Italian Typhoon - more shades of grey, anyone?

[Brandy]

3 hours ago, CedB said:

You asked for it!

 

 

I had several attempts at that and they all look more like 'sad old man' faces but hey, if it works…

Geoffrey Palmer face!

 

Ian

[The Spadgent]

That’s three Ceds I’ve had staring at me in the past  few posts. No need to be so sad it’s nearly Christmas. 😬🤫🤪

[Brandy]

17 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

That’s three Ceds I’ve had staring at me in the past  few posts. No need to be so sad it’s nearly Christmas. 😬🤫🤪

Anyone mentioning Christmas at this time of year is adequate reason to be that sad!

 

Ian

[bbudde]

On 9/16/2019 at 12:51 PM, CedB said:

I had several attempts at that and they all look more like 'sad old man' faces but hey, if it works…

 

[stevehnz]

On 9/17/2019 at 9:58 AM, The Spadgent said:

That’s three Ceds I’ve had staring at me in the past  few posts. No need to be so sad

I'm sure he was laughing inside.

Steve.

[giemme]

Hi everybody, hope you all had a great WE (I know for sure some did  )

 

How about an update? It's gonna be a pretty massive one, with lots of pics, so bear with me.   

 

I completed the filling and rescribing of the other wing

 

 

You remember I did cut away the flaperons, right? The idea is to pose them in this position

 

To do so, I tried two different approaches: a blob of CA+flour on the hinge

 

and some styrene sheet bits

 

after reworking with the usual sanding tools

 

I liked the CA+flour thing better, so I applied it to the remaining movable surfaces

 

final result

 

and tried a dryfit (with the help of some blue tack underneath) 

 

 

 

It looked like I was getting closer to the priming stage ... what did I need again?

Let's see: the windshield

 

I decided to use the kit part for this because I liked it better than the vacformed part supplied with the Pavla set (in the above pic, it had already received a bath in Aqua Gloss). It's a bit thick and shows some bubbles, but I still prefer it over the Pavla part. The outer framing isn't very defined, so I decided to mask using Oramask (the vinyl sheet I normally use to produce mask with my cutter) and some Tamiya tape for curves

 

So, after carefully scoring along it with a #10 blade (following Paul Budzik advice about masking transparents, to wit pushing the blade along the frames instead of pulling it)

 

I did mask the inside as well, and sealed the mask edges with Aqua Gloss, applied by brush. I then sprayed it black (Tamiya Flat Black)

 

Prior to gluing the windshield in, I needed to complete the cockpit by positioning the HUD. This is what Revell supplies

 

It is actually the HUD and the underlying part of the coaming / IP top. Useless.

 

So I scratch built one from an old clear CD cover, by punching out a 4mm disc. The CD cover was still too thick (although the real thing is quite thick) so I reduced the thickness by sticking the clear disc with double sided tape to a wood block and sanding down with a Dremel sanding disc. After polishing it back to clear, I then filed one side flat for mounting in place. Apologies for not having taken pics of that, here's a dryfit of the end result

 

The HUD received an Aqua Gloss coat; once cured, I painted its edge with thinned Tamiya Clear Green, to give it that glass effect

 

I then glued it in place using Formula 560 Canopy Glue  - first time I've ever used it, recommended by @perdu, it remains flexible as stated on the bottle label 

 

 

 

All I needed to do was to add the two HUD supporting brackets: I first thought of using brass rod and bend it accordingly, but soon discarded the idea. Let's face it, I'm no @TheBaron 

So I decided to use solder wire, instead: I glued it IP end with CA and HUD end with Formula 560

 

 

I then trimmed the excess with a sprue cutter

 

 

and brush painted the brackets with Lifecolor Dark Gull Grey

 

 

 

While curing, I did a dryfit of the wing tip pods

 

Starboard one not too bad, port one had an issue with the cooling vent ...

 

After gluing the respective halves with TeT, I had to go along most of the seams with CA+flour. Once sanded and polished, I added the two small round hatches on starboard pod, by pressing a 2mm punch tool against the flat plastic surface

 

Then I drilled a hole in the cooling vent, both pods

 

 

At this point the HUD had fully cured, so I glued the windshield in with TeT (it needed some persuasion...)

