Jump to content

Recommended Posts

7 hours ago, John Wolstenholme said:

Underside prepared for the Eduard photoetched parts. Will not fix them until fuselage halves are ready to be joined, or are joined, due to flex

 

How do you get the PE inserts perfectly flush with no gaps at all around them? I am just amazed. Its like they were always there and you just painted them. 😲

Link to post
Share on other sites

As with all my builds. The only way sometimes, spend hours thinking, trying things and executing the solution.

It’s a bit like fitting the Aires cockpit set. I don’t just rush in with a power tool or razor saw. I then prefer the control with files, sanding sticks and the sand, fit, sand, fit, ……………..

xaxlWPk.jpg%20

 

With all the handling (cockpit fitting, filling panel lines, thinning raised detail, removing the sink line just behind the L.Es) of the upper fuselage, the ‘guard rail’ to the sensor probes fatigued, not unlike me. An easy solution.

IICP3OY.jpg%20

 

It is after all a skunk works black project.:rolleyes:

 

Oh, we're back, must have been a host problem.

Edited by John Wolstenholme
Link to post
Share on other sites
On 8/24/2018 at 1:42 PM, John Wolstenholme said:

This is interesting. Fortunately it is apparent in photos of the acft I am modelling which version I should have, as both can be seen in 2003.

onijIj0.jpg%20

 

 

Hey John, it's coming along well - love all the routed out mesh inserts.

 

I believe that the difference in the two photos  above is that the 2000 photo on the left is of YF-117 79-10781 at the USAF museum, Dayton, whereas the 2003 photo is of a production model with an 80 to 88 FY prefixed serial. The 4 serrations on  the upper edge of the FLIR turret aperture remained constant, AFAIK.

The only problem with that theory, is that I've a shot of F-117A 84-0812 with the six serrations as per the USAFM example., but it seems to be an exception according to the photos I've collected.

 

However given that production ended in 1988 and it was in action in the Middle East until 2003, and the USA until 2008, it's possible some cannibalising of older airframes was required to keep a fleet operational.

Link to post
Share on other sites
14 minutes ago, chek said:

given that production ended in 1988 and it was in action in the Middle East until 2003, and the USA until 2008, it's possible some cannibalising of older airframes was required to keep a fleet operational.

As you say Charles, 82-0802, July 2003

https://www.jetphotos.com/photo/8531036

Regards

John.

Link to post
Share on other sites

To something equally ‘interesting’. Looking in the Sq. Signal Walkaround, I note “the mesh screen in front of the FLIR assembly appears to be a solid at first glance”. Indicating there is no glass? Additionally, when looking at:

https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/9/1/5/0424519.jpg

https://imgproc.airliners.net/photos/airliners/7/6/3/1268367.jpg

light reflections on all the glass surfaces are evident, except on the FLIR aperture.

 

So, was there not an ingress of water when flying in rain! What about bird strikes! 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Funny you should mention bird strikes John, as that was the main reason I could think of for replacing that aperture panel.

 

As for the turret itself, it would only rotate its sensor window forward on the run in for the attack, and birds would be very rare at the altitude the plane would operate at. Presumably rain would be cleared via diverted air vents like the windscreen.

 

This picture does catch the mesh better than most others. Irritatingly, it's actually coarser than that fabric glare filter I used in the 1/72 Nighthawk I built.

 

3657cu.jpg

 

F-117A 88-0841 HO 9 FS Berlin June 2000 by Burkhard Domke

Edited by chek
photo credit added
Link to post
Share on other sites

Photos back again, for how long this time?

 

It is strange how there is such a contrast between the above photo Charles posted and this screen shot from a video:

UdQvdzB.jpg%20

The described ‘fine mesh’ is barely visible, no obvious square, hexagon etc pattern. Looks like wrinkles in the centre!

 

Moving onto the intake grilles, what was the thinking was behind the solid plastic version with the double glazed window frame look? Nice fit though. The P.E. version is finely detailed, but PE is going to be thin. As they say, change what you can, accept what you cannot.

HnlNRdL.jpg%20

 

The deep plastic at the top behind the grille had to go.

0WrexPd.jpg%20

Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, John Wolstenholme said:

It is strange how there is such a contrast between the above photo Charles posted and this screen shot from a video:

UdQvdzB.jpg%20

The described ‘fine mesh’ is barely visible, no obvious square, hexagon etc pattern. Looks like wrinkles in the centre!

 

 

Morning John! I regret to say that your build has piqued an interest in the the olde Nighthawk, and I was just trying to hunt down the last outstanding photo of the 64 F-117s built. A couple are beyond finding due to being early losses, but 85-0824 is elusive, despite a few mislabelled ones of 84-0824 out there. But enough of that.

 

The problem with your video still is one of format and resolution. As it's a USAF aircraft, I'm deducing it's a video frame from an american video in  NTSC format with a resolution of 720 x 486, judging by the 'stepping' visible on the upper left serration above the FLIR turret, and to lesser degrees elsewhere in the picture. Additionally, the format introduces some smoothing functions in the algorithm (hence the bogus 'wrinkle' impression) in order to produce a 'lifelike' visual experience. As such, it's not really designed to extract fine detail from a still frame such as would be possible from a much finer grained wet film movie still.

Trying to insist that you can, powered a slew of increasingly far-fetched 9/11 conspiracy theories a decade or so ago.

 

The still below is from an original jpeg at 3145 x 2247 resolution, and shows the mesh detail more clearly (click to enlarge, then click on the image again).

