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1/32 EA-18G VAQ-132 Operation Odyssey Dawn


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Marcel,

Excellent attention to correcting all those details so the end result is greater then the parts. The removal of the step for full retracted slats is often over looked as it's not as easy as it looks on a lot of kits. Same with the reduction of the spacing between the extended flaps.

Looking forward to your next update.

Joel

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Marcel,

Top notch work as usual! Can I ask how you are planning on masking the intakes? When I was working in my 1/48 Super Hornet, I used the Rhino intakes as well. The fit was spot on but I had a heck of a time trying to mask them off and getting a clean and consistent demarcation line.

A few guys here suggested I use Tamiya tape but trying to get it in and right on both intakes proved way too much for my skills. Looking forward to how you will tackle the situation!

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Thx Chuck! Regarding the blue and red lights, it's pretty much the way you see it. Just saw off an appropriately sized piece of acetate, glue into the slot made and do a bunch of sanding. Make the slot and acetate piece a lot bigger than the actual light will be, you only need to mask off a section.

Andrew, I don't have a plan on how I will be masking the inside of the intake but I foresee it being a fairly painful exercise--but no more painful than dealing with the other things these Trumpeter kits typically throw at us <_<

Marcel

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A quick update: Here are the D type blisters added to the fuselarge sides (which Trumpeter forgot about):

DSC_0375_zpswf7m2zjr.jpg

In the below pic, note the white plastic sheet I added to the inside upper section of the flap. This is necessary, else the flap won't follow the contour of the wing.

DSC_0377_zpsjtlv5hf2.jpg

Some early work on the wheel well. I really don't enjoy adding detail to wheel wells (just seems futile) but usually end up doing a bit of it anyway.

DSC_0378_zps25uxtiau.jpg

DSC_0379_zpsdrwyykbw.jpg

:cheers:

Marcel

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Some early work on the wheel well. I really don't enjoy adding detail to wheel wells (just seems futile) but usually end up doing a bit of it anyway.

Marcel

My thoughts exactly. I have hundreds of hours of wheel well detail in my last 4 builds and I rarely get a peek at any of it, even when they are placed on a mirror. Now I just do some, just 'cause.

Nice styrene edits. Crisp and clean as always.

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Great build. Good to watch your progress !

I'm just doing some similar detailing the gear-bays on a Hasegawa 1:48 F/A-18F, so I'm spending quite a bit of time with my nose in Jake's excellent book........... and I think the ground A/C port is only mounted in the left main gear-bay, rather than both.

Aires also has them incorrectly on both sides.

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Thx guys!

My thoughts exactly. I have hundreds of hours of wheel well detail in my last 4 builds and I rarely get a peek at any of it, even when they are placed on a mirror. Now I just do some, just 'cause.

Funny how we still end up doing it :rolleyes:/>

Some more updates:

The Growler features some wing modifications relative to the regular Super, which are the addition of a wing fence and a modified leading edge dogtooth. The kit features the wing fence (although unusably thick imo) and doesn't change the dogtooth, the latter is up to the modeler to correct.

DSC_0375_zpsmzbrt1ge.jpg

DSC_0376_zpsnhqzfcjj.jpg

Some other minor additions are shown below: There is a small door to the side of the front wheel well that is usually open when the aircraft is parked; there is also a circular vent directly ahead of that.

DSC_0377_zpsm9yirs5x.jpg

:cheers:/>

Marcel

Edited by Marcel111
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  • 1 month later...

Wow, it's been over a month since my last update. A few things have happened since. For starters, I joined the mile high club... which is to say I modelled while sitting in an airplane crossing the Atlantic. Been travelling quite a bit, so I thought I'd pack the pylons and a bunch of sandpaper and get that tedious work done while away from home. Worked too, more on that below:

The Trumpeter pylons feature two bumps on one side of each pylon, these don't exist on the real thing and have to consequently be sanded off... a really boring job and I am proud to say I got it all done while on the road.

After the bumps are removed, detail needs to be added on both sides of the pylons. A lot of repetitive work...

DSC_0841%202_zpsicfcqdnh.jpg

I cut off the instrument coaming and rebuilt it:

DSC_0846%202_zps42zbvh8g.jpg

The raised ribs in the coaming were done by pushing a blunt scribing tool from the opposite side.

DSC_0845%203_zpstnuzcj5f.jpg

The area behind the rear seat is built up with the Eduard set.

DSC_0848_zpsizr9ykpd.jpg

:cheers:/>/>

Marcel

Edited by Marcel111
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Thx Rambler, thx Karl!

nice job on the pylons. i chickened out and ordered the resin pylons...

Ha, that is the only sensible thing to do, I wasn't aware of any aftermarket pylons, I would have definitely used those had I known.

Speaking of awareness of aftermarket goodies, I have recently come across this, which would have saved me a bunch of work had I known about it a little earlier:

http://www.steel-beach.com/132-resin.html

As it is, I have been whiling away doing these things from scratch. Construction of the lower rear fuselarge mounted Blisters:

DSC_0371_zpsx8a5sqds.jpg

DSC_0373_zps9wwfy9ki.jpg

DSC_0847_zpszwuv1e40.jpg

On the Major-plus side, I received a huge bag of goodies from Harold: Harms, wingtip pods and ALQ-99's... :banana:/>

DSC_0841%203_zps8uarzlau.jpg

:cheers:/>

Marcel

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Hello Marcell! I am sorry that I have been only lurking on your build here and have not participated. I am enjoying this build very much. I have a couple Growlers in 1/48 waiting like so many other kits. Your build will be a good reference even if not the same scale for my projects. I always enjoy a "BUG/ SUPER BUG" build!

-Mark

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Hello Marcel, I love your research of detail, it is even more enhanced by your dexterity! I do not speak very much in your topic because I think I could make a valuable contribution to your work but I always follow your buildings and I have to say that you are a good reference for lovers of the major scale.

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