A general dynamic duo - 1 down 1 to go

[Dansk]

Thanks guys, My builds have developed a lot I will post an update later, I’m at a position where I’m strangely considering painting the gear legs and bays as the final item in the paint order as it’s easier to mask a painted fuselage surrounding the bays than masking painted constructed bays and legs.

Has anyone else done this?

[modelling minion]

2 hours ago, Dansk said:

Has anyone else done this?

Yes mate, I have done it before and the shape of the gear bays on the F-16 actually make it fairly straight forward.

[Dansk]

Thanks for the input Craig. Then I’ll continue with that plan. 👍

I’m really enjoying this build. It’s going slowly but well and there’s no catastrophies yet.

I’ve taken more care than I usually do on joins and seams and getting things to sit together correctly and I’m enjoying that focus.
It’s not perfect but better than my usual standards anyway.

 

Since the last update both airframes have developed. 

 

On both aircraft:

The main gear legs and bays are complete, and the arrestor hook and lower twin vertical stabilizer fillets are fixed.

Airframe C has leapt ahead of airframe A on the grounds that C will have it’s intake trunk and exhaust shrouded with FOD covers and hence lacking the need for prep and paint. A will be exposed.

 

 

So C has its intake trunk, nose cone installed, tail fin, and nose gear all attached.

 

 

I’m still really happy with the upper join seam. The black primer helps me see it better.

 

 

Here’s A’s state:

 

 

I’ve just started up on the ordnance too in my slightly chaotic build order, while waiting for A’s intake trunk paint to dry. I forgot to put in the poly caps on 2 of the tanks so that will mean they will have to be fixed permanently. No big disaster.

 

 

A few bits and pieces in production here too.

 

 

Can’t wait for the next stage of bringing A to C’s state, then we’re venturing ever closer to paint. It’s such a gorgeous machine the f-16. Still looks futuristic today. On a similarly aesthetic note, I and my offspring had the opportunity to sit in and look around this at the weekend. What a beautiful little jet the draken is. 🥰

Edited August 8, 2021 by Dansk

[Dansk]

Had some fun since the last update.
Both machines are now externally fairly complete.

I’ve backtracked to unfinished cockpit work so i can close the canopy ready for paint.
Airframe A has leapt ahead of C in having it’s seat and cockpit now pretty finalised.

Here’s A’s cockpit and seat. It’s the Tamiya kit’s seat with eduard PE. (The quinta detail stuff was unusable - it ripped and refused to come away from its backing sheet - It must be a bad set or I’ve not kept it airtight or something.) However I think the cockpit is actually working out pretty good, its more matt in reality the light and phone give it an artificial sheen.

[/











I used some expendable PE to add a bit of noise to that ‘gap‘ in the ip shroud. The kit leaves it empty, references show more so it livens it a touch should the canopy be presented open (not sure on either airframe yet though).









On the ordnance front I’ve been ploughing away with nothing of interest to show, except the belly tank: Once I’d removed the seam the proud rings circumventing the tank were worn away, so i masked it, fired a load of sprue goo at it and then sanded that smooth. The results look quite satisfactory. I’ll post pics after priming (I forgot this eve)

Edited August 11, 2021 by Dansk

[modelling minion]

That is some really nice work Paul, great attention to detail mate.

The ejector seats are excellent, some very nice detailing.

[Dansk]

Cheers Craig 👍

Second cockpit is dome. A bunch of errors, belts too long etc which I had done a little while back but it is what it is.
 

 

My love is definately withe the A schemed airframe.

 

 

Canopy masking next. 
 

 

[trickyrich]

Gee Paul, lovely work on both of them! 

 

I would have drowned the problem Quinta decals, it wouldn't hurt them and the backing paper would have eventually come off.....or fallen apart.

 

Lovely work on all those joins as well. The Tamiya model is such a nice model to build I really should buy a couple, one for a "Diana" build and another for an early Israeli bird.

 

You had me worried for a bit, I though that might have been my "Mythical Draken"! 

[Marlin]

WOW.

That's two very beautiful cockpits. 

Well done Dansk.

 

/Bosse

[Cookenbacher]

They're both looking great Paul, wonderful cockpit detail for sure.

[Dansk]

Thanks for the nice comments guys.

Rich I realised the decals werent bad it was some idiot who didn’t know you had to get them wet to use them 

 

I’ve spent more time on these kits than I have any other to date.

