Ghostbase

Thanks Steve, good points. I learnt my airbrushing many years ago with good drenchings of enamel paints, never needed more than one coat, so the conversion to acrylics and multiple lighter coats is still a difficult habit to attain! However right from when I started spraying the paint it was mottling quite badly in several places, I wonder if it was my fingerprints on the very fine primer which caused the problem areas? Also I used Vallejo brand flow improver and thinners, maybe that was an issue? I've not used Mig before and in hindsight a paint mule would have been a good idea 🥴 Michael

And two months later... In fact I did carry out some more work on this build, applying filler and starting the painting with an FS 36231 Dark Gull Grey underside. The filler went well on the wing joins however it was quite poor on the forward nose section of the model. I then airbrushed the Dark Gull Grey using Vallejo Model Air acrylic and I got the mix just right; an almost perfect application! Then I removed the masking tape and it pulled off chunks of the previously applied grey primer off of the bare shiny grey plastic. Argh! The end result looked like this: 20231013_173958 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I sort of gave up at that point, went on holiday, went to work, started a different build (a Revellogram F-14D Tomcat) and didn't return to the F-21 until today. I have been airbrushing the F-14 with almost perfect results so I confidently decided to start on the top sides camoflage pattern. The colours for this build are FS 33531 Middlestone, FS 34102 USAF Medium Green, and FS30219 Tan. I decided to use some of the colours in this old Ammo Mig Jimenez IAF Desert Colors acrylic paint set which I have had in the paint stash for quite a few years now. 20231013_181637 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I noticed that even after a lot of shaking - this paint had a small ball bearing inside so I know it is mixing - the output was noticably thin. I decided to use minimal thinning and set a ratio of 15 parts paint, 1 part flow improver, and 1 part thinner. So, for all intents and purposes nearly neat out of the bottle. I used a medium tip H&S Ultra which has been working perfectly just recently to apply the paint. Ta da! 20231013_180122 by Ghostbase, on Flickr O M G !!! 😱 20231013_180143 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Well, I guess the poor filler join in the nose section isn't quite such a problem now. I have absolutely no idea why it has turned out like this, it is one of the worst pieces of airbrushing that I have done in years. I wonder if it something to do with the budget grey primer that I use however it has worked perfectly on the F-14 that I am also building, absolutely no problems at all. I'm going to go lie down now in a darkened room... Michael

My latest build, the HobbyBoss 1/48th scale F/A-18F Super Hornet built OOB and finished in the markings of F/A-18F BuNo 165796 which was specially painted in "Top Gun" colours to depict Maverick's "Super Bug" in the film Top Gun: Maverick. 20230906_152920 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The F/A-18 Hornet has never been high on my list of aircraft to build however after watching the film Top Gun: Maverick I spotted MJW Models selling the HobbyBoss 1/48th F/A-18F at a good discount so I just had to purchase one. The kit has over 500 pieces, a good selection of weapons, some etch, and has a choice of six different aircraft markings including that for the film. 20230906_152446 by Ghostbase, on Flickr By my standards this was a very complex kit and, to be honest, some of the detail was a bit too much for me. The model builds really well and I only had to use some filler around the nose and the rear fuselage - the fuselage is a top / bottom fit and I just didn't get the fit quite right. I decided to finish the model with the cockpit open and the wings folded for spotting on the carrier deck. It is also posible to open the two forward fuselage avionics bays and also to display the radar which I chose not to do. 20230906_152517 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I used an H&S Ultra airbrush to apply the two shades of grey using Vallejo acrylic colours. The black areas were applied with Humbrol Satin Black acrylic spray from an aerosol can, and then sealed with a coat of Humbrol Satin varnish acrylic, again from an aerosol can. The kit decals went on well though a lot of care had to be taken with the light blue stripes which were very fragile, however they did lay down well. The kit comes with a comprehensive set of stencils, some of which I left off as I was running out of patience! 20230906_152649 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Deciding on the armament was interesting. The Super Hornets used in the film carry a variety of weapons and fuel tanks and this varies from scene to scene (this is my anorak self coming out!) but in the end I used "Hangman's" aircraft from the "This is your saviour speaking" scene. This carried three fuel tanks - one on the belly and two in the inner wing pylons. The centre pylons had GBU-24 Paveway III laser guided bombs and the outer pylons had empty AIM-9X carriers. I added single AIM-9X Sidewinders to the wing tips. I was going to add a single AIM-120D to one of the fuselage pylons (I think "Hangman" had expended one to destroy the Su-57) but the instructions were not clear as to how to mount this so... 20230906_152809 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The detail in the cockpit is good, the instrument panel detail is using decals however for some weird reason there didn't seem to be any for the rear cockpit side consoles. Seatbelts are provided with etch, again I misread the instructions and applied them incorrectly. I have left them as they are. 20230906_152740 by Ghostbase, on Flickr So mixed feelings on this kit. It did challenge me several times and I didn't always meet those challenges as well as I would have liked. However... Top Gun: Maverick was 130 minutes of pure escapism and even better than the original, I absolutely loved it! My - sorry, Maverick's - Super Bug now sits on the display shelf and reminds me of some of the best cinematic scenes that I have ever enjoyed. 😊 Michael PS: Please could someone kit up a Lockheed Darkstar in 1/48th scale. Please?

