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Whiffing (another) Skyhawk


Ian

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Building this puppy for the JSDF Group Build over on the What If Site. So here's the gratuitous box-shot together with the Hasegawa JASDF Weapons Set, which may or may not be used on this project !

1a.jpg

And here are the opening 'shots' in the battle.

2a.jpg

The capped centreline fuel tank - scratchbuilt with a little plastic card.

3a.jpg

3b.jpg

Well yes now that you mention it the nose section does need a wee bit of blending. Gotta love T I P P E X.

4a.jpg

4b.jpg

And here it is all taped up. Since I took these shots about ten days back, I've changed my mind about the slats and am going to model them shut.

As ever all comments, questions and crits are welcomed. Thanks for looking.

Ian

Edited by Ian
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Todays progress:

Self explanatory cockpit shots before they disapear for good !

5a.jpg

5b.jpg

And here it is all buttoned-up, but obviously not filled/rubbed-down. I always run a black wash before major construction to aid my tired old eyes when it comes to rescribing the lost detail later-on.

6a.jpg

6b.jpg

Finally: Going for an asymetric loadout, the inner pylons have been 'adapted' to carry British pattern tandem stores panniers. All just pushed into place for the photo.

7b.jpg

Ian

Edited by Ian
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Coming on very nicely Ian. I will not start another Skyhawk until VA-153 & VMA-211 are finished (write out 100 times). I would call this project 'a nearly' because the Skyhawk was considered by so many nations throughout its career.

Oh yeah, got the Victory Corsair decals last week, very nice.

Keep up the good work mate

Joel

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Crack on then Ian! :whip:

Having seen your other Whif's I'm intrigued by this one.

Not for long time :fraidnot: ; I start my round of duty in the morning, then got our two weeks in Germany, starting Tuesday afternoon, then a very short return to normality, then a communications course, then the Nationals..... Then I'll take a wee nap !

Ian

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  • 4 weeks later...

Quite a lot has happened since I last posted, so here without any further provarication, is.....

Plans.jpg

The colours evolved through my as yet unpublished Alternative History of a resurgent militarist Japan locking horns with a still communist Soviet Union in the mid-eighties. Long story shortened, the disputed Kuril Islands become a battle ground and my Skyhawk (and previously seen Sea Harrier) are involved.

Because the transit to the islands is over the dark bluey grey/green northern Pacific then the colours used should reflect this. I decided to utilise all RAF tones - not necessarily current colours :-

The lightest tone over 80% of the underside and the centreline drop-tank is Medium Sea Grey (MSG). The next lightest, counter-shading the underside, beneath the intakes and on the rear fuselage is Light Slate Grey (LSG). The next lightest covering 60% of the upper surfaces is Ocean Grey (OG) and the final darkest tone is RAF Blue Grey (B/G).

The pattern came to me quite easily and was just about right after three attempts - I have based it on the pattern used by the first A-4/TA-4's seen in low vis greys in the mid to late eighties.

Ian

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OK, MSG went on first, then masked ready for the Light Slate Grey (LSG)

Paint1b.jpg

Paint1c.jpg

Next the LSG was sprayed/masked under the leading edge of the wing to about 25% chord, also on the forward & rear fuselage and the intake flanks.

Paint2a.jpg

Paint2c.jpg

Paint2b.jpg

Paint3b.jpg

As this is written, the RAF Blue /Grey is drying in the Autumn sunshine. Hopefully I can post some more progress photos tomorrow. In the meantime here's the loadout. As you can see the tandem panniers have had to be 'adapted a wee bit !

Loadout1.jpg

Loadout2.jpg

Thanks for looking.

Ian

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Paint done !

Paint5e.jpg

Paint5d.jpg

Paint5c.jpg

Paint5b.jpg

Paint5a.jpg

The light & flash set-up exagerates the tonal difference between the RAF Blue/Grey and Ocean Grey. It should calm down when the thing is matted down later. Right.... on to the decals !

Ian

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Ian, that camo scheme is smashing!

My only itty comment is: Most countries that went with camo schemes on their scooters carried that over to the wing slats, foregoing the red. Yours is a W-If however, so the Japanese in your world did it any way they chose.

It's a very cool look you've created!

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Decals1.jpg

Decals2.jpg

As you can see I changed my mind about two things. The slats will be deployed and the loadout just looked WRONG. So I ditched the panniers idea and loaded just one GBU under each wing.... looks much better. Next an oil wish into the panel lines.

Ian

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I just crack the box open of one I am going to build. Not sure what scheme yet, but what I want to do is one undergoing total overhaul. Wish Eduards would do a PE set that include all of the inspection panels on the upper wing. I'd like to open all of them up. I saw a picture somewhere online of one undergoing restoration at a museum. The wing was being re-mated to the fuselage. Which opens all kinds of diorama possibilities.

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