Top Gun 1986 F-14A (Tamiya 1/48 - in-flight twin build))

[ExchefAndy]

15 hours ago, crackerjazz said:

Ok that's a little bit harder for Tamiya lacquer thinner to erase  : )   Hey, how's your F-14 build coming along?

 

My brother and I didn't have any thinner back then, so we rubbed at it with a damp cloth!🤦‍♂️

I finished my build a little while ago, it needs a little dusting now, but I'll try to get some pics up on the display shortly. Brilliant kit, and reasonably happy with the results! thanks for asking!

Andy

 

Edited October 26, 2021 by ExchefAndy

[crackerjazz]

I wanted to experiment a bit on the drop tanks and see what the difference would be between oil weathering and black-basing.   

 

Before repainting (these were weathered with oils)..

 

 

Stripped then primed with black:

 

 

Mottled..

 

..and painted.    Seems like there's not much difference from my oil-weathering results.   And this has the advantage of zero drying time.   I might still weather them with oils or acrylic paint for the  fuel stains but looks weathered enough as is, I think.

 

Edited October 28, 2021 by crackerjazz

[Aigore]

Looking great! 🙂

[crackerjazz]

Thanks, Aigore!

 

Found the TCS pods, I thought I'd lost them, whew : (     

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

I find that with blackbasing some of the deeper and narrower panel lines and rivets can't get proper coverage with the base coat so they stay black.  It's almost like having instant panel lines.  And you can't just spray more into them or the surrounding areas will get washed out.     This can be advantageous, I guess, but where they stand out too much I'll just tone them down with some gray oil wash.

 

Will have to check references... I think the pivot is supposed to be white, the hook bare metal and the rubber stop black.

 

It somehow reminds me of the Millennium Falcon : )

 

Edited October 30, 2021 by crackerjazz

[GW8345]

Yes, the hook pivot points were white.

 

For the tail hook bumpers (rubber stops), all the one's I've seen up close and personal (was a finalchecker in 3 F-14 squadrons) were translucent red to pink, depending on weathering (the older they were the more faded to pink they became).

 

The bumpers were a clear red rubber that would fade over time.

 

The hook point was steel with a coating of brown grease (can't remember if it was Molly B, don't think it was because Molly B was a blackish color and the grease for the hook point was a brown color).

 

hth

[crackerjazz]

Great info, thanks GW! 

[crackerjazz]

A couple mods on the tailhooks...

 

 

 

Opened up the vents.  I think this would have been easier to do using a needle file before closing up the shell halves.  

 

 

  

 

   

 

 

 

[A-10 LOADER]

Beautiful !!

Steve

"TOMCATS FOREVER, BABY...!"

[SERNAK]

Beautiful work as always!!!

[tomfomes]

Beautiful paint job! 👏

[crackerjazz]

Steve, Sernak, Tom, thanks for the kind words, guys : )

 

I've started masking the walkways.   

 

I call this the Lego cat because of this panel touch-up that reminds me of Lego, for some reason.  And it has that white panel in the back, too.   This cat has a shorter walkway.

 

 

 

And this is the Plain cat, with the longer walkway.

 

 

  

A few more strips to cover some more fasteners and I should be able to spray the FS 36440. Thanks again for that info, by the way, Tom.  

 

That section in front seems to go up till the edge?

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Overkill masking : )   Sometimes the overspray reaches up to the tail : )

 

 

Edited November 6, 2021 by crackerjazz

[Aigore]

Oooooh....looking so good! Think I need to take painting instructions from you 😄

really goid work, mate!

[crackerjazz]

Hi Aigore, funny, but I look up to your work! : )

 

 

 

 

 

Here's how the FS 36440 walkways turned out.  The one on the left received more layers  - I may need to weather it down a little with some tan or brown oil wash.  The one on the right didn't get enough.   After realizing I might drown out the mottling I purposely didn't add too many layers.     I could repeat the masking and do it again (oh, my aching back : ) but I'll be adding more faded DGG anyway -- let's see if that will help create the necessary contrast.

 

Edited November 7, 2021 by crackerjazz

[Aigore]

We inspire each other, kind of nice 😄

You are a far bettet builder than I am...more meticulous in getting every thing right. I wouldn't say I'm a better painter than you, because I'm not, but I have a sense of colours and what works or not. I'm quicker att getting my desired results.

[crackerjazz]

Thanks, Aigore, that's not how I feel about myself, haha.  I really look up to your work and paintjobs, and mine are full of exasperation -- of always wanting everything perfect and yet not getting the results I want -- so I never finish.   I really admire your speed and your ability to call a step done with fantastic results and move on to another.  

 

Hey, I did the unmanly thing and read the instructions and saw that the walkways are indeed 36440 : )   The Fightertown decal set is full of great info.   Started working on the patchwork.   

 

  

 

 

I tried to follow closely what I can from movie stills and paintjobs by other Top Gun builders.

 

  

Still have to lighten/darken some areas and paint the spine -  I really have a lot of questions about the paintjob on these Tomcats, but the patchwork is taking shape.    It should look better, too, when I start doing the panel lines.  Have to weather that panel -- the white looks too.....electric  : )  

 

[Aigore]

Fantastic Finnish! Remember that what you can't get by painting you can achieve with weathering 🙂

I truly admire your tenacity and sense of details....that's one of my weak spots, I don't follow through because I want it done.

