geedubelyer Posted July 9, 2009 Author Share Posted July 9, 2009 Hi Andy, coming from a Top Tomcat modeller like yourself, that means a great deal, thank you :D I had a look at the images you quoted and you're bang on. As you say, the left vanes are angled back, the right ones are perpendicular Whoa,....we need some clarification on this subject eh guys? My guess,........the vents left the factory with the vanes swept rearward but some were modified/repaired aboard ship. Has anyone got the lowdown on this matter? Cheers, :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 (edited) This reminds me of the wing tip formation lights. Some of them have distinct lines on them, some don't and there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason for it other than what was available in the parts bin. This could be sort of the same thing, but I'd hesitate to be too accurate to any particular pic, since there's always someone out there who will point out that you screwed up. Having said all that, you have EAGLE eyes, because I just found these 2 pics of "Christine". First the port side, same vent as the one I posted above.... Note the starboard side has 10 vanes at 90 degrees. A close-up..... Edited July 9, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kvlazer22 Posted July 9, 2009 Share Posted July 9, 2009 AWESOME! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marcel111 Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Guy, you're making me feel guilty about the level of detail I put into my models :) Nice job on those vents, I can imagine that the fact that they are angled along two axes makes things a little tricky. I think you pulled it off very well though. Marcel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fabster Posted July 10, 2009 Share Posted July 10, 2009 Amazing attention to detail, my friend! Your work is most inspirational. I only hope to be able to do something like this one day by learning from maestros like yourself! FAB Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted July 11, 2009 Author Share Posted July 11, 2009 (edited) Hi gang, I'm just taking a quick break from the home decorating for five minutes so thought I'd drop by and post some progress. (of the model,.....not the decorating.. :P ) Great shot of the spine on "Christine" Chuck, thanks for sharing that one. Not only does it show the two vents but loads of panel and rivet detail. Ideal! Hi kvlazer22, good to see you here. Thanks for stopping by and adding your thoughts. I hope you call back often and enjoy the rest of the build. Marcel, FAB, hi,..I think you guys are being way too modest. From what I've seen of your recent offerings you're both equal to anything I can do but thanks for the compliments anyway B) Although I have n't had any confirmation about the vents I've decided to make them similar rather than asymetrical. The pic that Chuck provided above clearly shows a look into the vent so as you can see, it's important to try to provide a suggestion of something inside. I started by building a box structure around the opening. This is 1cm deep (just under 1/2inch) and will have a representation of a radiator glued to the bottom edge when finished. A tube runs from front to rear and there seems to be a kind of "skirt" around the top of the opening on some jets. This photo by David Aungst in the walkaround section of the home page shows what I mean. I edged the opening with some metal foil to which I added a slightly curved profile. There appear to be two thin braces below the vanes but above the pipe which run in the opposite direction to the flow of the vanes. More later....back to brush painting door frames again.... ......................... O.k, the door frames are undercoated. (~phew~) Here is a look at how the vents have turned out.... These are shown at quite a high magnification and I've noticed again how unforgiving macro photography can be. Some of this looks rough at this size but it all appears ok at 1:1 scale. I may remove the raised fastener detail though. The full sized article uses flush fasteners which might look better. The frame still needs to be painted in steel but I'll do that later when I get to the paint stage. For the radiator at the floor of this vent I simply drew a saw blade across some black plastic sheet in parallel lines close together and then gave it a dry-brush of grey plus some pastel weathering. The camera does n't pick it up in these pics but it's visible with a light shining directly into the opening. Cheers, Edited July 11, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afterburner Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Guy. Wow. I love watching you build man. Seriously. Beautiful work! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Anders_Isaksson Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 (edited) Guy, very good work - as usual. Those vanes turned out looking great! (I bet the door frames are of equal quality... ) And yes, excellent pic posted by Chuck! BTW I suppose those small rectangular patches on the spine could the result of some kind of repair work? Cheers, Anders Edited July 11, 2009 by Anders_Isaksson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marcel111 Posted July 11, 2009 Share Posted July 11, 2009 Who would have thught that you could turn a mere grill into a major feature? Nice! Regarding macro photography, I always try to ensure things will not appear too enlarged on the screen, no point not looking one's very best when posting Marcel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted July 12, 2009 Share Posted July 12, 2009 Hi, Guy! Very nice job on the vents! It brings much realism to the model. Very neatly done! Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted July 18, 2009 Author Share Posted July 18, 2009 (edited) Guy.I love watching you build man. Seriously. Beautiful work! Hi afterburner, you've just made my day. Thanks for your kind words, I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the ride Guy, very good work - as usual. Those vanes turned out looking great!