1/72 Special Hobby SK-37

[colargol]

Hello,

 

I am starting a new project: a SK-37, using the Special Hobby 1/72 kit, with some goodies 😉

 

 

The first step of work is the rear place cockpit. Indeed, the co-pilot control panel is not very well represented by Special Hobby nor CMK and some work has to be done.

 

I started by replacing the periscope tubes with cooper tubes. The top of the control panel is made with 0.13 mm Evergreen sheet. It is soft enough to be able to bend correctly (pink arrows). The styren block on the back of the control panel will help the positionning (black arrow)

 

 

The problem is that due to the width of the transparent piece, there is not enough room for the control panel ...

 

 

This is the top front cockpit with some work on the wall of the front cockpit and next to the HUD (cockpit tub glued with Kristal Klear for temporary fitting tests).

 

 

First step of wall covering

 

 

2nd step. The co-pilot throttle is difficult to identify in the pictures of the HMH book used as reference.

 

 

The front landing gear bay

 

 

 

 

The main landing gear bay. The central doors will be closed because it is often the case on ground (except for maintenance purpose) and moreover, the kit is wrong on certains details (the circle with the red arrow should be on the front part of the bay, not on the back part ...)

 

 

I kept some of the mistakes, and will live with is. For instance, the structural line with the yellow arrows should not be at that place ... so I changed the travel of the wires (pink arrow) to deal with it.

 

 

The landing gears ... some modifications were made (the struct with yellow-green arrows is proposed to go to the landing gear door. It is not the case, so I made the modification). 

 

 

The connection between the landing gear and the door will be attached to the place identified with the pink arrow, but later.

 

 

last modification on the front landing gear (I forgot the pink arrow part in a first time ...)

 

 

The the engine parts ... this is the Reskit kit. I did'nt remove all the material as proposed by Reskit, because it will be invisible in the end (yellow-green arrow).

 

 

I removed the small triangles (red arrows) on both side because they are not present on every aircraft. I changed also the structure of the rear part, because the rectangle part is absent on real aircrafts (other red arrow). I also had a small wall on the futur metallic part (yellow arrow). And I rescribed the rear part using a patron (clear blue arrows).

 

 

To finish everything before painting, I build the seats using CMK pieces. The oxygen/anti-G suit connection will be installed later (yellow arrow).

 

 

to be continued ...

 

colargol

 

[Thadeus]

Amazing stuff. I keep putting off starting one of my Viggens despite SH kit calling me from time to time. Now I'll just follow Your build. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for You!

[colargol]

Hello,

 

tiny modification before starting the painting process. I found a picture of the top of the back seat instrument panel and add a small stuff on the top of it (yellow arrows)

 

 

colargol

[Aigore]

Fabulous detailing!

[colargol]

On 12/31/2024 at 11:49 PM, Aigore said:

Fabulous detailing!

 

Thanks !

 

Like the bell, I carry on (still a wonderfull joke in French)

 

For the painting of the cockpits, I started with a sub-layer of tire black by Gunze (H77), then the main color (light grey H338), a Future coat, the panel line washes (light grey and blue-black by ammo Mig), the another coat of Future, then painting (mostly Prince August by brush), small dry brush (white and light grey by Humbrol). Black part are a mix of tire black (H77) and normal black (H12).

 

I had to modify the shape of the pilot instrument panel (resin and photo etched parts - red and yellow arrows) because it didn't fit the actual kit (surprising ... both are from the same manufacturer). I put rhodoïd disks in the periscope.

 

 

 

These are the seats. I don't know if I am going to dry brush them a little bit ... (not the headrests, to keep them shiny)

 

 

to be continued ...

 

colargol

 

Edited January 12, 2025 by colargol

[colargol]

Little dry brush on the seats (cushion only and top part of the seat) and I also had the two small handle on the back left of each cockpit (light green arrows). Seats are not glued yet.

 

 

 

colargol

 

[colargol]

I carry on (still funny in French)

 

It is important to have a good reflexion before the final build of the cockpit to put things in place in the right order. I had difficulties with the pilot instrument panel that I had to adapt a little bit.

