Sarge, USMC Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 wait wait.....waitaminnit.......ya need xplosives to shoot the RAIL that the seat sits on up and clear of the fuselage, then the ROCKET MOTOR fires to take the seat away from the plane??? what's the deel........awful lotta BOOMBOOM to get the boys out safe......shoot if all 4 have to punch out...... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
A6BSTARM Posted November 4, 2005 Share Posted November 4, 2005 Yes explosives are used to fire the catapult rails up and out of the aircraft. Then the rocket motor takes over and actually moves the seat up and out of the aircraft. Remember this seat was designed for use in the A-6 as well as the F-14 and was only modified with timers for the rocket motors to put it into the Prowler. These seats are designed to go through the canopy and the rails are there to help in directing the direction of the seat themselves so that the two seats also don't knock together. So that scene in Top Gun when Goose hits the canopy is complete BS, along with that scene near the end of Flight of the Intruder where the CO can't jettision the canopy again BS. In both situations the seats would of just as easily gone through the plexiglass with out a problem. At least according to the leading supervisor in the Ejection Seat Shop at my squadron. In the EA-6B Prowler when an command ejection is started the first guy to leave at 0.1seconds from handle pull is ECMO3 or the guy in the left side back pit, then in .4 seconds is ECMO2, .6 seconds is ECMO1 and approximately 1.0seconds later it is the Pilot. Total time should take about 1.2 to 1.3 seconds for the complete crew to leave the aircraft. If I have properly remembered my Egress Systems Training from last month. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted January 22, 2006 Author Share Posted January 22, 2006 After lots of travel for the past 6 weeks or so, and the first half of an air wing visit down here to Fallon, I've finally got some more progress to show. Lots of little stuff right now, trying to figure out how much assembly to do before spraying gray. I've added (and am blending) the various plates and stuff to the wing undersides from the Cutting Edge set. I'm also adding some of the replacement scoops, vents and bigger antennae (the kind that are big enough that supergluing them on after painting would hose up the paint job and also big enough to survive being painted). Also working on the drop tanks and pods. I've elected to go with the kit pods, but use the Cutting Edge pod RAT blades. The detail was slightly better on the cutting edge pods, but the overall shape seemed warped to me when looking at them from either the front or aft. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted January 25, 2006 Share Posted January 25, 2006 Man I can't wait to see this one finished! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted January 27, 2006 Author Share Posted January 27, 2006 Man I can't wait to see this one finished! You and me both! <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dan 88 Posted January 28, 2006 Share Posted January 28, 2006 That Prowler looks great Karl. This is the first time I visit this in-progress build, I should have discovered this earlier. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted February 8, 2006 Author Share Posted February 8, 2006 Not particularly photo-worthy (as everything is still gray... come to think of it, that's how it will end up... hmmm) but just so y'all know I'm still slogging away at it. Today I masked all the white areas and the cockpit and shot my first round of gray. I don't usually use a specific type of primer (especially when gray plastic is going to turn into a gray airplane...), just something that makes sense for an undercoat. Since I've got a plethora of it, I used the same light ghost gray I'll use for the bottom sides. I'm mainly just checking my body work/surface prep. I've still got some more to shoot tomorrow afternoon, but so far things look better than I'd hoped. I still have a little bit of work to do on the wingfold areas (where obviously it would have paid to be a little more careful with the cutting/fitting/gluing), but the fuselage looks pretty good - satisfyingly so as it's my first time rescribing an entire plane and also there's a rearend ton of resin all over it... There's hope I may finish in time yet :lol: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted February 20, 2006 Author Share Posted February 20, 2006 I've gone through and re-attacked some of the body work which turned out to be "lacking" once I shot the preliminary coat (that's what's with all the blotchy spots that look like they've been thoroughly sanded - because they have...) I also just shot the rudder, which will be white for the circa '98 paint job. As soon as that cures, I can mask it off and spray another round of Light Ghost Gray, and hopefully all the "body work" will be OK so I can move onto the other 2 shades of gray... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted March 22, 2006 Author Share Posted March 22, 2006 Ugh. Still working away, even though the GB train has obviously left the station. Having trouble getting the second coat of gray to go down right. First try was very pebbly, so a light sanding and respray, this time a little thinner consistency. Then pebbly in some spots while cracked in others... And now I'm out of Dark Ghost Gray <_< Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dan 88 Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 Karl on your first coat did you thin your paint? Sometimes paint does that when it's not thinned. Oh and another question, are you using acrylic, enamel, or laquer based paints?? That could be the reason why your paint cracked. Daniel Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted March 31, 2006 Author Share Posted March 31, 2006 Model Master enamels. First, I did not thin enough. That created the pebbly, "fuzzy" finish first time around. Then I think I thinned too much.... Now, if I were y'all, I'd buy stock in sand-paper producing companies... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted March 31, 2006 Share Posted March 31, 2006 (edited) Karl- Try using this ratio when thinning MM flat enamels 3 parts paint to 1.5 part thinner. If you follow the thinning ration on the back of the MM paint thinner, you should have excellent results. Been working for me for the last 5 years.. Edited March 31, 2006 by VF-103guy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted April 1, 2006 Author Share Posted April 1, 2006 (edited) Thanks Brian! The truly frustrating thing is that I've had pretty darned excellent results with MM enamels for YEARS now. Seems that somewhere between this project and the MiGs I finished a few months ago I've completely forgotten how to properly airbush :blink: Edit - now that I think about it, the bottles of paint in question HAD been stockpiled for a while (5 years or so) after snagging them at a hobby shop's going out of business sale. So, either they were too old, or it's karma for trying to "get ahead" on a hobby shop's demise... Edited April 2, 2006 by Karl Sander Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted April 11, 2006 Author Share Posted April 11, 2006 I'm back in the fight now - sprayed a nice coat of Dark Ghost gray. It will need another coat (probably tomorrow evening as it's late and I still need to make tomorrow's lunch!) - after the past few weeks' I shyed well away from putting it on too thick. Nice to be making forward progress instead of correcting mistakes!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dan 88 Posted April 16, 2006 Share Posted April 16, 2006 Any pics?? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted April 17, 2006 Author Share Posted April 17, 2006 I'm planning on having some tomorrow night. Finished with the dark ghost gray last night, so tomorrow night I'll spray the medium gray. (and I'll reply to your PM soon - I wanted to actually give you an answer with substance instead of "thoughts dashed off when passing by the computer") Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted April 19, 2006 Author Share Posted April 19, 2006 Hey! Y'all sitting down? I finally accomplished something photo-worthy! Major painting is done - tonight I sprayed the medium gray (ironically enough, after my ordeal with the dark ghost gray during which I went through almost 3 bottles, THIS time I actually mixed up too much paint!!!) The contrast DOES look a little harsh, but it's under a flourescent drafting lamp and there's been no weathering or anything like that. Some touch up work to do (around ladders, intakes, wingfolds), plus "red" areas and the speedbrakes, which are supposed to be white, but I forgot to paint. Maybe, just maybe, I'll be spraying Future early next week (I want to do all the decals before any of the other details, like antennae, canopies and the rest of the wingfold go on). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 Holy Crap Karl!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dan 88 Posted April 19, 2006 Share Posted April 19, 2006 OMG that is one awsome Prowler! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted May 14, 2006 Author Share Posted May 14, 2006 (edited) Not exactly dramatic progress here, but some nonetheless. I'm done touch-up painting, including the red areas exposed by the open boarding platforms (under the front cockpit). I've also painted the area beneath the flaperons on the outboard wings red (when the wings are folded, the flaperons on the outer wings tend to droop a bit, exposing red) - unfortunately you can't see it in this picture because I've got them upside down while the undersides dry! Also, the wingtip speedbrakes are white (I forgot to do that when I was doing the landing gear wells and whatnot). The canopy frames are also all painted - black first (the interior color) then medium gray. In 1/48 I prefer to do that by hand, believe it or not. Finally, hopefully you can make out the more or less glossy finish. I finally had the chance to spray future (nowhere near as soon as I'd hoped, obviously). When I get back from a few days on the road for work this week it should be all cured enough for decals. Edited May 14, 2006 by Karl Sander Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted May 28, 2006 Author Share Posted May 28, 2006 Decals finally done - now just small parts and weathering. Thinking of using the photo-frame base shown in the May Finescale Modeler to display it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
VFA-103guy Posted May 29, 2006 Share Posted May 29, 2006 Decals finally done - now just small parts and weathering. Thinking of using the photo-frame base shown in the May Finescale Modeler to display it. SAAWWEEEEET!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted May 29, 2006 Author Share Posted May 29, 2006 Incidentally, the checkerboarding on the speedbrakes and tail was easier than I thought. The Aeromaster decals were tough enough to allow me to get them in position, but thin enough to settle down nicely. The black panels on the spine of the plane were the only potential gotcha as they come as one decal, and it's designed as if there is no ADF antenna (that dome-like thing in the middle. But I cut it into three pieces (the front two panels, the middle two, and the aft panel) where they naturally separated. Then I slit the middle section down the center lengthwise, and positioned it so it would look right. As it started to set up, I cut away the portions over the ADF antenna, which is the way the plane was painted. (The black stuff is actually non-skid). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Dan 88 Posted June 6, 2006 Share Posted June 6, 2006 So is this Prowler done yet? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Karl Sander Posted June 7, 2006 Author Share Posted June 7, 2006 So is this Prowler done yet? Nope. An air wing det and 20 hour work days have kind of cramped my modelling style. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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