Jump to content

Monogram A-6E TRAM 1/48


Recommended Posts

  • 2 weeks later...

Hi Elmo,

Very nice models you've got in your collection! (the F-4 pilots' flight-gear.!.. :jaw-dropping: you MUST do a tutorial on how we can build them!!!!)

Any plans for a TA-4J in 1/48??? (after the A-6 of course)

Edited by SERNAK
Link to post
Share on other sites

First off I want to sat thanks to everyone for their previous comments, they're much appreciated. SERNAK, the flight gear was rather simple to make...as with everything else in this hobby, it just takes a bit of research and time to figure out how you're gonna execute the make process. Once I had enough pics of the flight gear and a good idea in my head of what I was gonna make it was time to get busy. I used Tamiya tape to make the basic shape(vest shape)of the gear as well as any straps you see. The majority of the tape was folded in half so it sticks to itself and then the shapes were cut out. This gives the pieces some thickness and you get rid of the sticky side as well. You also have to bend and shape the pieces so they look realistic. The pouches on the gear were made from styrene strip of whatever thickness/length looks right for a pouch in the proper scale to the flight gear vest and then they were covered with that sticky aluminum foil modelers use. The foil was also cut in a way in which after I wrapped it around the styrene strip I could still make a flap that I could fold over. The nice thing about the aluminum foil is that when you wrap it around the styrene you get some wrinkles in it that resemble folds/creases in the real thing. Lastly, I used photo etch buckles on the straps for more realism. I forgot to mention there are some straps where I didn't fold the tape in half as I felt it would be too thick. Depending on how you want to display the gear, you have to take gravity into consideration so it looks natural in whatever state It's in. After you paint them, follow up with a wash and some dry brushing and you're done. I didn't do a wash/dry brush because I didn't think of it at the time so looking at the following pics you can see some contrast is definitely needed. Whatever other gear you see attached like the oxygen mask is part of the original kit or hand made......like the red lens flashlight with the little red "oops" on the side that I had never noticed until now. What I described are the basics as there are some steps along the way that you'll figure out on your own.....nothing hard though. Hope this helps a bit but feel free to ask if you have any other questions.

DSCN8466_zpsdplrzvyu.jpg

DSCN8467_zpsnngx74v2.jpg

DSCN8468_zpsess9j6we.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Elmo,

Thank you for the very helpful narrative.

You're mentioning that you've used some photo etch buckles. Do you remember the company that produces them?

I hope your next project - after the A-6 - to be a TA-4J !!!!

Thanks again.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Elmo,

Thank you for the very helpful narrative.

You're mentioning that you've used some photo etch buckles. Do you remember the company that produces them?

I hope your next project - after the A-6 - to be a TA-4J !!!!

Thanks again.

Hello SERNAK,

Over the years I have accumulated many photo etch buckle frets so it would be impossible for me to remember all the different manufacturers. However, the majority of the buckles that I have used on my builds have come from either Reheat Models or Waldron sets. Both of these companies may be out of business now so acquiring their sets may pose a challenge. As I stated earlier, I have many sets as I would sometimes buy a specific set just because the buckles matched the style I was looking for for a specific build, this includes buying sets for prop planes too. Also, many cockpit photo etch sets sold by Eduard come with seat belts/buckle as one and many times I've simply cut the buckle from the belt with a razor blade. One thing to be cognizant of......many sets are sometimes too large for the scale they are meant for so I have used 72nd scale sets as they are more in scale for 48th. A prime example of over sized items for their scale are "remove before flight" tags......a 48th scale set I purchased long ago was large enough for 32nd scale; needless to say, I didn't use them. The pic below shows two Reheat examples, the top being RH02, 72nd scale jet buckles, middle set is RH03, 48th scale jet buckles and the two sets at the bottom of the pic are made by Waldron if I'm not mistaken. I have many more sets but these are the primary ones I use.

And BTW, I apologize for not answering your question about the TA-4J......yes, It's on the list.....but as slow as I build It's gonna be a while before I get to it.

Thanks for looking.....Elmo

DSCN8469_zpsu7dhgm5u.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello SERNAK,

Over the years I have accumulated many photo etch buckle frets so it would be impossible for me to remember all the different manufacturers. However, the majority of the buckles that I have used on my builds have come from either Reheat Models or Waldron sets. Both of these companies may be out of business now so acquiring their sets may pose a challenge. As I stated earlier, I have many sets as I would sometimes buy a specific set just because the buckles matched the style I was looking for for a specific build, this includes buying sets for prop planes too. Also, many cockpit photo etch sets sold by Eduard come with seat belts/buckle as one and many times I've simply cut the buckle from the belt with a razor blade. One thing to be cognizant of......many sets are sometimes too large for the scale they are meant for so I have used 72nd scale sets as they are more in scale for 48th. A prime example of over sized items for their scale are "remove before flight" tags......a 48th scale set I purchased long ago was large enough for 32nd scale; needless to say, I didn't use them. The pic below shows two Reheat examples, the top being RH02, 72nd scale jet buckles, middle set is RH03, 48th scale jet buckles and the two sets at the bottom of the pic are made by Waldron if I'm not mistaken. I have many more sets but these are the primary ones I use.

And BTW, I apologize for not answering your question about the TA-4J......yes, It's on the list.....but as slow as I build It's gonna be a while before I get to it.

Thanks for looking.....Elmo

Many thanks Elmo

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 2 months later...

Time for another small update. Now that the IP shroud is complete I have been dedicating what little free time I have to the IP. I decided to start with the two items that I figured would take me the longest to scratch build, the bomb sight unit and the CRT screen, both located on the pilot side of the cockpit. First off is the bomb sight unit. After many hours of research and scratch building, here is the result. It's all made of plastic except for a small aluminum piece I installed in the hole on top to support the colored lens.

