1/48 Gulf Tornado - Revell

[Biggles87]

Oh dear ( or words to that effect ) about the canopy, but good to see you back with this.

Keep on keeping on.

 

John. 🇺🇦

[amos brierley]

Oh - lordy-lordy.   Sorry,   not good.   l’ ve used glass coat Gauzy just the once and well…… the same results, very much less than stellar results. I’d have to say adding more products to the problem just isn’t a better route, sadly I just can’t add an answer……. not good…….on my part.  That’s because I’m still lacking in an answer to the problem.   I can only suggest sand down or replacement parts.  😉

[Bell209]

On 8/31/2022 at 1:50 AM, Dr. Quack said:

Next thing was to try to build the airbrakes in the closed position - which seems near-impossible if the airbrake wells are fixed in place.

Instead I used small plastic card tabs to support the airbrakes in place.

That's clever - wish I'd thought of that for mine!

[Dr. Quack]

On 8/30/2022 at 9:55 PM, amos brierley said:

can only suggest sand down or replacement parts.  😉

Thanks @amos brierley. I'm still rubbing with micromesh cloths but the improvement is slow and I think I'm annoying my frozen shoulder!

 

12 hours ago, Bell209 said:

That's clever - wish I'd thought of that for mine!

Thanks @Bell209. Not my original idea - pinched it off another build (sorry can't recall whose build, or I would gladly credit them). The result still isn't great as my execution isn't that good, but I'm enjoying acquiring new skills.

 

Thanks to all for looking and offering suggestions. Greatly appreciated.

Q

[Pappy]

G'day Quack,

 

Sorry to see the less than stellar canopy result. 

Have you tried using some methylated spirits (metho)  or Isopropyl alcohol (IPA)  to remove the Gauzy stuff?

 

Both of these will not marr plastic and are a little more aggressive than ammonia. I have used metho previously to strip hardened Future to great effect. I soak a lint fee cloth and gently wipe to remove, change the cleaning cloth with a new piece frequently. When done, wash in soapy water and let dry. Ready to go again.

 

The canopy polishing compounds will strip the clear but being abrasive you will need to polish the plastic back and probably need to dip the parts in something again. Metho and IPA are relatively cheaper and readily available as well. A  small experiment somewhere innocuous (like the inside of the canopy sill/ftame) with a cotton bud should let you know if the results would be favourable?

 

cheers

 

Pappy

Edited September 5, 2022 by Pappy

[SallysDad]

Spraying with Easy Off oven cleaner might help. I read of it being used to remove the "chrome" from such parts in car kits.

[Dr. Quack]

Chapter 9

 

In which Quack pretends that progress has been made

 

 

Thanks everybody for suggestions regarding the canopy situation - belated thanks to @Pappy and @SallysDad for possible fixes.

Apologies for the hiatus and lack of output from Quack Towers....been putting off until something happened........and the nice something that happened was the nice arrival of a nice box from those nice people at Revell in Germany, containing a nice new clear sprue providing a nice new canopy which I'll try to keep looking....er......nice. 

 

As a reminder - this is a pic showing the nice new canopy (Left) alongside the coated one Right) .......

64 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Gauzy stuff now in the bin - I just can't trust it again after the mess it made of the original part.

 

 

Soooooo ................  after a little hyperventilation and whispered mutterings of don'tcockitupQuack,don'tcockitupQuack,dontcockitupQuack,   it was time for more mangling of plastic.

 

The airframe is largely complete now, and the nose seam has had a bit more attention / sanding / more sanding - so it seemed appropriate to throw a bit of paint at it.

63 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

I REALLY like the MRP paints - mainly because they're idiot (ie Quack) proof - mix well then spray at low pressure - great tough finish every time.

 

Pity about the colour

 

Really doesn't seem right for RAF Desert Pink ARTF - seems much too dark and muddy rather than sandy.

 

So I tried lightening it and gave it another go......

