Fighting Cocks at IAT - painting

[Chrisj2003]

My oldie from the stash is this Fujimi Phantom FG.1 from 1987. I bought it second hand 20 years ago and the sprues are still sealed. Intending to go out of the box with the 43 Squadron example from Greenham Common IAT in 1983 as https://www.fightercontrol.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=195674

 

Pictures to follow when I start. (Won’t be next week because I’ve another Rhino on the bench and plans for another GB.)

Chris

 

Edited November 20, 2023 by Chrisj2003
Edit

[JOCKNEY]

Great choice Chris

 

Best of luck with this one 

 

Cheers Pat 

[Chrisj2003]

Waiting for varnish to dry on my MQ-9, so started this; 3 drop tanks, 10 holes in the underside and one wing on. I've had a number of Fujimi Phantoms in the stash for years, never made one; pleasantly surprised at how easily the wings lined up compared to other brands.

 

Definite change from varnishing.

 

[Forgot the sprue shots.]

 

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

Still not finished the MQ-9, but have progressed this FG.1:

• cut the wheel covers
• paint on them
• paint on drop tanks
• paint on intakes
• some other bits too

 

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

Cockpit done.

• OOB decals for consoles and instrument panels; but console decals bigger than kit plastic and IP decals didn't fit IP, so some paint work and decal chopping.
• Kits World 3D decals for seats, no instructions, and the cushions were much wider than the kit plastic, so I have more deals left than I used. It's nice to have two different seats with 3D features, but I missed having instructions as in Quinta decals similar products, and the edge of the decals was white so I've black washed them.

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

And fuselage assembled. The splitter plate / intake assembly has no lugs so I am doing that bit in stages.

 

Anyone know what colour the edge/inside of the auxiliary intake doors should be? (All the photos show them slightly open on the ground.)

 

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

 

Following @theplasticsurgeon  example I dry-fitted the wing and braced the fuselage with sprue to minimise the gap between fuselage and wings; there are some gaps at the front, but not as much as around the tail RWR which is an insert into a hole I had to cut out.

 

Some filling and filing next.

 

Chris

 

[Jabba]

On 06/05/2023 at 18:43, Chrisj2003 said:

Anyone know what colour the edge/inside of the auxiliary intake doors should be? (All the photos show them slightly open on the ground.)

 

Chris

 

 

If I do remember rightly the Aux doors both upper and lower were painted red. One of the lower doors (Port I think) had a steel at the front end.

[Chrisj2003]

Filling and filing on the main bits done; paint on upper surfaces show seams ok, so added small bits:

• RAM air intakes - quite crude - will need sanding down.
• A bit of strip on the inside of the aux air intake doors - they never seem flush when the plane is on the ground and I want them painted-in rather than added at the end - so the strip will provide something solid for them to rest on.
• A strip at rear of pit - generally a good fit but the rear is fractionally low.

Still to add the fuel dump, which was broken off both rears; tiny mating surface on the end of the fin - dubious about how good I can fix it without widening the fin.

 

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

Plenty of activity but not much to see:

• Fuel dump added and faired in with plenty of sprue goop, then sanded down
• Drop tanks, oddly at Greenham this plane was carrying two tanks with different pattern end pieces
• Undercarriage doors, legs and wheels
• Canopy; took 3 goes at masking and its still not my best job, but I didn't want to pull it off the fuselage when unmasking and I find it is easier to unmask and remask separately

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

So another failed to cross the finish line. Five months and not done 

 

This it is where it is at on the last day of the GB. Canopy is on at last, bit of fighting, which lowered motivation on this; and still needs a bit more tidying up. Then the main body colour can be finished, exhaust area painted and onto stickers. The only other bits left to do are the sidewinder pylons, so it is not that far away, assuming the stickers behave. There are so many in the SoD that I don't want to add more to it.

 

Thanks to @JOCKNEY for hosting and @Enzo the Magnificent for keeping GBs going; this GB has got one more out of the stash and a good way to completion; I have enjoyed watching the eclectic mix of subjects that this GB is.

 

Chris

 

[Enzo the Magnificent]

1 minute ago, Chrisj2003 said:

So another failed to cross the finish line.

 

The groupbuild forum will remain open for business.  Just keep going!  

[Chrisj2003]

My F-104S is at a stage where I can only do a little painting at a time, so went back to making some progress on main body colour on this. With only one completion YTD I'd like to get this done this year along with the F-104S.

 

Chris

 

[Chrisj2003]

Radome masked and done; and exhaust area; there's more tonal variation in real life. Landing lights to do before varnish and decals.

 

Chris