Sled building time

[bar side]

Test fitting the top & bottom halves went ok.  The joins are tucked underneath so should be well hidden

 

 

You do forget how big she is

 

 

And trying out a pico led on the nose wheel

 

 

 

[LorenSharp]

I do like the idea of the LED lights This will be one fine build when completed.

[bar side]

Cheers @LorenSharp hope it turns out ok.  Just need to get the decals sorted & then build the start cart, ladders etc.

[LorenSharp]

1 hour ago, bar side said:

Cheers @LorenSharp hope it turns out ok.  Just need to get the decals sorted & then build the start cart, ladders etc.

Mere details. To paraphrase Billy Crystal.... It'll look Maaaaavolous!

[bar side]

Thanks Loren!  Well a brief taster for the light up look.  I quickly put the wheels together to check how she looks & sits and soldiered up the lighting wires.  You may notice the masking tape and lack of engines & outer wings

 

 

You get a better idea in this clip.  The lights are from a 9v battery that will sit inside the tail - I plan to leave the bottom tail panel only held in place with blutac

 

https://i.imgur.com/5lLGpgp.mp4
 

I think the wheels may need a little work, and much more to do before the body gets closed up

[bar side]

The cockpit detail is quite strongly moulded so I thought I would have a go at picking bits out.  Not truly detailed, but most will be lost in a pretty black ‘pit.

 

 

And testing it inside

 

 

Now I am not keen on the dead centre in the engine exhaust, so I thought I would give it a bit of depth.  Cue marker pen lids.

 

 

These are also buried deep in the gloom of the back of the engine.  That’s the vents before the end bit ahead of the exhaust petals.  Lots of technical terms!

 

 

The engines are like kits in their own rights.  Quite big

 

[bar side]

Quick update - one of the two engines & outer wings scribed & sanded back.  Just one more to do

 

[bar side]

Been thinking about the nose wheel light.  The kit has a moulded on light that would be tricky to drill out & fit the led in.  But the real Blackbird has two lights on the nose wheel.  So I thought I would move the kit light to the side & put a new light with a pre drilled hole to take the led on the front.  So I found some solid rod and drilled out the centre then sanded down to a cone on the end.

 

 

The central hole is big enough to take the pico led

 

 

I will paint the centre silver & probably add a lens cover when it’s all assembled.  But it looks about right

 

 

going to have to seal up the back to avoid light leaking out.  But I can pull the led through from the body before I seal it up and then fit the wheels and the light, rather than having to put the led in and then fit the undercarriage.

[Alan P]

Cracking on nicely with this. The Spitfire really shows up the size of this model!

 

Also: marker pen lids 👏👏👏

[bar side]

This is not a new one @Alan P!  These are my Phantom burner cans.  More pen lids.  Prices are better than resin sets

 

[Back in the Saddle]

This is looking superb!👍

 

I will have to start trawling the internet to try and add one of these to my stash - as you said at the beginning, they should be getting cheaper soon! 

[bar side]

Yes @Back in the Saddle I was watching a YF-12 kit the other day too.  The Revell kit looks to be around the £70 mark so I guess Testors/Italeri kit will be under that

[Back in the Saddle]

There’s a YF-12 on there for £165 atm!😮

[bar side]

6 hours ago, Back in the Saddle said:

There’s a YF-12 on there for £165 atm!😮

Ouch!  I followed one the other day at £30 that sold for £39 plus post.  Over £50 all up but much better price.  I suspect the £165 one will disappear before it ends

[bar side]

After faffing about making up a second light for the nose wheel I actually looked at the instructions and found that the kit had one in it!  So I ditched my effort & drilled a hole through the kit light to take the pico led.  I attached the light to the leg and looked at the two tyres fitted.  Much to wide.  Too wide to fit in to the wheel well in fact.  So I have opened out the axel holes & moved the wheels closer to the leg

 

 

Needs some piping added & will have the wires for the led there too.  Need some scratch detail in the wheel wells too.  Not that you are likely to see in there very often

[bar side]

So quick check @CaracalModels it looks like the 48101 decals are on your US website.  Are they likely to be in stock at Hannants in the UK or best to order direct?  

[Swamp Donkey]

Was at Edwards AFB for the Open House in 1997 when the NASA SR71B did a Mach 3 pass - not something you see every day of the week! Loving your build of this awesome machine

 

SD

[bar side]

32 minutes ago, Swamp Donkey said:

Was at Edwards AFB for the Open House in 1997 when the NASA SR71B did a Mach 3 pass - not something you see every day of the week! Loving your build of this awesome machine

 

SD

Indeed!  I thought coming in hot from a transatlantic crossing to Mildenhall was good, but that is something else.  I wonder if the Blackbird was ever photographed at speed from another Blackbird?  I have read that Concorde was only photographed air to air at Mach 2 once, from a Tornado that was rapidly loosing ground on her

[bar side]

This is my main reference for the nose wheel at the moment

 

 

I assume that the red sections on the nose leg in some shots are museum braces over the compressible section of the leg.  Seems the leg is pretty much black or faded to dark grey as above, while the tyres are impregnated with aluminium so going black with a coat of aluminium over them.  Makes a change from an aluminium leg with black tyres

[billn53]

Here are some shots of the nose gear & bay you might find useful:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

and some of the main gear, in case you need it:

 

 

 

   

 

- Bill

 

 

 

 

 

 

[bar side]

Cheers Bill - much appreciated!  There is a walk around on here but these improve the references I have no end

[billn53]

1 minute ago, bar side said:

Cheers Bill - much appreciated!  There is a walk around on here but these improve the references I have no end

 

Here's a link to photos I took of an A-12 Oxcart a couple years ago:

 

 

and another link to my SR-71 build log (Academy's 1/72 scale kit). This model has won a couple awards in local contests:

 

- Bill

[Lord Riot]

On 14/11/2021 at 21:36, bar side said:

 

 

Wow, what a line-up! So depressing how things are these days, I’ve pretty much lost interest in spotting and aviation photography, there’s just not enough worth seeing. 
 

You know you want to build an example of everything in that line up! 🤣

[bar side]

2 minutes ago, Lord Riot said:

Wow, what a line-up! So depressing how things are these days, I’ve pretty much lost interest in spotting and aviation photography, there’s just not enough worth seeing. 
 

You know you want to build an example of everything in that line up! 🤣

Still like an Apache or last chance to see 1980s F-15C & D models at Lakenheath.  Let’s not forget the venerable KC-135s & MC-130s out of the Hall. And Osprey spotting.  I want to get a night shot with those rotor tip lights on.  It’s not like it was but yes, I do want to build everything in that line up!

 

 

 

 

[Lord Riot]

Cracking photos! You’re right of course, that last remaining enclave of ‘little America’ in the Brecklands is always well worth a visit.