Jump to content

Recommended Posts

G'day people,

 

This is a placeholder. Mine will be  a 3SQN operated F-35A.

 

Note that in RAAF usage,  although there are four different RAAF F-35A tail markings (3SQN, 75SQN, 77SQN  and 2OCU) the tail marking do not necessarily reflect which squadron currently operates each jet, so 3SQN may have jets with 2OCU, 77SQN and 75SQN tail markings.

 

I have not decided on a specific tail, manufacturer or scale, I have options and will decide closer to the commencement date,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

Edited by Pappy
Change of subject
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

G'day Gerard,

 

I need to finish my F-16N first, I should be able to get bac k to it soon. It seems all the GB's i wanted to take part are all compressed together at this end of the year, plus I have QMHE breathing down my neck as well.

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

10 hours ago, Pappy said:

plus I have QMHE breathing down my neck as well.

I hear it’s a great show, are you putting anything on the tables? And yes I’m definitely struggling with GB overload too, and FOMO!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted (edited)
15 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

I hear it’s a great show, are you putting anything on the tables? And yes I’m definitely struggling with GB overload too, and FOMO!

 

Mebbe  :whistle:

 

I may  venture down to ACTSMS  if the planets align,

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Pappy said:

I may  venture down to ACTSMS  if the planets align

Let me know if they do. I’ll definitely be there helping out. Might even have an F-35 on the table! 🤣🤞

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 4 weeks later...
On 7/31/2024 at 5:10 PM, Wings unlevel said:

Let me know if they do. I’ll definitely be there helping out. Might even have an F-35 on the table! 🤣🤞

 

I'll be at ScaleACT as well, not sure on the entries at this time though. About to add my contribution to the GB as well.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, Romeo Alpha Yankee said:

I'll be at ScaleACT as well, not sure on the entries at this time though

It’s shaping up as an excellent show.  Bring lots of pocket money!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Wings unlevel said:

It’s shaping up as an excellent show.  Bring lots of pocket money!

Being an ACTSMS member for over 20 years now I certainly know what ScaleACT is like! And I will have plenty of funds on hand :D

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

G'day people,

 

Well, I am finally back at the bench.

My first decision is which kit to build?

 

 

DSCN0525.JPG

 

As problems go, this is a good one, in the end, I decided to go for the cute Tamiya 1/7 F-35B

 

DSCN0516.JPG

 

I managed to see one 'doing its thing' at Mindil Beach (that is in Darwin, Northern Oz for our overseas cousins) and I even managed to score a Squadron patch from a pilot as long a I built this kit in MM colours

 

DSCN0526.JPG

 

So a deal is a deal.

 

I apologise for the topic switch, I was originally intending to build an RAAF jet but the release of the Tammy kit was just too hard to resist

 

Box contents

 

DSCN0518.JPG

 

An awaaaay we go!

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

 

 

 

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 9
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Pappy changed the title to Regia Marina F-35B (was previously titled 3SQN RAAF F-35A)
On 9/3/2024 at 7:16 PM, Wings unlevel said:

Oh, yes please! Beautiful kit, and that was a beautiful display at Mindil Beach from what I could see on YouTube and Facebook. 👏 

 

Certainly was, and it was even more enjoyable to watch while eating the stuffed chicken thighs and grilled octopus, gotta love the beach markets of multicultural Darwin!

 

The crowd seemed to really like the flypast and the RM F-35Bs and Harriers stole the show and impressed everyone, well except for the dude on the kayak directly below their exhaust efflux.

 

Back to the kit.

 

Tamiya's signature clever engineering is all over the kit but interestingly, the kit is designed to be built with 'everything out' and even provides two sets of u/c legs to depict weight on/ weight off conditions with appropriate scissor links for each.. The kit also has a very smart looking stand to allow the kit to be displayed 'in-flight'

 

The kit only supplies parts for the engine turned down at 90 degrees, so too bad if you want to build it all buttoned up but in my case it will be with the lid down, a driver in the office and  the jet in the hover

 

Other features:

