61-7950 A 60 year Personal Journey. Revell 1/48 Lockheed SR-71A with extras FINISHED! The plane at least, the rest soon!

[LorenSharp]

10 hours ago, Serkan Sen said:

Not only narrow but also in truncated cone shape to give a depth feeling.

I am following with great interest to see the result 😀

Serkan

I agree. I think they were trying for a "forced perspective" to give that greater sense of depth.

19 minutes ago, Serkan Sen said:

This is not fully correct. I have started to model this engine but then I realised that if I use the same effort, I can complete the entire Oxcart/Blackbird family. 😁

But one day I will finish my J-58 project too.

 

Now THAT'S an Engine!

[The Podfather]

I’m a bit late to the party, but I would like to pull up a chair and follow this - great project!
 

Particularly interesting for me as I finished a Revell/Italeri hybrid earlier this year, and did enjoy adding some better details to this engines, but your project is definitely another level😊 - I still have two more to build when I get round to it.

 

All that wire pipework could potentially drive you insane, but it will look brilliant when complete - nothing quite replicates a real metal finish than actually using bits of real metal.

 

Good luck with it all😊👍

[LorenSharp]

I know after working at this scale,, I think for me to really do this engine justice with all the hydraulic lines I will have to do it one day in 1/12 scale which would make it about 45cm long(around 15 in) Which when it comes to 3d printing isn't problem as long as I've gotten the basics correct to begin with. It would just have to be upscaled.

[LorenSharp]

I did get my book in on the SR-71 by Jim Goodall. The quality and information contained inside has helped a lot,

Definitely has more information than everything else I have combined. Since the author worked on the SR-71  and by his own admission has a vast  personal collection that would rival Lockheeds. some of the images were give to him by Ben rich and Kelly Johnson. I'll go with his expertise on this subject. It even gives a brief synopsis of each of the airframes with images from the first A-12 Article 121 to the the last SR-71 arriving at Dulles and all their final outcomes. Its not surprising though, I have his other volume on the B-2 and that was really helpful in my build there.

[LorenSharp]

But back to the build After seeing where issues cropped up and making those corrections I finally have a good set of parts for the beginnings and extra afterburner equipment for the model itself.

A comparison of the kit engine, my first iteration and the final.

I did separate the afterburner end, the interior afterburner sleeve and the flame holder.Along with the separate fans.

I still have the Main fuel controllers, fuel pump,gearbox, and starter assembly, and piping. Those I'm working on currently. JUSt about ready to start painting and bending wire for the hydraulics. I know at this scale I won't get everything stuffed in but with luck It will be "busy" enough to pass. or at least look better than the kit offering.

[Serkan Sen]

19 minutes ago, LorenSharp said:

I did get my book in on the SR-71 by Jim Goodall. The quality and information contained inside has helped a lot,

Is there any info or photos of YF-12A missile bays interior? I have his latest book but there's no such details in it.

Serkan

[LorenSharp]

The only picture I have is one showing the AIM-47 being loaded.But you can't see any internals, I always thought the rocket was launched from a rail assembly, like the F-102/106. But from what I can read from the brief blub, Kelly johnson mentions the rocket was ejected. The launch was successful inert, but if it had been powered it would have come through the cockpit. to quote "In spite of all our missile tests without airflow, we muffed this one by a factor of three in nose-down pitching moment, Wish I could be of more help.

[LorenSharp]

Serkan ,I wonder if you couldn't contact the author, Jim Goodall, and ask, what did the launch bay look like? He supposedly has something like around 30,000 pictures in his collection.

[LorenSharp]

After much printing, some of which is still in the process, I think I have enough to post a few images. Not to mention other irons in the fire that have been occupying my time at the bench. Hers where I've gotten to,,,.

First, I finally got a few P/E sets, the cockpit and bypass grates

Working on the grates, I first cut away the plastic grating on the engine nacelles.

The instructions say to fill these areas in then glue the P/E in place. My problem with that is that raises what should be a smooth area. So I cut the old grates away then used some thin strip to make a ledge to attach the P/E to.

And the undersides...

The P/E is much bigger than the original plastic, but comparing the resources I have, and the Metallic Details set I have for a Testors kit to built  way down the line, they are more or less correct. a shade big but I'll work with it.

[LorenSharp]

Next the front offices.

The PIlots station,

and the RIO's

 

[LorenSharp]

Those completed , I set them aside and worked on the gear bays.

I didn't do any screen grabs of the 3D objects, but after printing out, getting a coat of gloss black lacquer, then a coat of Alclad II's stainless steel the somethin floral and jeweler's wire for piping,

 

[LorenSharp]

Starting with the nose gear,

Added the gear clamps,

The pressure cannisters and side panels. again added bits of wire for the hydraulics. I consider this practice for when the time comes add the piping to the J58. and after working with the bays I fear I won't be able to add as much of the piping as I would like, for the simple fact of scale. But we shall see when that time comes.

