SU-27 Flanker, Red 36

[Tyxxx]

Evening fellow modellers, I have been following your posts with great interest for several months. I thought I would have a go myself, please be gentle!

I have started a project that I have wanted to have a stab at for many years. As with a lot of us I had a long break from modelling, around 14 years. A career in the Air Force where I wielded a camera at every opportunity left me with no time for kit bashing. I started back into modelling 10 years ago, flirting with figure sculpting and painting. I have now returned to the world of fast jets, my first love, with a desire to model subjects that I photographed, remembered from the news or appeared in magazine articles. I also want to depict them flying, capturing a moment in time. (I used to hate painting white undercarriage)

That leads us nicely into this build, inspired by some of the first images that appeared in the press in 1987 of a Sukhoi SU-27 Flanker, Red 36 that got a little to close to a Norwegian P-3 Orion off the Kola Peninsular.

The close up images started a love affair with the Flanker that continues today.

Anyway, less of my waffle, I hope your still awake.........here goes!

 

Been trying to post photos, help!
 

 

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by Tyxxx

[Val]

Hi mate,

 

Welcome to the forums  Looking forward to seeing your work.

 

Have a look here for tips about posting photos, it should hopefully point you in the right direction:

 

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235008824-how-do-i-post-pictures/

 

HTH

 

Val

[IPMS19]

- Welcome aboard..

[James G]

Great choice of build! Welcome aboard.

[Tyxxx]

Taken a while but here are a few pictures to go with the post. Senior Lieutenant Vassily Tsimbal gets nice and close to the Norwegian P-3 Orion. This is the moment I am looking at replicating with this build, nose up, airbrake out with the pilot, visor up, watching his charge. That's the plan anyway!

[Tyxxx]

My kit of choice for the build, Trumpeters Early Flanker, Love the box artwork as well.

I am using the dream models pre painted cockpit set, the canopy will be closed so it should look good. The pilot figure is a Soviet Navy example. The research I have done has convinced me Vassily was wearing an emmersion suit, the large seam on his right arm matches emmersion suit photos I have found on the net. I have grey scaled photos of Soviet flying suits in different colours and International Orange and Tan both look similar to the colours in the pictures. As Vassily was flying over the sea off the Kola Peninsular I am going for an orange suit. Should look good when the canopy is over him too. I did have an issue with the size of the head which I thought was too small so I have be-headed a pj productions pilot and added the head to the figure.

Engines are for the hasegawa example which I started major surgery on a couple of years ago to narrow the back end. Enlarging the holes in the trumpeter kit will allow them to fit comfortably.

[Tyxxx]

I had an Aires cockpit set for the Hasegawa kit but didn't want to hack the cockpit to bits too make it fit. A bit of plastic has added a bit of detail that will add to the effect through the cockpit.

Detailing to the front coming using green stuff and plastic sheet.

[Tyxxx]

Pilot after major surgery.

Sat in the cockpit before setting his pose with magic sculp.

In the cockpit, arms pinned with plastic rod waiting to be fixed in position. Throttle is in left hand, corresponding detail is fixed to the top fuselage section.

Coaming painted, throttle detail on side wall.

[Tyxxx]

Engines undercoated with Tamiya NATO black.

Initial painting. Bit more to do

[SimonT]

Nice work, the pilot is coming along nicely.

[Doctorgaz]

Excellent work, but paint is better to put a metallic on black luster!
On opaque paint she looks as concrete!

[Flankerman]

Welcome to the forum - and what a great choice of subject.

 

I did the same subject - but on its wheels after the incident - with a damaged port fin cap.....

 

 

My build is here.

 

Happy Flankering!!!

[Tyxxx]

11 hours ago, Flankerman said:

Welcome to the forum - and what a great choice of subject.

 

I did the same subject - but on its wheels after the incident - with a damaged port fin cap.....

 

 

My build is here.

 

Happy Flankering!!!

I have referred to your Red 36 build quiet a few times Flankerman, a great inspiration. I did contemplate depicting the kite shortly after impact with the pilot straining to look over his shoulder at the damage. I went for the initial intercept option as I liked the visual effect of having the airbrake deployed. Unfortunately I think the engine nozzles wont be in the correct position for the power setting but I will have to live with it. I have removed the flaperons so I can show them deflected, either alternatively for a bit of bank or slightly dropped as flaps as he slows down with the tailerons deflected for bank. I may droop the slats as the close in pic of the missiles shows a slight deflection, I may get away without it though. I will see when the fuselage is together. Pressing on with the pilot this week as its holding things up. Major bits are done, just need to set his arms and I can get him painted. so many plans!

Did you follow the kit instructions for the markings?

[Tyxxx]

12 hours ago, Doctorgaz said:

Excellent work, but paint is better to put a metallic on black luster!
On opaque paint she looks as concrete!

I am following the colours given to me by a club member that is building a SU-33. I still have other colours to do. if it doesn't work I will strip them and try another technique. Lots of metal to practice on. Thank you for your comments. My first aircraft build in 20 years so all help is appreciated!

[Tyxxx]

Good evening fellow modellers. Its been a couple of weeks since my last post so time for an update. I have been busy although progress has gone backwards! I have fixed the pilots limbs and painted him. Tube in the left hand is the throttle.

