1/144 747-8 Double Build

[Back in the Saddle]

On 09/08/2022 at 08:45, Cklasse said:

Very nice build. I would have gone for a 1/144 B747 instead of the 1/200 plane that I am currently building if I had seen this post earlier.

1/144 is a good scale for these models - 1/200 is a bit too fiddly for my fingers! You're doing a great job with the flaps and slats on yours.👍

 

On 09/08/2022 at 05:09, Paulaero said:

Will you stop this duel build lark , I'm already suffering from being a serial starter and need to be a serial finisher !!!

I suffer from the same problem! 😆 At least by building two at a time I can combine some of the painting jobs, making the process a bit more efficient!

 

On 09/08/2022 at 05:09, Paulaero said:

Surprised at the differences in the kits as I thought these two were doing a lot of cross boxing such as the 787's

They are two completely different models, with different issues. I'll do a summary at the end of the build (which is hopefully now in sight!) and point out the pros and cons of each kit.👍

 

On 09/08/2022 at 05:09, Paulaero said:

Your right about the Zvezda engineering, am part way through a 757-200, sorry its going to be Jet 2 but the fit is amazing....

Zvezda is a little less detailed than Revell but it is almost building itself the fit is so good. Looking forward to seeing yours come together!

 

On 09/08/2022 at 07:43, Terry1954 said:

Great updates Matt. It can be a bit frustrating using washes when engraved detail isn't consistent.

Thanks Terry. I might look at enhancing the panel lines on any subsequent builds, but I'm likely to make the model look worst - scribing is not one of my better skills...!😆

 

The undercarriage built up equally well on both kits. As a reminder, Zvezda is the grey plastic; Revell is the white. Here are the wing gears:

 

 

The body gears (note the broken strut on the far right, which needs a quick repair!):

 

 

And the nose gears - with completely different strut geometry at the attachment point to the fuselage:

 

 

The Revell gear bays are also built up, ready for painting and then fitting inside the belly:

 

 

A dry fit to see how they go in:

 

 

Revell have supplied a strengthening strut too, which is already glued into place. I usually scratch-build one of these, so it was a nice addition to have one in the box!

 

Painting is next, including all 36 wheels... Later models will be built gear up!

 

 

[Back in the Saddle]

The bogies were painted with Halfords Racking Grey and a dirty wash was applied:

 

 

I have subsequently removed a bit more of the wash - it was looking too grubby! The first body gear wheel bay was glued into place:

 

 

Followed by the second bay - a bit of a squeeze to fit this one in, but that is my fault for doing it now, rather than at the beginning of the build as shown in the instructions:

 

 

I'm not convinced they are parallel, but hopefully close enough for it not to show... I also added some scrap sprue between the bays for reinforcement.

 

The wheel hubs were sprayed white and then I began to paint the tyres. These are the Revell wheels, with the replacement resin nose wheels mentioned earlier:

 

 

And Zvezda's wheels:

 

 

Once an initial coat of paint is on, I will detach them all and tidy up the paintwork. One very nice aspect of the Revell kit is the protective spikes, which help prevent damage to the wheel axles:

 

 

These two models are now getting pleasingly close to completion! I need to finish the undercarriage and paint the engines, then final assembly beckons...😃

[Back in the Saddle]

Having shown you the belly of the Revell model above, it seems only fair to show the Zvezda model as a comparison. The belly is integral to the wing section and a lot less detailed. This was taken just before spraying the blue, with cling film protecting the wings and the kit parts masking the wheel bays:

 

 

Like a complete muppet, after painting the blue I threw the gear doors away, thinking they were not needed... However, the bigger sections are required, so I need to dig through the bin to find them! Here's the same area after painting and with the body gear installed:

 

 

Note the bare bays compared to Revell. Obviously some of this will be covered once I find the doors! Here is Revell for comparison:

 

 

Also lacking the gear doors ATM, which be added at the final stage. Here are the remaining pieces (the big belly panel is now fitted!):

 

 

I also need to finish painting the engines, but the end is nigh!

 

 

[Back in the Saddle]

I managed to find the missing parts in the bin, so that potential disaster was narrowly averted! 😆

 

Having initially fitted only the body gear on the Zvezda model, the next task was fitting the wing gear. With these glued into the wing section I flipped it all over to check alignment and let the glue set:

 

 

I also have another two Revell 747-8's on the bench, one of which will be built with the gear retracted. These builds are not being documented on Britmodeller, but I thought a comparison shot showing the gear up would be useful in case anybody else is contemplating this option:

 

 

The two red dots indicate the areas that need drilling out to accommodate the display stand. This section needs some tidying up before spraying - these models are still at an early stage!

 

Returning to this build, the engine assemblies have finally begun to get painted. The pylons were initially sprayed grey, before getting masked ready for the blue:

 

 

Once the blue was dry, more masking was required on the Revell engines for the inlet rings:

 

 

Zvezda have these as separate components, which is a much neater option:

 

 

Alclad was then applied to the intakes:

 

 

The next stage is application of the engine decals and general weathering, before attaching them to the wings.

[Back in the Saddle]

It's been a while since I've had time to update work on these two, but progress has been ticking whenever I've had a spare moment...

