CVW-8 Tomcat launch

[arnobiz]

Hello,

I have been working on other things recently but the Tomcat is progressing steadily. Major assembly is now complete, time to prime and preshade! I want to depict a fairly heavily worn-down paint TPS so I was quite hard on the pre-shading, but this will fade when the TPS is applied.

As soon as this is painted I will start working on the deck, watch this space!

Arnaud

[EX_Birdgunner]

Looking really good Arnaud. I'll be watching closely for updates.

Denis

[kurnass77]

I love your work Arnaud!

;) Gianni

[arnobiz]

Thanks for the encouragements guys!

The paint job is making progress, quite slowly as I use Model Master paints and I am not very good with them. I keep obtained slightly rough surfaces not matter how I thin them so I have to polish after each layer :lol: I thin with White Spirit, is it not the right thing to do (I am not too keen on using lacquer thinner)?

I am trying to mimic what happens on a real aircraft, i.e. successive applications of paint of different shades (see below) and then dirt on top of it (later, with the salt method)

A detail shot, you can see the slightly rough surface.

Any help on the paint thinning issue most welcome!

Arnaud

[Gervais8]

i would be interested in finding out more about your catapult dimensions. I would like to convert to 1/32 if you're willing to share. Thanks

[arnobiz]

Hi Gervais8, it took me weeks (literally) to get the dimensions right from viewing thousands of pictures (mainly from Navy.mil) so I am actually thinking of setting up a (small) business with this catapult. Good luck with your endeavour though.

Here is the Tomcat as it is now. The paint job only misses a panel-lines wash, but I wanted to have people's opinion on hte current state of things before moving forward. I am modelling a reasonably clean aircraft, does this look right? How would you improve it?

By the way I decided to go with AJ-201, for the reasons given here :unsure:

Cheers,

Arnaud

[FEDE]

Excellent work Arnaud!!!

I´m watching with so much attention.

Greetings

FEDE

[Daniel_B]

Looks great, Arnaud! Can't wait to see more!

[arnobiz]

Getting there with the paint, and decalling started...

The swiping marks were done with a brush taped to a compass. Some of the bits holding the aft elevons got knocked off in the process, I will replace them later (as late as possible!)

Cheers,

Arnaud

[Platypus]

Nice job so far.

I would just lighten the sweeping marks. They stand out too sharp to me. Just as if they'd been drawn vs being the result of parts rubbing on each other.

I see you didn't glue the exhausts fairings before painting. I know it's not your first Hasegawa F-14, so you know what a pain they can be to fit. Any reason for leaving them aside?

[arnobiz]

Thanks Platypus.

I would just lighten the sweeping marks. They stand out too sharp to me. Just as if they'd been drawn vs being the result of parts rubbing on each other.

I agree they look quite sharp but that's how I think they look on the first picture I posted. I will tone them down a little though

I see you didn't glue the exhausts fairings before painting. I know it's not your first Hasegawa F-14, so you know what a pain they can be to fit. Any reason for leaving them aside?

I fitted them with Milliput before the paint stage, so I am sure they will fit perfectly and it makes my life a lot easier to paint the engine exhausts

Arnaud

[arnobiz]

The engine exhaust pipes are done, I will work on the nozzles tonight. I found it quite difficult to get the pipes to look right but after a lot of trial and error I'm quite happy with the result.

All comments welcome,

Arnaud

[HOLMES]

Arnaud,

good work... <_<

[arnobiz]

Hi all,

I'm sorry I have not posted any progress for a while, there are two (good) reasons for that:

1/ I moved from the UK to Austria over the summer with my family, quite a big thing indeed

2/ I forgot my camera in Vienna last month, just as my workbench was getting busy again, and I still have to get it back!

I have made quite a bit of progress though and I will share it with you as soon as I can get hold of a camera :)

Arnaud

[kurnass77]

Please Arnaud,

we need photos of your work!

Also,you have planned to sell some copy of you casted cat section and jet pipes?If yes let me know friend!

Gianni

[arnobiz]

Thanks Gianni! If you are interested in the jet exhausts let me know, I have a few sets ready for my future projects but I don't mind sharing ;) I'm still working on the catapult section but it should be ready any time now :)

Here is the next BIG step of this project, the Jet Blast Deflectors (JBD). These are the two masters. It took a while to get the dimensions right but there it is. They were made in several steps, using a micro-milling machine except for the pipes, which are made from Evergeen rod. All comments are welcome, I' starting to cast them in a couple of weeks. The locks at the top end are still missing as well as the hinges in the middle.

External face:

Internal face:

Cheers from Austria,

Arnaud

Edited November 26, 2011 by arnobiz

[kurnass77]

Great looking JBD mate!

Sure,I'm interested! In fact I would do a couple sets handy, as is (and if) a pair of seamless intake for my Academy Aussie Hornet...

send me a PM for the details!

Gianni

[arnobiz]

Thanks Gianni :)

Here is the progress so far on the Tomcat itself. The wings are finished as well as most of the fuselage, I still have to do the seats, pilots, canopy and pitot. THe weapons are another story, I need to get the new Hasegawa weapons set with the GBU-38 on it :)

with flash

without flash

The white stirpes in the front red area of the wings are simply stripes of white decal. I like it as this little detail adds some life to the area.

All comments and suggestions welcome,

Arnaud

Edited December 3, 2011 by arnobiz

[arnobiz]

Hello,

Little progress to report but I thought I would post a little trick I learned the hardway: how to reinforce landing gears (broken landing gears is actually something that put me off aircraft modelling about ten years ago).

First, drill the bar through (if there are two weels abviously, if there is just one go as far as you can without going through the wall opposite to the wheel!). Make a hole as big as you can. The limiting factor here is the size of the hole you can drill without being off the wheel axis and thus perforate the wall of the weel axis: a smaller drill strongly reduces the possibility of this happening.

Then glue a needle inside. I use cyanoacrylate.

Trim to size and file if necessary

There is now little chance for this to break :)

Hope this helps someone!

Arnaud

[kurnass77]

Wow Arnaud, look super!

I've almost finished to convert your figure, so I can start the paint job as soon as possible!

Gianni

[arnobiz]

Thanks Gianni! Don't bother painting the figures if you don't have time, I don't mind doing it :)

A little more progress on the front landing gear: the catapult bar

First, drill the Hasegawa part with a 0.5mm drill:

Then, glue a needle inside with cyanoacrylate and add the relevant details (done here with Evergreen rod and Tamiya masking tape cut to size):

Next, try and cut (in loops, don't cut a big chunk of needle at once or you could make it too short and ruin your work). When the porper lenght is achieved add a little triangle at the end:

Final result, primed with Vallejo white primer but not painted:

More soon (hopefully!)

All comment and critics welcome, it's (almost) never too last to improve!

Arnaud

[HOLMES]

Arnaud,

Enjoying your thoroughness on this Tomcat.

Detail is everything at times.

I have been following it and it looks splendid so far.

You know TOMCATS are one of MY favorites so seeing an expert modeler like you is pure joy.

[arnobiz]

Thanks Holmes! Funnily enough I resumed work on this project this morning: I have to finish the JBD arms and then cast them. I now have seats and pilots so no excuse to postpone it further :)

Arnaud

[HOLMES]

Thanks Holmes! Funnily enough I resumed work on this project this morning: I have to finish the JBD arms and then cast them. I now have seats and pilots so no excuse to postpone it further :)/>

Arnaud

[ChippyWho]

Excellent work, Sir. Many thanks for the tip on landing-gear re-inforcement; something simple, useful and why didn't I think of that!