I visited this afternoon and echo the comments regards the venue, plenty of space and well laid out. It was good to see so many clubs and traders there too. Michael

All the major parts assembled this afternoon, looks like a lot of filling and sanding in the near future. I am reminded how attractive Dassault's delta jet fighter was. Michael 20230810_141844 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

I got started on this build today, starting with the cockpit which I sprayed with Humbrol Acrylic Grey 64 from a rattle can. The cockpit consists of three pieces which sit on the nose gear well; I will add the instrument panel transfers later as well as the ejection seat. 20230809_175315 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I also started on the delta wing section, attaching the two upper wing sections to a main lower section:- 20230809_174404 by Ghostbase, on Flickr As well as the two fuselage halves including the cockpit / nose wheel well section:- 20230809_175800 by Ghostbase, on Flickr It will be interesting to see how the major parts fit together tomorrow. Michael

Speaking of four decades ago do you remember when instruction sheets looked like this? 20230809_145009 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Michael

Back to 1978 and ESCI kit 4007 in 1/48th scale, the I.A.I. Kfir. This kit had several iterations including as an F-21A 'Lion' Aggressor and in 2010 a 'special edition' with a super decal sheet but it has long been eclipsed by more modern offerings by other manufacturers. ESCI was a really significant kit manufacturer for me in my teens, they had an excellent range of 1/76th armour as well as their 1/48th aircraft kits and I put together quite a few of both genres way back then. In more recent years I have built their F-4 Phantom II kits as well as F-104C/G Starfighters however in fifty years I have never made any of Dassault's iconic delta winged jet fighters. This group build gives me the opportunity to put that right! I purchased this for a song on a certain auction site years ago, the box is long gone, however I still have the plastic on three sprues plus transparencies, the instruction sheet, and a decal sheet that might be up to 45 years old! It looks like this:- 20230807_130204 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230807_130328 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I'm hoping for a quick easy build, however you can never tell with these kits from over four decades ago! Michael

Time to get started and that means tackling the replacement eduard Brassin resin ejection seat. Now, this is something that I have been dreading and putting off because quite a few years ago I decided to put a resin cockpit into a 1/48th F-4M Phantom II. It was a complete disaster and and put me off ever since! However, the kit supplied seat really does let this model down so I am going to make a second attempt and hope that the larger scale gives me more latitude. The eduard Brassin C2 ejection seat looks like this OOB: 20230806_161320 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I tackled the ejection rail / seatback first as this looked to be the easiest part to cut from its resin base. One very sharp knife and lots of care and it was freed. Encouraged by that I took a deep breath, put on a covid mask, and started to saw the resin base of the ejection seat. I was surprised how much dust it produced and was glad of the mask. The saw blade dropped through and the seat was also freed. It was cut just a bit too far on one side but I can even that up with a strip of plastic card underneath. There was a choice of alternative seat cushions so effectively I had a spare. Again it sawed well and the cushion turned out more or less level. The results go together into this: 20230806_171352 by Ghostbase, on Flickr And I have to say I am wearing a big smile at the moment!! Now I can get on with the cockpit and find out how well the ejction seat fits. I am going to have to perform some surgery on the fuselage halves to remove those ejection seat fittings. Michael. 20230806_161042 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

