Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 3, 2022 Share Posted August 3, 2022 I have quite a few 1/72 F-5 kits in The Stash. I could have just grabbed one of those. However, I am having a lot of fun building the Kinetic 1/48 F-104 in the Century Fighters GB so I though why not supersize this build as well. So this is the Kinetic 1/48 F-5A kit. It was sourced at a knock down price from that nice Mr Kingkit as a scrapyard item because bits were missing. The bits that were missing are the PE fret! The only parts needed from that for an NF-5A are the rear faces of the ALE-40 chaff dispensers. I reckon I can sort something out. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 3, 2022 Author Share Posted August 3, 2022 The parts are crisply moulded although not quite as nicely as Kinetic's F-104. The parts breakdown looks as though assembly could be a little tricky. There are two of the sprue on the right. It provides the "coke bottle" wingtip tanks. However, there is a minor issue here. The tank is moulded as a port side unit, meaning that there is no starboard tank. Bizarre! It shouldn't be a problem though as a bit of trimming of the slot in the tank should make it fit The kit provides markings for sixteen different schemes. That's 16 !!! USAF - 3 Canadian - 3 one in the classic green/grey scheme, the others are the later ghost scheme. Dutch - 2 classic green/grey and later "F-16" scheme Norwegian - 2 both natural metal Greek - 5 two in the blue grey uppersurface scheme and the others in three different shost schemes South Vietnam - 1 The Skoshi Tiger scheme. I believe this is actually an F-5C. I shall be building this as a Dutch NF-5A in the later "F-16" scheme. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted August 3, 2022 Share Posted August 3, 2022 Welcome to the build, Enzo. This looks interesting, an early boxing of the Kinetic F-5A? Later releases have a correction to the starboard (right) “coke bottle”, but, that is a slightly different size to the earlier moulding. Wonder which scheme you'll go for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 3, 2022 Author Share Posted August 3, 2022 3 minutes ago, Robert Stuart said: Wonder which scheme you'll go for? My F-104 build in the Century Fighters GB is a Belgian one because when I was on a Harrier squadron in Germany in the late 80s, we saw Belgian Starfighters at every exercise and detachment that we went to. The same was true for Dutch NF-5As in the F-16 scheme, so that's what I'm building. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 3, 2022 Author Share Posted August 3, 2022 I have fallen into the habit of simply putting pre-painted instrument panels into cockpits. It's easy - but lazy. So now I'm making a conscious effort to improve my skills and paint what is provided in the kit. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 3, 2022 Share Posted August 3, 2022 Welcome to the GB Enzo. A fine choice of subject matter sir as the NF-5's were a regular feature on the airshow circuit too, along with the Norwegian ones. Don't expect this to go together as smoothly as your F-104, a totally different ball game, but she still builds into a very nice model. Nice start on the cockpit too.👍 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 4, 2022 Author Share Posted August 4, 2022 Forward fuselage ready to be assembled, as are the intake components. Forward and rear fuselage assemblies plus the wing assembly. The rear fuselage parts have alternative parts for the auxiliary inlet doors. These are the same as seen on the F-5E. Northrop built F-5As did not have these. Canadair build CF-5s did. As the NF-5s were built by Canadair, they had them as well. Thgere is a blanking plate for Northrop aircraft and open and closed parts for Canadair aircraft. All will need a modicum of filling. It all looks good now but - believe me - those intakes were really tricky! 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 4, 2022 Share Posted August 4, 2022 Coming along in leaps and bounds mate, very nice.👍 She looks to have gone together quite nicely too, intakes aside. 🇺🇦 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 4, 2022 Author Share Posted August 4, 2022 46 minutes ago, modelling minion said: She looks to have gone together quite nicely too, intakes aside. indeed. And I have learned a few things in case I ever build another. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 4, 2022 Share Posted August 4, 2022 15 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said: indeed. And I have learned a few things in case I ever build another. Sounds like another one is a distinct possibility. Any tips for those of us who are also thinking of building one, he says looking at his own kit. 