HobbyBoss 1:72 Rafale M +++ FINISHED +++

[Jasonb13]

Hi all,

 

Finally getting to start my thread!

 

By my count, this is the 5th Rafale in the GB, and the second Rafale M (though mine is 1:72). I'll be following the other Rafale builds closely!

 

I bought this kit from a fellow modeller here in Ireland, and he's always so generous and always throws in some extras in to the box. Until I opened the box this morning for pics, I forgot how many extras he'd thrown in! Here are some pics...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Those extras include a Charles De Gaulle display base with a resin catapult, a resin Tractor with PE, Resin Douglas Flight Refuelling Pod, Masks (that I see are for the A and might not work?) and also the Shyart decal sheet, that I see a few of the other Rafale builders are also using!

 

I'm not a quick builder, and I'm starting late, so I'm already tight for time, but all these extras are probably really gonna make this hard to finish on time.

 

Anyhow, will have a look at the instructions and schemes, decide what I'm doing, and then get started asap!

 

 

 

[Jasonb13]

Ok, I'm already looking for some advice!

 

I'm tempted to do Number 24, which launched an unarmed Nuke in 2009, took part in operations above the Polar Circle in 2010 (and has nose markings for both) and was lost at Sea in 2012, with the Pilot ejecting safely. I can find quite a few pics of it online, but only with a fuel tank (at airshows etc.) Any idea what kind of loadout I can give it? Including the Douglas Flight Refuelling Pod maybe, as I have that? Would a Rafale M with that Refuelling Pod also have other ordinance?

 

All advice gratefully received, thanks!

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good afternoon Jason 

 I just found these piçs 

https://cols-bleus-fr.s3.amazonaws.com/1170_815.jpg

 

http://lignesdedefense.blogs.ouest-france.fr/media/02/01/3259750455.jpg

 

http://www.opex360.com/wp-content/uploads/rafalem-nounou-20210122.jpg

 

Best Regards 

Patrice 

[Jasonb13]

Well, that's excellent Patrice, thanks!

 

The first picture interests me the most. From what I can see, that's the refuelling pod, with two 2000L tanks, and two Mica missiles on the wing tips. I can't quite see, but are the other pylons removed? As it happens I'm not usually a fan of fuel tanks on an aircraft, they always look too bulky, but let's be honest, there's no point have a refuelling pod and not having spare fuel!

 

Actually, using my iPad so I can zoom in seems to show me no other pylons, so it's just the centre one for the refuelling pod and then the two plyons for the 2000L tanks, and then the wing tips. Nice one, now I know my loadout and the scheme I'm doing!

[Jasonb13]

So, I have now officially started! Got some plastic cut and glued, starting with the ordinance. The two Fuel Tanks, the Refuelling Pod and the two Mica missiles, along with the pylons for the tanks. The pylons for the Micas can be just attached to the wing tips, and I actually forgot the pylon for the Refuelling Pod in the picture! They're basically ready for some primer now.

 

 

 

 

Next up is the various parts for the undercarriage.

 

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Welcome aboard Jason with quite an interesting Rafale. 

[TEMPESTMK5]

 Good morning Jason 

 I am not an expert in Naval aviation (being an ex French Armée de l'Air Warrant Officer ) but I think that usually aircraft equipped with a refuelling pod only carry fuel tanks and air to air missiles for self defense ...

 

Have fun with your build , I have this kit in my stash and might try to build it also ...

 

Best Regards 

Patrice   

[Jasonb13]

Thanks Patrice, that's the load out I'm gonna go with.

 

Next question, instructions say white for the undercarriage, some pictures online look like aluminium. Any ideas anyone? And what colour would the wheel wells be? Thanks!

[TEMPESTMK5]

Good morning Jason

I think that you will find very interetsing answers in the link above

 

Best Regards

Patrice  

[Vultures1]

Whatever colours you go with for the undercarriage, be careful with the fitting of the MLG legs.  I found them a right pain to fit.  They can't be fitted after main assembly so have to be threaded through the gaps in the lower fuselage half before it is fixed in place.  The dry-fitting was fine but they didn't want to play once painted (I went with a dull aluminium FWIW) so I am thinking the tolerances are quite fine

 

Might just be me being ham-fisted of course ...!

 

Good luck with the build

 

Chris

[Jasonb13]

Thanks! I think I pretty much have the colours sorted now, thankfully. 

 

Really hope the legs can fit in after assembly Chris, or else it'll be a pain to work around them!

 

Speaking of a pain, I managed to knock a jar of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement all over my work bench this morning. Managed to save my phone and all the plastic from being flooded by it, but a good bit landed on the lower fuselage half. I knew enough to leave it alone and not touch it until the glue had fully dried, so hopefully now I can sand it a bit and rescue it without losing too much detail!.

[exdraken]

Nice project, 

Hope you can save it!!

[Wez]

Jason,

This is a great subject and No.24 has an interesting history.

 

I'm hoping you can save the lower fuselage as I'm quite keen to see this fitted with the refuelling pod.

 

Good luck

[Jasonb13]

Thanks lads... I think it should be ok, I just need to see how much sanding is needed.

 

Now that I have the colours pretty much decided on, I started some painting. Here's quite a busy pic...

