plasticWerks_JL

Hey everybody, I'm getting started with another long-term project: a 1:72 Academy F/A-18C in the markings of NSAWC #26, using Fightertown Decals. I'm going to make an attempt at mounting this in-flight, and taking my time to get this built properly. If anyone has any insight into how this bird would be configured, any help is greatly appreciated. Hopefully I'll be able to get started over the next week. 'Til then

Finished pics in the Display Case: 1:72 Fujimi A-4E

I finally wrapped this up from the Skyhawk GB last year. It's a 1:72 Fujimi A-4E from VC-1 (kit decals), with centerline refueling pod from the Fujimi KA-6D and Aires resin main wheels. Honestly, I crapped out on this one at the end and just wanted to get it off my bench. The emblems over the blue fuselage stripes silvered really badly, and I wasn't able to recover. I threw the rest of it together over the last few weekends. Anyway, it's wrapped up and now I can move on to something else. Thanks for checking it out:

Screenshot it?

Thanks for the info, Pete. I couldn't tell if the updated antennas and external bits were on the sprues. Some scratchbuilding and aftermarket should bring the rest of the kit up to date.

Email sent

I saw somewhere that the 1:72 A-10C is due out in early May. I'm interested in picking a few up, but does anyone have one of the A kits to compare the sprue shots to? Is Italeri including any updated parts for the C? Thanks in advance. Link to sprue shots: Italeri 1:72 A-10C - JL

Last update: received my order Thursday. Thanks for the replies everyone!

It's crazy how good this build is! Great looking Tomcats I have a Hasegawa F-14A in my stash with the Aires pit and Verlinden set, and I'm pretty sure I ordered the Master cannon after seeing your earlier update. Very inspiring work.

Thanks for the kind words on my build, Falcon; your starfighters are looking great! I'm partial to that orange scheme, haven't seen that one before. Best of luck for the home stretch!

I've been following along, and your work looks flawless. Looks like an interesting scheme, and a bit out of the ordinary. Looking forward to seeing more progress!

The fuselage has been painted, decaled, and a wash applied; just needs a flat coat to finish it off: The other parts are just about finished up, as well. I've put together the weapons, four Hellfires and two Stinger launchers: I drilled out the landing gear light and filled it with Loctite clear glue to replicate the lens: I should be able to finish this one up by the end of the week, or next weekend at the latest. Last update coming soon!

Looks like it's lacking consistency, and I really don't dig when the artwork is patched all over different parts of the a/c over standard paint. The tails look awesome, though.

Double post, my bad...

We're already using much of that energy to make, maintain, and dispose of more inefficient and wasteful vehicles, so wouldn't we ultimately be creating less waste in the grand scheme (at the tail-end of the process)? Energy will never be "free" or "magical", so maybe you can clarify the point here. Kudos on well-reasoned skepticism, though (so rare online...), and touching on important questions.

Actually, I think a more apt analogy is eventually gas powered cars will be seen the way you see people who ride horses: it's a niche hobby for those with the means to participate in it. I boggles my mind hearing people whine about this at all. You realize we have supercars using hybrid technology, right? Tech doesn't advance overnight, as much as it seems it does. I love cars just as much as anyone else here, but if it means eventually not having to breathe in exhaust every day on the ride to work, bring on the grown-up power wheels. I don't know if the Tesla 3 will be the one to usher in

Curious if anyone knows when the performers/displays arrive, if there's a good spot to watch, and if it's worth it in general? My commute takes me past MDL, so I'm thinking I could stop and catch some arrivals if the timing is right.

Vallejo's flow improver has worked for me recently. I've been putting a drop or two in my airbrush paint cup and mixing acryl and MM acrylic thinner about 50%/50%. Not as nice to spray as tamiya, but it's helped.

+1, will buy both

All in 1:72 scale, my in-progress build are: Italeri RAH-66 Hasegawa X-29 Hasegawa F-20 (all three for the test birds GB) Blacksnakes Viper (Hasegawa F-16C with Microscale decals) Fujimi A-4E VC-1 (leftover from the Skyhawks GB) I really want to get these off the bench so I can start one of the following, using a bunch of aftermarket goodies (haven't decided which yet): Italeri Jaguar GR.1 Academy F/A-18C NSAWC in-flight (Fightertown decals) Revell Tornado GR.1 or a Hasegawa F-16I Shelf of Doom has the Italeri UH-1C I stashed away from the Vietnam GB. This one will be an on-again, o

Don, no worries, the more questions and responses, the more info I can stash away for later. EDIT: I use the same process you described above, with gloss Future coat, oil paints with mineral spirits, and wiping away with slightly damp cotton buds or cotton cloth (using mineral spirts again). Cotton buds tend to get caught on edges and leave lint behind, so I'm trying to limit using them a lot. SonyKen, I've always seen builders sealing decals with a gloss coat before washes/weathering, and I would imagine a flat coat would trap more of the wash on surfaces it's not really wanted. I haven't h

Chuck, how many coats of X-22 are you typically using, and how long are you letting it cure? I haven't had much luck with any other acrylic gloss besides future. Thanks -JL EDIT: Cheapskate trick I learned online: I polish bare plastic (after filling seams, etc) and dried paint with paper coffee filters from the supermarket, and clean up with a lint-removing cloth. Under $3 gets a whole pack, and they work great for a final polish after going through progressively finer sandpaper.

Thanks, fellas! I think if I get some free time I'll pick up all of these and try them out. I'm still working on improving techniques and trying to find what works best for me, so the more options I have, the more I can experiment with. I'll have to try a higher quality oil paint, as well. The Reeves paints are beginner sets, very cheap small tubes, but I don't use them often. Any problems with these mediums (lighter fluid, turpenoid, contact cement cleaner) over a Future gloss coat?

To those of you who mix your own oil washes, what do you find is the most successful method of getting a good mix for both thin, panel line washes and thicker sludge washes? I have a tube of W&N black, a cheaper set of tubes (Reeves), and a can of hardware store mineral spirits, and they don't seem to want to mix thin enough for panel line "pin" style washes. The oils don't desolve into the mineral spirits, and end up separating rather quickly in my mixing cup. Just wondering what paints/solvents you guys find play nice together. Thanks fellas, any help is appreciated. -JL

For the MH/HH-60G, you'll need the Hasegawa HH-60D kit, and armycast is at: http://armycast.cz/eshop/index.php I think you can also get their stuff from UMM, but a lot of 1/72 stuff was sold out the last time i looked. Not sure where to find decals for the Pave Hawk, though. If someone had a bead on them, maybe give us a heads up?