franky boy Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Hi everyone Time to start something new. This one dropped onto the door matt a week or so back and like many others I've been looking forward to it for a while. I built a 3 squadron a/c last year and didn't fancy the other option in the box and as @Sabrejet posted up some interesting photos of RAF Sabres with a slight difference this week thought I'd have a go at one of these. XB542 of 66 Squadron. Originally part of the Sabre conversion flight based in West Germany and then moved onto 66 squadron where it was re painted but with the aluminium undersides painted to the higher demarcation line of the PRU blue seen on German based a/c rather than the lower one seen on Fighter Command a/c with their aluminium undersides. I've ordered the new Xtradecals sheet for the squadron markings. The red Z on the yellow back ground I'll probably hand paint. CD339AA6-7BFC-40B3-AAD3-841696D77A39 by James Halls, on Flickr The box top. IMHO this one's pretty good. 04F436E0-1589-4135-8C9C-3AE0A64DE469 by James Halls, on Flickr And inside. D9939490-DE98-4376-A6E3-C98A387B1E42 by James Halls, on Flickr I started by fitting the gun and ammunition door covers as I wanted to model them closed up. The funny thing was that on the left hand fuselage side the covers needed a bit of fettling and scraping to get a flush fit but on thee right hand side they fitted like a glove. 72E872FF-628F-47A4-9383-E83B91A59666 by James Halls, on Flickr F06093A5-4021-45F2-A350-C77301B78292 by James Halls, on Flickr I also got the cockpit tub glued onto the air intake. The cockpit looks ok oob and I'll use the decals for the side consoles and instrument panels as there is no after market available for this kit yet. C1E53AAF-7D60-4CA7-94E4-47D5AD4CF947 by James Halls, on Flickr I think the kit will build up pretty quickly. This took less than an hour and it's since had a coat of Tamiya NATO black. That's all for now. more updates to follow. Thanks for looking. James 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 I’m in, I like an F-86. In your sprue shot there are pieces which looks suspiciously like wing slats but the wing is ‘ hard ‘ with a fence. Is it possible to build a slatted wing version from this kit? John Edit: just seen the multi page thread here on the kit so I’ll go back and read it properly. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 24 minutes ago, Biggles87 said: I’m in, I like an F-86. In your sprue shot there are pieces which looks suspiciously like wing slats but the wing is ‘ hard ‘ with a slat. Is it possible to build a slatted wing version from this kit? John If I can jump in here: no you can't. You could imitate a closed-slat wing by cutting out the '6-3' section, deleting the fence and scribing the slats. Alternatively you could scratch-build the slats or use the Red Roo conversion set. Whatever you do, for an RAF Sabre, use the small drop tanks and move the pylon inboard! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles87 Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Thanks @Sabrejet that’s disappointing. I have used the Red Roo conversion set before. Perhaps some enterprising organisation nearer to home will come up with something. Sorry for the hijack @franky boy. John 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 8, 2021 Author Share Posted May 8, 2021 8 minutes ago, Biggles87 said: Thanks @Sabrejet that’s disappointing. I have used the Red Roo conversion set before. Perhaps some enterprising organisation nearer to home will come up with something. Sorry for the hijack @franky boy. John No problem, please carry on😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petetasker Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Not got much further than yourself with mine but had exactly the same problem with port side gun/ammunition door covers. I also added the instrument cockpit decals and they basically desolved/smeared the instrument detail when I painted a thin layer of sealing varnish over them. Just need to decide whether I wait for the Eduard detailing set or nick another set from a second kit I have? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 8, 2021 Author Share Posted May 8, 2021 4 minutes ago, petetasker said: Not got much further than yourself with mine but had exactly the same problem with port side gun/ammunition door covers. I also added the instrument cockpit decals and they basically desolved/smeared the instrument detail when I painted a thin layer of sealing varnish over them. Do I wait for the Eduard detailing set or nick another set from a second kit I have? I’ll get mine on tomorrow Pete and let you know how it goes. The Eduard sets aren’t due out until June according to the big H so it’s a bit of a wait. I’d try the other set you have, at least if they melt to it’s a fault with the decals. By the way. Does anyone know which seat belts the Sabres bang seat has. We’re they still the blue ones seen in some post war aircraft or ones as they’re what I have or different ones. Cheers James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 17, 2021 Author Share Posted May 17, 2021 Hello chaps A bit of progress to report below from the past week or so. So I've go the cockpit painted and built up. This is entirely oob as there isn't any AM available for this kit yet. TBH it could do with a resin bang seat and some etch for the side consoles and instrument panel. Having said that the decal provided for the IP went on and settled down very nicely. Everything was given a coat of Tamiya NATO black, some seat belts made from Tamiya tape and the decals applied. This was followed by a wash made up of 50/50 kleer and water and a drop each of Tamiya flat black and red brown. This was followed by a flat coat and finally a dry brush with some Mr Metal dark iron. I like this colour for dry brushing dark coloured cockpits. 2FA63A02-F275-433B-AAB0-AE72DD8C1D54 by James Halls, on Flickr 00233B05-0E3D-4D26-AB36-33F2EE54F0F8 by James Halls, on Flickr 0566A50E-D1F7-4C6F-85F6-BF321068F5F3 by James Halls, on Flickr Once glued onto the air intake and sat inside a fuselage half i found the the rear decking sat a bit low against the fuselage side so I added abit of sprue to push it up and sort it out. 9424E132-1714-455D-A1C3-E422D3D279FF by James Halls, on Flickr 0593AC5D-0B85-44DF-BB8F-01C07C43F9B3 by James Halls, on Flickr I tried to sharpen up the detail around the gun panels with a round file as these were a bit soft and also added some rivets to this panel. 26D4D787-BFF1-4AD7-A857-E2690A1FEC7E by James Halls, on Flickr I've literally just glued everything into the fuselage halves (sorry no photo) and put them together with the inserts in front of the rudder and other various panels and can conform it all goes together very nicely and looks every bit a Sabre so well done Airfix. That's all for now. Onto the wings next. Comments and questions welcome. Stay safe. James 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 That cockpit is superb, doesn’t really need an aftermarket! Excellent colour too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Web99 Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Looks like a really good kit, I don’t build 1/48 but this could change my mind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 Nice trick with the cockpit. 👍🏻 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted May 17, 2021 Share Posted May 17, 2021 The cockpit looks really good- much better than what came in the box! Mike 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
petetasker Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Nice. I found an old long lost Eduard set for the F86F in the loft so nicked the seatbelts from that for mine. Be interesting to see what cockpit additions the announced Eduard sets add to the cockpit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 20 hours ago, franky boy said: Hello chaps A bit of progress to report below from the past week or so. So I've go the cockpit painted and built up. This is entirely oob as there isn't any AM available for this kit yet. TBH it could do with a resin bang seat and some etch for the side consoles and instrument panel. Having said that the decal provided for the IP went on and settled down very nicely. Comments and questions welcome. Stay safe. James James, That headrest should be dark brown on RAF Sabres. Otherwise it looks just as the doctor ordered! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 2 hours ago, Sabrejet said: James, That headrest should be dark brown on RAF Sabres. Otherwise it looks just as the doctor ordered! Thanks Duncan, I’ll get that changed. I was sure they were red...... Cheers James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 1 hour ago, franky boy said: Thanks Duncan, I’ll get that changed. I was sure they were red...... Cheers James Red on some Sabres for sure; I think the RAF asked for them to match the seats in the Officers' Mess 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted May 18, 2021 Share Posted May 18, 2021 Not the best photo, but this gives a good idea; dark grey in fact (photo Robin Brown) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 18, 2021 Author Share Posted May 18, 2021 15 minutes ago, Sabrejet said: Not the best photo, but this gives a good idea; dark grey in fact (photo