Ghostbase

Another deadline missed 😥 I am not sure where I am going with this build, I started it in a great rush of enthusiasm in the Less Than a Tenner GB, cut too many corners, fudged the decals which are now starting to peel off in places... need I say more? Going into deep store I think... I do have the Revell 2006 boxing of the Kinetic F-84F in the stash with West German markings, now that does look good 😎 Michael

Sadly this Feline didn't quite make the deadline however I am so close to a finish, maybe just an afternoon's work left to do. I have had Covid the last nine days and that hasn't helped my motivation levels either! Big Thanks 👍 to KUTA 2021 and the people running it for getting me to face up to this kit and nearly get it finished. Cheers! Michael

Thanks, that is great advice 👍 I did try hard to get the canopy masking right, clearly need to keep working on that! Michael

My first completed build this year, the 1/48th HobbyBoss TA-7C Corsair II as converted to the EA-7L "Electric Horsemen" flown by VAQ-34 "Flashbacks" who were a Tactical Electronic Warfare Squadron of the U.S. Navy. It was established on 1 March 1983 at the Pacific Missile Test Center, Point Mugu, California, under the Fleet Electronic Warfare Support Group. The squadron was formed to provide realistic training for ship crews to counter Soviet electronic and cruise-missile threats and, along with a fascinating assortment of A-3 Skywarriors, they operated six EA-7L Corsairs (or "Twosairs") until 1991 when VAQ-34 was disestablished. In her later years the EA-7L was well known for being well weathered, maybe 'grubby', as a result of their operating in a harsh maritime environment and I wanted to catch that look in this build. 20220305_153722 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Starting with the kit, this is the 1/48th HobbyBoss TA-7C Corsair II. It is a straightforward kit which goes together well, requires very little filler, does have some shape issues around the jet air intake and fuel drop tanks (which I can live with), has a reasonable weapons sprue, and quite finely detailed panel lines. 20220305_153704 by Ghosbase, on Flickr For some reason I seem to have built the kit lop-sided, not sure the wing should drop that much! I air brushed her almost entirely FS36320 Dark Ghost Gray using Vallejo 'Model Air' acrylic paints which went on perfectly. 20220305_154039 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Decals were from the Caracal Models CD48180 A-7 TA-7C / EA-7L "Twosairs" decal sheet. As always, excellent quality decals, went on no fuss at all. 20220305_154125 by Ghostbase, on Flickr What was new for me was using a wash on this kit. I have used home made washes before to pick out panel lines however I have never applied a full wash to a model kit. I had a bottle of Humbrol Dark Grey Enamel wash which I applied with a thick brush and cloth, then very rapidly learned how long to leave it to part dry before removing with a cloth. It completely changes the paint and, where I got it right, does bring out the surface detail much more clearly. This was a good subject to use, the EA-7L Corsairs did get very grubby. 20220305_154342 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Any learning points? Yes, I need to make sure the wings are level! Also, despite my best efforts there were some paint bleeds when masking / painting the canopy and windshield which is a bit of a shame. 20220305_153958 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I did look at a weapons fit for this aircraft and did fit an AIM-9 training round. The EA-7L carried an exotic selection of electronic warfare pods; the ALQ-170, the AST-4, DLQ-3, ALQ-167 and ALE-43. I might come back to this build one day and see if I can add some of these. For now though, all done. Michael 20220305_153842 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

