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Ugandan Air Force SU-30MK - Complete


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That looks pretty good to me!

What base colour did you use for the green? I'd like to do a 48th one of these someday!

Dave

Dave

Before I cocked it up by adding a bit too much white I used Xtracolour X629 with a few drops of Xtracolour X148 which is what you see in the picture with the masking still on. I thought that a little too dark, or it might be after some varnish, so I lightened it - just a little too much. I should have left it alone after the first coat!

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It does look a touch light BUT in my experience tamiya paints do darken up a lot under varnish coats. If you're feeling brave you could try over spraying a dark filter coat...

As for the canopy the mould line does sand out fairly easily, at least the one on my Su-27 did, try micromesh or one of those multi grade polishing sticks then finish with a polish compound, toothpaste apparently works for this!! Don't start with too harsh a grade though, say 240 or 400 a medium grade.

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Hmm I'm thinking a patchy drybrushing with a slightly darker tone of each colour may help give this one a sun-faded look that'll save a full repaint.

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Time and again I'm coming back to this thread the last few days, and think about what to recommend. Dry brushing sounds like a good idea: at least it's meanwhile sure that they've lost some of their colour since most of photos were taken (about 5-6 years ago).

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Right, decided that despite my post Six Nations.......erm, sore head, that there was only one option - mask up and respray :(

I've taken a bold step and gone back to the mix above but no white added!

E5F4F473-97A5-4D4A-9DC1-A96DBC880BED_zps

Much happier with the finish although I still think I could have gone a shade lighter.

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Sigh... you're putting me on the rack!

It's on the best way of becoming excellent, Roland.

Don't make it any ligher. Just add decals (after suitable preparations, of course) and some wash, then it's going to be perfect.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Gear down, might be on final approach with my Flanker. Also put a coat of Klear on ready for decalling; which might get done tomorrow if I'm lucky.

Have got one slight problem though. Decided to have a go at polishing off the horrendous seam down the centre of the canopy. All was going well until I pushed my fat finger into the canopy a little too hard and now I have a crack down the centre of the canopy :(

876AAD80-3A71-4BF7-BADF-557A94F623A6_zps

6D7CD968-C19E-4A88-B681-82AB87623146_zps

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...didn't they tell you that modern-day Sukhois cannot be repaired with hammer? :rant:

But seriously now: extremely sorry to hear about the cracked canopy, mate. Your build is getting together in best imaginable fashion. You've got the colours right too... sigh... is there a way to obtain a replacement?

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So having taken a file to the terrible seam along the canopy, the first time I have tried this technique, and then dipped the canopy in Klear, I was really quite pleased with the result

B78CBEBB-AC5E-44A8-BCFC-D1821EFDA6F6_zps

Pity about the crack along the canopy now though, anyone got any suggestions?

05E27547-C6C7-4582-937F-0AE97068B85B_zps

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It's a real pity about the crack Roland.

I'm guessing that the solution is most likely to be one of disguise rather than repair. Something laid across the top? Canvas sun-shade?

Sorry that's probably not much help!

Good luck

Cliff

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Yup, a canvas sun-shade might be a good idea. There is a photo of 015 showing it with one (in light grey) that's covering nearly all of the canopy (quite a rarity, actually, then these aircraft are usually parked inside a hangar, and towed out only for flight ops).

...though, of course: then all the work on inside of the cockpit will be in wain...

Isn't there a way to order a replacement canopy - whether from Trumpeter or somewhere else?

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A 'BTW' here: perhaps ironic, but 015 was the example that suffered a bird strike, quite soon after arriving in Uganda.

She was grounded for at least a month too...

Edited by Tom Cooper
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Great paint finish - sorry to hear about your canopy woes.

I've made quite a few of Trumpeter's Flankers - and, after a couple of sucesses eliminating and polishing out the seam, on one build I tried rubbing down the slide-mould seam - only to expose a nasty 'step' in the underlying join.

I think it may have been on a two-seater.

So on my later builds I leave that seam well alone.

A rather drastic solution may be to cover the whole forward fuselage with a canvas bag - like the Russians do........

day02_01.jpg

.... which is why you should really have two shades on a model of an operational Russian Flanker - brighter paint on the covered forward fuselage and faded on the rest of the airframe.

Great progress so far thouigh...

Ken

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Well I think that is it for this one; I declare her complete.

Quick wash with some of Flory's wash and a cote of Humbrol matt cote and we have:

a19eed06-bce5-498b-ad0e-ff97ae3e2e11_zps

2CEE3FBF-4C64-4F83-BB09-B0D4A202AE2F_zps

F8291D00-DFFF-4767-902D-8B9EC41921C9_zps

I will try to get some more pictures in some natural light as these are a little harsh from the fluorescent tube.

One down and one to go; time to devote some attention to my Kenyan F-5E.

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