At long last I can get started on this build. First, the two main sprues which contain the majority of the parts for this kit:- 20230715_211722 by Ghostbase, on Flickr And the third sprue which contains munitions, fuel tanks, and the alternative tail fin parts for the F-104C and F-104G which can both be built from this kit:- 20230715_211836 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Finally, the Eduard Brassin F-104 C2 ejection seat and Eduard F-104G interior photoetch. 20230715_212207 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The next stage is to get all the parts primed with grey paint and then start detailing the very sparse cockpit. Michael

Interesting that we have no 1/48th Italeri F-4 Phantom II listed yet. The original issue was by ESCI in 1980 and it gets re-released every few years. The most recent iteration was an RF-4E released in 2022. Must resist... 😉 Michael

This is the Vought XF8U-1 Crusader prototype as first flown in March 1955. The kit is the 1973 reissue of the original Lindberg 1/48th scale F8U-1 issued in 1957, it has been built OOB and is believed to be accurate for the XF8U-1 prototype. Markings are not complete, being sourced from the spares box, and therefore are a representation only. 20230709_134331 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230709_134641 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230709_134537 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230709_134602 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Michael

She's completed! 20230708_231602 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Not looking too bad on my dusty wallpaper pasting table which serves as a hobby bench. I think that the red test instrumentation boom really stands out and makes her look very different to the many Crusaders which followed her. Am very pleased to have finished a Group Build. Also to say thanks to Dansk and Dennis for leading this Group Build. Also muchly to Ol' Scrapiron (Steve) for posting the photos of the XF8U-1 at the Museum of Flight in the reference section which were very helpful. Michael

Thanks Rich, that is exactly the sort of advice I was looking for 👍. I did try a full resin cockpit on a build a while back and it didn't go well! I have opted for some Eduard PE as well as an Eduard Brassin C2 ejection seat. The PE is for the F-104G but I can live with that as the aircraft can only be built with the canopy closed. Once they arrive I can get started on this build. Michael

Back in the late 1970's when I was a teenager the new ESCI 1/48th scale aircraft kits were my inspiration including the F-100D Super Sabre and the F-104G Starfighter. In more recent years I have built several of these old kits using an airbrush and more modern decal sets and it is still possible to achieve a decent result. Here are a few:- Starting with the Italeri 1/48 F-4S Phantom II which was released in 1990 but originated from an RF-4C which was first released in 1980. These were also released in the USA under the Testors brand. The last time this kit was released was in 2001 as a Testors F-4G/F. IMGP4297 by Ghostbase, on Flickr A true ESCI original from 1979 was this 1/48 F-86E Sabre which I built as a Spanish F-86F using the original decals from the kit! 20200123_195532 (2) by Ghostbase, on Flickr Back in 1984 Italeri released a kit in 1/72 scale which previously I could only dream of - the incredible Convair B-58A Hustler! I built both the B-58A and TB-58A models in the early 90's and the TB-58A still survives today in one of my display cabinets. TB-58A Four by Ghostbase, on Flickr Also in 1/72nd scale was the 1985 Italeri issue of the Martin B-57B Canberra. This was another pleasant build using the original kit decals. IMGP4087size by Ghostbase, on Flickr Back to 1/48th scale and the Vought F-8E Crusader which was first released by ESCI in 1978 and only lasted until 1983. It is a very basic kit however it scrubs up well and was a recent fun build, again using the original kit decals. IMGP4273 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I don't remember which kit version this 1/48th F-4J Phantom II was derived from however the base kit was released by ESCI in 1980 and the current Italeri F-4 offerings are direct descendants of those moulds. In my opinion with recessed panel lines they were better than the then current Revell offering, this build was made using a decal set which I had in the stash. Look carefully at the canopy parts, thy don't quite fit and that is the mark of the ESCI Phantom! IMGP1360large by Ghostbase, on Flickr ESCI also released a very early Block 1 F-16A in 1/48th scale in 1977, it had several decal options including a Belgian aircraft in S.E.A. camouflage! This kit popped up from time to time in various guises until an AMT release in 2013. I built the AMT/ERTL offering of 2002 as a YF-16 prototype using the decals from an equally ancient Tamiya kit. AMTF-16Aone by Ghostbase, on Flickr Another ESCI F-4 Phantom in 1/48th scale, this time the F-4C/D kit which I completed as an early F-4C based at RAF Bentwaters in the mid 1960's. I used a complete Hasegawa cockpit plus seats which worked well, also this my first attempt at using a wash to bring out the panel lines. F-4C0432 by Ghostbase, on Flickr And my most recent ESCI build from last year, this was the 1/48th F-104C Starfighter which was first released in 1978. 20220827_155338 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I still have a few old ESCI and Italeri kits in the stash, every now and then I build one when I need a 'reset' and return to those heady days in the late 70's when the scale modelling world was truly my oyster. Michael