 

followed by the pods themselves

 

The fit isn't great, especially in the fore part

 

maybe you can see it better from this angle

 

It is just as good, though, because the windshield framing has quite a different shape where it meets the fuselage, so that I'd have had to fix it with milliput anyway. Prior to that, I filled in the gap with Formula 560, again.

 

Short recap: before priming, I need to add milliput to fair in the windshield, add a couple of blade antennae and a few vent covers, and mask the cockpit  - oh, and the intakes. Which I BTW resprayed with off white to complete the blending of the seamless part

 

 

Wow, that was quite long

 

As always, all comments welcome

 

Ciao

 

Edited September 22, 2019 by giemme

[TheBaron]

That was over too quickly Giorgio - please make it last longer next time.

Truly some sensitive and observant attention going in to this matrix of curves and angles. 👏

As to:

17 minutes ago, giemme said:

Let's face it, I'm no @TheBaron 

- thank your lucky stars that you're not!

[perdu]

I love that thick glass green edge look

Amazing

 

One for the 'how can I?' book we all have on our shelves

 

Looks good G

[CedB]

Nice work Giorgio, especially that HUD - looks really neat  

[giemme]

10 hours ago, TheBaron said:

That was over too quickly Giorgio - please make it last longer next time.

Truly some sensitive and observant attention going in to this matrix of curves and angles. 👏

Thanks Tony, much appreciated  

9 hours ago, perdu said:

I love that thick glass green edge look

Amazing

 

One for the 'how can I?' book we all have on our shelves

 

Looks good G

6 hours ago, CedB said:

Nice work Giorgio, especially that HUD - looks really neat  

Thanks Bill and Ced   I forgot to mention that I shamelessly copied the green edge idea from someone else's Eurofighter build, I just can't remember whose's .... 

 

Ciao

 

[stevehnz]

As I shall shamelessly attempt to copy it from here. As usual I'm impressed to pieces with your work Giorgio. 

Steve.

[keefr22]

Great update G, more very neat work!

 

K

[Spookytooth]

Very fine work there G.

You have/are doing a damn better job of it than I did.

 

Simon.

[giemme]

5 hours ago, stevehnz said:

As I shall shamelessly attempt to copy it from here. As usual I'm impressed to pieces with your work Giorgio. 

Steve.

Thanks Steve, much appreciated

4 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Great update G, more very neat work!

 

K

Not as neat as I would like, but thanks anyway  

2 hours ago, Spookytooth said:

Very fine work there G.

You have/are doing a damn better job of it than I did.

 

Simon.

Thanks Simon  Trying to get the best out of this kit - after all, I think it makes for a good representation of the Tiffie, despite some pig's ear features ...

 

Ciao

[keefr22]

6 hours ago, giemme said:

Not as neat as I would like,

 

I think we're all our worst enemies in that respect Giorgio! 

 

Keith

[jrlx]

Excellent and impressive work, as usual from you, Giorgio!

 

I'll keep your WIP as a reference for the future, as I have both the one- and the two-seater Revell boxings of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

[giemme]

On 23/09/2019 at 22:34, keefr22 said:

 

I think we're all our worst enemies in that respect Giorgio! 

 

Keith

True ...   And I should also stop watching my models with a magnifier ...  

11 hours ago, jrlx said:

Excellent and impressive work, as usual from you, Giorgio!

 

I'll keep your WIP as a reference for the future, as I have both the one- and the two-seater Revell boxings of the Eurofighter Typhoon.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

Thanks Jaime, much appreciated   Good luck with your kits, though I know you're not a man to be intimidated by minor issues   Are they 1/72 or 1/48?

 

Ciao

[jrlx]

31 minutes ago, giemme said:

Thanks Jaime, much appreciated   Good luck with your kits, though I know you're not a man to be intimidated by minor issues   Are they 1/72 or 1/48?

Thanks, Giorgio. They're both 1/72. I also have SAM Publications' recent book on the Eurofighter as a reference. I hope it helps.

 

Cheers

 

Jaime

 

 

[PlaStix]

Hi Giorgio. Hope you are well. Once again it's your attention to the small details that takes your builds to the next level. Very nicely done. 