I’m enjoying making them as good as I can possibly manage but fear I may be cutting time and energy short by doing so.

This evening I have deleted the seams on the canopies.

 

 

(I couldn’t decide to go for clear or tinted so I did all of them!)

 

And gave them a coat of future.

 

Not Tamiyas crowning glory but this thing is silly. It needed sorting on both birds.

 

 

 

[modelling minion]

More good progress Paul, especially on sorting out the canopy seams.

[DaveJL]

Nice work mate!

[Cookenbacher]

It's interesting to see how much Tamiya's 1/72 kit has in common with the 1/48 - I guess that panel/vent must be present on other versions? I'm also going to follow your method for the undercarriage bays, and paint them afterwards.

They're looking wonderful so far Paul - hurry up so I can copy you some more!

[Dansk]

jeezzzzz…

Edited August 17, 2021 by Dansk

[Dansk]

The boring bits are nearly sorted and we’re verging on paint application …

 

I’m happy with the results with the black primer not showing anything seriously disturbing, well at least for airframe A.

 

airframe C got a shocked canopy with a little too much pressure from yours truly. 

 

so that halts that fella’s progress a touch. The bummer is that both a and c aircraft were wearing the smoked glass option from the kit.

now i have to either paint one of the remaining clear canopies tamiya smoke coloured for airframe a, or pull out the rear canopy (already attached on airframe a with white glue), and choose both clear parts on that a-aircraft. (Then it will look different to the c aircraft when sat next to it) 

however i Love that they give you two canopy options as it means clumsy oafs can screw one up) thank you tamiya. 🥰

 

a load of other ephemera was primed too.

 

Edited August 22, 2021 by Dansk

[MickE]

Looking great and coming along nicely.

[Dansk]

Painting is now in progress chaps. 

 

@helios16v your paint mixture for the underside feels just right.

FS36375 - XF19 (2) + XF25 (1) + XF75 (1) (I added a touch of white to mine as i’m painting over black primer)

 

 

i built up layers on top of the black primer, but kept it really restrained in the end

 

 

I’ve painted a whole bunch of parts this evening in that grey and in that manner.

 

 

together with a handful of olive drab instances

 

 

also on airframe C I removed the glued-in smoke canopy parts and installed, masked and liquid masked the new clear parts

So A and C will look different canopy colour wise when placed next to each other, but thats just how it is.

 

 

we’re progressing!

 

 

Edited August 23, 2021 by Dansk

[helios16v]

That's awesome.  This makes me happy, glad I could help.  Hopefully the others prove as useful.  

[trickyrich]

very nice!!!!!!   That grey has gone down nicely.

 

I remember that silly blank in the fuselage side as well..... what is it actually for???

 

I think I did the same thing when I used those Quinta decals for the first time... I didn't know you actually had to treat them like decals first then stick them on........ it did help later when I did eventually read the instructions! 

[Dansk]

Well black base preshading is in progress, its quite fun doing this, i enjoy it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2021 by Dansk

[Cookenbacher]

Beautiful work, it'll almost be a shame to give them their top coat.

[Dansk]

2 hours ago, Cookenbacher said:

Beautiful work, it'll almost be a shame to give them their top coat.

Thanks cookie 🙏

tonight each airframe has its underside top coat sorted,

airframe c has a red tail now and its mid tone gray parts pretty sorted

getting there step by step

 

 

[helios16v]

Looking great!

[trickyrich]

that's an awful lot of work for the pre-shading, but I know from past experiences it's worth all that effort in the end, I like lots!!!! 

 

I haven't thought of starting with black and gradually going lighter, I normally go the other way, I will definitely try this method.

 

Those underside look perfect!!

[Dansk]

Thanks so much Rich. The black base technique is definately interesting to try.



well things are moving along 
But some oaf did this… 



And this… 



And this… 




So that was remedied, 
After that friends came round so a spot of cake was in order



Then back to the desk
Heres the models with their finalish paint which I’m quite happy with.







After that I gave one airframe a coat of gloss to seal it ready for a panel line wash (my usual humbrol gloss varnish) love the satin/gloss feel you get from it.

And the other arirframe Tamiya clear as an experiment - WTF! 



Will this self level when dry or can i sand it out with 6000 grit or something? Help

.

Edited August 28, 2021 by Dansk