CW4 Erick Swanberg Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Looking great as usual Guy. When you get ready to attach the front part of the jet to the back I have found that if you leave the top off and attach the front to the bottom first then add the top you get a better bottom seam that is pretty flush. You will have a gap at the top but if you remember my VF-103 build a bit of styrene and it disappears. That way you get a fuselage parallel to the ground, I did this on the tomcat I am wirking on now and it worked perfectly. Erick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Pruz Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Very good to see you tackling this one Guy. Your builds always are a bit of an education, as well as entertainment! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gervais8 Posted December 15, 2008 Share Posted December 15, 2008 Gdub, Great start. Can't wait to see more. If I can borrow a line from one of your previous builds; "I'm excited!" I've been using your post by post build to get going on my Eagle. Thanks for all your help and replys. Had to put it on the shelf until we get moved into the new house though. RG Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor Supporter Posted December 17, 2008 Share Posted December 17, 2008 A Navy plane?! :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted December 21, 2008 Author Share Posted December 21, 2008 (edited) Hello gang, Thankyou all so much for the enthusiastic comments. I wish I could spend more time at the modelling bench but my hobby room can be kinda chilly at this time of year so I find myself browsing ARC more than building models.... Nothing wrong with that of course! :( I have managed a bit of progress and thought I might share an idea or two that I've been toying with.....read on dear friends :( Before starting on the open nozzle I blasted the closed version with some primer (Chaos Black from Games Workshop). This gives a nice baase for the various shades of metallic. I painted the spare can and one of the original style cans at the same time to give me something to practice on. Here is a pic to compare nozzles.... If any of you have been following the thread of Trumpeters upcoming release, compare the original style Tamiya cans with the new Trumpeter offering. They appear to be almost identical to me..... Keen eyed amongst you might have also spotted the addition of tiny slivers at the aft end of the petals. They'll probably show up better with some colour on them....? So next it's time for the open engine nozzle. Here's what we start with... Plan A was to use foil again to give nice thin petals. I started by removing the innermost petals with a file. I tried to thin the edge of the remaining petals sufficiently but they still looked too thick. Instead, I removed them all together...(Plan B.) The images above also show a mock run of petals installed to check how they look. These are trial versions made rough-hand. I'm reasonably happy with how they've turned out to this point so a bit of re-jigging and I'll make the proper ones. Something that I've discovered whilst looking at reference photos is that the out petals seem to be double skinned? The curve of the outer face appears shallower than the inner face plus, the stiffening detail is different on the outer face compared to the inner face (two ribs on the outer face, one on the inner face). To replicate this feature I propose to fold a piece of foil in two and scribe the different detail on to each seperate face. Well, that's the current plan anyway....... I fully expect this Plan B version to be the one I use on the model but.....there is a Plan C! I was staring at the DACO book and wondering why the Tamiya parts looked slightly different to the pictures of the full sized jet then it hit me, the very outermost petals (those that are adjacent to the fuselage) are at too much of an angle on this open nozzle. The images in the reference book show quite large gaps between petals where the metal has been pushed apart. Tamiya have modelled this area in an identical manner to the closed petals where the gaps are tight. Plan C is an attempt to replicate the open version more accurately. This is an ambitious project and will take time to complete but basically, it will involve replacing every petal on the nozzle, almost building the whole thing from scratch. If it works I'll use it, if not, I'll revert to Plan B. I'll keep you all posted on the progress as and when I have any. Thanks to all who have replied. May each and every member of ARC have a very Happy Christmas and/or equally Happy Holidays. :( Edited December 21, 2008 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
foxtwo Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 very ambitious project....but....who dare...win..... Pat Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Anders_Isaksson Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Really great stuff so far! For my own Tamiya Tomcat build I am hoping that Aires eventually will come to the rescue when it comes to the nozzles. Still waiting, though... Keep up the great work! Cheers, Anders Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rom Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 impressive improvement!! :( keep the updates coming!! bye!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marcel111 Posted December 21, 2008 Share Posted December 21, 2008 Dood, that is looking intimidatingly good! Marcel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Wow! Holy cow, Guy! Plan A..plan B, plan C at last... You're making incredible things. Yeah, once more I've made sure that you are really one of the most meticulous modelers in the world. I must confess that I'm not Cat's fan, but your thread is very interesting and entertaining to follow (as each one though). Happy modeling! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted December 30, 2008 Author Share Posted December 30, 2008 (edited) Hello viewers ^_^ I hope everyone has enjoyed their holidays (where applicable) and is managing to get a little time at the bench. I've thoroughly enjoyed watching the guys posting their years output over in the Critique corner. Mighty impressive stuff and I salute each and every one! :D I'm lucky if I manage to turn out a single completed model per year so I have to take a different route and get as much entertainment out of each one as possible ;) I can see from other in-progress builds that this big Turkey is going to provide quite a challenge further on in the assembly. I'll cross those bridges when I come to them. For now, work continues slowly on the jet nozzles. The closed version is now about as complete as I can make it. Here's a snap of the OOTB and modified parts side by side as a comparison. As you can see, the differences are subtle. Tamiya did a cracking job on this newest nozzle. The biggest difference between the two is seen on the inner face of each petal. Whether these modifications were necessary is open to debate. I'll let you guys decide. Below you can see the colours used to create the metal effect of the outer faces of the petal and surrounds. The MrMetalColor paints are very easy to use in my experience and these were mixed on the brush and hand painted. The paint settles nicely and gives a very convincing tarnished effect if left un-burnished. The sliding petals were first treated to "Iron" followed by "Dark Iron". The outer petals used the same base colours but "Brass", "Copper", "Stainless" and "Bronze" were mixed in randomly to give colour variation and applied in a haphazard manner. The next pic shows the grey shades mixed and applied to the inner face of the internal petals. The Valejo acrylics brush superbly and thin easily with water. If shaken well they impart a very matt finish ideal for recreating heated metal surfaces and they mix readily to give any possible shade. The last shot for this short update is a closer look at the finished nozzle. I used a sharpened wooden cocktail stick to scratch the surface of the paint on the outside of each sliding petal in an attempt to re-create the effect seen on the full sized item. You can see the scratch marks reflecting the blue background in this pic. The open nozzle is taking shape slowly. More pics to follow in a few days. I aim to complete that version as a fallback if plan C fails. If I don't get back for a couple of days, enjoy the festivities everyone. May 2009 bring you all that you wish for. Here's wishing everyone a very Happy New year! Edited December 30, 2008 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Timmy! Posted December 30, 2008 Share Posted December 30, 2008 Guy, GREAT WORK!!!! I really like the subject! Thanks for sharing you technique for finishing the burner cans - very realistic. Congrats so far, I'll be watching closely. Timmy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted January 1, 2009 Author Share Posted January 1, 2009 (edited) Hi Timmy, good to see you. Thanks for your kind words, much appreciated. :D Hmmm,....this build has already spanned two years :o ............... :) In conjunction with the continuing work on the nozzle parts I've begun the afterburner flame holder rings. Obviously, these sit deep in the bowels of the jet pipes and are rarely seen so it makes sense to modify them as much as possible, right? Here's a pic of the Tamiya parts dry assembled. Nice and complicated looking. The nib at the bottom of the circular backplate locates at the bottom of the jet pipe so this is the orientation of the parts in the finished tube. This is at odds with reference pics which show the triangular support rod arrangement with one point to the top and two toward the 4&8 o'clock positions like this a simple fix would be to simply rotate the whole assembly through approx. 180degrees but then the spray bar array is mis-aligned. Anyway, that would have been way too simple (lol) No, instead I've changed things around a little. The first job was to replace the kit spray bars with home made versions. This task also allowed the addition of a couple of small tweeks at the same time. The whole arrangement can now be rotated and given the proper alignment. A file was used to hollow out the fingers which radiate outwards from the ring. This should allow some semblance of depth if all goes according to plan. Rightly or wrongly, I've also drilled out the centre of the uppermost component. It's hard to tell from photos whether this is correct but I guess it won't show anyway.........?? I wonder how it'll look under a coat of paint? Tune in next time to find out........ Cheers, Edited January 1, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gambler Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 Fantastic work Guy!!! The detail you put into the nozzles on your builds is amazing. :) Beautiful work. :D Cheers, Jeff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skii Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 /\ What he said There are no words Guy , other than genious !!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jimz66 Posted January 1, 2009 Share Posted January 1, 2009 That's it the rest of us should just stop modeling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 No, it's not only modeling, it's just a real research work! That flame holder details look great! Very nice paint work on the nozzles! They look very realistic (as always though). Keep us posted! Cheers! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skyking Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 (edited) You know what Guy? When you did the PE petals on your last jet I suspected you might be considered certifiable, but this only confirms it. Not only are you making some very convincing looking burner cans, you are doing so by using your own handmade parts without relying on PE aftermarket stuff. I don't mean to demean anyone that uses resin or PE aftermarket parts, I use them myself, but to make your own parts from raw materials in my opinion is the ultimate peak in modeling. I have the utmost respect for you and Pete and Timmy and a few of the other guys around here that can do what you do with plastic and brass. One of these days I'll cross over to the dark side and do a jet, and when I do I suspect it'll be a Tomcat. For one thing it's Navy, second it's a Grumman product, and third, they look so darn cool, in my opinion one of the nicest looking jets that ever took to the skies. I'll be following along on your progress as I am sure I can learn a trick or two to apply to mine. Cheers Mike Edited January 2, 2009 by Skyking Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted January 2, 2009 Share Posted January 2, 2009 :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Marcel111 Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Looking awesome Guy! Your persistance is inspiring :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bigjim Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Wow!! Super stuff Guy, fantastic job. :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
janman Posted January 3, 2009 Share Posted January 3, 2009 Guy, my apologies for missing this thread and joining in this late. Now. I will lean back on the sofa, take a cold beer and.. enjoy. Great work! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Timmy! Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 Hi Brian, terrific to see you here. I was kinda hoping you'd stop by. I think I'll take all the help you're willing to give bro'. I don't know one end of a Tomcat from the other so I'll be relying on you to stop by regularly and give me some pointers please. The plan is to model an -A in low-viz with AN/AAQ-14 pod and perhaps an inert AIM-9 if that's any help. As for markings,....the only thing positive that I'd like to do is a heavily weathered line bird. Other than that, I'm open to suggestions. I've no particular time frame in mind either. So long as it looks like a Tomcat when I'm through, I'll be happy. Of the two kit decals I'd have gone with the VF-14 "Tophatters" but I don't have a favourite Tomcat squadron so the world is my oyster. I'll drop by your forum and check out what you've got I'd value your input on this one Brian so I hope you'll keep tabs on the progress. Guy, Here's a suggestion. How about VF-302, in TPS? Looks like you would need to build the old beaver tail. Markings could even be done with frisket and paint. (Sorry Brian, for the suggestion). Here a link to the bird, from the MATS site. VF-302 TPS Bird. Timmy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
geedubelyer Posted January 4, 2009 Author Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) Hi Jeffand John, good to see you both here. Thanks for the kind words but it's no more than you guys are doing eh? Stellar work on your Viper and B-2 builds fellas. Jimz66, Alexander, HOLMES, Marcel111 and Bigjim many thanks for stopping by. It's great to see everyone enjoying the build to this point. I hope you'll enjoy future updates too. Jan, hi,....no need for apologies my friend :) . I hope you'll visit regularly and enjoy the thread. Hi Mike, glad to hear that you're well on the way to building your first jet. You know ya wanna! You've already pointed out three very good reasons to get stuck in and another reason is no floats........ . Hi Timmy!, thanks for the idea on the scheme. You've got the right idea and it's certainly a possibility. That's just the sort of look I like. I'd like to stick with the newer style of beaver tail if poss purely on aesthetic grounds and the same goes for the chin pod. I'm hoping to try to replicate the mirrors inside the newer style of pod. (That's the next task after the burners are complete) For now I've been continuing work on the jet pipes. Erick Swanberg posted some terrific pics on his build thread of the interior of the tubes and showed the discoloration resulting from heat and soot. This forms a very unique pattern which is difficult to replicate. To start with the inside of the tubes were given a gloss coat of cream coloured enamel paint (Humbrol#41 for those that need to know) This gives a very hard surface for ensuing processes. The next layer is black acrylic. This time Chaos Black from Citadel Miniatures. By using Tamiya thinners and a selection of tools, areas of the black can be removed to simulate the soot and heat staining without damage to the enamel layer. Subsequent layers of grey and brown streaks complete the effect. Not wholly accurate but it's dark in there so who'll know? :D Edited January 4, 2009 by geedubelyer Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HOLMES Posted January 4, 2009 Share Posted January 4, 2009 (edited) The deatiling of the Nozzle, the exhausts and the petals is OUTSTANDING.. I am SO glad that you have decided to post your work with captions . Makes it easier for a Novice to undersatnd... Keep up the Good work...Oh yeah the jet pipes look AWESOME... HOLMES Edited January 4, 2009 by HOLMES Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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