Finished - - - Yemeni F-5E 1/72

[bianfuxia]

I'd like to join in with a project I've had in mind for a long time - an F-5 flown in Yemen by Taiwanese pilots. I'll use the HobbyBoss kit:

 

Today we know Yemen as a single country devastated by war. Back in the 70s and 80s it was two countries devastated by war. The Yemen Arab Republic, aka North Yemen, and The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, aka South Yemen, had various battles and ceasefires throughout that time before reuniting in 1990 (after South Yemen had a civil war in 1986). Things didn't go well and there was a civil war in 1994. For a while afterwards the country kept it together but after September 11 there was all kinds of trouble, then a revolution in 2011, a coup in 2014 and since then, another complex civil war. 

 

I visited in 2007 when it was relatively safe and found it to be a very welcoming and interesting place. My wife and I had some really great experiences there and met some lovely people. Isn't it always the way? Power politics ruins things for ordinary people who mostly just want to get along, lead their lives, raise their kids and not be cluster-bombed.

 

Way back in the 70s, as now, different outside parties supported different factions. In the 1979 "Second Yemenite War", North Yemen was supported by the UK, US, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia; South Yemen by the Soviets, East Germany, Cuba and the DPRK.

 

North Yemen had another supporter - the Republic of China, aka Taiwan. The US shipped a number of F-5Es to North Yemen but no-one there knew how to fly or support them. So Taiwan was persuaded to provide pilots and ground crew.

 

Depending on what you believe, it's reportedly possible that these Taiwanese pilots flew successful air combat missions against Soviet pilots flying for South Yemen. 

 

And that is the rather long backstory to my entry to this GB.

 

 

I like the scheme at the top - angular segments brown over tan. 

 

Bestfong is a Taiwanese outfit covering presumably everything the ROCAF has ever flown. I have several sheets from them, given that I have a real soft spot for plucky Taiwan and the ROCAF has some cool aircraft and schemes.

 

I'll get started on this in a little while.

 

 

[modelling minion]

Welcome to the GB, and with an excellent choice of subject.

I like to see the lesser built air forces represented and Yemen certainly ticks that box, it also helps that it is in a nice colour scheme.

Its an interesting back story that isn't very well known about the Taiwanese pilots flying for Yemen so well done for posting that as part of your intro.

 

🇺🇦

[Luke1199]

Fascinating story behind these Yemeni F-5's, thanks for sharing- looking forward to seeing this build progress

[Robert Stuart]

Interesting back-story, and an attractive scheme.
Welcome to the build.

[stevej60]

Great back story,love the scheme too.

[Bo hermansen]

On 7/13/2022 at 2:58 PM, bianfuxia said:

I'd like to join in with a project I've had in mind for a long time - an F-5 flown in Yemen by Taiwanese pilots. I'll use the HobbyBoss kit:

 

Today we know Yemen as a single country devastated by war. Back in the 70s and 80s it was two countries devastated by war. The Yemen Arab Republic, aka North Yemen, and The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, aka South Yemen, had various battles and ceasefires throughout that time before reuniting in 1990 (after South Yemen had a civil war in 1986). Things didn't go well and there was a civil war in 1994. For a while afterwards the country kept it together but after September 11 there was all kinds of trouble, then a revolution in 2011, a coup in 2014 and since then, another complex civil war. 

 

I visited in 2007 when it was relatively safe and found it to be a very welcoming and interesting place. My wife and I had some really great experiences there and met some lovely people. Isn't it always the way? Power politics ruins things for ordinary people who mostly just want to get along, lead their lives, raise their kids and not be cluster-bombed.

 

Way back in the 70s, as now, different outside parties supported different factions. In the 1979 "Second Yemenite War", North Yemen was supported by the UK, US, Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia; South Yemen by the Soviets, East Germany, Cuba and the DPRK.

 

North Yemen had another supporter - the Republic of China, aka Taiwan. The US shipped a number of F-5Es to North Yemen but no-one there knew how to fly or support them. So Taiwan was persuaded to provide pilots and ground crew.

 

Depending on what you believe, it's reportedly possible that these Taiwanese pilots flew successful air combat missions against Soviet pilots flying for South Yemen. 

 

And that is the rather long backstory to my entry to this GB.

 

 

I like the scheme at the top - angular segments brown over tan. 

 

Bestfong is a Taiwanese outfit covering presumably everything the ROCAF has ever flown. I have several sheets from them, given that I have a real soft spot for plucky Taiwan and the ROCAF has some cool aircraft and schemes.

 

I'll get started on this in a little while.

 

 

Don`t follow that color drawing, Gunze 309 and 311 are Ok for 36622 and 34079, but for 30140 and 30400 you need other colors

 

Bo

[bianfuxia]

7 hours ago, Bo hermansen said:

Don`t follow that color drawing, Gunze 309 and 311 are Ok for 36622 and 34079, but for 30140 and 30400 you need other colors

 

Bo

thanks - you mean the instructions recommend the wrong Gunze paints, right? Not that it's the wrong colours in the picture? I'm going to be using Vallejo anyway, so I will check photos too.

[BKirwan]

Great subject choice and as has already been said great back story. Never knew Taiwan were fighting against the Russians in Yemen. 

 

BTW Bestfong decals are tough to source do u have a supplier or direct email contact. I have been trying to get F100 decals and they do Taiwan planes. 

 

[bianfuxia]

@BKirwan   

I got mine from Kits Hobby in Hong Kong, a lovely guy literally named Kit. His website has almost no english but he speaks English very well.