 

 

 

I corrected the position of the small panel on the side

 

 

 

Here, the seats are just in place for the picture, but I have add the lateral tubing on them

 

 

The engine exhaust (by Reskit). External area of the photoetched part is not painted on purpose

 

 

The exhaust area was airbrushed with dark alu from Vallejo Metal color, but it was too light on the flaps. I used handbrush with the same metallic colors to have various shade (including brown from Prince August - Terre d'ombre brûlée)

 

 

Then I worked with markers and Q-tip to have colored shades

 

 

The colored part are marked with the arrows

 

 

 

On the picture above, it is possible to see the steps of the 3D printing ... it is a little bit disappointing

 

colargol

 

Edited January 25, 2025 by colargol

[Andrés S]

Good job !!!

 

👌

 

Andrés.

[colargol]

Hello,

 

I carry on ...

 

I have buy some other marker (mainly clear blue, purple and brown) but it does not look very explicit on picture. In the end, I am ready to close the rear part of the aircraft ...

 

 

Then, I decided to work on the air intake. I am not sure to have made the most pertinent choice, but I decided to glue together the air duct and the pieces of the air intake first. I would allow me to smooth the connection between them (because the fitting look like a Modelcollect one ...)

 

So I glued temporarily the air intake to the top part of the front fuselage, then I glued the air duct to the air intake (yellow-orange arrows). When it was solid, I deconnected the air intake from the front fuselage and were able to fill the connection with putty and sand it. It was latter painted with Tamiya glossy black, and the dull aluminium from Vallejo Metal Color. 

After that, I glued everything in place and put a reinforcement piece to avoid the rear cockpit to leave its position (that happened to someone on the web)

 

 

After that, I added the bottom part of the front fuselage, make some adjustmement (putty/sanding + some filling with evergreen). I also add the first stage of the compressor (white arrow), painted in black with a clear grey cone (not very easy to spot in the air intake ...)

 

 

After that, I added the flaps in lowered position. Unfortunatelly, I didn't prepare it that well and  I should have study this part harder because there was a huge gap that shouldn't be here. So I filled it with perfect putty from Deluxe Material, diluted with water. I did that for other  gaps (clear blue arrows) and either sand it of used a wet Q-tip to improve the area.

 

 

Currently, I am at this stage. I improve the air duct intake/exhaust (white arrows), drill some holes for futur metallic antenna (yellow arrows), install the small antenna on the top (orange arrow). Another should be installed on the bottom, just after the front gear bay, but I don't find any picture showing this antenna, so for now, I am not installing it.

 

I have also drilled some little holes in the rear structure (green arrows). It is not perfect ...

 

And I put some structure for the formation light (0.13 mm thickness Evergreen- violet arrows)

 

 

 

This are the detail of my respresentation of the articulations of the flaps. They are made with 0.25 mm x 0.5 mm Evergreen part (1 mm long), sanded in the direction front/rear to smooth the extremity and make them look rondish (yellow arrows)

 

 

 

for the rear part, I wanted to use the pieces from the Special Hobby kit, but unfortunatelly, I have lost one ... so I used the old Eduard photo-etched parts for the Heller Viggen kit, but some modification should be made for them to fit properly (red arrows)

 

 

Hope you'd like it ...

 

colargol

 

[Thadeus]

If anyone is asking, I like it 😉 Nice progress. Your build makes me want to build one for myself. Can't wait for some more progress.

[colargol]

On 2/26/2025 at 7:21 PM, Thadeus said:

If anyone is asking, I like it 😉 Nice progress. Your build makes me want to build one for myself. Can't wait for some more progress.

 

Thanks 🙂

 

Just a little update before starting the painting process, I installed the HUD (purple arrow). I've painted the side of the clear part up to 3/4 of the height (white arrow), but I didn't installed the lateral small branches (I've tried but unsuccesfully). Before that, I made a 1.5 m rhodoïd lens for the HUD (yellow arrow).

 

I have also filled the gaps using Perfect Putty from Deluxe Material (smoothed with a wt Q-Tip after drying).

 

 

I have also drilled the littles holes in the back part, just over the gaz exhaust (orange arrows)

 

 

And know, I am going to start the masking process before painting 😉

 

colargol

 

 

 

 

[colargol]

Hello,

 

I carry on with the color.

