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IdolM@ster Typhoon; Here We Go Again! Finished!


georgeusa

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I know I have professed publically my goal to not do anything but get rid of my shelf of doom (oh the shame of it all), but I needed a break from forced kit construction to constructing a kit I wanted to build. (Although, at one point in time all of the kits on the shelf of doom were also ones I wanted to build. Very complicated and disturbing how my mind works sometimes.) So, while I while away the hours sanding and filling the seams on my 1/24 Airfix Typhoon, in between when I need a break I am going to work on this Typhoon. It is Hasegawa’s reboxing of the Revell 1/72 Typhoon with the IdolM@ster decals. (I know, I am in danger of losing my mancard again, but at least this one isn’t pink!!) I have built a few of the kits in the IdolM@ster range so I know what I am getting into. The crazy decal scheme just appeals to me. Here is the box art.

boxart.jpg

And here is the decal sheet which is just as big as the box.

decals.jpg

Finally, here are the instructions showing the decal scheme from all sides. Even the bottom of the aircraft has its own decorative scheme.

instruction3.jpg

instruction2.jpg

instruction1.jpg

I have not decided what to do about the ordinance though. The kit comes with many options. I do not know if the anime version carried any ordinance. Oh well, time to sort that out. Let the construction begin.

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First update. Shockingly, I start with the cockpit. The seat consists of 5 parts.

seat1.jpg

For a recently issued Revell kit (I think it was retooled in 2004) there is some awful flash on some parts. Check out the crazy flash on the seat. Everything was cleaned up and it came together like this.

seat2.jpg

That was set aside to dry and the cockpit parts were gathered up.

cockpit1.jpg

I purposely took the above picture for one reason. Don’t you just love it when the instruction diagram shows the part larger than it really is in real life? Gives the impression assembly will be so much easier.

The main parts were assembled with the IP left off as putting the decals on it off of the cockpit will be so much easier than if it was already installed. Also, the throttle (I guess) was left off so the port side cockpit panel decal could be installed.

cockpit2.jpg

A layer of paint was done and the decals were put on with okay results.

cockpit3.jpg

I need to get them to lay down a bit better, but that will be no problem. Then the rest of the cockpit will be put together, some detail painting, and some slight weathering and that should be it. This will be a strictly OOB as the focus is on the decal scheme. If this kit is not entirely accurate as to the real Eurofighter, then that is okay because I am doing the IdolM@ster version which I am confident this kit 100%, accurately portrays!! As always, all comments welcome . . . except for those that have to remind me I am supposed to be completing everything on the shelf of doom before starting a new project. (Again, oh the shame!)

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Be forewarned, the seat does not fit well, and can make it hard to get the canopy on if not trimmed down a bit.

Thanks for the warning. I have read this is a problem and also inserting the intakes can be a bit harrowing.

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Those Japanese cartoons are just a bit creepy for my liking but I do want to see the finished result out of a morbid curiosity for the unusual so make haste with the scalpel and glue my good man and beware of Turpin and his gang of footpads and run-the-hedges on your quest

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Must agree about those characters,like clowns,a bit creepy.I'm attempting to build the Revell single seater and agree with you that there is a lot of flash present.The intake splitter plate needed building up with card as there was a large gap where it meets the trunking.The engine exhaust tubes and cans were an extremely tight fit and I sanded them down a bit which eased the problem.I'm glad I followed the wing construction sequence as the bottom and upper wing pieces needed a lot of fettling to get them to sit correctly,and there were still biggish gaps all round.I'm going to be building mine as a What If future Luftwaffe example.I also found that I was a bit heavy handed with the glue(used Revells own brand) on the tail fin area,despite letting the assembly set overnight,the fin became a bit 'floppy' and bendable,everytime it was under any pressure it would distort,took about 3 days to fully cure,so be sparing there.Just waiting for all the filler to set before rubbing it down,have fun and looking forward to your build..

Dave.

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Those Japanese cartoons are just a bit creepy for my liking but I do want to see the finished result out of a morbid curiosity for the unusual so make haste with the scalpel and glue my good man and beware of Turpin and his gang of footpads and run-the-hedges on your quest

If you would like a prequel to this build, this link will take you to one I did earlier and that thread has links to another build from this series. Get your creep on! http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234964072-the-idolmster-f-22-raptor/

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Fuselage/Wing Update. The cockpit was started and now am at the point to join the fuselage halves and start building up the main body. I finished some light weathering of the cockpit prior to installing the IP.

cockpitfinish1.jpg

Next the cockpit was inserted into the starboard side and the two plugs that hold the front canards in place were glued into their respective halves. Then the two fuselage halves were buttoned up.

fuselage1.jpg

To turn this from a two seater to a one seater, 3 parts are included.

fuselage2.jpg

I have already installed the upper spine portion to the body. The other two parts are the airbrake and radio deck (maybe). The radio deck is where the second seat would normally be. These were installed.

fuselage3.jpg

And, with less than stellar results.

fuselage4.jpg

fuselage5.jpg

There are both gaps and steps in creating the top portion of the kit. Usually, it is one or the other, but this has both. Now, it is nothing that can’t be fixed and will not be that terribly hard to do, but it is annoying; Revell usually fits a bit better than this. I then give the radio deck (or whatever it is) a basic coat of the grey interior paint prior to detailing.

cockpitfinish2.jpg

The exhausts need to be installed prior to joining the wing to the fuselage. (Thanks for the warning Dave?) The support section for the outer exhausts section was first put in place and then the outer exhausts.

exhaust1.jpg

While the glue dries on those parts, I give the inner exhaust sections a layer of steel.

