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Wolfman63

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Everything posted by Wolfman63

  1. The Javelin build this week is moving along. With the wings on I assembled the landing gear. The main gear was a little tricky as one of the struts needed to slide under a brace then mount the main strut and attach the other strut. I was able to get them lined up and glued into place. The nose gear and the gear doors all went on with no issues. The various antenna’s, refueling probe, and scoops along with some photo etch details were installed on to the fuselage. Weights were added to the nose cone to keep it from being a tail-dragger. I then painted the base coat on the aircraft. The bottom was painted aluminum and the upper areas were painted with RAF dark green and RAF gray. Getting ready now to apply the numerous decals then onto the canopy. See all the details and photos from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/
  2. I am looking for a decal sheet from the IPMS USA 2002 National Convention. Specifically the VAQ-33 decals. Please contact me if you have one. Thanks!
  3. The build of the Gloster Javelin is moving forward. I assembled the exhaust and then painted/weathered them. The center of the fuselage was then assembled and I started on the landing gear bays. The main bays looked a little too clean so using 32 awg wire and some scratch built plastic and metal pieces to represent the hydraulic cans. I used bare wire for the wiring and black sleeved wire for the hydraulic lines. The bays were then painted with aluminum and weathered with pastel chalk. See my tips and tricks section on weathering with pastel chalk ]https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/ Finally the wings were assembled and installed to the fuselage. Stay tuned for the building of the landing gear and the detailing of the fuselage. See this build from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/
  4. This build is the Airfix 1/48 Gloster Javelin FAW.9/9R. A few years ago I helped a gentleman who was doing 1/16 and 1/8 scale figures of fallen police officer with creating and scaling the patches and badges for all the uniforms so that decals could be made. I was able to get them scaled for both scales for him. A few weeks later a package arrived and it was this kit. The message inside was from him thanking me for all the work I helped him with on the patches and badges. Fast forward to present day I decided to make this my next build. The aircraft even in 1/48 is huge. The details of this kit are great. The surface details are very crisp. I will also adding the Eduard photo etch detail set as well. Starting with the cockpit, I assembled and painted the seats then added the numerous photo etch details. The cockpit tub was painted and the photo etch was added. Everything fit very well. The cockpit tub was then assembled to the forward section of the fuselage. Starting on the engines and main fuselage next. You can follow the build at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-gloster-javelin/
  5. The PZL-23B KARAS Light Bomber of the Polish Air Force is now complete. After applying the decals which went on very well, some weathering with pastel chalk, and a final seal of paint the majority of the aircraft was complete. I the detailed and painted the canopy and gondola. Both were installed and the antenna was rigged with EZ-Line. The kit itself was very good. The thing I like about Mirage is they do unique aircraft typically not offered by others and they do a decent job on the details. I would recommend this kit if you want to add some unique aircraft to your collection. Thanks for following along. You can see the entire build from start to finish with all the photos and details in my build log https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/
  6. This week’s update on the PZL-23B covers the fuselage and wing details. I assembled the wings and then added the photo etch details like the entry steps and hand holds, wing joint covers, and aiming scales to the nose. The engine was then mounted. I needed to paint the base coat on the fuselage prior to mounting the exhaust as it runs along the fuselage. The underside was painted using light blue and the top was painted olive drab. The two color reference photos depicted a panel pattern on the wings. I duplicated this by adding a little green drab to the paint and painted the alternating panels on the wing tops. The main landing gear shrouds house landing lights. The kit provided the clear covers for them but no details behind them. It was just an open hole. I used a clear sprue from my scrap bin that was fit into the hole. I trimmed it flush then drilled into it with a drill bit to make the reflector. Then a smaller drill bit to make the bulb area and finally a tiny one to simulate the filament of the bulb. Stay tuned as next week as I apply the decals and final paint to finish this unique Polish aircraft. You can see all the details and photos from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/
  7. Work continues on the PZL-23B. This week the cockpit and interior are together. The kit comes with a few resin parts like parachutes and radio equipment. Putting the walls and cockpit tub into the fuselage was a little tedious keeping the sections aligned but everything fit well. I added some 32 awg wire for cables and wires to the equipment. One thing to note is the rear gun. I had built up the rear gunner seat with the gun but once it was installed in the fuselage it was difficult working on the kit because of how delicate the assembly was. I would recommend leaving the actual gun off until near the end. With the interior completed I am now working on the lower gondola and the landing gear. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/
