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KA Models aftermarket parts


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Has anyone seen or used any of the exhaust sets from KA Models? They look amazingly detailed. I believe they are 3D printed. Here is a link to their site (in South Korea). Check out their F-15 open and closed exhaust sets. The amount of detailing is amazing. They also make F-14A exhaust sets that look more accurate that most others I have seen (with the exception of Katran).

 

http://ka-models.co.kr/

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3 hours ago, airmechaja said:

$$$$$$$$:jaw-dropping:

 

Yea, a bit more expensive say an Aires set, but you can get just the external part of the exhaust without the burner can for much cheaper and I don't think the cost is that far out of line. Especially if they are as finely detailed as they look.

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YMMV

i've bought the F-4B nozzles, and they were way too thin... they have some bubble holes...

and the F-4B PE colors is too dark...(bought at the same time, when they were the first AM stuff available for the Academy kit)

 

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6 hours ago, Brian P: Fightertown Decals said:

I just ordered all the F-14 stuff. My question is is they say for Hasegawa/Tamiya, can they actually fit both? I thought Hasegawa was a wider diameter exhausts than Tamiya...  fingers crossed for a good Tamiya fit!

brian

 

Same can be said of the parts for the F-15. It supposedly fits 3 separate manufacturers (Unless your buy the Hasegawa). The other issue for the F-15 is it should only be used with EARLY Pratt engines thus making it not for the F-15I or F-15K (or later Bu Numbered F-15E) because the -229 burner area is different.

 

I also dont care for the tube being split. It has to have a seam in there.

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3 hours ago, Mr Matt Foley said:

 

I also dont care for the tube being split. It has to have a seam in there.

 

If I buy anything, it would probably just be the external exhaust nozzle parts. I too am leery of the split burner cans, but I think that is because they are 3D printed (I think, not sure) and doing it that way allows more detail. Plus, as far as I know, they are the only people doing F-15 closed exhaust nozzles (please someone correct me if I'm wrong).

 

Brian, have you looked at Katran's stuff (The 48ers have them)? Their F-14A exhaust nozzles look about as good as KA's and the burner can is one piece. The thing I like about KA and Katran's F-14A stuff is that they got the open nozzles more accurate than Aires does. When you get your KA stuff could you post some pics?

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I still haven't seen anyone get the PE exhausts totally correct. The closed nozzles don't curve all the way to the exhaust tubing like the kit parts do. Tricky to explained but there's and element of 'closed' look internally. Same with the open. No one has got the exhaust petals internal shapes right yet...

 

i wanted the Katran parts but never seen them instock anywhere... I'll check out the link. Wish they would show the actual parts lined up with the kit part. A beautifully 3D printed piece doesn't work if it doesn't match the kit dimensions... I'm keeping my fingers crossed for these parts and really hope they do fit Tamiya!

brian

Edited by Brian P: Fightertown Decals
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Looking at the online pictures for Katran - mostly 3D renders, it's hard to tell. They look great but... the open nozzles look too long (ie not fully open) and have a bit of an outward flare. The closed nozzles look too short (ie not fully closed)... not sure what's going on with their grid pattern on the shrouds. It looks overdetialed and needs the cross panel lines filled in. 

 

brian 

Edited by Brian P: Fightertown Decals
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8 hours ago, Brian P: Fightertown Decals said:

Looking at the online pictures for Katran - mostly 3D renders, it's hard to tell. They look great but... the open nozzles look too long (ie not fully open) and have a bit of an outward flare. The closed nozzles look to short (ie not fully closed)... not sure what's going on with their grid pattern on the shrouds. It looks overdetialed and needs the cross panel lines filled in. 

 

brian 

 

Great info, thanks Brian. My main concern was that on the Aires nozzles, which I have, the inner petals don't seem to extend far enough. They're too short when I compared it to photos. Katran's came out and seemed to correct that, so do these new KA nozzles. I don't know if I'll buy either though. Both are expensive and my Aires parts are already painted (the kit is just awaiting proper decals, hint, hint, nudge, nudge :whistle: ). If the KA nozzles look OK to you and fit, then I may just get the nozzle set sans burner cans.

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  • 4 weeks later...

I have a set of the closed F-15 nozzles and they are amazing.  Detailing is excellent. No assembly required on the nozzle end.  I can finally put an Eagle on a Stick and not have to worry that someone will point out that both engines are at idle....lol.  Will be painting them this weekend......I'll let you all know how that goes!  It took less than two weeks to get them from South Korea to Oregon!

I can highly recommend them to all Eagle enthusiasts!

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1 hour ago, ORANGF15Guy said:

I have a set of the closed F-15 nozzles and they are amazing.  Detailing is excellent. No assembly required on the nozzle end.  I can finally put an Eagle on a Stick and not have to worry that someone will point out that both engines are at idle....lol.  Will be painting them this weekend......I'll let you all know how that goes!  It took less than two weeks to get them from South Korea to Oregon!

I can highly recommend them to all Eagle enthusiasts!

 

I see that Hobby Easy has them in stock also.

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I just got the F-14A open, closed and tubes sets. They art works of art. Very fine and precise detail, stronger than they look for being so delicate. They look 3-D printed, not resin cast... 

 

holding them up to the Tamiya shrouds they look very very close. Like within a fraction of a mm narrow. I'd highly recommend them and will be ordering more sets. 

