Col. Posted May 9, 2020 Share Posted May 9, 2020 Smart work on the HUD glass colouring Dave. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 10, 2020 Author Share Posted May 10, 2020 22 hours ago, Col. said: Smart work on the HUD glass colouring Dave. Yes, I'm quite pleased with how that turned out. I did however shoot myself in the foot and hinder progress a bit though yesterday. By painting the forward bit of the coaming in gloss brown, i needed to add a coat of matt varnish before the forward canopy section could be glued in place. Simples, I thought. Brew coffee, quick dab of varnish, catch up with Britmodeller, glue on canopy, breakfast, and the glue will be set enough to mask the rest of the cockpit opening off by elevenses. So, down to the kitchen, put kettle on, into the model room, open paint draw and grab bottle of matt varnish to give it a quick shake and find it has the consistency of treakle on a winter morning. The rest of the mornig was spent stirring, thinning and shaking said bottle of varnish until it regained an even usable consistency, dab of varnish on the brown before lunch, and the forward canopy is now on, waiting for the glue to set up. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus Tura Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 That sort of problem, caused by low varnish turnover, is yet another effect of insufficient model making. I see that this GB now ends a week today: I could have sworn it ended today. So we both have tons of time! Alan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 10, 2020 Author Share Posted May 10, 2020 39 minutes ago, Angus Tura said: That sort of problem, caused by low varnish turnover, is yet another effect of insufficient model making. OK, OK, no need to rub it in Alan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 10, 2020 Share Posted May 10, 2020 9 hours ago, Angus Tura said: That sort of problem, caused by low varnish turnover, is yet another effect of insufficient model making. I see that this GB now ends a week today: I could have sworn it ended today. So we both have tons of time! Alan well now you have no excuse not to finish! 8 hours ago, Dave Swindell said: OK, OK, no need to rub it in Alan ..the best laid plans of mice and modellers! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 A productive session in the paint booth today Undersides, undercarriage door outers and drop tanks sprayed FS36375 Light Compass Ghost Grey; it should be FS36373, but I didn't have that and this is pretty indistiguishable compared on my fandeck Tail and spine sprayed current RAF Roundel Blue Jet exhaust outer sprayed Oily Steel Tyres sprayed Tyre Black All in the airing cupboard to cure overnight 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus Tura Posted May 11, 2020 Share Posted May 11, 2020 You are now streaking ahead. I'm going outside, as I now have every right to do, I think, to do my roundel-blue-won't-dry-properly-dance. Don't make me do the Dave-drops-Gripen-dance. Angus (very bitter) Tura 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 11, 2020 Author Share Posted May 11, 2020 24 minutes ago, Angus Tura said: I'm going outside, as I now have every right to do, I think, to do my roundel-blue-won't-dry-properly-dance. You're in with half a chance Alan, I am using Xtracolor... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 13, 2020 Author Share Posted May 13, 2020 I had a minor panic this morning when checking photo's for nosewheel well details, and after leaving the well fully open and detailing all the doors the photo's were showing the two aft doors behind the nosewheel leg firmly closed! They're definitely closed when the aircraft is powered up, and some shots when parked show the doors closed as well, but fortunately I found a few shots with them open when parked up as well! Phew A few more etch parts added in the nose wheel well, and the vortex plates behind the canards added Undercarriage wells masked, doors masked, tyres masked and all sprayed up and they're off to the airing cupboard overnight On 06/05/2020 at 21:47, reini said: I know I would knock them off several times before the model would be done... If you look carefully, the forward nosewheel door is now with the other doors being sprayed, a lack of depth perception whilst masking the well led to it being knocked loose - I was wondering whether it would survive masking in situe, obviously not... 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 13, 2020 Share Posted May 13, 2020 hopefully the painting will continue to be trouble free, looking forward to seeing her completed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 14, 2020 Author Share Posted May 14, 2020 13 hours ago, trickyrich said: hopefully the painting will continue to be trouble free, looking forward to seeing her completed. Fingers crossed @trickyrich This mornings masking and spraying went well (I think, the masking hasn't come off yet!) with the upper surface colour now on. The demarkation between the upper and lower surfaces on the fuselage was sprayed freehand, it looks pretty close to the photo's, and I think I got away without any overspray I used RAF Medium Sea Grey as explained earlier, and seeing it on the model against photo's of the real thing I'm pretty happy with the choice, it's got the right hue and the contrast with the lower surface is very good. I'm sure the quoted FS 36173 would have looked much too dark. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 14, 2020 Share Posted May 14, 2020 those colours look right in the photo's, nice work with the paint job. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 7 hours ago, trickyrich said: those colours look right in the photo's, nice work with the paint job. Thanks Rich, some fiddly masking and detail painting to do today before the fin can be unmasked and the full scheme revealed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 15, 2020 Author Share Posted May 15, 2020 There was a bit more masking than I'd anticipated, checking the photo's for the other bits I noted that there's an unusual wraparound of the undersurface colour onto the wing and canard leading edges. If I'd spotted this earlier it could have been sprayed with the underside and masked for the upper surface. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus Tura Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 Looking good, Dave. Don't rush the deadline. Alan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 15, 2020 Share Posted May 15, 2020 that sound be a fairly simple thing to correct, though time consuming. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 17, 2020 Author Share Posted May 17, 2020 On 15/05/2020 at 22:37, Angus Tura said: Don't rush the deadline. When have you ever seen me rushing Alan? On 16/05/2020 at 00:38, trickyrich said: that sound be a fairly simple thing to correct, though time consuming. Yes, but not as much as self inflicted cockups Yesterday started well with all the masking bar the cockpit coming off OK, and the wing root antennas masked up and sprayed, but when lining it up for a photo I noticed a couople of patches of very wrinkly paint on the port wing tip and stbd rear fuselage. I suspect I handled the model here after wiping some paintoff my thumb with thinners. I was rather hoping the paint would settle down again after drying overnight, but it hasn't, so it will have to be sanded out and resprayed, so no decalling today. After the debacle with the paint I had a go at the ejection seats. Eduard give you a combination of painted and unpainted parts to add to the seats, which all look very good, but the basic seat area looks too slim with overly thick sides, even after sanding off the detail that will be replaced by the Eduard parts, so I've had a go at modifying the basic seat. The sides have been removed down to the seat cushion area and a new full width life raft pack cut from 1mm plastic sheet. I've also added side supports either side of the back rest from 1mm square rod filed to a more rounded section. There's covers to go over these I've still to make from foil, and with the Eduard bits added should make a passable representation of the seats fitted. Basic seat on the left, modified seat on the right, with the Eduard side plates that will fit on after painting. @Whirly no way mine's going to make tonights deadline either, so I'll see you soon in RFI. If it's OK with @Col. and @trickyrich I'll continue to post the updates here? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 no problem at all to post after the official end, I do encourage it for those who don't make it. Shame about that paint spot. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Angus Tura Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 Ah well. I'm sorry it didn't make it under the wire, Dave. But, I'm glad you have had the conversation about late posts, which I'd certainly be keen to do myself. Alan 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry1954 Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 I just had a look at this whole thread Dave, prompted by your comment in my Vosper thread! I had not noticed this one, partly I suspect, as a result of being similarly uninterested in the Grippen, as you described at the start! However, after reading your amusing intro, I thought, "here is a man after my own heart"! Please don't take offense all you Grippen fans out there. It's not that I don't like them, it's just that I can't seem to get worked up about them. I do understand what an amazing technological solution the Grippen is, and indeed, such a mean and capable aircraft. I would imagine, engaging one in combat, in some other current generation aircraft, would be like the proverbial "knife fight in a telephone phone box"! Anyway, I'm most impressed with this build so far, and will definitely follow through post this deadline and hopefully see this one complete! Terry 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted May 17, 2020 Share Posted May 17, 2020 @Dave Swindell again thank you for joining the build, it was great to have you along and a real shame in the end you weren't able to complete her. Please keep updating when you can, it'll be great to see her completed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted May 19, 2020 Author Share Posted May 19, 2020 On 17/05/2020 at 18:51, Angus Tura said: Ah well. I'm sorry it didn't make it under the wire I didn't make the end of the group build, but there's a fighting chance it might be finished for the next club meeting On 17/05/2020 at 19:34, Terry1954 said: I just had a look at this whole thread Dave, You must be a glutton for punishment Terry! On 18/05/2020 at 00:52, trickyrich said: Please keep updating when you can, it'll be great to see her completed Thanks for the encouragement Rich, I'll try not to keep you hanging around too long.... Meanwhile back in the modelling room, I've been messing around with the ejection seats, seat pack covers and back rests made from alu foil (for stiffness and shape) wrapped with masking tape (to thicken them up and give a bit of "fabric" texture), plus sone of the etch and a few bits of rod and strip added to the headboxes to approximate the detail here. All painted up plus some bits still on the etch fret which necessitated masking this as well. The thumb print damage has been sanded back and repainted, along with some other bits which needed touching up, and my hands have had a good wash before transferring things to the airing cupboard for the night. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted June 7, 2020 Author Share Posted June 7, 2020 Apologies for the silence on updating this thread, I had a bit of a mare fitting some of the etch belts to the ejector seats after the previous post, and had to take a step back for a few days, then my New Favourite Thing arrived and I got totally distracted. Whilst I had the phone in camera mode this afternoon i got the two offending articles out and took a few (actuall quite a few, they're not easy to photograph in closeup) snaps of them to see how bad they were. They'll obviously need some remedial paintwork in places but they don't look as bad as I'd feared when they were quietly hidden away. The seat and headbox sides went on OK, as did the straps and buckles on the seat base. The parachute suspension straps that come down the front and tuck in below the headbox were awkward and took a bit of teasing into position but I got them on without elevating the stress levels too much. It was the 4 upper seat harness straps (2 per seat) that drove me to distraction. Each strap is a simple straight etched and painted strip, looks great on the fret and is easy to cut out. The bottom end of the strap attaches to the back pad , and the top end is clipped into a socket on the side of the headbox when stowed - in use it clips into the quick release box seen sitting on the seat base. Simples. Except it's not. the top end has to be twisted through 2 90 degree angles to align with the headbox location, and the lower end needs to be draped into position. This is relatively easy to do with lead or alu foil, but the etch brass really needs anealing to do this, and you can't aneal it without loosing the paintwork. So after bending it into shape and losing half the paintwork in the process, the brass is so springy that one end can be secured, but not the other. Whilst attemting to secure the other end it will either attach firmly to the tools used to position it, and come off completely, or stick where intended but force the first joint to part. Grrr. In the end I got them close enough and hid them away I'll have a go at retouching the paintwork whilst I'm detail painting the NFT, hopefully we'll be back on track then. Oh, and congrats to @Whirly for finishing his 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Whirly Posted June 7, 2020 Share Posted June 7, 2020 Thank you Dave, I really wanted to clear the workbench so my model is surely not up to your standards, can't wait to see the third ETPS Gripen completed! By the way, I read your chronicle of applying photoetched pre-painted seatbelts and probably you faced all the issues I always feared and kept me away from this kind ofproduct. I really wonder how one can use them without going mad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Swindell Posted September 4, 2021 Author Share Posted September 4, 2021 This protracted tale now continues to it's conclusion (hopefully!) here:- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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