silverburn

You'll probably think I'm strange...but I actually prefer the look of the "stubby" nosed Tonka - this long nosed one looks...weird. To me at least - each to their own etc etc. Still - kudos on hacking everything up - you're braver than me!

Ok, we're just about done. Well, the poll was interesting 4 to 1 says "damage", so damage you shall have! First things first - engines on, and lacquer done - as mentioned I brushed on the lacquer to preserve the silver leaf...and it worked! Engine covers on, glass on (or masking removed), and blown-engine-oil laid down. Simple Tamiya pastels with a bit of water, with a normal course paint brush. Topped up with conventional dry pastel. Looks good actually, and when I get a proper photo session going for RFI, I hope you'll see it too (looks a bit washed out here in the photo). Tiny bit of wing top surface exhaust on all 4 engines, and more soot on the inner engines underneath, as seen in 1:1. If you can barely make it out...good...that's how it's supposed to be Turrents on, and sagging wheel in. Note: the kit does not cater for a wheel's up pose out the box; you need to get busy with the knife... And here we are! Wires on, breakables on, and just the props and tiny paintwork to do (black on rudder needs touched up, as does the bomb bay green at the doors). And yes, I cheated with wires...I couldn't fit one of them midway down the rudder, because I'm a sausage-fingered bufoon... Now, the one thing I still need to decide on is bullet holes...I'm thinking only 3-4, with one through the engine casing, one in the wing, one in the rudder and one in the tail. Will drill them with a tiny head, then use a toothpick to add aluminium to the circumference of the resulting holes. The wing one will have a fuel leak. Where would you be without loo-rolls??? And, maybe with one of these in escort, he wouldn't have got shot up in the first place?

Oooh, I was gonna try to see if I could blag your skyshadow pod, but it's an IDS! Awww... I'll find me one yet so I can complete mine! Looking forward to being thoroughly upstaged in quality and modelling skill in the meantime ...front row centre for me please... Interesting wee project. I was planning on doing a similar line up of my Harrier, Tornado and my Eurofighter, in a "Modern tools of RAF" theme. Just need Trumpet to get a wiggle on with a 1:32 GR7 or something, so I don't have to look with distain at my AV8B What? the RAF cancelled the Harrier part? Sorry, I can't hear you..<sticks fingers in ears>....la, la, la, la....

Ok, painting proceeding. This is the bit I enjoy the most - it's a daunting task with masking and spraying, but the hours just fly by...and there's nothing better than peeling it all off and seeing a good result. Which I'm relatively happy with here - had a bit of "leakage" of the Silver leaf, but was all fixed easy enough. Interestingly the non-silver sections have been lacquered, but I've done some experiments with the silver...and it's not gonna work. So I had to decide - preserve the silver, and change the decals, or ensure the decals are nailed down, but lose the shine? I went with keeping the shine....I'm actually going to try gloss down the decals with a hairy stick - with the task of only overlapping the edge by the smallest amount I can. It's gonna be fun! Following on from the red and wing olive yesterday, I managed to delete the tail brown shot this morning! so we're straight onto the underside gray! Then onto Silver leaf: Peel it all off and start again for the black wing and tailboom edges: Decals (top and sides only - underside to come): And the masking mountain!

Ok, a wee bit of progress tonight. Wheel bays done, wings assembled, wings attached, masked, primed, red on, olive on, and Silver leaf on (test). Bit of fit issues around the inside engine nacelles, but you won't see them once it's done. Masking was a mixture of tamiya tape and blue-tac. I've gone for Tamiya's silver leaf rattle can - it's a compromise. It looks pretty realistic though it could be shinier. However, my humbrol and Montana gold silvers/chromes go on far too heavy. At least with this, I'll be able to pick out the panel lines later on with a wash. Crap camera & light = non-shiny silver leaf! Tried to pick it out, but if you squint... *Edit: I'm tempted to "wound" this bird...bullet holes & subsequent fuel leaks, blown engine & prop and a sagging undercarriage leg. Good idea? bad idea? * Edit 2: This will be an in-flight burd, with bay open

This probably isn't the right thread, but seeing the water here (it's awesome! ), I just had to ask... How do you guys do the water/waves/wakes like this - is there a "sticky" on it? I'd love to get into some maritime (even got 2 350's in the stash), but I'd want a water base.

Wow - that's so not fair!

Ok, a wee bit of progress after the workbench tidy! - She's stitched up! Had a real job, as the top seam between the turret and the radio gun wouldn't stay shut. A bit of brute force and some sanding eventually got it sealed. A quick sand down and smoothing of the seams and here we are. I'm a bit disappointed with rear tail gun though...the housing is smaller than the fuselage, and there's a noticeable seam here, which I can't fill. Oh well... Engines started...I don't have blue-ish grey, so I just went with dark blue. The different between metallic aluminium and steel doesn't show up that well in the photo.