 

First the bottom (sublayer of XF-19 Tamyia grey - I like Tamiya paint for pimer/sublayers, then a layer of Gunze H307 (too dark for H307, looks like H337), some masking (dots) with ammo mig masking liquid, then a layer of Gunze H308, some masking with liquid mask, then a mix of H308 and white, on some area)

 

 

Then the leading edges (not the one of the vertical stab) - (XF-1+H77 60/40)

 

 

Then the first color. I've chosen to start with H58 interior green by Gunze because its covering is strong for a first layer (no XF-19 sublayer on the top). Some shading is made using yellow

 

 

Then, the brown (H72+H79,2/3-1/3). I am using Special Hobby masks. It is difficult to put them is the right position and adaptations have to be made, but the result will be interesting.

 

 

The the dark green (H309 by Gunze). Shading is made using other green colors.

 

 

Then the black (H12/H77-75/25)

 

 

After demasking, it looks like that :

 

 

Some part have to be reworked 

 

 

I had also some displeasure with the Ammo Mig liquid mask ... It could be because I didn't wait enough to apply it on paint (less than 24h ...). It looks like a stain of glue on the paint. I hope it would disappear with the varnish process

 

 

After that, I painted the leading edge of the vertical stab, the lips of the air intake and the nose in black (H12)

 

 

 

 

 

to be continued ...

 

colargol

 

[BastianD]

Lookin’ good!

[colargol]

Thanks 😉

 

This is the end on the painting process. The nose is in pure H12 black, but the lips of the air intake and the leading edge of the vertical tail are a mix of H77 (tire black) and black. 

 

I lightly sanded the paint with sanding sponge (4000 to 10000) to reduce the steps between colors due to the mask.

 

 

 

 

 

I added some pieces (periscope, canard flaps ...)

 

 

 

Special Hobby forgot some part (I thinks it is the device to mount armement device, in case - yellow arrows). I added also the air brakes (pink arrow).

 

 

Some details, like the masking tape (seen on some picture) and some correction of green shade (blue arrow)

 

 

The landing gears

 

 

 

After a coat of gloss varnish (equivalent of future), I put the special hobby decals. Some didn't react very weel with microset/microsol ...

 

 

 

For the small air intake on the belly, I have used a black line decal with a latter correction with paint (black from Vallejo, using a small brush - green arrow). Some decals are to wide in high (orange arrow). 

 

I painted some of the formation light support in dark alu before decal (white arrows)

 

 

 

 

After a new coat of gloss varnish, I will start the weathering ...

 

colargol

 

 

[BastianD]

She came out really well!

[Aigore]

Really impressive work! Well done!

[Thadeus]

Camo came out amazing. Love the little details You add to the build, both in painting and in plastic.

[colargol]

Hello,

 

I have reworked the weathering effect on the jet exhaust, using only yellow paint

 

 

 

After a coat of varnish, I started the real weathering process, using Ammo Mig panel line and Tamiya panel line. My Ammo Mig ones didn't age very well ...

 

I put anoter coad of gloss varnish and started to work with markers (with brush or q-tip)

 

 

That is the result just before the flat varnish layer

 

 

 

 

I put a coat of flat varnish (Tamiya XF-86 + X-20A), started the process on the reverse jet exhaust and removed the remaining masks.

 

 

 

 

Then I put the navigation lights (yellow arrows) and the landing gear. Another strut has to be added on the main landing gears side (from the gear to the door - red arrow)

 

 

I have painted the edge of the aft cockpit plexiglas with clear yellow (orange-yellow arrow)

 

 

There is a mishape on the "ATLAS" probe and the pylone under it that should be shorter ... (pink arrow). I let it like that

 

After that, I put the metallic probes (and other probes). Special Hobby forgot two of them (red arrows).

 

 

The seats are in place with their arming handles

 

 

for the canopy, I painted by hand the internal structure (masking was too difficult in this area). The rearview mirror came from the photoetched part by Special Hobby, even if it is said to glue them on the windshield ...

 

 

Next step : the final pictures 😉

 

colargol

 

 

Edited May 3, 2025 by colargol

[colargol]

Small last minute addition ... As I've lost one of the J42 pieces, I had to replace the small drilled triangles near the jet exhaust by photoetched parts (from an Eduard set for the Heller Viggen). So I have to rebuild the navigation lights on these parts. Special Hobby represents them with a small bulb on the J42 pieces, but there are other bulbs that should be holes in fact on the J42 pieces.

 

I have used clear sprue to make them (in "étiré", I can't recall how it's called in English - red arrows (to be more Brittish)). You can also see the small curved tubes (white arrows)

 

 

And I think the build is now complete !

 

The pictures of the finished model are presented here

 

colargol

 

Edited May 9, 2025 by colargol