MA Cooke Posted February 5, 2021 Share Posted February 5, 2021 (edited) I decided to build this on OOB, but from my previous Has-Cat builds, I'm not messing around with the intake or exhaust interiors, so I plan to scratch-build soft FOD covers. The lower forward-to-aft fuselage....that seam will the be death of me. And the rear intake seams. Argh. Started with the A model "Pacific Fleet" kit, lots of flash, and on some parts, the fit is way worse than I remember. Cockpit looks "eh" to me, but again, it's my first build in over 14 years. A bit o' progress pics for you all. Edited February 20, 2021 by MA Cooke Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phantom Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 Great start. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Geoff M Posted February 6, 2021 Share Posted February 6, 2021 I remember those seams. Tough to deal with for sure. Keep up the good work. Geoff M Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Thadeus Posted February 7, 2021 Share Posted February 7, 2021 Nice step. If it was on the upper side You could've tripped on it. Guess that's why people say all those bad thing about Hasegawa Tomcat. I'm looking with interest. Any ideas regarding the scheme? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 On 2/7/2021 at 2:25 PM, Thadeus said: Nice step. If it was on the upper side You could've tripped on it. Guess that's why people say all those bad thing about Hasegawa Tomcat. I'm looking with interest. Any ideas regarding the scheme? Yep. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 However, I have NO clue as to how I'd load it out - I don't have the necessary weapons. And I don't want to plunk down....how much are the weapons sets nowadays? Thinking of just making it clean - just the "tunnel" pylons, nothing beneath the wing roots. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 9, 2021 Author Share Posted February 9, 2021 SO I have that seam coming under control, but now the racks will show a gap. SMH..... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted February 10, 2021 Share Posted February 10, 2021 Cockpit looks great! That gap is a real head-scratcher : ( You may need to break off the forward fuselage again to level that area but looks like it's glued on tight and puttied up so probably not an option. Maybe a lot of sanding will help? Tomcats look good without the pallets, too, if you're skipping the Phoenix missiles. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 6 hours ago, crackerjazz said: Cockpit looks great! That gap is a real head-scratcher : ( You may need to break off the forward fuselage again to level that area but looks like it's glued on tight and puttied up so probably not an option. Maybe a lot of sanding will help? Tomcats look good without the pallets, too, if you're skipping the Phoenix missiles. D'oah!! I have the rear pallets on. (cursing & muttering under my breath) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 10, 2021 Author Share Posted February 10, 2021 Just now, MA Cooke said: D'oah!! I have the rear pallets on. (cursing & muttering under my breath) Thanks on the cockpit nod. I have an two Aires cockpits, an A and a B, saving those for when I've gotten all the rust off my skills. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) I think I'm going to need 2 or 3 bottles of Mr. Surfacer just to cover up the sanding grinding marks. I keep getting excited because I think I'm "just a couple hours away" from painting...but then work, family, new puppy all just seem to break my will. I'm fortunate to get 10 hours a week in - and I'm also building RoG 1/32 Spitfire (the Iron Maiden "Aces High" markings) as a commission for a friend. (On an up note - the compensation will be a Tamiya F-14D.....wooo hooo.) Edited February 20, 2021 by MA Cooke Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 20, 2021 Author Share Posted February 20, 2021 Getting there. I sprayed the landing gear and the gear door interiors with flat white, then Krylon gloss black on the engine exhausts. I'll use Alclad II "Duraluminum" for the turkey feathers. I plan to cover the intakes and exhausts with soft FOD covers. I had some of the thinned black left over, so I did a bit of pre-shading the panels lines. I think my pressure was a bit too high. (Does anyone know if the Krylon shoud be thinned before airbrushing? I decanted from the spray can into an old 35mm film cannister, and at ~ 20 psi it was a bit too thick. I'm struggling to find a balance between paint:thinner ratios and proper air pressure. I'm using an Iwata Eclipse HP side feed. Any input or tips would be most appreciated.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Lost_Erik Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 Great progress. Good luck with paint/pressure/thinner. (I don't have helpful info on such.) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 1 hour ago, Lost_Erik said: Great progress. Good luck with paint/pressure/thinner. (I don't have helpful info on such.) Thanks! I've been browsing a couple of videos of Doogs Models on YouTube, and I'm NOT going to continue the panel line pre-shading, I think I'm going to do black basing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FASTEAGLE107 Posted February 21, 2021 Share Posted February 21, 2021 14 hours ago, MA Cooke said: Thanks! I've been browsing a couple of videos of Doogs Models on YouTube, and I'm NOT going to continue the panel line pre-shading, I think I'm going to do black basing. Same opinion here for the preshading. The black basing have my favor now for some time. Colorfull paint scheme 👍 On 2/17/2021 at 7:33 PM, MA Cooke said: the compensation will be a Tamiya F-14D.....wooo hooo.) In think you'll deserve it after building an old HASEG F-14A! