Blackbird M-21 + Drone - Italeri 1/72

[Serkan Sen]

1 minute ago, giemme said:

too bad for the bottomless pilots...

Better than having headless pilots 😁

[CedB]

4 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

Hi Ced,

I was not complaining getting notifications. I wanted to point that I am fully motivated building a Blackbird (indeed Metalbird) even many of my other running projects waiting on the bench.

I enjoy all the messages I read in this post. I learned a lot about this plane from all of yours experiences.

Please more posts... 😁

Serkan

 

Thanks Serkan, I didn't think you were complaining, don't worry, and more posts there will be  

3 hours ago, giemme said:

 

  The voice is spreading ...

Not your fault, Ced. ..... or is it?

 

 

Clear parts look very nice and so does the fit to the fuselage  - too bad for the bottomless pilots...  

 

Ciao

Thanks Giorgio - although quoting your post looks a bit odd!!  

Bottomless pilots on their way…

3 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

Better than having headless pilots 😁

Indeed!  

 

 

Nurse - #9 blade please:

 

 

 

Sorted. He'll get his arms later.

 

The other one?

 

 

 It's almost as though he knew that he wouldn't get his legs around the i/p and so 'took one for the team'… 

His bottom needed removing too and then:

 

 

 

I'll put his arms and other leg on when the CA has settled, later…

[giemme]

 Ced the Ripper

 

Ciao

[CedB]

 Thanks Giorgio!

 

Time for Ced the Plastic Surgeon to get the body parts reassembled - OK, most of them.

 

 

 

I think the guy in the back is looking peeved because someone has stolen his coffee.

 

Before they're gone forever, some close ups of the i/ps:

 

 

 

Oh, the joys of 1/72 macro shots. You could write 'slut' in that dust…  

 

Going, going, gone:

 

 

The 'frames' on the big windows were non-existent and it made them hard to mask - see the cut lines on the front one? That's where I had to cut slivers of tape off until I saw some clear. We'll have to wait and see if I got them right when they come off after paint.

 

I'll blend those in now with some more Formula 560 and let it dry overnight.

[Nikolay Polyakov]

21 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

My assistant helped me lot to examine the parts 🙂

😻

 

He's giving you a smug look, Ced:

 

Excellent progress so far! 👍

[CedB]

Thanks Nikolay  

 

Bullet bitten this morning - with the help of tape and clamps I went around the joins gently bending the edges until everything clicked into place. I started at the top join that others had had problems with:

 

 

No step - hooray! They do decals for that…

 

Carefully around the rest with TET quick setting, tape/clamp and then standard TET:

 

 

I'll let that dry for a while…

[CedB]

I've also sprayed some white Stynylrez on the fins:

 

 

 

…and used iModelKit on the iPhone to find a suitable blue for the serial background from this image.

 

Now I need to work out how to mask it…

 

[Biggles87]

Quick setting TET! I have trouble getting everything in place before the ‘slow’ one sets.

[CedB]

Thanks John  Ah, with the 'quick setting' one you have to hold the parts together, apply a dot, squeeze and hold together for just a few seconds and, hopefully, things are stuck. Doesn't always provide a strong bond in my experience, hence the follow up with the 'normal' stuff.

 

 

Intake cones brush painted glossy black:

 

 

I've also brushed some 'Exhaust Manifold' into the exhausts but it can't really be seen:

 

 

I'll go over the insides with some AK paste - steel I think - and then try it again.

[CedB]

Better?

 

 

Tape and pegs off, work around the joins seeing if anything moves / clicks and glue anything that moves. Just one panel and a nacelle:

 

 

Happy with that so I've glued in the 'engines':

 

 

Just a bit of filling and sanding on the seams to do before primer.

[CedB]

Drone pylon attached:

 

 

Now I need to gather some mojo, go around the model and remove any excess plastic and sort out some nasty gaps like these:

 

 

Then I can check the surface prior to deciding on which metal finish to use. This will have some attention:

 

 

TET under the tape, schoolboy error!

[keefr22]

15 hours ago, Nikolay Polyakov said:

He's giving you a smug look, Ced:

 

He looks more scared to me - 'oh no, he's got that scalpel out again....!!'

 

2 hours ago, CedB said:

 

 

Ooh, refuelling door open - does that mean we're going to get a ceiling diorama with it being refuelled by a KC-135Q....??!!   

