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1/48 YF-23 decals


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Oh and NOW you go and release F-35A/B sheets, KursadA? You want all my money, don't you! ;)

Going to have a look at them now... What I am most looking forward to is the 1/48 F-35C - one of the future projects seems to be evolving into a Jolly Rogers series, with a late VF-84 F-14A, VF-103 CO F-14B in B&W, F-14B CO in Black and Yellow, and FA-18F CO in Black and Yellow and now they've gone BACK to a Black and White CO jet, I think I need another Hase' FA-18F. Please, Please, Please God, dont make me start to work on late VF-84 F-4J's!

As for the YF-23 - exhaust corrections continue. Ive made a jig so I can mount and mark out a plastic ring (that will interface the Box to the Cyclindrical parts) and have gotten one side almost done. Etch Masters have been drawn up to create the appropriate afterburner ring (though I was tempted by platic card and wire for a more accurate look - but I think etch will work) and those BUMPS are all but gone! First pass with files and 400 grit looks promising. Did QUITE reach the packed plastic, for those who are following and attempting the same, but a little re-sculpting further up the nacelle and either side of the bump is required to make it blend properly... But only a coat of mr surfacer after the 800 grit and re-scribing will confirm

The lack of bump also makes that weird hollow look MUCH better too - not sure what to do with that now; will finish the nacelles and exhausts and intakes first, methinks!

Dan

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Well, with some more insomnia and a break in the warmer weather (allowing me to get near the etchant tank in my workshop, without cooking!), I have more progress that I decided to take some pictures of before more paint goes on and while other paint dries. Thus, this is wherewe stand with the YF120-GE donks and exhausts:

engines_1.jpg

Working from top to bottom, we have the modified kit exhaust boxes, which have corrugated bottoms to them, 400-gritted sides (as they're getting some PE knocked up shortly too and the top of the box has been heavily cut back, so I can fit a more realistic looking paddle - torn between using the kit part (thining it a little and going from there) or building it from scratch to make sure there is room for the actuators and shockwave ramp and etc (not that you'd see the internals of the shockwave ramp, but you can make it out from the exterior of the 'open-backed' paddle, deep in behind the paddle actuator. Macro's are so cruel - tis look so much nicer in 'life scale':

engines_2.jpg

Next we have my interface-rings that in hindsight, should have been maybe 25%-33% deeper - as we Australians say "She'll be right, mate!"; and the degree of PAIN that a relatively simple structure such as this, has caused, can not be recounted without resorting to extreme profanity! The Major issue is, the ring only PARTIALLY transitions into a Box and the degree of transition is different on the top than on the bottom. I am unsure as to whether this is a function of the just the way the bits I had on-hand lined up and SEEMED to agree with the images I have OR that the transition should be more even; but as I think I said before, I am sure the CL of the GE does not line up with the diagonal intersections of the exhaust boxes. thus meaning this is the only way this can be done.

I've slight over exposed this image to try and assist you seeing the inside of the ring (not easy under black primer on a black base)!

engines_3.jpg

And finally (for the moment), with paint still wet, we have the modified GE rear engine face (with the smoothed over front of a CBU stuck in the middle) and th4 out of focus (sorry) PE Afterburner Ring. The final stages will be dry brushes with some gun metal and silver, before the ring goes in with the samre treatment. Once that all looks correct, we'll mate this with the adapter, add some heat discolouration (lighter coloured streaks in the generally black area) move back to our boxed section (which will be mosly silver-ish sides and cream ceramic base) and get that sorted. Then evaluate the Paddles.

engines_4.jpg

I also now have a new set of Dremel cutting wheels, so that intake is in a whole world trouble soon :)

Enjoy

Dan

Addendum - And some advice for anyone doing this who does NOT have TWO old F-16's (or an F-15 or F-14B/D's) just laying around that you can scavenege from, I would feel quite confident suggesting something like the Aires F-14B/D engines. Not only do you get better looking 'holes', but you'll also get internal ribs (along which you can cut your adapter ring out of) and the PE you get, could be made to pass, without the hassle of the DIY thing I seem to like doing!...

