Sgt Spooky
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Posts posted by Sgt Spooky
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You mean like this? E-bay link
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Definitely an A. No bumps on the spine behind the canopy and only 2 fairings on each fin.
Just to add on to this, C and D models also have 3 antenna blisters on each side of the forward fuselage: 1 below the windscreen just under the LEX, 1 just above and midway back of the nose formation light, and 1 below the nose formation light before the nose cone area. You can see it clearly here.
The standard A and B models only had the 1 antenna blister below the nose slime light.
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SOLD.. Thanks for all the interest
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I trying to see if anyone can point me in the right direction on this. I've run into a snag with my current builds with some crew names and modex's. The crew names and modex's on these builds need to be customized, but the only place I could get them printed locally (with ALPS or Laser) no longer does waterslide decal printing. Anyone know if there is a business online or is there someone that can help me out with this? I tried doing it with my inkjet setup, but it doesn't come out right with small lettering.
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I've got both the Black Box and Wolfpack sets, for my ATARS bird I got in my pipeline for later this year. With the dry fitting I've done for it so far, the Black Box seems to line up better, but it doesn't have any clear parts for the camera housing, while the Wolfpack set does. I may end up using the Wolfpack set just for that reason, since the clear parts won't fit on the black box set and my Wolfpack set isn't that far off that a little filler and sanding wont fix.
The Wolfpack set has some extras for that I won't need for my bird though, like the dual C/F dispensers. I'm going to be using the MAW decals MAW Hornets Part 3 sheet, and the ATARS bird on this sheet doesn't have the dual CF dispensers, so be sure to check your references to know what you'll need for the bird your doing, but the call outs on Creighton's sheets are pretty good at pointing things out like that.
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Cool beans guys. Thanks. Will pick them up today on the way into work.
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Does anyone know if the 1/48 Ace Rafale kits are reboxes of the Revell kits or are they knockoffs? Just curious since I saw both a B and M kit in my LHS on sale for 10 bucks a piece and was wondering if they would be worth the pick up.
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So does that mean that it's an EA-18G with a speed brake? Lol
Although I did build the F and didn't have a problem with it at all although it could have been 90% inaccurate and I had no idea.
Guess this is an instance of getting what you pay for.
This is a retool of the retooled F kit boxed as EA-18G from back in 2005 or so. It doesn't have a speed brake and this boxing adds more specific EA-18G parts. The original 2005 EA-18G boxing was based on the concept demonstrator (even the decals were for the concept deomonstrator) and left out some of the production aircraft antenna (IFF pizza box, saddle antenna on spine, etc.), and still had the gun ports on the nose. This newer boxing adds is supposed to bring the tooling to production aircraft standard.
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Ken,
Nice looking build.
How did you create the gun ports on the nose? I tried using a small drill to create them on this kit in the past but couldn't quite get the angle right.
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Title says it all. Looking for 2 sets of 1/48 Hasegawa F/A-18 'A' tails. Associated rudders (Parts C7 and C8) and stiffening cleats(Parts B14 thru B19) would also be appreciated, but the tails themselves are the main pieces I need. Please send a PM if you have these parts leftover or spares you'd be willing to sell or part with.
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You are correct!
Stephen
May have to get a hold of them somehow then. Like to see how they look next to my scratch built ones.
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Thanks for all the input on this guys. I've decided to go with the loadout Jim's friend provided:
1 - AIM-9M
2 - 2 x Mk 82/Mk 43 TDD
3 - Fuel Tank
4 - AAS-38 FLIR
5 - 2 x Mk 82/Mk 43 TDD
6 - AIM-7
7 - Fuel Tank
8 - 2 x Mk 82/Mk 43 TDD
9 - AIM-9M
The trick will be modifiying the Mk 82s with rounded noses so that they will appear to have Mk 43 TDD fuzes and still be proper length
Still running into an issue with decals though. I looked at the decals from the Hasegawa kit, and they are pretty much the same as the ones I have except for a different BuNo (163119) Modex (301), and the correct air wing letters (AJ). The carrier name markings however look to be black/dark grey, which contradicts a Desert Storm bird, as I have it confirmed it was painted in White/Light Grey. Also need some custom crew names made up but can't seem find anyone local that I know that can do that.
