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Posted

Looks like some weird Gundam type tech mask!

well done getting the brass work so good :thumbsup:

Good Luck with the mis(in)takes

but after nailing* the brass work so well your confidence must be high and you will be fine! :D

* not literally - i hope :yikes:

Posted

Fabulous work so far - the front end and cockpit look hugely improved :)

Next is the nightmare of the completely mis shapen intakes. Major surgery here we come!

Does the flightpath set correct this as well ?

Posted (edited)

Hi m8, the set goes some way to correcting the set which is difficult to explain without physically pointing it out. suffice to say, the actual openings for the kit parts are too large and swept back. also Revell have omitted a small step directly underneath the intake which i think hosed the ice wiper mechanism.

This is reintroduced by the flightpath kit which I'm sure will improve the shape no end.

Thanks for all your positive replies folks.

Edited by Phartycr0c
Posted

That's some impressive soldering work! That's one skill I'm going to have to pick up soon with all the PE sets that I have building up in the stash. Any tips on the type of soldering iron and solder/resin that you used as I'm looking to pick up a soldering iron and associated supplies for this purpose soon, and bet that the $20 cheapie at the hardware store just won't be the best choice.

Posted

Great work on the soldering! You nailed it!

Grrrr. I'm going to have to get one of these kits now, you've built me into it!

Al

Posted
That's some impressive soldering work! That's one skill I'm going to have to pick up soon with all the PE sets that I have building up in the stash. Any tips on the type of soldering iron and solder/resin that you used as I'm looking to pick up a soldering iron and associated supplies for this purpose soon, and bet that the $20 cheapie at the hardware store just won't be the best choice.

Ironically. The iron I have is actually a 25W £9.99 cheapie. I have just found some replacement tips for it.

I am using a liquid flux which is running the solder into the joints extrememly well. The problem is I only have a tiny bit of it left and the original supplier has long gone out of business. Im trying to track down another source.

AL I have to say this is one of the more unusual kits out there. I bought it to build because I saw a built up one in a model shop in Solihull (Bobs Models) and was impressed by its presence. That and the 117 was being retired and I wanted summat different. I actually scored this at Telford last year.

As I have said theres not much in the way of plastic and it is hugely inaccurate. There is such a lot more that can be done to this to make it spot on but where do you draw the line?

Get one and come polish the T@%d!

Posted (edited)

Short update.

Iv'e stuck the wingy things together. When 117's sit without power, the flaps and elevons droop so I will be cutting these out and adapting them suitably. The flaps are nice big chunky things so it should be easy.

DSC_4168.jpg

Iv'e formed and soldered the intakes which make one hell of a difference

Kit Intakes

DSC_4161.jpg

Rubbish

Flightpath Intakes, mmmm nice

DSC_4162.jpg

Kit intakes

DSC_4163.jpg

Rubbish!

Flightpath intakes mmmm even nicer!

DSC_4164.jpg

In reality the kit is moulded wrongly around the intakes notwithstanding the lack of Wiper mechanism. They appear too raked backwards although believe you me trying to look at photos of the 117 in an attempt to picture exactly what needs to be corrected is no easy task. The thing looks completely different from every angle!

Either way the Flightpath intakes are delicious.

One thing I realised when i fitted one of the intakes is that the kit itself is so flexible, one movement could throw them out. Therefore I decided to concentrate on getting the kit halves joined to offer an element of stability.

Back to the cockpit

DSC_4167.jpg

panel before

DSC_4165.jpg

Panel after

DSC_4166.jpg

The thing with the 117 is that the cockpit interior is painted black to reduce glare making it a little drab. likewise the seat also was unusually painted black. so here goes nothing!

and iv'e soldered the nose ready for cleanup

DSC_4169.jpg

TTFN

Edited by Phartycr0c
Posted

Have you tried the glass fibre pen trick to remove the overflow solder? It will help when it comes to preparing/priming the surface.

Cheers,

Al

Posted

Hi al I hadnt thought of that yet I use these things at work for cleaning electrical contacts. What is it they say about office stationary? ..........Seriously Maplins here I come. Ta muchly

Another little update on this monster.

Ive completed the cockpit basically. The seat is a paragon Aces 2 which i had lying around, unfortunately not all the etched brass details were with it. The decals on the seat are some from a missile i think, and the belts are from the flightpath kit. The seat and panels were sprayed with acrylic matt black then drybrushed with Citadel Boltgun metal. Likewise the seat padding was painted with commando khaki and the belts graveyard earth. each was then washed with the corresponding colour ink.

DSC_4174.jpg

DSC_4175.jpg

DSC_4176.jpg

Whille i waited for this all to dry, Not very long at all actually, I filled the god awful joints on the tailplane which resulted from the stoopid way Revell want you to construct them. They have an insert affair which sits on the outer face of the tail which should be completely smooth.

One other thing i did was to cut the tail along the seam at the bottom as they will ultimately sit on the skew as they did on the big uns at rest.

DSC_4177.jpg.

The Cockpit was then put into place leaving a large gap around the back of the bulkhead where it joins the fuselage. prolly just my kit.

DSC_4178.jpg

My attention turned to the Flir which IMHO looks ridiculous having constructed the housing (flightpath) and installed part 66 (Revell) I was left with this

DSC_4179.jpg

Far Far to small. look at size of the F117 Flir Its huge.

