Rob G's Made in GB GB blitz build - Airfix JP T.4 **A bit late, but FINISHED**

[Rob G]

Having sorted some life issues out (decisions decided and plans planned), I find that some small measure of modelling mojo has returned. So I'll join in here with a quick build of Airfix's new Jet Provost in its Starter Set guise, the Red Pelicans version. This kit is so new to the stash that it hasn't even made it TO the stash - I bought it at 1130am this morning and had started it by 1230pm, despite a Revell BAe 146, an Airfix Mustang, a Hasegawa Mosquito, a Matchbox Mustang, an Academy Mustang, an Andreas Miniatures 'Neo' figure and 2 Academy Thunderbolts already exposed (and gathering dust) on the bench (plus the half dozen 'almost done' models in the drawer). And I should be doing any one of about 20 other things... <Mutters something about torpedoes...>

 

This has to be done quickly because it's back out to work on Monday and as I say, I's gots things ta do. It'll be mostly OOB, except where my research has indicated needed fixes - added intakes and (possibly) the rescribing of the elevators to more correctly portray the T.4.

 

Box:

 

Contents:

 

 

Progress as at 1400, ready for first paint.

 

 

Not much, but started. Updates throughout the evening, in theory. Hoping to get exterior colour onto this in the morning; we'll see.

 

 

[Grandboof]

No reason not to start something new Just don't look at WIP group too closely I try not to maybe thats why it keeps growing Good luck with this 

Martin H

[Rob G]

Update. Progress is slow. Brush painted the internals in flat black and then decided that it was all too dark, so brushed a coat of Tamiya's NATO black on it. Which predictably, looked terrible. So out with the Windex, strip it all off and blow a coat of straight NATO black on with the airbrush; much better. Currently waiting for the Future to dry so that I can wash and drybrush a bit. The elevators are done for better or worse, while I wait I'm figuring out the size of those intakes on the engine covers. Anyone got any dimensions?

 

Here's a photo of the tailplane. White balance is off, that's Tamiya white primer.

 

 

[Rob G]

Not that anyone much gives a fig, but this kit is giving me hassles. The first was my own fault, putting pretty sad intakes in the wrong spot - these have been removed and the damage made good, with new ones made and yet to be installed. The other things are entirely Airfix's doing - dry fits had revealed pretty good fit all over, but when I stuck the fuslegae halves together, I ended up with quite a deep trough right along the join. Nowt for it but to fill. That done, I started looking at the tail cone - again, looked great, until close examination revealed that it was actually too wide. Bulbous, in fact. Cleaning that up after adding the tail planes would have been more work than I cared to attempt, so the tail cone was stuck on, gaps were filled, and the whille thing was filed and sanded down to blend smoothly into the fuse. The tail plane section has been cut into 2, and it seems to be quite happy to align nicely with the stubs on the fuselage. The tail bumper was a victim of the pogrom, so it will have to be reinstated from whatever comes to hand. The last bit was the spurious rail in the centre of the canopy - I spent time this morning filing it off and then polishing the plastic to make it all betterer - it's been Futured and can dry while I'm away for a few days.

 

No photies, coz who cares anyway, eh? I'll post progress when I have an airframe ready for paint. Hopefully by the weekend.

[AdrianMF]

Sorry it's giving you grief! Nothing worse than something you wanted to be quick and easy turning out to be a dragging pain in the posterior.  Hope it feels less disappointing next time you get to the bench.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[stever219]

Thanks for the photo of your elevator mods: I hope you don't mind if I use it as a reference when I do mine.  

 

I used the engine door intakes on my Airfix JP 5 as templates for the '3: they might be a tad oversized but at least they're now there.  Did you bother with the tiny "D"-shaped intake below the starboard canopy rail?  I'm still trying to figure out how this ham-fisted, fat-fingered kit murderer is going to deal with that.  Some of us care: we want to see your photies!

 

I've also had to use filler on the three that I've assembled so far, but not huge quantities.  The worst joints I've had to deal with were the ventral centre-section joints and air intakes.

 

Like Adrian I hope things improve for you when you get back to this.

[Rob G]

Adrian, apology accepted. Now don't do it again! (Tongue in cheek, obviously.) Kits is kits, and that's all there is to it. To be honest, I thought that it'd be a better fit, it's actually worse than the 72th Gnat (and not as well detailed). Also, the whole fuselage seemed to be bent in odd places. Never mind, it looks passable now that it's firmly stuck together.

 

Steve, no guarantees of accuracy given. I just used the panel lines as convenient guides, shaved off what didn't seem to belong and called it close enough. I've never seen a JP and I doubt that anyone who knows the difference in the marks will ever see this one! If you like, I can take a better photo from a more educational angle to illustrate what I did, but reference to pix of the real thing should give you the idea. As for the D shaped intake... what D shaped intake? <walks away whistling Dixie...>

[Rob G]

The battle continues...