  8. This next build is the Mirage 1/48 PZL-23B KARAS of the 64th Line Flight, 6th Air Regiment. This particular kit was a limited edition that came with a commemorative coin. The kit already comes with resin and photo etch accessories so no other accessories were added so this is straight out of the box build. The engine assembly was pretty straight forward. The cockpit used photo etch seatbelts and a resin tank. It went together very well. The rear and lower machine guns come with photo etch sights and ammo mounts. The rear gunner has a “Lazy Susan” style holder for the extra ammo cartridges. The rear gunner seat and gun mount was assembled. Next up is the cockpit walls and fuselage. More photos are in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-pzl-23b-karas/
  9. The Hasegawa 1/48 AH-64D Apache longbow is now complete! As typical with most Hasegawa kits this one went together very well. The kit decals that I used worked very well and the IPMS 2010 convention decals worked out perfectly. The detail of the kit is very good by itself. The photo etch set add the super detailing and the Master Model chain gun is great. If you are looking for a nice kit of the AH-64D, this is the kit I would recommend. Thanks for following along. See you next week for the next build. You can see the entire build from start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-apache-longbow/
  10. For this week on the Apache I have the fuselage detailed and base coat painted. I then built and detailed the tail rotor using photo etch accessories. I then built up the chain gun. The Master Model set replaces the barrel assembly. The original barrel assembly is cut off and replaced. Then the chain gun was assembled. I added some 32 AWG wire to replace the molded wiring on the mount then painted the assembly. Moving forward I then detailed the main rotor assembly with photo etch accessories. The next section was the nose sensors and cameras. Using close up photos I painted the one section. For the other two section which have a mirror finish, I used bare metal foil and buffed them to a mirror finish. The final step was to paint the seals around the windows. I used International orange and a very fine brush. I then built and detailed the rocket launchers and mounted them. I started on the Hellfire missiles. I am nearing the end of this build. Once the Hellfire missiles are mounted I just have the decals and canopy to detail and put on. You can follow the build in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-apache-longbow/
  11. This weeks’ update on the AH-64D Apache Longbow covers the assembly and details of the fuselage. The landing gear was built and detailed with photo etch. The fuselage had some vents cut out and replaced with photo etch parts. I drilled a hole thru the vent then cut out with a hobby knife and finally shaped with a small file to fit the photo etch piece. The engine exhaust was then assembled and detailed with photo etch. Once assembled the fuselage was base coat painted with the black green color. Have a few more details to add to the fuselage then on to the rotors and chain gun. You can follow the build in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-apache-longbow/
  12. Happy New Year! This will be my first build of 2020. It is the Hasegawa 1/48 AH-64D Apache Longbow Attack Helicopter. I will be adding details from the Eduard photo etch cockpit detail set, the Master Model chain gun detail set and using the decals from the IPMS 2010 National Convention. This set covers the AH-64D Apaches from the 1-285 Aviation Battalion of the Arizona Army National Guard. The specific aircraft will from Charlie Company Lobos. Starting with the cockpit, The Eduard set comes with placards for the display screens for the dash. These were cut out and trimmed to fit. A few photo etch accessories were added to complete the dashes. The control pedals and seats were then added to the cockpit tub. The cockpit tub was then installed into the fuselage along with the engine and base of the rotor assembly. You can follow the build in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-apache-longbow/
  13. Moving on the fuselage was painted olive drab on top and neutral gray on the bottom. The Banshee’s used a medium green to scallop the edges of the wings and tails. The decals were then applied. The Rising Decals went on very well. A little Microset and some Microsol helped get the large skull decals to conform to the nose. The only change I made was the pin-up of the “Flying Lady” used just behind the skull on the port side. The decal set had no details. It was more or less some colored dots. I located the correct image on Google then resized it t the fit the scale and made my own decal. The aircraft was then final coated with a matte finish. The canopy sections were installed and the rigging was done with EZ-Line. The base of the display case was then covered with a sand mat and weathered with pastel chalk for wheel marks and oil stains. The rear of the display base was then filled in with grass. These accessories were from the Scene-O-Rama set I have used in the past. Finally I made a decal for the front of the display base and gave the acrylic cover a quick polish. It is now ready to be displayed on my desk at work at the start of the New Year! See all the details from start to finish in the build log section https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-72-p-40n-burma-banshee/
  14. This is my last build for 2019. It is Academy’s 1/72 P-40N. My Niece got this for me Christmas 2018. I wanted to make this special. After months of planning what I wanted to do with it I decided to make it one of the Burma Banshee’s P-40’s. I chose to do the “White 27” of the 88th FS/ 80th FG based in Karachi, India in 1944. I always like the P-40 and many of them have the shark mouth nose. The Burma Banshee’s all used large skulls on the nose making them unique looking. This will be mounted in a display case so that I can display it on my desk at work. For detailing I purchased the photo etch set, a Merit acrylic display case, and a set of Rising Decals Burma Banshee’s part II. The decal set includes 7 different aircraft from the 88th, 89th, and 92th fighter squadrons. To start with I cut out the vents on the nose to add the more realistic photo etch versions. The side walls of the cockpit were then painted and detailed with photo etch accessories. The dash and seat was detailed and I installed the P-40N-5 rear cockpit section. The kit includes both the N-1 and N-5 sections so all 7 decal set aircraft can be built. The fuselage was assembled. I drilled out the gun barrels and added a brass pitot tube on the wing. The kit pitot looked way too large for the scale. I started to add the landing gear doors and the kit doors were way too thick. I used some sheet styrene and cut my own. Next up will be the painting and decaling. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-72-p-40n-burma-banshee/