  • Weapons bay doors provided in the slightly open position (as noted by Enzo and Gerrard), these are slightly open when hovering
  • Flaps provided in both streamlined and drooped states, the streamlined parts are labelled  - NOT FOR USE but can be used
  • Nose and Main U/C doors in open state.  Note: only the AFT MLG door s are provided separately, the FWD main U/C doors only open when the u/c cycles or opened for maintenance
  • Full length intake ducts
  • The Upper lift fan is moulded into the upper fuselage half with a separate door, the lower lift fan is provided as a separate assembly with a nice depiction of the lift fan exhaust, its duct and the exhaust louvres with separate doors
  • Underwing Roll Posts with separate doors, this is omitted on some other kits i.e Airfix and Fujimi
  • Separate  AFT engine door panels that open when the engine transitions to LIFT mode
  • Stores include 2 x AIM-9X and 2 x AIM-120C
  • Separate AME-3 parts. If you want to install these you will need to decide early and drill out their locating holes before the fuselage halves are closed
  • Separate wingtip pylons for the AIM-9Xs. Again, you will need to decide what configuration you want and drill out the mounting holes before gluing the fuselage halves together
  • No external A/G pylons or ordnance is provided so if you had your heart set on depicting the jet in "Permissive Mode' you are on your own. You could of course cross kit with the A/G pylons form the Tamiya (or other) F-35A kits. The flashed over locating holes are present in the kit so I assume that the kit will be re-released at some later point with an additional sprue to allow for the Permissive Mode to be depicted OOB. The underwing hardpoint covers are depicted ever so slightly raised  which is correct
  • The F-35B does not have an internal gun (like the F-35A) and uses an external gun pod instead, the external gun pod is not included
  • The canopy frame includes a small locating tab to allow for the canopy to be positioned open. The tab is removed when the canopy is placed in the closed position

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice write-up Pappy. It does look like just about the best 1/72 kit yet made. I may now have one in my stash too(!), but can’t see me having any hope of building it here. But will enjoy seeing yours come together very much.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

G'day Gerrard,

 

All comments relate to 1/72

 

Tamiy'a s the most expensive and no doubt it will fit together nicely but if you don't want one with everything out, then it is not the best. I think the best value kit is the Academy kit - heresy I know..

 

Sorry to disappoint the Tamiya fanboys but here is my 5c

 

I also have an Acad F-35A kit but could not be bothered dragging it out of the stash for the pic.

 

The Academy kit includes all the bits for either a VTOL mode or conventional mode  (with alternate engine position parts) while the Tammy kit does not give the builder an option. A full complement of A/A or A/G stores, A/G pylons including the external gun pod are included (Tamiya do not supply the gun pod). The closed door parts are provided as an alternate part so you don't have to bother with jiggery pokery to make them fit.  The tammy kit would require the builder to cut of the door hinge parts and fettle. The seat is good and the canopy frame is better as it includes the actuator arms and support struts, both of which which Tamiya omitted on their F-35B kit.

 

All this and  it is cheaper too. From all accounts it also goes together well.

 

The Airfix kit is half the price of the Tammy kit (in Oz) and actually looks pretty nice some of the details are a little underdone and their pilot figure is a joke, the pilot looks like they would be better suited to an EE Lightning of Hunter and lacks the distinctive helmet that is used on the F-35. Still, if you were building a fleet of them just for the markings then they don't look too bad and they seem to go together quickly, no doubt due to the starter kit origin.

 

Italeri's effort is okay but the surface rendering of the RAM tape is overdone. The bomb dolly is a nice touch but not enough to offset the  detail disparity by comparison to the Acad/Tammy kits and it is asking similar money to the Acad  kit but is not in the same league.

 

I used to have the Fujimi kit but sold it a while back. It looked like it would go together well and is a nice kit but the seat is wrong, especially around the Parabox and the u/c legs are very simplified. It is somewhere between the Airfix and Italeri kits IMO and is priced accordingly. I don't think it is a bad kit, it is just that for a little bit more, the Academy kit is a LOT more accurate. 

 

I have not seen the Has plastic except for in this GB and it looks okay however, the seat is not accurate for late production and there is no weapons bay or weapons. I know there is a 'Beast mode' boxing which is an even more expensive version of an already expensive kit,

 

If all the kits were the same price I would build the Tammy kit if I wanted everything hanging out but, If I wanted to depict in in conventional flight or shut down with the lid open I would use the Acad kt. 

 

Again for the price, the Acad kit looks hard to beat for its combination of price, detail, and accuracy.

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 4
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Pappy said:

Again for the price, the Acad kit looks hard to beat for its combination of price, detail, and accuracy.

All their recent kits are excellent. I really liked their new tool F-14, so it’s no surprise that their F-35s are excellent too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

All their recent kits are excellent. I really liked their new tool F-14, so it’s no surprise that their F-35s are excellent too.

 

I have to agree, I have some of their F-15E kits and they are similarity well done

 

G'day people,

 

At last some progress.

I cracked the bags a couple of days ago and in typical fashion for me, I have not been following the suggested assembly sequence but instead I have been working in sub-assemblies. 

For this kit it is a lot like a helicopter kit in that about 80% of the work will be preparing the internal sub-assemblies and Tamiya have managed to sandwich quite a few between the fuselage halves. One word of caution if adopting this approach is to make sure you read the entire construction sequence before committing to glue as there are several potential pitfalls, e.g. the nose wheel leg needs to be installed into the NLG bay  before offering this assembly to the fwd fuselage part. 

