lgl007 Posted October 2, 2008 Author Share Posted October 2, 2008 Hey guys... great... I think I will go along with your suggestions and tone it down a bit... I have some white touch ups I have to do anyhow so I might as well give it another layer of white :-) Thanks again. -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 Yeah bud, I would say tone it down just a bit, as Aigore said you can always add a wash to give it a dirty look! Otherwise, looking sweet! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted October 2, 2008 Share Posted October 2, 2008 It is Wonderful looking, but I agree, its too dark. Another shot of white and your golden. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 Hi all... Just a short update on the progress. I really haven't had much time to spend on the project over the last few weeks... So, firstly I 'toned' down the preshading... Before... After... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 Then I had to mask the canopy... I decided to take step by step photos of the process I use to mask more complex shapes on canopies. To most of you this will be old news but some might find it helpful... Here's the front part of the canopy - as you can see there are some very intricate shapes to the A-7 canopy: I take some paper, overlay the canopy with the paper and I use the long flat end of a pastel chalk stick and rub it over the paper to get an imprint of the raised panel detail on the canopy: Then I trace it onto another piece of paper... so that i have clean lines: Put some Tamiya tape over the tracing: Cut it out: Peel off the tape from the paper: Place onto canopy: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 Use what's left from the cut out to do the other side of each panel: The rest is easy peasy: Now in this case since i want to spray the centre panel with clear green I used a similar technique leaving the space I will spray later after I'm done with the main color: ... and I just cover it with one, easy to remove, piece of tape so that I can just later come back, remove it and spray on the clear green.... So that's about it so far... pretty pleased with the progress, but not very pleased with the model itself... -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChernayaAkula Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 ^ That ^ is a pretty nifty trick! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jack52 Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 (edited) Real good idea. I'm wondering it will work on a curved 'bubble'-canopy like the F-16's . hans Edited October 15, 2008 by jack52 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Hey Greg thats an awesome idea. I always get cut lines and **** on my canopies from taping then cutting, I will have to try that out when I get my NEW SLUF ready for the paint booth! Yes I got a new one yesterday along with the Aires wheel bay set, man that wheel bay is sharp. The detail far surpases anything I could do thats for sure. Hopefully will get some pics up pretty soon! Nice to see you again! BTW, still doing it inbound for trap! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sweaty Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Greg, thats not old news to me thanks for the masking tip and a so far fantastic looking plane Jamie Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 Demn nifty trick!! You have an untold number of useful tricks up your sleeve!! First the Dremel trick and now this!! The dremel hint worked wonderfully so I expect this one to work great as well Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 I am trying to talk my girlfriend into letting me get a dremmel, not only is that useful for that, but so many other things as well! Hey Greg how are you fixing your windscreen? Boiling water, elbow grease, putty?? I have a bit of an overlapping windscreen on my new SLUF! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 15, 2008 Author Share Posted October 15, 2008 (edited) Hans: You could try it on a curved canopy but frankly I don't see the benefit. For such canopies get Tamiya masking tape, and cut a very thin 2mm wide strip (a nice long strip so that you can curve it right around. A nice thin strip like this will bend in all directions with minimal buckeling. So just get that around first and fill in the rest... does that make sense? Janne: Glad the Dremle trick worked for you ;-) JMan: Yes, the boiled water trick is what you should use. BUT... firstly when you cut the canopy pieces from the sprue try not to cut it close to the canopy itself, leave a nipple. When I cut off the original canopy I cut it the usual way, flush with the sill. But for some reason when I dipped it in hot water that area of the canopy shrunk/buckled in onto itself... it was very weird. The only explanation I have is that the plastic in that are becomes weak and so the effect of the hot water are magnified ... /shrug So I got Gord at SprueBrothers to get me a replacement. Now, that said I poured the boiled water in a mug... dipped the canopy for a few seconds and quickly put it on the airframe molding it to the frame with my fingers. As the water started to cool over the next few minutes i had to leave it in the water for longer and longer periods. I did not want to keep it in too long as not to dramatically affect the plastic. (BTW I just used tweezers to hold on to the canopy when I dipped it in the hot water) So I repeated the process about 10x until finally the canopy fit perfectly. Once the canopy is perfect, let it cool totally, then remove the nipple and gently sand flush with the sill at the injection point. I hope that helps :-) Best, -Greg Edited October 15, 2008 by lgl007 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 15, 2008 Share Posted October 15, 2008 WOW! That is some great info you gave! I will do that when it comes time to mount the canopy in the closed position. Thanks for the hints tips, and what to watch for. I am going to go home tonight and take a look at those updated pics, cant see them at work, but I cant wait to see how your bird looks. BTW, the wiring ducts on the sides, for the early versions, did they not have them at all, on the right or left side only? Also, the two sensors around the intake should be gone as well as the starboard (right) side pitot tube right?