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1/48 Academy FGA9 as Papyrus Mk.58


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Hi all

My initial entry will be the Academy Hunter FGA9...with the Neomega cockpit correction resin

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I am going to do this as the Swiss Mk58 using the OH decals sheet for the Fliegerstaffel 15 machine - hope my eyes will be OK at the end of it!

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To kick things off, here is the sprue shot

002.jpg

There may not be too much progress to start with on this as I have to make a push on my recalcitrant Monogram Tomcat...

See you all soon

Andy

Edited by AndyC
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  • 3 weeks later...

Hi

I've made a start, of sorts on the Neomega cockpit and what a great little piece of resin casting this is!

001-1.jpg

I washed the resin and air dried it before a quick spray of primer and then sprayed Tamiya NATO Black on

I gave it a dry-brush highlight with Tamiya Neutral Grey and then picked out the main dials with dry-brushed white. Then some fine painting with switches (white, red and yellow). Tackled the seat which had a Humbrol 226 cushion with a Tamiya Deck Tan cushion cover. Seat belts were painted Xtracrylix British Grey/Green and then Aluminium to pick out buckles and some piping. I broke a wing of the seat off while detaching the base, so I will have to fashion a replacement from card.

001-2.jpg

All for now and thanks for looking

Andy

Edited by AndyC
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Good work, the resin pit really is nice isnt it.

Ian

Hi Ian

I'm really impressed with it actually and will be using their stuff again - although I may save up my orders for SMW rather than order by post considering some people's experience on here!

Andy

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Hi all

A quick update as to where I've got to...

Got the cockpit together minus the seat and inserted it into the port fuselage. I have put about 18 grammes of weight in there using fishing weights - I balanced it on my finger at the wheel point and it appears as though its enough. I'll leave the nose cone tip off until I'm finally satisfied

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003-1.jpg

Although I didn't take any pics of it, the intake trunking and assembly was fiddly and took a lot of fettling to get it to sit right in the fuselage - it's a very tight fit. This must have taken an hour or so but I finally got the fuselage together.

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Next job is to sand the slight seam on both top and bottom - there may be a smear of filler too. Also some filler on hairline gaps where the wings join - all jobs for tomorrow.

I also glued and sanded the drop tanks and the ailerons - this one will use just the 100gal tanks, so I have only opened the inner pylon holes in the wing. I also masked up the cockpit canopy. The other decision taken late last week was that the wheels are too anaemic - so I sent off to Hannants for some Maestro Models resin wheels and they look really nice. I have drilled out for the legs and these will go into the paint shop tomorrow.

010.jpg

Thanks for looking and all comments welcome

Andy

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Looking good

I also had some issues with the intakes and fettled them a lot before i fitted them, so in the end it wasn't too bad. I had a bit of a gap around the rear of one of the wings, but it filled ok.

Ian

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I know what you mean about those intakes. I’m still piddlin’ about with mine.

Your Neomega ‘pit looks great. Did you lighten up the NATO black a little or did you spray it as it is?

Thanks

Mark

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Looking good

I also had some issues with the intakes and fettled them a lot before i fitted them, so in the end it wasn't too bad. I had a bit of a gap around the rear of one of the wings, but it filled ok.

Ian

Phew! Thought it was just me! :P

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I know what you mean about those intakes. I’m still piddlin’ about with mine.

Your Neomega ‘pit looks great. Did you lighten up the NATO black a little or did you spray it as it is?

Thanks

Mark

Hi Mark - straight NATO Black and than a dry brush with Neutral Grey to try and pop the detail. Then white with a fine brush for the dials

Andy

Edited by AndyC
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Hi Mark - straight NATO Black and than a dry brush with Neutral Grey to try and pop the detail. Then white with afine brus for the dials

Andy

Cheers Andy. I'll give it a go!

Mark

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Getting there Andy....I see you've masked off the canopy - don't forget that the rear frame was not actually a frame but stepped perspex- you leave that part unpainted too....