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Hmm.. overwhelming majority of Alclad so far. Guess I will try it out.
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His reply:
I think it was, actually -- but i have no idea if it's on a model, or not (i'd love to know). I believe that side number was lost at sea, after the pilot ejected for an engine / AMAD malfunction and precautionary shutdown.
AMAD, BTW stands for Airframe Mounted Accessory Drive.
What decals are you using?
They are the Testors decals from the mid/late 80's releases of the F/A-18 A/B and RF-18D kits. My particular sheet is the 1989 'RF-18D' sheet. I decided to use them since it was the closest I could find to how they were painted during Desert Shield/Storm. They aren't the best, but are in suprisingly great shape considering they are 20+ years old and I gotta use what I have available. If they don't work out, I at least have enough data to paint on the tail stripes, VALIONS and VFA-15 lettering. I can swipe the lions from an A-7 kit if needed and I also have a few stencil sets I can use should I need them.
The issues I have in using it for making it a Shield/Storm bird:
- The air wing letters are incorrect as they have AC instead of AJ, indicating the time when VFA-15 was assigned to MAG-12, but thats easily correctable.
- The BuNo provided on the sheet is 163121 but shows it as F-18A instead of F/A-18A. I don't if that's really how it was stenciled on or not, or if it was updated later
- The modex given is 304, which matches for 163121, but restricts me to arm it with an early in the conflict loadout, if there was any real difference.
- The sheet provides a pilot name of LCDR W L MCKEE/'MAGGOT'. Likely a pilot during the MAG-12 assignment era, if a real pilot name at all.
- No carrier name decal is included since this is a MAG-12 bird, so I have to find 2 proper fitting USS Theodore Roosevelt decals. To complicate matters, all of my reseach up to now indicates it would've been painted in white, which may prove impossible to find.
I could try to find some decals from when the squadron transitioned to C models(don't really know of any available from that period), but the BuNo would not match an A model, and I run the risk of the decals being even further out of register. Times like this I wish I could make my own decals, but when it comes to items that involve fonts, I haven't been able to make anything acceptable.
Any info or help would be appreciated. This was originally supposed to be an 'in-between' build while I was waiting the finishing up one project and starting another process, but the more I looked into it, the more I wanted this to really shine, and I always liked the lion logo of VFA-15.
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I'm sure this has been debated many times before and everyone swears up and down with their particular choice on this, but I'm looking for some opinions on the best brand for natural metal finish color for aircraft. Later on this year I'm doing a USAF F-86F-10 and since this aircraft will be from the Korean War era, I need some advice on the best brand and color. Application method would be airbrush.. no spray cans.
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Maybe I'm wrong, but are those Durandals next the GBU-12s on the stores sprue?
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Contacted a friend who was a pilot with VFA-15 on that cruise. Here is his reply:
Most of what we carried were iron bombs -- either 5 or 6. We did carry 6 Mk 83 with fuel on center and right inboard. Also dropped little and big Walleye, and HARM, of course. I sank an OSA-2 with Mk 82 (6) with Mk 43 TDD. Always had a FLIR on left, Sparrow on right, 2 AIM-9 and full belt of ammo.
Wow, Thanks. Always nice to get the straight dope from an actual source. Looks like I have an option then as I do have some spare 82's I can round off to look like they have Mk 43 fuses.
Jim, your friend wouldn't have happened to have been the pilot of aircraft 304 would he? It'd be awesome to do this bird up as his on that mission.
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I'm working a Desert Storm era F/A-18A from VFA-15 Valions and had a couple of questions that I hope someone here can help with.