(I bet the door frames are of equal quality... ) And yes, excellent pic posted by Chuck! BTW I suppose those small rectangular patches on the spine could the result of some kind of repair work? Cheers, Anders Hi Anders, I think I prefer scale painting rather than 1:1. :P I try to reward myself with some time at the bench when I've done some DIY so that's the upside......Regarding macro photography, I always try to ensure things will not appear too enlarged on the screen, no point not looking one's very best when posting Marcel Ha,......you've got that right Marcel. I confess I try to do the same but sometimes there's no good side to my work! Hi, Guy! Very nice job on the vents! It brings much realism to the model. Very neatly done!Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. Thanks Alexander, good to hear from you. I hope you enjoy your vacation. See you in a couple of weeks. I'll try to get something done for you to catch up with when you get back.Ok guys, I need to share something with you all. For some time now I've had a niggle that just won't go away. (What,...... another one you ask?) I've been trying to get my head around a fix for a slight issue that I don't think I can live with. Let me show you what I mean..... As we know, Tamiya designed the wings to swing on this model so had to make the wing openings larger than their full sized counterparts to avoid scratching any paint as the mechanism moves. Unfortunately, the downside of this is the unsightly gap you can see in the above image and here, below. Now, on the real bird, the opening appears to be clad in flexible metal which fits the opening much more snugly than the model version. Fortunately, I plan to keep the wings of my build swept back so I don't need any clearance. With this in mind, I've been trying to solve the gap conundrum. After studying refrences and comparing the model to the full sized jet, I concluded that I might get away with filling the space and then filing back the upper wing glove to give the thin edge at the opening. I started by reinforcing the underside of the plastic with stock CAed in place. From there, i began to sand and file the upper wing glove, trying to get a thin lip to the opening but avoiding too much of a curved profile to the edge of the hole. It was a good job I added the plastic stock because it meant removing quite alot of material to come away with a reasonable shape. Much of the detail is lost so a bit of re-scribing will be necessary. I may have to re-instate some of the raised panel detail too (have n't quite figured out how to do that yet....thin stretched sprue?). I will also have to scribe or cut the four parallel gills which got sanded away but I've got a couple of Radus' saws on their way here so they should help. The modified opening fits a bit closer.... so I hope the overall look is an improvement once the model is painted and weathered. Cheers, :P Edited July 18, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
afterburner Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Hi afterburner, you've just made my day. Thanks for your kind words, I'm thrilled that you're enjoying the ride Don't thank me Guy, you have done several things that have improved my scale modeling since I joined this forum! Question: Are you in Lincoln? I've been to the cathedral there and had several brews at a joint called the Lion & Snake. I think they were John Smith Smooth's, but I had so many I may have the brew wrong. Great place, great town! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Reddog Posted July 18, 2009 Share Posted July 18, 2009 Guy, Great work, truly amazing! BTW, the vents on the top (ECS Vents) are steel color on active birds, on retired birds they were painted as a corrosion preventive measure. Reddog Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted July 19, 2009 Share Posted July 19, 2009 Guy, I am just sickened by this! I dont think that I can look at your build anymore. Just when I thought that I was doing a pretty good job building models you just had to up me by about 3000, so there............ All jokes aside. WOW!!!!! This is one of the best F-14 builds I have ever seen. Thanks so much for showing this. I may have to come to you when I finally get a Tamiya kitty! Smashing, just smashing ol' chap! Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 (edited) Question: Are you in Lincoln? I've been to the cathedral there and had several brews at a joint called the Lion & Snake. I think they were John Smith Smooth's, but I had so many I may have the brew wrong. Great place, great town! Hi afterburner, glad you liked our little city. Yes, I live in the south of the town, about 5 miles from the Cathedral. The Lion & Snake was very popular in my young, free and single days. I've many happy memories of nights in there.... :) Guy,Great work, truly amazing! BTW, the vents on the top (ECS Vents) are steel color on active birds, on retired birds they were painted as a corrosion preventive measure. Reddog Hi Reddog, good to see you, thanks for the kind words my friend. I'll go with the steel colour for the ECS vents as I'd like to depict an active bird. Thanks JMan, good luck with your F-18 build. I seem to be bouncing around all over this build at the moment. I've got so many ideas running around in my head that I can't help attacking different areas when inspiration strikes. After all of that sanding around the wing opening I needed a change of scenery so I turned my (limited span) attention to the inflatable bladders of the swept area. A number of pics show fasteners in use to secure the bladders which Tamiya don't offer so, I added them..... The size of my cabinet dictates that the model will be displayed with swept wings so much of the exquisite surface detail on these bladders will be hidden. I did try to show some dirt and staining on the surface just in case any of it becomes visible with the wings in place. (these are only dry fitted in place at the moment....) I'm also trying to get my head around the interior of the bypass vents on the top of the intakes. I've made a start by removing some material. The full sized version looks to curve down toward the interior so I'll need to scratch build that plus all of the other infernal internal structure..... :wacko: More soon....... Edited July 20, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Fine looking bladders! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Great looking work as usual Guy- and many thanks to Reddog once again for his input. I was wondering about the color of those upper vents since some pics show them painted, while others have them steel colored. Now I know why- Steel colored it is! Those bladders are also a mixed bag of colors from dark Gunship Grey to light beige, depending on the aircraft, but I think your choice of color is the most typical and realistic looking. I also added fasteners to my build- although they don't look as good as yours.. My only suggestion is to add "wing swing marks" on those bladders, much like the greasy marks that are on the wings. Most bladders have them fairly clearly like the pic below..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
