crackerjazz Posted March 31, 2021 Author Share Posted March 31, 2021 (edited) Fasteagle, Mac, thanks! Wouldn't you know it --- the indicators were already there : ) All along I was wondering what those things were that were sticking out of the Eduard coaming. I thought they were part of the HUD : ) They were moulded-on, though, and I wasn't too happy with the shape. And they were solid blocks with no visible glare shields. I think they just didn't look right being stuck onto the coaming, but they would have been awesome as separate parts to be glued onto the windscreen frame. I was thinking about salvaging them and gluing them on but they still had to be reshaped and that would entail further work, so I've decided to just use the scratchbuilt ones. Scratchbuilt indicators blue-tacked on. Will glue them on once the frames are painted from the inside. Edited March 31, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eraucubsfan Posted March 31, 2021 Share Posted March 31, 2021 Thanks for pointing that out, I will definitely do that with mine too Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted April 3, 2021 Author Share Posted April 3, 2021 I've lost two of these to the carpet monster already. Had to make another one -- I hope the last. The little buggers are just so easy to lose I'm starting to wonder if I should just make printable ones. The walls are thin, though, and I really like the looks of 0.1mm styrene. No more taste tests, please, Mr. Carpet Monster... Started working on the "glass". I've sanded down and polished the mold lines and did the Future-dunking ritual. I normally cut thin strips of Tamiya tape for masking but I thought it would be fun to give the kit masks a try. They're not pre-cut and I just used a pair of scissors so I'm quite certain the squiggles will show. There aren't any masks included for the inner walls of the canopy, but it's a closed-canopy build so I'll see if I can get away with not painting the framing from inside and just using black for the first layer of paint. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted April 5, 2021 Author Share Posted April 5, 2021 (edited) I'm following your lead, guys... Got the mottling done -- at least on the canopies. I was gonna practice on something I thought I might as well practice on the these. I'm really anxious to see how it this turns out with the base color. I see the movie cats still had stripes on their arrestor hooks. I was debating between Tamiya tape and decals but wanted to see what the kit had to offer and see how I fare with the decals. They kept going this way and that. Fun but stressful experience : ( Still have to paint the rubber stoppers and the bare metal hooks. Also need to paint over a portion the decal that ripped towards the back on one of them. Edited April 5, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 (edited) Pulled the trigger on a couple of these Quinta 3D-printed instrument panels and they look gorgeous. My cockpits are done so I'll be using these on future builds. I guess my only complaint is that the gray looks dotted but only when magnified. Under normal viewing conditions you wouldn't really notice. The knobs and switches are incredible though and the switch labels which are really difficult to replicate are all there. Being decals, the ejection handles are half-round, but they're almost always pointing downwards so you probably wouldn't notice when they're glued on. There's one spare included. I'm wondering though if they could have provided four pieces that can be glued together back to back -- as long as the stripes align maybe that'll work. When the light hits it a certain way you see the glass faces on the gauges : ) Edited April 9, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
zaxos345 Posted April 25, 2021 Share Posted April 25, 2021 I am amazed my friend!!! John Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted August 18, 2021 Author Share Posted August 18, 2021 (edited) Thanks, John! : ) Wow, the deadlines' is on the horizon and I'm way behind on my build. I sneaked in some hobby time last weekend and the relief I got from work stress is just refreshing. For a long time I kept worrying about what paint to use for the helmets. I just went ahead and used whatever I had and I'm happy enough with the results. The blue is a Tamiya dark blue color but the label's gone so I'm not sure what it is. I used a Tamiya rattle can for Goose's helmet. The Fightertown helmet decals are fantastic and really adds life to the figures. I had to tear the figures from the seats for helmet painting so the straps will need some rework. Got to look for Goose's ejection handle, too. It launched somewhere now he can't even try to eject. The hasegawa figures above are whole bodies with legs, but the Tamiya figure below (with a Hasegawa head) that I'd be using for Iceman and Slider had to have the legs cut off to fit the Aires pits. I had to replace the neck to swivel the heads right. I googled up the average human neck diameter and in 1/48 scale and with available rods 2.5mm works out nicely. Slider probably could use a somewhat bigger rod because Rick Rossovich's neck was as wide as his head when he was younger. But I'll probably use 2.5 as well. Iceman with 2.5mm diameter neck rod. Easier to swivel and position. This'll make painting the neck way easier too since there's no glue or putty required. I normally find it difficult to use putty on these areas and be able to smooth it out for painting. Edited August 18, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viper730 Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Fantastic Stuff happening on your workbench. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted August 28, 2021 Author Share Posted August 28, 2021 Thanks Viper730! : ) Got some more work done on Iceman and Slider's helmets. I used Tamiya Silver-Leaf rattlecan on the helmets. Was surprised about the absence of grain. Tamiya's small-bottle metal color versions normally have those metal flakes. But their Silver-leaf rattle can paint is grain-free. Excuse the seat belts -- will fix those once I get to that part. The hardest thing I'm finding right now is aligning Slider's arm that's holding onto the grab handle. And I'm trying to look for a hand to fit the right arm. I found one for Goose's left arm but it's kind of cartoonish and I don't know why but for some reason it reminds how they draw the hands in those old Sad Sack comic books. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red Dog Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 these helmets turned out great, Well done !! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 1, 2021 Author Share Posted September 1, 2021 Thanks, Red Dog! Love your work, too, on the catapult dio. Found a better arm in the stash for Goose : ) Just had to cut the wrist to change the angle and bend the thumb into a more natural position for holding the grab handle. This looks a little more life-like and not at all cartoonish. Still have to attach the grab handles but the arms look a bit better now. Also need to fix the paintjob on the suits, add belts and those parachute rip cord handles for Mav and Goose, fix Slider's belts, then attach the ejection handles -- they keep breaking off. I'm trying to do everything systematically now to make the end date : ) Can't find the right color for the canvas covers. They look brand new in the movie in really dark brown or dark gray color -- it's too dark to see so I just used a lighter color temporarily (which might end up becoming permanent) : ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 (edited) The canvas shrouds look really dark. Can anyone tell what color that is? Seems to be almost black, isn't it? Edited September 2, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brian P: Fightertown Decals Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 Well those first 2 pictures are the mock-up set piece they built so it’s not a real jet or real parts… Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Red Dog Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 i use Humbrol 155 usually, then adapt with more black or more brown. Left and right side are usually different as one of them is replaced often and the other not If I remember right from past reading Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 The color of the shrouds in this shot looks really dark, too. 1 hour ago, Brian P: Fightertown Decals said: Well those first 2 pictures are the mock-up set piece they built so it’s not a real jet or real parts… Oh, so that's why the masking was kinda jagged : ) 31 minutes ago, Red Dog said: i use Humbrol 155 usually, then adapt with more black or more brown. Left and right side are usually different as one of them is replaced often and the other not If I remember right from past reading Will check that out, thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GW8345 Posted September 2, 2021 Share Posted September 2, 2021 The shrouds were flat black back then, there wasn't that many that were faded and the movie birds had new shrouds. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 2, 2021 Author Share Posted September 2, 2021 48 minutes ago, GW8345 said: The shrouds were flat black back then, there wasn't that many that were faded and the movie birds had new shrouds. Great info, thanks, GW! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Collin Posted September 3, 2021 Share Posted September 3, 2021 On 8/18/2021 at 2:18 PM, crackerjazz said: This pic always makes me laugh. Never would you ever see anyone this close in a ready room. Slider is waaaaaaaay inside the bubble. Well you might see this in an Air Force ready room…but dear lord never on the boat or beach in a Navy squadron. Now the guy in the background…zipper down past the front pockets on his bag…sleeves rolled up more than 1-2 folds…legit. Oh they are gonna love me at the CAOC in a few weeks. Cheers Collin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 3, 2021 Author Share Posted September 3, 2021 Very interesting, Collin, thanks for stopping by. Had to look up CAOC you guys have a lot of acronyms in the military. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 5, 2021 Author Share Posted September 5, 2021 Just a little progress on the cockpit. I stuck on some tamiya tape onto the IP coaming to trace the outline of the shrouds, stuck the tape onto some styrene and cut out the outline to make some styrene patters for the RIO and pilot's shouds. Used the patterns to cut up some of Whiskers' poop bags. They're thin enough to create some interesting folds in the "fabric". Will try some acrylic flat clear on them to flatten the sheen. Drilled a hole into Goose's shoulder to fix the arm with a piece of wire. You can see where the Apoxie sculpt on the wrist started breaking up -- will have to fix that again. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 7, 2021 Author Share Posted September 7, 2021 (edited) So... the flat clear coat didn't work. It peeled right off. Had to apply some Stynylrez primer on the shrouds before painting. Still have to paint the RIOs' shrouds. Getting ready to make the straps. Made some parachute rip cord handles for Mav and Goose. They're gonna need 'em. Hey how'd Goose pull his if he died hitting the canopy? Now I can build the harnesses in earnest... Edited September 7, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 9, 2021 Author Share Posted September 9, 2021 (edited) A nod to Fasteagle : ) I believe he used the same wire. Edited September 10, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 10, 2021 Author Share Posted September 10, 2021 (edited) Found some Aires PE from my abandoned Hasegawa build. I've lost the instructions but luckily found one online: I kinda examined how they went on from some Squadron book photos, the top belts going diagonally into the upper part of the ejection seat and the other belt going down the back into the notches on the cushion and into the parachute pack. In some areas I had to cut a portion of the belt to give the impression that it kind of goes underneath the life preserver "collar" Edited September 10, 2021 by crackerjazz Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted September 16, 2021 Author Share Posted September 16, 2021 Belts are all done for both jets. All done with the cockpit, at long last. I think I've had enough : ) Started the black-basing. I only had MRP Russian Black and it sprays too thin and has a weird shade. That round spot on the wing pivot was a raised spot I had to sand down. The screw almost poked through due to overtightening by yours truly : ) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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