 

 

 

 

So basically, what we have there is as follows...

 

Fuel tanks and pylons primed and ready for paint.

Refuelling pod primed with some aluminium paint on it, ready for the other colour

All cockpit parts primed (and therefore painted, as they're black).

Undercarriage and wheels primed, and painted aluminium (tyres still to be painted).

Mica missiles primed and fully painted

Undercarriage doors primed and the internal surfaces painted.

 

I *think* that's everything! Next is painting the rest of the refuelling pod, the tyres and the fuel tanks/pylons/external surfaces of undercarriage doors. Then they'll all be glossed and decalled/pin washed etc. and matt coat on them. When that's all done I'll get started on that cockpit, which I've already taken a jump-start on by priming/painting it at the same time as the rest of the bits and pieces!

[Dermo245]

Off to a flyer Jason, nice one 👍

 

Dermot

[Jasonb13]

Thanks Dermot!

 

Have all the bits and pieces done now, painted/varnished/decalled etc. The cockpit is done as well, it would have been silly not to do it as I was spraying black anyhow!

 

 

 

 

I've also primed/painted some other airframe bits that I reckon make sense to do first, like the intakes etc., as they'll be awkward to do after assembly. Gonna have a look at the exhausts next (probably paint the exhausts and then mask, I'll see) and then it's onto assembly.

[Jasonb13]

Work continues...

 

I seem to be quite hesitant about this build, and am delaying putting the fuselage halves together, and I don't really know why! I'm just over thinking it I guess.

 

I got the main wheel well in place...

 

 

 

 

I have strengthened the join with superglue and extra sprue. After the warning from @Vultures1, I checked if the main landing gear legs can be added with the wheel bay already in place. They can be, but it's very tight as he says, and requires getting them in at an angle and then twisting them and pressing them in tight. So, I really don't want the wheel bay to come loose, hence all the glue. I've also added some paint so that unpainted plastic won't be seen through the intakes (which aren't closed off, and I decided to leave them that way).

 

Here's how it looks from the outside, I think the main doors are closed after the landing gear comes out, so it's a fairly small opening. 

 

 

 

 

I also have the cockpit in place in the upper fuselage...

 

 

 

 

And finally, a dry fit of the two fuselage halves with the canards added...

 

 

 

 

Another decision I'm uncertain about are the canards. I was gonna leave them off completely and do them separately, but then it occurred to me that there's no masking on this aircraft (single fuselage colour) so they're not in the way for an upper/lower demarcation line. Then I was going to put them in like they are now, but not glue them, so I could tilt them a bit to tidy up the seam between the upper and lower fuselage halves, but that's awkward as they don't move much (and the seam does need tidying). I could leave them off until the seam is done and then add them, but then they're no longer attached to each other, so they could droop, and I'll have to be more careful when gluing them. So, like I said, I'm hesitant and I need to just take the plunge!

[Marlin]

WOW

I'm sorry I've missed your thread Jason. 

You've done some fantastic work on your Rafale M.

Any chance of you posting a more close-up picture of your fantastic cockpit? 

I really should get on with my own Rafale M.

/Bosse

[Jasonb13]

Well, as seen as you asked so nicely!

 

Hard to get decent shots as it's all black (with some dry-brushing) but here you go...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can just about see, the details are all decals, which add something at least. The main Display unit on the Instrument Panel is also a decal, but I painted black over it, as it was done as if the display was on, and I won't have a pilot in it, so the black is the shutdown version. Will put some gloss on it to give it a glass look. For a 1:72 cockpit with a closed canopy, it'll do...

[Marlin]

Thanks Jason.

/Bosse 

[Jasonb13]

A bit more work done. Finally bit the bullet and glued the fuselage halves together. Also got the spine glued on top of the fuselage and the front wheel well glued in the lower fuselage. Decided to leave the canards off until I dealt with the fuselage seams, and took my time gluing the halves together to minimise the seams as much as possible. Seams are not my strong point!

 

Also got the intake sections glued together, they'll be added in place next, along with the nose (with a weight in it, just in case) and the tail, canards and a few other bits and pieces. I'm trying to take advantage of being off work, as my bench time will reduce from Monday onwards.

 

 

[Cummulus]

Very nice progress, Jason!

Thank you for cockpit photos useful. I am thinking about sculpting contol sticks in cockpit, since they are missing in the kit. I guess blobs on side panels are ment to represent control sticks...

But they can be hardly seen anyway.

 

[Jasonb13]

No worries @Cummulus Yeah, I thought about adding something too, but like you said, they can barely be seen, so I didn't bother!

 

Pretty much ready for primer now, I just need to mask the wheel wells. I decided to leave the canards off for the moment, it'll be too hard to prime/paint the plastic underneath them with them on. I can add them afterwards.

 

I've actually made decent progress, with assembly pretty much done in 2 weeks; being off work helped! Not sure when I'll get the primer on, but then we'll see what needs to be tidied up. The intake curves don't quite match the fuselage curves, but I might just have to put up with it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jasonb13]

Another bit done, and the primer is on. Next step is looking for issues and deciding whether they can be fixed or whether I can live with them!

 

 

[Vultures1]

Looking very cool in its primer coat!