[Avia S-199 "Mezek" [Eduard 1/72]]

Awesome modelling, looks really nice.

[Airfix MGB 1-32.]

I've given up on this kit twice. I've still got all the bits somewhere, though. You've made it look great, though.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Thanks @Sam! 😀

 

 

This is where I started earlier this evening. She looks so good in black, I was tempted to stop here. I've got the Airfix "Black Mike" Phantom in the stash - I wonder if the Armée de l'air ever had a "Michel Noir"?

 

So much for idle daydreams, she now looks like this:

 

 

and

 

 

Looks better in the flesh, honest. Y'see, the last time I did a metallic finish (on the PM Model Twin-Beech), I did a base of aluminium and then sprayed a few random panels in a slightly darkened or lightened shade of the same. This worked quite well - apart from having to fix lots of overspray. I basically did that paint job twice. So the big idea here, is to spray some panels, mask them off, and then spray some other shades, masking as I go. Let's see if that ends up being more, or less work.  It'll certainly be easier to redo any areas that need fixing.

 

The scheme I'm doing has colourful red & blue wing-tips, so perhaps I should have done these first, as they'd be better laid over a light colour. But I was so keen to start spraying the Shiney-Shiney... BTW, for anyone interested, Tamiya acrylic metallics are probably grainier than Humbrol enamels, but spray and clean up more easily. Which ain't saying much...

 

Thanks for looking - and do tune in again later this week, when I hope to present you with some near identical photos,but in a slightly different shade of aluminium.

 

 

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Interesting comments. As I was passing the model shop on Wednesday, I was able to grab a couple of Tamiya metallic acrylics. so will go with these. Easy to use and available quickly, there's only about a month to go on this GB (and this has forced probably one of my fastest ever adult builds!).  But thanks to everyone who's posted ideas & recommendations. Gunze seem to get a lot of love, and so might get some of these these next time around.
Since last time, I've knocked back the bobbly primer coat (I was spraying it at too high a pressure, I think). I've refilled, and resanded and re-primed a couple of places. It's not a perfect finish, but it'll do for me. (And gosh, but these big scales soak up big volumes of materials, don't they?)

Canopy is temporarily held in place with PVA. The fit seems poor here, but as I'll be posing the canopy open, this needn't matter.

 

Today has been mainly black-basing. I've gone through a lot of Tamiya X-1:

 

Again, not perfect (I can see I forgot to do the undersides of those bits on the fin), but solid enough to give a nice base to the metalics, I suppse. Like the canopy, the nose-wheel doors are held in place with PVA. Sections of the drop tanks look either solid black or hardly painted, depending on the angle the light is hitting them. I'm hoping this might potentially give some interesting tonal variations.

 

Assuming this all cures ok, "proper" painting will start this week. This is the fun/really annoying part [delete as applicable, subject to results]

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

1 hour ago, Biggles87 said:

I’m a big fan of AK Interactive Xtreme Metal

Thanks John - that's another brand I'd have to mail order, but will bear it in mind, have heard good things about it.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

1 minute ago, The Spadgent said:

I can recommend the Vallejo metal colour range. Really good.

Cheers, I'd have to order those online, but certainly an option if I don't physically get to the shop on Wednesday.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

10 minutes ago, John Laidlaw said:

There's some lovely work going on here!

Thank you!

 

10 minutes ago, John Laidlaw said:

With regard to metallics, consider Gunze Super Metallics. I am neither cool, nor a kid, but have found them easy to spray, very fine-grained, and as hard as nails when cured. You can also tint them with Gunze lacquers or Tamiya acrylics.

If you are posting here, you are automatically cool! 😎 I've been tempted to try out Gunze, since I read this post:

Would I need to buy Gunze thinners as well?

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Right, primer. This took longer than I expected.

I used to prime with Tamiya rattle cans, but they're expensive and get used up so fast. And they offer no control, and so have to be used outside. Which ain't great if you mainly model in the evenings. So I'm using the little bottles of Tamiya surface primer, mixed 40/60 with Tamiya lacquer thinners, through my 0.3mm airbrush (also Tamiya! It's all working together nicely so far). And this is a BIG kit, so it's taking a while. The coverage below took me a whole evening, what with mixing up 2-3 cupfuls of primer mix, and setting up the portable spray booth & extractor fan.

