cathasatail Posted May 27, 2017 Share Posted May 27, 2017 (edited) Hi guys, To celebrate/commemorate the last day of sixth form for me (yesterday) I've decided to embark on a little project. Unfortunately I damaged the seals on my airbrush after trying to thin down Alclad with cellulose thinners; a new airbrush and official Alclad airbrush cleaner will need to be sought at the start of next week hopefully......Anyway... Running alongside my 1:48 Canberra pr.9 build (found here) I'm going to build an aircraft in a particular scheme that I have been wanting to do for quite a while. The kit is the new(ish?)-tool Revell A320 1:144 in an Ethiad scheme: I won't immediately reveal which aircraft I'm doing, I shall reveal bits and pieces as I go along (what a tease I am! ) but I shall start by giving a considerable hint; Red. Any guesses? That's all for now, at least until the airbrush is sorted. Kind regards, Sam Edited September 22, 2018 by cathasatail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted May 28, 2017 Author Share Posted May 28, 2017 There is a noticeable, if slight, amount of flash on the parts (which i've been cleaning this morning). But the detailing on the parts is nonetheless quite fine. Time for hint no.2 I think : A320-216 Sam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted May 28, 2017 Share Posted May 28, 2017 Are you going to leave the nose gear off and just sitting it on the main gear as per the Air Asia incident then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted May 28, 2017 Author Share Posted May 28, 2017 2 minutes ago, stringbag said: Are you going to leave the nose gear off and just sitting it on the main gear as per the Air Asia incident then? no, I haven't come across that accident before- I couldn't bring myself to wreck this kit (but it sure would make a great diorama!) But in terms of the actual aircraft I'm doing, you're getting warmer- Air Asia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 Armed with a new airbrush, I set to work on the kit. I really should get some proper white paint (I hear Testors is good?) but for this build I have persevered with a base coat (several, in fact) of Vallejo white surface primer. Now, any guesses as to what these letters could be? Kind regards, Sam 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 (edited) You still have chance to remove those extra flap track fairings and fill the corresponding flap lines, only applicable on the A321. I imagine those letters will fill a blank space very nicely. 😉 Edited May 31, 2017 by buzz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 2 hours ago, cathasatail said: Now, any guesses as to what these letters could be? Short skirts and long legs perhaps? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcB Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Hello, I like this one too... Marc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted May 31, 2017 Author Share Posted May 31, 2017 34 minutes ago, buzz said: I imagine those letters will fill a blank space very nicely. 😉 ah the puns, the puns! 12 minutes ago, stringbag said: Short skirts and long legs perhaps? You'll just have to wait and see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted May 31, 2017 Share Posted May 31, 2017 Well, be quick! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romeo Alpha Yankee Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 This one perhaps? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 4 hours ago, TrojanThunder said: This one perhaps? Aaaaaaand we have a winner! Yep, the secret is out- I'll be getting some inkjet decal paper soon for the lettering on the side of the engines, the Malaysian flag and lettering, the AirAsia logo, and of course the images on either side of the main fuselage lettering. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 ^ Erm, didn't we have at least one winner yesterday? I didn't want to spoil it too soon and spell out the answer, hence my cryptic references to Taylor Swift! But seriously, get rid of those flap track fairings and fill those lines. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted June 1, 2017 Author Share Posted June 1, 2017 2 hours ago, buzz said: ^ Erm, didn't we have at least one winner yesterday? I didn't want to spoil it too soon and spell out the answer, hence my cryptic references to Taylor Swift! But seriously, get rid of those flap track fairings and fill those lines. Fair enough, (I did get the reference). I hereby declare that the said "buzz" has been duly chosen as the winner of the "guess the A320" competition on this thread. I've removed the flap track fairings and I've given them a bit of filler- It's looking quite good now. On the decal front, I'm ordering some decal paper today and I've cut out all of the fuselage lettering on tamiya masking tape. Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
buzz Posted June 1, 2017 Share Posted June 1, 2017 ^ Phew, I'll be able to sleep tonight now. For the flap lines that have to be filled, this thread shows what needs to be done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted June 5, 2017 Author Share Posted June 5, 2017 (edited) Right, time for an update I think. The "Expert's Choice" decal paper has arrived (one sheet of white-backed and one sheet of clear-backed paper) along with a small bottle of liquid decal film. I've also begun work on photoshop with the various imagery and lettering (including the AirAsia logo on the tail, which I am hoping to make into a decal-instead of painting it on), as evidenced below: -I did a test print on normal plain paper and they're at a perfect size; I'm measuring the distances and heights of the decals using windows as a form of measurement *To do list: -Neaten up the "Taylor Swift" lettering that I have managed to successfully spray onto the sides of the fuselage -Mask and spray the wings in the appropriate shade of grey, not forgetting the walkways near the fuselage -Create the other decals (Malaysian flag/Airbus logo/AirAsia logo, tail number, etc -Landing gear -Windows *(I was thinking of filling them with PVA, and painting over them if required) -Engines And that's it!