Jump to content

Hawker Siddeley Kestrel FGA.1 in 1/72


Recommended Posts

Things taht only happens to you when you are doing this kind of things...

 

The second Harrier kit has arrived in the meantime. So I cannibalized the part C4 from the new box and primed it with neutral grey, so that finally the new canopy can be attached and I can close the cockpit.

 

Well, where to put the small part, so that it doesn't disappear until it is dry? I don't have a craft corner where I can leave anything, I do it all here in my home office. As always, just stick the thing on some tape and well... where is a strip of tape? I look around, something sticks to the window frame, ah well, that's perfect and I ask myself why the hell is there a strip of tape there... I turn it around and what sticks to it? The missing piece of C4... Unbelievable, and then I finished airbrushing it.

 

Okay, well, what can you say? Either I have to get tidier or not let so much time pass between each step of the construction, so that I can at least remember the last step.

 

spacer.png

  • Like 2
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, nexus11 said:

Well, where to put the small part, so that it doesn't disappear until it is dry? I don't have a craft corner where I can leave anything, I do it all here in my home office. As always, just stick the thing on some tape and well... where is a strip of tape? I look around, something sticks to the window frame, ah well, that's perfect and I ask myself why the hell is there a strip of tape there... I turn it around and what sticks to it? The missing piece of C4... Unbelievable, and then I finished airbrushing it.

Many years ago, I lost the canopy from CMR DH Venom FB.4. (Yes, there were two vacu canopy  in the set, but one was crushed somehow ... I suspected the cat, but he did not admit it! 😁)

I bought a canopy from Pavla for  A-model Vampire, but it turned out to be slightly different, despite the fact that  Vampire canopy and  Venom should be the same.

I was very upset, and a good model went to the far shelf.

Two months ago, I was reviewing my decals (I store them in packages), and what was my surprise when I saw a whole and unscathed vacuum canopy 

Venom

sticking to on one of the packages

with tape.

 

....sometimes they come back .... even after many years!

😁😁

 

B.R.

Serge

 

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The canopy parts are joined together, but of course it does not fit. So again carving and filing. The putty often falls out, which must be corrected again and again.
 

spacer.png

 

Einschnitte für die Canopy -> Cuts for the Canopy

Hier ist mal wieder Spachtel rausgeflogen -> The filler has popped out of here again

0,5 mm Material abtragen -> Remove 0.5 mm material

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Slowly the primer comes closer:

 

spacer.png

 

Canopy fixed and masked, once again a lot of filling with Mr. Surfacer 500. The blue marked areas still have to be sanded. I made the masks from narrow strips of Scotch Fineline contour tape. I apply this stripes by strip, it doesn't take much longer than with finished masks.

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

36 minutes ago, Planebuilder62 said:

Well done Serge, keep it up.

???

Serge

???

😲😲😲

I feel I just have to start making Kestrel!

😁

 

B.R.

Serge

 

P.S. By the way, in which publications are good drawings published on P.1127 and Kestrel?

 

Edited by Aardvark
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly this is is the only model that finished last year (2019), unfortunately it also takes away all model building time and energy... in addition, I had at this point quite a lot of doubts whether this will be anything at all. Because all the time stupid things happen. Like just now. Everything was prepared for the primer, the compressor was under pressure, the Alclad Microfiller was in the Triplex (an in Germany very popular airbrush, for a reason) and I do the usual airbrush test... all the stuff splatters out of the paint cup  into the air instead of the nozzle and spreads everywhere, unfortunately also in fat dots on the model...

 

What's the matter now? The nozzle was missing in the airbrush! And I'm innocent of that this time, I guess there were curious and unsuspecting roommates (The child?) at the device again...

It took forever until the mess was cleaned up and the Triplex was clean again. During this time the spots of microfiller that the model had gotten rid of were etched into the surface... great!

Luckily I still have a nozzle in reserve. I went over everything with it hours later. Now it a can see where I have to work over again. But that was the purpose of the exercise.

 

spacer.png

 

Unfortunately, there are still far too many places...
 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

After the priming comes the reworking. So once again filling/sanding... wet of course. And while I tried to shake shake off the waterdrops the tail almost teared off.
I should have connected these parts more strongly and have avoid such abrupt movements of course. But that's no big deal, I quickly filed a thick gap at the top of the connection between body and tail with a triangular file and filled it with super glue.

 

Then: dry/fill/sand.

 

spacer.png

 

 

And I checked again with primer and would say, I am almost there:

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While Mr. Surfacer is still drying somewhere on the fuselage, I turned towards the landing gear. Of course, the outrigger landing gear has to be adapted to the Kestrel, all the covers are in different places than on the Harrier. Therefore, I first sanded off all protruding material, which I will replace with thin sheet metal...
 

spacer.png

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, the Kestrel's air brake and main gear door were not yet separated, so I carved this gear door from the Harrier's air brake by sawing off material on all sides and then gelding the hinges from some residue. Then some more sanding and everything will be fine.

 

spacer.png

 

But the form is still wrong… I will correct it later.

  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The scoops on the back are missing… I just made them out of cast plastic. Sand it round and saw through it, glue it on and then sand it to fit.

 

Looks a bit like something with drugs...

