silverburn

Hi again all, Straight off the 1/48 eurofighter onto this one... This is also an xmas present contender for my father-in-law. Bird "F" was his in 19th Squadron. And first thing you notice...it's MASSIVE. Check out XE531 for comparison (1/32 hunter). ...and it's flexible. I can see why others have strengthened the fuselage!

It's done! Eurofighter 1:48

Hello again all, Another one ready for inspection! Original build threads is here. Usual caveats apply: - I don't airbrush, because I don't have one. And believe me, I could have done with one this time! Problems: - THE PAINT!! The rattle cans really killed me this time...the nozzles are so primitive, and the paint too thick, it destroyed my pre-shading! It just layed on far too thick. That and the fact I couldn't find exact colours to match this time...grey after shade of grey just can't be done with cans. You really do need to mix. So the colours here aren't fantastic, but if you squint.... On the flip side...Revells choice of colours was...interesting. An almost white for the intakes? strange.... - The lines! For the pre-shading, I improvised by...penciling the lines back in! It looked dreadful, with massive thick lines...so much so I almost started from scratch again. But I took a punt and sponge washed it, and hey presto, it came back! - The glass I don't know what happened, but when I superglued the front canopy in place, it "steamed up"! Very strange... - The bombs Ok, I took a complete liberty here...I almost had the Paveways in as well as the shadows, but they almost interfered with each other! That was stretching plausibility just a wee bit....My decision process was simple - I chose the ones I thought looked the best. I'm especially proud of the shadows...and before you ask, no they're not pink!! It's because of.... - The camera! Yes, it's rubbish! I really must work on a way of taking better shots. - The pit My first foray into etches...and it was painful. The parts were so small (I'm a newbie remember), and managed to get glue everywhere; very annoying. I worked out that the best way is to create a puddle of it, and apply using a toothpick! I'll remember next time...it's a mere 4/10 this time. Anyway - to the pics! . . . . . . . . .

More progress...some good, some bad. Weapons done! (good!) Primed and pre-shaded! (also good!) ...and then the problems begin... Basically, I think the paint or the rattle can nozzle is not good enough; it comes out far too thick and lumpy! Even after a modest coat of Montana Gold (MG), I've lost all my pre-shading, and the MG lying noticably thick. It's definitely the paint, because the laquer went on ok. Which means I'll need to resort to a wash - which I've attempted, but I *hate* my results - it just seems to "stain" the model and because the MG has filled all the detail points, there's nothing for the wash to fill! This is the result - I know I should zoomed in more, but even then you still can't see anything. Looks ok here...but trust me, it's not. I really wanted and underbelly like this (kudos btw NotDoneYet), but no chance of that now! I *must* get an airbrush so I can run thiner paint, and better nozzles...that and the ability to mix the paints! (highly necessary for this model). I'm also stuck for paints for the "pre" exhaust bit, so used a 'mid' grey and it looks.... I might dry a Revell "steel", followed by an "aluminium" for the exhausts themselves. NDY has got his perfect, including a heat effect. So to cheer myself up, I whapped the weapons on for a laugh, using blu-tac. Shadows are a purple-blue, not lilac btw...I think the camera freaked out again. Off to go cry in my pint now.... Decals, detail painting and more laquer tomorrow, follow by a "proper" wash.

More progress.... - Etch arrived! Better fire on then... ...flatten the pit so you can glue down the etch... ...then fire it altogether! damned tricky...my problem was the glue - it got everywhere; I need to find a way to only use the tinniest of glue - maybe using a toothpick or something? After that was done, it was fired into the fuselage, and the whole thing glued, sanded, filled (although only a tiny bit needed actually), and primed. I think there's a bit more sanding needed, but really, there's not much (wing leading edge on the port side, and a bit of drift near the back); a nice kit! And finally, the shadows are done! Just noticed the white dot's folded over... While I got the colour right, I noticed the kit is inaccurate - the wing fold is much farther back in real life, making the decals tricky place - in fact you can see the white dot under the text has sucked under the wing part once laquered! And the instructions are incorrect; you can see that the real one has additional yellow triangles at the front; only one is specified on the kit. An easy fix tomorrow though. The rest of the armaments decalled and sealed tomorrow...