43683533544_534175f6f8_o.jpg

 

1 hour ago, John Wolstenholme said:

Moving onto the intake grilles, what was the thinking was behind the solid plastic version with the double glazed window frame look? Nice fit though. The P.E. version is finely detailed, but PE is going to be thin. As they say, change what you can, accept what you cannot.

The deep plastic at the top behind the grille had to go.

 

 

What the kit designer probably had in mind was trying to represent the 3-D nature of the intake baffles, as illustrated in the diagram below:

 

30533188818_9345205ed6_o.jpg

 

Farr from being a simple mesh affair, the baffles are more akin to the 'pyramids' seen in an anechoic chamber, and serve the same purpose, i.e. to attenuate any radar signal and its reflection. But until such times as nano scale home 3-D printing is available, I'd say PE mesh is our current best option.

P.S. - I saw some spiffy looking prismatic film available from Hasegawa that might work well on the canopy clear panels.

 

44401222701_d994573674_c.jpg

Edited by chek
spelling
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi Charles, many thanks for your input. I was with you all the way regarding the video until the format introduces some smoothing functions in the algorithm”.

 

Regarding the inlet grilles, I was aware of the ‘construction’ thereby requiring those ~1m long secondary inlet doors for taxying and low speed. Cannot see anybody coming up with a PE or resin part which doesn’t look even more un-scale like. But, never say never.

 

I note the painting instructions state matt black for the intake trunking, normally white for inspection purposes. Presumably required by those big secondary doors when open in flight. May do the front black and the rear section white. In any event it would look at bit naff seeing a white intake through the P.E.

Link to post
Share on other sites
29 minutes ago, John Wolstenholme said:

Hi Charles, many thanks for your input. I was with you all the way regarding the video until the format introduces some smoothing functions in the algorithm”. 

 

 

Apologies John, it's just a fancy way of saying the pixel signals are processed by the video encoder in such a way as to show a smooth (usually) moving image.

The upshot being that the picture is not optimised for crisp still images - quite the opposite, in fact. The mesh itself is just too fine to be detected properly at that resolution, although something like localised brighter reflections look to have been smoothed into the image and appeared as the 'wrinkle' on the FLIR turret.

What's commonly called an 'artefact', i.e. it wasn't really there, the process itself made it appear.

 

37 minutes ago, John Wolstenholme said:

Regarding the inlet grilles, I was aware of the ‘construction’ thereby requiring those ~1m long secondary inlet doors for taxying and low speed. Cannot see anybody coming up with a PE or resin part which doesn’t look even more un-scale like. But, never say never.

 I note the painting instructions state matt black for the intake trunking, normally white for inspection purposes. Presumably required by those big secondary doors when open in flight. May do the front black and the rear section white. In any event it would look at bit naff seeing a white intake through the P.E.

 

Having the black front section seems like best bet. The photo below shows not the slightest trace of the liney's yellow smock, nor any interior ducting.

I'd hazard a guess that like the MiG-29 and the Su-27, those upper intake doors are only open on the ground and close once flying speed is reached. So the ducts probably are all white for inspection, but for modelling appearances black will look better.  Unless you specifically want to show them open, in which case it's your call on how to compromise.

 

30539260528_cf1e6fbab3_c.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites
3 hours ago, chek said:

 

Apologies John, it's just a fancy way of saying the pixel signals are processed by the video encoder in such a way as to show a smooth (usually) moving image.

The upshot being that the picture is not optimised for crisp still images - quite the opposite, in fact. The mesh itself is just too fine to be detected properly at that resolution, although something like localised brighter reflections look to have been smoothed into the image and appeared as the 'wrinkle' on the FLIR turret.

What's commonly called an 'artefact', i.e. it wasn't really there, the process itself made it appear.

 

 

Having the black front section seems like best bet. The photo below shows not the slightest trace of the liney's yellow smock, nor any interior ducting.

I'd hazard a guess that like the MiG-29 and the Su-27, those upper intake doors are only open on the ground and close once flying speed is reached. So the ducts probably are all white for inspection, but for modelling appearances black will look better.  Unless you specifically want to show them open, in which case it's your call on how to compromise.

 

30539260528_cf1e6fbab3_c.jpg

 

And here I always thought there was only a single crew member for the F-117. He must feed coal into the engine and I imagine there is another crew member for the other engine.

Link to post
Share on other sites
12 minutes ago, Mr Matt Foley said:

 

And here I always thought there was only a single crew member for the F-117. He must feed coal into the engine and I imagine there is another crew member for the other engine.

 

3 hours ago, chek said:

 

30539260528_cf1e6fbab3_c.jpg

 

That's the real reason they were black, so the dirt didn't show. All that RAM business was a con.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Funny diversion. :clap2: And the winner is……………………….. 

 

I decided to redo the compressor front faces. Why? Maybe a little OCD coming thro’.

lwASBr4.jpg%20

 

With everything dry fitted in the top fuz with 1” wide rolled white paper at the end of the trunking, it is easily seen when appropriately viewed. So it’s matt black all the way. Now to some airbrushing.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks as always to those of you taking the time to comment.

Having spent hours getting the grilles finished, I decided to protect them against inadvertent fingers during handling still to come.

OGBPkXo.jpg%20

fSbk4Yt.jpg%20

 

Thinned the exhaust nozzles to look more realistic, but it is not as dramatic as the photo indicates. I didn’t notice I placed the top piece upside down for the photo, which is also now thinned so could not redo. :doh:

Z3VGvZC.jpg%20

 

Need to get back to the NGB, just got distracted with ideas elsewhere.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...