** Kind regards, Sam **(could take a while, due to A level exams) Edited June 5, 2017 by cathasatail 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted July 2, 2017 Author Share Posted July 2, 2017 (edited) Hi guys, Time for an update I think! I've been fiddling around making my own decals, I think I've reached the printing stage now I've been slowly adding some decals from the kit, where appropriate (wing walkways, fuselage doors, etc) Sam Edited July 2, 2017 by cathasatail 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted July 8, 2017 Author Share Posted July 8, 2017 (edited) And here we are; the decals have been printed (along with others) and they do look jolly good (if I do say so myself).... (Decals on white backing paper) (Decals on clear backing paper) (Wow the lighting is awful in that last picture, but I'll keep it in anyway ) The decals that I've been working on include: this A320, a 1:144 BA 747, a 1:144 Tornado GR4 in Dambusters anniversary markings and a 1:72 Lancaster Sugar's Blues. And after an initial test on a scrap bit of decal paper I can confirm that the decals slide off effortlessly- they also slide a lot when they're positioned on any surface, so a clear coat will be in order after they've been applied one-by-one. Sam Edited July 8, 2017 by cathasatail Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stringbag Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 They look really good Sam. looking forward to seeing the finished article. Chris. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turbofan Posted July 8, 2017 Share Posted July 8, 2017 Those decals look good Sam, are they inkjet or laser printed? Cheers, Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted July 9, 2017 Author Share Posted July 9, 2017 7 hours ago, Turbofan said: Those decals look good Sam, are they inkjet or laser printed? Cheers, Ian Inkjet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted September 22, 2018 Author Share Posted September 22, 2018 (edited) Crikey! It's been over a year since I last worked on this build- sat on the "shelf of doom" for many a month, it was high time that I finished it. In the meantime, something happened which I could never have imagined in my wildest dreams (I couldn't resist it, sorry)- a tour was announced for her new album, Reputation. Having wanted to go to a concert of hers since 2012, I was finally able to realise what had become somewhat of a life goal: (I could go on about how special that night was, but I shall refrain) Back to the build: The key factors that resulted in me putting the build down were two-fold. Firstly, the decals for Taylor herself were a pain to cut out and once applied (despite being on white backing) they were relatively transparent and showed very clearly the red/white demarcation lines beneath. Secondly, due to the transparency issues, the decals for the Air Asia logo were a complete no-no. How the imagery was rectified: I decided to cut out the imagery printed on a sheet of A4 paper, but instead of using the cut-out piece I used the "scrap" A4 as a template and stencil for spraying a base coat of black onto the model. After a coat of white and a spray with a gloss varnish, it was time for the decals! They came off their backing paper well enough, however they did NOT stick to the model at all and required a spray with gloss varnish soon after. They also wrinkled, but I can't discount the fact that it might be due to them sitting on a shelf for the best part of a year. How the tail and under-fuselage logo were rectified: Following suit with a similar course of action, I cut out the lettering printed on an A4 sheet over the top of a layer of masking tape (the theory being that the knife would cut out the tape in the shape of the lettering). Close enough, I thought. After the standard black, then white and finally gloss coats, I removed the tape. To my horror the layers of black/white paint that made up the lettering had started to peel (I'm relatively certain that it's the type of masking tape I used)! Out came the brushes and despite white being a notoriously horrendous colour to spray, let alone hand-paint, it turned out semi-decent. Out of the woods, on the home straight and after a bit of touching-up, the gear wheels/doors, rather delicate aerials, etc, were added. And finally...... after a marathon 483 days since this build started, it has reached its endgame. I'll post an RFI soon when the light is good enough for photography, along with an RFI for this one: Conclusion My, my, my, what a build. Fraught with joy, pain, anguish and frustration, I'm fairly pleased with the end result. It's been a learning process in making my own decals, modelling a civilian aircraft and complex masking but it's been worth it. So, thanks for sticking with me and until next time....... Best wishes, Sam Edit: Turns out it's the 22nd today (had to.....) Edited September 22, 2018 by cathasatail 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonky Donkey Posted September 22, 2018 Share Posted September 22, 2018 Cool! Well done for coming back and finishing the job! 👍 W-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Col. Posted September 23, 2018 Share Posted September 23, 2018 Regardless of the fight it put up this one has turned out well. The Tornado looks good as well so I'll watch out for your RFI on both. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cathasatail Posted September 28, 2018 Author Share Posted September 28, 2018 Hi everyone! The RFI for this build is up: -The Tornado will follow suit relatively soon. Best wishes, Sam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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