67 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

See the difference????

No me neither - it just looks a bit greyer if anything.

 

I think the best plan will be to use the MRP paint shade intended for WWII  AFVs - no doubt it's not accurate but I've seen it on AFV models and it looks a better match to my eye, and if it looks better / right, then that's all I'm after.

 

And Finally

(Yaaaaay!)

 

You may recall that I've been looking for something to simulate the corrugated hose which attaches to the demist pipes on the ejection seats and I think I may have cracked it.

Clearing out Mum's house recently I found an ancient reel of cord intended for stringing beads - the reel must be decades old and judging by the illustration it may even have been my grandmother's - possibly a pre-war heirloom, but still in good nick!

So it's been dipped in PVA to smooth it out a bit and voila! I think it'll do nicely and seems more or less in scale.

66 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Doesn't show up well in the pic but the texture should be quite convincing and the effect acceptable after a bit of paint.

 

Anyway - that's all I've got today.

Time for us all to click over to something more informative / fun / education / inspiring.

Thanks for looking, and thanks for all the useful tips.

 

Keep calm - and mangle plastic!

Q

 

 

 

[AliGauld]

It's all looking good from this end.

Looking forward to further chapters in this best seller.

 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Dr. Quack]

Thanks Ali. Progress is slow but it's all progress to me. Thanks for looking in.

Q

[Pappy]

G'day Nial,

 

If not too late,  maybe retrieve that canopy from the bin, why?

 

1. You can use it as a paint mask for the cockpit if not building canopy down on this and any future Revell Tornado builds

 

2. Now that you have a replacement canopy, you lose nothing by experimenting on the old canopy. Try the metho or IPO and see if it works, if yes, you now have a spare canopy and have gained some knowledge, if not, you have lost nothing

 

3. If you don't want it I would like it!

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

[Russmeister 101]

On 7/28/2021 at 12:26 PM, Dr. Quack said:

 

But wait - this gives me an Idea! 

Everybody has heard of the Darwin Awards -

• RULES
• The Award will be known as the Quack Award
• The Award will be annual.
• A Forum Topic will be announced at the end of each year and submissions may be posted by any Member of Good Standing
• Entries must describe genuine unforced errors made on the Plastic Battlefield, and will be judged for their idiocy, and their giggle-worthiness.
• The entries will be judged by Quack
• Quack will (invariably) win. 

`

[Dr. Quack]

Thanks @Pappy - you speak good sense of course. Actually the Gauzy is in the bin and the canopies will be subjected to unspeakable experiments of my own devising - I tried redipping them to no avail. I'll try the other methods that have been suggested as well. All part of the learning curve.

Thanks for the tips.

Niall R

 

Thanks @Russmeister 101. Take note of the last rules. (The playing fields at Quack Towers are anything but level.) 

Q

[Pappy]

Sounds like the best course of action!

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

 

[Russmeister 101]

11 minutes ago, Dr. Quack said:

Thanks @Russmeister 101. Take note of the last rules. (The playing fields at Quack Towers are anything but level.) 

Q

Level playing fields are for wimps   I will use the ancient art of midget flinging (It used to be called midget tossing, until I had an unfortuante experience with a misunderstanding when a little person turned up at my door expecting a massage with a happ... you get the picture...) to its fullest extent to breach your defences (I've read your blog... I know to come prepared with anti-pirhana spray and 10lbs of prime rump steak)  The rest will be easy.... ish  

 

[Dr. Quack]

Chapter 10

 

In Which Quack paints his dangly bits and puts them on Public Display 

 

Now where were we?? 

 

Oh yes! trying to find a suitable colour to represent RAF Desert Pink ARTF.

Those paying attention previously (and I don't even include myself in THAT category!) will recall that I tried the official MRP Desert Pink (185) for Modern RAF aircraft (....it says on the bottle....), but it looked rather like muddy clay and not at all like the real aircraft I recall - memory assisted by contemporary photos.