DSCN8476_zpssihqqzt5.jpg

DSCN8471_zpstvun87p0.jpg

DSCN8504_zpsea1mhdbv.jpg

DSCN8508_zpszrpdm4gj.jpg

Here is the glass for the unit. It's made of polished .005 clear styrene and after cutting to size, gave the edges the green marker treatment. I also painted a few strips of black paint that are the same size as the contact points on the bomb unit itself.....these strips of paint are on the side of the glass where it will get glued to the contact points and thus hide any glue marks that would normally be visible through the clear glass.

DSCN8503_zpsswqa0bhn.jpg

The completed unit.

DSCN8513_zpsanugyuli.jpg

DSCN8509_zpsgvubjebi.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

Next is the CRT screen. This another scratch built item that took a lot of time and even more patience.

Here is the basic shape of the screen with most of the items that will make it up. The piece on the right is the frame that will eventually hold a clear piece. This frame took the longest to make of all the parts but in the end the results are worth it. Also visible is one of 2 rods that spans the width of the screen and sits on the upper side....not really sure what It's used for.

DSCN8489_zpswxkg7kvz.jpg

Painted and finished.....well except for a few touch-ups on those little bars.

DSCN8515_zpsf0tea4kt.jpg

DSCN8517_zpsnxsf36b1.jpg

That's it for now. Thanks for looking.

E.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Aw come on Wardog! I was feeling all proud about my Electric Intruder and sudenly BLAM! here comes your update! and now I have to go back to my lego like build!

Great scratch building skills! for the N´th time!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many thanks for all the comments.

kike...........the two main things I use for cutting are single edge razor blades like the kind you find at home depot or any hardware store and #11 X-Acto blades. Depending on what I'm gonna cut, I may also use the edge of a 6" scale to help guide the razor blade. Single edge razor blades work really well for me but I will admit I use a lot of them as I mainly use the ends and the sharp edges wear out quick. Other than that I can't think of anything else to mention. If there is something specific you're wondering about let me know.

Thanks

Elmo

Link to post
Share on other sites

Elmo,

What a treat it is to view the pictures and read up on your latest updates...lots of patience and precision at work here!

All of that detail, including the layers of relief, makes for a super authentic "3D" depiction of the instrument panel - some of the best work I've ever laid eyes on!

Can't wait for the next installment,

Rich

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • 1 month later...

So after saying this for what seems like years, I finally did actually start work on the actual IP. Up to this point I had spent a lot of time making the items that are part of the panel as I figured making them beforehand would be easier than later. The panel is nowhere close to being done and is located to the shroud temporarily for the pics. I wasn't gonna post pictures until the IP was completely done but I need advice on printing onto decal paper so I figured today was a good time for a small update.

Here is the Kinetic IP showing some slight modifications prior to paint.

DSCN8524_zpszn5vthhd.jpg

The rest are in-progress pics. All the instruments are installed and I'm getting ready to start work on the bombardier panel and whatever other items are left.

DSCN8533_zpsggd2gdgb.jpg

DSCN8535_zpsqo6d0bmu.jpg

DSCN8541_zpsretxaagt.jpg

The next two pics show the Eduard colored bombardier photo etch panel that I was considering using at one time. Two main reasons I decided not to use it is because It's two-dimensional and the shade of black on it is off a bit. However, in this case, I do like all the printed detail on the panel so I was considering copying it onto decal paper and applying it to the IP. I can then drill holes where the buttons/switches are located and install styrene rod to represent them. This way I get the nice print detail from the Eduard panel and buttons/switches for the third dimension. So here's my question.....I don't have printers at home but I'm wondering what type of printers can be used to print on decal paper and also capture the small detail on the Eduard panel? I once tried printing on decal paper at Kinko's and the decal paper jammed the machine.....I figure some of you guys print all the time on decal paper so maybe you can share some of your knowledge. Thanks for looking.

DSCN8544_zpsquhajas2.jpg

DSCN8542_zpsqyopp6g7.jpg

E.

Edited by wardog
Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not worth!! <walking away shaking head :unsure: >

Great IP Elmo absolutely stunning! thnx fpr posting your work I for one can tell you it's a huge motivation and a huge wake up call too! in case I start feeling like a modelling star lol!!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Outstanding work Elmo. You've captured the busy, 3-dimensional look of the real thing, right down to the BuNo placard above the altimeter...amazing!

I love the green fringed VDI screen. And the conventional instruments look great too. Are those bezels photo etch...AirScale or Reheat, perhaps?

Regards,

Rich

Edited by RichB63
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks to all for looking and the great feedback.

RichB63, you got a good eye! I'm trying to capture as much of the details as I can but the scale makes things difficult at times. Yes, the BuNo placard is there, however, the decal is not legible so no numbers to see...not sure if they make decals with that small a print.

The bezels are mostly Reheat with a few others mixed in. Aires makes a nice photo etch set for the Prowler cockpit which I have so I used the PE IP as a donor for some of the bezels. A few also came from PE IP's from other aircraft types. The IP has a ways to go but It's getting there. Unfortunately, due to size limitations, I won't be able to add the Emergency Brake Handle as there is no room for it, unless I get real creative. I was also gonna add small clear disks to each instrument to represent the glass but the surface of the printed instrument acetate you get in the Aires kit is so shiny it looks like there's glass there already. However, I did punch out a few clear disks just to see how they looked installed and they actually made the instrument look duller. Although the clear disk I used was very clear, I would need something extremely clear to actually enhance the look.

Thanks again for looking.

E.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...