[email protected]

http://www.kitshobby.com/bestfong/bestfong_index_c.html

http://www.kitshobby.com/bestfong/bd_product/BD72026/BD72026c.html (1/72 F-100 ROCAF decals)

 

You could also try: [email protected]

 

I ordered from Kit recently (like last year) and a few times in about 2015-2016 and I think he's great. 

 

Basically I just surfed around his website and wrote him an email with all the stuff I wanted and took it from there. He ships out of Hong Kong.

[bianfuxia]

I've finally made a start on this one. 

 

So far all I have done is the beginnings of the cockpit. The HobbyBoss kit has what I think is a pretty decent instrument panel and a good decal which reacts well to Mr Mark Softer - as you can see in the next few pics.

 

 

 

When you test fit the cockpit though you realize the seat needs to come a fair way forward, otherwise it won't fit in the cockpit opening. This means that nearly half the buttons and controls on the side panels are going to be behind the pilot. 

 

 

I've also done the first go of white on the bits that will be white. I am brush painting with Vallejo paints so experience tells me I need at least 4 maybe 5 coats before those bits look fully white.

 

 

Anyway, good to have made a start. I'm hoping for a nice clean and easy construction with minimal sanding so I can get to the fun part which will be the unusual Yemeni scheme.

[modelling minion]

Very nice start, the cockpit decals do look quite good.

Really good to see your build underway.

 

🇺🇦

[Robert Stuart]

That's a nice start.  The seat looks right for that joystick position, I can't think what HobbyBoss would have been thinking with the side panels?

[bianfuxia]

Here we go - looking more like an F-5 now...

 

 

There are some pretty heinous gaps but from memory from building this last time, it didn't take too long to sand back. I used the Vallejo plastic putty on this one.

 

First I added some weight:

 

The fuselage fit is not too bad:

 

The join between the wings and the body is pretty gappy although you can't see it in this general photo:

 

 

So there is a bit of sanding in my future and this is typically the stage where my builds drift off to the Shelf of Doom. So I will Try. To. Be. Disciplined and get through it. 

 

For the painting I have pretty much settled on Iraqi sand and Tan Earth, both in the Vallejo acrylic range (more or less all I can get and all I like using these days anyway). I might see if there's a slightly yellower one than iraqi sand. In googling "yemeni f-5" i see the same planes look quite different in various photos, obviously because of the different lighting. The lighter shade can appear pale like beige or yellow like caramel from one pic to the next.

[modelling minion]

Taking shape very nicely indeed, I am sure you will get any gaps sorted.

 

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[Robert Stuart]

That is looking like an F-5 now, keep at it.

9 hours ago, bianfuxia said:

In googling "yemeni f-5" i see the same planes look quite different in various photos

Welcome to the wonderful world of misleading photos!

(How confusing can it get?)

[bianfuxia]

Unfortunately I am not going to get this finished by the end of the GB...I've just been too busy lately to make much progress.

 

I did complete the sanding and I then tried out this colour (it's actually Vallejo natural wood grain) but it's so thin it is going to take hundreds of coats...

 

 

I gave up on it at that point, and repainted the whole thing Vallejo Iraqi Sand, in the hope that this could then be a base for that more yellow colour.

 

 

That's just one brush-painted coat. It'll need another but it's also already highlighted where some of my sanding isn't up to scratch.

 

So that's as far as it's going to get before the GB ends. I will finish it though - I don't want this to wind up on the shelf of doom. I'll keep posting sporadic updates.

 

congrats to all who finished their F-5s in the Gallery and good luck to those on the home stretch!

[modelling minion]

Very sorry to hear that you won't get this one finished in time but I am glad to hear that you are going to continue the build.

The first paint really is very thin but the Iraqi sand looks a much better paint.

 

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[Robert Stuart]

Sorry that this won't make the gallery, but relieved that it will be finished.

On yellow, that can be a difficult colour.  I tend to prefer a white base coat under yellow, though I've heard pink can work well too (never tried it).

[bianfuxia]

 

So I painted the yellow colour over the Iraqi Sand and it's now looking much better. I had to do a bit of remedial sanding there on the side, so that's more Iraqi sand as a base and next time around the yellow will cover that too. The intakes I left grey because both sides are the darker brown at that point. 

 

A big week of real life this week but maybe on the weekend I will get a chance to progress this. It's actually pretty close to done, really. A bit of a hit with the darker brown and then there are so few decals and other parts it's really only got a night in it once the paint is done.

[Robert Stuart]

Sounds promising, hope you can get it finished over the weekend.

[modelling minion]

Great to see this one continuing, and looking very good too.

I hope that you are able to get her finished over the weekend but however long it takes we look forward to seeing her completed.

 

🇺🇦

[bianfuxia]

haha yeah "progressed" maybe, finished unlikely! But I will get it done - I am on a real effort this year to finish things and not let the Shelf of Doom claim any more lost lambs ...

[bianfuxia]

Masking began the other day:

 

The little arrows are to remind me which side of the tape to paint on. 

 

 

Test run with Vallejo tan earth - looks about right.

 

 

First coat, pretty scrappy.

 

 

Looking better.

 

Another coat is probably all it needs. Once I have done that, I need to attend to the cockpit, add the wheels, and it's basically done. There are very few decals so that will be fast too.

 

Nearly done!

[81-er]

That's looking good. Nice idea with the arrows too

 

James

[Robert Stuart]

Looks effective, I like the arrows trick on the masking tape.