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Imai Sky 1 from UFO


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I haven't been posting much in the way of builds for a few months so I thought I'd make up for it with this quick build I started last week. I didn't originally intend to do a build thread so I didn't take any photos early on, so you'll just have to make do with these :)

First off the box:

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As usual with Imai models they were intended as toys, so always have inappropriate working parts, eg the Spectrum Passenger jet with missiles! This is no exception, with spring loaded missiles - well actually the missile pods themselves being fired out of the front of the engines, chunky big wheels and an opening rear bulkhead which gave access to a compartment to store a miniature Mobile and Straker's car!

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Sigh! So here is a sprue shot showing the bits I'm NOT using:

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and here is the instruction sheet that gives an idea how poor this kit really is:

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The first thing that is immediately obvious is that there is no cockpit detail and no Captain Carlin to fly it! So I started looking around to see what I had that would allow me to scratch build a cockpit. I came upon one of the remainders of this kit in my stash from which last year I stole the missile fins for the Alien Dropship pod torpedoes:

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My first though was that I coulb rob this of the pilot seat and instrument panel and then I had a closer look at the cockpit:

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Hmm that looks an interesting size... so I measure it up and bugger me if it didn't fit the cockpit glass and the cockput bulge in the fuselage almost perfectly!! It did mean chopping it up quite drastically, but I had bought 4 of these kits for £5 each last year just to get the missile fins! I've already given 2 of them away as they are a great little starter kit, very simple but looks fantastic:

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(scuse the flash washing everything out!)

so I wasn't all that worried about doing some drastic surgery. I found a resin figure in the spares box, also left over from the Aliens Dropship build, who had a suitable helmet and close enough jacket and with some careful painting this was the result:

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which is close enough to this

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considering the scale.

So what of the rest of the kit? well the fairing on the underside is totally misshapen. The kit has it with a rectangular cross section whereas the original has a rhomboid shape and the front section has a metallic grille:

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So this has had to be completely rebuilt! In addition the rocket pods in the kit were designed to be spring loaded and were a terrible shape:

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Instead, I've replaced them with the front part of rocket pods from a 1:32 scale Hawker Hunter... the one that acts as my avatar (and which STILL isn't finished :( ) and you can see the result in that photo. The nose cone also needed work - in the original, it had a grille inside whereas the kit only has a sort of cross-like pattern engraved in the plastic. So this had some brass mesh added:

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and so did the front part of the underside fairing:

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Here you can also see the colour that will be used as the base colour. Its Ford Oyster Gold Metallic paint from Halfords. I'll try to put some panel variation in to give it more interest.

Finally, here is where I am as of this evening:

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I've drilled out the cannon barrels that stick out. The panel "lines" are the usual trenches that Imai uses, but I'm not going to do anything about that.

You can see from the previous pics that I've started spraying the nose cone. The very front appears to be dark silver. I started with some Metallic Grey, but I think it needs to be darker,so next I'll add some Gun Metal. I've left the nose off so I can insert the cockpit later and save having to mask the windows.

Edited by Kallisti
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Thanks guys :)

Be warned Don, its a bugger of a kit - LOTS Of filler and lots of inaccuracies.

I've also got the Imai Shado Mobile but its even worse - cast tracks, silly motorised wheels and the back pops open to reveal a tiny Sky 1 to fly out! WTF!!!

At least I have a Product Enterprise Shado Mobile to play with display on the shelf... ahem!

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You're a brave man.

Looking forward to the end result.

BTW, looking at the instructions, The vehicles,

There seems to be room inside for a 3 point turn?

They go in forwards, & come out forwards too!

Pete

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Bit more progress...

Its down to painting now, basic colour is Ford Oyster Gold Metallic but lots of panel shading will be done plus various other black or silver strips and panels. Main thing that done is the base:

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It had to be done :) The base is an old picture frame with a scrap bit of MDF stuck on one side which supports the holes for the acrylic rods. it was then painted dark blue and layers of clear bathroom sealant were spread over it to build up the body of the water, with some thinned transparent blue sprayed between layers to give the colour depth. Highlights dry brushed with white artist acrylic paint and cotton wool glues around the acrylic rods to represent the exhausts.

This one shows more of the paint job on Sky 1

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The nose is just dry fitted in this shot - havn't put the cockpit in yet as too much paint spraying going on! More panel lines and white, black and red lines to go on...

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HI,K,that looks stunning,love the silicone,and shading,excellent job,worthy of a magazine build article easy,ive seen a similar diorama,but can honestly say,yours looks the best..imho...cheers Don

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Oh yes - thank god I now have the shed to work in, even then I had to put it in the outside lean-too to dry so that it didn't stink the whole shed out. At one point my eyes were watering from the stinck :)

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I've also got the Imai Shado Mobile but its even worse - cast tracks, silly motorised wheels and the back pops open to reveal a tiny Sky 1 to fly out! WTF!!!

So...the Sky 1 kit has a miniature Shado Mobile inside, and the Mobile kit has a miniature Sky 1... :confused:

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Nice work as usual so far, Kal!

Would usually say "I'll be following this one with interest", but by the time i write this, it'll be finished & you'll be onto an IMAI "Joe 90" flying car!

(& that one is a REAL turd....!)

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Small update this afternoon... more painting, this time individual panels and stripes.

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This is after adding silver, white black and Tamiya Gold strips and panels.

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The nose is still just dry fitted as yet, cockpit still need to be added after all the spray painting is done.

No weathering yet and I had tried to doing a red line around the silver for the lower intake but that went horribly wrong so had to be oversprayed with Ford Oyster Gold and re-masked for the red line. That is currently drying in the shed. There are some thinner white and red lines that should be applied, but I think I'll do those from spare decals.

Bought some 1:72 aircraft decals one with white lettering and other with Tornado decals to get various stencils, warning placards and assorted bits to decorate it with.

Still need to do a silver square behind the cannon barrels, but that can wait until the cockpit is in and the nose can be joined properly.

I'n not sure whether I should add a red line on the nose intake in front of the black one - some photos seem to show it others don't. It might be one of the discrepancies between the various sized studio models.

Edited by Kallisti
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Great stuff, you seem to be whipping the kit into shape and the base is fantastic.

When did IMAI get good - I've only made the Mole (which was fantastic) but it sounds like that's the only good one from your description of most of the others?

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