**** DONE: 1/48 Tornado F3 - Home Country Modern Aircraft / Spitfire Mark GB

[Matt308]

Excellent work

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

Magnificent work sir!

 

[Catch22]

Looking great!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks again chaps! Still plodding on, but not much worthwhile to show yet.

 

[Wayne Little]

No what you mean....always look in though....

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Wayne. Almost ready to start applying the decals - just waiting for the gloss clear to fully harden on the under sides (painted in satin enamel), so might have some progress pics soon.

 

[N4521U]

Lookin the part.
Sometimes I wish I had chosen a plane! These whirley birds are real work.

 

[Airframes]

Don't I know it! I thought the Wessex would be fairly straight forward, apart from a new nose. Wrong! Whole new interior needed, plus lots of different small details!
More on the Tornado soon, decals are under way.

 

[meatloaf109]

But the both of you are doing great work!

 

[Wayne Little]

look forward to 'em Terry!

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Wayne. It's bl**dy tedious work, due to my stupid hands and lots of very small stencils and so on. Getting there slowly, although I need to get another printer cartridge to make the tail checks decals- the red ink has just packed up!

 

[Wurger]

Looking sharp Terry.

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

What ever you do don't rush. There's plenty of time.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps, and I certainly won't be rushing Aaron. I'm working on the Wessex in between sessions, to relieve the tedium. Also, there's still quite a lot to do to the model itself, with more work around the cockpit, canopy and 'screen, and the landing gear and stores pylons.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Terry, I found on my printer that in the colour red when doing the check it had the odd pixels of black and I also had to do double runs in order to get the right depth of red. It was a bit of a pain, so good luck.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks Vic. I don't normally have a problem with printing red, especially on to gloss white decal paper, although the density is sometimes not brilliant - limitations of the ink jet printer. However, once printed and sealed, if they don't look 'solid' enough, I'll re-touch the red checks with acrylic paint - much easier than trying to mask the tip of the fin and paint the red and white checks!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Funny you should mention masking, when we get to the build after next I've been racking my brains on how to do a good representation of the check on upper wings and such. Masking came to mind with lots of little cut squares on a white backing. It could be fun.

 

[Airframes]

I wouldn't describe it as fun exactly Vic, but better, if more time-consuming, than painting free hand. Done that before, and boy is it a pain! I'd have no chance nowadays!

 

[Airframes]

About time for another up-date, although not that much to show. I'm still plodding along with the decals, as shown in the pics. Many can't be seen unless close up, as they are in 'Low Viz Pink', this season's must-have colour!
The serial number was made by cutting and mixing the kit decals, as was the 'XT' code, the 'T' being made from an 'I' and 'U'. I nearly slung the darned thing doing this, as the 'I' immediately folded on itself when being slid off the backing paper, and I had similar problems with many of the very small decals. The problem is there isn't enough carrier film around the small stencils, so they slide under the paper when moved, and wrinkle at the slightest excuse!
The 'Firebird' is from a spare Phantom dry-transfer sheet, and really is a little over size, but I think it will pass. Just got to apply around another 100 decals, and make the red and white checks for the top of the fin. Meanwhile, I've started on some of the other areas of construction, with the stores pylons and rails, which need a lot of attention to remove moulding seams, and alter attachment points to allow the parts , made from two different types of plastic, to fit.
This kit was produced in France, and I'm beginning to think it was made in a factory which normally produces those useless 'novelty' toys found in Christmas crackers - the quality of the plastic, and many of the mouldings, is poor and 'cheap' looking, and there are incorrect panel lines and other items all over the place - even though the decal sheet shows the correct location points, which have been moulded elsewhere!
Ah well! Onwards and upwards as they say. I might get some more done tomorrow, but after four hours today struggling with decals, I might have a break and do more on the Wessex!

 

[brucejscott]

Sweet