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1/72 BAe Mantis - WIP


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Hello,

 

A new build with this english UAV.

 

The box :

wKyA8LZ.jpg

 

Only one paint scheme offered. In fact, there were two.

Gz0YCDn.jpg

 

The model is entirely in resin, with some white metal parts. Rather not badly molded but a little grainy.

Quite few parts with a lot of work of cleaning.

The assembly, on the other hand, should be reduced. But there will be work to improve the engraving and probably also to fix the parts. The wing/fuselage connection will probably have to be reinforced.

 

pn4eogw.jpg

 

I began to clean all pieces. But a lot of work. There's work finishing the parts (it's a bit grainy), all the engraving has to be redone (it's barely sketched), and a lot of assembly work. A good base but we are very very far from Tamiya.
Tomorrow I will still have to clean all the small parts: antennas, scoops, various pods. Hard work, I tell you!!

Ja7xmr9.jpg

 

Alain.

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I'll be following your build! I bought the same model in 2019, and made a brief review:

 

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/mantis.htm

 

It's my impression that the real thing was bare carbon fibre - epoxy, with a deep brown-bronze colour. What do you think?

 

I see that you have the second edition, that includes decals. I started drawing my own decals, but they are not finished yet. Could you possibly scan your sheet? That would be a great help.

 

mantis-05.jpg

 

Rob

 

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28 minutes ago, Rob de Bie said:

It's my impression that the real thing was bare carbon fibre - epoxy, with a deep brown-bronze colour. What do you think?

More likely a kevlar/aramid fibre layup which gives the deep brown/bronze colour rather than carbon which tends to give a black/dark grey colour.

The fibre layup is visible in some photo's, so unpainted.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hi.

 

The present engraving is really too light. It is therefore necessary to redo it, to dig it a bit. All what I dislike !!
I start by passing a first black wash to identify all the lines, known and those which should be there!

 

zJiD9Ht.jpg

 

And then, line by line, I start by resuming the engraving using the Tamiya tool and the Squadron tip.
We continue the work of redesigning the lines of structure. And to finish, a new black wash in the lines to see if it's better, the gaps, etc...


eaaxV0S.jpg

 

After cleaning the surface, we identify everything that is going good (or not so badly), and all the little slippages to be resumed.

3huqkb3.jpg


XCz89kH.jpg

 

Next update in few days (I hope) !!

Alain.

 

PS :

On 1/20/2023 at 1:08 PM, Rob de Bie said:

I'll be following your build! I bought the same model in 2019, and made a brief review:

https://robdebie.home.xs4all.nl/models/mantis.htm

 

It's my impression that the real thing was bare carbon fibre - epoxy, with a deep brown-bronze colour. What do you think?

I see that you have the second edition, that includes decals. I started drawing my own decals, but they are not finished yet. Could you possibly scan your sheet? That would be a great help.

Rob

 

 

Yes, I know your website and your review. I think it's the only one on the web.

I will scan the decals for you.

 

About the color, it's still a mystery for me. I'm going to check the photos and the history of this plante in details to understand why there are two schemes.

 

Alain.

 

 

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Hi,

 

It's time to watch documentation. Well, a lot of work in front of me !! First operation: the nose. It's headlight (or something else), in any case, it's transparent, like a headlight. So, I cut and we'll redo it in transparent plastic.
ECigF9A.jpg

 

TVZ2vzG.jpg

 

I will probably also redo the two probes on the nose.

 

Other work needed ; correcting the bits of engraving where I had slipped. A shot of Tamiya putty last night. Let it dry, sand it tonight. And I re-engrave and check with a new wash. Not so bad, except for the wing where it's not perfect. But I'll leave it that way.
exJJwLv.jpg

 

kOBzXSY.jpg

 

pZhWVyx.jpg

 

Next soon.
Alain

Edited by colossusfr
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On 1/30/2023 at 11:29 PM, colossusfr said:

It's time to watch documentation. Well, a lot of work in front of me !! First operation: the nose. It's lighthouse (or something else), in any case, it's transparent, like a lighthouse. So, I cut and we'll redo it in transparent plastic.
ECigF9A.jpg

 

 

If by 'lighthouse' you mean the thing that looks like the canopy (strange to say that of an unmanned aircraft), I don't see any transparancy in the few photos that I found. In the photo above I see 'something', but it could also be a reflection (radio telescope ?). I don't see that shape in any other photo.