haneto Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Congratulation for the right choice,Guy! The Tru*py kit really s*cks for those rivets,which should be better called "gun hit holes". Keep up the incredible work! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted July 20, 2009 Author Share Posted July 20, 2009 (edited) Fine looking bladders! :o .....Thanks Jan. My only suggestion is to add "wing swing marks" on those bladders, much like the greasy marks that are on the wings. Most bladders have them fairly clearly like the pic below.....Hi Chuck, that pic is ideal. I can see what you mean by the swing marks. You've built this bird before so perhaps you can tell me how much of the bladders will be seen with the wings swept back? I have to pose the wings in the fully swept/overswept position in order to fit this big Turkey in my cabinet and thought that the wings would cover all but a thin strip of the bladders..... ^_^ Congratulation for the right choice,Guy!The Tru*py kit really s*cks for those rivets,which should be better called "gun hit holes". Hi Yufei, I can see what you mean. Wow......that's alot of rivets! Unfortunately, each time I see a picture of the new Trumpeter Tomcat I'm less convinced by it. It's too early to judge for sure but from what I've seen so far, I don't think it'll tempt me.In my last post I mentioned that I was like a rubber ball, bouncing all over this build. Well, why try to fight it. If it keeps me interested I may as well go with it. I've been trying an experiment today. On the theme of the wing covers,I decided to try to improve the feathers that push down onto the wing surface and keep a tight seal. I previously mentioned the rounded profile at the edge of the feathers so here's a look at my attempt to rectify them. Firstly, I cut into the plastic at the end of a run of the feathers and marked a line between the cuts. (The four parallel lines to the right of this detail are actual saw cuts through the plastic. I used an Ultra Fine saw from RB Productions and the cut is as thin as a hair!) A strip of dymo tape helped keep a straight edge for the next saw cuts. Radu also has a new set of etched metal contour saws available, ideal for cutting out control surfaces or panels. Simply run the saw blade back and forth to cut out a panel. I found short strokes of the blade work best. With a little patience you are rewarded with a neat opening. After removing the tape I could begin to form a thin rebate to accept some metal foil. The feathers pictured are prototypes to illustrate the planned technique and were knocked up in a couple of minutes for this update then tacked in place with PVA glue. I will take more time over the final items and strive to get neat, tight, uniform gaps but I hope you can see what I'm hoping to achieve. It should be possible to bend the metal feathers to the right contour to sit on top of the wing. There is another fillet piece to fit beneath the feathers once the time comes to attach them but for now, I'll leave them all off. I've still got alot of handling of this part left to do and with my fat fingers, I'd be sure to mangle the delicate feathers........ Cheers, :) Edited July 20, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skii Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Incredible attention to detail Guy, the definative big Tomcat build I'm sure. Keep it up mate - fabulous work ^_^ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
singeri Posted July 20, 2009 Share Posted July 20, 2009 Excellent work. Thanks for sharing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Hi Chuck, that pic is ideal. I can see what you mean by the swing marks. You've built this bird before so perhaps you can tell me how much of the bladders will be seen with the wings swept back? I have to pose the wings in the fully swept/overswept position in order to fit this big Turkey in my cabinet and thought that the wings would cover all but a thin strip of the bladders..... Although the bladder will be hidden, you want it to look good underneath too. Here's a couple pics of my VF-103 bird with the wings fully swept back for your reference..... and with the wings extended. Note the grease/wear marks on the wings.... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KRI76 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Great work as usual! Your dedication to details and detailing is amazing! And the efforts pay off big time! About Trumpeter's big Cat: Alright: the rivets "may" be exagerated, but at least one doesn't need to rescribe the whole thing! At least for me that is something I hate doing! Is the rest so bad? /Kristian Congratulation for the right choice,Guy!The Tru*py kit really s*cks for those rivets,which should be better called "gun hit holes". Keep up the incredible work! :lol: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMan Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 WOW, Guy this was a nice update. I really like what you did with the wing root feathers. Very inspiring! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted July 21, 2009 Share Posted July 21, 2009 Guy, I like the way you did the wing joint. I always heard that's one of the areas most folks have trouble with. It's good to see you working on this again. Got you Mojo back Keep up the good work buddy. As for trumpy kit, I don't like all those holes but at the same time I'm happy about all the extra detail they are offering/considering. Flaps/slats, gun bay, not to mention B and D models. What else can we ask for. Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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