bar side Posted May 21, 2021 Author Share Posted May 21, 2021 She has her id tonight - D-8062. I started painting the cockpit frames and then got the main decals on. Stencils still to be done & I am tempted to reproduce the frame in the cockpit to open it You can see the canopy frame & opening mechanism in the shot Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 22, 2021 Author Share Posted May 22, 2021 Tanks painted, airbrakes fitted, pitot added, frame in canopy done. Just the stencil decals to add now I think 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 23, 2021 Author Share Posted May 23, 2021 Decalling all done on the Starfighter. I know I wanted German but the Dutch Starfighter has really grown on me. Still needs a flat coat to seal the decals & then maybe some chalk highlight & tone down And with her replacement 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted May 25, 2021 Author Share Posted May 25, 2021 I put up an RFI for the Starfighter today. I would still like to put on some chalks and fade it down a bit & pick out some detail, but I don’t know when I will get to that. Now that big old Blackbird is calling loudly, but the Buccaneer has been waiting patiently, as has the Spangdahlem F-16C and the Wild Weasel. But I wanted to do the Shackelton this summer. Decisions decisions.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 4, 2021 Author Share Posted June 4, 2021 (edited) Dug out my silver F-104C from the loft. I am sure it was an ESCI kit. I wanted a G model back then but this was all I could find at a good price. Between that & the Super Sabre I was going to do the Century Series jets. But apart from the F-100 (mine is a Wethersfield jet) and the single seat Voodoos at Bentwaters the rest didn’t feature much in the UK. So I stuck with the UK / Europe theme instead She may get a new role as chase plane for the Blackbird. Which keeps looking at me from the shelf. Well, let’s face it, it is as big as the shelf! Edited June 4, 2021 by bar side Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 6, 2021 Author Share Posted June 6, 2021 The more I think about it the more I think I should finish off the F-16 group that I started a while back. There is one left to go & I feel sure that if I don’t I will start loosing bits! So an F-16C from Spangdahlem is in order. Something a bit like this Not a Weasel, no targeting pod on the intake. This batch was mainly transferred to Bentwaters to for the aggressor squadron there. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 8, 2021 Author Share Posted June 8, 2021 So dug out the F-16 and I think I have everything I need. The whole body needs rescribing but otherwise it should come together pretty quickly The cockpit is all done so any extra wheel well details, cut off the rear stabilisers, cut slots to fit the new ones (was thinking a nice jaunty tilt upwards at the front) tail & fuselage back plate to go on. Then she will be well on the way 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 Congrats on reaching 60K Rearguards, Badder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 15, 2021 Author Share Posted June 15, 2021 6 minutes ago, Badder said: Congrats on reaching 60K Rearguards, Badder Cheers Badder - I don’t notice! Typical as that comes up while I am spending time getting the garden sorted & not building much! Need to get that F-16 moving along Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 13 minutes ago, bar side said: Cheers Badder - I don’t notice! Typical as that comes up while I am spending time getting the garden sorted & not building much! Need to get that F-16 moving along The only model I've ever built that had wings is the Space Shuttle.............. oh hang on............. and Schumacher's 2001 ferrari. lol. But I do occasionally pop in to see your work and noticed the 60k mark coming up. I think it's worthy of a mention, if not a certificate/medal beside your avatar. lol. Rearguards, Badder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 15, 2021 Author Share Posted June 15, 2021 Visits are always appreciated @Badder! I ventured in to F1 cars for a bit, even Tamiya ships, not to mention model railways. But this thread has become my generally area for cogitation and deliberation with a few plastic things with wheels or wings that end up gathering dust while sitting around the house. I guess there are worse habits to have. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badder Posted June 15, 2021 Share Posted June 15, 2021 10 minutes ago, bar side said: hat end up gathering dust while sitting around the house. I guess there are worse habits to have. Joking aside, dust is a huge issue with my dio since it's been sitting around for a few years..... er... gathering dust. It's absolutely covered in it. Unfortunately the 'seafoam' trees/bushes are going to have to be replaced as trying to clean them up will have to involve a high pressure jet spray lol. The static grass isn't looking too good either, but that's easier to sort out. Everything else is fine though and once I've got my indestructible/vacuumable/washable tree done I'll get around to finishing the dio. And then I'll have to make the AFVs to go on it! lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 16, 2021 Author Share Posted June 16, 2021 Yep, that sounds about right @Badder! My struggle is that everything has to come apart to store it so nothing is permanently fixed & the garage is not a great place for cardboard to sit for 6 months at a time. My Type C hangar so so big it can only be set up outside so any concept of detail looses out to rubustness (if that is a word) and without a permanent place to set these up that is the way it will be. So every time I set things up I need time for running repairs before a winged thing goes near it. And those big builds - I wanted to start my Shackelton soon - just get pushed back. The joys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Thinking about moving the next F-16 build on to its own thread. Keep getting ideas to do some more bits on it. I will post the link once I have set a thread up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 21, 2021 Author Share Posted June 21, 2021 Started the WIP thread for the last Viper Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 I liked the ESCI F-104 so much I got another one! Different box but the same kit Sadly the guy who sold it can’t find the decals or instructions. I still don’t have good German decals so it’s tempting to use the left over