"MASSIVE and OLD" It's only a ruddy GRUMMAN EA-6B Prowler 1/48 by Airfix.

[Jackster]

Just caught up with this, superb work John, very inspiring

[The Spadgent]

Last night we had progress, yes people real bonafide progress. Not loads but some. Let me begin.

 

Look at that! Wings in a Rodger Dean styling. They are scribed and stuck together. The pin marks in the well got sanded and they are ready for action.

Next up.

I had been fretting about the little port bits on the side of the fuselage because they had no holes, also the little bubbles and bobbles on her chin had gone all wonky during the mummy era. The Mr Surfacer had turned up so I sprang into action and filed everything off, well not everything. First the side pod vent hole things.

 

And gone.

 

I have some extra bits and bobs now so luckily I'd the very pod, vent, hole things for the job.

PING! Thanks better. Now off with the chin stuff and lashings of Mr Surfacer "MS" from now on.

 

So smooth, the best a man can get. then on with the new bits, the oval bit was a sanded down bit of the boys years old Revell Tomcat and the rounded bit is an of bit of Tamiya sprue.

PING!!

 

Checking out some pics online the exhausts pop or slightly proud of the rear ports. Not like the Airfix kit seen here.

 

I needed something round. Hmmmmm.

 

Brilliant, out with Dexter and wham, exhausts.

 

They might need a little thinning after seeing the photo but they're pretty good.

After a few liberal blobs of MS in a few wobble points I need to prime again to check for last minute lumpy bumpy. Masking time for the pit.

 

Then a blast of Tamiya primer and apart from a few bits everything is looking rather cool.

 

 

 

I had to get some wet and dry to sand the last little bits, which I precured today so there was nothing for it but step FIVE!

WINGS!

 

They took a bit of leveling and I need some milliput action but regardless we got wwiinnggss.

 

I was hoping to get more done tonight but BBQ calls. Thank you all so much for your patience. This is s real learning curve but I feel like the hump is behind me. Looking forward to paint now. I'm off for a pint.

Thanks for looking and as always happy modelling.

Johnny wings.

Edited September 4, 2017 by The Spadgent

[The Spadgent]

Lovely!

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by The Spadgent

[bigbadbadge]

Hi John

Look at you with your Mr Surfacer!!! Looks great fella, this is coming on really well and looks great.

Your son's Lanc looks great by the way.

Partial to a drop of Hobgoblin myself although Fursty Ferret is the favourite at the moment followed closely by Furkin Fox, lovely beers !

Enjoy the BBQ

All the best
Chris

[Spookytooth]

All looking good there John.

Just hope the Hobgoblin was cooled sufficiently .

Simon.

[TheBaron]

Smiles all round tonight I reckon. Prowling along very nicely indeed with that surface work. Have a great evening! You don't run a pub do you? Your garden looks suspiciously like a beer garden in at last photo. 'The Modellers Arms'

[Phil Lewis]

Your cave is in the loft? Awesome.

Mine is the spare room, yes, a whole room

I have defended it against all who wouldst wrest it from me and it's now mine, ALL MINE!!!

A keg of Hobgoblin? I never knew there was such an animal. Obviously not designed for sharing

[Phil Lewis]

'This is s real learning curve but I feel like the hump is behind me.'

Isn't that what Quasimodo said?

[Tomoshenko]

The added pods and ducts thingies look good. Much better than the blobby bits they replaced. Last piccie - two things, looks a little overscale, and recommend a light misting of Tamiya smoke or dusting of pastels then semi-matt varnish to tone things down a bit.

[The Spadgent]

The added pods and ducts thingies look good. Much better than the blobby bits they replaced. Last piccie - two things, looks a little overscale, and recommend a light misting of Tamiya smoke or dusting of pastels then semi-matt varnish to tone things down a bit.

Thanks for the feedback, Which bits look over size, The nose bits or the side? Btw it's still at the primer sanding stage at the mo.

[The Spadgent]

Thanks for all the lovely comments guys.

Smiles all round tonight I reckon. Prowling along very nicely indeed with that surface work. Have a great evening! You don't run a pub do you? Your garden looks suspiciously like a beer garden in at last photo. 'The Modellers Arms'

I wish although it did feel like it last night.