After some playing around with my (paint) mule, I've opted for the MRP version of Desert Pink ZI (MRP-339) which is intended for British WWII AFVs.

Respray looks like this....

68 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

It may not look significantly different, but when viewed in the flesh as it were, it is much more convincing .............and after all. I'm only interested in convincing my own Mk.I eyeballs. 

 

Eyeballs convinced, it was time to mask up all those fiddly awkward bits like the black panels on the fin and spine, the gun muzzle surrounds and the nose. I don't have many contemporary pics of Alarm Belle, but the ones I have show the black anti-dazzle panel in front of the cockpit was in continuity with the radome, without the commonly seen separator ring. Masking was surprisingly time-consuming for a "single colour" airframe.

 

69 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

70 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

71 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Quite happy with how this has turned out - just a little touch up needed on a couple of small areas where the paint has bled under the masking - need to better my burnishing.

 

AND FINALLY (hooray), most of the fiddly dangly bits have been painted and ready for hanging. I've opted for a pair of F3 2250l Hindenburg tanks which Revell kindly supply in the base kit. Adds a bit of colour (.....er even if it is grey!), and I understand that these tanks were commonly used by the GR.1 Tonkas to improve range (trying to keep up with the Buccaneers, eh??!) and extend the loiter time when providing a strike package with Alarm cover.

Alarm and AIM 9's are Brassin - very impressed with these items though they are a bit fiddly to assemble and have lots of decals - time consuming but worth the effort.

The BOZ 107 and Skyshadow pods are OOB Revell.

 

72 by Niall Robertson, on Flickr

 

Nearly ready for decals. Happily, as it's a Granby machine there won't be a huge number of stencils! 

 

 

 

So that's the lot for today.

 

Keep calm,

and mangle plastic

Q 

[Hook]

35 minutes ago, Dr. Quack said:

It may not look significantly different, but when viewed in the flesh as it were, it is much more convincing

Looks quite the part from here. 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

[AliGauld]

 

It all looks splendid from this end.

Eagerly awaiting further instalments

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Biggles87]

Me too.

Too late now, but had you thought of  Xtracolour ‘ Desert Pink ‘, I’ve had some for several years now but never tried it.

 

John. 🇺🇦

[Dr. Quack]

9 hours ago, Hook said:

Looks quite the part from here. 

Thanks @Hook, most kind.

 

8 hours ago, AliGauld said:

 

It all looks splendid from this end.

Eagerly awaiting further instalments

Thanks Alistair @AliGauld. Instalments are infrequent. My builds are ridiculously slow, but hey, I get my money's worth from a kit if it lasts all year, right?

4 hours ago, Biggles87 said:

Too late now, but had you thought of  Xtracolour ‘ Desert Pink ‘,

Thanks for following along @Biggles87. I've got some Xtracrylix, but wasn't convinced by the colour. I'm keeping it though, as I may use it to add coarse touch ups later on, trying to replicate the patchy touch ups done in the field - photos show a lot of random areas like this, in various shades. Xtracrylix brushes well so I'm planning on playing with this effect when it comes to weathering.

 

Thank you all for your interest - suggestions are always most welcome.

[Hook]

17 hours ago, Dr. Quack said:

I'm keeping it though, as I may use it to add coarse touch ups later on, trying to replicate the patchy touch ups done in the field

That's what I plan to do as well, albeit in 1/72nd. 

 

Followed by sparse sponge chipping revealing the grey / green camouflage underneath at some places - those birds got real tatty! 

 

Cheers,

 

Andre

 

 

 

 

[Dr. Quack]

Chapter 11

 

In which Quack convinces himself that Progress is being Made

 

Now where were we?? 