 

First up, the underside of the Lift Fan

 

DSCN0519.JPG


DSCN0550.JPG

 

This little guy is buried inside the fuselage and will be viewed though some louvers but what is visible looks nicely rendered and just needs some painting to pop out the details

 

Similarly, the engine compressor face was tarted up

 

DSCN0555.JPG

 

I doubt much will be visible as the serpentine inlet ducts have faithfully mimic the real thing  and mostly hide the face from view

 

Next up, the office

 

DSCN0521.JPG


I added a little cabling behind the seat just in case anyone wants to look there. Again, this will most likely be obscured by the seat. The cockpit of the F-35 is a pretty sterile affair and I don't think it is really worthwhile spending $$$$ here as there is not much to actually see. In my case with the lid down and pilot installed under a tinted canopy, what is provided is very nicely rendered and more than adequate.

 

I used the kit decals overlaid onto the extant raised detail, something I had done on a previous build and it worked a treat. Apart from requiring several applications of decal softener and some patience, the process was pretty painless and it resulted in a very neat and convincing 3D effect, but no doubt people will spend the money on aftermarket anyway. I have yet to add the side-stick controller to the right console

 

The instrument panel was also treated in a similar way

 

DSCN0553.JPG

 

and speaking of seats, this is what the kit gives you

 

DSCN0552.JPG


DSCN0551.JPG

 

This is straight OOB, there is no harness detail  provided and if you wanted to display the kit without a driver I would replace it with a resin seat (or add some straps) but as my seat will be occupied, I am happy to use as is. The seat lacks the ejection initiation handle on the seat pan and I think I will add this from some fine wire after the occupant has been seated

 

Finally, the last job for today was the assemble the vertical fins, flaperons and stabs. As I have already mentioned, the majority of the seams lie along RAM tape lines but some sections will still need to be dealt with


DSCN0554.JPG

 

It may not be obvious from the pic but the edges are really crisp

 

Pappy

 

 

 

 

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites


 

On 9/5/2024 at 5:14 PM, Marlin said:

Great progress Pappy. :thumbsup:

/Bosse

 

Thanks Bosse,


 

So at stumps on day two this is where we are at:

 

DSCN0561.JPG

 

For a mostly grey jet there is a LOT of white required. Before the fuselage halves are joined several sub-assemblies need to be completed;

 

  • Cockpit
  • Intake ducts
  • Nose Landing Gear bay (NLG) insert
  • Main Landing gear bay (MLG)
  • Weapons bay
  • Lift Fan
  • Engine compressor and drive shaft
  • Roll Posts
  • Engine exhaust bulkhead

 

There is a lot of detail provided and with the exception of the cockpit and Roll Posts, these items will need a base coat of white applied before the details can be picked out.

All of these assemblies (with the exception of the cockpit) need to be I stalled into the lower fuselage half so it would be wise to drill out any holes required for AME now and the inside was given a blast of white.

I used my refs to try and get the colours right and followed the instructions for the rest, although I did not use Tamiya paints exclusively.

First up, the NLG with the OBOGGS components added.

 

DSCN0558.JPG

 

The NLG assembly needs to have the NLG unit in place as this item is ‘trapped’ in the NLG assembly and held flat (and hence safely out of the way) until after painting when it can be rotated to the extended position by removing a small section of sprue.

 

DSCN0559.JPG

 

I think I'll remove the retaining part now but will just use some tape to hold the NLG in place instead as I did not want to jam nippers into a painted bay.

 

Next up the Weapons bay

 

DSCN0546.JPG

 

DSCN0523.JPG

 

I did add a little extra wiring just to busy up the bay but with the two AIM-120s installed I doubt much will be seen.

Prior to installation, you will need to install the small retaining nut into its moulded recess if you intend to use the supplied stand. This will allow the threaded screw in the display stand to secure the kit to the stand

 

DSCN0549.JPG

 

I would suggest adding the nut even if you don’t intend to use the stand as a cover part is provided and will fit over the hole but should if you change your mind later, the option is there

The MLG bay nestles into the weapons bay snugly and includes some nice electrical harness detail

 

DSCN0548.JPG


DSCN0560.JPG

 

The Roll Post inserts installed next. I painted them beforehand but these could be painted afterwards but why make life hard?


DSCN0556.JPG

 

The weapons bay door assembly is just temp installed here

 

DSCN0562.JPG

 

The final sub-assembly for the lower fuselage was the exhaust bulkhead unit.

 

DSCN0563.JPG


DSCN0565.JPG

 

The only engine option the kit offers is with the engine rotated to the vertical, which exposes the rear bulkhead. The engine itself is another sub-assembly but it could be installed after all the painting has been completed so I have just concentrated on the bulkhead for now.

