B2Blain

I'm at the beginning stages of building my third 1/48 F-22. In the past I used Model Masters FS36250 as the base coat. Since I cannot obtain it any longer I purchased a bottle of AK FS36250 and noticed there was a difference in tone, more brownish. I was thinking of giving his model a more weathered look and was wondering... I referred to my references and noticed Raptors have a more worn and variegated appearance than when they first were introduced. It seems that overtime they have been patched in the RAM/Paint shop. Did something change over time with the procedure or paint bein

I watched this guys rant on youtube about not gloss coating. I found it interesting, but I cannot make the leap and do it myself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOt3Gfc82TI

AIM-9L/M rear fins in that pic white? I've seen several pics of that combination from the mid 80s. Cruise Books are a good resources, but the resolution from back in the day is not that great. It also seems Sparrows were rarely carried, even for Soviet aircraft intercepts. https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/

Thanks for the info!

Thank you all for your suggestions! I used Florys when it came out, but have been using Tamiya's accenter recently. It's much more effective than water based. I've noticed that when I use it on Gunze's Mr. Color line of laquer paints mineral spirits will remove some of the base coat. It's a little better when I use a softer cloth. Not sure if Mr. Color reacts to mineral spirits or if it's getting to the enamel primer coat that I put down. I don't notice this with Tamiya. I thought that maybe I should try a water based product for the panel lines.

Does anyone know of one besides Flory?

I am working on two F-4S Phantoms - one USN and one USMC. I haven't found many references for the type and color of Sparrow and Sidewinders for the F-4S. The AIM-9L saw combat in 1981 in the Gulf of Sidra and in 1982 in Falklands War and over the Bekaa Valley. The best references I have found are the Cruise Books from the USS Midway. The Sidewinders look to be Ls. White body and dark gray metallic seeker head sections. Were the Sidewinders painted in light ghost gray primarily Ms? I'm guessing by the late 80s AIM-9Ms were the standard. Regarding the Sparrows, the handfu

Harpoon hasn't been certified for the F-35 platform. I am not sure it will be worth it to do so. JASSM/LRASM would be better as a external carried weapon as it is more advanced and longer range. In a stealth configuration, the Joint Strike Mission might be a better option as it can be carried internally and is manufactured by a Norway, an F-35 operator. It has also been purchased by other F-35 operators.

Furball has new decals coming out. I wish they had different weapons in the F-35C like AARGM-ER or GBU-53. BAM models produces the former and are pretty good, and here are some aftermarket options for the latter but because they are so small they are difficult to work with. Whatever the case, I'm just glad Tamiya released the C. I built one Kittyhawk kit with what if decals and have one in the stash.

I recently spent over $60 to buy the Reskit cockpit for the HB F-111. I was surprised that that the cockpit is 3D printed now. After an inquiry with Reskit they said that the resin cockpit had consistency issues. Well, the 3D printed one is not much better. It appears that while "some" of the resin cockpit seemed to have a good fit, based on reviews, the 3D printed one does not. The cockpit is a little too narrow. I had to adjust the width of the front fuselage and also the nose gear well. There is also a gap at the front join. It took a while to sand, rescribe, and fill the joins

There are more units now. VFA-147 VFA-97 VFA-86 VMFA-314 VMFA-311 Unfortunately, there is still the Kitty Hawk kit, which is OOP. C'mon Tamiya.

Thank you again. That helps! I was hoping I would be able to print the carrier part 2 product for a reasonable price, but I guess it's kind of complicated.

Thank you for the advice! Is there a type of printer that I need to use to ensure quality?

I have very little knowledge of 3D printers or this product. https://www.remj.co.uk/ They have an extensive product catalog. I assume this is a new concept - selling 3D files so you can print your own parts. I'd have to purchase a 3D printer. Anyone have any thoughts? How easy is it to print? Could there be quality/accuracy issues? Thanks!

Yuck. I love the F-35 but hate hump on the back of the B. I'd rather have the C.