  15. The F-16C from the 61st FS is now complete. For the finishing touches I made the AIM-9 IR sensor heads as noted in my Tips and Tricks section. https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-make-laser-and-ir-sensor-heads/ Then I started to detail the canopy. First thing I needed to do was to remove the mold seam down the center of the canopy pieces. They were wet sanded down with 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper then polished with Meguire’s PlastX inside and out. Painted then applied the decal for the pilot and finaly mounted the canopy in the open position. All the lights were mounted and the ones that required paint were painted with Tamiya clear colored paints. All the missiles and drop tanks were installed and the model was finished. The completed model was then presented to the client. Overall the Tamiya F-16C kit is a very nice kit to build. Only some minor areas required a little filling with putty. The pieces all fit very well. The kit decals went on nicely and allowed the surface details to show. The only thing that requires extra care is removing the seam in the canopy parts. If you are looking to build a nice F-16C, I recommend this kit. You can see the entire build at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-16c-from-the-61st-fighter-squadron/
  16. Getting closer to completing this F-16C. The base coat of paint for the scheme is done. Missiles and drop tanks have been built, base coat painted and decaled. Added the general decals and the custom made decals for the 61st Fighter Squadron and started weathering the fuselage and more on the tail cone. All the weathering was done with pastel chalk as outlined in my tips and tricks section. https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/ The kit decals are great. They went on and conformed very well to the surface details. Once the weathering is finished the top coat will be sprayed on. Then the canopy will be detailed and installed along with the drop tanks and missiles. Still have to finish the AIM-9M IR sensor head details and the various lights on the fuselage. More photos in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-16c-from-the-61st-fighter-squadron/
  17. This week’s update on the F-16C covers the resin landing gear bays and the intake and exhaust of the engine. To start with I primed the resin bays with Tamiya white primer. They were then sprayed with Vallejo off white. Wire harnesses were painted flat black and 32 awg wire was used for the hydraulic lines. The main landing gear bay required very little trimming to fit but it took some careful alignment. The nose gear bay required a lot of trimming and shaping to fit. The cockpit required some minor trimming and was installed into the fuselage and the fuselage was then assembled. Lastly the landing gear was installed into the bays installation was very easy. I then detailed and painted the intake. The resin exhaust was then assembled, painted and weathered. The inside was painted burnt umber and weathered using light gray, dark gray and black paste chalk. The inside cone has the edge weathered in light gray at the very edge. The outside was painted aluminum at the base and jet exhaust for the feathers. The exhaust was assembled and initial fit into the fuselage require a lot of trimming where the tail mounts. There are mounts for the tail on the inside that needed to be trimmed down to half their height. The large tab for the tail needed to be trimmed down as well for the tail to sit flush. Once done the exhaust was aligned and glued in place. Working on the fuselage details now and getting ready to paint the base coat of paint. Check out all the build photos and details from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-16c-from-the-61st-fighter-squadron/
  18. That is looking like a great start! Although the figures with their heads on sticks looks creepy. LOL
  19. The next build is an F-16C from 61st Fighter Squadron. I am using Tamiya’s F-16C as well as Ares resin accessories. The Ares accessories include the resin cockpit, resin wheel wells, and the resin exhaust. This is a commission build for a veteran who worked with the 61st FS at MacDill AFB in the 1990’s. The decals for this will be custom made for this aircraft. To start with I washed, trimmed and shaped all the resin parts. The ejection seat uses photo etch details like signs, seat belts, and handles. It was weathered with pastel chalk. Moving to the dashboard I used a photo of a real F-16C dash and made decals for the digital screens. Added some photo etch details and detail painted the rest. For the cockpit tub I added the photo etch details and detail painted the knobs, switches and joystick. The cockpit side walls were added completing the cockpit. There will be some trimming required to fit the resin cockpit assembly into the fuselage which I am working on now. You can see all the other photos in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f-16c-from-the-61st-fighter-squadron/