Italian decals from the last kit. Not all stencils were common so between those and the spares box I might be able to cobble another Starfighter together. And Video Aviation do a nice Italian start cart too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted June 30, 2021 Author Share Posted June 30, 2021 The Spang Viper is slowly progressing but I thought I would get together my three Kelly Johnson jets. Once I get on to the Blackbird that will be 4. And the TR-1 needs a proper dust! You can just about see that they both started from the same basic body. I had forgotten quite how big the wings on the Dragon Lady are 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 9, 2021 Author Share Posted July 9, 2021 I think I am going to have to have a round up of ground equipment soon. I have a Skunkworks Harlan tug to build, the rest of an ESCI ground crew set, and now another one of these I am tempted to build the ESCI trolley as a one of these covered box trolleys I wouldn’t mind a little LOX cart like this one too. But an RAF nitrogen one like this would be on list too Now I know they are made by Flightpath, but were is the fun in that? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 17, 2021 Author Share Posted July 17, 2021 I do sometimes see a picture & think ‘that would make a great shed for my diorama’. Happened this morning The RAF Leuchars QRA shed. Now I did start making a frame for a QRA shed years ago, but without the concertina doors this just looks to be a nice simple 2 bay shed, home to Lightnings & Phantoms. I am sure other types would feel at home too. Not too deep either. Oh well, another long term plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 27, 2021 Author Share Posted July 27, 2021 The F-16 build has just about finished, so next step is FOD cover & rbf tags and set up the HAS Think I just won a Mirage IV on eBay, so add that to the 2 F-4s, Starfighter, Buccaneer, F-15 etc. And really must do some more ground equipment. Also found a lovely 70s shot of an articulated Mack refueler truck. So tempted to get a tanker trailer & repaint my other Mack truck cab 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 30, 2021 Author Share Posted July 30, 2021 I do sometimes think that Ian a dinosaur looking back at the 80s and building models of past memories. It’s easy to think all of that is gone and aviation today is all 5th generation and changed beyond all recognition. So I went out to visit some local bases in the sunshine yesterday. Saw this little beauty flying at Lakenheath Looked and sounded great. But hang on a second, what is her tail number? F-15D 84 046? A 1984 built jet? Two years older than my Spang Viper! Surely an exception to prove the rule. The E models are a bit newer But they all live in the HAS complex Must have seen 10 launch yesterday. Loved it! And don’t mention the Hercs and KC-135s at Mildenhall Yes the Osprey is a bit newer, but it’s tempting to make one of these & a Strike Eagle too So maybe I am not quite as out of touch as I thought. Great to see HASes in use & the jets of my youth still doing their thing 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted July 31, 2021 Author Share Posted July 31, 2021 I think the time has come for some more ground equipment. Although there are plenty of kits waiting, I have most of an ESCI and all of a Hasegawa ground crew sets but I don’t want to just duplicate things I already have. My first thought was to use the ESCI flat bed trolley and turn it in to a box trolley like the one at Bentwaters The basic trolley looks wrong, so this might be an improvement. A nice little oxygen cart would be good too. I fancy a new RAF Houchin from Videoaviation, and maybe an Italian F-104 start cart. But I also fancy an RAF Nitgrogen trolley. Now Flightpath do one that looks like this But getting reference pics is not proving easy. The main stumbling block with scratch building trolleys are the wheels. Tricky to reproduce them. So as I have the unbuilt Hasegawa set available I thought I might try to resin cast some wheels. Never tried it before so here goes. I got some two part resin a long time ago to try this so hopefully it’s still good. And I had wondered about using blutac as a mould. So press the kit wheels ( both sides) in to the blutac. Mix the two parts 50/50 & stir. Also spray the blutac with a light oil to help release the cast resin. I mixed batch one for one minute and put it down while I sprayed the moulds. When I picked it up it was hot & setting, so the resin is still good! But I missed the point to pour it & it set. Batch two worked better (batch one can be seen as the lump at the top So how would they turn out? Not bad actually I trimmed them up and superglued the halves together and fitted an axel stub to help with the clean up. Filed the edges down, primed & painted them. So here are the same wheels from Hasegawa kit 1 and my cast ones next to them Definitely usable. Next time I might just do one side & make the mould deeper but with a flat back.Anyway, I now have wheels to build from. Quite a success I think Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthspud Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Wheels are always hard to source for gse. Really must try and get some. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bar side Posted August 2, 2021 Author Share Posted August 2, 2021 3 hours ago, darthspud said: Wheels are always hard to source for gse. Really must try and get some. Yes you can s teach build a frame or a body but wheels are tricky. And 1/72 or 1/76 wheels for diecast would be about the right diameter but may be too shallow. I tried another cast, this time a bit deeper but with no back Not the worst results and again usable Finally found my sheet plasticard (it slid down the back of the stash!) today so I can get started. But when looking at the stash these were looking back at me Tempted to start the Eagle after watching them again last week, but the Weasel, or the German F model Toom. And the Buccaneer. And I didn’t even include the Blackbird or Shackelton. And I have a A-26 that I would like to light up & fit motors to. Oh well start some ground equipment & see how I feel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darthspud Posted August 2, 2021 Share Posted August 2, 2021 Think I'm going to scratch more weapon racks and stillage. Might do some trailer frames, just need wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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