exhaust2.jpg

I doubt any of this will be visible, so a minimum of effort is being made on the painting. The inner tubes were then put in place.

exhaust3.jpg

And I will be darned, but if held up to the light just right, you can actually see down into the tubes.

exhaust4.jpg

So, I thought at least a minimum of detail work should be done to highlight the fan down at the bottom of the tube.

exhaust5.jpg

Prior to joining the wings to the fuselage, the lower intake structure which also houses the nose gear pit has to be installed. First the two lower intake parts were joined together.

lowerintake1.jpg

Once installed to the wing, it is given a coat of white as were the wheel bay sections of the lower and upper wing.

lowerintake2.jpg

lowerwingpaint.jpg

There is a nasty gap between the lower intake and the wing that has to be dealt with

lowerintake3.jpg

While the putty dries on the lower intake, the nose weight issue is solved by some fishing weights placed in the nose cone and stuck in place with an application of blue tack. (Thinking of you Hendie)

noseweight.jpg

The upper intake section is manhandled and I do mean manhandled into place in the fuselage prior to the wings being attached.

upperintake1.jpg

There are some gaps here too that must be dealt with. They are close to some detail that I would like to keep. I will probably attach the wings first to see how the fit is after attachment and take care of all of the anticipated gaps that will occur. (Not sounding real confident right now am I?)

Now Procopius warned me as did several internet reviews the seat sits too high for the canopy to close. It has not been installed into the cockpit yet as I was waiting until the fuselage was buttoned up so I could test fit the seat and canopy to determine how much fettling with the seat was necessary. It has been cut down a bit for canopy clearance so it is now its turn to get a paint treatment. The basic paint coats were done for the seat frame and seat cushions.

seatfinish1.jpg

seatfinish2.jpg

Then the details were picked out and some washes and highlights done.

seatfinish5.jpg

seatfinish4.jpg

seatfinish3.jpg

I actually like how this little guy turned out. I guess I could do more, but as I want this to be OOB and concentrate on the decals, this will do quite nicely. The next step is to join the lower wing to the fuselage and then the upper wings to the lower wing. Hopefully without too many gaps, steps and things that need to be fixed, filled and/or sanded. Why, because now I am going to go tackle the fixing, filling and sanding I need to finish on the Airfix Typhoon front end that I have been dreading. As always, all comments are welcome.

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Darby,

The plastic is a very strange dark blue color that I will have to try and match given the amount of filling and sanding I think will have to be done. Think of a slightly lighter, flat glossy sea blue. Each character in the series has a different color aircraft; most are very vibrant colors. The ones I have done have been bright pink, a very strange lime gold metallic and an awful shade of what I call pond scum green.

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Darby,

The plastic is a very strange dark blue colour that I will have to try and match given the amount of filling and sanding I think will have to be done. Think of a slightly lighter, flat glossy sea blue. Each character in the series has a different colour aircraft; most are very vibrant colors. The ones I have done have been bright pink, a very strange lime gold metallic and an awful shade of what I call pond scum green.

I can imagine that blue, sounds like a shade I was trying to get on a P47M. That was hard work. I've seen the Airfix TSR2 with these harridans on the front and their weird paint schemes. God knows what colour that will be. Lime gold metallic, that just so Woodstock. And pond scum green....just like my small pond. I think I'll make my way to San Francisco with a flower in my hair (a cyclamen at this time of year perhaps).

As I like different I'm even more curious as to the outcome

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And I will be darned, but if held up to the light just right, you can actually see down into the tubes.

exhaust4.jpg

I like this view a lot, the jet exhausts of my Flying Stiletto look pretty much exactly like this.

I am missing you g-usa, can I come over and stay with you for Christmas? I could cook Christmas dinner for you and Shanna - I am quite good you know.

Cheers,

Nigel

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George you're a glutton for punishment but will watch with interest.

Do these Idolmaster thingies also use tanks? A gold or metallic pink Challenger or Merkeva festooned with stars and the weird looking cartoons would be........different!

Trevor

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George you're a glutton for punishment but will watch with interest.

Do these Idolmaster thingies also use tanks? A gold or metallic pink Challenger or Merkeva festooned with stars and the weird looking cartoons would be........different!

Trevor

I have no idea. Other than a cursory Internet search, I am not familiar withe the game, the books, the series, or the film. There might be. These kits were a Japanese only release initially.

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Paint update. I finished filling and sanding the seams.

fill1.jpg

I finished installing all of the parts necessary for the body of the aircraft apart from the undercarriage. So it is ready for a paint job and then the fun begins with decal application. After perusing my paints, I think Blue Angel Blue is the closest I have to this kits finish. So out with that tape and sponge to protect the white paint.

tape1.jpg

tape2.jpg

Then the kit gets a coat or two of the Blue Angel Blue.

basicpaint1.jpg

basicpaint2.jpg

While the paint dries, I started working on the ordinance for this kit. I still don’t know what I am going to put on it, or if I am going to use anything. But, these two weapons look interesting. One is a Storm Shadow.

stormshadow.jpg

And the other is a Taurus

taurus.jpg

The Storm Shadow looks very similar to the Apache I built for a 1/48 Rafale. The main body of each rocket has been put together and I am waiting for the glue to dry to sand the seams. Then the individual fins will be put on. (Probably after much cursing and hunting down on my knees to recover the pieces that fling off when they should have attached themselves to the kit parts.) As always, all comments welcome.

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Holy anime Batman,that is speedy work George.Yep,the filling and sanding areas look just like the ones I have dealt with too.I have built the Taurus missiles and found them OK,just filed down the locating lugs a bit on the fins and they fit and held well.Love the blue colour.

Dave.

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