Gary F Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 (edited) Okay, going to get started on an XF-2B test aircraft in the bluegray over white scheme. Will be using the Has 48th XF-2B kit Actually, I tried to start this project over a year ago. Just got started on it and came down sick for a while and never resumed it. This is as far as I got ... glued in a shelf to the aft pit for the avionics ... piled in some sheet plastic ... still have to make the tarp that covers this area. Rest of the kit is from the box. A bit of progress ... got the intake parts cleaned up and assembled. Got a few other parts off the sprue and starting cleanup ... will be working on the wheel wells and pit for a while Edited February 9, 2009 by Gary F Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mike J. Idacavage Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hi Gary! This looks like it will be a great project. I have a Hasagawa 1/48 F-2B kit in my stash, so I'll be following your build. You may need to fix the links in your original post as they all point to the model box art. Have fun modeling! Mike :D Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Mike, Thanks for the interest. I've been having some issues posting the image links from my photobucket album. I click on the image tag and it says it's copied, but when I try to paste it into my post here, I get nothing. So I've been trying to figure out my problem. I've been getting them in by writing it out manually at the moment but that's getting old real fast. I seem to have gotten the correct links in now as I'm finally seeing all the correct images. I'm hoping to finally get a GB project finished for a change ... this F-2 kit(s) are really nice. regards, Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 And here is the real ac http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j288/Gar...yinflightle.jpg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nev Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 Great choice Gary - what loadout you going for? Got plenty of pics of this bird with all kinds of interesting combinations hung under the wings Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted February 9, 2009 Author Share Posted February 9, 2009 Hi Nev, I'd be interested to hear or see some of what you've got on this ac for loadouts. I've only got a few shots of this bird but really like it's paint scheme. I'm guessing it might be their stores test bird, seeing what appear to be camera's of some sort just under the fuselage at the leading edge of the horiz tails, pointing toward the pylon areas under the wings. Right now I'd like to put a sensor pod on the right intake cheek pylon ... got an Academy Lantirn pod from the spares box to work over and mod a bit. Also thinking about trying to do up a pair of the gaudy yellow-red AAM-3's (although those are the only thing about this kit that bothers me ... trying to get those front fins on straight in all directions ) Those would be for the wingtips. I'll also make up a spare set in case I don't like the way the painting turns out ... going to be complicated to mask those out. The rest is open, although right now I'm looking at only putting the inboard wing pylons and one set of mid wing pylons on ... I kind of like the open look under the wing on this ac in the few pics I have of it. I've got a few GBU-38's from the Kinetic F-16 that I could use. The other one I've wanted to do is that JM117 based guided bomb (from the 72nd weps set) but I've never seen those on the F-2 in pics ... got any pics of those in your files? Drop me a PM or email and we can talk a bit more, if you have time. regards, Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
4scourge7 Posted February 9, 2009 Share Posted February 9, 2009 This is going to be cool ^_^ All the best Gary Cheers, Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nev Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 Gary, PM me your email and I'll send you what I have. I think you're right about this bird being the weapons test plane. I have to say I've been tempted in the past by some of the funky weapons loudouts but put off by masking that red/yellow checks on all the weapons! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor Supporter Posted February 10, 2009 Share Posted February 10, 2009 That is a neat looking scheme. Watching with interest. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 A few more pics ... not much really. Intakes are together and cleaned up inside. I'm going to try and detail up the nose wheel well somewhat. Also, a while back I copied the Tamiya intake face to use in some intakes on Has F-16 kits and they will fit this kit just fine. The gray one is the Tam kit piece, the white piece is the F-2 kit part, and the tan piece is the resin cast piece. Also, since the white plastic isn't showing up to well in the previous pics, I thought I might work on a gray companion build for a while ... maybe til I get some paint on stuff and it shows up better .. so that's what the gray parts will be. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted February 12, 2009 Author Share Posted February 12, 2009 A couple of other items ... working on the pit(s) ... easy to see some of the stuff added to enhance the pit area The cheek pod, centerline tank, and practice bomb carrier together. The targeting pod came from the Acad F-15 kit. I've redone some of the panel lines and cut off the back end, rotated it so the small intake on the back is aligned where I want it and glued back on. It will still need some reshaping (the intake) and the pylon will have to be adjusted in shape. And a quick shot of the vert tail. The pieces have some ejector pin markings inside, and some alignment pins. The markings a filled with CA and the pins removed as it's easier to get a really good fit of the tail halves this way. Also, on the outside, near the top, there are some small sink marks that coincide with the ejector marks on the inside ... these were treated with CA and sanded smooth More work on the wheel wells, pits, and seat to come Gary F Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 Been quietly (and slowly) working on the XF-2. Finally sat down and did the tarp for the back seat area ... just tissue soaked with CA glue, then added a few little wiring details. Also a box with some of the prepped stores that may go on this eventually. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 The real delay has been getting the time to have a good session to wire up the wheel wells ... I've added some small details to busy up the well, many with some predrilled holes to make wiring easier. I'm actually working on 3 wells together .. this XF-2B, an F-2C for the What If GB (this was the gray item in some of the above pics trying to get easier to see pics) and another one for the next F-2 build. And one of the potential stores for use is a 600 gal fuel tank that has a teardrop shaped cutout in the side which appears to hold a camera pointing to the outer wing stations. Tear drop cut out, then some plastic sheet fitted to the inside which will hold some filler which will be worked to shape. