Crimea_River
Marshal
Looking good Terry.
**** DONE: GB-44 1/48 F-5E - Military A/C of post-war time
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- #122
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks, Wojtek and Andy.
Struggling a bit with my hands today - mainly tender wrists and biceps that feel like they have six inch nails through them - so don't want to mess things up trying to do delicate work. I'll see if more can be done tonight, if things ease off a bit.
Struggling a bit with my hands today - mainly tender wrists and biceps that feel like they have six inch nails through them - so don't want to mess things up trying to do delicate work. I'll see if more can be done tonight, if things ease off a bit.
- Thread starter
- #123
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Quite a lot of work for a little progress, but to be fair, mainly prolonged due to stiffness and pain in my wrists.
The windscreen has now had the forward, raised section completely removed and sanded smooth, with that small 'prong' at the front sanded off and the joint filled with melted sprue and sanded.
The bottom joint lines were also filled with melted sprue and sanded to blend into the fuselage shape. The panel joints as seen on the real aircraft were then lightly engraved and sanded, and a very thin coat of light grey enamel brushed on to check the work.
With the paint now dry, it's evident that a little more work is required around the joints, but easily done.
Next step is to do some engraving on the port, rear frame of the canopy, if possible, paint the canopy seals, and then mask the 'glass' area, before temporarily fitting the canopy to act as a mask for the cockpit when spraying the model.
Might get some more done tonight or tomorrow, depending on the state of my darned hands.
The windscreen has now had the forward, raised section completely removed and sanded smooth, with that small 'prong' at the front sanded off and the joint filled with melted sprue and sanded.
The bottom joint lines were also filled with melted sprue and sanded to blend into the fuselage shape. The panel joints as seen on the real aircraft were then lightly engraved and sanded, and a very thin coat of light grey enamel brushed on to check the work.
With the paint now dry, it's evident that a little more work is required around the joints, but easily done.
Next step is to do some engraving on the port, rear frame of the canopy, if possible, paint the canopy seals, and then mask the 'glass' area, before temporarily fitting the canopy to act as a mask for the cockpit when spraying the model.
Might get some more done tonight or tomorrow, depending on the state of my darned hands.
Good work so far Terry!
Crimea_River
Marshal
Doing great there Terry.
- Thread starter
- #127
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks chaps, it's much appreciated.
Got the engraving done on the canopy, as explained below, and masked and painted the sealing strips.
Pic 1. The Swiss F-5s have this vent on the port side rear canopy frame, not seen on US machines. I'm guessing it's a condensation pressure vent, to allow condensation clouds from the oxygen system / g-suit connections/ atmosphere etc to escape, when in high 'g' manouvres at certain altitudes, particularly in the mountainous terrain where these aircraft operate. (pic from the Verlinden book, by Christophe Donnet).
Pic 2. The vent was cut and filed into the kit part and lightly sanded, although of course, being transparent, the scratch marks still show. Once the canopy frames are painted, the vent will be improved by "shadow painting".
The canopy frame edges were then masked, and the light grey canopy seal painted. Apologies for the poor photo, with lots of glare - couldn't get the lighting to cooperate !
I might be able to get the canopy fully masked and temporarily fitted some time tomorrow, before going out to enjoy the New Year celebrations - Oh dear, my head hurts at the thought !!
Got the engraving done on the canopy, as explained below, and masked and painted the sealing strips.
Pic 1. The Swiss F-5s have this vent on the port side rear canopy frame, not seen on US machines. I'm guessing it's a condensation pressure vent, to allow condensation clouds from the oxygen system / g-suit connections/ atmosphere etc to escape, when in high 'g' manouvres at certain altitudes, particularly in the mountainous terrain where these aircraft operate. (pic from the Verlinden book, by Christophe Donnet).
Pic 2. The vent was cut and filed into the kit part and lightly sanded, although of course, being transparent, the scratch marks still show. Once the canopy frames are painted, the vent will be improved by "shadow painting".
The canopy frame edges were then masked, and the light grey canopy seal painted. Apologies for the poor photo, with lots of glare - couldn't get the lighting to cooperate !
I might be able to get the canopy fully masked and temporarily fitted some time tomorrow, before going out to enjoy the New Year celebrations - Oh dear, my head hurts at the thought !!
Crimea_River
Marshal
The glare must be from all that sunlight over there.
- Thread starter
- #129
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Sunlight - what's that then ?
It's hardly stopped raining all year !!!
It's hardly stopped raining all year !!!
- Thread starter
- #131
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Been too darned stiff to do any more, but hope to get back to it tomorrow.
- Thread starter
- #132
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Canopy masked and temporarily fitted using PVA.