Two months later and just a few days before the close of this GB. I have done a lot of work on this HobbyBoss F-14B Tomcat and she is starting to look close to completion. This photo gives the general idea: 20220301_202525 by Ghostbase, on Flickr All of the airbrushing is complete and all the main parts are attached including the two GBU-12 guided bombs. The majority of the Fightertown Decals "Bravo Delta Showboats" decals have been applied and they make this model look very special. 20220301_202317 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I still intend to display her with the gun access doors open and this has made applying the VF-102 Diamondback decals "interesting" to say the least when they have to be cut to fit each door! I had originally intended to have the radar open too but it got too fiddly so it ended up closed. 20220301_202638 by Ghostbase, on Flickr This photo gives a good idea of what remains to be done. I do especially need to paint all undercarriage doors edges red before attaching them.. All weapons are good and ready to be attached. 20220301_202939 by GHostbase, on Flickr This makes the 2021/22 KUTA GB a very successful one for me because I didn't think I could rescue this Tomcat after such an uncoordinated start. I am not going to rush for the finish because I am near the end of enduring Covid (a horrible experience) and today is the first day I feel the mojo for some modelling so, see how we go... Michael 20220301_202622 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

I'm still here! Currently near to finishing a 1/48th HobbyBoss F-14B Tomcat which has taken much more time that I intended however I have not forgotten the Spit 22. Michael

My second house had those metal framed windows and I remember the window paint scraper with a razor blade very well! One of those double edged razor blades would be perfect for this. Michael

Bit of a mixed day today. Started off by adding the main undercarriage and some of the wheel bay doors. However I am struggling to work out how the nose undercarriage gear is supposed to fit inside the nose gear well. I looks like it should just push down inside and slot in but I haven't worked it out yet. As per the real aircraft it looks to be a fragile assembly. Going to look and try again tomorrow. 20220206_172145 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Yes my filling and sanding is that poor. *Heresy Warning* "It won't show on the display shelf 😵 I also added the underwing external fuel tanks and they are huge! I have looked at some photos of the 'Streak in service and I think these are just slightly too long. On the other hand these early turbojet powered aircraft were gas guzzlers and they needed all the carry capacity they could manage. 20220206_172050 by Ghostbase, on Flickr And now the bad bit of the day. I decided to remove the transparencies from their sprues and as soon as I cut off the main canopy part I knew it had gone wrong. Yep, a large chunk missing from the frame 😖 Interestingly, the last time that happened to me it was a Monogram F-4J. Not sure how I am going to get round this one. There's always tomorrow... Michael 20220206_172950 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

Continued progress on this build, after applying the aluminium paint I retouched several areas of olive green where there had been a little leakage, then painted the black forward of the windshield, also the dorsal bay behind the cockpit. The next stage is to start applying the decals. I have decided to use the Monogram decal sheet for the common markings, and the HobbyBoss decal sheet for markings specific to the 'Streak that I am building. I have decided to build the Wing Commander’s jet from the Strategic Air Command 407th Strategic Fighter Wing. SAC was a big user of the Thunderstreak having no less than six strategic fighter wings in 1955, each wing having 75 aircraft distributed between three squadrons. The kit was released in 1980, will the decals still work? 20220205_142214 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Initially not looking good, the decal seems to be covered in some sort of film that melts off, I have to clean the decal with a brush whilst it is still in the water. 20220205_142358 by Ghostbase, on Flickr However my anxiety is unfounded and the old decal applies nicely to the Humbrol 11 painted surface 😎 20220205_142620 by Ghostbase, on Flickr However, the decal film is just slightly opaque. 20220205_143257 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The HobbyBoss decals are much easier to apply and this Thunderstreak is starting to look like a very colourful aircraft. The only issue I had was with the markings on top of the vertical fin, the HobbyBoss kit is sized just slightly differently to the Monogram kit. I can use a sharp knife to pare off the excess decal. 20220205_175006 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Looks like I will be cementing most of the parts together tomorrow, also I need to mask and paint the canopies. Michael