  20. The conversion from the 1/48 Kinetic E-2C 2000 to the Northrop Grumman E-2D “Delta One” aircraft is now complete. I can also reveal that this was made for a wonderful lady who has worked many years on the E-2 aircraft program. The model has been mounted in to a custom made display case made by Grandpa’s Cabinets. If you want to protect your model and display it in a case, I highly recommend them. They provided the case for my 1/350 USS Carl Vinson and for this model. Their website is http://www.grandpascabinets.com/ With all the decals applied a nice gloss finish was applied. The antenna line was added using EZ-Line. The side windows and top windows of the cockpit were sprayed with a 50/50 mix of Tamiya clear orange (X-26) and clear yellow (X-24) to replicate the gold tint. To keep the model from sliding around I drilled a hole into each wheel (only one of the nose wheels) and glued in a piece of wire. I then set it on a piece of paper so the wires poked thru the paper. The aircraft was positioned on the base. I then taped the paper down and removed the model and used the paper as a template to drill holes in the base. The wire pins were coated with some clear two-part epoxy and the aircraft was placed on the base. The last step was to mount the brass etched name plate that was made by EnM Engraving. https://www.enmengraving.com/ The last thing was to place the acrylic cover and the model was ready to be displayed. While the kit itself had some fit issues, overall it presents well. Thanks for following along. Check out all the details, modifications and photos from start to finish at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-northrop-grumman-e-2d-conversion/
  21. I am getting closer to finishing the E-2C 2000 conversion to the E-2D. Using some high resolution photos I was able to make a decal set for the aircraft. After doing some detail painting and adding decals from the kit I added the custom decals. After the decals were applied I let the Microsol do its job. The kit decals worked great. Only issue is that the kit decals for the walkways were a little larger/longer than the spaces they go on the aircraft. The worst area was the walkways between the tails. I ended up cutting out a section in the middle of each decal so that the edges would line up correctly. The entire aircraft was then sprayed with a gloss coat to seal the decals. Next is the final assembly adding the pylon and saucer, the cable rigging, and the clear parts (wingtip lights, fuselage lights, and cockpit windows. Should have it completed next week. More photos in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-northrop-grumman-e-2d-conversion/
  22. Moving forward on the E-2D conversion, I have finally finished the fuselage modifications. The fuselage was wet sanded and contoured to match the fuselage without the cable trough. The pylon and saucer were painted and clear coated with gloss. I then started the painting the rest of the aircraft. Paint scheme is overall light ghost gray with international orange highlights. The propellers were then assembled, painted, decaled and sealed with a matte finish. The main landing gear doors were painted and decaled as well. I am now working on making the custom decals to represent the “Delta One” aircraft. See all the details and photos from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-northrop-grumman-e-2d-conversion/
  23. More work on the E-2D prototype. To start with the main gear was corrected. The instructions have you build the engine/main gear bays off the aircraft. They have one step to build both and it can lead to installing the struts in the wrong bay. A scalpel, some careful cutting, and the error is corrected. Next the rear fuselage cable trough was removed and the section filled. While the fuselage putty was curing on the fuselage I started modifying the saucer pylon. The lower section is extended down and the connection to the fuselage is larger. Using one of the hi-res photos I was able to scale the photo section to 1/48 size. I then cut out the sections to use as templates. The templates was traced on to some sheet styrene and then cut out the section pieces for the sides. Once the sides were installed I measured the bottom and made the bottom panel. I then laid down a coat of putty in the areas that will require blending. After the putty is cured I will start sanding and filing to blend the add-on to the original part. Check out all the photos and details at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-northrop-grumman-e-2d-conversion/
  24. The masking is done with Kapton tape. I prefer using it for mask because the adhesive does not leave any residue, it has some minor stretch for curved surfaces, it is not affected by any paints, edges seal so no paint bleed thru even when masking across panel lines, and being clear, can trim canopy windows very easily with a hobby knife.
  25. Weekly update on the conversion to the E-2D is going good. The photos may be a little off. I had the memory card for the camera go bad. So I lost a bunch of photos. I was able to recover some and the areas I lost I took the "after" photos. Anyhow, this week I was able to build up the engines and main gear. Once detailed and assembled I had to scratch build the EMIRS and PTS faring that are on the bottom aft of the fuselage. I built them out of sheet styrene. For the EMIRS I layered 3 sheets then coated with a layer of putty. Once dry I sanded it to shape it. I cut a section out of the fuselage and made the EMIRS head out of some pieces out of my spare parts bin. Next I started adding details to the fuselage and installed the nose gear. I mounted the tail assembly and placed the saucer assembly on the top so to make sure the model would sit on the tricycle landing gear. I had added weight to the nose prior to putting the fuselage together but it was not enough. I added 2 more weights just behind the cockpit and it now sits normally. I masked off and painted the windscreen assembly. Found out there is another section with a huge gap. This was shimmed and then putty was applied. After more sanding and shaping I added in the panel lines. Aircraft Delta One also had a pitot tube mount near the starboard wing tip. I found a brass pin and had to add a styrene rod to make it the correct length. I have most of the aircraft base coated now. Working on the finer painted details now then will need to finish making the decals and put them on. Check out the photos and details from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-northrop-grumman-e-2d-conversion/
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