Due to the thickness and poor optical qualities of the kit canopy and wind screen, I took a gamble and purchased the Pavla vacformed canopy for the airfix kit. My gamble has paid off however. after an intense session of cutting, sanding and fitting I am happy with the end result. Pilot has been painted although I may tweak him. Seat has had a few details added with paint to break up the black.

On closer inspection I found a problem. The pilot would be looking over the HUD, not through it! Trumpeter have moulded the instrument shroud with a downwards slope to the rear, placing the HUD at chest level. As I have a pilot in the cockpit and the cockpit will be the centre of attention I feel I couldn't leave it.

After a bit of surgery I cobbled together a quick fix, the card sticking out of the side would be trimmed when the glue had set and raise the HUD assembly by approx. 1mm.

Following a rethink at work the next day I decided on a major re build. I decided to remove the coming from the instrument panel and reshape its profile. Due to the aforementioned thick kit canopy, trumpeter have narrowed the profile. I have removed the right coming in the photo, the left followed afterwards.

I have rebuilt the hud and central black boxes. the thickness was taken from the hud on the etched instrument panel I am using. It looks chunky but most will disappear when the coaming is replaced. I will be using thin plastic sheet which will be a better representation of the coamings thickness. The pencil line on the tape is the edge of the windscreen. From the side the height looks better and represents the chunky HUD panel better. I will be building the radar screen on the right and panel to the left of the hud as well. The camera and fabric shroud to the front will also be re done. As I said, progress has gone rearwards but will improve the look. Pilots head needs finishing but was added to check things and see how it looks. Works well I think, Comments welcome gents, go easy!

 

Edited March 10, 2017 by Tyxxx

[Hook]

Coming along very nicely!

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[Simon382]

Luving the pilot! Good skills

[Christer A]

Great work there! It'll turn out excellent in the end, I'm sure!

[Valkyrie]

How's this one coming on? We love Flankers on here and the I want to build my first one too. This looks like it's going to be brilliant

[Tyxxx]

Re-modelled coaming. Photo not the best but I have removed the narrow Trumpeter part.

As I am adapting a replacement canopy for the Airfix kit I have modelled the frame for the windscreen using magisculpt. Cleaning up required in this photo.

I have used thin aluminium foil to represent the coaming cover, unfortunately difficult to see due to light glare. The large camera has been modelled from plasti card, shaped with a file. Windscreen frame has been shaped and painted to check its profile.

Underside view of instrument panel including radar screen, HUD and control panel, all from plasticard.

Looking good I think. Assembled for check of fit and just to see how it looks. Still a bit to do but not far off and looks better than the previous attempt. Glad I re-modelled the coaming, it looks a lot more realistic.

[Hook]

On 4-4-2017 at 11:52 PM, Tyxxx said:

Looking good I think. 

 

I would have to agree!  

 

Cheers,

 

Andre 

 

[NigelC]

On 04/04/2017 at 10:52 PM, Tyxxx said:

Looking good I think.

Very!

And all in 1/72, too!

I'm trying some scratch building and struggling at 1:48.

 

Nice work.

[Tyxxx]

Not been too well over the last month so modelling has been down the list of priorities. I have managed a bit of a play around with the intakes however. As I am displaying Red 36 flying I need to depict the FOD guards down and starboard aux doors open as shown in the photo. Port side will be artistic licence as no photos of these door positions exist.

I have etched new doors from plastic sheet and will depict the FOD grills with brass sheets. Not 100% accurate but the effect will be better than the kit plastic parts.

Brass laid into the recess I carved out of the intake lower wall. May need a positional juggle before I fix in place

Starboard Front closed doors loosely positioned. Rear door positions to do

Kit and my efforts as a comparison

Door positions, starboard side

 

[Tyxxx]

It has been a while since my last update to Red 36. I was re diagnosed with bone marrow cancer last March, 5 month of chemo followed by stem cell treatment in hospital put a stop my modelling. Thankfully my mo jo returned before Christmas when I was declared in remission again. I contemplated starting a new project but have restarted Red 36. I am hoping to have the model done for Sword and Lance in Darlington in April, we will see.

So, here is my first update, comments as always are welcome.

I am depicting the Flanker as shown in one of the photos taken during the interception. The Su-27 will be nose up, airbrake out with a slight bank to port, showing his missiles to the Orions crew. This has complicated the build as I have had to cut away the control surfaces. Rudders are shown. I have also hollowed out the air intakes at the base of the fins as well as making the port intake larger.

 

Having thought I had finished the rudders I noted that the vertical part at the base is cut away with a fill in piece on the port side. As the detail was noticeable I altered the rudders and fins. pity I hadn't noticed it earlier.

There was a step between the upper and lower fuselage which was evident on the engine cowlings. I cured it by adding plastic strip and filing to shape.

Flaperons and leading edge flaps are shown below. They took a bit of shaping and may need further tweaking when the final primer coat is applied.

Control surface details covered with primer. The hole in the engine cowling is for the acrylic rod that will support the model.

On its base. Same photo again and cant delete it. Tailerons are taped on for effect.

[Vultures1]

I'm sorry to hear that you have had such a traumatic year but great that you are in remission and have your mojo back; my best wishes for your continued recovery.

 

Nice progress on the Flanker.  Looking forward to seeing more