Edited by Zaggy
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When you hold them all together, you DEFINITELY get the 'Big Hole' effect that we do with Modern jets (F-14, F-15, F-16, F-22) - I will post some pics when the box side walls are done and some dry brushing is there, to give the 'hole' some Depth. Rather happy suddenly with these! Hope the Intakes go as well, as with the cockpit (which sort of needs to be finished and fitted to the upper half before I can complete the 'stuff behind the seat'. The Rear-Canpoy Sill and internal Structure is still scaring me a little - its not a friendly shape! :)

Slowly becoming less-scared of the intakes... I think because 'I just KNOW' they have to be done...

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Probably - but I've received help and advice and msg's from a number of ppl in here, so I thought I'd just show them what the advice has gotten them... And Hopefully KursadA will get a nice ACCURATE PAV-2 YF-23 to show off his decals on! :) Plus the engines are almost together!

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Intakes - OMFG WHAT A NIGHTMARE.

Getting really close to putting covers over the inatkes, because getting the insides right will be a mission whatever way we go! There are some Trapizoidal Covers that we see both in-place (I assume when engines were in) and just sitting in the intake trunk (I assume when the engines were out) of PAV-2, sometime after the a/c was recovered from Edwards; they are RED with WHITE diagonals across them and clearly say "Remove Before Engine Run"; which is very different to the standard 'Remove Before Flight' labels on most things.

Thus, the question is, are these intake covers applicable to the Jet during the DemVal period? The pictures that I can find of the DemVal period are typically of the jet powered up or being prep'd for flight.

ATM, I am still going to attempt to get the intake right (I have removed about 60% of the lower half of it and now its glued in there, I think I've been a bit generous; I can feel some reinforcement of the rear most section and some dremel time drawing nearer (ie, remove the fwd 66% of the total length across one cut, rebuild the intake lining and widen the intake roof to fit. Honestly, the roof of the intake is pretty good; just the way HB have done the trunks (radically undersized, if you try to fix the shape - would have been sweet if I'd left them alone) means the will need to be widened at both edges, before being glued in place. The key will be, now that the rear 1/3rd is FIRMLY in place, keeping everything lined up off that!

Why do I do this to myself?

Dan

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Congrats mate, so does that mean another printing will need to happen? TMM has one of the bigger readerships in the hobby and as I beleive, places like Hannants and etc, sold out in 24hrs! :)

You're going to be famous, getting in first and fastest like that! :)

Dan

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Congrats mate, so does that mean another printing will need to happen? TMM has one of the bigger readerships in the hobby and as I beleive, places like Hannants and etc, sold out in 24hrs! :)/>

You're going to be famous, getting in first and fastest like that! :)/>

Dan

For the last three weeks I have essentially been selling the sheets allocated for a large, Texas-based US reseller (begins with S) that seems to be going through a reorganization and did not place an order for my recent releases. Otherwise I would have sold out long ago.

With a couple more magazine features and magazine reviews in the pipeline, it looks like the demand is there for another batch. However, I don't plan to reprint these until and unless a major reseller demands it - I'd rather use my resources on another new product. I had a similar situation with the C-2 Greyhound decals, where the entire batch sold out after a string of build features in magazines. I had no intention to reprint then, until the Japanese distributor basically threatened me to reprint them or else (there was no mention of Ninjas, but it was close).

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  • 2 weeks later...

Sold out! Thanks for the tremendous interest in this sheet. Sprue Brothers will get a small restock next week, as will Hannants. Once those are gone, this is it..

Edited by KursadA
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First of all, congrats KursadA - is that a sell-out record for you? As for Ninja's, can be arranged.... ;)

Second, I am moving ever closer to actually using these things! Cockpit, Seat, Stuff behind the Seat, ECS, etc, all done. I have decided to properly stretch the MLG Bays the required 3mm to get the main gear struts in the right place and the refueling points to correct scale also, but most of the work has been on the BIG jobs; Engines and Intakes. Engines are all but done, simply requiring a custom decal for the side walls of the 'boxes' then some weathering... Taped into one piece to attempt to show them off, they look like:

engines_5.jpg

Alas, the Macro functioin fails to show the 'depth effect' that I like best about the afterburner rings, but does show the corrugations in the box section. New Paddles need to be scratch built too!

Intake are a whole other PAINFUL story:

intakes_4.jpg

It may look chaotic, but there is plenty of method and measure to that madness - hence the longer intake trunks at the side, the exhaust boxes sitting about where they fit and etc; all figured out by pollting where the engine cores and bits will have been, etc...

