chuck540z3 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 (edited) So in order to get the can diameter smaller, I cut every petal and re-fit the works like so. First cut the petals carefully with a few swipes of your scriber, then bend and break…. Next, get a bunch of those nail files and wear down both sides, but on a 45 degree angle so that they can fit both snugly and naturally, like the real deal does. Shave off just enough to make a sharp angle, no more. Here’s a few pics of what I mean… Note I numbered the petals. After each petal was shaved down, I made it conform to the one beside it and numbered it in sequence.. After you’ve done 12, you’re ready to put it all together. Edited April 29, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 (edited) To get the circumference correct, I used the Wolfpack can as a template. Each petal was placed perfectly against the opposite Wolfpack petal. --------------------------------------------------------------- For the other end, you need the Wolfpack can interior, which I also masked onto the end as a template for the tip diameter. Once everything is perfectly placed, I used thick CA glue on the inside. If you have a petal out of place, you can always cut it out, re-shave it and replace it prior to gluing. Once that was all done, I gently sanded the can with 1000 grit sandpaper and then got down to painting. I always use Alclad steel with a final mist of Alclad gold, since these GE cans tend to look a bit that way. The gap in the petals and thin can interior makes it even better looking than the stock Tamiya F-16 can. The only thing I didn’t do, was to scribe a detail line on the left side of each petal like the real ones have. These turned out so good, I didn’t want to push my luck- and they fit the Wolfpack fairings perfectly….. Edited April 29, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 16, 2009 Author Share Posted April 16, 2009 (edited) Pics moved to above... Edited April 29, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dmthamade Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 Wow!! Now that is hard-core!! That is super work you`ve done. Really like the inside details of the can. I was thinking of using the Wolfpack internal inside the Teknics exhaust can as it will fit inside, giving great detail. Only problem was the outer lip was thick. Really looking forward to more pics of the build. Don Quote Link to post Share on other sites
agelos2005 Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 WOW!!!! Amazing work there mate!!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jack-Swiss Posted April 16, 2009 Share Posted April 16, 2009 That is some very fine "adapting" work chuck....fantastic job!!!! and the paint, wooooow! Perfect :thumbup: Cheers and keep up this way dude Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) sorry double post! <_< Edited April 17, 2009 by Youngtiger1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Youngtiger1 Posted April 17, 2009 Share Posted April 17, 2009 name='chuck540z3' date='Apr 10 2009, 05:16 PM' post='1701093' Chuck, your rescribing looks the bomb. May I ask how you did the two circular panels? I'm having a hard time doing circles. BTW, those burner can you did man that sure is some sweet work!! Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 17, 2009 Author Share Posted April 17, 2009 (edited) Chuck, your rescribing looks the bomb. May I ask how you did the two circular panels? I'm having a hard time doing circles. BTW, those burner can you did man that sure is some sweet work!!Mike Thanks Guys, I'd like to take credit for the circles, but they're straight kit ones I left alone. I don't mind raised panel lines if they're circles, mostly because I suck at re-scribing curves too. Call me crazy, but I'm re-doing the canopy again already. That Aires canopy frame is a @#$%#@#$!!!, but I'm making some nice progress on a second one. If you're planning on doing one in the next few days (Anders!?), you might want to wait until next week for my "how-to" post. I've made every mistake known already, so I might be able to save someone some grief. I need a couple days off of this build so I don't lose interest, but I'm pretty happy with my progress so far. Edited April 20, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Anders_Isaksson Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 (edited) That Aires canopy frame is a @#$%#@#$!!!, but I'm making some nice progress on a second one. If you're planning on doing one in the next few days (Anders!?), you might want to wait until next week for my "how-to" post. I've made every mistake known already, so I might be able to save someone some grief. Great work on the panel lines and rivets, and thanks for keeping my Tomcat build in mind! Have to say my build has been off my mind for the last few weeks, there are simply too many everyday things going on that in the end leave no time for the workbench. But I plan to get back to my project in the coming week, so I look forward to your description on how to make the best of the Aires canopy frame. Haven't even dared to do a trial-fit with the Tamiya canopy yet, so any help to tackle this area is most welcome. I will be watching your progress! Cheers, Anders Edited April 18, 2009 by Anders_Isaksson Quote Link to post Share on other sites
