tobiK Posted January 6, 2014 Share Posted January 6, 2014 Well, my first project in mind is cancelled (Italeri 1/48 F-16N with Tamiya/Kinetik/Hasegawa leftovers). I am not happy with the Italeri fuselage shape, looks like the butt hangs down! How do I know? I m just finishing my indonesian Viper and even I use landing gear parts from Kinetik and RR wheels I can't make it look really good, and it is a hell of a work....to get a model that looks not satisfying. Ok, one time is enough, no need to do a second time! I am not a supersonic modelbuilder like "Phantom" ;) So I go with a nice kit from AFV Club, their first edition of the F-5E tiger II, Agressor. Reading an article in an old "wingmaster" magazine made me fall in love with that colorful sharp looking bird and for 99% I will follow the report and make a "Flogger" scheme. But I have to admit that "sand" and "frog" is tempting too! As a goodie I have an Aires cockpit set. The kit pit is already very good!! But... I ordered already last year the FODs among with other stuff from Royal Resin, the parcel should arrive soon (still in the nirvana of the customs or post warehouses). I like some red or yellow points on gray or camoflaged aircrafts! :wub: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Edited January 6, 2014 by tobiK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted January 6, 2014 Author Share Posted January 6, 2014 (edited) Well, after "re-learning" to handle imageshack.us and how to post pics here ... the picture quality is not fantastic, just use a sony smartphone. Sorry! Edited January 6, 2014 by tobiK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted January 7, 2014 Share Posted January 7, 2014 F-5 is always a nice choice. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted January 17, 2014 Author Share Posted January 17, 2014 Meanwhile the RR goodies came to my door step and they are nice again! But for now I have to make a break because of vacation. I ll be back in 6 weeks and yeah, then will be the real start for this kit! Wish you all happy modelling meanwhile...don't be too fast! ;-) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 While checking for kits and what's available for any kits AM wise, I saw the TwoBob's sheets, and got somewhat confused until I gave it some thought. Hobby Search has the sheets listed as TwoBob's nails gomers, took me a few secs to figure out the typo and loss in translation. Someone said Nellis and the printer heard "Nails"; go figure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor01 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 The aires pit is nice! Did yours come to you broken? All of my canopy linkages broke in transit. However nothing that's easily fixed. I'm still working through it and need to finish the emergency release rods (not included in the kit). I'll post some pics here when I'm finished. These AFV Club kits are amazing I hope you have a blast building it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor01 Posted January 23, 2014 Share Posted January 23, 2014 Ok so here are the pics I was talking about with the aires pit. All I did was ad a single strand from some 20ga wire and painted them red. These are the emergency release rods I was talking about. Now a couple of things, first they are about 1/4" in diameter 1:1 so I'm guessing that's why they're left out of the kit. Next I don't think they are red on the USAF bird. Red is unique to VMFT-401. I think they are grey for the Air Force. I'm looking forward to seeing some progress in the coming weeks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SERNAK Posted January 28, 2014 Share Posted January 28, 2014 Fantastic cockpit!!!!! By the way, was the article from Wing Masters about the USAF Aggressor units or the US NAVY Adversary units? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Hello guys, I m back! Thank you for posting meanwhile, I just was on vacation for 6 weeks in SEA. Still suffer a bit of jetlag... OK, the article from Wing Master is just about the AFV club F-5E in the Aggressor scheme (Flogger) and another article in the grape scheme (but there only 2 pages, not much text, just to show the F-5E in the grape scheme). It s no article about the USAF Aggr. or NAVY Adv. units, only about the plane/kit. Oh, about the Aires pit, let me open and check...it came across the channel from UK. I hope nothing is broken so far. Uhhhh Ohhh...what a cockpit! I wish mine would look the same already!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 4, 2014 Author Share Posted March 4, 2014 Arghhh...what a f...k!! You are right, all the tiny rods for the canopy mechanic are broken, also a part to hold the HUD (hmm, maybe I make a red HUD FOD out of Magic Sculp). But how to replace the tiny rods? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted March 4, 2014 Share Posted March 4, 2014 I cut up paper clips to size for tiny rods. Sewing pins if they don't need to be cut. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor01 Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 Ended up ordering a second cockpit because I broke the main linkage. Luckily I was able to get one cockpit from the two. All of my linkages were broken in one kit or the other minus a few parts like the IPs and control stick. Even my rudder pedal linkages broke in one kit. Expensive way to get the final result. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SERNAK Posted March 6, 2014 Share Posted March 6, 2014 The cockpit looks great!!! So, what's next in super-detailing? Landing gear bays? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 (edited) Well, I finally made the start after finishing the TNI-AU Viper (Old Italeri kit - not recommended!) and I m pleased what I get from AFV! Very fine and nice details, plastic feels good (not so soft, more hard and "defined"), the fit is one of the best I have had (after the first steps I might say even better than Tamiya Viper 1/48!) and the Aires pit fits perfectly!! Even the casting block does not have to be removed. For the broken rods in the Aires pit set I will take pieces from acupunture needles: that' s hard but bit flexible and thin! Even a sewing needle is too thick. I can cut it with my Dremel using small cutting wheel (like here the weell known "Flex" has). This you can use when u have to cut hardened steel (like sewing needles). The position lights are drilled out and replaced by clear thinned sprue, sanded flush and polished. That is no big deal because the stretched sprue is conical at the ends and with liquid glue easily to fix in the fuselage holes. Edited March 13, 2014 by tobiK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 13, 2014 Author Share Posted March 13, 2014 I found some more references in my library! Even the "lock on" is made from swiss Tigers, many details are the same to my USAF Tiger, I'm sure. Slow progress on the fuselage and test fitting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SERNAK Posted March 15, 2014 Share Posted March 15, 2014 (edited) I found some more references in my library! Even the "lock on" is made from swiss Tigers, many details are the same to my USAF Tiger, I'm sure. Got both books and they are great!!! Mind the main wheels doors. They are a bit different from those of Swiss Tigers, and here is what I mean: USAF/USN Tigers Swiss Tigers Edited March 15, 2014 by SERNAK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 (edited) Thank you, Sernak! I can see that clearly in my lock-on booklet, but I already decided to close these wheel doors. I want a quite clean bird. Meanwhile I keep you updated, made some slow progress. Working on the rear fuselage and try to replace as most as possible the lights, drill out and replace with clear sprue. The fit of the kit is awesome!!! Also started to work on the Aires cockpit, it s true: it fits like a glove in the AFV parts! I added the oxygen hose on the bang seat, rebuild and fixed the broken tiny resin parts for the linkage of the canopy lifting mechanism, added thin wire ... about the painting I think AFV is not so correct telling to take "aircraft grey". Due to my refs it s more a blue grey, so I feel good with Gunze 308 (FS 36375 - same interior color like the F-16), at the rear and inside the canopy it looks much darker and Gunze 331 dark seagrey is my paint for that area. Ok so far, the cockpit is not finished yet, more fine tiny painting to come, coat of future, washing, drybrushing... The ladder is nice, BUT had to cut off the bended tubes to hang that ladder on the fuselage and glue the parts on verse vice (otherwise the ladder would not hang properly vertical). Also put in a bit nose weight (old screw with magic sculp). Edited March 20, 2014 by tobiK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 When I compare the pit to the picture before, I see that there s a "box" now, covering something switches under...or do you know what s that? Should it be grey or black too? The knobs and switches are 90% correctly made from Aires, bit here and there are differences to a (swiss) F-5E. In the end, nobody will really notice that when finished. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 20, 2014 Author Share Posted March 20, 2014 Small moification on the rear stabs: made small "tunnels" with magic sculp and cut the connecting rod of the stabs. So I can add the finished stabs later when doing the final assembly. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SERNAK Posted March 20, 2014 Share Posted March 20, 2014 (edited) about the painting I think AFV is not so correct telling to take "aircraft grey". Due to my refs it s more a blue grey, so I feel good with Gunze 308 (FS 36375 - same interior color like the F-16), at the rear and inside the canopy it looks much darker and Gunze 331 dark seagrey is my paint for that area. Ok so far, the cockpit is not finished yet, more fine tiny painting to come, coat of future, washing, drybrushing... Hi TobiK, I know what you mean. I have faced the same problem quite a few times with other types of aircrafts from the US arsenal!!! Sometimes, the cockpit color looks to be FS-36231 and others FS-36375. At least, on this occassion, I know it's the FS-36375 (btw, one of my favorite FSs :D/> ). Keep up the good work!!! Edited March 20, 2014 by SERNAK Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aggressor01 Posted March 21, 2014 Share Posted March 21, 2014 Looking good. I'm doing the Navy/USMC version so I sanded down the forward left panel and built a TACAN panel. Yours is definately USAF all the way. Keep up the good work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 21, 2014 Author Share Posted March 21, 2014 OWS so I guessed it right, the FS 36375! Thanks for confirmation, Sernak. @ Aggressor: do you have a picture of that TACAN cockpit / panel? I still have the Sundowners F-5E in my stash and would like to make a Navy Aggressor one day. (AFAIK they use the fromer swiss Tigers). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Now the nice Aires pit is called finished, was a hellofawork...it is like a model in the model. I added some wire, handles, RBF safety pins, and yes, repaired the tiny but broken resin parts! When possible I replaced it with wire from a 0,30 mm acupuncture needle. RBF flags I took from a Expert Choice set, but did not fold it, just painted the backside red (otherwise it will be too thick!) Painting of the cockpit tub was done with FS 36375 (Gunze H308), the upper part with dark sea grey (Gunze H331). Due to my pics the canopy frame will be dark sea grey too (at least it is much darker than FS 36375 blueish grey). Other detail painting I did with Revell Aquacolor acryl paint and extra fine brushes (5/0 to 10/0), my glasses and a magnifier lamp. :thumbsup:/> Boarding ladder and inert Sidewinder AIM-9 J finished. Copper wire and lead wire was added to the landing gear. After that painted in silver (Revell aluminium no. 99) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tobiK Posted March 27, 2014 Author Share Posted March 27, 2014 Meanwhile I found an AIRES gun bay set for the AFV club Tiger, and guess what? I couldn't resist to order! Today the postman brought the small parcel containing that set and I startet to make it fit. Bahhh!! That is so narrow in the nose section that you have to sand like crazy: the backside of the gun bay and the left side of the front gear bay. in the end thickness was only a few 1/100 mm! That' s a hard job! But I remember now, that' s for what Aires in known! Wheel wells and airbrakes are molded good enough from AFV and the Aires parts there are no real improvement. I checked that latey at a LHS but did not buy these sets. Sorry for the bad quality of the pics, I just use a simple digital camera here in my "cave". Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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