Aha! I had a cunning plan to ask on here whether that was the case or not before painting as I noticed that perspex rear step whilst looking at walkround pics last night. I don't need to ask any longer. Cheers Bill!

Andy

Edited by AndyC
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I've been doing some boring stuff with my Hunter tonight (light sanding and filling) and I trial fitted the cockpit canopy in the open position and...it won't fit :angry: I then do some online research on MM and Hyperscale and, sure enough, if I want the canopy open I need a vacform replacement. Decisions, decisions...

Andy

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I've been doing some boring stuff with my Hunter tonight (light sanding and filling) and I trial fitted the cockpit canopy in the open position and...it won't fit :angry: I then do some online research on MM and Hyperscale and, sure enough, if I want the canopy open I need a vacform replacement. Decisions, decisions...

Andy

hmm, I haven't tried that, I had 'assumed' it would fit in the open position, bu**er...

Ian

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  • 2 weeks later...

Quite a bit of progress on this since the last update. All fuselage joins sanded and the elevators, rudder and ailerons fitted. Windscreen fitted and the whole thing primed including the drop tanks and u/c doors.

001-4.jpg

Inside of u/c doors then sprayed Alclad along with gear legs

002-1.jpg

003-2.jpg

I will do a last check over before breaking open the Appliance White to give her the first finish coat

Thanks for looking

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I've been doing some boring stuff with my Hunter tonight (light sanding and filling) and I trial fitted the cockpit canopy in the open position and...it won't fit :angry: I then do some online research on MM and Hyperscale and, sure enough, if I want the canopy open I need a vacform replacement. Decisions, decisions...

Andy

That's because Academy didn't seem to have any idea how a Hunter's canopy worked when they designed the model! It looks as though they thought the canopy hinged upwards rather than slid back as they've got the shape of the spine panel behind the canopy wrong and haven't bothered with hood rails at all!!!

As for the canopy itself, the "stepped perspex" that Bill described isn't actually a step as such, but is a ridge moulded into the inside of the canopy perspex around the rear edge. This presses into the hood seal when it's inflated to seal the pressurised cockpit. It also means that the rear edge of the canopy is completely smooth, so if there is a ridge moulded into the canopy you have it should be removed or the whole canopy replaced with a vacform job.

Personally I'd go for the latter option, and then you can pose it open and hide the fact that there are no hood rails!!!

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Personally I'd go for the latter option, and then you can pose it open and hide the fact that there are no hood rails!!!

I'd agree with Mark here, additionally the kits canopy is too short. I've previously used Aoroclubs canopy, in conjunction with the kits windscreen. Canopy rails can be fashioned from plastic strip.

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I'd agree with Mark here, additionally the kits canopy is too short. I've previously used Aoroclubs canopy, in conjunction with the kits windscreen. Canopy rails can be fashioned from plastic strip.

OK, OK, OK...you have convinced me guys - I think I have time to send off for a Squadron one. I've been having a 'mare with the Appliance White - I'm never using that again unless I decant it for my airbrush

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Well, while contemplating canopies and other stuff I managed to get a final coat on her...

001-5.jpg

008-1.jpg

I am NEVER using Appliance White again - terrible stuff! I have used spray cans for years as primer and occasional finish coat but this stuff was a nightmare. I reckon it has been sprayed/sanded and re-sprayed about 4 times and for the amount of hassle, next time I will go with Tamiya X-2. That is all :D

I can't deny she is now very shiny and very white - I will probably give her a coat of Klear just in case and then tackle the (daunting) decal sheet later in the week

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I've been hanging around having taken the decision to replace the sliding bit of the canopy with a Squadron vac-form as Academy did such a useless job of the original and... it dropped onto the doormat this morning! :clap2:

This means I can now finish her - I did the decals in about 6hrs last Friday but didn't want to show her without a canopy slid back. Those decals are gorgeous - watch this space!

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