1. I wanted to do an early loadout, since the BuNo (163121) I have decals for show this bird was lost due to engine failure a week after the start of hostilities. I was thinking of the following loadouts:
Option 1
2 x AIM-9
4 x Mk 83 LDGP
1 x AIM-7
1 x AAS-38 FLIR or AAR-50 TINS
2 x External fuel tank on inboard pylons
1 x External fuel tank on centerline
Option 2
2 x AIM-9
6 x Mk 83 LDGP (2 on VERs on inboard pylons, 1 on outboard pylon)
1 x AIM-7
1 x AAR-50 TINS or AAS-38 FLIR
1 x External fuel tank on centerline
I've seen option 2 on some of the land based USMC 18A's, but not the USN A models. I prefer to use Option 1, but I'm a bit concerned that 3 extra fuel bags with this loadout wouldn't be realistic as it might be too heavy for carrier ops. Any thoughts?
2. Does anyone know if these birds had the carrier name in white above the aft slime lights? VFA-15 was off USS Theodore Roosevelt at the time, but the shots I have of VFA-15 off Roosevelt were after Desert Storm when they transitioned to C models. If they did have the carrier name, does anyone have a spare set of carrier names in white they could part with?
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Not sure about the J-8, but I did a comission build for a friend of a PLANAF JH-7(PLANAF Bort numbers start with an 8), in which I used Testors Model Master Aircraft Gray (FS 16473) and it came out perfect. it wasn't an exact match, but lined up with all of my references at the time. I have seen pictures of JH-7s in white however, but these appeared to be early JH-7s when they first entered service in the mid to late 90's. All of my references were from early to mid 2000's.
I also think it depends on the time period. I once saw a J-8 in the late 90's and it's appearance was that of a flat weathered white. I had the chance to see one up close again in 2008 (wasn't allowed take pics though), but this time is was more of a gray color that was close to gull gray or a light gray similiar to FS36495. I noticed a few others nearby that appeared darker, however.
Sorry couldn't be more exact.
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Thanks for the suggestions. Never really thought of Future as an adhesive, but it it works..
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I've used a number of photo-etch and brass components on my builds to this point, but I've never actually used them inside the cockpit or attached to the canopy. I normally use CA glue on these items, but since my current build is closed canopy, CA glue will only serve to fog and craze the clear parts. Any advice on which glue to use for this purpose? Right now I need to attach canopy mirrors to the canopy frame..
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Desparately looking for a Afterburner Decals Air National Guard Viper Wing Kings II decal sheet! I was away for awhile and was unaware that Afterburner was closing up shop last month. If anyone has this sheet and is willing to part with it I would be most grateful. Please send PM with price.
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Just took a look a Raymond Chungs A-6E and looks nice and it got me thinking about going back to my A-6 kits again and making a 'true' 1/48 A model (not building a 1/50 Fujimi).
I did a little research some time ago and so far I've come up with the following items to backdate to an A-model intruder:
- omit the intake scoop near the tail
- use the perforated speed brakes
- omit the TRAM turret
- use the Pre-TRAM instrument panel
- use MB Mk. 5 ejection seats (if I can find them)for early A,Mk. 7 for later build A
- remove wing tip antenna pods
- use the ECM pylons from the EA-6A kit as a base for the outboard pylons
- no strip formation lights
I read somewhere there's a fairing on the inboard wing root that needs to be removed also, but I'm not sure what fairing the author of the article was talking about since I don't see any there and they didn't include any pics of it. I've looked in the Squadron Walk-Around book and can't seem to find this fairing either.
I also haven't been able to find any USN decals for an A-6A of this era in 1/48. I have the Impact Decals sheet which has a USMC black nose bird, but not a USN bird. Anyone know if there one and am I missing anything from my above list?
Tamiya Sprays for Dark and Light Ghost Grey
in Jet Modeling
Posted · Edited by Sgt Spooky
I normally use Testors MM Light and Dark Ghost Greys for my Hornet builds, but ran out the other day and decided to use Tamiya AS-25 LGG and AS-26 DGG to paint a current build. I did a test spray and it looked okay, so I went ahead and painted the model. After it all dried, I noticed that the DGG looked very blue. I placed it next to a previous build in which I used MM colors, and the difference was distinct. The MM greys looked grey with no color tints, only lighter or darker. The Tamiya greys both had distinctive blue tints to them to the point where they don't even look grey. I read somewhere that ghost greys do have blue tints to them, but the Tamiya GGs look too blue.
Can someone tell me which one is closer to being correct?