Tim Moff Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 (edited) After the Tomcat build piqued interest in US Naval aviation I have decided to jump into this STGB... I have this just arrived: Decals look ok, but I have bought some aftermarket Furball ... couple of PJ pilots with JHMCS helmets masks also with it - but are Hase so may or may not work... https://www.furballaero-design.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=48-067 Am thinking about a resin Buddy Refuel tank for something different.... Its actually shown fitted on the box art... I am also running out space on the garage rafters so contemplating an Ikea display cabinet and the new challenge of building wheels down.... Edited April 25, 2022 by Tim Moff 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 4, 2022 Share Posted January 4, 2022 I'm not sure that I would show my small parts where the plastic-grey, deep-pile carpet monster lies in wait. You'll scare them to death. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 18 hours ago, Bertie Psmith said: I'm not sure that I would show my small parts where the plastic-grey, deep-pile carpet monster lies in wait. You'll scare them to death. The Horror!! Luckily the bags are still sealed.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
exdraken Posted January 5, 2022 Share Posted January 5, 2022 Nice project! Those decals are something else! An refueling as well! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anatol Pigwa Posted January 6, 2022 Share Posted January 6, 2022 My favourite Jolly Rogers scheme (and that is including the F-14 and F-4s)! This is goinig to be terrific. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneheadff Posted January 7, 2022 Share Posted January 7, 2022 Great...can't have enough VFA-103 birds! Will definitely follow 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted January 11, 2022 Author Share Posted January 11, 2022 Customary slow start, some bits off sprues to be primed/painted, also filled in a few what I believe to be ejection pin holes with Mr Surfacer 1500. Decals have arrived - choices, choices... Does seem that the Italeri tails fit the decals for the main CAG Bird option.... Great ref book for my collection....wheel bays look like a whole lotta work that I am not used to - also lack skilz for!! Onwards!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted January 28, 2022 Author Share Posted January 28, 2022 Some work done - needs a bit of work and I’ve done decisions to make …. got the basic pit done, needs a bit of a wash and flat cote before going in primed and painted the wells - lots of detail to paint in there (I’m a wheels up man!) but I have also run into a hitch ….I appear to be missing a wheel strut thingee <a href="https://app.photobucket.com/u/Tim_Moff/a/8cfa4ecf-7371-47d8-ba4a-5dcb647c430f/p/22a0695f-ef95-4d1e-b513-d6c955cc5d45" target="_blank"><img src="https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/y456/Tim_Moff/FullSizeRender(114).jpg" border="0" alt="FullSizeRender(114)"/></a> part 97 seems to be missing so I may her to : a- Go wheels up b - see if anyone else has a part c- buy another cheaper box (Revell/Italeri) I’ve done one search of the sprues and bag and boxes …. got the LERX on and stuck some mr Surfacer 500 in the join abs then sanded back test fit seems relatively ok Also sorted the intake joins… the next decision …. No ATFLIR in the kit and the Wolfpack version is like unicorn poop! So no LGBs unless I find one I’ve the Buddy refuelling pod - could go with that and I’ve 2 x wing tanks - but they seem to mainly fly with 4 so I’d need to source 2… Or I just go with the buddy tank and 2 or mil tanks …. it also seems that it would be easier to hand paint the wheel well pipes and detail before assembly ? anyone got a pic of a model they’ve done before in 1/48 showing the wells and colours to paint the pipes and cylinders etc …. Just in case I get a wheel strut solution ?! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trickyrich Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 nice model & progress! Those decals look nice, Furball decals are top-notch. I can see the part that you are missing (been looking at the instructions online), that bit of longish sprue in the photo looks like it could be "modified" to replace the missing part, or a piece of similar shape. Would need a bit whittling but very doable. Stores wise, you could go with Mk.82's? There are of photos of F's (& E's) loaded with Mk.82's on BRU-32's. You could easily have pairs of Mk.82's loaded loaded on pylon 3,4,8,9, and singles on pylons 2 & 10, a Superbug Bomb-truck!!! For a few of the raids over Syria there are photo's of F's similarly loaded but with GBU-38's instead! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Buysse Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Hi, Tim. For the pipes in the wheelwells, I quite like what Coneheadff has done in his thread. 1/48 Meng F/A-18F VFA-103 first combat cruise...Update 29 Jan - F/A-18 STGB Part 2 - Britmodeller.com I'd gladly give you some droptanks, but postage from Belgium would be quite expensive. Speaking of expensive, have you considered getting one of those Meng kits? You'd get 4 droptanks and the targetting pod, so you could build a tanker and a bomber. And use another option from the Furball sheet. Cheers, Stefan. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 9 minutes ago, Stefan Buysse said: Speaking of expensive, have you considered getting one of those Meng kits? You'd get 4 droptanks and the targetting pod, so you could build a tanker and a bomber. And use another option from the Furball sheet. Quite the salesman 😂👍🏽 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Got some paint down on the fins. I’ve been told the decals from Furball are great - but there is a bit of a guessing game with the codex numbers as to which ones to use …. im going for actual paint rather than the yellow fin top decals (initially!) …. The black cheet line appears to directly under the top ‘bulge’ - I then intend to gloss to seal it in then use some 1mm Tamiya tape to mask the yellow below, hopefully mirroring the angle of the black line ! back to the codex … I’m hoping the codex directly above the fins are the right ones to use on this build Stbd port Pointing to the nose codex ? Seems to be a slight forward angle on the Stbd side and back angle port ? pointing at the port has a white shadow and the wing codex -but more straightforward! Started on the A2A missiles though likely only one AIM9X to be mounted East of the weapons on hold ! I hoping to maybe get a ATFLIR via a fellow Britmodeller… and /or tanks. thanks for the tips above -good call @trickyrich ref that piece of sprue that could be fashioned into the wheel ‘mount’ - just hope I’d get them level 🤣🤣 buying the Meng is tempting but I’m not sure it’s with it for the Pods and weapons! will take a look at @coneheadffs thread for wheel well tips …. ive a bit of time off work (unless Mr Putin has other plans for me next week!) so I hope to get some more progress in…. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex77 Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Nice colorscheme and some good progress! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneheadff Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 That yellow is spot on 👍 You could use 2mm tape as a placeholder beneath the 1mm tape for the black stripe. Then apply the masking tape and remove the placeholder. That way you will definitely have a parallel line. I don't think that the modex number is angled. I think it's the angle of the photo. Don't know how well Academy molded the wheel wells. Meng ones had all the details and I just had to use a fine brush and some patience 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted February 1, 2022 Author Share Posted February 1, 2022 (edited) All about the ‘little wins’ whilst I’m looking at the other issues and decisions, so got going on the fins. I added the numbers on the fin tips, then added the decal cheet line. mollie the collie ‘helping out’ 🤣 once settled I then place 1mm tape below the black line to mask off the parallel yellow area below before painting the fin Gloss Black using Mr Color GX 2/MLT I then got the ‘Bones’ and codes on…. need to get the various cone areas behind the lumps hand painted and the red lights on each fin sorted. Seal it all in with gloss and ‘reserve’ for later! Edited February 1, 2022 by Tim Moff 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneheadff Posted February 1, 2022 Share Posted February 1, 2022 Niiice! Definitely better than the decals. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted February 4, 2022 Author Share Posted February 4, 2022 Bit more work done - not gone mad on the wheel wells and can always do some more at the weathering stages.... Finishing off the pit and aircrew.... Now to some of the main joins! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneheadff Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 23 minutes ago, Tim Moff said: Now to some of the main joins! The funniest part of it all 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJL Posted February 4, 2022 Share Posted February 4, 2022 Nice work mate, the Furball decals are superb! I might have a scrap ATFLIR pod that came off a damaged build a few years ago. PM me and I'll go and have a Jeffrey for it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted February 5, 2022 Author Share Posted February 5, 2022 16 hours ago, DaveJL said: Nice work mate, the Furball decals are superb! I might have a scrap ATFLIR pod that came off a damaged build a few years ago. PM me and I'll go and have a Jeffrey for it. Thanks so much I’ve been lucky and @Stephen managed to find his spares and has sent them on …. the offer is much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJL Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 1 hour ago, Tim Moff said: Thanks so much I’ve been lucky and @Stephen managed to find his spares and has sent them on …. the offer is much appreciated! No problems at all mate, glad you got sorted! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted February 5, 2022 Author Share Posted February 5, 2022 Started the main joins… Resup from @Stephen I also have an E model so erring towards the tanks and Buddy refuelling pod … can use the pod on the E with weapons … or wait for the rumoured Aggressor Decals for the Rhino … 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneheadff Posted February 5, 2022 Share Posted February 5, 2022 10 minutes ago, Tim Moff said: I also have an E model so erring towards the tanks and Buddy refuelling pod … can use the pod on the E with weapons … or wait for the rumoured Aggressor Decals for the Rhino … I think I have a decal sheet with E aggressors. Shall I take a look? 😁 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Moff Posted February 6, 2022 Author Share Posted February 6, 2022 On 2/5/2022 at 5:48 PM, coneheadff said: I think I have a decal sheet with E aggressors. Shall I take a look? 😁 If you do and don’t need them it would be appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
coneheadff Posted February 7, 2022 Share Posted February 7, 2022 6 hours ago, Tim Moff said: If you do and don’t need them it would be appreciated! All right 👍 I will let you know 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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