ALF18 Posted January 3, 2014 Share Posted January 3, 2014 Hi folks! This will be an OOB build, my second run at the Kinetic 1/48 F-5A kit. The kit decals include an option for the 434 Squadron ghost scheme, which they flew a lot in DACT (Dissimilar Air Combat Training) deployments to Yuma in the winter, as well as at Maple Flags and Red Flags. I have pre-ordered a couple of the F-5B kits; hopefully they'll arrive in time to be built in this GB as well. I learned a few lessons in my first run through the CF-5A from Kinetic, and I will be mentioning them here to help out those who have not yet tackled this great little kit. The first major change I made was in the order in which I assembled the fuselage parts. It comes in 4 pieces; the kit instructions say to assemble the two rear halves together, the two front halves, then glue the rear assembly to the front one. Here is what happened with the first kit I built (not this one): Here are the front and rear assemblies. And here are the enormous gaps that I got. Lots of filler was required here. Luckily the camo scheme I used was wraparound green, which is dark and hid the scars somewhat. This time, I decided to glue the front and rear halves together first fore/aft before gluing them together left/right; I think it might have been Colin K who suggested this. You can see just how nice the fore/aft seam is compared to the other method! Test fitting of the two halves also proved that the left/right fit is also excellent. One little thing that I like with this kit is a happy accident. When a CF-5A or B is parked, the Leading Edge flaps droop very slightly. With power (hydraulic) on, the flaps suck themselves up and sit horizontally; power off, the tension is released, and they will drop just a bit. Look carefully at the little tabs on the LEF under the main wing assembly; you can see the tabs are at differing angles. The instructions tell you to chop off half of them for flaps up, and the other half for flaps down; I left them all on, test-fitted them, and found the very slight droop angle was perfect for me. But of course, I started to think ahead, and decided to make this one with flaps in the take-off position, with a pilot in the seat, and engines running. Therefore, I installed the flaps drooped (front and back) by chopping off the appropriate tabs. I also figured out something about the refuelling probe. I didn't know what the little holes were supposed to do my first time building this kit; it was only when things were quite far along that I figured it out. This time, I chopped the holes out, dry fit, and glued the probe in place early, to ensure it fit properly. Look at the squarish holes just fore and aft of the cockpit sidewalls, and you see where the probe goes in place. I also painted the sidewalls and their little black alcoves before installing the cockpit tub, to make a neater job. Supper time! Thanks for looking. ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Scooby Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Good tip Alf, I always build that way but I bet many others don't. With 1/48 Hasegawa Hornets I also deviate from the instructions. I build and assemble the intakes and fuselage sides before I put the top and half fuselage together. The instruction method is next to impossible to build and align properly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Sure looks like a CF-5 so far! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rm20886 Posted January 4, 2014 Share Posted January 4, 2014 Thanks for the tip about the fuselage Alf. I have this kit as well and if I can manage to get my F-16 done I am thinking of building this kit for the GB. Looks like you are off to a great start. Looking forward to seeing more. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 4, 2014 Author Share Posted January 4, 2014 Slow progress. I am working hard on my Transall in the Special Ops GB. One thing to watch out for on this kit is the places that need chopping out. Here is a hole required for an antenna under the nose (looks like UHF comms, but I forget - might be TACAN). No weight required for the nose on this kit. Sits nicely on its mains. Again not following the order of the instructions, I put in the cockpit tub, then glued the two fuselage halves together. The things that are not yet in place are the engine intakes. Last time, I got them upside down (with their intake tubes as well), which caused no end of problems with the fuselage underside fit. The major components (wings, nose, aft lower fuselage part with arrestor hook) go together very quickly. That's all for now. Have to wait for stuff to dry, and paint the insides of the intake trunks. ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 More progress on this one. One area where this kit really outshines the Classic Airframes (CA) F-5A is in the nozzles and drag chute area. The CA kit is absolutely atrocious, even though they have resin nozzles. This one has plastic ones, but the detail isn't bad. One thing to be careful of is look for the locating nubs on the cross-piece; it ensures the nozzle is aligned properly. After the fuselage dried, I did some test fitting of the lower aft fuselage plate, and the wings. One area to watch is the holes for the horizontal stabilators. Note how there is a slight offset. I will have to gouge it out slightly, and make sure the angle for the tail planes is OK (they should droop with a bit of anhedral). I have also installed the engine door panels for the doors open option. These doors are slats (like louvers) that can be selected open for take-off or approach (switch in the cockpit); they ensure adequate air supply to the engines at high angles of attack on approach with high power demands for missed approach or take-off. I have not yet installed the intakes. They caused me trouble on the last build, because I wasn't paying attention and installed them upside down. The wings come with nice locating slots, that fit nicely. Looking good so far. Now to install the intakes with their trunks. Have a careful look at the shape of the splitter plate. On the top, there is a bit of a ridge (hard to see in this pic due to the black colour), and on the bottom, it is flush with the plate (no ridge). The F-5 intakes attach at the top, and leave the bottoms of the splitter plates free. If you glue them this way, you can't get them on the wrong sides and therefore upside down like I did for the last build. ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 8, 2014 Author Share Posted January 8, 2014 I took a better picture of the splitter plate so you can see better how it should look. I also forgot to mention how the little fuselage detail inserts (like the panel above the intake here) need a bit of putty, and sometimes might need a bit of thin plastic card to ensure they are not recessed. For my purposes, I didn't bother, but a perfectionist would have done that. I am WAY happier with the result here, after the intakes are in place, compared to the assembly order I used according to the instructions on the first build of this kit. Another area where this kit is better than the CA one is in the fit of the main wheel wells. The CA one has resin wheel wells and speed brake wells; the fit between the wings and resin lower fuselage inset is absolutely horrid. Not to mention that even gluing the wings on that kit is a real chore, given the poor engineering of it. This one goes together like a charm, and for me the detail is quite adequate. I am a little worried about how the last puzzle piece will fit, though. Up top, things fit fairly well. This thing really builds up fast - I am approaching Phantom build speed here! That's all for tonight. It's looking a lot like a CF-5! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted January 8, 2014 Share Posted January 8, 2014 I'm not all that fast. But it sure is coming along. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 11, 2014 Author Share Posted January 11, 2014 I am humbled. Having the Phantom say "it sure is coming along" is like having Guy Lafleur say "you skate pretty well." As I predicted, there were some problems with the last bottom part. Some trimming was required. The bottom is all assembled; only minor filling will be required. I'll be closing up the canopy on this one. I decided to dry fit the pilot first, and sure enough, he's too tall! My solution will be to shave off his buttocks and thighs, to make him fit. Next step, the paint barn! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted January 11, 2014 Share Posted January 11, 2014 And the poor guy worked so hard to get that right shaped butt...... ALF Great so far, love your passion and enthusiasm. Emil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Neo Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Lol look like me when i need to move the GF's car out the driveway! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 And the poor guy worked so hard to get that right shaped butt...... :woot.gif:/> ALF Great so far, love your passion and enthusiasm. :cheers:/> Emil Emil What are you doing looking at his butt? Not that there's anything wrong with that... Just think of how much a plastic surgeon in LA would have charged for that job! This plastic surgeon works at "cut-rate" prices... Thanks man. I will add some info about this paint scheme when I get a chance. Glad you like it. ALF Lol look like me when i need to move the GF's car out the driveway! Yup, he definitely looks unhappy. And his arms have been twisted so hard, they're invisible. Just think, only 4 more months until Spring - actually 3 more where you are! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 OK, enough BS - time for progress. But first, a message from our historical perspective. The camouflage job I am doing is the original Ghost scheme. When my father was posted to 419 Squadron as an instructor in 1977, and I was at Military College in Kingston, he would tell me all about the schemes they had. At Christmas, he took me into the hangar at 419 and showed them to me. Most of the aggressor-style schemes were on two-seaters (duals); only some of the singles had these schemes. The Ghost was one of the most effective schemes, and later on (into the mid and later 1980s) it was modified to reduce the contrast between the colours. This scheme was excellent against clouds or a blue sky, and surprisingly good looking down at a snow-covered tundra with sparse pine trees and lots of snow. The other schemes that 419 had at the time were (incomplete list, from memory) the Lizard (green/brown), the Grape (darker blues and purples), a wrap-around green (like many of the singles), and others. There was a picture he got when he left the squadron with 4 duals, all in different and spectacular camouflage schemes. When I got to 419, I was lucky enough to fly in most of these schemes. It was kind of fun to be in a wildly colourful jet, and to fly on the wing of another one in a different scheme. I am looking forward to when Kinetic releases their F-5B; I have two on pre-order, and will do some of the wilder schemes (probably grape and lizard). Grape had a double connotation; it was purple like a grape, but also easy to spot in the air, and therefore easy pickings: a "grape" in fighter pilot parlance. The kit decals are for a single in the early Ghost scheme, from 434 Squadron. It eventually became a 419 jet when 434 closed in 1986 (I was on course on the CF-5 at the time). I sprayed the CF-18 top colour using Modelmaster Acryl (FS 35237), and after it dried I sprayed the other two colours using Tamiya paint out of the jar. I used the same colours as Colin K did; I like the results. I also did them freehand, with no masking, to allow some overspray and blending, to make it more like the aircraft. Here are some in-progress paint shots. Here I've removed the masking from the cockpit, and have painted the black on the refuelling probe, intakes, and gun barrels. The black portions of the intakes are a rubbery material, and are heated (intake anti-ice) to prevent ice from accumulating in cloud. ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 While the paint was drying, I worked on the wingtip stores in parallel. This being optimized as an air to air scheme, I opted to do it with wingtip CATM-9 (Captive AIM 9M) on one wing, and an ACMR/I (Air Combat Maneuvering Range/Instrumentation) pod on the other wing. The ACMI pod looks a lot like an AIM 9, so I started with two AIM 9s. One became the CATM, and the other the pod. You can see what used to be an AIM 9 from the kit in the yellow clip. I have whittled the front tip down to make the sharper pitot boom point. This will be an older style ACMR/I pod, not the modern GPS-equipped style. It is easier to do, because it doesn't have the little antennae that the newer ones have. I've installed a centreline fuel tank, in keeping with the air to air role for this jet. It's now on its feet, and ready for detail painting and Future. See you soon! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Skinny_Mike Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Looking really good Alf! You'll be done in no time! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 Looking really good Alf! You'll be done in no time! Thanks Mike! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yvesff Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Colors look spot on ! Can't wait to see it done. Keep up the good work YF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Colors look spot on ! Can't wait to see it done. Keep up the good work YF Merci Yves. I can't take credit for picking the colours; I'm just copying others here on ARC who found the right Tamiya Acrylics for this scheme, but I do like the effect. ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 My favourite part - decaling - has commenced. One thing I was not paying attention to was which bit of black line to use between the roundel and the end of the end of the wing. I had to chop it up, and improvise... having not noticed that the decal sheet came with appropriately-sized bits of line. Oh well, not hard to fix. Worked out OK. These lines are a bit finnicky, though, hard to get perfectly straight. Some attention required. Putting on the decals was so much fun, I blitzed through it. More pics soon. In the meantime, I worked on the AIM-9 training missile. At the time, they had blue bodies, light grey tail fins, and the normal colours for the seeker head. Thanks for looking! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yvesff Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 If you need some inspiration, you should try and find the latest issue of Wingmasters (#98) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Excellent, so are you doing 05, 30 or 63? I will be doing one of them in 1/32 but still have to figure what I will do for decals. Canmilair is the easiest option , but more then I am ready to pay. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 Excellent, so are you doing 05, 30 or 63? I will be doing one of them in 1/32 but still have to figure what I will do for decals. Canmilair is the easiest option , but more then I am ready to pay. The kit comes with decals to do 63, so that's what I chose. For sure Canmilair is very pricey, especially in 1/32. The Belcher Bits 1/32 conversion also comes with pretty sparse decals, so that's not any help to you. Perhaps you can look around for a USAF or USN aggressor scheme that you can use to cherry pick the Bort numbers from? Combine that with some 1/32 Canadian decals from another source, and you might have a winner? Are you really such a masochist you're doing another Belcher conversion of the F-5E? Not sure if I should do this: Or this: You certainly have more patience than I do. I think I'll just wait for someone to come out with a 1/32 F-5A kit... ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 18, 2014 Author Share Posted January 18, 2014 If you need some inspiration, you should try and find the latest issue of Wingmasters (#98) Wow, Yves - that looks like a great job the guy did. Will try to find that issue. Mine will not come out like that! ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ALF18 Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 The decals went on easily. They are nice quality, for kit decals. I forgot to mention that despite my best efforts at plastic surgery, I could not trim the pilot down without it looking ridiculous, so I left the canopy open. The whole reason I put him in the seat to begin with was to have the engine doors open and flaps down; you would almost never see a CF-5 left with the flaps down when it was parked, and even less likely (almost never) to see the doors open. Unlike the Tutor, there were no restrictions on having the canopy fully open in the CF-5 with engines running; more than a few maps and data cards have found their way into the intakes to be munched and toasted by the engines. I attached the CATM to the left wingtip. Note I am still missing the nav lights embedded in the wings. Here it is installed. I coloured these lights using permanent markers, after all the coats (clear and dull) had been done, to ensure they did not run. Too cheap to use clear paint, which is not available in my local toy store anyway. More finished pics later. ALF Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Emvar Posted January 19, 2014 Share Posted January 19, 2014 ALF, Very Nice bird you have there..... Very thoughtful of you in keeping the pilots Gluteus Maximus intact. Emil Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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