F-5A, Kinetic 1/48

[Robert Stuart]

Thanks, Craig 🤞

[81-er]

The stand prototype looks excellent, Robert. I love the attitude you've got the fuselage sitting in on the mockup as well.

 

James

[Robert Stuart]

Thanks, James, @81-er
The rolling climb is appealing, and would show the aircraft to good effect.

This is my first time using acrylic rod, so: no promises, but, hope something similar will appear in the final build.

[81-er]

I've not done an "in flight" build before, but I've been tempted. This is certainly giving me ideas

 

James

[Robert Stuart]

17 minutes ago, 81-er said:

I've not done an "in flight" build before, but I've been tempted.

Well, you can see all the tools I used in the photos.  The pesto jar gave the curves' radius.
When first bent, the acrylic seems to develop a very sharp bend. A bit more heating, and that can be adapted to a more pleasing radius. (At least, that's what happened for me.)

Some acrylic glue might be needed further down the line, going to wait on that decision.
 

[81-er]

Thanks for the tips

 

James

[Robert Stuart]

More 3d printing ... this time, tubes to act as sockets, within the jet pipes, for the acrylic rods.

 

Calling these cigar tubes for want of a better name.  They'll fit inside the airframe, roughly where the engines live IRL

 

I have been working on the kit, too, 'onest.

Jet pipes, wings, nose (x3), seat, cockpit tub, pilots & coke bottles.

The coke bottles were a pleasant surprise.
Last time I built a similar kit (Kinetic's F-5B), the replacement fuel tank was thinner than the duplicates on the weapons sprue; this time, it looks the same size.

 

[modelling minion]

I do like your printed cigar tubes, they look like a very good solution for fitting the F-5 onto the acrylic rod.

 

🇺🇦

[Robert Stuart]

43 minutes ago, modelling minion said:

I do like your printed cigar tubes, they look like a very good solution for fitting the F-5 onto the acrylic rod.

 

🇺🇦

Thanks, Craig.
The more traditional solution would be to use brass tube (James, you taking notes?).
3d printing is, for me, an easier approach.  Pretty sure these would work for most conventional jets.

Next stage, some epoxy resin (Milliput, here I come), which should also cure the divots I dug back on the 17^th.

[Davek72]

On 7/24/2022 at 6:15 PM, Robert Stuart said:

More 3d printing ... this time, tubes to act as sockets, within the jet pipes, for the acrylic rods.

 

Calling these cigar tubes for want of a better name.  They'll fit inside the airframe, roughly where the engines live IRL

 

I have been working on the kit, too, 'onest.

Jet pipes, wings, nose (x3), seat, cockpit tub, pilots & coke bottles.

The coke bottles were a pleasant surprise.
Last time I built a similar kit (Kinetic's F-5B), the replacement fuel tank was thinner than the duplicates on the weapons sprue; this time, it looks the same size.

 

Looking good.  I have one of these I may build as well.  Where did you get the pilot?
 

D

[Robert Stuart]

2 hours ago, Davek72 said:

Looking good.  I have one of these I may build as well.  Where did you get the pilot?
 

D

If you do make a 'cigar tube', the inside dome could be flat (option), and the outside should be dished instead of domed ... it would have helped when pushing the tube back against the jet pipes.
Suggested revision:

 

 

Breather hole unlikely to be needed.

 

My pilot is a German Phantom pilot from PJ Productions (bought through Hannants, link: https://www.hannants.co.uk/product/PJ481126 )

HTH

 

[Robert Stuart]

Hmm, this has sat quiet for all of August, I suppose I ought to post an update.

The base
Was a maple leaf

 

I had a concern, the leaf would never be displayed upright.  That upset me, I didn't like the idea.
So a new base was designed and printed.

New base, 3D printed (FDM), filled and painted, alongside a similar Swiss base (inverted).
The top has a captive nut that helps with screwing to the underside.

The F-5A
There is progress to report in the kit itself, specifically, the pilot and cockpit.

 

Well, that's now painted, and our guy is leaning back in his seat.

 

 

To achieve the more relaxed pose, he did have to undergo a regime of weight reduction, especially in the nether regions.

The shoulders need some filler and paint, before the fuselage can be closed.

[modelling minion]

Very nice work Robert, the cockpit and pilot look very good indeed.

 

🇺🇦

[Robert Stuart]

Thanks, Craig, I've done a little more work on him since posting.

[Robert Stuart]

Had a chance to work on my own builds last night, the F-5A looks like this now:

 

 

 

Due in part to my approach, the underside of the fuselage was a pain to get lined up and right.
If I build another, think I'll either follow the instructions, or, build the underside, working front to rear.

[modelling minion]

She's coming together nicely Robert.

 

🇺🇦

[Robert Stuart]

Some progress to report
The nose cap and jet pipes are on, and filling has started.

 

 

Displayed with the base.


Undercarriage doors and air brakes:

 

Those doors were designed to be open, and took some fettling to close.
I decided against using the smaller nose wheel door, the kit really wasn't designed for that to be closed.
The air brakes were going to be a whole other story, the kit ones are too long for their bay.  Since they are flat with no detail, I went with the easy option and just filled the space.

Think this is turning into a filler queen.


That base.
On my desk, with the lid on it just, but only just, balances the model.
Outside, on a blue velvet cloth, it needed weight:

 

Ten grams (about ¹/₃ oz) is enough, 30 grams (1 oz) will be more stable, especially if I shorten the acrylic rods.

[modelling minion]

She might be taking up a fair amount of filler Robert but she really is looking very good indeed.

The display base also looks very good and the extra weights in it should make it nice and stable.

 

🇺🇦

[81-er]

That's a really elegant display solution, Robert, it's going to look increadible when it's finished

 

James

[Robert Stuart]

A kit change for the pilot and few details added; details like the canopy and coke-bottles, and the acrylic rods shortened.

The pilot now has a grey bone-dome, and orange life vest, details that are visible in photos of my intended airframe.

 

For some reason, the fairings just forward of the jet pipes left a huge gap (2 or 3 mm) before the main fuselage – don't recall this issue on other builds of the kit.
The starboard coke-bottle has been corrected for width, essentially, the starboard wing socket let into a spare port wing tank, and the whole re-scribed.

Underside: the arrestor hook added, and a bit more filling.

 

Aside: the base no longer needs ballast since shortening the acrylic support rods.

[modelling minion]

Looking just as good as your F-5E Robert, the shortened rods look better in my opinion and if they save the need to add weight then thats even better.

 

🇺🇦

[Robert Stuart]

Painting, or, at least priming, has started.
First a coat of Halfords filler primer – no missing where that landed:

 

 

That was yesterday, and today, three coats of white.

 

My problem lay with covering the white Miliput filler.

 

Hope this will be good enough.

[modelling minion]

More multiple layers of primer Robert.

Interesting that you chose white for this one as opposed to the grey for your Swiss F-5E.

 

🇺🇦

[Robert Stuart]

There is method in my madness...

[Robert Stuart]

Colours for my F-5A ...
The plan is to paint this in a red & white scheme.

To this end, the airframe ahas been given a few coats of Halfords Appliance White.
Not sure that there is much difference to see in the photos between the gloss white and the primer coat.

 

The red will need to match the model's decals: these are the options so far.

 

Not the easiest colour to spray over gloss lacquer.  The first two coats need to misted on, after that it sprays normally, except for the excessive, and unforgiving, bleed.
Interesting, in the photo Naphthol red looks to be the best match for the decals, in my hand, the Pyrrole red looks better.