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A Gripen in Czech colours...


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Well... I found the 211th Squadron when I was looking for some nice aviation wallpapers. When I search a little more for the planes they use/used, I found this Gripen and was love at first sign. I didn’t find the decals… but… for my surprise Italeri announced their Gripen with a new “Super Decal Sheet” and there was the decals I needed. This model kit it’s in my hands for two or three months, I don’t know exactly. Each time I looked it in the stash, I though: You will be my next victim! Reading about this GB I thought it is the right time to bring this little bird to the workbench.

Bellow I am posting the first pictures: box, decal sheet and sprues. Once I started the building, more photos will come.

Please, feel free to leave your comments! You can tell what you like, what you don’t like, what can be better, etc. I am not a kind of guy that will feel bad if someone say that I did something wrong or I can do something better. As I said: Feel confortable to post here.

Thanks for your visit and double thanks for your comments!

Paul.

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Hi all!

I started to cut some parts off the sprue tonight, after the dinner. I stop to reply some mail and now I'll get to the workbench, to play a little before sleep. But there's a strange thing in this kit. Look the picture bellow:

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What Italeri's guys were thinking when they did this "cut line" in the tail?

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Next post I will have some pictures of the on going work in the cockpit.

Cheers!

Paul.

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What Italeri's guys were thinking when they did this "cut line" in the tail?

To be honest I often wonder the same thing. Italeri produce good surface detail and crisp moldings in their kits, but some measurements and technical decisions are made after too many sips of chianti.

Regards, V-P

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all!

Exactly V-P. I can remember the air intakes from the Italeri Kfir C-2/C-7... a nightmare!

Well, this weekend I was able to do some things in the Gripen:

In the left it's the original seat. In the right, after sanding, painting and "detailing?". I just added two strips of Tamiya tape and paint them. I know, it's too glossy, but I will aplly a matt coat:

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I didn't make the belts, because I will put a pilot in the "office".

The cockpit, as it is now:

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I think everybody knows this way to make the strings of the ejection seat, but here I go: 03 seam lines. 02 yellow and 01 black. First, wrap (trance) the 02 yellows and then wrap (trance) the black in the 02 yellows. Hold the whole thing exactly as you want it to stay and apply some glue.

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"That's all Folks!"

I hope I can do something more after the dinner.

Wishes of a great week!

Paul.

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Well... for those who wants to build an open canopy, my advice is to get some time to find the right shape and the right way to wrap the seam lines to get so close as possible from the real thing. This isn't what I did here. The canopy of this model will be in closed position. "Boss" is already in the "office". Tonight I started to cement the fuselage together. Next task will be to fix that "nice" cut in the tail.

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Sorry for the picture. It's from my mobile.

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Hi Roland!

Thanks for your kindly words. I would like to have more figures in my models, but I don't have the skills needed. So... sometimes... I try to check if I had some progress in my "human figures building skills". As we all can see, I have a long way to walk. aalegre.gif

Well... it's starting to look like a jet:

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Don't ask me how this little drop of cement find its way to the right wing: achato.gif

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Tomorrow night or next weekend I will think about the gaps between the wings and fuselage. Actually, it's not a gap, it's almost a foxhole!

Best!

Paul.

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Hi Cliff!

Me too! I hope they don't become a nightmare. I am not good when I need to handle large decals.

Well... fuselage is cemented. To a better fitting, was needed to cement a piece of plasticard (the white thing) between the wings:

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Next task is to cemente the wings to the fuselage.

Cheers!

Paul.

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Hi!

Before to cement the fuselage plus wings, it was needed to fix the alignment of the wing or I would have a 1 mm gap in the upper surface. I did this with small piece of plasticard:

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I hope I have time to cement the wings before to sleep tonight.

Cheers!

Paul.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all!

Almost a month without posting anything about my building. Sorry for that. December was a mess in my home. Now I am free to go on with the work and I really aim to finish up to Jan, 20th.

Let's go...

Wing are in their places as the air intakes:

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Exhaust pipe painted and in its place too:

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To avoid the tail-seater effect, I added some weight in the nose:

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Landing gears (and bays) painted and cemented:

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The landing gears doors are already cut off the sprue. Now it's sanding, painting, cementing...

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Before to finish this post, I want to ask for your opinions/suggestions:

Italeri instructions says about painting:

- Under surface ... FS36300 "Flat Light Ghost Gray". This would be Humbrol 128, right? But I think is a "little too much" blue, isn't it?

- Upper surface ... FS35237 "Flat Dark Ghost Gray". Humbrol 145 will fit, I think...

Below, a picture of the real aircraft:

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Any comment will be appreciated.

Thank you all!

Paul.

Edited by Paul - Brazil
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Looks lovely so far Paul, and I can see why you were drawn to the markings. Will you be adding the rug/cuddly toy? I think we have that one in our house in the non-flat version :)

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No, no... the tiger carpet won't be there. I will build it with a closed canopy and pilot waving his right hand. Something like "ready to take-off".

211nd Squadron had a calendar in 2009 (I think) with nice pictures. In those pictures... yes... there were some lovely toys. gee.gif

Yesterday I painted this black part and cemented the HUD:

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The clear parts are ready to "install" too:

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I am crazy to see the mythological (choose: bird / cat) ready for painting.

Cheers!

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Hi!

 

As I told before, I forgot my Model Masters paints. Get them and through this last week I finish the basic painting of the model. This afternoon I started to apply the decals and this is the way it looks now:

 

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All the decals was applied to the up and down surfaces. Now it's time the the left and right side decals.

 

Best!

 

Paul.

 

P.S.: I need to write more in english. I am forgetting the basic things...  ¬¬

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Hi!

 

I painted the upper surfaces with Model Master 1725 Neutral Gray FS36270 and the under surfaces with Aero Master KSA9056 Lt Gull Gray FS36440.

 

Thanks for your words.

 

I already did some more thing in the Gripen. If I have the time, I will take some photos after dinner.

 

Best!

 

Paul.

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Hi!

 

It's done. Finished. At 89' of Second Half, but it's finished. :frantic:

 

Here the final pictures:

 

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This t-shirt was sent to me from a friend in Czech Republic:

 

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Thank you all for visiting and leaving your comments!

 

Paul.

Edited by Paul - Brazil
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