Revell 1/72nd SR-71 w/D-21 Drone

[Matt308]

Nice Work!

Man thats small!

You mean this one? It's just the camera angle causing a distorted vanishing point. She's actually fairly large. Keep in mind we're talking about a 100ft long 170,000lb airplane here. The model is almost 17 inches long.

 

[Catch22]

Very nice!

 

[Matt308]

Looking into the color scheme, I have noticed a wide variety of weathering. It is unfortunate that most of these retired Blackbirds reside outside and suffer the effects of sun, wind, rain and dust. Many look rather shoddy. Others appear to have been somewhat sloppily restored, with unit/aircraft number markings removed and given the appearance of having been painted.

On the up side, this does allow me a little more freedom in my weathering approach. Most all of these birds were hangered due to the technology sensitivity to prying eyes, intensive maintenance to maintain operational readiness and I suspect to help protect the radar absorbent paint. Thus the main culprit of wear was the intense head generated on the leading edges of the airframe. This appears to be somewhat subtle even in the worst cases, as the pics that I have found tend to show a rather 'clean' airplane. Looks like a based coat of flat black mixed with some grey for desired effect, with a slighly lighter color for the nose section and various panels. Should be fun.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Airframes]

Your dead right Matt! Actually, it wasn't black. The RAP was more of a very dark grey, with a slight hint of blue on some panels. Overall, the colour varied slightly, due to the differing base materials and the 'thickness' of the 'paint' coatings. Hopefully, this will be visible in the stuff I send you, but, the description above is from what I remember when I saw one live, at a distance and close up, when it was operational.
Terry.

 

[SoD Stitch]

Keep up the good work, Matt! I've got a 1/48th SR-71 and YF-12A I've been meaning to get around to for YEARS; maybe I'll get started on it this weekend (yeah, right!). And you're right, they DO get really weathered. the only SR-71 I've seen "up close personal" is the one on display in front of the Castle AF Museum in Atwater, CA; it's been sitting outside for 10 or 12 years now, and it looks pretty bad, right down to the bird excrement all over it (yes, it's quite sad to see such an exotic a/c in such bad shape). Here are some pic's I took of it a few months ago, if it helps you any; the lighting's not so great, but it was the best I could do with a second-gen digital camera:

 

[Matt308]

Thanks, Airframes. And you too, Stitch, for the pics. I'm off to the store tonight to see if I can find some Future/Klear.

What are you guys using to glue clear parts? I have always used Elmer's White Glue, but it's adhesive qualities are not very good with plastic. Superglue works okay, but you have to be REAL careful about not crystalizing the clear part. My biggest concern is masking the window and punching it through into the fuselage after I have glued and puttied the cockpit. Any thoughts?

 

[B-17engineer]

For me this works I use regular model glue but on a tooth pic or I strip a copper wire and carefully put some on. Might want to try it on something else first or I am sure someone else will give a better idea

 

[Matt308]

I've done that too, B17. Just have to be REAL careful to use it very sparingly, otherwise you will haze your clear plastic.

 

[SoD Stitch]

I've done that too, B17. Just have to be REAL careful to use it very sparingly, otherwise you will haze your clear plastic.

I'm told (though I haven't been brave enough to try it yet!) that if you "dip" the clear parts in Future first, the superglue won't fog them. Like I said, I'm afraid of ruining something, so I haven't tried it yet . . . .

 

[Matt308]

Yeah I read that too. Perhaps Wayne or Airframes can answer. This is the whole reason I want to get the Future at the store! I've always read about it, but have never tried it. I also read that you can spray Future over your model as your sealing coat prior to applying your decals and this will minimize silvering. I also read that if I drink Future, I will be thin again, my member will grow longer and I will become rich beyond belief.

 

[B-17engineer]

But if I get some glue on the cockpit window....I just use Goo Gone......It works wonders

 

[Matt308]

What the heck is Goo Gone?

Goo Gone -- Household Cleaning Magic

Sounds like its similar to Simple Green. I don't think that you are going to remove hazing with a degreaser little buddy.

 

[B-17engineer]

Right.......you use it when you have like.........went glue and you notice it is too much. Thats when u use it. If its already dried your......your......model is going to look awful....like the pilot vomited over the cockpit

 

[SoD Stitch]

Yeah I read that too. Perhaps Wayne or Airframes can answer. This is the whole reason I want to get the Future at the store! I've always read about it, but have never tried it. I also read that you can spray Future over your model as your sealing coat prior to applying your decals and this will minimize silvering. I also read that if I drink Future, I will be thin again, my member will grow longer and I will become rich beyond belief.

ROFL!

Good one, Matt!

I have "dipped" clear parts in Future but, like I said, I haven't been brave enough (yet!) to put Superglue near them. And, yes, you can use Future as a clear coat instead of laquer; however, I don't have a airbrush, so I haven't tried it yet.