 

Today, I did some scribing to replace lost panel lines, and fitted the 2 part tail plane and wing sections. I think I've got a duff kit, as more issues have surfaced. That same sinkage at the joins (most noticeable on the tip tanks) and now that the wing is installed, the whole fuselage is distorted; in plan view the tail is definitely at an angle to the wings, and from the front it's twisted somewhere along its length - I can't quite pick where, but it ain't pukka. The odd thing is that there's no gaps to be seen, and I didn't have to force anything to fit.

 

Oh well. Mr Surfacer is curing and work will resume tomorrow.

[Rob G]

Work continues. For a blitz, this is pretty slow. `\_o_/´

 

Seeing as this has ended up being a slow grind, I've taken the oppportunity to practice some modifications to use on another JP build. The elevators have been shown, but I've also modded the canopy (removed the external frame and I'll replace it inside. Somehow.), added some intakes on the engine covers (to be trimmed etc)

 

 

and here's the extended pitot, still to be fitted and fettled.

 

 

Along the way, I've had to replace the tail bumper and the nose intake, but they're my fault, not Airfix's. The tail bumper I'm happy with, the intake... not so much. However it is what it is, and it'll stay the way it is. Photos of all the rest when it's ready for undercoat, hopefully soon.

[Rob G]

DON'T PANIC!! It's all white

 

 

and it will soon be red. Thanks for looking.

[Rob G]

A week on, and we're back. I used the included Humbrol Acrylic #19 to airbrush this little thing, thinning it with Mr Hobby thinners. It mostly worked, except that I didn't thin it quite enough, and it went a bit orange peely - early experiments had found that too much thinner caused to paint to lose density and be slightly transparent, so for the main event I made the mix a bit stiffer; a little too much as it turned out.

 

The model sat for a week and outgassed while I was away at work, and upon my return it was still rough, and slightly sticky. Good old Humbrol acrylics - from now on they'll be assigned to the round file and I'll use real paints. A gentle rub back with 0000 grade steel wool solved most of the orange peel and removed the sticky, and today I laid a light coat of Gunze Sangyo #3 Red over the top - she looks pretty good now (Ignore the messy bench!)

 

 

The paint here is touch dry - my final coat was very dilute, probably 50/50 paint to thinner and sprayed on wet. As you can see, it's left a pretty usable gloss behind. Still a bit pebbly, but it'll do.

 

I'm off again tomorrow for 10 days or so, so this will continue upon my return, and should terminate shortly thereafter - we're on the home stretch now. Hopefully there's still enough time left in the GB!

 

Thanks for looking.

[Rob G]

I'm ever so slowly making ever so slow progress on this. Work commitments kept me away for a while as mentioned above, and they were due to do more of the same until after the end of the GB; until I came home with a dose of pneumonia. After 5 days flat on my back, I managed to drag myself from my deathbed today and do stuff. Stripped the Gunze paint, which somehow managed to get a pile of dust/dirt/dinosaur poop (anything is possible around here) stuck in it while it dried and then cleaned things up and TRIED AGAIN. It looks better now. Decals tomorrow, I hope. Then on with the dangly bits and off with the masking. Must remember to so the satin coat BEFORE I spray the anti-glare panel on...

 

Photos when it happens.

[Rob G]

Right down to the wire... this may be akin to when Prince of Wales was sent out against Bismark, dockyard hands still aboard, wet paint 'n' all.

 

Nowhere near as dramatic or important to the fate of the free world, of course. And somewhat warmer. With no ships. Ok, ignore that first paragraph.

 

Decals.

 

 

(Yes, the CFS title is wonky. It bugs me too, but we'll both have to just man up and get over it.)

 

Once they're dry, I can give it a bath and throw a satin coat on, then mask up for and apply the antiglare panel on the nose. Somewhere in there I'll have to do a panel line wash I suppose, although I'm not keen on the 'fill every groove with mud and polish off' approach; moving parts and removable panels will be washed and I'll stop there I think.

 

Also got the antennae to paint black, bits and bobs to do in silver and the undercart to stick on... will I make it? (Note to self: remove canopy masking before shooting final photos!)

[Grandboof]

Looks stunning in red 

Martin H

[Rob G]

Thanks Martin. Sadly, she's a no show in the gallery, I didn't manage to finish in time. No matter, I'll close it up in the next day or so and at least it'll be finished instead of sitting around. Like oh so many others...

[Rob G]

Well, she's done. Photos tomorrow when the sun's out.

[Rob G]

Calling this one done and drawing the curtain. She's no show pony, but she IS finished.

 

Overall.

 

 

My attempt at the missing intakes.

 

 

The incorrect canopy frame was filed off, then the area was polished and the whole thing dipped in Future. I used a double thickness of black electrical tape to represent the internal frame, stuck in place using its own adhesive, then liberally coated in Future to hopefully prevent it falling off at a later date. We'll see.

 

The Cartograf decals are superb, if very matt. Full marks to Airfix for using a quality specialist supplier there; if only it was a more common thing.

 

I did the steel bit on the rear fuselage with good old Humbrol Metal Cote- I really like the stuff, even if it's 'old technology' compared to what's on the market now. It's reliable, fairly tough, looks good and can be brush painted in a pinch- perfect for the fumble fingered like me.

 

Enough waffle. I have a floaty planey thing to build for that GB.

 

Thanks for looking.