You'll say I have OCD or something, but here's mine... Ironically, just after a bit of a clean up. All the gubbins in the wee cupboard (spray "booth" and rattle cans in the garage). Top drawer - painting & weather, 2nd - building and smoothing, 3rd - scratch building bits, 4th - powertools. Little dish is for decals...or cakes. Out of shot - iPad for streaming of movies, music or live TV. Or for trawling that thar interweb for reference material. In back of shot: Apollo...errr...something. I hated it. It's there to remind me of how grateful I should be, when a kit is fighting me. I like to keep the reference paint colours blue-tacced to the light, then, when I don't believe them, I look up the internet On the bench: see sig below.

Certainly an option! I for one would like do another for that though - there's a lot of mistakes I'd like to get right for the next one, and maybe even get an airbrush (gotta wait to hear about whether I'll be made redundant or not first though) for the paint. I certainly won't make the same mistake with the tailfin soot next time!

Ok, here we go - all 8000lbs loaded up! In the shots the port front carrier is still nose up - even though it looks ok by eye! Thank god for photographs! Speaking of which - using the iphone tonight, since all 20 AA batteries we appear to have in the house are flat. Anyway - enjoy. Oh, and the pastels are also much better in real-life - it looks a bit 'blotchy' here, but while that was my plan, it's not as bad as this using the normal eye. Yeah, port front is still nose up: Ok, who broke the front fin off the AIM9??? Bit of adjustment needed on the port inboard one here: On the home straight now - some rear fuses, the canopy to finish, other bits and bobs then a Skyshadow pod to obtain. Speaking of which - Dave - what's the SP on the flightpath edition - is that out yet? ** EDIT: in case anyone is wondering, this buxom maiden weights in at a hefty 0.6kg on the kitchen scales. What a bloater!

4000lb's added...4000lbs to go I've tried to vary the aging across the bombs as you can see - I've even painted two a slightly different shade (though the camera seems to really emphasise it here - the green one - too much) Bye Saddam: The remainder to be done - note: the 'double yellow' one was intentional. "Aging' was done using 'snow' Tamiya pastels - the effect is pretty good, even if the camera doesn't say so.

Lol - no, it's good to know these things! Truth be told, I knew I had the mirrors to fix - they're "down" just now to make them easier paint, and I wanted some daylight to see what I was doing first too - the eyes ain't what they used to be

70% done on the canopy - gotta sort the mirrors and a few niggly tidy-ups to do. Bottom edge of canopy will be 'chipped', for example., and I have a hose to run along the flightpath etch. Canopy lined with the flightpath, and for once, it went ok for me - I was a bit nervous at first - etch and glass together...scary. Having said that - it beats painting the inside of the canopy, which I always dread! It's in-situ to dry, after another soaking in Klear. Has already 'hardened' to a clearer finish than this. I struggled with the pit sills though - too small and fiddly for me, so just went with the big bits.

Ok, after Spike's suggestion, I've had a look at the "model wall" and I can indeed get this in, with wings out. So, stores were unglued and reglued in the wing out config. Got a groovy "wash outline" from the wings back config too - will photograph properly when it gets to RFI. Also done the glass and the breakables. 3 things left to do now - the "chin glass", the canopy interior and the 1000lb'ers. I've taken the first set off, as they weren't sitting level - a little nose up problem was traced to one of the clamps in the rack doing missing. Spike suggestion about the store struts will have to wait for next time - these will have to do for now.

Ahah, that'll be why there's a set in the flightpath set then...good spot! ;-) Yes, I know about the wing thing - snag is, I need them swept back for purely "model logistic" reasons...ie the slot it will occupy on my wall will only work if they're swept back! Though I'll have a wee think...whatever pose it has it'll be permanent, though I should be able unglue/re-glue the stores easily enough if I can open the wings.

Quick question - I'll need to do the glass as part of the breakables...except i don't know how to do the glass on the front of the 'chin doohickey'. Suggestions?

Ok, last update today I promise! - Stores on (just remembered I need a Skyshadow in 1:32 though) - Nose on - Bay flaps on - airbrakes on - some decals replaced - airlerons (?) on - weathering to underside, and chipping to leading edges Bits to do: - remaining 'clusters' of 1000lb'ers - breakables - canopy interior 80% there, I recon...;-) Still gutted about the smoke on the tailfin... Anyway - for your viewing pleasure: Tonka's rule ok: One down, three to go...

3rd update for today...possibly one more before the day is out. Anyway, I experimented for the first time with the Tail-fin soot using Tamiya smoke from a can...and it tested look ok...but disaster on the model - it's too disperse! Need a more focused nozzle, as the soot on 1:1 is a lot more "concentrated" (ie doesn't 'fade' up the fin as much as this). I doubt it would ever reach as high as the "N". It's a shame, but it's still plausible. Also, it appears to dry shiny, which is the exact opposite of soot! It's also not concentrated enough, so I filled it in with some pastel. I had toyed with going with the pastels from the start, and frankly I wish I had now... Dodgy exposure from my cheapy camera aside, the belly I'm happier with.