I was hoping that you would build 'EG-X' because my father flew her on sixteen occasions from 1946 to 1947. I just checked his Flying Log Book which is signed off in several places by Robert E. Mooney F/Lt O.C. 'B' Flt and counter-signed by Dennis C. Usher S/Ldr DFC DFM O.C. '16' Sqn. I think F/Lt Mooney took over from S/Ldr Usher after my father left. The box art scheme is good too, I admit I am just a bit biased 😇 I do have this kit in the stash; it gets taken out from time to time, it gets looked at, it is then quietly returned to the stash. I'm going to do it 'one day'. Honestly. Michael

Hoping to get this build started in a couple of weeks however I am asking for advice regards detailing the cockpit, namely the ejection seat and console details, so I can get them ordered and in the post. I have been looking in the 'Big H' for a Lockheed C2 ejection seat and there appear to be two choices. One is the Aires resin detailing set AIRE2201 for the whole cockpit designed for the fairly recent Italeri kit, at £21.70 it is maybe a bit above budget however I think it would be all that is needed. Will it fit the old Revell kit? I think it would be worth a try. Alternatively Eduard Brassin ED632047 does a C2 ejection seat on its own which looks good and appeals to the frugal me 😉 If I purchased the Aires resin detailing set would I need any further detailing for the instrument panel and side consoles? The model will be made with a closed canopy because that is the only option for the Revell kit. If I purchased the Eduard Brassin C2 seat then I think I would need to detail the instrument panel and side consoles however the choice is confusing. Eduard etched detailing sets? Kits-World 3D printed panels? Red Fox 3D acrylic instruments? I have used etch before but not the newer offerings. A third alternative is that I have the Italeri 1/32 Lockheed F-104G Starfighter RF Upgraded Edition in the stash and that I purchase the Aires resin detailing set for that kit, then cascade the Italeri kit components for the Revell build. That way I get a better quality cockpit for both models 🙂 I did build the Revell F-104G kit OOB earlier this year, a couple of photos below illustrate how basic the cockpit is. Any thoughts or guidance appreciated. TIA Michael. 20230509_124850 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230509_124813 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

Still motivated 🙂 Have finally got all the major parts together for the first time although the wings and tailplanes remain uncemented, as does the complete rear fuselage which includes a jet turbine. For the first time she is looking like a beautiful 1950's era sleek silver jet prototype. Today's challenge was completing the decals. I don't have the facilities or skills to completely reproduce the XF8U-1 decals however I am happy that the red and white arrow markings on the forward fuselage are a 'suggestion' of those worn by the XF8U-1 and I am going to complete the model in that mindset. I have done some more painting around the nose area, specifically the white panels as shown in the reference section, that didn't go too well so I have improvised a bit. 20230618_224547 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Hoping to have her finished tomorrow. I need to paint the tyres (tires) and cement them on. I need to attach and cement the wings properly. Add ejection seat, canopy frame and canopy as well as the windshield. Also hand paint the nose cone end red and add a test instrumentation boom. Fingers crossed! Michael

With just a week to go am very motivated today. Have painted the black area around the nose as well as the red surround to the jet intake. Still have some colours to add. Have found suitable 'Navy' and U.S. insignia in the spare decals box and added these to the model. Have now started adding the red lines outlined in white to the vertical tail fin as well as the forward fuselage. Must concentrate! Michael 20230617_174041 by Ghostbase, on Flickrdecals

So five weeks speedily slips past owing to work and holidays... Back at the mancave, I have continued today with the Lindberg XF8U-1 with all the major parts now painted as follows: 20230615_172317 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Wings, tail fin and planes and top fuselage finished in Halfords automotive Aluminium (rattlecan). Lower main body fuselage in Humbrol acrylic Silver 11 (rattlecan). Rear fuselage Vallejo Metallic Air Steel (airbrush). Jet turbine (front) Vallejo Metallic Air Silver RLM01 (airbrush). Jet exhaust Humbrol acrylic Gunmetal 53 (rattlecan). I'm pleased with the subtle metallic shades - probably too subtle for the photo - and I can now start working on detail painting as well as start thinking about how to apply some decals. Michael

