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1/32 Academy F-18D to CF-18B kicked up a notch.


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I just finished the ladder last night and, although the sucker fought me every step of the way, I'm fairly happy with most of the results. I've never made or installed a ladder, mostly because I wanted the cleaner look without one and they look real picky to put together. This one didn't disappoint.

I used photo-etch steps and some trim pieces, mostly because I could scuff them off later and leave a metallic finish along wear marks at the front of each step. Here it is installed....

Ladder1.jpg

The hardest part was getting the angles outwards from the aircraft correct while getting those 3 main supports to fit properly- all the while using CA glue. As you know, the glue dries quickly, so you don't have much of an opportunity to adjust fitment of the tiny parts- all at the very same time. First off, all 3 of them broke for some reason, so I made some new ones from scratch using Evergreen rod. This turned out to be an easy fix, with the bonus that the rods were white already, so I didn't even have to paint them. I drilled a small hole into the fuselage where the supports go, but did not glue it there since it wasn't required. Here's another angle showing the supports better....

Ladder2.jpg

And a close-up of the steps. I used some small bits of sandpaper to replicate the non-skid surface and sanded the fronts of the steps for wear, followed by some light dirt weathering. Not bad, although I didn't count on the silver colored surface of the steps to erode off quite so much leaving the brass color behind. Oh well, things get worse anyway.....

Ladder3.jpg

Now the real problem. As mentioned before, I haven't worried about steps before, so I applied the step decal to the walkway as per the decal instructions without worrying about anything, which has it placed just aft of that main double panel line on the walkway. Apparently, this is TOO FAR FORWARD!!!!.... AGGGGHHHHHH! :angry:

Ladder4.jpg

A pilot using that step indicator would take a header off the front of the steps. What to do at this very late stage in the build? The walkway decal is sealed with Microsol, Future and another coat of Dullcoat lacquer- and is melted into a rough walkway surface! As I see it, I have 3 options:

1) Ignore it. Maybe nobody will notice.

Like that's going to happen.

2) Remove the ladder completely, re-install the ladder cover and call it a day.

Very tempting.

3) Dig off the decal with whatever means available, including sanding, lacquer thinner, Microsol, etc., then re-paint everything, Future, new decal, etc., just like I did for the panels aft of the cockpit.

I'm afraid this is the only real option. :bandhead2:

Stay tuned boys. I'm going in! :crying2:

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Hi Chuck! Every time I enter your thread you amaze me more and more! Your painting and weathering skills rock! Your keen attention to all even small and seem insignificant detais is commendable. Your in-progress threads are a real research and a great tutorial. Way to go, buddy!

Cheers and happy modeling!

Alexander.

:)

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OMG!

Your devotion to precision and accuracy is memorable! I'd never have the guts to try any of the options but the first one. I'd notice the misplaced decal every time I'd look at the plane, but the fear to worsen the situation trying to move the decal would refrain me.

I truly wish you good luck: you certainly deserve it!

/Kristian

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Hi Chuck! Every time I enter your thread you amaze me more and more! Your painting and weathering skills rock! Your keen attention to all even small and seem insignificant detais is commendable. Your in-progress threads are a real research and a great tutorial. Way to go, buddy!

Cheers and happy modeling!

Alexander.

:D

I appreciate all your kind words guys. Comments like this from a modeling master, however, are extra special!

I'm winning this time boys. The walkway decal removal wasn't nearly as hard as I thought. To get the sucker off, I applied a thin wipe of lacquer thinner to remove the dull coat, let it dry, then I applied a lot of Microsol to the offending decal placement. With a paintbrush, I gradually worked away at the edges, eventually taking small chunks of the decal off. After about 20 minutes, I had it all, but the paint then looked like crap as I expected. With a little sanding, repainting, new decal and dullcoat, I actually like it better than before. No tiny 1/32 pilot is going to mistake where the ladder is now!.....

Walkway1-1.jpg

The walkway is suitably grubby due to extra wear on the port side. Cockpit sill is also scratched up......

Walkway2-1.jpg

Now for some cockpit interior bits I left to the end, to avoid breakage as I flipped this bird over and over: Canopy hook loops and pins. If you look at the front seat of 188910, you'll notice 2 loops on either side of the front seat in red....

Canopyhook1.jpg

The back seat, however, has them way behind the seat (also red), but there is also 2 pins on either side for the canopy to hook onto (purple). Note the copper colored wiring coming from the starboard rear loop that eventually goes behind the seat....

Canopyhook2.jpg

Here's a pic I took at Abbotsford of the chopped-up CF-18B to show that there's also a 3rd pin buried beside the rear glareshield. Since the kit and resin parts didn't have this little depression, I'm not sure I'll try to create one now. This time, I think I'll have to just live with it. Also note that there are no other hook loops until you get to the front seat.

Canopyhook3.jpg

Here's the loop on the other side of the rear seat. Note that it isn't positioned on the sill, but inwards on the rear panel and there's no wiring coming from it. This shot also shows that the rear panel seam is real, just like the kit or resin parts, so there's no point adding putty to eliminate it....

Canopyhook4.jpg

Now my attempts to sort of replicate same. First the rear seat with loops made out of thin soda can aluminum wrapped around a needle and pins made from .020" rod and photo-etch brass ends......