Definitely got the mojo back on this build and hope to have it finished by end Tuesday. I have decided to display the 'Streak with all four fuel tanks so I have sanded them, applied primer, then sprayed them with Humbrol 11. They don't look too bad however the joins show in the photo below, not sure whether to go back an work more on them or just accept this will be a space filler on the display shelf. F-84FFuel by Ghostbase, on Flickr A while back I posted a question on BM asking about the Mk.7 'Special Weapon' which was carried by the F-84F whilst in Europe. There were two issues of the Monogram kit, the first had the Mk.7 plus special pylon, and the second - the one I am building - instead has two free-fall conventional bombs, which is a shame. This kit does come with a bomb lift trailer (or "bomb cart") which is a nice touch and I have put it together minus the wheels. The kit instructions give overall red as the colour however I note that the cart on display next to the F-84F in the USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson is painted olive green. F-84FTrolley by Ghostbase, on Flickr This photo also shows the free-fall bomb, would it be an M117 750lb bomb? Looks like time to start adding some decals. Michael

Two plus months later... I had done some work since; applied filler to the wing roots, tailplane/fin joins and on the nose forward of the cockpit. Then broke off one of the tailplanes! Today have applied a coat of Humbrol 11 silver from an aerosol spray can with a view of a quick finish. 20220203_133337 by Ghostbase, on Flickr There is clearly some work to be done on the fuel tanks and bombs. 20220203_133540 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I do have a couple of the HobbyBoss Thunderstreak kits in the stash, their decal sheet is quite showy and I might use one of these options instead of the Monogram sheet. Maybe. 20220203_133936 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Michael

Just a small update, I washed all the parts and after they had dried I applied Halfords grey primer to see what the surfaces look like as well as check the work performed by the previous owner of this kit. The two main parts he constructed were the engine block and the pilots seat. Once the primer dried I could see that he did a reasonable job considering that all he had was polystyrene cement applied via a thick tube! 20220113_191257 by Ghostbase, on Flickr It seemed a bit sacrilegious covering up those Matchbox coloured sprues with primer but it does help to bring out the detail on the parts. 20220113_191450 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I removed many parts from the sprues. The plastic was easy to cut and this photo shows the quality of the panel lines and side-cockpit detail which I thought was good for a kit issued in 1977. 20220113_191407 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I don't have RAF Interior Green in the paint stash so went to Hobbycraft this afternoon and purchase Tamiya XF-71acrylic paint. 20220113_191733 by Ghostbase, on Flickr And some reference material from the stash, I bought this for the 1/48th Airfix Spitfire 22 many moons ago 🙂 20220113_191031 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Michael

Thanks for the comments 👍 I have heard that this kit can be a bit of a challenge but there are plenty of builds on BM and elsewhere so hopefully I can find some guidance. The next stage (when I get back home) is to apply primer to all the parts and see how good a job the previous modeller did. I am looking forward to this. Michael

Delighted to see HMS Devonshire is to be re-released, some childhood nostalgia there because the County class destroyers just looked so cool to this young child and who can forget the oddly named Seaslug missile? I suspect that HMS Fearless might be a purchase as well. Thank you Airfix. Michael

2021 was a fairly good year for me, I seem to have a thing for 1/48th scale big heavy jet aircraft at the moment! Starting with a HobbyBoss Vought A-7K "Twosair"in Iowa ANG markings (Speedhunter decals). A-7K 004 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The next build was this Revell Republic F-105G Thunderchief in wrap-around camouflage, in Georgia ANG markings (Caracal decals) 20210620_132913 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Heavy metal? Must be time for a Phantom! This F-4C Phantom II was operated by the 188th Tactical Fighter Group, Arkansas Air National Guard out of Fort Smith, Arkansas. The custom artwork was applied by Don Spering in 1989. (Speedhunter decals) 20210620_171353 by Ghostbase, on Flickr This was the point I realised I needed new display shelves! A second Revell Republic F-105G Thunderchief finished in the kit decals xIMGP4312 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Then I took the plunge and tried serious weathering. My canvas was an ancient ESCI Vought F-8E Crusader which was disposable if it didn't work out. What an amazing looking aircraft! Finished in the kit decals. IMGP4278 by Ghostbase, on Flickr My last completed build of 2021 was the equally ancient Italeri / Testors F-4S Phantom II which was BuNo 155869 operated as 'MG-06' by VMFA-321, a Marine Corps Reserve squadron based at Andrews AFB. Finished in the kit decals. IMGP4291 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I have got my confidence back with air brushing acrylic paints and weathering, hope to continue this into 2022. Michael