oh definitely - one reason I'm contemplating a harrier or a10 next. 1:32, of course... Do have to say - Revell have some funny ideas about colours. The air intakes for one, and the rust on the paveway for another. Neither of these are even remotely close! The Paveway green is only "correct" because I *didn't* use Revells colour recommendation!

Just a wee update - mainly small bits of painting tonight. - Undercarriage - Cockpit (just the basics for now - got a detail kit coming) - "Parcel shelf" - Armaments (fiddly!) Shadow storm colours incorrect, according to this: Then again...there's a eurofighter with a black one too...here Oh well...anyway I've ordered a new can for spraying. The lilac one will actually "set off" all the grey at least Anyway, here we are.

Cheers ant! I'm probably going to go with a "pre-packed" canopy, pit etch and exhausts pack from Sleazy-bay; some guy's selling them in the states. No sign of torpedoes/rockets though, so I recon I'll research the types actually used, and scratch build a rack to carry one from another kit. If one even exists. I think I've seen a swordfish 1:32 carrying one, but I could be wrong. The engines look very tempting...Until I realised they're £18 a pop! tempted to maybe go with one only, and mount it with a "half cowl" to show it off. More scratch building! Hmmm...decisions, decisions...

Ok, a heavy wash it is... Progress today includes: - Main bays painted and fitted. Weathering to come.... - Armaments constructed, with some painted. I'm going for - dual nukes + central tank + an array of air-to-air. RAF config. - OOB pit sprayed. And resprayed.... - Front stabilizers on, along with other fuselage bits and bobs -Top of wings added, and wing ends so far...no real problems. Going together ok so far. I think the interesting bit will come with the paint; talk about minute shades of grey...good grief! Armaments! Pit! And the end of day pic (minus the stuff still drying)...

Bit of an experiment this one; wasn't planning to actually start it, but I'm "between tasks" on my others, and I've postponed cycle training today, on account of my wife having "pre labour signs". So I figured I'd get started... And we're off...I've started with the wheel bays, purely because I've just ordered a photo etch for the pit, so no point started that right now. On the whole, it's pretty neat. I'm impressed with the detail you get on 1:48 (on this model at least). A wee dry fit shows where I'll need putty in the near future...this front wing join seems to be a common problem given other posts. But apart from that, it should go together ok. But my main concern is the wheel bays - they're far too "white & artificial" in my eyes; what's the recommended way to improve these? Bearing in mind I've not got an airbrush, I figured the best way is with a bit of dark wash... yes/no, or is there a simplier better way? Onto the armaments next! And gahd, theres a lot of them

Hi again all, I have a 1:32 beaufighter coming in the post soon (£13 off sleazy-bay); I got it to "pair up" with my Ju 88. Always loved the shape of the Beau. It'll be in d-day colours as well, to tie-in with a "3 plane" montage of d-day 1:32's I'm thinking off (Plane 1 - a Martlet - is already done). My space-planning wife hasn't quite found out about this yet.... However, it's going to serve a proper purpose - I want to experiment with 3rd party components, and resin. As a newbie, I figured this is my next step. I got some bombs for my Ju 88, but I'm not counting those . Short of springing for an airbrush that is. Which'll come soon, no doubt. While the Beau is not the ideal model for doing so, I fancy experimenting first before going for a "proper project", such as a 1:32 phantom/eurofighter/Tornado/A.N.Other Namely I want to try: - A high detail cockpit - Engine detail enhancements, though scratch-building stuff will not be ruled out - A torpedeo (beaufighters did use them) or rocket/bomb racks If these exist of course. So the question is - what do the experienced hands here recommend in the way of kits? Oh and a third purpose I guess - proper cammo using blu-tac sausages with my rattle cans! Yes, I know I'm rattling through these - this'll be my 5th model (ever), given I started 2 months ago. But I'll be looking to move to quality - not quantity - soon, once I feel confident i've covered all the skill bases!