Cheers mate.

[Red Dog]

Beautiful mate !!

Makes me want to go back to a F14 like right now.

 

[crackerjazz]

Hi, Aigore, Red Dog, thanks, guys!  : )    I wasn't satisfied, unfortunately  : (    

 

Printed out the reference photos...

 

 

Especially the photos of the two birds with a good view of the topside.

 

And started comparing.   Don't mind that glove panel patchwork that extends too much outwards -- I was was experimenting on how to recover from mistakes.   I conclude that it's not easy to do corrections if you're using the black-basing technique.   Somehow touch-ups don't produce the same color modulations as spraying layers over mottling.  And often you end up drowning out the mottling. I understand now why they always say to go slowly with the layers.

 

There are some strange artifacts on the photos.  Already cleaned the lens of the camera -- might be from inside the body?    I'll just alternate between the camera and the phone to take pictures.

 

Soooo.....

 

Surprise!   I wanna have another go at it.   I erased the blackboard again.  I'll start with the Lego Cat.   What I want to do this time is use some masks, either paper or putty, for the patchwork.  But if I don't get the results I want and difference isn't that great I'll probably leave the Plain Cat alone.

 

 

 

See that worm in the middle and that C-like shape on the left hand side?      Not sure where they're coming from.   It reminds me of that moon-hoax article : )

 

[Aigore]

You are very hard on yoursel, mate....but you put a finger on one of the weaknesses of blackbasing.

In my mind you are working the paintwork against yourself.

This is a very personal view and not any criticism in any way...

With the ground work in black basing or any preshading techniques is that you produce a clean canvas. It is the base of the paintjob and a beginning of the weathering procedure. With it you produce a depth in the paintjob, a structure...but it is ok to cover that structure, keep that in mind.

 

1. You do a blackbase, graybase or whatever preshading technique that you feel comfortable with.

2. Start working the grime and leaks around often touched panels and hatches.

3. Do the corrosion control and fresh panels (this is where you can cover the base structure to make patches stand out!

 

After this you have a nice surface...give it a light polish with 4000 grit sanding pad or a cloth.

4. Now clear coat and add decals.

5. Seal the decals add washes.

6. Now you get to play with pigments and Tamiya make-up sets, create the "top dirt"...all that messy stuff from "this cruise" dirty handprints, dust, footsteps, fuel and oil leaks 

7.add scaveing, flaking, primer paint shine through and chipping

8 last step...filters, toning and blending and top it iff with a flat coat.

 

This is how I work the model...it is not THE way but you take some of that idle ramblings and make your own variations to it and I think you will be happy with it.

The important thing is not to make it exactly like the pictures (nobody will ever compare the model to tve picture), the important thing is to make the model feel right and convey YOUR impression of it. 

If you always compare it to reality you will never be pleased.

 

Cut your self some slack and enjoy it 😄 you are a fantastic modeller and you push me to do better and every update you do is a highlight of the day!

 

 

[tomthegrom]

You stripped it again? Mate you were on a winner! 

Instead of trying to simulate something, why not just do it the same way it really happens,  paint and dirt layers that build up. I black base the base camo colours then fade them slightly, then decals then it's just layers and layers and layers. If a part is too subtle or too stark, just paint a bit over it. I use the three base greys but then smoke, brown,  and about 3 other random greys. Then oils and all that stuff. That's the beauty of navy birds, it cant be wrong! 

 

Your painting skills are superb. Flow with it. 

[crackerjazz]

 

23 hours ago, Aigore said:

... nobody will ever compare the model to tve picture...

 

Oh, but that's what we do all day at the Top Gun Builders' Club : )     Just kidding.  Thanks for the advice.  Yeah, I'm going bonkers trying to match the photos.  And the strange thing is it seems like the harder I try the more elusive the results I want become.  So you're absolutely right in that I need to ease up a bit.  When the hobby becomes your greatest source of frustration it's really not a hobby anymore.   

 

Hey, Tom, thanks, will try out your suggestions.   I did regret stripping it.    After the first swipe and with the plastic visible I instantly regretted it but there just wasn't any turning back.   Will need to to practice lightening/darkening paints -- the shades of the paints I use seem lighter when applied but darker when dry so I find it difficult to estimate the contrasts.  But, yeah, I need absolutely need to learn to do that instead stripping down to bare plastic everytime : )

 

Here she is after a few layers over the mottling. 

 

 

 

 

 

Will need to apply a couple more layers then back to the Lego Cat patchwork.  

Edited November 15, 2021 by crackerjazz

[Aigore]

Absolutely, a hobby is all about the fun and relaxation it gives you 🙂

lovely work on the re-repaint !

[Cubs2jets]

1/1 scale aircraft motteling, how the US Navy really gets that appearance ...

 

 

 

 

C2j

[crackerjazz]

Thanks, Janne!   That's quite the revelation, Cubs2jets : )    I imagined something more sophisticated than just a rattle can but it's as good a tool as the job requires, I guess -- portable and fast  : )

[crackerjazz]

Lego cat patchwork progress shot...   Screen-matched to the best of my ability : )