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1/48 Su-27UB Blue 52 Polar Flanker


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Hi Nicholas,

even small progress is progress.

How would you rate the AMUR REAVER photoetch? I was thinking of ordering one or more sets as the louvres on the intake sides look great.

These Aires wheelbays seem to be a real pain to install. I guess scratching the details is easier then hacking the kit apart trying to fit them :wacko:

The whole riveting looks impressive, for sure it will come out nicely when you start weathering the kit. Especially the Quickboost flaps look way better now.

Maybe Ive missed it but what tools are you using for making rivets? Im especially interested in the tool you use for creating these circular rivets:

blue52_img_9294.jpg

Cheers

Markus

Edited by Shorty84
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Thanks Markus. It's a fun build and probably the most intense aircraft build I've done yet. My Fishbed was maybe half as complex...

Anyway, I'm using RB Productions Rivet-R tools, the larger wheel and the corner wheel. Both are the 1mm bits. The larger rivet tool is Hasegawa's rivet punch and it's .75mm or .5mm...I can't exactly recall. I wish it had a screw head marking in the center but it's still a good tool.

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Nicholas,

I'm really quite impressed with the amount of detail that you're adding. Since I know nothing about Soviet aircraft, I look at this strictly from a modelers point of view, and like I said, it's something special. Those main wheel wells look like there is quite a bit of work to blend them in.

Like you, my present build is the most challenging of my modeling endeavors, so slow but steady pace is the way to go, and each completed step is a personal 1st for me. Looking forward to your next update

Joel

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Another week has gone by with many minor updates. Finished up the lower wings…and figured I disconnect them while I was working on the wheel bays. They should be easy enough to pop back in place once she goes together.

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Also finished the riveting process…which wasn’t as bad as I thought it’d be. Tedious, but not bad.

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Finished adding the wheelbays.

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Worked on the canopy hinge by re-adding the PE plate to the new piece of styrene and puttied in place.

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Lastly, added the spacers to the radome and added to the upper fuselage. There will be a touch of putty and sanding but the shapes match, which is more important.

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Nicholas,

I'm really impressed with the riveting, it looks like it was originally molded with the kit. Please take that as a compliment, I'm just not sure how to phrase it better then that. Those resin wheels wells look like quite a challenge. I have no doubt that you'll make them look perfect. My real concern is the nose cone. Looking at the last picture the nose cone seems to be wider then the fuselage section, or is that just because both fuselage sections aren't taped together?

Joel

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Thanks Joel!! Riveting is a long process with any build but it pays off in the end.

As for the nose cone, yeah, it has a larger radius than the kit part. There will be some filling of gaps once the lower fuselage is added. I'll post some pics in a little bit...

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Did a little work last night while paint was drying on the MC-80. The wheel well detail on the upper fuselage needs to be filed/sanded down to get the new wheel wells to fit. There’s also a fair bit of sanding to come along the seams. Also added the last of the AMUR vents.

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Here’s what’s happening with the radome right now. I’ll need to shave some material from one side of the lower fuselage edge and add some to the opposite site. It’ll fit nicely in the end.

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Did some more work on the intakes. The fans were dropped in, painted black then dry brushed silver. I’m not too concerned about the sloppy paint as you can’t tell once the intakes are in place.

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Lastly, since the intakes have open tops, light bleeds through from the open wheel bays. To correct this I fitted a piece of adhesive vinyl to the top. Works as an effective light block with no impact on the fit.

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Hi Nicholas,

you know, instructions are just someone else's opinion… :P

I noticed the same about the Quickboost nose. Some of them (I have 5 to compare) have an elliptical cross section instead of a circular one. It seems they were removed from the rubber mould too early. I guess this is the reason for the fit problems you read about on many other builds.

I hope you don't mind when I mention another thing. I think you placed one of the photoetched louvres at the wrong position (red). When you look at the reference pic you've provided on page 1 (post #2) you'll see that this louvre should be placed atop the other one (green).

0575krr.jpg

Otherwise, great progress as always! :thumbsup:

Cheers

Markus

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Minor updates. Started working on the fuselage part of the cockpit. The instructions call for PE to be added as the braces, but those part numbers aren’t actually in the set so I made some vinyl strips. Before moving forward some paint needed to be added and AKAN makes a Flanker interior color. Personally, I think it’s pretty good but it doesn’t match the Eduard PE color. I’m mostly OK with that…

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I also added the cannon barrel with some brass tubing.

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Nicholas,

That's some really nice PE work. As for the color difference, once the cockpit is completed, and the fuselage halves buttoned up, the shadows should just about hide that slight color difference.

Joel

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some nice work so far Nick! Great work with the PE stuff

Just on the AKAN paints - how do you find them to work with? Are they enamel or acrylic? I have some of their paints but haven't used them because I don't know what to thin or clean them up with

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some nice work so far Nick! Great work with the PE stuff

Just on the AKAN paints - how do you find them to work with? Are they enamel or acrylic? I have some of their paints but haven't used them because I don't know what to thin or clean them up with

They're full acrylic and wash up well with a mix of 50:50 deminerealised water and windex. I thin them with a few drops of the demineralised water. They flow pretty well but take some getting used to.

@Nicholas, great work mate. Looking tight.

Edited by Crazy Snap Captain
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...an hour well spent. Those seats and panels look awesome!

+1! I couldn't have said it better. The seats look like a "jungle" of belts and restraints and they all came out very distinct. That is precise building/painting! The IP's turned out excellent as well. I keep thinking to myself..... I have one of these kits, and can imagine the time you are putting into this build. I am not sure I could do the same for mine. Although, you never know. I just know it is a "labor of love" to take it to the level you are. Very inspiring!

-Mark

P.S. I know it can also be a PITA but, I think "labor of love" usually wins! Haha. :woot.gif:

Edited by taggor
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Thanks guys! I just looked at this page on a larger screen and those pics are terrible! Ha! I'll post some REAL pics when I get some more work done.

I wish my pics could turn out as terrible as yours! Haha

-Mark

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