(I don't usually bother if it's just a wee squirt of acrylic, but lacquers are more toxic, and will get everywhere if you give them a chance. I always, always wear a "Breaking Bad" style respirator though).

Oh, and clean-up can take a while.

 

The

 

So I'm priming in sections, and fixing things as I go. The rear fuselage needed refilling and rescribing, and there's plenty of trapped dust that needs a gentle sanding. Sometimes I think this house is made of dust.

 

This was taken before sanding. I forget to take any "after" pics, but I did take a pic of my favourite scribing tool:

Does anyone know what this is?? It just seemed to turn up in the family toolbox one day. I think it might be a thing for cutting ceramic tiles, as it may have been left behind by the guy who tiled our bathroom a few years ago. It works really well for putting a line on plastic or filler.

 

I've since primed the underside and the fuel tanks. I predict another session of remedial sanding & priming, and then maybe a gloss black-base before I go for the NMF.

 

What paints to use for this? I have various Humbrol enamel metallics, but these are horrid to spray. I might be able to pop into my preferred model shop when I'm in town during the week, so maybe I can buy some better paints. Probably Tamiya, as they're a known quantity, although I note that the cool kids seem to be using Gunze these days. Hmm.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

On 4/5/2023 at 9:38 PM, Biggles87 said:

That’s a great idea with the sponge.

Thanks!

 

On 4/5/2023 at 11:01 PM, Rabbit Leader said:

Lots of work going on here and I do say, I think you’re being way too honest within this thread. I’d say most of us have these little niggles and issues with every build - we just keep things to ourselves. Having saying that, it’s nice to get a ‘warts and all’ approach so that others can learn from your experiences. She’s coming along better than you think. 

Noted, thanks. I'm warts all the way down....

 

On 4/6/2023 at 10:13 PM, The Spadgent said:

What happened to the black paint Mr Rush?

I'm more Mr. Messy. I think it'll be basically invisible unless you really, really go looking for it, likewith a torch and a mirror.

 

Thanks for all the comments. Tail will stay skew-wiff, it's a lovely fit compared to:

This didn't fit at all, and needed a lot of putty to cover up all the stretched sprue I melted into the seam. Seems to have turned out ok after an evening of sanding & scribing. Looks better here than in the flesh.

Started on the dangly bits, which went together without drama. Revell generously give you plenty of weapons, but I plan to add just the big fuel tanks, as on the box art.

 

 

Masking canopies in 1/72 can feel like a punishment. Masking my first canopy in 1/32 was a pleasure.

 

 

Looks like we're about ready for primer. As soon as she's had a gentle scrub with an old toothbrush and some Fairy liquid.

 

 

 

 

[What's your latest acquisition? MkVIII]

I'd wanted this before it even existed, and had been steeling myself for a hefty customs fee for import from the UK. But I was delighted to find it on sale in the Czech Republic. At a fair price, too:

 

Thank you, MN Models of Prostějov.

I was then equally surprised to find this book on sale locally as well - it kept me entertained over the long weekend:

 

(It seems like ages since I bought a real, paper book, as opposed to an e-book or an audiobook. New books smell great, don't they?)

[Aftermarket - Am I the only stupid out there ?]

On 4/6/2023 at 10:06 PM, bootneck said:

I've collected aftermarket that I haven't even got kits for!

Wouldn't that make it premarket?

[“Dassault on Precinct 13” Italeri Mirage 1/32]

What an awesome save - though I'll be reading the rest of this thread from behind the sofa!

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Looks like it worked!

 

 

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

On 4/3/2023 at 12:18 AM, The Spadgent said:

“nothing”

Yep - and I had to do a whole lot of whittling to even get a decent butt-fit.

On 4/3/2023 at 12:18 AM, The Spadgent said:

I guess you could pack underneath with plasticard or similar

Yeah, though it's a tricky shape to fill, no real room to work in... and also a chance of overdoing it and splitting the whole thing open. ("This is going well, just one more piece for luck...") I've just spent a week sanding and filling and I don't fancy that possibility. So I have formented a cunning plan...

 

Enter the Mk.I washing up sponge (looking very 80's here). The idea is that - following some sensitive and delicate butchering - I can squeeze a chunk of it into place with the big tweezers, and upon release it'll expand. It should then stay in place without glue; and - I hope - exert a sufficient, yet gentle pressure to hold up the jet pipe. I might even spray it black first in order to hide it better.

 

That's the plan, anyway. We shall see.