Canopyhook7.jpg

The front seat....

Canopyhook6.jpg

Edited by chuck540z3
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Another thing I left to the end was the fitment of the canopy to the cockpit. On the single seat versions of this kit, the canopy is short and there's a good angle to the canopy support, so there's no problem slipping the canopy onto the support and having it stay up resting on its hinges. For the 2-seat version, however, there's 2 problems. First, the support is pushed back from the 1 seat version, creating a more upright angle to where it attaches to the canopy and second, the canopy is very long and heavy. Without gluing everything, I have no idea how others fixed this problem, but here's how things look unglued.....

Finalcanopy1.jpg

Not good. I want to be able to remove the canopy, so I glued the support (red) to the canopy and shaved down the little bumps that go on the outside of the support, so that I can slip it on and off. Too little, and you can't get it on without breaking it. Too much, and it won't hold, so be careful if you do the same. With this in place, I also added some stick pins to the rear (purple), by cutting them short and inserting them into the rear of the canopy hinges, then CA gluing everything together to add strength and painted it flat black so that you can't see anything behind the hinges....

Finalcanopy4jpg.jpg

Now everything works as it should. If I wanted to raise the canopy a little further, I could wrap something around those little pins to create a taller angle. From the pics I have of the CF-18B, this angle is just about right....

Finalcanopy3.jpg

Well boys, my long journey is about to come to an end because I HAVE NO MORE PARTS! I still want to play with the cockpit a bit more like adding some orange fabric to the ejection hoops, add the wingtip launchers and pods, tweak this and that and maybe add a tiny bit more pastel work to the dirty bits. I also want to photograph this thing properly, because my last attempts after completion have always lacked something I wished I'd done earlier. As mentioned before, I also want to note all the changes I've made to this bird before I forget everything (which is pretty easy at my age!). This will take a few days because duty calls on the home front. Stay tuned. I'm fairly sure you won't be disappointed!

Edited by chuck540z3
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Highly COMMENDABLE..

A MASTER at work and with such dedication to each and every little detail that no one can really compare.

Love the amazing minute details in your work and your tenacity for doing it until you get it prfect...

True to your craft you create such AMAZING built models... :salute:

BRAVO !!!! :coolio::taunt:

HOLMES { who finds GREAT pleasure in your threads !} :taunt:

Edited by HOLMES
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I am stunned and speechless. This is a museum quality build - at least! And congratulations on fixing the ladder decal problem: your braveness has been repaid! You certainly deserved it!

I really don't know what to say that hasn't been said already. You should be proud of your achievement and I hope you'll consider taking her to competitions because she will certainly reward you in each and every one!

Looking forward to seeing the pictures of the finished work...

/Kristian

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Try not to take this the wrong way Chuck, but I am not even surprised anymore by your work on this model. The attention to detail and the passion you have shown is just beyond description. I would really like to see you enter this into a comp as I can personally say I have NEVER seen a model with such accurate details. Take for instance, that little intake cover that flips open by the front noose wheel. It is details like this that really show how much effort was really put into something like this.

Tell you what, I'd take pics and send it into FSM for an article. I have seen a car, very well done, but with half the details you have, make it into the pages. It certainly deserves to be along side that big F-15 and the Herc that were featured in there not too long ago.

:)

Brent

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Words fail me!

Ricardo made a Hornet that we all wondered over. This is on a par. I am unable to choose and I thought he would never be beaten on his!!! Incredible work Chuck!

I am a bit of a rivet counter myself (on things I know about) and this is a dream!

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Stay tuned. I'm fairly sure you won't be disappointed!

That's a given judging by the remarkable appearance of the model to this point. Stellar work in every department Chuck :doh:

Over the last couple of years it has been a pleasure enjoying your build threads and watching your modelling steadily improve.

You've got a job on your hands to top this one but here's to even more stratospheric modelling projects from you in the future ;)

:coolio:

:cheers:

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Chuck,

Wow, I hadn't stopped by the formum for a few days, nearly missed out on the grand finale. Must say I admire your perserverance on the ladder decal, usually at that stage of the build I start taking short-cuts since I just want to get the project done. So big hats off!!

Great final work on the cockpit... great cockpit anyway, I had nearly forgotten how impressive your work there is :cheers:

Cheers,

Marcel

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Wow, what a nice bunch of guys you all are! I am very, very, honored, especially since I just got into this hobby about 3 years ago. Guy is correct, I have improved over time, but that's mostly because I've been learning from his WIP threads, as well as many of yours.

Although I'm finally finished, there was one more tiny detail I'd missed on the rear glareshield that I'd like to show before I'll call it done. Here's a pic of the real deal- Note that little nylon brace on the side.....

Rearglareshield.jpg

So I stuck a little one on myself. In hindsight, I wished I'd done a little more with the side to match the pic above, but the position of the bumps on the shield are different anyway. Oh well!...

Final4.jpg

I took a whole bunch of pics tonight, but I need to sort through all of them and maybe take a few more. I'll throw these teasers out there in the meantime, just to keep you interested.... :D

Final1.jpg

Final2.jpg

Final3.jpg

Final5-1.jpg

Final pics should be up in the next day or two. Thanks again for your kind words and interest in this project.

Edited by chuck540z3
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