Robin Brown) That’s very dark grey, almost black. Great photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted May 26, 2021 Author Share Posted May 26, 2021 Hi all Its update time. So this week I've got the fuselage halves together and concentrated on the painting and weathering the wheel wells and airbrake wells. The fuselage halves went together very nicely with no problems and I've taken care of the seams also. 6098F0F4-7495-459A-AA68-A1710031BFE7 by James Halls, on Flickr All of the wells were first given a coat of Gunze H-58 interior green followed by a future/water and black/brown wash. In the photos they all still need a dry brush and a flat coat which they've now had. CB853798-BC57-40A7-823F-5FC85E255B33 by James Halls, on Flickr 0F02AD12-8A47-4068-A9BB-0F2E29778E9D by James Halls, on Flickr The inside of the gear doors were painted with Tamiya lacquer LP-38. I thought this would be a good match for the HSS undersides. AB0FCED6-D1C7-4043-A086-FE1EE9176FA3 by James Halls, on Flickr BFBDDB3C-B029-4588-846C-626F5A037693 by James Halls, on Flickr And the nose gear well. You can see the filler around the panel that fits between the well and the nose ring. This was the only part on the fuselage that needed any real filling and sanding. BF43A2C8-497A-4EFB-8280-7493926AB9B2 by James Halls, on Flickr That's all for now. Onto the wings next. Thanks for looking. James 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted November 21, 2021 Author Share Posted November 21, 2021 Hello chaps After the fun of GB's through the middle part of the year I thought I'd better get this one back on the bench and finished. Especially as the new Vampire kit has landed and I want to build that too. So the wing to fuselage join left me with this gap at the leading edge of the joint. To big for filler? 728648AD-FC52-4AA2-8A27-81156FF17D1C by James Halls, on Flickr So it was sorted out with some plastic card shims. DB7B3C1C-A1B4-45E8-97E3-9ECC4846D927 by James Halls, on Flickr And also some sink marks to fill with some sprue gloop on the flaps. B9100E9D-36C4-438F-B3ED-28FE7733E822 by James Halls, on Flickr Around the front of the wings and the joint to the fuselage there are a number of mating surfaces that all come together. Most likely self inflicted but I found that a few swipes of the sanding stick were necessary to get everything looking good. 6DFAAE4B-1A61-4E21-815C-63913592B91E by James Halls, on Flickr And this is what I ended up with before primer. Not to bad in the end. 4B3ED7EC-2B93-4B81-A8FF-CF5141E6B89D by James Halls, on Flickr Sorry no pics of primer or painting. Primer was Mr Surfacer grey 1000 and paints were Hataka orange line for the upper camo and Tamiya LP-11 for the underside. This is where it's at at the moment with decals nearly done. The decals are a mix of the kits which have behaved impeccably and a few Xtradecals for the squadron bars and serial numbers which just about behaved. Xtradecals and I have a love/hate thing going on! 14E89A47-28EA-48E9-BA15-3317B9BDE208 by James Halls, on Flickr 717332CA-14B0-4460-B22A-249448128EA6 by James Halls, on Flickr D8C19F7C-E702-45F3-83C2-F59698E31375 by James Halls, on Flickr 764E4F3B-06C8-4A80-A90D-3BE11EB656F6 by James Halls, on Flickr Just a few stencils to finish and the the yellow outline for the Z on the fin and we're there for that. Thanks for looking. Questions and comments welcome. Happy modelling James 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted November 21, 2021 Share Posted November 21, 2021 Looking good: that silver underside/2TAF scheme makes a nice change and will have folks scratching their heads. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
franky boy Posted November 21, 2021 Author Share Posted November 21, 2021 Thanks @Sabrejet. Yep it’s an interesting scheme, thanks for providing the original photo inspiration. I also have a Hasegawa kit mid way through being turned into a slatted wing Mk4 of 92 squadron, the CO’s aircraft, with silver undersides and cheques around the nose. They’ll look good together. James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Riot Posted November 21, 2021 Share Posted November 21, 2021 This is looking brilliant! Very nice colours and looks great with the markings on. In my opinion the silver underside looks far better than PRU blue anyway, which never looks right to me below dark green/grey camo. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loloskymaster Posted November 22, 2021 Share Posted November 22, 2021 This Sabre is turning very well. I like the colors of the camouflage. Lolo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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