My entry for this GB, the original 1976 issue of PK-501 Supermarine Spitfire Mk-22/24. 20220108_143428 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The contents of the box (minus decals and instruction sheets). 20220108_143522 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Some sprue shots, this is the first showing the "three selected muted colours". 20220108_143714 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Second set of charcoal grey sprues plus stand base. 20220108_143827 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The original scale modeller who purchased the kit did make a start however it has been agreed that this falls within the 25% rule. The wings have not been cemented together. 20220108_144118 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The instruction sheet and the decals. 20220108_144305 by Ghostbase, on Flickr It will be built as a Spitfire Mk-22 at the end of her RAF career, I am not sure whether it will be in a day fighter scheme or overall aluminium. I have been wanting to complete this particular kit for many years. Looks like the next step is a good wash to clean off 45 years worth of grime! The kit, not me 😉 Michael

Good to see this F11F-1 Tiger on KUTA, it was just one of those fascinating planes of the fifties that got overtaken by the rapidly developing aeronautical technology of the time. Look forward to watching this build completed. Michael

Hi Pat, Just got home today and retrieved the Matchbox PK-501 Spitfire Mk22/24 from the stash. I was mistaken, the original modeller did start more than just the engine block, the photo below shows all the parts that have been started. They look like the seat, some of the cockpit parts, the tail planes and the wing spars. In my humble opinion still well under the 25% rule, should that rule apply to this group. Thanks Michael. 20220103_194708 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

Good to see this build continued here on KUTA 😎 Michael

Back to the paint shop today to apply FS 36375 Light Ghost Grey to the undersides of this F-14B Tomcat, thus completing the first applications of all three main colours for the TPS scheme. It went sort of OK but only sort of. Vallejo labels this as a Surface Primer, not an AIR colour however I mixed it the same as the paints that I had previously applied however it felt much thinner leaving the airbrush. I took this photo about 15 minutes after application. 20220102_181951 by Ghostbase, on Flickr And the tail planes... 20220102_182016 by Ghostbase, on Flickr This photo shows the main fuselage and wings after I removed the masking and the paint had a few hours to dry. My initial misgivings are somewhat mollified however this paint application is definitely not as high quality as the previous two colours. So I have a choice; I can claim it is weathering, I can just not worry about it because it will be mostly not visible, or I can add a second coat? Will probably go for the first option. 😉 20220102_202715 by GHostbase, on Flickr And just to finish off a perfect day, what happened when I removed the masking tape on the cockpit section too enthusiastically? Yep, pulled some of the Dark Ghost Grey acrylic paint! Maybe I can present that as weathering too? Nonetheless, it is good to have all the main parts of this Tomcat painted, it feels like I have made significant forward steps the last few days. Michael 20220102_202955 by Ghostbase, on Flickr

I am following your build "with interest" I think is the correct phrase 😎 You can't rush these HB kits, that I have learned! Quite a few years ago I completed the HB 1/48 F-111A 'Vark and despite all the inaccuracies and build challenges the end result was most impressive and still has a very visible place in the display cabinet. Michael

Thanks Bertie, that rings a bell but I wasn't sure which engine that applied to. My project for tomorrow then 😉 Michael

