Mitsubishi XF-2A

[Nev]

Yes, I know its one of....*them!* but would you look at the colour scheme! Thanks to Thorvic for the heads up that Hannants had this 1/3 off

I've been working away on this kit the last week or so, lots of preparation work, cutting out and cleaning up of parts etc. Finally at the stage where I can share some work.

She's going to be as shown in this pic, loaded for Bear :tank:

Obligatory box shot

Halfords Grey Primer is very close to the grey in the Viper Zero's cockpit, as well as the colour of the AAM-3s, or at least close enough for a base coat.

As you can see the quality of the kit is high - it really looks like one of those models that will really reward patient & thorough modelling, which has been how I've progressed so far. Really enjoying this one, but won't get it done in time to appear on Joe's stand at Telford this year

[Gary West]

Excuse my ignorance, is this a licence built F-16?

Basically Daz yes - with some slight differences though.

Good choice Nev - agree with the scheme

[AnonymousER99]

Hi Nev.

Excuse my ignorance, is this a licence built F-16?

Sorry Daz

Daz

While similar to the Viper it is not a Viper! The F-2 is about 20% larger and has two more hard points. It also has a completely different cockpit as well as canopy. The canopy on the F-2 has a "windscreen" whereas the 16s canopy is a clamshell. There are plenty more differences as well. It does LOOK a lot like the 16 but is is entirely new and home built by the Japanese.

Mike

[desmojen]

I think the differences are more than slight, but it is based on the F-16. Thing is, this isn't just another grey F-Teen, the colour schemes on these things rock!

I bought a 1/72 F-2B in Hong Kong, the two tone blue one with a Samurai on the tail

Nice one Nev, I'll be watching progress keenly.

Jen.

[AnonymousER99]

So another good, but larger Japanese copy then Mike.

Pretty much Daz. It is actually a very cool jet and Japanese schemes really dress it up although the only operational scheme so far is light and dark blue. Several have had some really smoking cool tail art though!!

[Nev]

Daz, there's a good, interesting article on the F-2 here, including some honest assessments of its cost and capabilities

[Nev]

Newborn baby or no newborn baby I actually got my first modelling in months done last night! :dum:

Got to work on the Sparrows. I used ones out of the Hasegawa weapons set and they required a lot of clean up - heavy flash, ejector pin marks etc. They also had some weird little nodules on the missile which I have no idea what they are meant to represent so I cut them off. Here is a before and after.

Also got to work cleaning up the giant sink marks in the intake trunking...

[entlim]

Daz

While similar to the Viper it is not a Viper! The F-2 is about 20% larger and has two more hard points. It also has a completely different cockpit as well as canopy. The canopy on the F-2 has a "windscreen" whereas the 16s canopy is a clamshell. There are plenty more differences as well. It does LOOK a lot like the 16 but is is entirely new and home built by the Japanese.

Mike

Note also tailplane area is larger than f-16.......

[Oliver]

Also the main wing is not only larger but the leading and trailing edges also have a different sweep angle, the nose droops slightly differently, the main fuselage is extendend, AESA radar and the pit has liquid crystal displays.

I don't think we're likely to see the production F-2's in any camo scheme other than the two tone maritime scheme as they are only being issued the the ex anti-shipping phantom squadrons with less than 98 aircraft on order due to the high unit cost and the cheaper unit cost being offered by other manufacturers for their aircraft.

[Mike V]

In addition;

The fuselage is also 14.5 inches longer. It has 2 ECS systems, OBOGS, new desgined pylons, 600 gallon tanks, redesigned NSI intake, redesigend fuel cell panels on the upper fuselage, and vertical tail dorsal.

Mike V

[Ian]

Looking very nice so far, Nev - this is one race I'll let you run on your own, though !

Ian

[periklis_sale]

lokks good so far Nev...keep the photos coming mate!!!!!!

[Nev]

I've been getting a lot of progress done on this the last week, but a lot of it is prepatory work and not worth showing - but the next week I expect to make real fast progress *crosses fingers* Also its been raining pretty much non-stop the last few days so the light has been no good for taking pictures worth a damn (see above).