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 16, 2008 Author Share Posted October 16, 2008 JMan... from what I have been able to gather from the knowledgeable folks in these here parts and from photos I was able to get on the web... if you are doing an early A-7E like Vietnam Era or pre 1973 you need to make the following modifications... 1) The right side wiring conduit was not present 2) The left side ECM Waveguide was not present 3) No right side pitot tude on nose (just below the canopy) ... LEFT SIDE ONE WAS PRESENT 4) No large belly blister between the two rear landing gear bays... but they did have the little blister that is offset on the right side of the aircraft right next to where the belly blister would be located in later mid 70's and onward models. 5) No left side or rights side sensor on the front air intake. I hope that helps :-) -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor Supporter Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 Shaping up very nicely. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 2) The left side ECM Waveguide was not present Where is this located?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 16, 2008 Author Share Posted October 16, 2008 JMan... sorry about that, #1 and #2 in my list are the two long photo etch parts that you are supposed to glue to the side of the fuselage (like the wiring conduit on the other side)... these were put on after Vietnam and from the photos I have around or after 1973. -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 16, 2008 Share Posted October 16, 2008 No need to apologze, thats what I thought you were referring to, but just wanted to make sure. Sure am glad I didnt drill out the holes. Thanks for the tips! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted October 17, 2008 Share Posted October 17, 2008 Hey Greg did you ever fix the issue with the tailpipe being alittle too oblong and not round as it shows in all the pictures?? Just havent figured it out, thought maybe you knew a way you could fix it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 17, 2008 Author Share Posted October 17, 2008 Hey JMan, Crikey... I never even noticed that... well, I noticed it on the model but I assumed it was accurate. Now that you mentioned it I went back to my photos and you are correct. The external housing/tail section should be round at the back and it isn't on the 'gawa kit... it's oblong... Too late to fix for me... I'm way down the painting process... :-( It'll have to be... Frankly, I'm not even sure I would know how to fix that... it would require some serious back-end surgery... :-( Sorry mate... -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tony.t Posted October 18, 2008 Share Posted October 18, 2008 (edited) Hi Greg, Glad the hot water trick worked out. I espoused that for years but few dared. I once did a complete F-102 re-wing (from case whatever to case something wing with complicated leading edge camber), but never did dare it with clear parts! What featured from c.1974+ as a big teardrop bulge located between the rear MLG doors associated with the Sanders ALQ-126 DECM was formerly a much smaller brick-shaped bulge associated with the predecessor ALQ-100 DECM. Have you managed to identify precisely what the ‘brick’ shaped bulge looks like? This is essential for Linebacker era jets. You say ‘off centre’. My understanding is that this was centreline, just like the bigger, later teardrop bulge. I am stuck on my Zactomodels-corrected Trumpeter 1/32 A-7E for this reason and can’t cast any light on this from anywhere! You get some idea of it from Linebacker era photos in Norman Birzer’s and Peter Mersky’s superb Osprey US Navy A-7 Corsair II units of the Vietnam war (focus on the ‘C/Es, guys, if you want to see this, and ignore the colour artwork which, although lovely, is just an incorrect interpretation most of the time with regards this lump). The off-centre prism-shaped device further back is a KB-18 strike camera, and the protrusion on the other side is a fuel vent, so I guess you’re not referring to those. BTW, I don’t recall any shape issues with the aft end of the Hasegawa 1/48 A-7E. The fuselage translates into mostly an oval shape at the aft extremity, with a circular jetpipe in the middle. Really looking fwd to seeing the next stage of your model! Cheers Tony T Edited October 18, 2008 by tony.t Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 Hi gang, Sorry for the long delay in getting more progress shots uploaded but unfortunately work and RL just got in the way and so I have only a few updates on the build... Used Tamiya Clear Red to do the lights: Added details to the missiles and bombs as per reference material: Added the distinctive green of the VA-25 and painted the walkways: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lgl007 Posted October 26, 2008 Author Share Posted October 26, 2008 And more details: The front winshield is in black along with the slight bit of anti-glare black on the nose... (see above) Still have to remove the masking... but first I need to weather the little handle... Main canopy still drying: That's it for now chaps... next step is more detailing including gunmetal finishes and positioning lights on the wings... Slow progress I know but that's all RL will allow :-) As always comments, hints and critiques welcome. -Greg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PNW_Modeler Posted October 26, 2008 Share Posted October 26, 2008 Greg, the SLUF is looking awesome man! Can't wait to see this done Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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