Belly tank assembled, but as shown in the pics below, some work was needed on some sink holes, the seams, and the 'short shot' area at the rear. Most of the work has now been done, and I just need to sand the rear end, and fit the cut down upper fin which, on the real aircraft is just a stub, rather than the full fin provided in the kit, as fitted to each side of the tank. Two grooves have also been filed into the top of the tank, to improve the locating method for the pylon mounting pads.
Once the remaining work is done, the pylon will be fitted, and the tank given a light grey or white undercoat, before spraying in 'Day-Glo' orange.
Belly tank assembled, but as shown in the pics below, some work was needed on some sink holes, the seams, and the 'short shot' area at the rear. Most of the work has now been done, and I just need to sand the rear end, and fit the cut down upper fin which, on the real aircraft is just a stub, rather than the full fin provided in the kit, as fitted to each side of the tank. Two grooves have also been filed into the top of the tank, to improve the locating method for the pylon mounting pads.
Once the remaining work is done, the pylon will be fitted, and the tank given a light grey or white undercoat, before spraying in 'Day-Glo' orange.
- Thread starter
- #134
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks my friend.
The tank is now done, and just needs a final polish.
The sink holes were filled with CA and filed and sanded smooth, the seams were trimmed and sanded, and the 'short shot' area plugged with a scrap of sprue, then filed and sanded to shape once set.
The upper fin provided in the kit wouldn't have fit anyway, as it is too long and too thick for the locating slot, but this needed to be replaced with a stub, as seen on the Swiss aircraft. A piece of plastic card was used to represent this, and is awaiting sanding in the pic ( now done ).
The pylon was fitted into the grooves filed into the top of the tank and firmly cemented. The two shallow ejection pin marks have been retained, as these correspond to circular hatches on the real pylon.
This will be painted, decalled and set aside, to be attached near the end of the build.
Next step is to fit and blend-in the brass pitot, and then clean the model, and mask for painting the radome and the metallic areas of the rear fuselage and jet exhausts.
I'm hoping that some paints will arrive by the weekend, when I aim to get the base colour sprayed, after making and fitting the 'blade' antenna for the fuselage spine - the one beneath the nose will be made and fitted after painting the model, to avoid damage.
The tank is now done, and just needs a final polish.
The sink holes were filled with CA and filed and sanded smooth, the seams were trimmed and sanded, and the 'short shot' area plugged with a scrap of sprue, then filed and sanded to shape once set.
The upper fin provided in the kit wouldn't have fit anyway, as it is too long and too thick for the locating slot, but this needed to be replaced with a stub, as seen on the Swiss aircraft. A piece of plastic card was used to represent this, and is awaiting sanding in the pic ( now done ).
The pylon was fitted into the grooves filed into the top of the tank and firmly cemented. The two shallow ejection pin marks have been retained, as these correspond to circular hatches on the real pylon.
This will be painted, decalled and set aside, to be attached near the end of the build.
Next step is to fit and blend-in the brass pitot, and then clean the model, and mask for painting the radome and the metallic areas of the rear fuselage and jet exhausts.
I'm hoping that some paints will arrive by the weekend, when I aim to get the base colour sprayed, after making and fitting the 'blade' antenna for the fuselage spine - the one beneath the nose will be made and fitted after painting the model, to avoid damage.
nice work Dogsbody
Crimea_River
Marshal
Nice fixes Terry. Good thing you talked about the ejector pin marks as I would have mentioned them.
Lovely work so far Terry!
- Thread starter
- #139
Airframes
Benevolens Magister
Thanks all.
Yes Andy, I just knew that someone would mention them !
By the time they've been undercoated, and then a couple of coats of the base colour, to cover the overspray from the 'Day Glo' orange, and then the clear coats and a thin wash, they should be acceptable enough. They're a lot shallower than they look in the pic, and as they'll be picked out to be visible, I didn't think it worth the effort to try to fill and sand them, just to have to re-engrave them, especially as they'll be partly hidden by the gear doors anyway.
To be honest, I'm not sure if they are ejection pi marks - they might be the surface detail !!
Yes Andy, I just knew that someone would mention them !
By the time they've been undercoated, and then a couple of coats of the base colour, to cover the overspray from the 'Day Glo' orange, and then the clear coats and a thin wash, they should be acceptable enough. They're a lot shallower than they look in the pic, and as they'll be picked out to be visible, I didn't think it worth the effort to try to fill and sand them, just to have to re-engrave them, especially as they'll be partly hidden by the gear doors anyway.
To be honest, I'm not sure if they are ejection pi marks - they might be the surface detail !!
fubar57
General
Good stuff
