Testing Times. 1/48 North American F-100F Super Sabre AFFTC Edwards AFB.

[modelling minion]

Well seeing as how I'm co-hosting I think its about time that I got my build thread up and running.

For a while I have had an interest in the aircraft used at Edwards AFB at the AFFTC and have a few previous builds in the markings of aircraft based there. This one will be one of the F-100F's used as a chase plane in the X-15 program sporting a polished metal finish with very generous helpings of dayglo orange, lovely!

The kit I am using is Trumpeter's 1/48 F-100F;

 

The box is quite full;

 

Or rather it was quite full, as I have made a start.

With this build, my Dornier Do 17 and the upcoming F-5 STGB (also co-hosting) there was/is a very good chance of not finishing anything at all without taking advantage of the 25% rule so that is exactly what I have done.

Unusually enough I made a start with the cockpit and got the two instrument panels taken care of;

 

 

And the actual cockpit tub itself;

 

I added the two IP's and the joysticks and then fitted the cockpit to the assembled intake trunking;

 

The kit seats were not the best (certainly not the worst I have seen either though) so I have replaced them with a pair by Quickboost which have been painted but not fitted yet;

 

And that is how she stands at the minute, hopefully over the weekend I shall be able to get the fuselage joined together and also find a picture of the bird I am going to build.

 

Thanks for looking in and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received.

 

Craig.

 

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[Sam]

Welcome to your own GB Craig 🤣👍🏽
 

will be eyeing you don’t you worry 😛

[modelling minion]

18 hours ago, Sam said:

Welcome to your own GB Craig 🤣👍🏽
 

will be eyeing you don’t you worry 😛

Thanks Sam, glad to have you aboard mate.👍

 

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[RidgeRunner]

A nice choice, mate

[modelling minion]

10 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

A nice choice, mate

Cheers Martin, hopefully I will do it the justice it deserves.

Will you be joining in the fun mate? Would have thought this one was right up your street.

 

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[RidgeRunner]

10 hours ago, modelling minion said:

Cheers Martin, hopefully I will do it the justice it deserves.

Will you be joining in the fun mate? Would have thought this one was right up your street.

 

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I would mate but my glacial speed isn’t compatible with GBs :(…. In fact I have a YF-104 in my plan but not before September :(. I might start it at some point. Good luck with your build!

 

M 

[RidgeRunner]

I’d pop a  Bob Taurus canopy on that, Craig. If it is the same as the 1/72 it is not the right shape from the kit 

[modelling minion]

29 minutes ago, RidgeRunner said:

I’d pop a  Bob Taurus canopy on that, Craig. If it is the same as the 1/72 it is not the right shape from the kit 

Thanks for the heads up mate but I am going to stick with what I've got for this build.

 

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[Dansk]

Nice to see you have the thread up and running mate, cockpits looking dapper.

Looking forward to see the airframe of choice. Doesnt get more awesome than metal and dayglo.

So will we see casa minion the home of some bare metal foiling in the near future? 🤷‍♂️

[modelling minion]

10 minutes ago, Dansk said:

Nice to see you have the thread up and running mate, cockpits looking dapper.

Looking forward to see the airframe of choice. Doesnt get more awesome than metal and dayglo.

So will we see casa minion the home of some bare metal foiling in the near future? 🤷‍♂️

Cheers mate.

No foiling, I hope to get a decent finish with paint. If it all goes pear shaped then it might end up in camo yet!

 

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[modelling minion]

Can't find any decent pictures of the aircraft I will be building on the internet so I have taken a couple of picture of her from the book I have on Edwards AFB, they're not brilliant but hopefully you will get the idea of what I am aiming for from them.

 

 

Hope to get some actual progress pics up soon.

 

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[Dansk]

That's awesome craig, really cool. you do have a talent for finding the coolest schemes.

i hope you intend to chip off the dayglo on the nose too like the photo? 

[modelling minion]

40 minutes ago, Dansk said:

That's awesome craig, really cool. you do have a talent for finding the coolest schemes.

i hope you intend to chip off the dayglo on the nose too like the photo? 

Cheers Paul, it is quite a striking scheme isn't it, and yes I will be chipping the dayglo on the nose and tail.

 

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[Sam]

2 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

and yes I will be chipping the dayglo on the nose and tail

… and I shall watch and learn. -  Hairspray technique?