I've finished the basic colours on the pilot - just a couple of touch ups to do, eg round the knee pads - the 2 oranges I used for the flight suit and g-suit are MUCH more obvious in daylight than artificial light :dum:

Then a wash and a flat-coat and he's done

[Nev]

OK, lots to update. Pilot figure is finished, but the dayglo orange is proving real hard to photograph. It looks a lot better in real life (honest!) The bang seat is only just started

engine in and out bits

Wheels - I added a couple of tiny strips of red decal. Don't know what they're supposed to be on the real thing, but I can see them in photos

Exhaust - a bit of experimentation both inside and out to try and replicate the real thing. I think I've done a better job of the metallic out than the ceramic in. I think I'll give that a couple more washes.

Gear doors. To replicate the placard on the nose gear door I used some drop-tank stencils for the Airfix 1/48, and used the same for the MLG placards

The AIM-7s were a nightmare to paint - 8 fins per missile, 4 missiles....32 fins , both sides makes 64.....I was going blind by the end. They still need a few fine details adding.

Gear bays

The whole kit is very finely engineered, to the point where even a coat of primer on the mating surfaces will cause 2 parts to not fit. I'm sure the intake is meant to fit better than this...

[Gundylunch]

Nice going so far !! The red strips should go over onto the tyre as well, they are there to show up/detect any movement of the tyre on the wheel hub !!

[AndyL]

Nev,

Must have missed this one until now...nice job so far - I'll be watching this build.

Andy

[Nev]

Update: cockpit finished! Its actually a kinda boring cockpit. So plain and black.......and being so new they're not at all weathered either

Pilot figure added (obscuring most of the cockpit detail )

He's a bit of a Tight Fit (aaaaaaaagadoo-doo-doo) in there

Remember how I said the kit was so well engineered that even a coat of primer causes 2 parts to not fit? Well, without the cockpit in there, the 2 fuselage halves literally click together. With the cockpit in there, this is the result (and this is after 2 hours sanding, scraping, fettling and gouging to improve the fit!). I forsee much clamping and filling and sanding

[periklis_sale]

Its coming along nicely mate!!!

First tiem seen a fit on this model as bad as this!!!!!!

She is a putty eater too!!!!!!!!!

[Ian]

Stick with it, Nev

Ian

[Nev]

Its coming along nicely mate!!!

First tiem seen a fit on this model as bad as this!!!!!!

She is a putty eater too!!!!!!!!!

The halves actually go together if you hold them together, they just won't sit naturally like that with the cockpit in

[Nev]

Cooking with gas now. Couple of coats of white primer - needs touching up in a few areas still, then more primer, then the appliance white.

The fin and a lot of smaller bits like ariels aren't glued on yet because of the complicated decal arrangement....

[periklis_sale]

its looking great mate!!!!

Cannot wait to see her finished!!!!!!!!

[JakeEaton]

Very very very nice indeed.

[Angels49]

Looookeeeeng good, regarding the F-2, a few years ago.........well more actually.....the Sukhoi bureau was insulted when the Flanker as compared to a Fulcrum was referred to as a Big Mig..........I wonder if Mitsu would get hacked if I called the F-2 a Hyper Viper .

Edited February 15, 2008 by Angels49

[Nev]

Right, started decalling, but its proving......problematic

1) First off, the decal that joins to the canopy isn't right. There's a little nobbly bit on the spine that should be in the black trim - but is covered by the decal. This means that there is some black showing through the red.

2) Also the stripe down the spine around the rudder base isn't flush to the fin, leaving a white strip that will need touching up.

3) AND when I applied the red decal to the canopy and masked it off to apply the black (learning from (1)), the masking tape lifted off the decal....

4) Oh, and the 2 decals that make up the spine are different widths....

So I'm going to have to try and mix up a match for the red decal - and we all know how hard it is to get good coverage with red/orange paint

Having said that, and applying my mantra of "A fuzzy digicam picture hides many a modelling sin", it's looking quite pretty isn't it?

Edited March 6, 2008 by Nev