Other pic... Cant wait til these are done... VERY much over them now!

intakes_5.jpg

Enjoy - because ATM, I'm NOT enjoying this! I just keep looking at the completed parts (which include the soon to be elongated MLG Bays) to stay focused!

Dan

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  • 3 weeks later...

@Check Six - yes. Slow progress admittedly (Uni, research, work as well as the siz crushed vertebrae I have flairing up - so walking and sitting for periods has been sucking), but a quick description is:

Cockpit - all but sidewalls and some behind the seat cables done. Sils are corrected and thickened, seat is MUCH better, lots of boxes and ECS (that you barely see now :( ) behind the cockpit.

Exhausts - Just need the decals for the sides of the exhausts printed and applied

Intakes - FINALLY fully shaped and deepened; they're not perfect, but they'll do the job. Top sections have been widened to fit the new shape, bottom sections just need to be taken to with 800grit to smooth the Mr.Surfacer, once I get the Lips thinned a little more. Main remaining Intake Challenge will be the seam line, once the tops are glued on - Tamiya Surfacer and Isopropyl Alcohol be my friend! :) Then need to add half a compressor face... This is the MAIN area of work ATM

Main Gear Bays - corrected/lengthened and painted. The Refueling points in front of the Main Gear Mounts 'look' like they're not centred when you test fit the whole bays, so I'm deciding if I should just bump things across a little or just be happy with how they sit now.

Next Major Jobs are:

Exhaust Troughs - correcting the tiles back to squares (torn between i) re-engraving, ii) etching overlays, or iii) Mixed approach of some re-engraving, some filling and making decal overlays).

External - fill the incorrect Weapons Bay doors lines. Re-engrave new doors, engrave some of the bottom panels (Hexagonal TACAN mount panel for example), drill the engine bay drains, drill the fuel dump, etc. Then make all new blade antennae, including the smaller telemetry and etc antennae.

Canopy Frame and opening strut - been putting this off as its a really complex shape and the intakes were testing my patience, but it has to be done. I have a plan of attack, that will HOPEFULLY allow me to build it separate from the clear parts, then just slot it in at the end. The opening strut looks very similiar to the FA-18 set up, so shouldnt be a big challenge - assuming my measurements to date (for the rear of the cockpit and the openings I have left) are correct...

I'm not at home ATM, but will post some pics later if you'd like?

Dan

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  • 1 month later...

Hannants has just received a restock of the 1/48 YF-23 sheet. I don't have any left, and as far as I know neither does any of the other resellers.

So if you want the 1/48 YF-23 sheet, get one from Hannants now. This is the last chance to buy them.

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That is great news Kursad and I am very happy for you. It is great that you have pretty much figured out the product that the modellers want and need. Very smart business.

I know I read in one of your other posts that you normally do not do any What-If schemes, but I am just inquiring if it is even remotely possible to consider some YF-23 What-if schemes. I saw several schemes on Zactoman's forum and they are so cool I am chomping at the bit to do them. He had schemes such as JASDF, IAF as well as others. The YF-23 seems to be an aircraft that just begs to be done up in some sort of camo scheme (ok I am not a fan of the greys). I think this may be a possible good seller. Of course I don't expect you to produce 500 sheets of a what-if scheme for the YF-23 but maybe an add on to one of your print runs? JASDF roundels and numbers, IAF roundels and numbers or some such items?

Just asking.

Cheers

Chris

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If you want to duplicate the artwork seen on Zactoman's site, you could use existing sheets from other jets. His artwork depicts full-viz schemes which can be easily done with existing F-15 sheets. There is no point in duplicating what is already out there... unless low viz schemes are called for. Even then there is a Saudi F-15S sheet already available. To be a little rational, it would be more appropriate to make a sheet for the F-23A, not the YF-23, as the YF -23 was a prototype that would never have been seen in foreign AF colours. Until someone has the vision to release an F-23 kit, an aftermarket decal sheet ain't gonna happen.

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  • 6 months later...

Hi Steve,

I am planning a reprint of the 1/48 YF-23 sheet (but not the 1/72) sometime in the spring - I will announce it here as soon as I make a decision. Thanks!

Thanks for a belated Christmas present KursadA! I already have the 1/72 scale sheet, Just needed the 1/48 scale sheet.

Thanks,

Merry Christmas!

Steve Sliger

Greenwell Springs, LA

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  • 2 months later...

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