 

Well, since our last little chat things have been fairly quiet here at Quack Towers. The cold weather means that the Villagers with their pitchforks and flaming torches have stopped trying to invade the Citadel, and content themselves with sitting indoors out of the snow, watching Reality TV (must be somebody's reality I suppose) and wishing goodwill to all mankind-except-that-evil-mad-Doctor-on-the-hill-and-his-unspeakable-experiments.

Nevertheless, the drawbridge remains up and the Quacks have settled down for a quiet Winter of pleasant isolation, with a freezer full of favourites and a wine cellar amply stocked with Toilet Duck. 

Yaaaay.......Time for a bit of modelling! 

 

Last time, you may recall the main painting phase had been completed, and the surface seemed good enough to take transfers.

 

74 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

I'm using the Kits-World set 148126 for Granby Tornado's based at Tabuk. I know others have had problems with these and mention that they are often out of register. Now that I've started to use them I'd agree, though the result is not bad enough for me to give up - there are remarkably few alternatives available for Granby schemes - except PrintScale - and I'm told that they're pretty dreadful.

 

I started with the shark-mouth as it was probably the trickiest part of the process, and if I ran into insurmountable problems then I would want to know early and choose a simpler scheme without the dental challenges.

 

75 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

It wasn't the easiest job as the transfers have no cut-outs for the guns or undercarriage doors. Kits-World advise against using softening products, but I found that they needed two treatments with Daco Strong to make them play nicely.

 

Once completely dry I applied the central portion of the pre-cut mask for the gun surrounds onto the decal, scored around with a new scalpel blade, and lifted the mask off to leave the metallic gun surround visible.....really anxious about this , but it seems to have worked fairly well..... (I'm happy anyway - good enough for me) 

 

76 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

I'm really not sure about the colours of the shark-mouth - they seem way too bright when compared with Granby era pictures, but having got this far I'll just persevere - I might be able to dull them down at the weathering stage.

 

Transfers complete it's time for a few sealing coats of W&N satin acrylic varnish - It;s been so long since I was at this stage with a model that I completely forgot how to thin the stuff and that it needs a higher spraying pressure than the MRP paint - result - 'orribly uneven and lumpy and no you can't see pictures of it because I was too busy removing it before it had a chance to dry. Instead here's a picture of a better looking coat. (sorry about the pic quality)

 

77 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

Now that the thing is coated and sealed it's time for a bit of attention in the cockpit department. The rear office received the displays from modified Eduard Look set and kit bits. It still looks a bit bare and featureless, even after adding some wiring details but I think I've reached my level on detailing so I'll stop at that. 

 

78 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

79 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

And Finally (hooray!) the rear seat has been fitted - it needed a bit of packing underneath to get it to sit at a realistic height within the cockpit. Sorry about the poor pic - just my camera phone.

At this late stage it is now obvious that there's a see-through effect between front and rear cockpits - wish I'd noticed that earlier as I might have made a bulkhead with plastic card - too late now. When the front seat is added it'll only cover so much .

I'm learning stuff every day here - frustrating, but satisfying in some strange continual-self-improvement sense. 

 

80 by Dr. Quack, on Flickr

 

And that's us up to date again. 

Best wishes to you all.

Keep safe

Keep Calm

And mangle some plastic! 

 

Q

[AliGauld]

Glad to hear you're overcoming the trials and tribulations.

It's all looking good from this end.

Good to have more Q about the place.

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Dr. Quack]

Thanks Alistair. Just don't expect me to keep up with your build rate.

Merry C

Q

[Anthony in NZ]

Hey mate, I am not sure how I missed this! I guess I have been so 'head down' focused on my own build?)

Wonderful work and good work on the new canopy.  I think you got the new pink shade spot on looking at my screen.  Awesome stuff! Always love your models and entertaining posts....keep up the awesome work and keep warm buddy!

 

Cheers Anthony

[Dr. Quack]

Thanks Anthony. Happy that you're dropping by. I'm still astounded at the quality of your on going Spey Phantom project - colossally impressive work there.

Thank you for your kind words.

Q