B2Blain

thanks!

I'm trying to decided which aftermarket decals to buy for a 1/48 scale F-117. What color are the national insignia and tail code markings? It looks light gray for Caracal. On the actual aircraft it looks white.

I believe AARGM-ER and its successor the SiAW, which uses the same form factor are the best options. GBU-53s could be effective too. But none of these weapons have been cleared yet. That being said I used BAM models AARGM-ER for a recent F-35A build. I put them in the weapon's bay. I also put two AARGM-ERs and 8 GBU-53s on 4 detachable pylons for a beast mode config.

I've been trying to figure this one out. I have built three F-22s so far. The first two were pretty much straight Mod Eagle. The last one I tried to include some variation with patching and added a slightly metallic top coat. I wasn't really satisfied but I wanted to be done. Model Master's FS36251 seems pretty close but it is no longer available. The last one I used Xtracolor enamels. AK seemed a little light. For FS36176 I used Mr. Color gunship gray as the darker pattern looks darker than Mod Eagle dark gray. It seems the scheme is some type of RAM paint out of depot. Lighting s

I posted previously about a potential purchase on Ebay. The model was from Estonia. The model was around $22 and postage around $14. I didn't want to risk being charged an unkown amount for duties so I bought it off Amazon for around $50. I didn't realize that the model was being shipped by a seller in Italy until I received a message that it was being delayed by customs. When it finally arrived I discovered I needed to pay the UPS driver $34 for customs. I should have taken my chances with ordering from Estonia. That is the last time I buy from overseas. US Customs should have a

That was my understanding. If something comes in from a known overseas business, like Temu, US Customs will know to attach duties to the item. But if the item comes from and individual then how does Customs make a determination that duties need to be applied? Unless the shipper has to declare it? This is a sea change in terms of how the USG treats imports. It's a lot easier to apply a tariff to imports that come in by bulk via a ship or aircraft. I am not sure if US Customs is set up to inspect the process every parcel that comes in from overseas. Thank you to all who r

I've held off on buying models and supplies from overseas because of the tariff issue. I accidentally ordered B-2 decals from Estonia, of all places, off of Etsy. It didn't occur to me later to check. Fortunately, I didn't get charged import duties from USPS. I started to wonder about whether I would be charged since Ebay are individual sellers. Does anyone know what the practice is? Thanks!

I figured that there are issues. I'm just trying to get to the stage of good enough. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on corrections. I just want something that is better than the old Testors kit, which was unbuildable. I thought putting it in a flying state with all the doors closed would be the easiest. That has worked so far. One of the build's I've seen the engine is visible from the front of the intake. I am thinking it might be best to paint the inside of the intakes the body color and be good.

Thanks! I've been following that build. I'm not that ambitious. I just find it odd that you are able to see the engine if you look down the intake. Think Modelcollect goofed on that one. I find it interesting that they are now doing a $1 commitment gimmick for the B-1 and have a B-21 on their Facebook page. I'm not sure how you can do a B-21 when the overall dimensions are still unknown.

I am building Modelcollect's B-2. I noticed that you can see the engines, but aren't they supposed to be hidden on the real aircraft?

What size would you need to print REMJ's carrier accessories part 2? Would a Phrozen 8KS work? Or is it too small? https://www.remj.co.uk/3d-blocks/p/1-48-wheel-block-tow-bar-mule-deck-accessories-e5b4c-e7x7j-kette-xlbay-9psk6-sazkg-clj6n-baag3

Reskit had been coming out with a lot of product. It's amazing how many companies have produced AIM-174s and NGJ mid band bonds over a short period of time, so maybe we will see a greater variety of aftermarket products at some point. Here is my wish list. 1. F-22 IRST 2. NGJ Low band pods 3. F-22 Low drag tank and pylon - I put this at #3 because there hasn't been any good images of the tanks yet. Hopefully, soon. 4. AIM-260 - same as #3. This will definitely get made by someone. I am not sure about #1 and #3. The F-22 doesn't seem to be that popular of a subject. T

Thanks! I did notice the metallic sheen in the sunlight. I am using a combination of laquer and enamels. A while ago I bought a tin of xtracolor for FS36251 that I think comes closest to the mod Eagle base coat. I made custom mixes to create different shades with a metallic sheen. It just a matter now of deciding how alternate the colors and create weathering and patching effects. I thought the paint on stealth jets had radar absorbent properties? Why would an F-22 shop order paint that used on an F-35?

I tried AK's FS36170 for a section of the vertical stab. I don't see a metallic sheen. I am guessing that on darker colors it doesn't show as much. I am not having much success changing up the shades of gray on the F-22. In reference to carrier aircraft someone said on one of the forums that the paint shops use whatever they have on hand, not always sticking to the spec when touching up. Would that be true for stealth aircraft? You would think that the shop that repairs RAM also takes care of the painting. They would need to use government approved paint. It would be hard to imagine that a can

Thank you for your advice and information. Hopefully, over time there will be more aftermarket options and vendors who print at a lower cost.