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46 minutes ago, Brian P: Fightertown Decals said:

I just got the F-14A open, closed and tubes sets. They art works of art. Very fine and precise detail, stronger than they look for being so delicate. They look 3-D printed, not resin cast... 

 

holding them up to the Tamiya shrouds they look very very close. Like within a fraction of a mm narrow. I'd highly recommend them and will be ordering more sets. 

 

Brian, did you order them direct or though a vendor? Just wondering which is faster?

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It is interesting that he is selling 3D printed parts, and not resin cast parts made form 3D printed masters (like Quickboost, Aires and everyone else). It must take hours to print all these parts - unless he has access to a bunch of machines.

Edited by KursadA
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24 minutes ago, KursadA said:

It is interesting that he is selling 3D printed parts, and not resin cast parts made form 3D printed masters (like Quickboost, Aires and everyone else). It must take hours to print all these parts - unless he has access to a bunch of machines.

 

I was pretty sure they were 3D printed when I first saw them. Can't get that fine of detail in the smaller parts with cast resin. Just look at the petal moving parts on the F-15 nozzles. Each part so completely well defined and all identical. My big concern is going to be painting the F-15 nozzles. Will be difficult to paint the outside of the petals one color and the mechanisms different colors. No way to mask on the outside. Going to take some creative thought.

 

Sure hope they have multiple machines printing these babies or they're going to fall behind fast with all the orders coming in now. Maybe they built up stack before going live.

Edited by Mstor
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3 hours ago, Mstor said:

 

Brian, did you order them direct or though a vendor? Just wondering which is faster?

Direct. I like supporting smaller manufacturers directly whenever possible. Shipping was very fast. I was on the road when they came but I'm guessing Korea to USA in 10 days. I'm ordering more. 

Edited by Brian P: Fightertown Decals
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3 hours ago, Mstor said:

 

I was pretty sure they were 3D printed when I first saw them. Can't get that fine of detail in the smaller parts with cast resin. Just look at the petal moving parts on the F-15 nozzles. Each part so completely well defined and all identical. My big concern is going to be painting the F-15 nozzles. Will be difficult to paint the outside of the petals one color and the mechanisms different colors. No way to mask on the outside. Going to take some creative thought.

 

It is not the fineness of detail - you can get arbitrarily fine exterior detail in resin without any problem. What makes 3D printing here obvious is the geometry of these parts: it is impossible to cast that those F-15 nozzles with the actuator arms as a single piece (even with jewelry techniques such as investment casting) using the typical RTV rubber molds many aftermarket manufacturers use. The only way they could have been done is 3D printing.

Edited by KursadA
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30 minutes ago, KursadA said:

 

It is not the fineness of detail - you can get arbitrarily fine exterior detail in resin without any problem. What makes 3D printing here obvious is the geometry of these parts: it is impossible to cast that those F-15 nozzles with the actuator arms as a single piece (even with jewelry techniques such as investment casting) using the typical RTV rubber molds many aftermarket manufacturers use. The only way they could have been done is 3D printing.

Word.

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I guess you're right about getting that fine detail with resin casting, but to do so and replicate each small part perfectly over and over. Just removing such tiny little details from a mold would, I think, become problematic. But, perhaps not. I'm not an expert, just know what I've seen and the level of detail on cast resin parts that I've seen. These 3D printed parts seem a step beyond what I am used to seeing with the cast resin parts. I think we are seeing the next step in modeling technology. I know 3D printing has been used to create masters for casting, but this is taking it to a new level. Plus, the technology is only going to improve over time.

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The detail looks superb, but as Kursad said, it's not a problem at all to create it in resin, and repeatable (although you have to replace moulds at regular intervals if you don't want to compromise on detail fidelity). The geometry however is impossible to re-create in resin as the cast detail needs some sort path to be removed from the mould. It doesn't have to be a strictly vertical path (like in injection moulding and steel moulds), you can have sometimes severe undercuts etc, but somehow the path needs to be there. Here though, with all the actuators in place and daylight between them, that's incredibly hard, if not impossible to achieve.

The reason why most companies prefer resin cast copies rather than selling the 3D printed (master) parts directly are:

 - the surface fidelity of 3D printed parts is often below what's acceptable in the scale model world and needs to be hand-finished to bring it up to standard. This is in direct relation to the type of printer used and its print process, the print material and the geometry and orientation of the part to be printed. You have to do a lot of testing to find what's working on which part. It's NOT a case of just using the most expensive machine. KA seem to have found a very convincing solution.

 - the cost of printing. My guess is that KA own their machines as hired printing time would be very expensive.

 

Cheers,

J

(p.s.: I'm just puzzled why they made the AB cans as separate halves. I don't think printing them as one piece would have been any different? The support structure could have been on the outsides of the tube instead... Perhaps they think modellers would prefer to paint them in separate halves?)

Edited by JeffreyK
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Thanks Jeffrey, that's a lot of good information about casting and printing. Like I said, I'm no expert. One thing I do know is that the technology is only going to get better. If KA models can print parts with this level of detail, and meet demand, and make money doing it, it can only spur others to experiment with the technology. The increased demand will encourage designers of the 3D printing technology to improve their product. I think we are seeing the tip of the iceberg here.

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