 

But first - grr!

 

 

The fin is a bit skew-wiff. This is possibly due to localised high winds. Or the result of slight fuselage warping, compounded by fitting the thing at 1am after a couple of beers.

It was probably high wind - I did scarf down all the left over veg curry the other night.

Do I remove it and try to refit? Or just leave it and hope no-one else notices? Ok, agreed - best not tell anyone about it, then.

 

So I'm off to cut myself a slice of sponge - will report back later.

On 4/3/2023 at 12:18 AM, The Spadgent said:

Elevons are looking good

Thanks, at least something's working out on this build 😆

 

 

 

 

 

 

[“Dassault on Precinct 13” Italeri Mirage 1/32]

On 4/2/2023 at 11:40 PM, The Spadgent said:

The thinner of the two locating pins. (The one at the rear) I sliced off to allow the front pin and the main square peg to locate. This actually worked better than expected. 

This is how I plan to do nice, good to see that it works.

This is a really awesome build, can't wait to see it finished.

[Airfix Lightning 1/48 F2A/F6 Marking options question]

I can't help you with your question, but - nice builds!

[75 Sqn RAAF Mirage IIIO - NMF(Hopefully)]

Yes, very interesting technique. I want to do more NMF stuff, but I've been struggling with airbrushing metalic colours. And they're tricky to clean up as well. I might have to get some of the Gunze metalics and have a go with them.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

I had a late night last night. Whilst supping my pint, I thought I'd just do a quick experimental dry fit, and the next thing I know it's an hour later, and I was smearing PPP around the tailfin:

Forgot to take photos at the time (it was late!), so this pic is from this evening, when I'd already added the elevons/wibbly wobbly bits to the back of the wing.

That big pitot on the fin is sharp and keeps catching on everything. I'll have to be careful not to snap it off.

 

I've also assembled the very end of the fuselage. This is going to need some putty & sanding. And it presents me with an interesting problem:

 

 

The huge engine is drooping inside the fuselage, and fouls the bit that goes around the end of the jet pipe (is there a formal name for this?). I'm not sure how to fix this beyond copious clamping, finger-crossing and hoping nobody looks too closely. The actual end of the jet pipe isn't fitted yet - it needs some paint touch-ups. This should be a nice little job suitable for a short weeknight session.

Mental note to self - get the jet pipe finished before glueing anything else on at this end.

 

That'll have to be all for now, as it seems I'm not allowed to write anymore.

 

 

 

 

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Thanks for the kind words, Johnny.

 

3 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Are you adding the UC afterward

Yep, in bold defiance of the daft sequence in the instructions. This will likely mean trimming off one of the lugs that's supposed to fit between the two halves of the gear bay - but I hope I can overcome this issue through my usual blend of swearing, prayer, and glue applied with a broom.

 

3 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

tell me you added a bunch of weight to that thar nose cone?

 

No! 'Cause there's already loads under & around  the cockpit - the recommended 30g, plus whatever else fitted. I hope it was enough extra to compensate for moving the COG slightly backwards, a point that has only just occurred to me... 🤔

 

Unexciting update follows:

 

 

Here we are. The filler is sanded back, and I'm calling this stage done - but we'll see how it looks under a coat of primer. Those gaps, I am not great at aligning things... Since I took this photo, I've filled in a few pits in the filler with tippex that I allowed to mostly dry and then smoothed over with a cotton bud dipped in a little acetone. Seems to have worked out ok. That join at bottom right has had 2 or 3 rounds of this, and will probably get another one before I go to bed. I should've used more filler here probably, but I wanted to crack on. Filling and sanding is relatively boring, and I've got better things to do on a Saturday night, like, um... Anyway, the Bigger panel lines have now been scribed back in. I was going to replace the missing riveting detail - but then I realised I would either end up rushing it, which would make it look rubbish; or that it would take a whole day and leave me with a nervous tic like Chief Inspector Dreyfus in the Pink Panther Movies.

 

Instead, I think I'll kick back with a pint for a few minutes.

Thanks for looking. Tomorrow: putting things on top of other things!

 

[Mirage 2000-5F EC 1/2 Cigognes - finished, phew!]

Decent indeed, it looks like a Mirage to me!

 

4 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

small but noticeable misalignment

This is my bugbear on most kits, and probably why I'm slathering so much putty onto my Revell Mirage. (I guess bigger scales mean bigger gaps?). Alignment is something I often get wrong no matter how careful I think I'm being. (Although not doing any real assembly after having more than one glass of wine certainly helps!)