God, how did you manage that so perfectly Murdo!

Cheers for the comments guys! Good to know I'm on the right tracks; just starting out with all this, and the encouragement is much appreciated! Especially coming from some of the "grand masters"

One more image...for a more valid comparison to the real side profile pic in the link above. The 3 (now 4!) deliberate mistakes are: - Flashes back to front! again! (thanks for the shout Bill!). I thought I was doing well too, by cutting up the originals to make them "slanted". - Rear light housing/bulge thingy between the horizontals should be white, not green - The standard decal from the kit for the "danger hole" is back to front, compared to the one on XE531. But I'll not sure he'll notice I am intrigued to know what the 2nd set of yellow writing is under the hole; I might hack something up. - The vinettes (colour inserts) are curved in profile in real life. I used a mask, so it was a straight line, giving the impression of being thicker than they should be. Frankly, getting them straight was tough enough! Will do the custom decals when I find someone to make them. That and a few touch ups, and it'll be over to "Ready for inspection" I recon. ..I've also noticed the port fuel tank points down slightly at the nose. Will probably re-fit.

That's twice I've done that now! Double doh!

Ok, more progress. Most of it was event free until the GLUE ON THE GLASS moment.... Half-dropped it, caught it...massive smudge all over the glass...and over the starboard side...Grrr. Starboad paint smudge should be an easy re-spray and re-laquer, but the glass. Hmmm, I recon it's a goner, and warrants a replacement. Apart from this disaster, it's almost done to be honest. The "confirmed" decals are laquered down, but I'm looking into obtaining some custom decals for the a/c number, and the RAE crest. If I can get those...I think it'll be done. Oh, and after replacing the glass of course. I was trying to match the 2 seater profile of the "hump" by painting the rear half of the canopy, and it's only marginally succeeded visually. Still, with new glass I can try again... Still very disappointed about the lack of 2 seats...if you squint really, REALLY hard though, it looks correct (the real one is here) Anyway, to the pics...caveat - this green seems to be really sensitive to different lighting...honest it's all the right colour...:-)

Hi all, I'm looking for a set of RAE (Royal Aircraft Establishment) Decals, in 1:32. Basically, I can't seem to find any off the shelf which contain the particular purple emblem of the RAE; I can replicate everything else I need using existing decals. Most RAE stuff I've found is either missing the logo, or it's in monochrome. Has anyone found something a decal pack with the purple emblem included? And if not, who here can make these up?

Ok, it's been a while, but here's the update: The big news is...I've chosen to forfeit the 2 seat cockpit, in the name of deadlines. Bit gutted, but that's the way it is - I need to build it for xmas. I have decided to make the most of it though... So... Conventional front end fitted.. I've filled in the usual gaps, but also filled in the gun ports, a couple of vents and other bits and bobs. I've also drilled another hole for the extra viewing port. XE531 is a "clean" design is all - it was a test bed, not a combat model. Primed... Pre-shaded...yes, pre-shaded. Again, XE531 was a very clean design, and (according to my father-in-law, the pilot) was very well maintained. Pre-shading will bring out the panel lines slightly, but I'll not be weathering this one. And the first coats of white and green applied...

Cheers guys - will certainly give the "blu-tac sausage" technique a go! Might have a wee practice with some blank paper...

I've got some Tamiya pastels now - used to good effect on my 1:32 Martlet (a test rig). Exhaust soot on this one looks far better, though I've seen real photos of the martlet/wildcat with *very* sooty bellies!

ooh, I'll start dropping unsubtle christmas presents hints then, I recon... Sprays used are: Montana Gold - Flipper (underside) Montana Gold - Military Green (cammo 1) Montana Gold - Army Green (cammo 2)* * should have used Montana Gold - Anthracite or Slate.