 

And now that we're discussing that 'canopy', maybe they flew a manned version first? Or at least considered it?

 

I don't understand the extremely limited amount of information about this aircraft. It suggests to me it was a big failure.. Still want to model it though 🙂

 

Rob

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11 hours ago, Rob de Bie said:

 

If by 'lighthouse' you mean the thing that looks like the canopy (strange to say that of an unmanned aircraft), I don't see any transparancy in the few photos that I found. In the photo above I see 'something', but it could also be a reflection (radio telescope ?). I don't see that shape in any other photo.

 

And now that we're discussing that 'canopy', maybe they flew a manned version first? Or at least considered it?

 

I don't understand the extremely limited amount of information about this aircraft. It suggests to me it was a big failure.. Still want to model it though 🙂

 

Rob

It was never intended to be a piloted aircraft. Like a number of other BAES UAVs It was a technology demonstrator. I don't believe it was ever a production prototype, but was intended to meet a Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) requirement.

Actually quite a large aircraft.

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Some news.

 

Two small operations tonight : passing super fine steel wool of all the main parts (fuselage, wings, fin, engine nacelles, etc.) and I put some fishing weights in the cockpit area, for fear that he ends up on his back at the end....
C6kuTDLh.jpg

 

We then glue the bubble of the "cockpit", we wait and we finalize the seal with Magic Putty. This will give it its characteristic shape.
kt2e67j.jpg

 

HJkuukD.jpg

 

Alain.

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Hi, 

Some (slow) progress in recent days.

The real  photos show that the fuselage panels, at least on the front, are heavily riveted. Like the cockpit bubble, by the way.

I had fun trying that. It is however a technique that I have very rarely used. So I released the magic roulette "Rosie the riveter".

After a few tries, the 0.7mm one works quite well.

dp3hVfh.jpg

KMJVmQb.jpg

 

And the idea is to redo the two protrusions in front which are orthoptic sensors. For this, I bought a Master set for a Spitfire (we are far from it!!) which offers a form of these two probes. SgsRGQq.jpg

 

And after a lot of work, a broken forest, and a bit of sweat and fear..., we get this:

hLkqoZe.jpg

 

Well, there we still see a lot of faults but in real life, it's going well.

 

fterwards, I finalize a few lines of rivets on the sides. On the photos, we only see it on the front of the fuselage, and not on the rear or on the wings.

FGK5dyG.jpg

 

And in the end it will look like this:

7DmtTT5.jpg

 

the black surface of the noise is chromed.

UBxVKeS.jpg

 

And we hollow out with a ball cutter the end of the transparent cluster that we use to redo the fire and we also paint it in chrome (Molotov marker).

WhYOxY9.jpg

 

Very small step: we stick the end of the transparent cluster on the nose.

bxuGlSC.jpg

 

GGXj2mv.jpg

 

A step that I don't really like: inevitably you have to sand hard to shape the bubble. Not easy and I don't have the best experience in this exercise.

The fact that I don't like sanding obviously explains that!! I masked the pitots on top to avoid scratching them too much.

L9fcGK4.jpg

 

The bubble is not very transparent but by sanding finer and finer, and eventually polishing, it will do. You have to have confidence.