 

Keith

[billn53]

13 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

 

Ooh, refuelling door open - does that mean we're going to get a ceiling diorama with it being refuelled by a KC-135R....??!!   

 

Not necessarily. The SR-71's refueling door was held closed by hydraulic pressure. On the ramp, with engines shut down, the doors were naturally open.

 

-Bill

 

 

[giemme]

Ced, looks like you are rapidly beating this into submission.

 

The exhausts look excellent to me

 

Ciao

[Serkan Sen]

I don't want to hack this topic but currently I am looking for some reference materials about A-12 with NMF (one of the first 3 aircrafts) and 3 view drawings of all Blackbird derivatives. I have found very nice build report in Hyperscale by Toby Nelson.

 

Also I have found the following books in internet:

1. Lockheed Blackbird: Beyond the Secret Missions (Revised Edition) (General Aviation)

2. The Complete Book of the SR-71: Every Aircraft, Pilot, and Story from 1963

3. SR-71 Blackbird: Stories, Tales, and Legends

4. Flying the SR-71 Blackbird: In the Cockpit on a Secret Operational Mission

 

Can anyone help me to pick best reference book with drawings and pictures especially for first 3 A-12 aircrafts?

 

Thanks for any recommendation/guide in advance 😀

 

Serkan

 

[Serkan Sen]

2 hours ago, CedB said:

Just a bit of filling and sanding on the seams to do before primer.

This is a standard work for such old kits. As long as the amount of putty/filler is less than kit plastic that's ok 😁

 

Serkan

Edited September 14, 2019 by Serkan Sen

[keefr22]

8 hours ago, billn53 said:

Not necessarily. The SR-71's refueling door was held closed by hydraulic pressure. On the ramp, with engines shut down, the doors were naturally open.

 

'cept Ced's jet aint going to be on the ramp...!!

 

K

[billn53]

12 minutes ago, keefr22 said:

 

'cept Ced's jet aint going to be on the ramp...!!

 

K

In flight hydraulic failure?

 

I guess not, for then there would be no need to assemble the kit. Just hang all the kit pieces from the ceiling.

[TheBaron]

You have been proceeding apace on this zooming piece of noir Ced.  Curious about what paint you'll use for that anthracite-like finish.

[moaning dolphin]

Always late to the party! For some reason ive always found this kit attractive despite its inaccuracies. My current attempt I went through the pain of rescribing those raised panel lines, what a pain! Looking forward to seeing this progress, great stuff so far!

 

On 9/10/2019 at 4:09 AM, CedB said:

Something else to be watched:

 

Yep! Yes you do! 

 

 

[CedB]

12 hours ago, keefr22 said:

He looks more scared to me - 'oh no, he's got that scalpel out again....!!'

 

Ooh, refuelling door open - does that mean we're going to get a ceiling diorama with it being refuelled by a KC-135Q....??!!   

 

Keith

12 hours ago, billn53 said:

Not necessarily. The SR-71's refueling door was held closed by hydraulic pressure. On the ramp, with engines shut down, the doors were naturally open.

 

-Bill

 

Thanks Keith and Bill  Kit bashing me but useful for proper modellers to know that A - it's the refuelling door and B - it's usually closed except when parked on the ground.

 

11 hours ago, giemme said:

Ced, looks like you are rapidly beating this into submission.

 

The exhausts look excellent to me

 

Ciao

Thanks Giorgio  

10 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

I don't want to hack this topic but currently I am looking for some reference materials about A-12 with NMF (one of the first 3 aircrafts) and 3 view drawings of all Blackbird derivatives. I have found very nice build report in Hyperscale by Toby Nelson.

[snip]

 

Can anyone help me to pick best reference book with drawings and pictures especially for first 3 A-12 aircrafts?

 

Thanks for any recommendation/guide in advance 😀

 

Serkan

 

10 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

This is a standard work for such old kits. As long as the amount of putty/filler is less than kit plastic that's ok 😁

 

Serkan

Thanks Serkan   I can help with the reference - SR-71 online has pictures of 06927 here and there's a wealth of other material on the site - good luck!

 

4 hours ago, keefr22 said:

 

'cept Ced's jet aint going to be on the ramp...!!

 

K

3 hours ago, billn53 said:

In flight hydraulic failure?