Likewise, I chose to forgoe most of the instructions as well - partly because I was "compromised" on paints (and colours), and because the the instructions were useless. I also have the fuselage glass panels here to prove how useless they were! I'll be painting my d-day stripes by masking next time (on my forthcoming Beaufighter). Re: the engine and landing gear fit and finish...I think I cheated, because I started at that engine end (after a bit of manual correction of the fuselage twist ) and worked backwards slowly, superglueing a small section at a time. I also sanded down the edges of the pit and engine bay firewalls as well to ensure they weren't snagging. I still needed a bit of filler mind, around the wheel bay, but it wasn't bad to be honest. If I'd charged in without dry-fitting and glue the whole lot, it would have ended in tears! The wings were funny...I actually built mine without looking at the instructions...worked out the folding mechanism was RUBBISH once it was all stuck together and was going to last all of 5 minutes...so I just glued the whole thing tight. And then I tried to read the instructions and wished I hadn't bothered! The only thing really missing from this kit, is an up-to-date pit; the pit was pretty spartan and detail-less compared to modern kits. I didn't bother looking for an aftermarket version, mainly because I was just mucking about, but I will for the future. My forthcoming Beaufighter appears to lacking in this area too (from what I've read on the interweb), so I'll be looking for aftermarket on that too. Glad to see some people like it as is - I could have done much better, and may undertake a re-run at this kit in the future.

Hi again all, Another one completed! That makes it my third! This was another test rig, and was actually bought on impulse, since it was cheap! However, now it's done, I quite fancy doing a "D-Day montage" - especially since I'm bidding on a 1:32 Beaufighter (which I'll also do in D-Day colours). I wanted another "used" look for this one. Probably because it's fun learning how to age stuff...:-) Anyway, the big lessons learnt with this one are: - SPRAY PAINTS ARE RUBBISH AT FEATHERED (ie not "hard edged") CAMMO. Or at least mine are! I simply could not get a smooth gradient, and ended up with a really rubbish scheme. I *must* consider an airbrush for the next one! Although Montana Gold to apparently have different caps, for just this purpose.....hmmm. We'll see....all opinions welcome. - Some Decals are RUBBISH. You would not believe the pain I endure with the fuselage D-Day stripes...only for they to "dissolve" when laquer was applied! As it turns out, it does add to the "ageing" process (if you squint hard enough). I suspect they might not have been dry enough? I did pretty much jump into laquering about 2hrs after laying decals. Next time, I'm just going mask-crazy, and painting them myself! - Put the glass in place *before* spraying...especially if it's meant to be cammo coloured... Anyway the good points: - This was my first "scratch build"! Well...I drilled 2 holes and used painted cotton bud stems in them to act as exhausts...the kit had them closed off. Does that still count as scratch build? - I filled in a couple of panels with "unpainted" versions...to age it a bit. It works....ish. - I was able to straighten out the fuselage...it simply wouldn't dry-fit together. Only by looking down the fuselage, did I notice than the front section was rotated clock-wise by a few degrees! - I got to do an engine. It came out ok! Anyway...to the pictures! My engine. And you can see the problems I had with fading between cammo colours quite well on this one. and another... My *cough* scratch built exhausts! The half-disolved decals can been seen in this one; though in proper light it sort of works...if you squint. It does age it it, especially on the wings.

Totally agree - I'm putting it down to the Spray paint I used (Montana Gold); it was very thick/sticky stuff, and made it really difficult to get a smooth, light finish. If it was an airbrush, I imagine it would be easy to solve with some thinner added (caveat: I'm a newbie and know nothing about them!). In some areas it was like sandpaper (have a look at the build thread for a close up). I'll need to wary next time or find "finer" sprays. No, I can't afford an airbrush...yet. ;-)

It's done! Ju 88 - Ready for inspection