CraigSargent Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Have just found out my wife has shouted me a trip to Melbourne for my 40th. Funny thing is, it coincides with the Model Expo at the end of June - this was not planned, just sheer fluke. Anyway, decided to represent, so have pulled my Revell F-15I conversion out and she now sits preshaded and with all the natural metal areas painted, ready to be masked for the camouflage. Dropped in to the LHS today for some more underside grey and found some Gunze Mr. Metal Color. If you haven't used this before, it is amazing stuff and produces some of the nicest natural metal finish I have ever seen. You spray it on and then rub it with a shirt to polish it, like some other metalisers, but this one looks spectacularly metallic and takes handling and masking without smudging! In the process of painting all the stores now, the two LANTIRN pods, a pair of Rafael Popeyes, a pair of AIM-120Cs, a centreline fuel tank and a guidance pod for the Popeyes. Going to build this aircraft as 234 with the large eagle on the fin. It's been a lot of fun so far. Here are some very early pics taken about 6 months ago: Black Box cockpit installed and painted. Beginning of the pre-shading - ended up taking about 2 hours to do the whole aircraft. Note the modified front end of the pylons under the CFTs to carry the AMRAAMs and the modified kit LANTIRN mounts to fit the pods from the Hasegawa weapons set SOL AMRAAMs converted to AIM-120C by cutting down the fins and the converted launch rails and adaptors. The resin ones are from the SOL kit and the plastic ones are from a Hasegawa Skyhawk with a few extra details added. Lastly, the modified fin tips, tail boom tips, repositioned ailerons and tailplanes, GPS antenna and the repair where I snapped the rear of the kit. All of the F-15I modifications were done by scratch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CraigSargent Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 Here are some more shots of progress. Camo painting finished - used Gunze acrylics with blu-tack masking to get a hard feathered edge. Just a few touch ups and it's on to the gloss and then the decal stage. Aires engines with base colours ready for weathering (actually from a pair of F-16 exhaust sets) Painted stores and pylons, ready for decalling and weathering Black Box seats showing repairs (white styrene parts) due to shipping and handling breakage, and new rails. Mounted ready for paint Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bob Rock Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Great looking build.I am really impressed with your fixes on BB seats,my pet hate is shipping damage on resin parts. Have fun in Melbourne mate,although Sydney is better,he,he... Cheers,Miro. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
John Tavendale Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Nice progress mate! Enjoy Melbourne Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ChernayaAkula Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 That's looking really, really nice! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
strikeeagle801 Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Looking great so far there Craig. Can't wait to see this one finished. And good luck in the competition. Happy 40th as well. Aaron Quote Link to post Share on other sites
a4s4eva Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Looks great so far Craig. have fun in Melbourne. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jmel Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 this looks great! I really like the way you made the CFT pylons in the air-air configuration. I don't think I've ever seen that done before on a model. Jake Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gambler Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Craig, this is looking great, can't wait to see it finished. Excellent work! Cheers, Jeff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GreyGhost Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Looking Great Craig ! F-15Is Rock ... Gregg Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Aigore Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Looking awesome!! Going to be beautiful birdy.....there´s just that something with Israeli paint schemes cheers! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jack-Swiss Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Wooow...this work is just beautiful!!! lookin forward to new updates!!! Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CraigSargent Posted June 15, 2008 Author Share Posted June 15, 2008 More pics of the camo. Nose shot. Rear shot. Note tha panels either side of the engine openings painted camo colours. Something I would have missed without the Isra book. Tail showing larger brown camo area for the eagle's head and the scratchbuilt fin tip balance including the two strengthening strips either side of the balance. Another detail shown clearly in the Isra book. The green lump is a clear nav light masked with Mr Masking Sol. This will be painted clear red when done. The subject aircraft - 234 just disappearing out of the photo. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gambler Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Craig, that is just simply first class paintwork there! Outstanding. Cheers, Jeff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
alrite Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 (edited) That IS awesome!! beautiful finish you have there, I'm hopeing to build one of these in 1/72 soon so Its a brilliant step through guide for me. top job Edited June 15, 2008 by alrite Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rom Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 very nice camo!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
IronRaven Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 looks very pro cant w8 see it finished :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parche Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 What an awesome paint job. Super detail on the little painted areas in the exhaust. Can't wait to see it decaled up. Cheers, Dave Quote Link to post Share on other sites
sv51macross Posted June 15, 2008 Share Posted June 15, 2008 Great paint job, great subject! Love the detail in the afterburner rings and the exhaust nozzles. Can't wait to see the finished product. Keep it up! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CraigSargent Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Wasn't totally happy with the seats after comparing them with the walkarounds in the Isra book. Redid the handles and rails and added some thinned Tamiya putty to the back cushions to represent the sheepskin seat covers. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tiger 01 Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Amazing attention to detail craig. Can't wait to see it done Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kuman Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 excellent Craig.. waiting to see this one done with decal... can you share the Gunze code you use on this build? thanks kuman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CraigSargent Posted June 16, 2008 Author Share Posted June 16, 2008 Sure H308 - Gray FS36375 H313 - Yellow FS33531 H310 - Brown FS30219 H74 - Sky (Duck Egg Green) ~FS34424 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
a4s4eva Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 Great idea to simulate the sheepskin. have to remember that one Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gambler Posted June 16, 2008 Share Posted June 16, 2008 SureH308 - Gray FS36375 H313 - Yellow FS33531 H310 - Brown FS30219 H74 - Sky (Duck Egg Green) ~FS34424 Craig, were all these colours straight out of the bottle, or did you have to tweak any of them a bit? Thanks also for posting them! :lol: Cheers, Jeff. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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