richter111 Posted April 18, 2009 Share Posted April 18, 2009 Looking really good! I am very impressed with the exhaust Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 (edited) OK boys, here’s the deal for the Aires canopy frame: As good as it looks, it sucks- or at could suck without a lot of TLC. Compliments of geedubelyer (he already posted some excellent pics of the kit which I forgot to take first) here’s a couple of his pics of the top and bottom of the canopy. The details of the canopy are amazing, BUT, the rear of the canopy is confusing and, if I do say so myself, terrible. I already ruined one canopy by cutting the canopy at the natural resin (Not here!) line…. When you flip the canopy over, it makes more sense, BUT, it’s still a real work-out to get it right… If you cut it correctly, you’re stuck with the resin ridge in the pic below. Don’t even think about cutting it with a knife. It’s so thin it’s unusable, so what to do? Having wrecked one Aires canopy already, I wasn’t going to let this one beat me. The first thing I did was to bolster the bottom of the canopy cut with lots of CA glue to build it up from below and at the back (note ragged back edge above vs. below), then I sanded it smooth. Note the darker clearer highlights on the final version. That “clear†area is straight CA glue. Had I not added the CA glue beforehand, that area would be eroded to nothing, so the only thing left now is glue. The main long rails are also a bit of a mess. They have a rough longitudinal ridge that is very hard to sand off. Further, the canopy will not fit onto the Aires canopy frame properly without first sanding off the entire ridge at the bottom of the canopy that normally fits into the kit canopy frame. There’s a couple of depressions for the forward and rear canopy slots, but that’s about it. You need to get the bottom of the canopy smooth in order to fit the canopy frame properly. To get this lower ridge bit off, I used my scriber to create a score line on edge at 90 degrees, then I used my knife to scrape the plastic bits off. Canopies are VERY hard to cut without wrecking something, so be careful. Be especially careful of over squeezing the canopy while you work, or else you’ll have tiny fracture lines left behind. Don’t ask me how I know! Here’s how the bottom of the canopy should look prior to installation on the frame. Final canopy pics later....! Edited April 29, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 20, 2009 Author Share Posted April 20, 2009 Great work on the panel lines and rivets, and thanks for keeping my Tomcat build in mind! Have to say my build has been off my mind for the last few weeks, there are simply too many everyday things going on that in the end leave no time for the workbench. Cheers, Anders Hey Man, how dare you have a life outside of modeling! I know what you mean. Living in Canada, we don't get much of a summer, so I'm going to try to ge this one put to bed before June! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jack-Swiss Posted April 20, 2009 Share Posted April 20, 2009 Wow dude....so much dedication! I admire you!You're doing a tough and intricate job but you're doing great!!!really awesome! Cheers ^_^ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Anders_Isaksson Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hey Man, how dare you have a life outside of modeling! :wub: I know what you mean. Living in Canada, we don't get much of a summer, so I'm going to try to ge this one put to bed before June! I know, as bizarre as it sounds I don't have the option to stay at the workbench 24/7. But sometimes I wish... oh well. ;) Keep it up, Chuck. You're making good progress on this one so June sounds good. And thanks for the description on dealing with the Tamiya/Aires canopy area - very useful! Cheers, Anders Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted April 21, 2009 Share Posted April 21, 2009 Hi, Chuck! I've just traced you thread thoroughly and I can say all you do is a real exploit. Rescribing such huge bird compleately - it's something! It takes great patience and skill. The pilot seats look like the real thing - absolutely stunning! And you've undertaken a real research while building. Very useful info and tips for all Cat's fans. :lol: Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 (edited) The pilot seats look like the real thing - absolutely stunning! And you've undertaken a real research while building. Very useful info and tips for all Cat's fans. Cheers and happy modeling! Alexander. Thanks guys, I really enjoy your feedback, even if you're lying! :lol: Anyway, I've got a new lens for my camera, so I thought I'd repost some shots of the seats. Last time they were in crappy light and they looked shiny, so here's some close-ups. Those Eduard seatbelts are the bomb! Now on to other stuff- the intake and compressor thingies. Here's what the Wolfpack stuff looks like painted up. The blue parts are supposed to be burnt metal like the real deal, so they should be blotchy, but I also kicked up the color a notch because you won't be able to see the blue in the dark tunnel of the engine when everything is put together..... ......and how it all looks when put together. Too bad my depth of field is so crappy, but maybe I'll get a better pic later. Now that the engine bits are done, I can start to put this big bird together. Next, the dreaded Wolfpack engine fairings! Edited April 29, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jack-Swiss Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Maaaan....ehm, woooooow!!!!! fantastic pics! what lens did you buy?!? Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