And yet more... Almost finish the "big" stage... will need to re-do the tail since I took too much off! Would like it to sit in the lines a bit more too. There's been a small problem though...one of the warning triangles couldn't suffer the de-washing treatment, and has vanished. I'm going to borrow one from another kit, if I can find one. Wouldn't mind normally, but it's in a really obvious place. Some of the wash has got behind some of the decals too, which is a bit annoying...next time I need to gloss coat over the decals, then do the matt coat I think. Next step after I've re-done the "bum" is to get the wash out of the cracks it shouldn't be in with the cotton bud and toothbrush...the refueller, the spine etc.

And the de-washing begins! Gotta say, I was a bit nervous about this - this type of wash can so easily go wrong, but so far (30% done I recon)...it's looking good! Top and starboard sides started. Still got a bit to clear around the tail decal, but I think you get the idea. And a couple of close-ups: This is just about perfect for what I wanted; a bit more to take off at the nose, but it's 90% there. *EDIT: The refueller housing internals will be fully cleaned up. Another cheap camera freak-out, but you get the idea. I do like the dirtying around the wing shoulder - it's come out as intended, with the added benefit of the wing panel lines getting "popped".

Well I refused to be beaten, and came back to it this morning, refreshed... ...o I sanded off the old paint and plumbing on the rear legs, and replaced them with my own lead pipe! Trimmed/sanded off the imperfections (well, as many as I dared), and it's much better now...I ran with the flightpath front leg, and it's much better - it sits level now! (it is -though it might not look it in the photo). A wee bit more unpainted lead pipe to replicate some 1:1 and the job's a good un'. (Only comment Dave - could we get the wheels "weighted" in the flightpath kit?) Anyway, I was so chuffed I went ahead and got the ol' girl on her "feet'! (I wanted her to stand anyway so it would be easier to handle her, and not be left sitting on her belly). I then got *really* ambitious (or maybe it was the 3rd glass of new year champers...;-)) and started the weathering on the main fuselage. As mentioned this will be a REALLY dirty burd, given the 1:1's were flown on a full rotation without worrying too much about the cosmetics between missions. A wee experiment with a VERY dirty wash and some brushed-on paint flake on the bay doors came up ok, so I took a good swig of the champers and went for it! I know the pic below look scary, but it's all very scientific. After my wash went "off" (see my tanks earlier in the thread), I've been experimenting...the dark treacle is at the bottom, while the top remains quite thin. Also, I get a really grimy effect used liberally over MATT lacquer. So a MATT coat went on, and prayed. Application was also more measured than pic might show - I used the treacle on the belly near the engines, and gradually used thinner and thinner wash, until I was using the thinnest on the upper surfaces (which were always cleaner). I've even got some nice streaking under the pit and on the tailfin, which I hope is preserved when I wash this off tomorrow.

Rest assured Dave - these are NOT flightpath - we know you have high standards! Scale Aircraft Conversions are the culprits.

My modelling mojo took a wee knock tonight... Got my new metal legs, and all was well in the world...until I opened them up. The front is just woeful. It's warped in 2 axis - one being around the centre line. While a steering front wheel might be good, I didn't pay for that. And the front support strut was properly bent; hopefully just a transport issue. And it looks ridiculous - obviously when this was specced, it was done on a model with no engines, or any internal weight at all. If you rotate it forward, as if winding up the undercarriage after take off, it doesn't even fit in the well! I did use the metal one from the detail kit instead, and it's come out much better. Thankfully the rears look "loaded". But they were cursed with bubbly/textured metal and tons of "metal flash", which has plagued my painting of the pipework here. It's not all the kit's fault - I was being particularly rubbish tonight; not being smooth in the spray booth, and wobbly with the toothpick (my preferred method of painting small bits). That and my enamels all seem to be garbage - the aluminium was stringy and gloopy, the black equally gloopy. In the end, I walked away - I'll need to relook at these tomorrow with a very small sanding stick to remove all the metal imperfections. I'll re-attempt painting (the pipework is garbage) and then some weathering. I'm also a bit sceptical of the design of the legs when dry-fitted to the bays - they don't feel like they have a lot of lateral stability (ie they want to 'splay' outwards) - is that normal?

Just been watching the program again, and it's more good news - in the video it leaves the factory with roundels and serial number ONLY. No need to worry about squadron codes etc. I was a bit worried during the film, as near the end the plane is still at the "dope" stage! Rest assured though, by the time the test flight took place, it was fully painted in the standard livery.. Got some more paint to order for this, and a B17 to complete first, then it's time to start! On or around 18th Jan I recon. Question is - there was a bit of "prebuld" done on the 1:1 - how much prebuild am I allowed, if any? Notable examples in the 1:1 were the rear turret and the engines.