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Hawker Hunter FR10


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Hi All,

Can we start yet?

 

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Raring to go with the Academy FGA9, PJ FR10 conversion set and Xtra Decals Shiny 2.

This is my 5th shot at this kit having done the F3, an F6 (ETPS), T7 and GA11. With just a new nose and tail this will be the easiest of the conversions. I'll build one from the box one day, honest.

 

This will be a demonstration build for all those building the new Airfix kit in 2020 which will come with the FG10 option and 2 Squadron markings. Tell the Rumourmongers.

And it will use up one of the last 3 Academy Hunters in the Stash.

 

Colin W

 

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Hi All,

Well the wife's away for the weekend so I had all afternoon and evening on this so thanks to the time difference I get to post a good days modelling by 3pm in the UK.

The first job was to eliminate the pathetic break chute housing in the Kit tail and replace it with the more substantial one from PJ products. The actual tail is a separate part but the rear section of the fuselage has to be cut away as well. I also cut 3mm out of the bullet fairing while I had the saw out.

 

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This is the difference between the kit parts and the resin.

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Finally it should look more like this

 

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I've glued the kit rudder pedals and rear bulkhead to the resin tub and removed the pouring blocks on the seat. The resin ejection handles look OK but I'm not sure if they are strong enough to last the build.

 

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Finally I glued the inner intake housing and the wing intake halves together.

 

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I'm planning on painting the cockpit and will make a start on the wings tomorrow.

 

Colin W

 

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Hi Zebra,

Yes the PJ parts are very good. I built their Alpha jet a couple of years ago and it was fantastically detailed. The resin here is great, very fine in places and no air bubbles anywhere.

 

 

Another full day today and the cockpit almost done. Base is flat black lacquer and colours with aqueous Revell paints. The seat below is straight out of the box! Cracking stuff.

The Instrument panel decals are cut out from a sheet I picked up at Telford a few years ago. I never used them before as I didn't have a small enough punch but I got one last year. I tried applying them as decals but too hard so in the end I just pushed them into the holes and used a blob of Varnish to hold them in and create the lens effect.
 

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The main job today was the wings. I glues these together last night and left them to dry. Then I worked on them today while working on the cockpit. One of the main issues with the Academy kit is the wing is bulged too far forwards. The picture below shows the stbd wing with the erroneous bit cut away in one piece. Once the section has been removed there is a gap in the wing tip which I glued and left to set. Tomorrow I'll sand it round and get the shape correct. The leading edge extension should droop but doesn't and its not an easy fix so for this build I'll leave it alone.

 

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Wings drying so I have cut 1mm away from the leading and trailing edges of the tail to restore the chord. I have also taken 1/2 mm off the front of the locating tab. This is visible on the right hand tail below. Fortunatly no more gluing is needed so I have restored the leading and trailing edges to the correct shape.

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Fairly good progress for 2 days.

 

Colin

 

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Been a bit tied up with work this week but managed to finish the cockpit.

 

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At this point I tried fitting it to the fuselage and realised I had fitted the rear section in the wrong place. An easy fix but why dont resin manufacturers bother with decent instructions?

 

Here is the lower nose Kit part vs resin. no comparison with the gun muzzles.

 

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Well apart from the undercarriage the main bits are ready for assembly now.

 

Colin

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Some more normal speed progress this weekend.

Fitted the new Mk9 type tail pipe with parachute housing.

 

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The new nose almost fits as well as the standard part! I lined up the lower profile so I can bog up the holes without loosing the lovely canon detail.

 

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Nose and tail on, intakes fitted and the wings to go on next which is the trickiest part of this kit.

 

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Looking like a Hunter, shame I have to fit the airbrake and Sabrina's onto this as they break the otherwise clean lines.

 

Colin

 

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Well moved on a bit over the weekend with the wings now on and dried.

 

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It looks OK but I dont think I got the intakes quite well enough lined up as I have done on previous models

 

I popped the clear resin nose on as well and added a bit of Mr Surfacer to the seams. 

 

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Really looking like a Hunter now.

 

Colin

 

 

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Well still grinding away. Fill sand, paint, repeat....

Getting closer though,

 

I found the rear fuselage tapered too much into the resin so I added a few layers of filler just to get back to those smooth Hunter lines. It looked OK but with a smooth feel there was something not right.

 

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Got it now though.

I have added the air brake and tail bullet. The air brake is 5mm further forward than the kit would have it hence the small plasticard fillet just behind which fills the hole left for the hydraulic actuator. I usually add the pylons at this stage to make sure they get well attached and if anything falls off its the tanks.

 

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Overall Mr Surfacer next as a base for painting I think. I added Berlindas, pylons and the wing tip navigation lights from clear sprue but they are not easy to see in the pictures just yet.

 

Colin

 

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Do you spray the Mr Surfacer? I've read that you can but with the way it dries I have always been a bit reticent to put it through my airbrush. which grade do you use ?

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Hi Mark

Out here we can buy Mr Surfacer in rattle cans. It comes as 1000, 1200 and primer. I usually use the 1000 which is close to the Halfords products in UK . I have got some pots of usual product but while I can get the cans, like you I m reluctant to out it through my airbrush. 

Colin 

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And here's the final result.

Once over with Mr Surfacer 1000 white.

 

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A light sand and a final coat and I'll be on the final paint scheme for the weekend

 

Colin

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Hi Chaps

Well a bit of a break in posting as I got busy at work and then we had no internet all weekend.

The white was OK after the first application so I cleared off the cockpit and added the instrument coaming. This resin part didn't fit particularly well but neither did the originals so decided to leave it as it was. I popped the seat in a took a few pictures before I added the canopy.

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I am quite new to the punched out dials as I normally just print an instrumant panel onto decal film but these look good. I think the resin panel is too thick so they are overly recessed but worth the effort.

 

Anyway canopy on. filled, masked and painted a black base coat.

 

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I cut out the navigation lights as well as replaced with some clear sprue. I sanded them in place and now cant find them!

 

Colin

 

 

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I sprayed a coat of Mr Colour Dark Sea Grey over the white and  then masked ready for the green. Here is the picture while the green is drying. Mr Colour can be sprayed and masked in about 2 hours unlike some enamels which need about 2 weeks.

 

 

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Grey and  white masks removed. I usually mask the roundels if I have used the white base coat.

I also masked the triangle on the fin but not the fuselage this time.

 

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A more usual angle.

 

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A little bit of attention needed for the port wing trailing edge but otherwise OK.

 

Working on the under carriage while the paint degases, using Aeroclub wheels and kit legs shortened. This is as the kit wheels are too small but if you don't take the same amount from the legs she'll be nose down on the runway.

 

Colin

 

 

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Here is the result of another weeks work. Looking good on her wheels now and looking like a Mk10

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The underside paint was glossy when painted but the shading on the panel lines seems to have matted it down quite a bit.

 

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Read for a coat of Future and Decals now.

 

Colin

 

 

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I gave her a coat of Future on Saturday then spent the weekend adding decals and varnishing. I dont think the white base was necessary on the roundels and 2 sqn triangles but it made a difference on the fin! Here she is Sunday night with a final coat of 1xMicroscale gloss and 1 part satin sprayed all over.

 

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The usually problematic under wing serials went on well.

Canopy to unmask, tanks and aerials to add and we're done

 

Colin

 

 

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