Freester Posted January 15, 2022 Share Posted January 15, 2022 It doesn't look any smaller as a WIP 🤣 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 17, 2022 Author Share Posted January 17, 2022 No pics today because it's all been puttying and sanding, but I've had a little epiphany... I'd originally planned to build this as a gear up, clean config, quickie build with lots of weapons, but I was struggling to get my head into the build. I just had one of those mad moments while looking at various pictures and thought, if I'm going to build this, I might as well make the best of it. So now it's going to be a proper build posed in the landing configuration with extended flaps and gear legs, stabilators posed appropriately, tailhook down and a realistic load for returning to the carrier after a training mission. This might take a bit longer but it'll look better for it. And suddenly I'm excited about the build again! 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wings unlevel Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 3 hours ago, Alan P said: I might as well make the best of it. Does that include modelling a 1/32 carrier deck for it to land on as well? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 18, 2022 Author Share Posted January 18, 2022 7 hours ago, Wings unlevel said: Does that include modelling a 1/32 carrier deck for it to land on as well? Never say never...! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted January 18, 2022 Share Posted January 18, 2022 You have just made what was already an interesting project to me even better! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 Waiting on some aftermarket so decided to do a proof of concept test build on the landing gear... These are the main landing gear legs as they appear in the kit - fixed in the ground configuration. Some careful sawing later: This was pretty nerve-wracking but ended up pretty well. I think I just about got the angle right for the dropped gear. Also had to doctor the other linkages, the Hornet landing gear is fiendishly devised as you all know! The shock strut was extended with a cotton bud stick - I've run out of plastic rod/tube and can't be bothered to wait to order more. It'll look okay when covered with chrome foil. Did something similar with the nose gear, added the extended oleo and rebuilt the torque link to fit the extension. The nosewheel bogie has split where the stick attaches, but I can fix that. So, the gear is a success, which means I can crack on with the plan. (Obviously if it had failed, this would have been gear up as per the original quick-build concept!) Still plenty of extra detailing to do, but so far so good. Alan 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helios16v Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 On 1/17/2022 at 3:48 PM, Alan P said: No pics today because it's all been puttying and sanding, but I've had a little epiphany... I'd originally planned to build this as a gear up, clean config, quickie build with lots of weapons, but I was struggling to get my head into the build. I just had one of those mad moments while looking at various pictures and thought, if I'm going to build this, I might as well make the best of it. So now it's going to be a proper build posed in the landing configuration with extended flaps and gear legs, stabilators posed appropriately, tailhook down and a realistic load for returning to the carrier after a training mission. This might take a bit longer but it'll look better for it. And suddenly I'm excited about the build again! I've had a notion to do something similar w/ my Z-M F-4S when I get around to it. Definitely make for an exciting display I think. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertie McBoatface Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 On 1/17/2022 at 11:48 PM, Alan P said: This might take a bit longer but it'll look better for it. That’s more your style, I think. Leave the quick and careless building to me. 😂 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted January 19, 2022 Share Posted January 19, 2022 Nice job on the landing gear extensions, very convincing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 19, 2022 Author Share Posted January 19, 2022 4 minutes ago, modelling minion said: Nice job on the landing gear extensions, very convincing. Thanks, I reckon it'll look the part once it's been tidied up and painted. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 20, 2022 Author Share Posted January 20, 2022 Still waiting on cockpit parts, so carried on building the wings: The last one I did had folded wings, and this is one of the worst aspects of this kit. Getting the wings to join up extended without gaps was bleedin' hard work! The wing area of this is huuuuuge! Each of the barn door main flaps is about the size of a 1/72 P-51 wing. One nice thing from the modeller's point of view - if portraying the aircraft in flight, there's no need for perfect symmetry in the control surfaces as the FCS is constantly moving them all around independently to maintain the flight path The flap hinges needed a lot of patience - each one is two halves which needed a lot of cleanup. I haven't finished the seams yet. At least they all fit okay. Completed slats and flaps. These all fit really well, but need a fair bit of scraping/sanding to eliminate join lines and seams. Not one bit of putty required though 👍 The nice thing is Revell provides separate parts for raised or lowered flaps, which translates to a lot of plastic left in the box! Rush of blood to the head meant attaching the vertical stabs as well! Again, a real problem area of the kit that has terminated many online builds for the unprepared! I got them to fit okay, which required a lot of dry-fitting, scraping off plastic and chopping off bits of locator tabs The right stab looks wonky in the pic but they are symmetrical, honest! There's still a few gaps along the base of the fins, but nothing a bit of Tamiya tape can't fix! Anyway, hopefully there's some aftermarket coming tomorrow - I'm on early shift so should be able to get something done up front in the afternoon. Really getting into this now! Alan 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted January 20, 2022 Share Posted January 20, 2022 Well she may be putting up a fight Alan but you are doing a great job on the build. The slats and flaps have gone on very well, a very neat job, and the tails look very good too. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 20, 2022 Author Share Posted January 20, 2022 On 1/20/2022 at 9:43 PM, modelling minion said: Well she may be putting up a fight Alan but you are doing a great job on the build. The slats and flaps have gone on very well, a very neat job, and the tails look very good too. Thanks very much Craig, the flaps/slats are one of the best features of the kit, shame the wingfold joints aren't as cooperative 🤔 There are plenty of good points in this monster kit, but I understand why a lot of people have just walked away from it. A bit like your own experiences so far! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 24, 2022 Author Share Posted January 24, 2022 Work's just been mental this week(end), but a couple of days standby coming up. All my aftermarket bits have arrived 😁 so I can crack on with the front end. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 While I'm waiting for the shed to warm up, here's a scale comparison to give you an idea of the size of this thing... One of the wing flaps above a 1/72 Spitfire wing 😮 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 I had a chance to paw over an Academy 32nd -C yesterday, and my impression was that there were a lot of different bits that went together to create a fuselage, and an awful lot of parts (and sprues) overall. It looked nice, but man, it would have to be a labor of love! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 4 hours ago, gingerbob said: I had a chance to paw over an Academy 32nd -C yesterday...it looked nice, but man, it would have to be a labor of love! No it's a wonderful kit, just bought another one courtesy of @spruecutter96 👍 It leaves every other Hornet kit in the shade, it's a joyous build! Last one took about a month to build. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 25, 2022 Author Share Posted January 25, 2022 Only a few lame pics to show for the three hours of work I did on this today... My ambition was to create one of those really cool superdetailed wheelwells like the proper modellers do, but it's just too hard. This is my limit Still needs a wash and other effects, but the pipes and wiring adds more visual interest. Some of the wiring will run over onto the gear and gear doors , hence the loose ends. I'd love to know how real modellers do those neat piping arrangements you see from time to time. Next made a start on the cockpit: The Eduard Zoom set for this kit, they didn't waste any time producing this! The kit's only been out for a few months. Once again their poor colour matches for the panels is ridiculous, somebody please get them a new set of colour chips On the plus side, the two-part instrument panels are much better represented than their older sets, with lens/screen effects over the instrumentation. It's not obvious from the pics, but looks great apart from the weird colours. Well, this is pretty slow work and not that interesting, but at least it's going somewhere! Alan 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 That is very nice work Alan, adding wiring to the wells is something that I have tried but simply can't get the enthusiasm for so well done for even having a go at it and for doing a good job too. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingerbob Posted January 25, 2022 Share Posted January 25, 2022 10 hours ago, gingerbob said: I had a chance to paw over an Academy 32nd -C yesterday... It looked nice, but man, it would have to be a labor of love! 5 hours ago, Alan P said: No it's a wonderful kit, just bought another one courtesy of @spruecutter96 👍 It leaves every other Hornet kit in the shade, it's a joyous build! Last one took about a month to build. I didn't mean to imply that it would be a problem, just that it was more complexity (and surface area!) than I'd want to deal with unless I had a long-term relationship with the subject. Did I feel irrational temptation? You bet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andwil Posted January 26, 2022 Share Posted January 26, 2022 Coming along well, this going to be something special when it’s finished. 1/32 Hornets are certainly big, I would have nowhere to keep one, I’m struggling to find space for my 1/72 planes. AW 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 29, 2022 Author Share Posted January 29, 2022 Been working mad hours this week, don't evenings and weekends lead to quite a lonely life 😔 good news though, tomorrow off and I had a fantastic curry when I got home this evening! Will be working on the SH cockpit tomorrow. Unless I decide to try out the new flight sim I got for DCS - the Heatblur F-14A/B was on sale this weekend for £46 (usually £65) and I caved 😂 Okay, sharing too much in public, must be the beer 🍻 more building tomorrow! 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helios16v Posted January 29, 2022 Share Posted January 29, 2022 DCS is a good escape too. Sometimes it just feels good to blow **** up. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dansk Posted January 30, 2022 Share Posted January 30, 2022 Those wheel wells are incredible alan. 👌👍 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan P Posted January 30, 2022 Author Share Posted January 30, 2022 Thanks guys 👍 Bit of a late update, but this post is a homage to the amazing Anyz cockpit details and Eduard photoetch interior: I've completed the rear seat instrument panel (left in the picture) in the correct matching colour, and completed the Eduard panel fascias with Anyz switches and knobs. The effect of both I can only say is completely satisfying 😊 The fidelity of the switches and selectors is way beyond any photoetch or resin cockpit representation I've used before. The panels are all Eduard with a few Anyz bits added, but this just lifts the whole cockpit to another level entirely compared to the kit. I just need to paint over the silly blue background of the Eduard parts, neither them or Quinta can seem to replicate the correct colours with their fascias 🤔 Anyway - the buttons and switches are available from anyz.io and worth every penny. Plenty in each set for multiple models. Cheers, Alan 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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