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Thanks Dave. It's been another busy week, but I got to do a little more sanding, scribing and putty-slapping last night. I'll post a proper update later.

Cheers from another Dave

[“Dassault on Precinct 13” Italeri Mirage 1/32]

Lovely update, that ordinance is going to look awesome.
Come for the modelling, stay for the food, this also looks a bit good:

 

On 3/27/2023 at 12:35 AM, The Spadgent said:

 

 

 

 

 

I'm trying to lose weight, and these updates make me hungry. (But please let us all know if you ever start a cooking thread).

 

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

Sometimes it's just one damn thing after another, isn't it? Sorry to leave you all hanging. Now where was I? Big, pic-heavy update incoming.

 

I did't get round to posting it at the time, but about 3 weeks ago, I did get her closed up...

 

...and I spent a happily mindless hour rotating the wheels around a well used scalpel blade:

 

 

...and developed significant forearm strength working on the delicate details:

 

Those tabs inside the jetpipe did not come off without a struggle!

 

On 3/5/2023 at 1:16 PM, The Spadgent said:

that step on the intakes it’s a real pain to Jimmy into shape

 

You're not kidding!

 

They're far from perfect, but after about 2 hours of grappling with them I decided to fill, sand back fairly agressively, and (maybe) rescribe the lost detail. You might also notice that the black & yellow ejector seat handle has (inevitably!) snapped off. But I maneged to retrieve it, and am pretty sure I can stick it back later.

 

Not only is the fit of the intakes absolutely minging (techincal term), but it wasn't until the glue had cured that I noticed that I hadn't painted them completely.  Grr!

 

 

I will point an airbrush at it and hope for the best. Back up plan is to fashion FOD covers.

 

It's probably my mistake more than the kit's, but this one is taking up a lot of filler. Here's a picture of the masking, as it looks nicer than the filling:

 

 

You can now just about discern that there's an aeroplane shape underneath all that filler:

 

... and I managed to spill acetone on it as well. But at least it's together now. I have a feeling that this one is going to soak up putty like a sponge, and that nose cone needs some remedial work. I've just ordered a scribing template, and a load of sandpaper - there's a chance this one's going to be closer to 1/72 size by the time I'm done with it.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

2 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Good job on the fin pitot, I noticed that @The Spadgent‘s build doesn’t have one, does it come as an optional part?

 

Thanks! Yes, it's an optional part in mine, and looks like it was added as an afterthought. We're doing the same kit, but different boxings and versions - he's doing the original Italeri IIIC, I'm doing a  Revell IIIE repop.

[Go big or go home: Revell 1:32 Mirage III]

So, time to update. It's still not closed up, but some progress, mostly fiddly...

 

 

Some surgery needed to add a pitot (?) to the leading edge of the fin. In hindsight I should've cut more roughly and done more fine tuning with a file, as iit needed some filling with PPP, and then some more PPP, and then after about 3 rounds of this and some Mr Dissolved Putty to fill the gaps until I got to here:

 

 

I'll see how it looks under a squirt of primer before deciding if it needs more tidying and/or rescribing, as resinstating that panel line risks completely losing those rivits, which'll then have to be reinstated, and I don't know if I can be bothered.

 

More excitingly:

 

Trunking is installed, and the top halves of the fuselage are together. I wasn't happy with the fit at the rear, and had to split it open and  redo. It's slightly better now, but probably port fuselage side of this model is slightly warped. (I know the modeller is).

 

The fit of the engine was vague as a vague thing, and it look a lot of whittling before I was confident of getting any kind of fit here. It's held in place with lashings of sprueglue, as inspired by @The Spadgent

 

Probably not the last time I will steal his ideas during this build. If you like Mirages, do check out his excellent thread.

 

Cockpit is installed, supported by yet more sprueglue, and further supported by loads and loads and loads and loads and loads of PVA which is holding 20g of fishing weights in place. So far, at least.

 

 

Since taking these pics, I've also shaved a few seams, glued a few subassemblies..  and then:

 

 

Slapped a load of Tamiya basic putty on the fuselage seam last night, as I just wasn't happy with it. This'll need quite a sanding obviously but luckily there are very few fuselage seams to worry about, so I'm about to have at it. Got the house to myself this afternoon, so might post more later.