 

Cheers,


 

Pappy


 


 


 


 

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 10
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

5 hours ago, Pappy said:

So at stumps on day two this is where we are at:

 

You move quickly!

 

Some beautiful work there Pappy, it almost seems a shame that all the lovely detail in the weapons bay will be obscured by the AIM-120s and the bay doors

Link to comment
Share on other sites

14 hours ago, Wings unlevel said:

 

You move quickly!

 

Some beautiful work there Pappy, it almost seems a shame that all the lovely detail in the weapons bay will be obscured by the AIM-120s and the bay doors

 

G'day Gerrard,

 

It may seem that way but remember that most of the assemblies are one major colour with a few details to be picked out in other colours. Tamiya's assembly breakdown also helps due to the modular nature of the kit. The majority of the internal assemblies are white so after cleaning up all these bits I had a big session where white was applied, followed by grey then black. That is one of the reasons I build out of sequence as it allows me to organise the spray sessions according to colour being applied.

 

I brush with acrylics which dry vey quickly and use oils for the wash. The oil washes will not react with the acrylics so that helps to move along quickly.

The weapons bay was the assembly that has taken thre most time so far as there are lots of different items to be picked out. As I said, not much will be visible but it was fun, 

 

Pappy

 

Pappy

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 9/7/2024 at 11:00 AM, Wings unlevel said:

Then you’re doing it right in my book! Thanks for sharing your techniques, I’m learning a lot as always. 👍

 

Too easy

 

On 9/8/2024 at 6:06 PM, Hook said:

Nice work there! 

 

Thanks Hook

 

 

G'day people,

 

I managed to snatch a little time at the bench through the week.

 

I have painted up the driver. Tamiya have excelled here and is actually in a flying pose. The detail is pretty crisp and was a joy to paint

 

DSCN0575.JPG


DSCN0576.JPG

 

Tamiya provide a nice CF decal for the helmet. I thought it would be a fiddly job to get it to fit the helmet but again, it a just a matter of plenty of decal solvent and a little patience

 

A quick dry fit of the seat and instrument panel did not reveal any surprises, it all looks like it will play nice together

 

 

 

 


DSCN0573.JPG

 

The lower fuselage was assembled

 

DSCN0566.JPG
DSCN0567.JPG

 

The kit assembly sequence is designed to 'trap' the NLG inside the bay until the builder is ready to assemble the u/c legs but I cut the part prevent the leg from moving off beforehand, I don't think it will be a problem.

 

Speaking of u/c, legs, I have partially assembled them as per the destructions.

 

DSCN0568.JPG

 

The drag braces will be added after these are installed into their locating slots in each respective MLG bay. Tamiya provide a data plaque for these which is a nice touch

They look a little bare, I think I will add some hydraulic  lines though...

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

 

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

 

On 9/12/2024 at 10:33 PM, Wings unlevel said:

Some beautiful detail work there Pappy, especially the pilot and EOTS sensors.

 

Thanks Gerrard,

 

G'day people,

 

I spent some time painting up the hoops. I made my own masks using a circle cutter which I was gifted for traveling around the sun one more time

 

DSCN0588.JPG


DSCN0590.JPG


DSCN0589.JPG

 

Result! - I wll be using that again, it is my new favourite bit of kit

 

The wheels are really nicely rendered but do not feature any 'weight' effects, which is fine for me as my jet will be in flight. I did manage to eliminate most of the tread detail on the main wheels however as these are supplied as halves. I can live with it but this may prompt other builders to go looking for aftermarket replacement item items. If you do, make sure the replacement wheels are intended specifically for the Tammy kit as the wheel mounts are not jut cylindrical stub axles but keyed to accept the kit items. It is not as simple as just  boring out the mount holes on the resin wheels to suit the kit's axle diameter

 

A quick dry fit of the seat, driver and IP to see how close the arms are to actually touching the flight controls


DSCN0578.JPG


DSCN0579.JPG

 

Wow, very happy with how that turned out, the hands are actually gripping the throttle and stick, top marks there Tamiya!

 

Ordnance is done

 

DSCN0586.JPG

 

The rotating nozzle doors have been painted

 

DSCN0587.JPG

 

Tamiya supply decals for the waterborne primer sections but I found it quicker and easier just to paint these sections

 

Finally a quick dry fit of the completed engine nozzle

 

DSCN0581.JPG


DSCN0582.JPG

 

It is only just mounted in these pics, it actually lives a lot further forward  but an earlier dry fit revealed that it is quite a snug fit and I did not want to get it stuck before painting commences as I want to install it after all the painting has been completed

 

cheers,

 

Pappy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited by Pappy
  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...