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Mojo-building build - 1/72 Italeri A6E Intruder


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After all the time and effort I put into my last build (see WIP here: 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235022860-old-dog-new-tricks-part-deux-172-trumpeter-f-105d-thunderchief/ )

I feel a need to replenish my modeling juices with something relatively quick and simple. I let my gf select a kit from my stash and this is what she pulled out:

 

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My last build took two months, I'm shooting for more like two weeks on this one! This is going to be pretty much out-of-the box, my only nod to aftermarket is a set of Aires ejection seats.

 

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The Italeri Intruder kit is pretty basic with tolerably good detail and engraved panel lines. It's most distinguishing feature is the 'option' to build with wings in the folded position. However, one of the first things I noted is that, with the wings deployed for flight, there is a horrible gap at the fold line that I doubt any amount of putty will make look right.

 

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The kit also includes turbine fans and exhausts for the engines, however, no ducting is provided so looking down the inlets is pretty ugly.

 

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The fuselage consists of ten parts (three for the belly pan alone!). The fit is inconsistent... in some places the fit is nearly perfect, others leave a number of gaps and seams to be filled.

 

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Another fit problem concerns the instrument panel. It is a hair too wide for the fuselage, and must be trimmed down so that the fuselage can be closed.

 

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Time to break out the putty and sanding sticks. Updates to follow...

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by billn53
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Current status on this 'quick' build: The kit is masked, primed, and ready to paint.

 

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This aircraft will be a US Marine Corp's Intruder done up in low-visibility, two-tone ghost gray. I want to duplicate the faded / splotchy appearance so typical of Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, and thought I'd try the salt weathering technique explained so well here:

 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/57027-salt-weathering-techniques/

 

As recommended in the tutorial, I will be using enamel paints (Model Master), and since my local shop is sold out of the colors I need, I ordered a set of appropriate colors off the web.They should arrive in a couple of days. Meanwhile, I've been practicing the salt weathering method using Mr Color acrylics and a throw-away kit from my stash. Here's my first attempt (don't laugh too loud):

 

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That might be good for a piece of old farm machinery, but not exactly what I'm looking for! Here are some of the errors I believe I made:

 

     - Salt crystals were too large (straight up rock salt, not run through the grinder)

     - Color contrast between before & after salt coats is too great

     - Added a clay wash at the end, which highlighted the edges between the two color coats

 

My second try. Better, but still room for improvement:

 

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     - A little more contrast needed?

    - Instead of the clay wash, I applied a neutral gray filter. Not exactly neutral, as it gave everything a slight brown tint. This might be good anyway...

 

So there you have it. I'm still learning new tricks, and that's okay! Comments and suggestions are always most welcome.

Edited by billn53
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4 minutes ago, billn53 said:

     - Salt crystals were too large (straight up rock salt, not run through the grinder)

 

Nice job so far. 

I suggest avoiding the smallest crystals (i.e. the powder), since it can be difficult to remove from the surface, which causes a "sandpaper" looking surface on the finished model in "salted" areas.

 

Regards,

Aleksandar

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If you followed my previous build, you'll realize I'm going at a much more relaxed pace with this one. Translation: Progress is Slow ;-)

 

Here's where things presently stand:

 

Finished off the landing gear. They were painted with Tamiya white surface primer from a rattlecan, with gloss added by a handbrushing of Pledge Future. Lightly detailed with a gray wash and added wiring.

 

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Completed the cockpit, masked the canopy, and glued it in place. Before masking I tried my hand at polishing the clear canopy, then dipped it in Future.

 

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I've come to like this product for gluing canopies. It dries clear and doesn't attack the plastic like CA can. It also comes with a super-fine-tip applicator.

 

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I then proceeded with pre-shading. I am going to use this build to learn weathering of modern US Navy jets. I've been watching a bunch of videos on YouTube and other sources (e.g., the Genessis Models website). I'm obviously not as practiced as the pros, as you can tell from the pic below:

 

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I've retired my trusty old Paasche H airbrush and moved on to the Badger 155 Anthem, which being a double-action airbrush is new to me. So far, it works great at times and other times gives me fits. Here's some examples of my problems:

 

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I don't know if my paint is too thin, my air pressure to high/low, or just bad technique. Any tips to help me along would be greatly appreciated!

 

In any case, I pressed on with my first true color coat, ModelMaster Light Ghost Gray enamel. This, at least, went on fine!

 

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(And, no, I didn't completely paint over my preshading. It's just that my camera didn't pick up the subtle tonal differences present).

 

Next I'll do the dark ghost gray, and then begin weathering in earnest!

 

 

 

Edited by billn53
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Masked the undersides and sprayed the upper surfaces with Dark Ghost Gray upper.

 

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Tried to not go too far so as to not cover up the preshading. I believe I succeeded.

 

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The two shades of Ghost Gray are almost indistinguishable. The difference is best seen on the radome. Going to need a bit of light sanding here.

 

37178660915_aa95aa59ee_z.jpg by 

 

Then began the weathering process, consisting of more or less random blotches in varying shades of gray, ranging from near-white to almost black. In this, I am following the technique shown on the Genessis Models website's 1/48 F-14 Tomcat build. I'm not nearly as good at airbrushing as the pros in the video, but I'm still happy with the results so far. I masked the radome because photos indicate it is much less susceptible to wear than the rest of the airframe.

 

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I'm pretty much burned out tonight for any more airbrushing, so I think I'll watch some more videos to see what I'm going to be doing next ;-)

Edited by billn53
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Here's my weekend update. All of the various grays have been 'splotched' on to simulate weathering & bleaching, and covered with glosscoat (Future) in prep for the salt technique. After that will follow decaling, pinwash, and detail weathering.

 

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Photos taken under the fluorescent lighting in my workroom are deceptive... Here are some better ones taken in natural sunlight:

 

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Finally, Halloween is coming up next month and I'm thinking of getting something to put outside the house. What do you think about this?

 

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;-)

Edited by billn53
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Hello Bill !

That will look great ! What about the fluorescents pink Floyd ??

Also nice and attractive !  But I think the T Rex will do the job !:dinosaur:

Nice job on the A-6, can't wait to see the salt working on this.

Congratulations !

Corsaircorp

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It's getting close to the end for this build. Finished the salt weathering (very subtle) and pin wash, got the decals added, and have been practicing weathering with oils. Let's jump right to the pics!

 

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It's time to start working on armament for this bird. I'm thinking a full load of Mk82's... Stay tuned.

 

Same bat time, same bat channel!

Edited by billn53
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I've had only a few moments here and there to work on my Intruder, but now I'm finally finished. Look for a RFI soon. In the meantime, here are a few pics of the final product:

 

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Notice the not-quite-authentic markings on this aircraft. At the beginning of this build, I mentioned that my gf picked this kit out of my stash as my next project. She also asked me to add something personal to it. Thus the "Little Rascal" custom decal. Rascal is the name of her dog and has totally earned her moniker!

 

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Thus completes my third build since returning to the hobby after a long absence. I'm undecided about my next project, but am thinking maybe a Blackbird is in my future...

Edited by billn53
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