4UhyZFx.jpg

 

But, it wee weed me off, the finesse wasn't there. I had grayed the whole thing and there were a lot of imperfections. So, I puttyed all the small areas of the nose with Tamiya Gray and especially the fuselage/bubble connection, and also a little around the two pitots. We let it dry. And we re-sand over it, finely. In the end, here is the result. Not so bad. It's far from perfect but let's not forget that we are in macro which does not forgive anything. In fact, it's starting to look like a decent thing. The bubble has a shape that suits me, the connection with the fuselage is correct. And the bubble is almost transparent (not very obvious on the photos, I agree). lF2zUYo.jpg

 

61SH8Z3.jpg

 

4WqAwMw.jpg

 

kXlj20X.jpg

 

I also puttied and sanded the tail. Basically, it had a small concern for symmetry, but above all there were some bubbles in the resin (yet of very good quality elsewhere).

KV8Pzbk.jpg

 

Ditto on the underside of the fuselage, there was an imperfection in the join of the fuselages.

rmbpOE4.jpg

 

Next soon. Alain

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  • 2 weeks later...

Some news. 

And thanks for those wha are following this build.

 

A lot of preparation in the last few days. I concentrated on the engine nacelles. I started with the engine air intakes.

There are four, two per nacelle.

dMl3Xyj.jpg

 

I had fun trying to drill them. I hope something can be seen at the end !

oXmlQts.jpg

 

To position them correctly, I drilled them slightly to put a small tenon.

aZsp4Fn.jpg

 

Then I also prepared the 4 exhausts. That I also dug with the ball cutter. Then the same, adding a small tenon in each. And finally, also drilling the axis of the propeller (supplied in white metal). With a family photo of all the engine nacelle parts: four air intakes, four exhausts, two propellers, two nacelles.

VQj4LXG.jpg

 

Small work on the trains with drilling holes to fix the trains in the train bays (which are minimalist). No need to tweak them any further. Finally, it assembles rather well once the drilled trains. A little photo on his paws, just for fun.

wJ9sZzd.jpg

 

JHyhOS8.jpg

 

We also had to redo a tenon for the left wing. A little work with drilling then adding plastic card.

c5ajusD.jpg

 

And we start putting it all together. First the wings.

5kdqGEJ.jpg

 

Then the centreboard and its stabilizers. Then second crosswise with the plane that fixes the engine nacelles.

CGn2LzE.jpg

 

lIUaRLR.jpg

 

The engine nacelles are not glued but it's for fun!

xMWvI9c.jpg

 

9FgrB6d.jpg

 

Next soon.

Alain.

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  • 4 weeks later...

A lot of work since the last update.

Big job of puttying the various joints. Using Perfect Putty Acrylic Putty.
On the nacelles.
4MAXsX6.jpg
vdbbm7D.jpg


And on the different assemblies.
VAOtN2S.jpg
TcN9qMQ.jpg
mYEZfEH.jpg
hSjTQvG.jpg


I pass a first coat of paint to check the various seals.
From a distance, it's not bad at all.
sM1qL3N.jpg
ddKxIKO.jpg
hlx7A10.jpg

 

But up close, there are several imperfections. First on the back, the surface condition is far from being at the top. Weird, I hadn't noticed that before.
2XmrdLv.jpg

 

And especially the trailing edge of the karman fittings is really ugly. This wing/fuselage connection is difficult.
Oh3y717.jpg
P0GTfE4.jpg
MNuTsvD.jpg

Some glue shrinkage at the base of the daggerboard and on the keel.
x015dsW.jpg
nZyq75r.jpg


For the nacelles, it's fine.
hh5ZER4.jpg
qe9fysG.jpg
dwDgQJm.jpg

 

Using Tamiya Gray putty to rework it all. After two nights of drying, delicate sanding work. The back first.
n5ZrV6l.jpg

 

The wing/fuselage joints on the trailing edge are rather well repaired.
DK2OzXz.jpg
iH1GWoa.jpg

 

And the recesses of the daggerboard and the keel are sanded.
59o0yA7.jpg

 

In the end, it is almost ready for a first coat of paint. I'll tell you about the right shade next time.
z7HoufO.jpg
AcUc5lq.jpg
fmxM7Rb.jpg

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Transition to painting. My benchmark is about the only photo that is not backlit by the camera, namely this one:
uoysm1b.jpg