I'm going to have to try drinking it! Maybe my hair will grow back!

 

[B-17engineer]

"For all those gooey, sticky, gummy, greasy cleaning problems
Removes chewing gum, grease, tar, stickers, labels, tape residue, oil, blood, lipstick and mascara, shoe polish, crayon, bumper stickers
Works on carpets, upholstery, clothing, wood, and cement
Environmentally safe and can be used on any surface!"

Goo Gone -- Household Cleaning Magic

 

[Airframes]

It's right what you've read about Future (Klear in UK) Matt. It's amazing stuff, and will stop Superglue hazing/fogging. It's not the glue that does the damage, unless it gets smeared on the area where you don't want it! It's the fumes that react, causing the fogging. This can be cleaned by polishing with an ammonia based cleanser, window cleaning fluids being ideal. The problem is, if it happens on the inside, and the canopy/ window has already been glued and set....
But, dip the parts in Future. I reccomend that you put a length of masking tape on one edge first, making sure it's doubled back on itself so that it won't stick to anything else. Put enough Future in a suitable CLEAN container - cup, bowl, whatever, then, holding the part by the tape, dip it into the liquid, ensuring it is totally submerged. Lift it out when you can see, through the liquid, that any air bubbles have gone. If they still there, just move the part around to release the surface tension.
Have a suitable dish or bowl handy, with a cover. (A casserole dish is ideal, but don't let the wife know!), lined with kitchen tissue. Let the excess Future run off the part, then place it on edges on the tissue in the bowl, and cover, leaving a gap for air to enter.
Do NOT touch the part. The cover is to prevent dust adhering to the drying Future. Leave it for an hour or two, and the excess Future will be absorbed by the tissue, leaving the part smooth, sparkling and clear; probably better than it looked new! The Future is self-levelling to an amzing degree, and will prevent 'Superglue' fogging.
To fit small windows, as on the SR71, use a toothpick/cocktail stick, and just run a thin bead around the frame/opening, then insert the clear part. You can hold this in place for the few seconds it takes for the glue to 'grab' the part, but again using a cocktail stick, with a small ball of BluTak (poster putty?) on the end, with the 'window' just lightly pressed onto it. Then. gently pull back the stick, and the 'window' should remain in place.
For decals, Future works very well, even by brush. One coat will give a sheen in between full gloss and semi-matt, two coats will give gloss. Brushing is not a problem; use a relatively broad, soft brush, slightly bigger than you would for a paint job on the same area. (i.e. a Number 4 where you'd use a Number 3) and brush on smoothly, in one direction, until the area is covered. If there are any build up of Future at , example, trailing edges, use the EDGE of a piece of kitchen tissue to absorb it. Do NOT touch or re-brush the Future once applied, no matter what it looks like. It is amazingly self-levelling - any bubbles and brush marks should disappear once dry. Leave, preferably overnight, before decaling in the normal way. IF there are any brush marks etc when dry, a second coat, procedure/time as before, WILL cure it.
You will be amazed!! The good thing is, it's a household product, in 500ml bottles, at household prices. If it was a dedicated modelling product, a small bottle would cost more than the 500ml !!!
Hope this has helped, happy futuring (OK, Klearing in the UK!).
Terry.

 

[Matt308]

That was so much more "klear" than the long winded version posted on the Swedish site. I saved both by the way. :thumup: I'm gonna give it a shot. Have you ever sprayed it? I have heard you can spray it and then clean your gun with a window cleaner (e.g., Windex).

I'm also gonna use it to fill the quartz Astro-inertial Naviation System (ANS) lens used to provide the pre-GPS technology positioning for the long range flights of the Blackbird. This will serve to make for a glass like look once the airplane is painted and weathered, while filling in the lens gap flush with the fuselage.

Note that I have also scraped all the areas around the cockpit edges to ensure a good plastic-glue-plastic bonding. May look a little rough, but remember the cockpit windows in really small. Basically all that detail is for ego. You won't see much but helmet. But I care.

 

[Airframes]

All looks and sounds good, Matt.
Yes, I've regularly sprayed Future, without problems. If, however, you have a break in between spraying, and the airbrush jar/cup is still loaded, it's a good idea to give the Future a quick stir, and blow-through the air brush, with water or thinners, before re-commencing spraying. This is in case the Future has dried on the needle. As for clean up, I've normally just sprayed through a half bottle of water after use, then sprayed air until dry. I guess a dedicated acrylics thinner would be a good idea as a final clean. The only problem I have ever had doing this, and it's only minor, is that, after just water cleaning, a day or so later I came to use the brush with enamels, and there was slight clogging. No probs, just blew through some enamel thinner and away she went!

 

[Matt308]

I'm more of a clod than that, Airframes. My needle get's gunked up, I just blow 'er out and use a 1200-1500grit sandpaper to clean the needle. Brute force modeling I say.