Arrived back from Los Angeles end last week clutching these two kits... 20230611_155346 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The first is a Scale Craft boxing of the 1980's ESCI era FIAT G-91 in 'Frecci Tricolori' markings, I got it for $4.95 at the U.S.Navy Armament Museum near NAS China Lake at Ridgecrest, CA. Remarkably it is still sealed in the original shrink wrap and I am guessing that it was a donated kit. Not complaining at £6! The second is one of the Atlantis re-issues of 1950's era classic kits. This is of the B-52 plus X-15 which I understand was a very early issue by Revell in 1/175 scale. It isn't available that I know of in the UK so that was a well-spent $19.95 in Hobby Lobby in Hawthorne, L.A. As an aside, Hobby Lobby seems to be more active now regards scale modelling with a range of airbrushes and compressors, Vallejo acrylic paints, as well as a very large range of automobile kits. Michael

A little bit more work on this XF8U-1, I have joined the two main fuselage sections. I started with cementing the 'instrument panel' (in reality the entire cockpit detail) and then the nose undercarriage assembly. The main gear assembly also has to be started at this stage with two landing gear retainers on each side as well as the landing gear struts. There are no wheel wells as such. 20230510_171614 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The two fuselage halves fitted together fairly well however some filler is clearly needed. 20230510_173632 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Michael

This is the Revell 1/32nd scale Lockheed F-104G Starfighter completed in the short-lived West German 'Norm 83' camouflage scheme. She was operated by JBG-34 out of Memmingen in 1985. 20230509_124522 by Ghostbase, on Flickr This kit dates back to 1980 however this version was from the 1999 released "Ferrari" boxing which meant that all the plastic was bright red! The kit itself is very straightforward with around 80 pieces, I built it out-of-the-box and in general it went together well although there are a few catches to be careful of. 20230509_124557 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Painting was via a H&S Ultra airbrush using Vallejo 'Model Color' acrylic paints and the whole model was finished with Humbrol acrylic satin varnish. Decals were from the Revell 'Bavaria' version of this kit and were basic but applied reasonably well. 20230509_125011 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Mistakes? Well... 😉 The tailplane is slightly awry (it is loose fitted), the nose wheel is slightly wonky (let the cement dry first is a good rule), the dorsal dialectric panel is slightly mis-shaped, and there are a couple of small paint bleeds on the canopy! 20230509_124703 by Ghostbase, on Flickr However, I really enjoyed painting this model and it was very satisfying when I applied the satin varnish. It did look good 🙂 20230509_124946 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The cockpit really does cry out for a resin ejection seat and panel details. 20230509_124813 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230509_124850 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I have committed to building an F-104C model out of this kit in the soon to start 'Go Large or Go Home' group build and I hope to be adding more detail. Michael

Just thinking out loud, I would like to replace the kit ejection seat as well as add more detail to the cockpit. I am very familiar with this kit as I am building one as a late WGAF F-104G at the moment and the ejection seat looks like this: 20230507_140737 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I need to do my research but I think that the F-104C Starfighters that were based at Udorn AB in 1966/67 still had the Lockheed C2 ejection seat. If that is the case then Eduard does a Brassin resin seat scaled for the Italeri kit and hopefully that could be adapted to this very straightforward kit. Regards cockpit detail there are several 3D printed decals which might be useful however they cost more than the original kit which I obtained on a well-known auction site many years ago! Michael

My entry for this GB will be the 1980 vintage 1/32nd Revell Lockheed F-104 Starfighter kit which can be built as an F-104C or an F-104G. It will be painted in SEA camouflage as an F-104C model based at Udorn AB, Vietnam, in 1967. Decals will be the Caracal Models sheet CD32022 'F-104 in Vietnam'. 20230507_140331 by Ghostbase, on Flickr 20230507_140448 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I have been wanting to build this kit for a long time and this GB is the perfect opportunity to get it started. I won't be starting until mid June however the November finish date means that I might even achieve a GB completion! Michael