 

And so after a lot of procrastination, I went on a Gunze 72 "Dark Earth". And I veiled it slightly with a copper metallic color, the Vallejo Metal Color Copper 77.710.
KLdldbY.jpg
83nP2Q8.jpg
qqbeAta.jpg
rdTg34N.jpg
YORgns4.jpg
hpScfZR.jpg

 

Good in the end, it's not bad but it is a bit too "golden".
So I took it all back and applied a new veil of brown, a bit darker, Gunze H37 Wood Brown.
ff5BIrX.jpg
RHzldCh.jpg
DvYVdqP.jpg
4fzFdIP.jpg
mM71mT5.jpg
CtApJ2T.jpg

 

Painting of the cockpit bubble. First, we mask this bubble from the cockpit.
i5FzGls.jpg

 

Then, use of a Gunze H81 Khaki. That's what I wanted. A slightly more grey/green shade that doesn't contrast too much with the brown. The result is not so bad.
zXJ1S1v.jpg
m5jBHSM.jpg

 

And then, I take the opportunity to paint the tip of the tail which also seems to be the same shade. Given the few photos, we are not sure of anything.
BD7c9ul.jpg

 

A photo of the set
MJxgkj2.jpg

 

Result of work on the undercarriage legs.
Front leg: Alu (PA) + Juice (MiG Dark Wash) + chrome cylinder (Green Stuff) + recovery with a point pen
Main gear: white in GW, + Juice (MiG Dark Wash), very light + cylinder in chrome (Green Stuff) + recovery with a pen of the points
Wheels: Hubs in white (Tamiya) + Tires in black (GW) + Juice (MiG Dark Wash). I have to take the tires again because the first layer has cracked.
Radar ball: gray
Optoptric ball: Tamiya white + shiny black windows (at the end, a coat of Green Stuff holographic paint).
velOzV9.jpg

 

Next to come.
Alain.

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On 3/18/2023 at 2:14 PM, colossusfr said:

Transition to painting. My benchmark is about the only photo that is not backlit by the camera, namely this one:
uoysm1b.jpg

 

And so after a lot of procrastination, I went on a Gunze 72 "Dark Earth". And I veiled it slightly with a copper metallic color, the Vallejo Metal Color Copper 77.710.Alain.

 

Alain, many thanks for showing your build process in such detail! Much appreciated by a future Mantis builder.

 

The 'new' photo indeed shows a very different appearance. But based on the close-up photos, I still think it's bare carbon-epoxy with the epoxy turned brownish-bronzish due to the autoclave curing. This 'colour' is available as decals for race cars, but the weave might be too coarse for 1/72 scale.

 

Rob

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On 3/20/2023 at 4:00 PM, Rob de Bie said:

 

Alain, many thanks for showing your build process in such detail! Much appreciated by a future Mantis builder.

 

The 'new' photo indeed shows a very different appearance. But based on the close-up photos, I still think it's bare carbon-epoxy with the epoxy turned brownish-bronzish due to the autoclave curing. This 'colour' is available as decals for race cars, but the weave might be too coarse for 1/72 scale.

 

Rob

 

Thanks Rob.

 

You are totally right. I think as you. It may be a bare carbon-epoxy turned brownish-bronzish. I tried seven different "brown" before choosing what you can see above. It's really a difficult color to reproduce. The best could be decals.

I found this one :

SMS1112.webp?v=37

 

It could be good. I think it's the right color. But too much work for me. I let you to do a better Mantis than mine !! 😁

 

Next step for me : undercarriage et decals !! I give up about finding the right color !

 

Alain.

 

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15 hours ago, colossusfr said:

 

Thanks Rob.

 

You are totally right. I think as you. It may be a bare carbon-epoxy turned brownish-bronzish. I tried seven different "brown" before choosing what you can see above. It's really a difficult color to reproduce. The best could be decals.