Kind regards,

Stix

[giemme]

On 25/09/2019 at 10:54, jrlx said:

Thanks, Giorgio. They're both 1/72. I also have SAM Publications' recent book on the Eurofighter as a reference. I hope it helps.

  Always useful to have a propre reference; there are of course a lot of pics on Internet about the Eurofighter, but determining the timeframe they refer to risks to be a wild guess sometimes, and the Typhoon received quite some updates during its life.

On 26/09/2019 at 17:05, PlaStix said:

Hi Giorgio. Hope you are well. Once again it's your attention to the small details that takes your builds to the next level. Very nicely done. 

Kind regards,

Stix

Cheers Stix, thanks

 

Late night (in this neck of the woods, that is) update

 

my original plan to refine the windshield was to use some leftover milliput I stored in the freezer - though, being it already reused for at least four times, this time it refused to stick to anything. So I just threw it in the bin and, being impatient, i decided to go with CA+flour. The windshield had been previously coated with a protective Aqua Gloss coat (by immersion); plus, I normally pour a small amount of CA on a piece of alu kitchen foil, so that the fumes evaporate quickly. This way I avoid frosting the transparent parts - or so I hope ....  

 

Anyway, here's the deal

 

 

 

I then resprayed Tamiya Flat Black on the lower windshield frames

 

 

While this was curing, I tackled the exhaust area; at this link you can see that there are some metal plates (sort of petals, really) surrounding the back part of the fuselage

http://www.drivefly.it/walkaround/eurofighter-ef-2000-a-typhoon.php

 

I briefly considered using some alu tape to reproduce this effect, but after a quick test on the spare fuselage, I discarded the idea and set to scribe this detail. So with the help of Tamiya Tape for curves

 

 

 

Time to glue in the radome; I stuck some fishing lead in it, wrapped into kitchen film 

 

Then I put a blob of blue tack on top of it, to help keeping it in position while gluing with TET

 

 

Another notable missing part of the kit is the tail sensor; again, see this link

http://www.drivefly.it/walkaround/eurofighter-ef-2000-a-typhoon.php

 

Luckily, some of the sprue gates of the kit are 2mm in diameter, so I cut one and rounded one side by putting it into an electric drill and using a file to give it the right shape. I then put a 1.1mm brass rod in it to help the positioning and have a stronger bond. I also drilled a receiving hole in the back part of the fuselage

 

 

 

I put a drop of CA on the brass rod and, once in place, added some TET along the joint

 

Almost time for primer ...  

 

 

All comments welcome, as usual

 

Ciao

 

 

 

 

Edited September 29, 2019 by giemme
Missing pic

[keefr22]

Looking every bit a Typhoon Giorgio, looking forward to paint going on!

 

Keith

[daront]

looking good. i get to work on the Typhoon everyday so always good to see a model one and plent of detail

😀

[Navy Bird]

Atta-boy, Giorgio. Beat this baby into shape.  

 

Sorry if I missed this (or just plain forgot) but what markings scheme will you be doing?

 

Cheers,

Bill

[giemme]

9 hours ago, keefr22 said:

Looking every bit a Typhoon Giorgio, looking forward to paint going on!

 

Keith

Thanks Keith, glad you like her  Still a few minor things to do before painting, but I'm definitely not far now

 

3 hours ago, daront said:

looking good. i get to work on the Typhoon everyday so always good to see a model one and plent of detail

😀

Thanks Daront  Great to know you work on the Typhoon, please feel free to share any trivia or insights about it (if you are allowed, that is)

1 hour ago, Navy Bird said:

Atta-boy, Giorgio. Beat this baby into shape.  

 

Sorry if I missed this (or just plain forgot) but what markings scheme will you be doing?

 

Cheers,

Bill

Thanks Bill, much appreciated   I did mention the marking scheme, but in page 1, so a loooong time ago - or so it seems  It's this one

 

 

So a relatively pristine airframe, since the first Typhoon entered service in the AMI in 2004.

 

Ciao

[dimaADA]

giemme

Greetings

Please tell one thing. At the initial stage of building the model, you decided to do it from Revel. But there is Hasegawa. It looks better. Why didn’t you choose Hasegawa? I ask because I am also building Eurofighter, but from Hasegawa.