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 3 hours ago, FASTEAGLE107 said: In think you'll deserve it after building an old HASEG F-14A! LOL yes! What's the consensus on the AMK F-14D ? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 21, 2021 Author Share Posted February 21, 2021 OK, so got the black basing done, I think....I did forget the rear ventral fins....D'OAH! Started with straight flat black, then gradually added in an "interior black" mix I have (mostly black, but some 36118 "gunship grey" added). I started the mottling with 35237, and called it a day. Spraying Mr. Color lacquers, and trying a new arrangement with box fans and garage door open, Mrs. Cooke called my cell - "SWITCH IT BACK! It smells like a nail salon up here." Next step with the mottling will be 36231 straight, then gradually adding in white, before a blend top coat of 26440. I've still got a few small gaps to fill, and the undersides of the leading edge slats need clean-up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
eraucubsfan Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Great Job @MA Cooke Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FASTEAGLE107 Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 On 2/21/2021 at 11:57 PM, MA Cooke said: LOL yes! What's the consensus on the AMK F-14D ? I've read a lot of negatives comments about this kit and honestly, this kit is pretty well engineered so far (i'm currently building one). Details of the wheel wells and cockpit are nicely made. IMHO they managed to reproduced the best F-14 landing gear in this scale. I remembered their Mig-31 and this kit is superior in terms of design and details of course we're here far from the Tamiya standard but there is a lot of positive. Pros: weapons, engine nacelles design, wings details, ejection seat details, separed position lights and air brakes. Cons: the decals sheets, the intakes ramps are over ingineered, the panels details are differents btw the two engines nacelles (?!), proportion of the ejection seats and the front part of the fuselage are weird (like squared shaped) and junction with the aft part of the fuselage perfectible So far the most enjoyable kit of this plane in this scale to me (i have built Revell, Hasegawa, Hobby boss and i have the Tamiya in my stash). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 4 hours ago, FASTEAGLE107 said: I've read a lot of negatives comments about this kit and honestly, this kit is pretty well engineered so far (i'm currently building one). Details of the wheel wells and cockpit are nicely made. IMHO they managed to reproduced the best F-14 landing gear in this scale. I remembered their Mig-31 and this kit is superior in terms of design and details of course we're here far from the Tamiya standard but there is a lot of positive. Pros: weapons, engine nacelles design, wings details, ejection seat details, separed position lights and air brakes. Cons: the decals sheets, the intakes ramps are over ingineered, the panels details are differents btw the two engines nacelles (?!), proportion of the ejection seats and the front part of the fuselage are weird (like squared shaped) and junction with the aft part of the fuselage perfectible So far the most enjoyable kit of this plane in this scale to me (i have built Revell, Hasegawa, Hobby boss and i have the Tamiya in my stash). Thanks for that info! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted February 23, 2021 Share Posted February 23, 2021 Your blackbasing is looking great, MAC. I tried the method once but I was apparently doing it incorrectly as the effect quickly gets buried under the topcoat. I'll see if I can get it right this time. I also need to practice getting a finer spray out of the airbrush nozzle. Or maybe I'll get one of those Artool templates to make it easier to apply the marbling. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 23, 2021 Author Share Posted February 23, 2021 3 hours ago, crackerjazz said: Your blackbasing is looking great, MAC. I tried the method once but I was apparently doing it incorrectly as the effect quickly gets buried under the topcoat. I'll see if I can get it right this time. I also need to practice getting a finer spray out of the airbrush nozzle. Or maybe I'll get one of those Artool templates to make it easier to apply the marbling. Thanks! (I've had quite a difficult time finding the correct air pressure / thinned paint settings. I've read so much that 15 psi works, and at least 1:1 thinner to paint, closer to 60:40 actually (I'm using Gunze Mr Color lacquers). I took some leftover 35237 I'd thinned Sunday, tossed some white in last night and did a bit more - but I thinned too much. Plus, I think I could use a slightly more precise regulator. I'm either spraying too thick, or basically thinner that has a grey tint. Arghh!) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 (edited) A bit more progress with the black base mottling. Edited February 24, 2021 by MA Cooke Quote Link to post Share on other sites
MA Cooke Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 Actually getting into mottling in shades of the final color (26440). The more I use it, the more LOVE/HATE my relationship becomes with my Iwata Eclipse. My GOD you have to clean the nozzle immaculately before trying to use. But I've got the hang of thinning Mr Color 2:1. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
crackerjazz Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Stunning weathering effect, MAC! You're becoming really good at this. I've got an Eclipse as well and I understand the nozzle woes. I'm using the Mr. Hobby PS-267 more for ease of cleaning, although what I like about the Eclipse is that the needle can be pulled out from the front so no paint gets into the trigger valve. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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