klay Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 those belts looks fantastic.. i couldn't resist but to keep staring nothing except for those belts.. just perfect Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 Maaaan....ehm, woooooow!!!!!fantastic pics! what lens did you buy?!? Cheers I finally broke down and bought a proper macro lens, a Nikon AF-S 60 mm/2.8. For these close-up model pics, you can't beat it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jack-Swiss Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Awesome Lens...must be a delight to use it! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Eastern Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 Wow! Now the seat looks really fantastic! With new lenses you can make very nice shots now and tease us all with such crisp pics like that of the seat. Happy modeling! Alexander. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 22, 2009 Author Share Posted April 22, 2009 The only difference between the Aires A and B cockpits are the IP instrument clusters - PE parts. Pilot upper left and RIO left and right. It's a scale up of the 1/48 designs. There's no Lantirn/PTID update.Now if they get around to doing the D in 1/32 - that would make me a happy camper! -brian Now that I own both A and B Aires cockpits in 1/32 scale, the only difference I've found is 1 small PE instrument cluster change for the starboard side of the RIO's cockpit. The pilot stuff all looks the same, the rest of the cockpit looks the same, but the B set DOES include the ejection seat pull loops at the top of the seats, which are missing from the A set (presumably you're supposed to make them out of the copper wire included). These differences are miniscule, so the recent emergence of the Aires F-14B cockpit is overrated. If you're making a B pit, by all means buy it, but if you already own an A pit, don't bother buying the new one. You'll never notice the difference. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
D_IcarUS_ Posted April 22, 2009 Share Posted April 22, 2009 That's an amazing work! Those seat belts are wonderful. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
chuck540z3 Posted April 24, 2009 Author Share Posted April 24, 2009 (edited) OK, now on to some bigger stuff- the dreaded Wolfpack engine fairings. Having reviewed Don’s excellent build thread in the Tomcat group build … http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index....howtopic=174120 I used his technique of using very coarse grit sandpaper to wear the fairings down to the size of the Tamiya kit, although I used 100 grit instead. It worked like a charm, but it was still a lot of work sanding and dry-fitting many, many times. I’ve also seen a few other builds that used the Wolfpack fairings, but they get the Tamiya kit to fit the fairings rather than the other way around, which leaves a huge gap between the upper and lower fuselage parts. I also remember that my last F-14 build cracked in this area along the seam when I inserted the horizontal stabilizers, so this time I’m determined to make it bullet-proof. After cutting the fuselage parts as per the Wolfpack instructions, I used lots of glue between the upper and lower parts, including a layer of CA glue along the seam. It’s kinda funny that I was always so careful to not get any glue on the plastic parts when I was a kid, but now I let is goosh out because it makes a perfect seal for later sanding, AND it dries tough enough to be re-scribed properly. Putty is great, but re-scribing it usually results in a ragged mess- at least for me. Here’s my mucky mess before installation of the fairings. It looks like my re-scribed panel line that crosses the seam will have to be re-done too…. Like Don’s build, the fairings are too large, but for some reason they weren’t as bad as his were. It must be either luck or maybe the I got a better upgraded set… After lots and lots of sanding, here’s how it looks. Once the fairing is worn down enough, I finished it off with 600 grit sandpaper before installation…. If you follow the kit instructions by installing the engine tunnels to the fuselage first, it will result in crooked alignment, so I glued and installed them into the fairings first. This requires a little trimming of the tunnel parts and you don’t have to be careful with glue along the outer seam, because the outer can parts will hide any imperfections after they are installed…. One thing to make sure of is that you position that little circular compressor screen thingy at about 4 to 5 o’clock from vertical. If you look at internal pics of this GE-110 engine, that part always seems to be in that position….. The fairing is now ready for installation. I used lots of CA glue to make it strong and another seam of glue on the outside where it’s supposed to be smooth and seamless to the fuselage. I also added a bunch of CA glue to the engine tunnels from the inside for added strength. These birds are big and heavy when you’re done, so you want to make sure nothing shakes loose later….. Now it’s ready for some more sanding, CA glue, putty, more sanding and finally re-scribing of the panel lines that were removed, as well as adding a few that should be there as per the Wolfpack instructions. Note I also added a new beavertail. I had this hanging around from my last F-14 build from an F-14D Black Box conversion kit, but I was too scared at the time to cut my model and use it. Now I cut almost everything, thanks to CA glue and sandpaper. This beavertail has some really nice detail, which I’ll show later. The biggest challenge is going to be those areas on the inside where the new fairings meet the fuselage near the airbrake. Whereas most of the Wolfpack fairings are too big, they are undersized or misshaped for this area. Next up will be pics of the final product when I get finished. This will take awhile…. Edited April 29, 2009 by chuck540z3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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