Alan P Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 (edited) Back again, The intakes are done. The rest of the past two days has been spent on painting the details in the cockpit and wheelwells, in preparation for assembling the fuselage. One of the more inexplicable issues I forgot to mention with the Trumpeter kit is that the main wheelwells are positioned at an angle of about 15-20deg relative to the axis of the aeroplane. Now, even a standard set of drawings from any book or magazine will show that they are exactly square to the fore-aft axis. I don't know HOW Trumpeter arrived at the design they have used. Fortunately, while dry-fitting the Aires wheelwells I realised that they are actually designed to compensate for this if you cut away part of the fuselage. A "duh!" moment from me which luckily I spotted in time before I chopped off the strange shapes around the outline!! As you can see, the wheelwells are now square to the axis of the aircraft. Good job Aires - it's a shame your instructions were not a teeny bit more explanatory. Here's the wheelwells painted up before any washes or highlights - incredible detail that took me all evening to paint! It's a mixture of Tamiya acrylics and Testors Model Master enamels. The front wheelwell also painted up, awaiting washes, but with some weathering applied: And finally a few shots of the cockpit, again without any washes or highlights: Such a great, busy design! Would love to have a go in one of these. My technique for painting detail is to have the reference photos on an iPad in front of me. Much better than printing them off which is what I used to do! Starting to look the part, and so far no major disasters with the painting! More tomorrow.... Cheers, Al Edited October 12, 2014 by Brokenedge 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madhatter Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 this is great! I have this kit in my "stash" and have a couple of the Aires products you have - less the cockpit. I've been eying up the Zacto AM parts and whilst I know they are 'essential' to any self respecting flanker builder, I just can't afford to buy the full set - which BTW you can't seem to get as I think he has stopped making the canopy parts - the intakes and nose are still available - just not the canopy. One day when I'm not feeling so cheap, I'll buy the nose and intake sets. It's interesting to know about the Aires wheel well shapes though - none of the builds that I can remember seeing mention that aspect - so it's very handy info and one to file away with the other tips I've gleaned. thanks I was fortunate to get the Akan range of Ukrainian paints (I'm going to go for the #56 Splinter scheme) but I don't know if the small bottles will be enough to cover the entire plane. Mind you, I don't even know what you thin them with or if they're Acrylic or enamel! One point hat has been made clear on several builds is the need to shim up the gun port covers - apparently they don't fit so well. Your also the first person to photographically show the control surface fit issues. Seems some people have an aversion to taking those kinds of pics. Again, something else I will take away from this build Anyway, I'm am looking forward to seeing more of your build come together. Thanks for the updates Si 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redcap Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Brilliant start and workmanship. I shall follow this thread with interest as I reckon the end result will be spectacular! Gary 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim T Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 That is fantastic work. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nico13 Posted October 1, 2014 Share Posted October 1, 2014 Fantastic build. Can't wait to see more 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 1, 2014 Author Share Posted October 1, 2014 Thanks very much for those nice comments this is great! I have this kit in my "stash" and have a couple of the Aires products you have - less the cockpit. I've been eying up the Zacto AM parts and whilst I know they are 'essential' to any self respecting flanker builder, I just can't afford to buy the full set - which BTW you can't seem to get as I think he has stopped making the canopy parts - the intakes and nose are still available - just not the canopy. One day when I'm not feeling so cheap, I'll buy the nose and intake sets. It's interesting to know about the Aires wheel well shapes though - none of the builds that I can remember seeing mention that aspect - so it's very handy info and one to file away with the other tips I've gleaned. thanks I was fortunate to get the Akan range of Ukrainian paints (I'm going to go for the #56 Splinter scheme) but I don't know if the small bottles will be enough to cover the entire plane. Mind you, I don't even know what you thin them with or if they're Acrylic or enamel! One point hat has been made clear on several builds is the need to shim up the gun port covers - apparently they don't fit so well. Your also the first person to photographically show the control surface fit issues. Seems some people have an aversion to taking those kinds of pics. Again, something else I will take away from this build Anyway, I'm am looking forward to seeing more of your build come together. Thanks for the updates Si Thanks very much for that post Si, really encouraging and useful Also you mentioned control surfaces, I called them flying surfaces. I'll go back and change that! Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 great work 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Beautiful day today, so best not waste it in the shed! Cockpit tub and wheelwells washed - the camera's unforgiving eye makes it look a lot more messy than real life! I had a look at the front instrument panel coaming, and decided to move the gun camera down and back a bit to clear the windscreen: And painted the base black colour. Lastly I decided to redo the seam round the rear of the canopy sills, it just looked wrong - I scraped it level with a sharp blade, and puttied it with Tamiya Basic Putty. Hopefully I can match the mixed colour, I didn't keep any of the last lot! Next - ejector seat and pilot! Edited October 12, 2014 by Brokenedge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rom1 Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 wow! nice painting! this build is going really fast! ;^) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu_davros Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I think the wash on the office and gear bays looks perfect, I'm really enjoying this thread. Cheers, Stuart Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marty Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Very nice, love these big kits Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hovis Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 I love the way you say it looks messy.... It's brilliant! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgrease Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Lastly I decided to redo the seam round the rear of the canopy sills, it just looked wrong - I scraped it level with a sharp blade, and puttied it with Tamiya Basic Putty. I have the same problem - no matter how many times I have puttied and sanded, you can see that stupid seam. Ugh. Good work though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 Great work Brokenedge - fantastic attention to detail. As you are going into such detail - can I point out one small detail that is missed on most Flanker kits - especially in this scale - its the bungee chord that goes from the top of the seat headbox to the rear canopy frame. I think it is used to arm the ejection seat when the canopy blows off - it's difficult to see - and even more difficult to make and fit with the canopy in place. Here's a pic of me sat in a Su-27 at Kubinka in 1993 (don't be put off by the handsome pilot ) - but you can just make out the bungee on the headbox at the left.... You can also see the inverted L-shaped lugs on the sill that are part of the canopy locking mechanism. Here's a couple of pics of the chord that I fitted to my Trumpeter Su-27..... I made mine from wire wrapped in a paper tissue. I hope you don't think I'm butting in - just trying to be helpful. Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philtn Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 currently living in this thread very nice! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Great work Brokenedge - fantastic attention to detail. As you are going into such detail - can I point out one small detail that is missed on most Flanker kits - especially in this scale - its the bungee chord that goes from the top of the seat headbox to the rear canopy frame. I think it is used to arm the ejection seat when the canopy blows off - it's difficult to see - and even more difficult to make and fit with the canopy in place. Here's a pic of me sat in a Su-27 at Kubinka in 1993 (don't be put off by the handsome pilot ) - but you can just make out the bungee on the headbox at the left.... You can also see the inverted L-shaped lugs on the sill that are part of the canopy locking mechanism. Here's a couple of pics of the chord that I fitted to my Trumpeter Su-27..... I made mine from wire wrapped in a paper tissue. I hope you don't think I'm butting in - just trying to be helpful. Ken That's great info. I would have missed that (among many other things!), thanks Ken. As I consider you to be the go-to authority on these things, I would very much appreciate any other input, please keep looking in Your Flanker looks amazingly realistic. Brilliant job. Interesting that the top picture shows that the HUD is further back than the frame of the front canopy. I see a solution to my interference issues with the Zacto canopy...! Edge Edited October 2, 2014 by Brokenedge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geedubelyer Posted October 2, 2014 Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Hi Brokenedge, it's nice to see another super detailled big Flanker build. Keep it going. An alternative to the wrapped tissue paper technique for the bungee is a bread loaf tie-wrap. If you hold the wire firmly and then pull the paper cover back with finger nails or similar the paper concertinas up in a convincing manner. Simply trim the bunched up paper edges to width. HTH. Cheers. Edit: Just had a quick thought re: the seam on the decking behind the seat. If you check your references you might find that this area has some corrosion preventation paint added roughly over the rivets and seams which will help disguise that. Edited October 2, 2014 by geedubelyer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 Hi Brokenedge, it's nice to see another super detailled big Flanker build. Keep it going. An alternative to the wrapped tissue paper technique for the bungee is a bread loaf tie-wrap. If you hold the wire firmly and then pull the paper cover back with finger nails or similar the paper concertinas up in a convincing manner. Simply trim the bunched up paper edges to width. Edit: Just had a quick thought re: the seam on the decking behind the seat. If you check your references you might find that this area has some corrosion preventation paint added roughly over the rivets and seams which will help disguise that. Oh, that's very good Hope you will have a look in occasionally as well, I've been looking at your thread on arcforums which is quite inspirational in a confidence-shattering kind of way! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) While the paint was drying on the ejector seat I had another look at the intakes. The intake upper surface needs some material to be removed from the bottom of the kit fuselage. I did what it said, but on test fitting there were gaps and the airflow splitter didn't line up. So - my usual drastic solution was grind the whole lot off and build one that fits! There's usually a lot more plastic on the bottom of this piece! I made a plastic shim which almost replicates the shape of the airflow splitter - it is probably not curved, but it needs to be here to cover up the hole beneath! And luckily it worked on the other side too! Just as well the Zacto intakes include the wheelwell insert - the Aires set thoughtfully gave me two of the left side! Next - canopy! Edge Edited October 12, 2014 by Brokenedge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 2, 2014 Author Share Posted October 2, 2014 (edited) Feeling brave, I decided to tackle the Zacto canopy - I had originally thought I wouldn't use it, but it seems a shame to spend the money on it and not bother, and it is a very nice piece of engineering. The mould line is very indistinct - my green line is a bit of a guess! The front area includes a replacement IRST housing so this whole section needs grinding off and sanding flat. The canopies are to be separate as I want it open - so I thought I'd avoid the uncertainty of the green line and just cut the canopy dividing line first. I scribed the line with a razor saw using Tamiya tape strips as a guide. Then I used a curved scalpel blade to make fine cuts with minimal pressure and very thankfully didn't slip! The tape strip was a good idea so I decided to use it for the main cuts. I barely have the patience required to make smooth, repetitive cuts round the edges - I want to do it in one or two! But this time I managed it without slipping or messing up the line. With the IRST part in place - Zactoman is a genius! Evidence beneath of more filling required along that pesky seam around the backplate and cockpit sills! Fortunately Mr. geedubelyer may have given me some hope with that. Finished off the day with priming the pilot and painting the Zacto canopy rails and hinge. He even provides a jig to line up the actuator frame! Very glad I'm using this now. Till tomorrow! Edited October 12, 2014 by Brokenedge 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 3, 2014 Author Share Posted October 3, 2014 (edited) Today's efforts: Main wheelwells finished and fitted. I don't mind the slightly ill-fitting inner edges, they will be hidden by the intakes. This box from the front wheelwell has some distinctive markings which might be visible, but add to the detail anyway. I like little details like this, more so than miles of added pipes and wires. The dots are painted. The decal is part of one from the Trumpeter decal sheet, which I won't be using. This is the real thing from scalemodels.ru page walkround: And in the model: The Aires front wheelwell has a slight fit issue: I fixed it with my old trusty filler - Blu-Tac! Moving on - on the right underside there's a distinctive vent hole which is missing from the kit (there are a lot of these which I'll add as I go!) Pilot hole drilled - it's set at an awkward angle so one must drill carefully.... ...not like this! Argh! I'll come back to this later! Question if anyone knows the answer - are these ejector seat rails always in this bright yellow colour? This is the first picture of that area I've really seen. Not feeling so good today, developed the mother of all headaches after this little bit of work, so finished for the day. Looks like Autumn is going to start from tomorrow, so I'll have to get a move on and finish this before my shed gets too cold & damp! Till next time! Edited October 12, 2014 by Brokenedge 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOUSTON Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Hey Edge, EXCEPTIONALLY OUTSTANDING workmanship.. This build of yours is quite captivating.. Keep on doing what you are doing..... BRILLIANT work. Even your photography is Neat and clear..keep it up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eng Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Outstanding work so far this is going to be something rather special on completion. Keep up the good work, Edge. Rgds, Eng 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim T Posted October 4, 2014 Share Posted October 4, 2014 Brilliant modelling. Really enjoying watching this develop. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted October 5, 2014 Author Share Posted October 5, 2014 (edited) Thank you so much! Very generous with your praise there guys, makes a huge encouragement for me when stuff like today happens! I fitted all the wheelwells in preparation for finally sticking the fuselage together. The following pics show how much material needs to be removed from the Aires parts for the thing to actually fit! This last piece needed extra removing - it was already glued in, and of course I managed to grind it through to the other side !!! The solution was to stick blu-tac on the upper side to correspond with the holes. It filled them nicely, I can make imprints of the lost detail in the blu-tac, and just paint over it when ready. The wings have to be assembled before the fuselage parts, so I did that and skipped adding the rod, hook-and-eye arrangement for the flaps and slats. The fuselage has these interlocking attachment pints for the wing stubs - unfortunately, the larger "female" pins are on the underside rather than the upper. I'd have much preferred to mount the upper half to eliminate the seams altogether and get the wings straight before adding the bottom half of the fuselage. As it was, I had to do the whole thing in one go, which gave me very little time to get everything to stick together and make sure everything was straight and matched up..... ...but I managed it! ;D Now it's assembled, I'm starting to think I've bitten off more than I can chew here. It's absolutely MASSIVE. I've never actually seen a real kit built, so I really didn't expect this sort of bulk. I honestly don't know where this is going to go. Here it is next to a 1/48 F-16: And for 1/72 buffs, next to a 1/72 Hurricane! While that was drying, I moved ahead with the pilot figure: I'm going to have to treat the seat and pilot as a single piece as he will be firmly strapped in. I'm going to have to use the infamous Aires seatbelts (or if that goes wrong, the Eduard ones) so that's my great task for tomorrow! As far as pilots go, this is the overall look: But I prefer the snazzy jacket of this guy: So my guy will have the camo jacket, blue trousers and G-suit pants which will add a bit of variety in the cockpit. Da svedanya till tomorrow! Edited October 12, 2014 by Brokenedge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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