I found this one :

It could be good. I think it's the right color. But too much work for me. I let you to do a better Mantis than mine !! 😁

 

Yes, that exactly what I meant! I like experimenting, so covering a model head to toe in decals would be a big experiment 🙂 But there still is that scale problem, 1/24 scale weave patterns for a 1/72 scale model.

 

One comment on that bronze-ish color. It is often seen on race cars photos, but usually only when a flash is used in the photography. Without a flash it looks pretty boring black. I noticed this effect myself too, and it makes it difficult to decide whether to use 'black' carbon fiber decals, or the 'bronze' version. The Mantis is puzzling because it shows that bronze colour in photos made without a flash.

 

Rob

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I tried different colors.
bdtK3qD.jpg

 

The Xtracolor X614 should be a good choice.

After analyzing the photos, I'm not that far off with my chosen color. And I like the finish. So I let it like that.

 

Next step: put it on its wheels.


obomg5r.jpg


WZckKxC.jpg

 

Next : decals.

Alain.

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Hi everybody, 

Last straight line and the end of this WIP.

 

Decal session: two days all the same. We're going to say three sessions of an hour and a half each. The sheet offered by Combat Kits is quite complete with a lot of stencils. I must admit that I don't necessarily find them all in the photos. Or else, they had access to documentation that cannot be found on the Internet. In any case, the final aspect is nice.

A little feedback on the use of these Combat Kits decals : great finesse, take a little time to come off in the water, lands really well. But once applied, the decal can only be repositioned for a few tens of seconds. We have time, a minute or two. But impossible to come back 10 minutes later. Once glued, impossible to reposition it. No big deal. Note that they are very shiny. Therefore, a varnish over to standardize the whole will be mandatory. Reaction to Micro Sol and Micro Set without problem. And as they are very thin, the Micro Set (the red one) works very well, the few decals on the structure lines hug these structure lines very well.

 

ClxHPST.jpg

 

24fpCeP.jpg

 

And the last weekend allowed me for a whole bunch of finishing.

 

Application of a gloss varnish over the entire aircraft to freeze the decals (Tamiya Clear). Classic...
And we start painting the base of the pitôt point in brown. And I also paint the antennas on the photodec board. Those intended for the back and the wings in gray (PA Gray pale), and those intended for the pitôt tip in aluminium.

 

Passage of a juice. It was a mix between the Dark Gray Tamiya then a brown Tamiya. I probably should have made a brown everywhere. But that's okay, the difference is minimal.
Some alterations: the discs of the front of the fuselage in gray, and the two air intakes of the front in aluminium.
Another tricky job: I had to sand the glass of the headlight before I had painted. Sanding to review the transparent side of the headlight and polishing.

A satin varnish over the whole. VMS satin varnish, diluted with X20A. Classic. Blocks the aero a little but not too much. In the end, I don't know if I should have because it broke the copper aspect of the paint a bit too much.
I glued the antennas on the wings and on the top of the fuselage. After drilling with a mini-drill (which I farted).
I painted the two probes on the front of the fuselage in Green Stuff chrome and with a black tip for one and a transparent green tip for the other.

A few panels are finished with patina using Tamiya pallets. In particular a coppery orange on the wing panels and some of the fuselage to give a little more life and find the coppery/cooked side. Am quite happy with the final look. The photos below do not show it well.

 

The panes of the optronic ball with Green Stuff holographic paint.
Then work on the front pole where the photodec antennas had to be placed. Delicate work. I had to drill the pitot rod very finely to allow the antennas to be glued to the pitot rod. A little tedious, I farted a bit, I almost broke an antenna. But in the end, it does. We iron an aluminum on the whole. And we put it on the nose.

 

And in the end, it gives this. Very fast photos which forces a little the contrasts. Better soon.

 

WHGdVOp.jpg

 

SvlR1sW.jpg

 

WmVOBWY.jpg

 

wWTPegN.jpg

 

See you soon in a next thread which will be dedicated to the final photos.

In the meantime, he should be present next weekend at Lyon-Bron (France) modelshow.

 

Alain.

 

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