Have made a start on this stalled project the last two days. My objective is just to airbrush the three main paint colours to this large model; these are from top to bottom FS 35237 Medium Grey, FS 36320 Dark Ghost Grey and FS 36375 Light Ghost Grey. I am using Vallejo Air War Color Series paints applied with a H&S Ultra airbrush (0.4 mm nozzle) and mixed with Vallejo Retarder Medium, Vallejo Airbrush Flow Improver and Aig Ammo acrylic thinner. The mixing ratios are 20/1/2/6. I am mixing the paints using a drop applicator from a Covid lateral flow test kit (my wife works in a hospital and has to self-test twice weekly so I have plenty to use). 20220101_172438 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The results have been good, I seem to have got the mix right and the paint has airbrushed well. I am happy with this. Yesterday I applied the top FS 35237 Medium Grey and today I applied FS 36320 Dark Ghost Grey. The F-14B Tomcat is a large bird and I have mixed at least 60 drops of each colour. 20220101_201017 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I did mask the cockpit, just a little bit of leakage which can easily be put right. I originally intended to build this Tomcat with everything open and dangling and I think I will still aim to do this. Britmodeller dnl42 is currently building the very similar 1/48 Hobby Boss F-14A on the T-14 Tomcat STGB and he has noted that many of the access doors fit poorly so yes, I think I will try to keep everything open. 20220101_201044 by Ghostbase, on Flickr This is a photo of the underside of the main fuselage section. Why oh why did I attach the main undercarriage legs? Why oh why didn't I construct and paint the wings in their entirety before joining the main fuselage halves? It just makes life so much harder. You can see where I have applied FS 36320 and I will have to re-paint the wheel wells and gear after I have applied FS36375 Light Ghost Grey. To use the much quoted phrase "It is what it is" and just move on... 20220101_202158 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I decided to add weapons to this VF-102 Tomcat to show a typical warload used during Operation Enduring Freedom 2001 to 2002 so I have chosen two AIM-9 Sidewinders, two AIM-7 Sparrows, two GBU-12 and two Mk83 bombs. These are sourced from the kit. 20220101_201550 by Ghostbase, on Flickr Another area where I have to make a decision! The Hobby Boss kit gives options for open or closed jet exhausts. I built the open jet exhausts but they have gaps in them. The closed exhausts are an alternative but they don't seem to fit over the already built jet pipes. I think the open jet exhausts apply to the F-14B at rest on the ground and this is what I am trying to depict. 20220101_201928 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I am happy with the last two day's progress. Hope to apply FS 36375 Light Ghost Grey tomorrow and see where we go from there. Michael

I might be able to help with PK-501 : Supermarine Spitfire Mk-22/24 (1977) which I have at home. The kit has been started with the construction of the engine block, which clearly intimidated the modeller, and the kit ended up unbuilt stored on a shelf in a garage. As a consequence the decals are unusable. My intention has always been to build the kit as a Spitfire Mk.22 operated by 102 FRS in 1952 in either aluminium or standard day fighter scheme, I would need to source the decals elsewhere. My record of completed group builds isn't great (but my builds do get completed eventually) however a five month timescale gives me a chance. I am also aware of the reputation this kit has! If the partial build is acceptable, also using different decals, then I have until 8th January to make a decision 🙂 Michael

A long stalled project, I started this 1/48th Hobby Boss Grumman F-14B Tomcat over two years ago. I was full of enthusiasm, did a good job on the cockpit then realised that maybe I should have started painting some of the parts *before* I put them together. Then I had my acrylic paints crisis (now solved) and then we went into Covid tiers and lockdowns and here I am! 20211228_134409 by Ghostbase, on Flickr The model is in two main parts in the photo; the wings and the main body, the cockpit and nose section which isn't yet cemented together, as well as the nose cone. 20211228_134417 by Ghostbase, on Flickr I was very impressed with the Hobby Boss cockpit, it has come out very well indeed. 20211228_134438 by Ghostbase, on Flickr My plan was and still is to finish her as a VF-102 'Diamondbacks' F-14B in combat configuration in Operation Enduring Freedom 2001 to 2002. I will be using the Fightertown Decals "Tomcats at War Pt.2 F-14B/D Bravo Delta Showboats" decals. Michael 20211228_134744 by Ghostbase, on Flickr