Darren Roberts Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 This is the 1/48 Academy kit with the Steel Beach nose correction and Aries cockpit and nozzles. Here's where I'm at with the painting process. I tried using Tamiya Smoke to dirty up the base coat, and I think I'm liking the outcome. From there I did various corrosion control touchups and gave it a pin wash of burnt umber and lamp black oil paints. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jester292 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Snazzy! Aaron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
xavi84 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Looks great! Just like every other Tomcat that you've touched Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fly-n-hi Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Looks good. I've been using Tamiya Smoke more lately. I think its underrated. Its especially great on complex camo schemes. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EX_Birdgunner Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Darren, I like the patchwork effect you were able to achieve here. Something I have been meaning to try. Do you have any pics of the Academy Nose Correction from before you installed or painted it? I have been thinking of getting it for my next Academy Cat but would like to the detail of the resin itself first. Denis Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dryguy Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 (edited) Hi Darren is that the Academy windshield? Looks suspiciously Hasegawerian, maybe the new nose just makes everything look more 'right'.Looks really really good; ummm, this makes the academy kit more of an option... Edited April 9, 2013 by dryguy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted April 9, 2013 Author Share Posted April 9, 2013 Hi Darren is that the Academy windshield? Looks suspiciously Hasegawerian, maybe the new nose just makes everything look more 'right'.Looks really really good; ummm, this makes the academy kit more of an option... You caught me! Yes, I grafted a Hasegawa windscreen on. I'll also be using the Hasegawa canopy. I had a parted out kit that I've been robbing things from. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JesniF-16 Posted April 9, 2013 Share Posted April 9, 2013 Nice!!! The weathering & fading looks right on the mark... The great thing about Tamiya Smoke is that it gives you lots of room for error & can be toned down easily! /Jesse Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 Man, that weathering is faaaantaaastiiiiic!!! I really want to try this but I'm afraid to just as much. I've been freeze-framing those scruffy Tomcats in Top Gun, lately, to study the weathering. For that Tamiya smoke there's no turning back, right? I mean, every step is a done step? -- If you weather an area too much can you undo it? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted April 10, 2013 Author Share Posted April 10, 2013 Man, that weathering is faaaantaaastiiiiic!!! I really want to try this but I'm afraid to just as much. I've been freeze-framing those scruffy Tomcats in Top Gun, lately, to study the weathering. For that Tamiya smoke there's no turning back, right? I mean, every step is a done step? -- If you weather an area too much can you undo it? It's true you can't undo it, but you can spray over it if you don't like. The beauty of Tamiya Smoke is that you can spray it in light coats. A couple of light coats dirty up the base coat quite nicely. Then you can run heavier coats along the panel lines, giving it a "pre-shaded" look, only more realistic. When you come back with the base colors for corrosion control, you can cover up as much of the Smoke as you'd like. Navy jets are usually so ratty that you can go back and forth with the weathering and base colors all you want and it will turn out well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fly-n-hi Posted April 10, 2013 Share Posted April 10, 2013 One thing to keep in mind with Tamiya Smoke is that it is glossy so you'll have to clear coat it to keep it from standing out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted April 10, 2013 Author Share Posted April 10, 2013 One thing to keep in mind with Tamiya Smoke is that it is glossy so you'll have to clear coat it to keep it from standing out. This is true. If you put on a gloss coat for decals, the glossy issue of the Smoke is taken care of. A final flat coat would have to be applied over the decals anyway, I would imagine. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Darren Roberts Posted April 14, 2013 Author Share Posted April 14, 2013 (edited) Here's where I'm at with the Slugger's jet. The pictures aren't the greatest, but they show the progress thus far. I used Steel Beach intake covers with Afterburner decals along with the Steel Beach F-14 cover set with Eduard RBF tags. I've got to do the canopy and seats along with going back through and cleaning up some things. I'm pretty happy with overall weathering. There are a couple of areas that I need to do some streaking, but overall I think it captures the look of a weathered Tomcat without going too far to the "artistic" side. BTW, this is the 1/48 Academy kit with the Steel Beach nose correction. Edited April 14, 2013 by Darren Roberts Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paddington Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Awesome work on your tomcat ! like the weathering and the fading Good job ! Patrick Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JohnS Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Another beautiful Tomcat, Darren. :thumbsup: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Parabat Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 That weathering does look really good, thanks for sharing your discovery with us. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
toadwbg Posted April 14, 2013 Share Posted April 14, 2013 Holy colorfullness!! The contrast between the TPS and red & yellow covers is striking. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wolfgun33 Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 WOW!!! Another great looking Tomcat Darren. Very nice! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tomthegrom Posted April 16, 2013 Share Posted April 16, 2013 How on earth did you do the helmets? chin straps and all? Tell me the secrets! Its looks insane. I am going to have to get a SB covers for the probes too. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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