pigsty Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Next in line for me is Tamiya's big, impressive F-15E. I'm looking forward to building something that actually fits together - their big F-14 was a bit of a surprise in that regard. Before I kick off, I'd appreciate advice on a few odd things (and there will probably be many, many more before I finish). Will I need nose weight? The instructions suggest not, but we all know from experience that that may not be reliable. The instructions also say the afterburners ought to be white inside. Photos confirm it, and the degree of filth that obscures the white, but just to check - all the way up to the flame-holders? A peculiar omission is seat belts. I don't really want to put the crew figures in - they have belts, but they're not very convincing. Scratch-building is a possibility; but does anyone know of a way to get hold of some belts without blowing £13 on a full set of photo-etch for the cockpit? Finally, still pondering the paint job. Does anyone know of a car paint or similar that would match FS x6118 Gunship Gray? I've been reminded of Tamiya's own TS-48, but is there anything a bit cheaper out there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spruecutter96 Posted April 9, 2018 Share Posted April 9, 2018 Hello. I can only give one tip here, regarding making your own seat-belts.... If you can find one, use the very flexible, metal "foil" that is used around the neck of some wine-bottles. These used to be common, but I have a feeling that very few bottles still use this foil (a shame, as the foil has a load of uses in model-making). You can gently beat it thinner with a small hammer. Alternatively, there are some aftermarket companies that produce a thin, lead-based sheeting that can be used for seat-belts (Verlinden used to make one, but they closed their doors a few years ago). As a second alternative, if you find yourself in London, visit 4D Models in Leman Street (nearest Tube is Aldgate or Aldgate East). They are primarily an architect's supply shop, but they sell thin sheets of various metals for around £4 - £7. One sheet should last anyone for years. Hope this helps. Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted April 10, 2018 Author Share Posted April 10, 2018 On 09/04/2018 at 6:10 PM, spruecutter96 said: If you can find one, use the very flexible, metal "foil" that is used around the neck of some wine-bottles Oh, yes, I have loads. The stuff round wine bottles is laminated with plastic so I've actually collected a load from whisky bottles, which isn't. And I can recommend tomato puree tubes too. Nonetheless, with all those buckles to muck about with, I'm looking at photo-etch or similar first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spruecutter96 Posted April 10, 2018 Share Posted April 10, 2018 No worries, my friend. Have you tried typing "1/32nd buckles" in to the Hannants search-engine yet? Should be worth a try.... Chris. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcat911 Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 For the seats: https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Verlinden-1-32-ACES-II-Ejection-Seats-F-15-F-16-F-22-F-117-2-seats-930-/170678050914 I’ve built one of these before and can confirm no nose weight is needed. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bentwaters81tfw Posted April 11, 2018 Share Posted April 11, 2018 The jet pipes are ceramic lined, I would suggest cream with a dirty wash. I would go for dirty steel for the front sections. Our 'murrican friends don't like you taking pictures up the tailpipes of operational aircraft. What exists in our Walkaround section, particularly the A model, should give you all you need for the engines. I have used a cheap auto primer as a source of Gunship Grey, but it tends to etch into the plastic. If you have spent that much on the kit, 2 tins of TS 48 will sort you out, it's lovely to work with. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pigsty Posted April 11, 2018 Author Share Posted April 11, 2018 22 hours ago, spruecutter96 said: Have you tried typing "1/32nd buckles" in to the Hannants search-engine yet? I have now ... tis all Second World War types at the moment, and "buckle" appears as one of the features of belts. A good thought, though, one that it would be nice for the marketplace to ponder. Thank you all, that answers everything so far. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle85 Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 The inside of the engines from the flame holder through to the end of the nozzles are off-white. An interesting point of interest, especially in 1/32 is that the ducts are in sections between the spray rings and nozzle so can be masked and sprayed in different tones of desired. As too are the convergent nozzle seals and finger seals... As they get replaced individually they can be anything from bright off-white to mucky white. They are usually fairly clean inside as leaks would fail QA however a bit of light weathering and residual streaking can sometimes be seen, especially if a leak develops in test cell before the engines are signed off. Best of luck with the build, looking forward to seeing it develop! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FIGHTS ON Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 I've done the Tamiya F-15C - no need for nose weight. The metal undercarriage legs plus C of G on this kit is fine. Only issue with the kit is the shape of the drop tanks - way too thin - and aftermarket resin ones are NOT cheap. However, try the wanted section for some Revell F-4 tanks - perfect size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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