The other thing with the nose bay, I split the side panel and barrels from the bay itself, The reason being this makes it easier to install the barrels then the add the panels. Space is at a premium.

Then cemented in place.

 

 

[LorenSharp]

Then the main gear bays

I had separated the wheel stage housing because I found on image, Ithink may be from the early part of the program. The housing has what looks like an additional thermal blanket surrounding it. I didn't notice it in any later images but it's an interesting look. so I dipped some tissue paper in thinned  white glue and wrapped that around the housing. when dry I painted it  Coast Guard Orange, closest shade I had. ten added it and more wire for hydraulics.

 

[LorenSharp]

Jumping back a bit to the J58. I made  a small trolly to place it on and started the preliminary adding the basic big pieces and painting of the engine itself.

Various shades of AK Burnt Metal, Alclad II Pale Burnt metal, even some rare Model Master Burnt Metal, which to me was the best shade produced, and an experiment mixing Alclad II Aluminum and MRP RAF Blue Gray for the bluish metal area just aft of the after burner housing on the end. That still need another coat. It's hard to tell by the picture but there are 5 maybe 6 distinctive shades across the entire length.

[LorenSharp]

On the interior of the afterburner,

At  the flame holder AK Burnt Metal with the flame holder Vallejo Beige, then the lower walls Badger MArine Colors Salmon Buff, then the upper portion again Vallejo Beige with weathering in the form of MIg-Ammo PLW Sky Grey panel wash supplemented with their Dark Wash here and there for added depth.

And AK Burnt Metal for the front fans

Still a ways to go. I should have the SR-71 Itself finsif=hed by my deadline but theJ-58 and a few extras may end up getting finished in` the upcoming new year.

But in any event progress is being made.

[Serkan Sen]

Very amazing details and works you are presenting here Loren. Simply awesome!

Serkan

[LorenSharp]

Thanks  Serkan, THere's more detail I'd like to do but due to the limitations of the scale, not feasible. I'm fairly certain I'll get the SR-71 finished by my self imposed deadline, but some of the extras like the J58 may not get finished until into the new year.

[LorenSharp]

So with that, lets see how far I've made with one week to go,...

A few side steps along the way. I want to utilize as much of the kits parts as much as possible. No sense in re-inventing the wheel as it were, The kit part on the left is part of the afterburner assembly. on the right my design. one won't fit into the other but the base is necessary to attach to the interior. but this way ends up being short by about 4mm. 

 I printed out a new sleeve to join the afterburner to the mounting plate in stead of redesigning a whole new assembly and reprinting. I'll save that for the A-12 later.

[LorenSharp]

At the other business end. I finally got my intake spikes to where I'm satisfied. This is just a black lacquer coat in prep for the Alclad and AK metal paints.

The initial colours Pale burnt metal and gold titanium for the center ring, then a combination of burnt metal, bronze, and pale burnt metal.

Finally, though hard to see, a light coat of Alclad II's  Hot Metal Sepia to enhance he discoloured metal.

[LorenSharp]

The outer sleeve of the exhaust nozzle, discoloured and weathered first with a base of Model Master burnt metal, I actually found a n unused bottle online, thena fter trying chalk pastels, that didn't stick or show up, surface too smooth, I experimented with AK's Salt effects wash. Light painting by hand then softening with a cotton bud.After 2-3 layers got the desired wear look.

both the Afterburner and the sleeve together. 

Snug as a bug in a  rug.

Finally the exhaust system all together, sans the spike,

[LorenSharp]

With the Spike temp attached

I wanted the spike to sit at it's furthest outward extension which would be the position right before engine start. the center band is just beginning to peek past the collar

 

[LorenSharp]

 

The feathers I printed and I'll add these last after everything else is done ant painted.

A little thick at the top. I may try to reprint these if I have time.

[LorenSharp]

Back to the main body, wheel wells in place and secured.

 

[LorenSharp]

with the attaching of the upper and lower portions of the fuselage. time to face the inevitable gaps....

but I think it's starting to look like an SR-71 or something out of Star Wars.

Yep it's getting there. 7 days to go and counting. This is almost like waiting for Christmas.... amy be I should make an SR-71 Advent calendar.... nah I've got enough on my plate.....

[Marklo]

I got to see one of the engines in the flesh so to speak in 1990 I was working for a subsidiary of Pratt & Whitney and was sent to the US for a years training on engine repair. While I was there there was an employee only airship. I actually still have the program. 

 

The engine was enormous and literally at the bleeding edge of the technology of the time.

 

The high point of the show was seeing a Ju 52 and an air display by a pair of F14s who I suspect were giving it wellie because it was for the engine manufacturer, they actually went supersonic over the airfield, which was pretty awesome…

 

Ah yes a terrific experience 😀