 

spacer.png

 

 

 

Edited by nexus11
  • Like 2
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Since I only had 2 weeks left until the deadline, I used every free minute for the collection of parts here. But it slowly remotely reminds me of the model. As free minutes are unfortunately sparse, there are only the attached hats and numerous corrections to report, as well as re-engraved panel lines, all covered by another layer of Alclad's microfiller. Here to see in my high-tech paint box 😉


Attaching and sanding the scoops was especially in the starboard side very tricky. Since the material underneath is only paper-thin in places, any too firm pressure during sanding causes further annoying rework.

 

spacer.png

 

Once again I give myself to the illusion of being one step closer to the finished model... until the first layer of Alclad duraluminium is applied. But one has to endure it.

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

8 hours ago, nexus11 said:

Look a bit like something with drugs...

I wouldn't sniff it!

Having said that, I sometimes wonder how much plastic and resin is in my system after 50 years of bashing/sawing/sanding plastic? Not to mention all the solvents!! :hypnotised:

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Last night I dared to do it, but it became "Airframe Aluminium" instead of "Duraluminium". And that all this does not look CNC-milled was to be expected. But it could have been much worse. 

 

Here the docu-photo in the meanest morning mixed light: 

spacer.png

 

I even had the nerve to measure the decals, apply them accordingly and make a test print to see if my home printer could print such fine stuff properly. This is not so, so I try it in the studio.

Edited by nexus11
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

While I am experimenting with decal printing (inkjet, proof system, laser copy system or whatever...) it was time to put my hand on the model itself and maltreat the varnish with 3600 abrasive cloth.

 

spacer.png

 

Now the second layer of base coat can be applied. What panellines seems to be missing, I will add later with slightly different applied, differently colored lacquer or classic with thin pencil lines.

Also the small parts have seen another layer of Alclad, but rather Jet Exhaust, Duraluminium, Chrome and Burnt Metal.

 

spacer.png

 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not much visible happened today. But necessary. On the one hand, I compiled all the pictures I researched on the net into a dossier and printed it out. That's a little more handy than repeatedly taking the iPad out of its idle state.

 

On the other hand I sprayed Airframe aluminium over it again and polished it with 6000 linen, it looks pretty like real aluminium. (Which of course does not look like that in this muddy iPhone photo).


The masking fun could have started now, if I hadn't learned more about the construction of the main landing gear door. I'll have to swing the saw again, because the hinges are located next to the main gear bay and not in it. Research produces only work, I shouldn't have done that…

 

spacer.png

 

Decal printing research has also slowed down, because the best results come from a large office copying system with external RIP. And of course there is only decal paper for inkjet printers in the house... now I am still waiting for suitable laser paper. Anyway, I have ordered it.

 

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Then I started on the funniest part: masking and painting details. But before that, I used the rivet wheel to add missing rows of rivets and engraved some more.

 

spacer.png

 

spacer.png

 

After 9 different metallic colours it looks quite mannerly:

 

spacer.png

 

Now we let it dry through and then again with abrasive cloth over it.
 

Edited by nexus11
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

RED alert!

Only not 9 days to the deadline, but because of Christmas only 3 working days left!

 

I was just about to put together the decals, and then it was over very quickly. Because I have RAF Post-War letters in huge quantities. In all sizes and in white. Only not in large and black!

 

The only solution was to order it quickly, but will it arrive before New Year's Eve? 

 

Or in other words, I need the numbers 6, 9 2 each and the letter S 2 times each and the numbers 0, 2 or 3 4 times each in 7 mm height ... and black.

What a bummer!

Or can someone tell me the name of the character set, then I'll make it myself... (Edit: Font found; see below.)

 

spacer.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What was the name of a successful book series in Germany? Exactly: "Jetzt helfe ich mir selbst" ("Now I'm helping myself").


After the panic shopping I did some research on the character set of the post-war RAF and found some fonts that were really difficult to install. Not quite perfect, but pretty close. Anyway, the numbers are perfect, the "S" not quite correct. Anyway, it will be placed under the wing, where it is well hidden. Since I rarely build 1/72, I don't have anything in the leftover box.

 

Here is the test print, tomorrow I will produce it finally using the Fiery.

 

spacer.png

 

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

So, there's another end monster: to provide the outriggers with the correct fairings. I did that as planned with thin metal sheets. So that they all come to the correct position, I do this in the assembled state.

 

spacer.pngspacer.png

spacer.png

 

Looks like it's working, let's see how the painting goes.
 

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

What an insane build, I can hardly write a parts list, since the whole thing is actually just putty. Economically, it's complete nonsense. I have the feeling that I could have had an injection mould milled.
 

Edited by nexus11
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There they are, the decals. Just pulled out of the proof laser and they make a very neat impression. I have printed them once on transparent and once on white paper.

That's because the letters and numbers as well as the fire extinguishing notice should of course be on clear paper, but fin-flash and Roundel unfortunately have white areas. With the fin-flash this is not an issue, it is rectangular and can be easily cut out.

 

But with the roundel it is a bit tricky. Either I paint white underneath, but I have to cut a round mask first, which is a bit difficult without a circle cutter. Then I can use the transparent decals.
Or I take the ones on white underneath, which is even more difficult without circle cutter, because then it must be really exact.

Maybe I can find some matching round masks from some 1/48 kits, there's something like that included for the wheels.

 

spacer.png

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...