yardbird78 Posted September 28, 2013 Share Posted September 28, 2013 I finally decided to get my overgrown posterior anatomy downstairs to my work bench and start sniffing some glue and paint. - This project will be an SR-71 using the original 1/72 Revell kit that they first made in 1969. The basic model is fairly decent, but it has several issues that are not feasible to correct including the cockpit area being too tall and skinny. The biggest problem is lack of detail and I think that I can help in that area. I am planning to do this one as airframe # 17950, the very first SR-71. To start off the project: The box art The pieces Close up of afterburners and exhaust nozzles The cockpit glass The decal sheet, rather crude and basic Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nimrod77 Posted September 29, 2013 Share Posted September 29, 2013 Nice one. I'll be looking forward to seeing how you tackle some of the areas that you want to detail on this kit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
William G Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 I actually have this one in my stash. it was from 1967. oh what memories William G Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ian Cooper Posted October 1, 2013 Share Posted October 1, 2013 Fantastic aircraft. I remember seeing one fly at Mildenhall in the 1980s and there's one on display at Duxford IWM. I'll watch with interest. Let me guess the colour scheme you'll be applying ..... black? Cheers Ian Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Av8fan Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I saw the SR-71 once in my life. I still think it is one of the best looking Aircraft ever. Thanks for posting your build and for posting all your information in various threads. I will follow along as well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 ..... Let me guess the colour scheme you'll be applying ..... black? Cheers Ian Probably!!!!!!!!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 2, 2013 Author Share Posted October 2, 2013 I got a little bit of work done on the moldy oldy SR-71. I opened up the four chine bay camera ports as well as the c-bay camera port in front of the nose gear bay. I did the panel line scribing around the chine bay cameras, the rudders as well as the top and bottom of the nose cone with the Side Looking Radar. I did my normal sloppy job and slipped a couple of times with the scribing tool. That is why I usually avoid scribing as much as possible. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy Snap Captain Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I feel your pain on the scribing...I've been battling away scribing and reputtying my mistakes forever! Nice work so far though. Keen to see how this oldie goes together. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CorsairMan Posted October 2, 2013 Share Posted October 2, 2013 I recently finished a rescribe of an old Hase Shinden... I have a new appreciation for those who try and a new appreciation for those who pull it off. Good luck and keep with it! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 5, 2013 Author Share Posted October 5, 2013 - Every SR-71 kit that I have examined has the aft nacelle wrong. They have the flame holders at the back end of the engines right at the edge of the tertiary doors, (that ring of rectangular doors just in front of the exhaust flaps), while they should be about 6 scale feet in front of that point. The space in between is the afterburner itself. Cutting Edge has an excellent after market resin set to correct this in 48th scale, but in 72, you have to do it yourself. - My solution was to cut the flame holder center from the tertiary door ring, cut out the end of spray bottle cap, glue the flame holder into the upstream end of the bottle cap and then glue the open end of the bottle cap to the inside of the tertiary ring. - The three stages of this process are shown in the photo, L-R, stock ring and cap, flame holder cut from ring and end out of cap, the assembled unit. The assembled unit still needs to be painted and then glued into the exhaust flap section. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nimrod77 Posted October 6, 2013 Share Posted October 6, 2013 Nice, simple solution. Good work. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 6, 2013 Author Share Posted October 6, 2013 (edited) Nice, simple solution. Good work. ... and a LOT cheaper than that Cutting Edge set. What I need to do now is figure out how to get at least a little detail inside that burner can. Darwin Edited May 10, 2015 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 9, 2013 Author Share Posted October 9, 2013 A little progress has been made, but not documented on film. - More scribing done. all of the fuselage top and bottom done, repairs made to "goofs" - Chine bay camera windows enlarged and closer to correct shape - Main landing gear bays cut out and plans made to add some detail to this area. Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Here are some more pictures of my latest progress on the old Blackbird kit. Top fuselage scribing with the inboard section of radar attenuating "pies" on the inboard portion of the starboard wing. The port wing has not been done as yet. The outer portion of the #1 engine nacelle and wing with the "pies" on the leading and trailing edges. Notice the 3 different sizes and shapes for the LE, TE and outer corner. That was a LOT of measuring and marking. I probably should have made some kind of jig to make it quicker and easier. This is a plastic case from a package of disposable razor blades. I plan to cut the camera windows from this material and maybe make a "pie" making jig from it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 My eyes have gone :blink:/> :blink:/> :blink:/> with all the panel line scribing on the SR-71, so I took a little break. I picked up this little jewel on evil-bay awhile back and decided to attempt putting it together. This is the work stand that is placed next to the SR-71 cockpit for crew boarding/deboarding or any maintenance work in the cockpit area. This is my first effort at using photo etch. The instruction sheet. All of the pieces removed from the fret and folded as necessary. I still need to assemble and paint the thing. All powered and non-powered ground equipment was painted yellow through the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. Somewhere in the 80s, some genius figured out that the key to success was low visibility, so all AGE was painted olive drab. I am not sure yet which color I will use. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 17, 2013 Author Share Posted October 17, 2013 Another status update on the Blackbird. The scribing on top wings and aft fuselage completed and most of the "goofs" filled in. The scribing on the bottom wings will have to wait until after I join the top and bottom fuselage pieces. That step is waiting for the landing gear bays to be finished. Main landing gear bays cut out Chine bay and C-bay camera port windows built and installed. The TROC camera in the C-bay had a round window. The OOC cameras in the aft chine bays had rectangular windows while the TEOC cameras in the forward chine bays had square windows. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phasephantomphixer Posted October 17, 2013 Share Posted October 17, 2013 Nice stuff - sure looks like a miniature Testors 1/48 kit, perhaps it was used when they designed it? I Like the clear cap exhaust extension. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 25, 2013 Author Share Posted October 25, 2013 I finished the work stand or boarding platform for the Blackbirds and decided to paint it yellow. I haven't put the wheels on it yet as it is already a little too high. It lines up differently with different brands of Blackbirds. Mrs Yardbird's SR-71A from the Monogram kit My SR-71C from the Testors kit My SR-71A from the Monogram kit YF-12A from the original Revell kit from 1968 (I built this in 1968 or 1969) All four Blackbirds of our fleet Darwin Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Crazy Snap Captain Posted October 25, 2013 Share Posted October 25, 2013 Gorgeous Blackbirds Darwin! Nice progress too! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jinxter13 Posted October 26, 2013 Share Posted October 26, 2013 (edited) Great looking "Blackbirds" Darwin.....give my compliments to the Mrs. on hers.....eye catchin' nose art. IIRC didn't Revell or someone else come out with a kit circa '64-'66 in 72nd scale; only that kit was tagged as the A-11. The story goes LBJ when announcing it's existence read AMI as A-11 and not wanting to embarass the prez.....Lockheed left it at that. Edited October 26, 2013 by #1 Greywolf Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yardbird78 Posted October 26, 2013 Author Share Posted October 26, 2013 (edited) - Revell produced the first Blackbird kit ever, the 1/72 scale YF-12A in 1967 or 1968. They produced the 1/72 scale SR-71 about a year later. That 1st SR-71 kit is the one I am currently building and is featured in most of this post. - In real life, the A-12 Oxcart or Cygnus was the first of the Blackbirds. When Kelly Johnson and the Skunkworks gang decided they needed a replacement for the U-2, they started with a clean sheet of paper and the first design was the A-1. As the designs advanced and underwent major changes, the designation changed to A-2, A-3, A-4, etc. Some of the designs never got beyond the paper drawing stage and some made it as far as wind tunnel models. The A-12 was the final design and the first to become a flyable aircraft. - There is a story about President Johnson first announcing the existence of the Blackbird and calling it the SR-71 when Lockheed supposedly called it the RS-71. Neither Kelly Johnson nor Ben Rich would confirm that story in their various books and biographies. When President Johnson made that announcement, the CIA refused to let the media/public see the A-12 and the USAF refused to let them see an SR-71. Lockheed flew two of the three YF-12A's from Groom Lake to Edwards AFB and put them on limited display for the media. Darwin Edited May 10, 2015 by yardbird78 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
CorsairMan Posted May 10, 2015 Share Posted May 10, 2015 I love the blackbird. Very much looking forward to your progress! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
K5054NZ Posted August 26, 2015 Share Posted August 26, 2015 I have to "bump" this thread as the work you've done is excellent! I love building old kits myself, and it's wonderful to see someone go the extra mile with one. Great fleet too! I have to get a YF-12. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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