bar side Posted January 18, 2021 Author Share Posted January 18, 2021 Seats painted & instruments added, one main panel still to do otherwise the 4 cockpits are about there. The Monogram cockpit still has its kit seat, the others don’t The part built one has its first part tail feathers fitted. It’s had its wheels broken off and the front leg & wheel are missing. I think I can scratch a leg & try resin casting a wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 19, 2021 Author Share Posted January 19, 2021 I am working through building up the second viper tail at the moment, but you often see F-16s parked with the rear elevators tips pointing skywards. The easiest way to do this would be to cut the kit ones off and build new ones. So out with a sheet of plasticard The new fins next to the one of the two kits still in build The silver one has had a coat of grey primer all over and the brown one has its new tail feathers and wheel bays painted. And the new fins just for comparison to the modified ones And I posted on the wanted section and I have had a offer of a new nose wheel for this one. Looks like I have most of the rest of the parts so maybe all 4can get built. Looking to order paint but posting spray cans send to have shot up in price. Ten quid for postage plus delivery supplement for hazardous materials. Must have a look around at other shops Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 20, 2021 Author Share Posted January 20, 2021 I was painting grey and I walked past this slightly bigger grey US jet. Puts the F-16 squarely in its place More bits done. Bits of a smooth down & touch up the primer on the silver jet. Ventral fins on. Filler & sand down of the horizontal stabs on the brown jet (now had ventral fins added too). White jet body halves closed & now has its nose on. The Monogram white jet is very toylike soft white plastic. It wouldn’t scribe well, so that is being left alone. And a quick scribe & paint of the replacement horizontal stabilisers to go on the fourth jet. They are all coming along Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 21, 2021 Author Share Posted January 21, 2021 Got the brown Viper ready for priming today So now I have 2 primed Vipers. I have started adding extra bits including nose bulges and sensors, and anti static tail tags. And the white one is starting to come together. Halves together, nose on and now adding the larger tail Not sure how far paint stocks will go but more is on order. Can kind of see one getting some top coat paint soon & a set of wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danbuoy Posted January 22, 2021 Share Posted January 22, 2021 On 1/19/2021 at 7:42 PM, bar side said: Looking to order paint but posting spray cans send to have shot up in price. Ten quid for postage plus delivery supplement for hazardous materials. Must have a look around at other shops I've been ordering most of my Airfix spray cans from Time Tunnel Models. Cans were £5.79 each, and delivery £2.95. Only issue was that they use Hermes, who left the parcel on my doorstep in plain view of anyone walking past, despite it having a large sticker on the front saying "Do not leave unattended"! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 I will try them next time then @danbuoy I ordered direct from Humbrol in the end. Postage was £4.95 but I got 4 cans. Not the cheapest but should keep me going. Got the white one primed today so now three grey Vipers. One has its panel preshade so ready for some top coat paint. Noses are darker as the paint would have been over black, so darker 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 22, 2021 Author Share Posted January 22, 2021 The tail on the silver Viper has some anti static tags and body side formation lights. Bit different to the original prototype small tail 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 Finally got my hands on a kit I have been after for a while Now the Vipers can get posed with a tanker and ground crew. Even a Viper in the box photo! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 The tail of the Monogram one was a little more basic than the ESCI ones. I wanted to build a long tail base Viper so I cut away the Monogram tail base and attached a spare ESCI long base with the extended parachute housing. But then it became obvious that the top of the tail is missing the extended squared off fairing, a the beacon and other bits. Also the intake sides are missing the port & starboard lights. So all tidied up. The plan is for an all over mid grey finish as a Norwegian jet, hence the need for the long tail base 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 23, 2021 Share Posted January 23, 2021 They're all coming along nicely and I'm glad you sorted the paint problem. It looks like you are enjoying yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 23, 2021 Author Share Posted January 23, 2021 Yes @Pete in Lincs this is good fun. Planning, checking the references, building different versions. And all cheap kits so if it all goes wrong not a lot lost. The Belgian jet is coming along. The underside is painted and the mid grey sides, top side nose and tail are painted, just the dark grey to go on and the nose cone to paint. A feature of these kits is that you can’t get the underside body together before you fit the main wheels, so more to do underneath The paint on the white one is one colour grey all over, so need to finish off details like the tail anti static tags before painting. Could end up with two painted and on their wheels in a few days. The grey no.2 jet has taken a back seat. Almost ready for paint but I still don’t know what she will be - maybe another Dutch Viper. But with no nose wheel it seems best to put her on hold. That leaves the last one with nothing more than a built cockpit so far. That will become the block 30 Spangdahlem jet with the shark mouth. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 Last chance to get these three together before they start to get their identities The rudderless one is going on hold now and the other two are getting the first top coat pass. Will need touching up & lots of bits to do. But after some paint this is how they look. Test balanced on the wheels, all still needs painting and sorting. Glazing is just balanced on too. Exhausts are just started & blutaced on too. All the same starting to look the part Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 24, 2021 Author Share Posted January 24, 2021 A comparison of the new Viper and my old Dutch F-16. I used a different grey (Humbrol 27 as opposed to Humbrol 164) and I think the nose needs to go a bit darker. The new one has the longer tail with parachute housing and the later larger horizontal stabilisers. Still need to add the wing tip missile rails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 25, 2021 Author Share Posted January 25, 2021 Just 4 lined up. Should look good with 6 And the production line The Belgian Viper is getting near to the finish line now. Wheels are on & painted. Last bits might go on tomorrow & then decals Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stickframe Posted January 26, 2021 Share Posted January 26, 2021 Bar Side, you are indeed, a jet-building machine - wow. You seem to belt another one out in record time. A few posts up, you show the fuel truck you purchased. I remember when it was released, and as something of a truck nut, I was interested, so, am looing forward to seeing you build it! Cheers Nick Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 26, 2021 Author Share Posted January 26, 2021 Cheers @Stickframe looking forward to getting in to that tanker box too. The Viper progress continues. Viper 1 is about ready for decals And a real bonus. One kit was missing its front wheel & leg. I was out in the garage & looked on the floor and spotted something familiar. The wheel must have fallen out of the package when I opened it & there it was on the floor. So all of the bits needed to finish this one off. Just need the paint (arriving tomorrow) and to decide on the decals and final version And the Norwegian one is ready for decals too So putting all of the bits together number 3 isn’t far off 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 27, 2021 Author Share Posted January 27, 2021 Day of decaling today. First the Belgian Viper. I used an old ESCI decal set. The lining fell apart. Agony of trying to line the bits up. Then the main decals were doing the same. Even the rudder flag fell apart. So I used one from the new decal set. And that fell apart too! So a mix & match tail with one side ESCI & one aftermarket. Got her done in the daylight though So I thought I would go with the new set lining for the Norwegian viper. And that fell apart too! There should be enough lining for 3 in the set but not anymore. So I have enough for one and another ESCI lining set that hopefully is a little more robust! Anyway, 2 done. Both need small stencils - no step etc. But the way things have fallen apart I couldn’t face it today. And then a flat varnish coat to seal it. Couldn’t resist all 4 together. Just another 2 to go. And on the vehicle front I got another one today. Philippe on the Spangdahlem dio on ARC Forums had long ago recommended Maisto die casts in 1/46. I found a pickup on eBay in the uk for £1 plus postage and thought what could go wrong? Looks pretty good to me. It’s a pull and go toy but a new paint job & she will be good And my paint order arrived so I can get on with the next two. Keeping busy. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 28, 2021 Author Share Posted January 28, 2021 Got the Norwegian one out in the daylight today Along with the Belgian one still needs smal stencils doing but has had a flat coat. Speaking of which, the new pickup got a primer coat today & here is posing with the Belgian Viper And number 4 got checked over today & the wheels painted. First bits of top coat are now on. Just too dark grey & the nose to do. The tail is now fitted and she will become another Dutch Viper code J-624 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted January 28, 2021 Share Posted January 28, 2021 Aside from the decal problems, things are looking up. The truck looks good, that was a lucky find in the garage and the jets look great. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 28, 2021 Author Share Posted January 28, 2021 Cheers Pete. Yes got lucky with that nose wheel. It’s been nice to mess about with some cheap kits. Nothing to lose really 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 The risk bit with this one was the undercarriage. It was put on by the previous builder and the broken off to package it up, or it broke off in transit. I though5 I had all the bits until I test fitted the main legs & then I found a piece was missing. A small length (5 - 6mm) turned up in the box, so I glued it up more in hope than anticipation But it has all held together and she sits level - must have got all of the right bits in the right place. So on with the build and she is about ready for decals. So this week’s three And three ESCIs together The plan is for her to be J-624 as in this pic 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Suprastar3000 Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 Been following this for a long time and loving the diversity and scope of this build. And here's me thinking not much aircraft support vehicles and equipment is available for 1/48. LOL Excellent work mate. Those F16 are cracking! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 29, 2021 Author Share Posted January 29, 2021 Well when there isn’t much you just have to work around it @Suprastar3000! Always more I would like - a bobtail Jeep tug, a Leland RAF tanker, etc but I am slowly getting there. The F-16s will look good with a mid 80s fighter meet line up. A Tonka F3, Lightning, F-15, FGR2 and I could do with building a German Starfighter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 The Viper has some lining and the pickup has gone blue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted January 31, 2021 Author Share Posted January 31, 2021 Latest Viper has her Dutch markings. Still needs a flat coat & a few bits And the 4 Euro Vipers - is that a nest of Vipers yet? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now