Mine is the spare room, yes, a whole room

I have defended it against all who wouldst wrest it from me and it's now mine, ALL MINE!!!

A keg of Hobgoblin? I never knew there was such an animal. Obviously not designed for sharing

Yes a keg. £10 offer from the shops. I couldn't say no. :)

[TonyTiger66]

It looks great John. Your spate of dismembering with Dexter and files was a good idea, the new details are spot on .

You chaps with your lovely real beers, and choice too ! Three thousand brands of fizzy lager here, no good for a Pom .

I've never had ruby beer, that looks very interesting. I still like Mild, not sure if anywhere still has it on tap in the UK? The only decent pint I can get is Guinness from a little Irish bar nearby. They also serve Kilkenny which is nice, but very powerful !

Sorry to wander OT. The sight of that keg and the beer garden has made me quite homesick...

Great work John

Tony

[Howlindawg]

The sight of that keg and the beer garden has made me quite homesick...

We can post some pics of the rain if that helps any?

[Tomoshenko]

Thanks for the feedback, Which bits look over size, The nose bits or the side? Btw it's still at the primer sanding stage at the mo.

...

Lovely!

[The Spadgent]

It looks great John. Your spate of dismembering with Dexter and files was a good idea, the new details are spot on .

You chaps with your lovely real beers, and choice too ! Three thousand brands of fizzy lager here, no good for a Pom .

I've never had ruby beer, that looks very interesting. I still like Mild, not sure if anywhere still has it on tap in the UK? The only decent pint I can get is Guinness from a little Irish bar nearby. They also serve Kilkenny which is nice, but very powerful !

Sorry to wander OT. The sight of that keg and the beer garden has made me quite homesick...

Great work John

Tony

Thanks Tony, I'm happy with the way the whole thing is converging. To be fair I could work on this adding little bits and bobs forever and a day but I need an end goal and frankly I'm feeling good vibes from the kit at the moment, I'm sure it could be a lot better but hell it could be a whole lot worse. I think what I'm trying to say is that after tonight's work I'm in a happy place. As for beer, ive been a real ale but since I was about fifteen, which is good living in the midlands with a wealth of top breweries like Bathams, Enville and pardoes to name but three. Mild is still alive and kicking and if you get the chance "Sarah Huges Ruby Mild" is a bloody top pint. I think you might be able to get the good stuff imported but I'm not 100 % sure. If you want to tease yourself have a butchers at the CAMRA web site. Lots of beer festival goodness.

Btw. I was in my back garden, although it is usually quite beer laden. . Hope you're feeling better.

All the best.

Johnny booze and plastic.

Edited August 18, 2016 by The Spadgent

[The Spadgent]

...

. Oh I see. . I'm such an idiot.

[AdrianMF]

John,

Maybe this is a little too little and a little too late, but I got a quick hour in the Wings Over The Rockies Museum last weekend with a colleague on the way back to Denver Airport and I managed to grab these snaps of their Prowler. They may help you with the detail:

It is a big beast!

If you are building it with folded wings, these may help, and if you aren't, they will at least make you glad you aren't!!





Regards,
Adrian

[The Spadgent]

John,

Maybe this is a little too little and a little too late, but I got a quick hour in the Wings Over The Rockies Museum last weekend with a colleague on the way back to Denver Airport and I managed to grab these snaps of their Prowler. They may help you with the detail:

It is a big beast!

If you are building it with folded wings, these may help, and if you aren't, they will at least make you glad you aren't!!

Regards,

Adrian

Adrian I can't thank you enough. These are brilliant, I'm working on colours and details at the moment and the ref that's out there isn't great. I have a few sources but these shots really help. Thank you once again. Oh and I'm thankful I'm building wings open.

John.

[The Spadgent]

Hey guys. Thanks for all the great feedback and especially the source material. A few bits over the last two nights.

The wings nearly fitted with no trouble. I used The masking method of filling the gappage.

 

I rolled up little worms of milliput, popped em in and rolled em flat.

 

While that cured I detailed the mid wheel wells with fuse wire, these aren't too busy so less is more in this case.

 

Next day after the milliput had dried off came the tape.

 

Then that got a good sand with some wet and dry. I decided to see where we were instructions wise as I really haven't been following them religiously.

