pacificmustang Posted September 8, 2013 Share Posted September 8, 2013 (edited) Gday All Thought I better get started too. My build will be the venerable Hasegawa 1/48 kit done as a R.A.N aircraft, although at this stage not decided on final scheme So first off, the required box shot Now, unfortunately I did take shots of the cockpit, but when checking them to post they were unusably blurry so we now jump ahead to where I have glued the fuselage halves together not sure if I just got a badcopy but the fit was nothing to right home about, requiring much filling with super glue and rescribing To Be Continued! Edited September 9, 2013 by pacificmustang 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llking Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Welcome to the GB Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted September 9, 2013 Share Posted September 9, 2013 Good choice of markings. I also find that the fit isn't marvellous, I suppose it is because of the multiple variants offered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted September 10, 2013 Author Share Posted September 10, 2013 moving along, the stiffeners need to be removed from the intake sides for a RAN/Kiwi machine so they were simply sanded off with progressively finer grades of sanding sticks and sponges I must say, after a late start I am becoming a convert to using these sticks and sponges. I find the Flory skinny sticks and sponges invaluable, especially with armour builds The intakes were not a bad fit at all, after a bit of fettling, and dont worry Calum and Silver Fox, I have a couple of Trumpeter 32 kits to be done as A-4K's Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted September 10, 2013 Share Posted September 10, 2013 I must say, after a late start I am becoming a convert to using these sticks and sponges. I find the Flory skinny sticks and sponges invaluable, especially with armour builds The intakes were not a bad fit at all, after a bit of fettling, and dont worry Calum and Silver Fox, I have a couple of Trumpeter 32 kits to be done as A-4K's Bruce Phew, I was getting worried Bruce I agree about the sticks and sponges I find them excellent for sanding Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted September 11, 2013 Author Share Posted September 11, 2013 on to the slats, and an error in the kit. The slat wells have a pronounced step whereas the real a/c does not have this, the slat wells simply flowing into the wing upper surface with no step evident. Other builders have used various means to remedy this, such as cutting the slat well out and reattaching it flush with the upper wing, or using filler to blend it in. I suppose I could have left it, but would not be able to put up with Calum's bleating so thought I would skin the well with plastic card instead to bring the well up flush with the wing surface not sure how happy I am with this, may try a different technique on the next one. You may wonder why I have attached the slats this early in the piece. Well on every other A4 I have done I have knocked the slat actuators off, hopefully, attaching the slats now will lessen the odds of this happening Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted September 14, 2013 Share Posted September 14, 2013 Thanks Bruce . Oh I don't like your chances of not breaking the slats off Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 Looking good! always thought the Australian navy scheme was one of the nicest the Skyhawk wore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 and assembled. Over to the paintshop she goes. Slats still on Calum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted September 25, 2013 Share Posted September 25, 2013 Lets see how they last Bruce. Looking good BTW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted October 19, 2013 Author Share Posted October 19, 2013 and out of the paintshop ready for decalling.........still with slats paint by Xtracrylics, sprayed beautifully thinned with water Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llking Posted October 21, 2013 Share Posted October 21, 2013 thats looking good Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted October 22, 2013 Share Posted October 22, 2013 It's not over yet Bruce Looking good though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 (edited) and decaled I had fun sitting the roundels over the vortex generators and the rudder checks over the ribs NOT! Must have taken about ten coats of microsol and a bit of touch up in the end. OOPS, just spotted the wonky rescue arrow Edited October 23, 2013 by pacificmustang Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted October 23, 2013 Author Share Posted October 23, 2013 whilst waiting for all the decal solutions to dry, thought I might crack on with a second kit, so heres the cockpit done with a bit of help from Mr Eduard Most pics I have of skyhawks show them at rest with the tailplanes in the nose down position. Seeing as I had some steel beach stabiliser pivot plates in my possession I cut the kit ones off, which was probably a mistake as the resultant holes were far larger than the resin plates necessitating me filling them with bits of plastic card I also wanted to show the access hatch between the flaps opened, so cut this out of the kit bottom wing. Some dodgy scratchbuilding later, and I had some bulkheads and stringers in place. A piece of plastic tube to represent the aft section of the engine, and it should be good enough for what you will be able to see through the hatch This one will be done in the air superiority scheme Thanks for watching Bruce Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Fox Posted October 23, 2013 Share Posted October 23, 2013 on to the slats, and an error in the kit. The slat wells have a pronounced step whereas the real a/c does not have this, the slat wells simply flowing into the wing upper surface with no step evident. Other builders have used various means to remedy this, such as cutting the slat well out and reattaching it flush with the upper wing, or using filler to blend it in. I suppose I could have left it, but would not be able to put up with Calum's bleating so thought I would skin the well with plastic card instead to bring the well up flush with the wing surface not sure how happy I am with this, may try a different technique on the next one. You may wonder why I have attached the slats this early in the piece. Well on every other A4 I have done I have knocked the slat actuators off, hopefully, attaching the slats now will lessen the odds of this happening Thats one think hing that Classic Airframes got right on the TA-4, no slat well just a smooth transition. Lovely looking G. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted October 24, 2013 Share Posted October 24, 2013 (edited) Brave work Bruce, trying to detail the aft hell hole. Lots of stuff up there. I don't remember it being Zinc Chromate in colour IIRC it was silver Check out my web site http://a4-alley.x90x.net/models/Walkarounds/Skyhawk-Walkaround-2.html Edited October 24, 2013 by Calum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 oh.Buggar I missed that walkaround on your site Calum. To be honest, the added detail is just to give the effect of internal structure rather than a superdetailed interior. I can live with my spurious detail, the wrong colour is a different matter though. I now have the fuselage together so repainting is going to be difficult. Will have to see how much I can hit if I point the airbrush up there. Might just have to live with a ZC interior, but I will do the inside of the door silver. Wish I had found your walkaround earlier Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 (edited) Well if I ever see that particular model of yours in real life I'll not shine a torch up there. I'd like to open the aft hell door on my next build. We always left them open Edited October 26, 2013 by Calum Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted November 5, 2013 Author Share Posted November 5, 2013 getting there. I could even get this one finished meanwhile, on the other one DAMN YOU GIBSON!!!!!!!! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Perren Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Get on with it for goodness sake. Looks good so far just don't choke at the finish line Oops was that the mocker you just put on yourself, 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Calum Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Told ya so Bruce The other one looks terrific though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mumbles Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 getting there. I could even get this one finished meanwhile, on the other one DAMN YOU GIBSON!!!!!!!! If you're not breaking slat rails you're not building A-4's 888 looks good. As an aside does anyone know why the second batch of G's got numbered 87X instead of the 89X that might have been expected? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 (edited) If you're not breaking slat rails you're not building A-4's 888 looks good. As an aside does anyone know why the second batch of G's got numbered 87X instead of the 89X that might have been expected? The 87X batch of side numbers was still being used by the last surviving Sea Venom FAW-53's when the first batch of A-4's arrived. The 88X numbers had been used previously by Gannets (Which were nearly all retired by 1967) The second batch of (ex USN) A-4's arrived in 1971 by which time only a few target towing Venoms were still around and the 87X could be applied with little issue. The last Sea Venom (WZ-943) carried out the last RAN flight in 1973. The 89X numbers had been allocated to firstly the Westland Scouts then later on the Bell 206 Kiowa ( pocket rockets) Edited November 8, 2013 by NAVY870 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pacificmustang Posted November 21, 2013 Author Share Posted November 21, 2013 she's finished , just need to get some pics up, so waiting for a sunny day Work continues on the other one, will be pushing to get it done by the 1st, but we'll see Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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