🇺🇦 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted August 4, 2022 Share Posted August 4, 2022 Coming along nicely, Enzo. Interested to see you've added the intakes before gluing the wings to the fuselage. Hadn't thought to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davek72 Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 On 8/4/2022 at 10:08 PM, modelling minion said: Sounds like another one is a distinct possibility. Any tips for those of us who are also thinking of building one, he says looking at his own kit. 🇺🇦 Looking good Enzo. As MM said any tips very welcome. I have one of these waiting to be built 😀 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 6, 2022 Author Share Posted August 6, 2022 Moving on... The control surfaces can be fitted displaced. Each one has a couple of tabs for each position. The modeller just snips off the ones that are not needed. It's a simple and elegant method of fitment. Windscreen fitted and masked. Ready for priming. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 6, 2022 Share Posted August 6, 2022 She's tidied up very nicely Enzo, looks really good. 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jackroadkill Posted August 7, 2022 Share Posted August 7, 2022 She's coming on well, Enzo - I'll pull up a chair! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
81-er Posted August 8, 2022 Share Posted August 8, 2022 Excellent (and rapid) progress as ever, Enzo! James 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 11, 2022 Author Share Posted August 11, 2022 Primed with grey plastic car primer from a rattle can. Some joints were then cleaned up and the AN/ALE-40 dispensers and tip tanks added. I then sprayed the main colours. Here was where there was a bit of fudging - possibly. The instructions state that the colours are 36118/36320/36270. Other sources agree with that. However, when I sprayed it in those colours it simply didn't look right. So I spent a lot of time faffing around. I'm pretty good at faffing around. In the end I sprayed it in F-16 colours, which looked right. The undersurfaces (36375) are Xtracrylix XA1136 Light Ghost Grey. The upper nose and tail (36270) are Lifecolor UA-524 Neutral Grey and the main uppersurfaces (36118) are Lifecolor UA-532. To me it looks right. However, if I have got it totally wrong, please let me know. It won't take musch to respray. By the way, there is a glaring omission on this model. Can anyone spot what it is? (Not the missing jetpipe) 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 11, 2022 Share Posted August 11, 2022 She's looking really good Enzo and I think your choice of colours looks right, certainly looks like how I remember them. As for what is missing the only thing that stands out for me is the tailplanes, other than the exhaust can. 🇺🇦 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 11, 2022 Author Share Posted August 11, 2022 I usually fit the tailplanes towards the end of the build. I neglected to fit the engine cooling intakes on the upper fuselage inboard of the AN/ALE-40 dispensers. It's an easy fix. But wait...! What is happening here?!?!? How did that get there??? 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Stuart Posted August 11, 2022 Share Posted August 11, 2022 Looks good to me Enzo. 9 minutes ago, Enzo Matrix said: How did that get there??? It was in the box? A box? Think you'll have to build that now. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 11, 2022 Author Share Posted August 11, 2022 2 minutes ago, Robert Stuart said: Think you'll have to build that now. Oh well. If you insist... The decal sheet from the original kit has sixteen different schemes! One that caught my eye is for a USAF jet in ADC Grey with dayglo panels. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modelling minion Posted August 11, 2022 Share Posted August 11, 2022 1 hour ago, Enzo Matrix said: Oh well. If you insist... WE do, we do! And the aircraft in ADC Grey and dayglo will make for a very eye catching model. 🇺🇦 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wings unlevel Posted August 12, 2022 Share Posted August 12, 2022 Well with 16 schemes to choose from I’d still be agonising over which one to pick. I like your solution - build em all!! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stefan Buysse Posted August 13, 2022 Share Posted August 13, 2022 On 8/11/2022 at 6:48 PM, modelling minion said: She's looking really good Enzo and I think your choice of colours looks right, certainly looks like how I remember them. Hi, Yes, that's also how I remember them. This week-end (it's a 3-day week-end here in Belgium), I intend to finish my F-4EJ kai from the Turning Japanese GB and start a thread in the F-5 GB. Also the Kinetic NF-5A, but in the "RAF scheme" with 314 Sqn markings. Cheers, Stefan. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted August 21, 2022 Author Share Posted August 21, 2022 so let's move on with the F-5A. Again, I decided to work on the cockpit properly, rather than just chucking aftermarket at it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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