As a result of a lot of thinking I burgled one of my stepdaughters little used games and perloined a ball which I cut in half

DSC_4180.jpg

now im left with this.........much better!

DSC_4181.jpg

Nobody grass me up RIGHT!

Posted (edited)

Short update folks, Iv'e been very slowly playing with the weapons pylons in a bid to get the bomb bay installed and the body strengthened. To that end some of the etched brass has gone from this DSC_4185.jpg

to this

DSC_4186.jpg

Iv'e also been putting my mind to how to obtain the "characteristic "skew" in the rudder when the aircraft is at rest. I have purchased some fine brass tube and rod for the bomb bay door actuators, but Iv'e found that the diameter is just right to fit inside the assembled rudder parts. I formed a pin in the lower section with the hollow brass tube supporting the upper.

DSC_4187.jpg

DSC_4188.jpg

DSC_4192.jpg

The pin / tube is secured with CA glue internally and packed out with filler to provide an unmoveable bond preventing the pin or tube from wandering off centre.

This gives me exactly the effect I was after and I think will look good on the beast at the end.

DSC_4193.jpg

and now a real one you get the idea.

One other fault on the kit is that from the rear, as can be seen in the photograph, the engine exhaust are not visible and shielded Ii.e you cant see directly up em!!!!!! another bit if correction coming up.

Nite all till me next un!

Edited by Phartycr0c
Posted
Iv'e also been putting my mind to how to obtain the "characteristic "skew" in the rudder when the aircraft is at rest. I have purchased some fine brass tube and rod for the bomb bay door actuators, but Iv'e found that the diameter is just right to fit inside the assembled rudder parts. I formed a pin in the lower section with the hollow brass tube supporting the upper.

Nice to see you adopting some railway modelling ideas here in terms of the use of brass rod & tube! K & S Models is your friend. Seriously though, I don't know why more aircraft modellers don't use brass wire, rod & section instread of plastic rod and strip for detailing, as it is so much crisper and stronger.

Nice Work on those fins!

Regards,

David Parkins,

Flightpath

Posted

Cant see all the photo's cuz on dial up it'd take hours for the page to load but looking good so far.

You see the yellow black stripeing on the coaming,I have some of that in decal if you need.

Merv

F-117c.jpg

Posted
Iv'e also been putting my mind to how to obtain the "characteristic "skew" in the rudder when the aircraft is at rest. I have purchased some fine brass tube and rod for the bomb bay door actuators, but Iv'e found that the diameter is just right to fit inside the assembled rudder parts. I formed a pin in the lower section with the hollow brass tube supporting the upper.

This gives me exactly the effect I was after and I think will look good on the beast at the end.

DSC_4193.jpg

That's very well done my son, good idea well-executed.

Cheers,

Alan

Posted

Thanks for the positive encouragement folks.

Iv'e not really "surged" ahead with the Ghost but iv'e had loads more soldering practice forming the bomb bay trapeze.

DSC_4201.jpg

DSC_4202.jpg

The way to approach the flightpath kits is to read, re read and read again the instructions and dry fit, dry fit, dry fit, in order to build a picture in the minds eye, then solder away.

Also I had a play with one of the GBU's which is complete bar adjustment of the front fins. which i will do after painting. that is one seriously heavy piece of resin!

DSC_4198.jpg

DSC_4199.jpg

and also a little more "artistic licence" on the bomb bay with some brass tube, old telephone wire and a couple of spare kit parts.

The fettling isn't designed as a perfect replica of the bomb bay, just an effort to make it look a little more busy

DSC_4196.jpg

DSC_4197.jpg

Oh by the way, Al (Phatness) iv'e enjoyed immensely the fiberglass shards in the fingers. :suicide::fraidnot: reminds me im alive I suppose. :whistle:

Posted
Oh by the way, Al (Phatness) iv'e enjoyed immensely the fiberglass shards in the fingers. :suicide::fraidnot: reminds me im alive I suppose. :whistle:

Yeah but think of the results! :lol:

Posted

Ok folks another update on what potentially would make a very good jelly mould.

Iv'e finished the superb weapons trapeze's (if that a word,) painted and installed the bomb bay, and cut the flaps and ailerons out for re mounting.

The bomb bay still need a bit (lot) more detailing to finish busying it up, but ill hold off until the undercarriage is on and the trapeze's installed.

DSC_4213.jpg

DSC_4214.jpg

and now a quick mock up of the trapeze's and doors

DSC_4215.jpg

DSC_4216.jpg

DSC_4217.jpg

The nose is now on with the plastic ball FLIR. Iv'e added some 20thou plasticard in an effort to accentuate an area which stands out on the actual aircraft but hasn't really been moulded well in the kit.

DSC_4209.jpg

DSC_4212.jpg

DSC_4211.jpg

There's still some filling and shaping to take place to blend the flightpath stuff in with the body etc.

and finally a progress overviews

DSC_4210.jpg

One other thing, I think iv'e overcooked is the weight in the nose to prevent it being a tail sitter. so much so I'm wondering whether the front undercarriage will take the strain.

Sorry for the amount of phots.

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