 

The Revell kit decals will be used to enhance the engines and windows:

 

 

Excellent print quality and easy to apply - nice work by Revell.👍

 

I started with the engine details:

 

 

One set done; one to go for the Zvezda kit! These decals really bring the engines to life (metaphorically!)😄

 

The fine lines at the bottom of the decal sheet are for the wing/tailplane "no step" areas, which were applied next. The panel lines on the Zvezda tailplane did not quite line up with the Revell decals, necessitating a slight trim to the end pieces:

 

 

The Revell tailplane panel lines were a perfect match for the decals. Here are the two sets together:

 

 

The decals on the side marked "73" join the lines together on the Revell tailplanes - I just hadn't applied them when I took this photo!

 

The next job was attaching the engines. The finished decals on the tailplane tips can now be seen too - a perfect fit!

 

 

The final decals were the silver window frames:

 

 

Which, when added, improved the appearance considerably:

 

 

I still have a few more decals to apply, but it's slowing getting closer to an RFI!

 

[Vesa Jussila]

Decals really make a difference.

[Back in the Saddle]

On 28/10/2022 at 13:41, Vesa Jussila said:

Decals really make a difference.

They certainly do!

 

These builds have been ticking over quietly in the background and are now almost complete - here are the two models together:

 

 

The only remaining jobs are attaching the tailplanes to one model and then the undercarriage doors and probes. The doors are prepped with the nose gear registration decals and ready to be fitted:

 

 

My next post should finally be an RFI link! 😁

 

 

[Back in the Saddle]

My work here is almost done!

The gear doors were glued into position:

 

 

And the masking tape was removed from the windscreens:

 

 

In the process of removing the tape I also removed the decal on one of the windscreen crowns, which had shown the aircraft registration... This necessitated a quick print run to make a replacement:

 

 

There are also some decals here for my two 767 builds (which had stalled whilst waiting for these to be printed) and a sneak preview of a future BA Utopia "What If" livery scheduled for completion next year!

 

On a separate note, I recently received some scrap linoleum which has now found its way onto my workbench. Having a plain white backing this makes finding things much easier - as long as I remember to keep it tidy!

 

 

I've also re-read through this entire build, as one of my aims was to provide a summary of the pros and cons of the two different kits. Here goes!

The Revell kit generally looks superior. It has a nicely illustrated box, more comprehensive instructions and truly excellent decals which are simply in a different league to the Zvezda offering which went into the bin! The Revell kit also has significantly more detail, as mentioned by @Alex1978 back on page one of this thread. The surface panel lines are much more realistic and there is a complete selection of pitot probes, drain masts, wing tip lights and a visible flight deck - Zvezda ignore all of these elements. Revell also have a more detailed undercarriage and wheel bays - fiddly to build but impressive once done.

 

By comparison, the Zvezda plastic was much better. It was crisply molded with minimal flash and just one sink mark on an engine cowling. The Revell plastic had significant issues, noticeably on the engine fans which suffered from both flash and short shot pieces. These were beyond salvaging, which made completing the Revell kit impossible. Fortunately @Turbofan stepped in with a donation of perfect replacement parts from the Zvezda kit, which meant the build could resume - thanks Ian! For balance, I must mention the warped fuselage half in the Zvezda kit. It may have been an isolated incident and it was easily fixed, but there was no warping in the Revell box.

 

Revell had a few other issues. As pointed out to me, the nose wheels were slightly too small and needed replacing. @Bangseat came to the rescue with some 3d printed replacements - thanks Harry! Not withstanding the flash issue, the general engine construction was also inferior to Zvezda, with many gaps that needed filling. The Zvezda engines went together very nicely and as a bonus had separate inlet rings, which made painting a breeze.

 

The windscreen fit on the Zvezda model was far tidier than on Revell, with beautifully clear plastic. A shame there was no flight deck supplied with this kit! I preferred the wing construction method with Zvezda, which had very crisp, thin trailing edges and a sturdy wing box, giving the model more strength. As an aside, I have not glued the Zvezda wing onto the fuselage but simply pushed it into place. It fits tightly but can be removed for storage/handling if required. A great piece of engineering by Zvezda!

 

In summary, both models build up to give a good representation of the 747-8. Revell has more detail and is consequently more complex to build - but it looks more realistic once finished. Zvezda has a simpler model which also looks quite acceptable once it's built, but it is not quite in the same league as the Revell model. However, for me, the major issue was the fan blades on the Revell kit - they simply made the model impossible to finish. Without the replacement parts it would have gone to the shelf of doom forevermore...

 

I have two more Revell 747-8's under construction, but will not be buying anymore - unless Revell fix those fans!

 

Despite the trials these were enjoyable builds which are now nearing completion. I hope to have an RFI for you soon...🤞

 

Thanks for tagging along and I hope you found the comparison useful!

[Back in the Saddle]

This build has stalled again for the silliest of reasons…

 

I was attaching the very last pitot probe and managed to drop it. Somehow it missed my new building mat and hit the floor… 
 

Despite a very prolonged search, the carpet monster seems to have claimed this piece for himself so I need to steal another from my spares box. It will then need painting before I can get it attached… Hopefully all finished later in the week, as it would be good to wrap this up before Christmas! 🎄