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted March 18, 2009 Author Share Posted March 18, 2009 And one last item is a supply of AAM-3's which I hope will last me through the coming F-2 projects ... I just find them a pain to get the front fins on and aligned properly Also a thanks to Nev for sending me some pics of the XF-2B I'm doing, with some interesting weapons loads which has given me some more ideas about what to hang on this project. Think a lot of red and yellow checked stores ... if I can figure out how to mask them off decently :D And one more item not really related ... since I may hang a couple weapons from one of the Kinetic F-16's ... I got several of the Kinetic kits, couple to build, couple to get weapons from and just for grins on one of the ones I got just for the weps ... I decided to try to fit the Kinetic intake trunking into a Hasegawa intake ... used the big mouth parts .. sanded down the nose wheel well structure just a bit and it slid right into the Hasegawa parts. The lips are cut differently on the Has and Kin kits so I left off the lips, which will allow me to sand off the excess from the front, then the Has lips will fit right on... kind of neat, I think. Next will be to try and work the aft portion of the Kinetic trunk with the main wheel well into the Has fuselage, but it's looking good so far ;) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ST0RM Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Excellent work Gary. You are going all out on this one. And doing a lot of the work twice. Nice trick with the tissue and CA glue. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Nev Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Nice work so far. For the weapons, how about painting them a base coat of yellow, then cutting solid red decal into appropriately sized rectangles? Should be easier than masking... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted March 19, 2009 Author Share Posted March 19, 2009 :P glad You've got your thinking cap on Nev. I've been trying to think of clever masking techniques and didn't even think of solid decals for the red :D I'll have to start looking for some solid red decal stock. thanks, Nev Gary Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor Supporter Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Those fins on the AAM-3s missiles looks very unique. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 Mighty fine progress there, Gary! Finally found your build thread :P I really like your detailing! Only wondering how many different kits you´re using parts from for your XF-2B? :P Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 Hi Janne, You found me, I see. Well, I've been studying your F-2 build so you will see some of your ideas 'appropriated' into mine After seeing you do the static dischargers, I decided to go that route also ... was tedious doing all those little holes but glad I did now. I also saw that you found my what if builds next door in that GB so now you know where all the bits are going ... the white parts here for the XF-2B and the gray stuff for the what if's ... it's just that the gray bits seem to photo better at the moment so I was just putting in those items here so it was easier to see and follow this build. In the meantime, I'm getting a bit better at some of the details in the wheel wells and moving itty bitty amounts of CA glue around so things are going a bit better there. Hopefully, I'll have 2 complete wells done and ready for primer by this weekend. Gary F Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted March 27, 2009 Share Posted March 27, 2009 Hi Janne, You found me, I see. Well, I've been studying your F-2 build so you will see some of your ideas 'appropriated' into mine After seeing you do the static dischargers, I decided to go that route also ... was tedious doing all those little holes but glad I did now. I also saw that you found my what if builds next door in that GB so now you know where all the bits are going ... the white parts here for the XF-2B and the gray stuff for the what if's ... it's just that the gray bits seem to photo better at the moment so I was just putting in those items here so it was easier to see and follow this build. In the meantime, I'm getting a bit better at some of the details in the wheel wells and moving itty bitty amounts of CA glue around so things are going a bit better there. Hopefully, I'll have 2 complete wells done and ready for primer by this weekend. Gary F Looking forward to see some pics then....might cheer me up while at work for the whole weekend :D Cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 Back again with a small update. Still working on the 3 wheel wells (this build and 2 in the What-if GB) and things are moving along. All 3 main wells are to the same point now. Here's shots of the main well itself and then the center wall and bulkhead ... there are still some stray ends of wires that will be placed after the above 2 components get glued together, which will come after some painting is accomplished (hopefully later this week). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted April 6, 2009 Author Share Posted April 6, 2009 And a couple shots of the well snapped into place in the lower fuselage to check things out ... note this is one of the gray sets, but the white one looks the same ... Still have to make up a few of the larger wire bundles that run down the outer walls but building them up is going easier at this point. Once the wells are in place the pace should pick up a bit as many of the other subassemblies are actually built up and cleaned up and just waiting to be put in place. regards, Gary F Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gary F Posted April 15, 2009 Author Share Posted April 15, 2009 Been trying to get in at least one update a week to help keep the project(s) moving along and so here's a small one. Yesterday (during the fun prep for my colonoscopy earlier today), having to stay close to the head, I was able to spend most of the day working on some of the large wire bundles I needed for the wheel wells. My best little helper is simple a piece of plastic rod drilled out and beveled on one of the drilled out ends ... this makes it easier to get the wires shoved into the rod, which hold the wires snugly in a mostly round shape. Then it's easier to glue on the small wire clamps made from small strips of blue painters tape. A small dot of CA glue is applied to the wire bundle and the tape strip is tacked in place on it's end. Then do the same to all the other bundles. Then return to the first one which is dry by now, and carefully roll it around the bundle to form the clamp and coat with CA and sop it off with tissue to clean it up. Then move on to the next bundle and repeat until the bundle is finished. As each clamp is finished, the white rod is moved slightly further down the bundle which keeps the wires nice and snug and in the round shape I wanted. One of the bundles also has another drilled out rod at the end of the bundle which keeps the end of the bundle nice and tight also. Basic credit for doing the wire bundle work goes to Bonehammer ( in her Test Flanker build) although instead of using her method of making the clamps from stretched sprue (I was too lazy to stretch the sprue) I opted to try the painters tape. The little sliding rod idea was mine after failing to be able to insert wire back into wire insulation that had been stripped off Anyway, here's a few pics Need to put 2 or 3 more clamps on one bundle and then I should be able to get them all installed and finally get to some painting. questions/ comments (or easier ways to do the above) always welcome Gary F Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bonehammer73 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 That's some neat work in that well! I'm glad I could pass off some tips and the painter tape looks the part. How is working "in parallel" on subjects? Does it speed up the process? Sometimes I get bored doing the same detail/correction works on port/starboard, I can't imagine how it would feel eg to add piping to three identical wheel wells... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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