 

I guess not, for then there would be no need to assemble the kit. Just hang all the kit pieces from the ceiling.

Thanks Keith and Bill - on he ceiling yes. In bits? Hopefully not!  

 

3 hours ago, TheBaron said:

You have been proceeding apace on this zooming piece of noir Ced.  Curious about what paint you'll use for that anthracite-like finish.

Thanks Tony, pleased to see you here  

I think I'll use the same technique I tested on the drone (see above!)

 

2 hours ago, moaning dolphin said:

Always late to the party! For some reason ive always found this kit attractive despite its inaccuracies. My current attempt I went through the pain of rescribing those raised panel lines, what a pain! Looking forward to seeing this progress, great stuff so far!

 

Yep! Yes you do! 

 

[snip pic]

Thanks Bob - sorry to see that but it's still there on mine, fingers crossed   

 

 

Humbrol filler applied:

 

 

 

After that dried, some SIHRSC, sanding stick and Micromesh action

 

 

 

 

…and we're ready for primer.

 

A test fit on the fins shows they're not going to go on without filler:

 

 

Rats.

[The Spadgent]

Page four! 🙄 

well it could be worse. Great choice of kit Mr B. The stories in this thread are great and I never fail to generate a real belly laugh at your tussle with pilots and the comedy that ensues. 🤣

the kit thus far looks splendid. Going back a few pages for black (on my Lanc) I pre shaded black and sprayed with Tamiya rubber black. I know you’re not a big Pre shader so with post shade, black included I spray thinner lighter shades or maybe just white into the Center of the panels only. Unless of course it’s silver then I spray smoke on the panel lines and nook / cranny areas. I’m making that sound complicated but it really isn’t. 🤔 Regardless what ever you’re doing is working so 💪👌🙌. Oh and modelling after wine? Are you cRaZy. 🤪🍷 wonderful stuff. I’ll keep up now.

 

Johnny.

[Serkan Sen]

1 hour ago, CedB said:

Thanks Serkan   I can help with the reference - SR-71 online has pictures of 06927 here and there's a wealth of other material on the site - good luck!

Hi Ced,

thanks lot for the link. Now I have to decide which one should I build first. Single seater or trainer one 🤔

I have also found plenty of pictures in "habu.org" but still looking for good and reliable drawings.

Serkan

 

[billn53]

57 minutes ago, The Spadgent said:

I know you’re not a big Pre shader so with post shade, black included I spray thinner lighter shades or maybe just white into the Center of the panels only.

Alternatively, one can brush a very thin gray wash onto the panels, like I did in my SR-71 build. Easy as pie. 

- Bill

[CedB]

7 hours ago, The Spadgent said:

Page four! 🙄 

well it could be worse. Great choice of kit Mr B. The stories in this thread are great and I never fail to generate a real belly laugh at your tussle with pilots and the comedy that ensues. 🤣

the kit thus far looks splendid. Going back a few pages for black (on my Lanc) I pre shaded black and sprayed with Tamiya rubber black. I know you’re not a big Pre shader so with post shade, black included I spray thinner lighter shades or maybe just white into the Center of the panels only. Unless of course it’s silver then I spray smoke on the panel lines and nook / cranny areas. I’m making that sound complicated but it really isn’t. 🤔 Regardless what ever you’re doing is working so 💪👌🙌. Oh and modelling after wine? Are you cRaZy. 🤪🍷 wonderful stuff. I’ll keep up now.

 

Johnny.

Thanks Johnny - I'll be priming with Stynylrez black and then I'll give the post-shading another try  

I finally remembered that I bought a MAC valve for the airbrush but, apart from fiddling with it and then leaving it open, I've not really used it. Cookie explained to me here that it reduces the pressure at the brush end so I might give it another go, probably on the mule…

7 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

Hi Ced,

thanks lot for the link. Now I have to decide which one should I build first. Single seater or trainer one 🤔

I have also found plenty of pictures in "habu.org" but still looking for good and reliable drawings.

Serkan

 

You're welcome Serkan  I guess that, as this was a very secret aircraft, publicly available drawings were limited?

6 hours ago, billn53 said:

Alternatively, one can brush a very thin gray wash onto the panels, like I did in my SR-71 build. Easy as pie. 

- Bill

Thanks Bill - that sounds much safer and I'll try that too