 

What! Step seven? the legs need putting together. Along with the grapple bit. I dry fitted it but it needs painting before it goes back in place

 

Oh yes aaaaand tail fins, yup only ruddy tail fins. They fitted pretty much off the bat. some vents near the air con duct needed some drilling with the new, "ahem" new Dremel clone thing.

 

Brill, although I have bought safety goggles to go with said item. Any way after a full tooth brushing with water the whole thing got a once over with tamiya primer. Again!

 

 

 

Looking pretty neat to my un trained eye. This was then left to dry over night.

Last night was spent making some progress and a bit of a boo boo. Let's see if you can spot the school boy error.

The wheel struts got built but I forgot to photo and I got actual paint onto the bottom of this baby. White paint so forgive me if you can't tell the difference. Regardless we have last nights white.

 

And the first coat this morning.

 

It looked ok but then it dawned on me..... I'd forgotten to......

*cue cheap tense music

"Can you guess what idiot mitts forgot to do before painting his big plane white? If you know post up, answers tomorrow, when more prowler action will commence".

Edited September 4, 2017 by The Spadgent

[Phil Lewis]

I guess you'll be post shading rather than preshading then

Looking excellent and you're fairly motoring along

[TheBaron]

I believe a 'Yay!' is in order on the grounds of all that physical structure you've pulled together there John Nice work, and suddenly an imposing bit of machinery comes together before our eyes!

I think you're going to enjoy that Dremelclone, no model is too complete that you can't grind something off it on a whim.

I believe Phil wins the prize for the shade-detection competition. I think you said the prize was couple of barrels of Hobgoblin?

Don't forget to PM him your address Phil about where to send it, before he forgets...

Have a good Sunday chaps,

Tony

[The Spadgent]

I guess you'll be post shading rather than preshading then

Looking excellent and you're fairly motoring along

Well done phill. 10 points to Gryffidoor.

I believe a 'Yay!' is in order on the grounds of all that physical structure you've pulled together there John Nice work, and suddenly an imposing bit of machinery comes together before our eyes!

I think you're going to enjoy that Dremelclone, no model is too complete that you can't grind something off it on a whim.

I believe Phil wins the prize for the shade-detection competition. I think you said the prize was couple of barrels of Hobgoblin?

Don't forget to PM him your address Phil about where to send it, before he forgets...

Have a good Sunday chaps,

Tony

Thanks Tony. talking dremel clones, I didn't have anything to hold the base unit with so I popped it in my lap while using the bendy "little" end bit. You know the one with no off switch. Imagine how I laughed when it nearly slipped from my fingers into the soft thigh flesh moral of this story is I need a little harness to hang my Dremel clone thing from. £15 squids well spent though.

Oh an I think they stopped making beer in barrels, actually altogether. *leaves quickly tripping over cape.

[Howlindawg]

Looking very impressive so far.

Keep going! Keep going!

[The Spadgent]

Well done to Phil spotting that Tiny mind here had totally forgotten a very important step. "Pre shade the monster"

Well as Mr Lewis mentiond I could post shade. Well why take an easy road when there is a perfectly good hard one just next to it. let's start again.

This time with post shade. Bum.

 

 

 

And face.

I added the little squiggles to put a little variation towards the panel lines. Looking rather spiffy if I do say so myself.

The underside got its paint back. "Many" coats of white paint died to get it here.

But I do love a pre shade.

 

As did the landing gear.

 

 

And this morning I got masking for the top half.

 

Pass one.

 

Pass two.

And the final little middle pass.

 

After all that I'm happy with the results. I'll let it dry for s bit. I tidied the desk up and am heading off to make the kids breakfast.

Thanks for keeping me sane guys. I'm having a load of fun doing this one, can't wait to see if the decals will explode when they hit the water.

Hopefully more later. Take care and as always Happy Modelling.

Johnny paint job

Edited September 4, 2017 by The Spadgent

[Tomoshenko]

Top draw work. Not always a fan of pre-shading as I find it difficult to get the balance right and not over do it. All a question of taste and preference though. Mind you done well it looks the business. especially on grey aircraft which look a bit ... erm grey... and benefit from tonal variation. Impressive job bringing the old beast to life.