[modelling minion]

3 minutes ago, Sam said:

… and I shall watch and learn. -  Hairspray technique?

Not sure I will be able to teach you much Sam, never used the hairspray technique before, might give it a try.

 

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[modelling minion]

And to prove that plastic is being cut here are a couple of pics of the wings which have been assembled;

 

 

These have gone together quite nicely with no fuss, they have separate flaps but on the majority of the pictures I have seen of the real thing they are in the neutral position as shown. As you can possibly see I have had to fill the majority of the holes in the lower wing surface as the aircraft I am building only has the tanks fitted, this was easily done with some stretched sprue glued in place and then smoothed off when dry.

And speaking of tanks I have built them too;

 

Again, no worries at all.

 

Next step will be to get the fuselage buttoned up.

 

Thanks for looking in and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received.

 

Craig.

 

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[AntPhillips]

Great start, I've got a couple of Monogram single seater Huns in thd stash and have thought about getting a Trumpy two sticker, so I'll be sure to follow along on this one and see how it goes 👍

[Dansk]

9 hours ago, modelling minion said:

Not sure I will be able to teach you much Sam, never used the hairspray technique before, might give it a try.

 

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it's easier than you think craig and a lot of fun.

drying time after applying hairspray can yeald different results. from 5 minutes to a couple of days from hairspray application to paint.

also how long you chip the paint after applying the paint. from 5 minutes to days.

also how you apply hairspray. dabbed on with a brush or airbrushed.

and then theres paint type too, 

and how you chip it, whether harshly with a toothpick, or rough old hard brush, or even softly rubbing with a cotton bud, gives different effects.

together they can all give different types of chipping.

experiment on a test mule its so much fun.

theres also ak's chipping fluid. i've tended to find hairpray and that give pretty much the same result.

when you get that far clearcoat the silver coat first to protect it.

 

ps: looking at the chipping on the airframe. i would suggest applying hairspray with a brush in those areas maybe several coats of a few minutes drying time each. and if you 're using something like a tamiya acrylic then chipping it off relatively fast so 15 minutes or so after paint application so it comes off in big chunks, but i'm guessing.

[modelling minion]

9 hours ago, AntPhillips said:

Great start, I've got a couple of Monogram single seater Huns in thd stash and have thought about getting a Trumpy two sticker, so I'll be sure to follow along on this one and see how it goes 👍

Thanks Ant, I have a Monogram single seater in the stash too, might build that in the classic Revell/Monogram GB. You are most welcome to follow along and see how things turn out, so far I am liking the Trumpy F.

 

2 hours ago, Dansk said:

it's easier than you think craig and a lot of fun

Thanks Paul, I think I will give it a go, and thanks for the "how to" steps as they will be very useful indeed.

 

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[RidgeRunner]

I love the subject of your build, Craig. It is just up my street, as you may know ;). Dayglo!

 

Martin

[modelling minion]

17 hours ago, RidgeRunner said:

I love the subject of your build, Craig. It is just up my street, as you may know ;). Dayglo!

 

Martin

Thanks mate, you can never have too much dayglo!😁

 

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[modelling minion]

Kind of got carried away and forgot to take pictures, sorry guys, but the Hun is definitely looking much more Hun shaped.

The fuselage went together without any fuss and only a very small amount of filler was needed, mostly on the undersides fortunately, and before you know it the canopy was fitted in the closed position, I chose to do it closed as Trumpeter don't give you the proper parts to pose it open and it helps to keep the lines of the aircraft. After that the wings went on, again with minimal fuss and only a smear of PPP in a couple of places and when that was dry and tidied up it was off to the spray booth where she has received a coat of Tamiya semi gloss black as a base for the upcoming metallic coats and this is what she looks like now;

 

 

I might give the surface a gentle polish to get her a bit shinier before the metallic paint goes on.

 

So thats how she stands at the minute, I promise not to miss out any more photo stages in the future.

 

Thanks for looking in and as usual all comments and criticisms are gratefully received.

 

Craig.

 

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[Sam]

1 hour ago, modelling minion said:

I might give the surface a gentle polish to get her a bit shinier before the metallic paint goes on.

I am by no means a pro but I think polishing the primer coat is always a good idea. 
 

The hun is looking great 👍🏽 

[modelling minion]

Thanks Sam, I shall give the primer coat a light polish.

 

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[Dansk]

wow, really zooming along craig. nice work. will you be using alclad?