a couple of months ago I put it in a safe place - obviously, too safe!

But, rigging aside, I'm calling this one done.  I'll get it rigged when I find the line, and I'll make a proper base & stand in the spring, when I can do some woodwork in my (unheated) garage workshop.

Many thanks to Glamdring for hosting this GB - I'm sorry for dropping out of sight for so long - I'll try not to do that again.  Once again, many thanks for allowing me into my first group build!

Very best wishes to all for 2021 - may we all be safe and happy.

After repeated problems with painting this project, I lost heart a bit - all my "get up and go" got up and went!  However, I have brought it back to the bench in the last few days & decided to get it done.

So, some weathering was applied, and various small bits painted - 

Railings added - 

Guns mounted - 

I now need to fix the conning tower in place, add the last few pieces, get the rigging done, and finish the weathering.  I have eight hours...

Mongoose, your Zulu is looking sharp now!

Lost, it’s good to finally have the paint on this bird!

I touched up the Gunship Gray and the Neutral Gray on the topsides today. Especially on the leading edges of the intake area.

All ready for gloss coat next...

​thanks lostagain 

More of the basics done today. I put a wash on the cockpit and finally got the two fuselage halves together. Is it called a fuselage on a helicopter? Just a little perfect plastic putty needed in a few spots. I’ve got wiring and background “stuff” behind all the screens. I managed to make all of them open using the PE from the kit and some fine 60mesh screen i bought earlier this year for my aircraft carrier build.

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O, super finish on the BOne !

That is a huge piece of plastic and I can't imagine a better display solution. 

Great shading on the paint job gives it a real depth.

 Mongoose, another great solution there.

Stik, nice to see the X suiting up.

Now properly gray for the theme of this GB

I did the basic camo colors a short while ago trying out Vallejo Model Air for the first time. Gunship Gray 36118 over Neutral Gray 36270

I’m happy with the results, but I need to go back and touch up some areas later on.

O, that is one big impressive build! Very well done!

I see that you have overcome the display shelf space challenge...

O that is one impressive piece of work. Great display choice as well

Well done, O!  All your work has produced a great result, and I like the display method, too.

Very impressive, O!  Glad you found a way to display it!  

lostagain love that RHIB, great detail in that little package. Gonna be sharp painted.

stik that stick you custom made for the nose looks killer. That will really set it off as it has some nice fine detail on there!

For me, today’s creative thoughts brought out the magnets again. The target sight system can now be installed after the paint is done. It spins really smooth on the magnets.

I’m not sure if these will be strong enough for the gatling gun since i bought the brass barrels. Will have to see and then maybe go to a different size. These little 3mm magnets fit alot of places and are pretty strong overall.

Thanks guys. Mongoose, that shelf behind the seat was empty in the kit. Photos show that area filled with stuff like I tried to replicate. A busy cockpit is an interesting cockpit. Like yours.

Today’s progress report...

I modified the nose to accept a flight test instrumentation boom that I took from another kit in my stash that won’t be needing the boom.

Then I modified the boom to better match the configuration used by the X-35

And lastly I primered the bird all up

Due up next, the basic paint, Gunship Gray 36118 over Neutral Gray 36270

Stik and Mongoose, very nice work to both of you!

Not much progress but to be expected over the holidays huh. Some slowness is my approach. I’m trying to set up as much stuff to paint at once that I can. Waffling around between steps on the instructions. Pretty close to closing up the body. The one thing worth showing may be the PE work I’m doing. I’ve cut out all the vent openings that i can reference on the walk arounds and am in the process of creating ’shadow boxes’ of stuff that will be behind them so it’s just not open space. Check it out :-)

stikpisher those extras you added behind the seat and the wiring really spice it up. A nice realistic touch!

A little progress on this today. I added the ejection seat and HUD into the cockpit.

After that I started masking the canopy and glued that in place. Once I finish that I can start priming.

Thanks Stik, thanks glamdring! Gonna lock and load it. Belts came in yesterday...but today is my wife AND daughter's birthday so no modeling till tomorrow ;-)

Wow, Mongoose!  That is incredible detail right there.  I would leave it with the ILII decal as is and call it good.

I think that it looks super “as is”. Only someone intimately familiar with the aircraft or pores over cockpit detail photos would notice the ILII marking situation. The other 99.9% of us will not know the difference.

Looking forward to it glamdring

Guys this is ready for a critique I’ve added alot of details to this cockpit because it will be so open. Used flat, satin, and gloss to change up the different black shades based on what i saw in cockpit photos. I found a shot of the area behind the pilot seat so i was even able to make that look more accurate. I used purple foil wrapping paper for the screens. Used a piece of pe from a ship for the computer connection on each side of the pilot IP. Added the leather armrest in the gunner pit per pics. Then i made a seat shaped screen from a kitchen seive and airbrushed the seats to give them a cloth look. The brown on the headrest and pilot seat sides is to simulate sun fading i saw in lots of pics. Seemed to vary alot which makes sense as it probably depends on how often they were covered and what theatre they were in. I made the ILII decals on the pilot IP, in reality there are 2 one over the other but I couldn’t get them that small. Does what i have look good or should i either do the double ILII or not use this at all?

Finally finished construction tonight!  I will leave it as a surprise for the weekend, too exhausted for photography tonight.  There is still some paint touch ups, an aerial drone, and a chopper to build anyway before fully finished. 

Stik, very good additions.  As one who obviously doesn't much like the process required for it, I admire your attention to those nice and smooth seams!   

Rooster, yes, absolutely.  I have marked you down, and welcome!

Some really great work here! I'd like to jump in with Revell's 1/48 F-15E please!

Today I added two last external features to this build today. Both are present on the X-35, but not on the F-35 or the kit.

First, on the bottom of the fuselage, there are a pair of speedbrakes. I found some parts in my spares bins that were close enough in shape to work. A bit of cutting and sanding and they were on.

also there is a scoop on the right side of the fuselage aft of the air intake that I needed to add. Again a search of my spares bun came up with another part that I sanded and trimmed to shape that is “close enough”.

More to follow in he next few days...

You are oh so close to the finish line! Get her across!