Wolfman63

Kapton tape is a polyimide tape. Typically used in electronics. I first found out about it many years ago. At work they used it for isolating sections of circuit boards that were used on a wave solder machine. The thing that is nice is it does not react to paint, thinners or glues, the silicone adhesive leaves no residue and the edges seal very well so no bleed thru. The polyimide nature also allows a little bit of stretch for curves. You can buy a pack with a variety of widths on Amazon https://www.amazon.com/ELEGOO-Polyimide-Temperature-Resistant-Multi-Sized/dp/B072Z92QZ2/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=1VE1BPJ6EZHAB&dchild=1&keywords=kapton+tape&qid=1610916519&s=industrial&sprefix=Kapton%2Cindustrial%2C192&sr=1-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyUFRRUTFLRUZCT1M2JmVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNDM3Njk3TE9MRjAzUDNWWEJBJmVuY3J5cHRlZEFkSWQ9QTA0MTAzNjExMUFEMDc2SFNMTVVVJndpZGdldE5hbWU9c3BfYXRmJmFjdGlvbj1jbGlja1JlZGlyZWN0JmRvTm90TG9nQ2xpY2s9dHJ1ZQ== Here is the center canopy of a SB2U masked off. It trims easily. I put one large piece over the side and used a #11 hobby blade to trim it. Once trimmed I use a toothpick to press down on the edges. Since it is translucent, you can see where it is "sealed" on the edges. After painting just use a hobby knife or toothpick to lift the corner and peel it off. And here it is after painting Here is the masked off canopy of the UH-60L and after painting I even used it for the top and side windows on my 1/48 E-2D to replicate the gold tint of them. (Taped the inside of the windows.) I find it easier than even the pre-cut masks. I even used for all my masking on models. (stripes, camoflauges, etc.) I have even used it to make navigation lights by placing a dot of acrylic gel onto the backside of the tape. Once dry it just peels off the tape and you have a round navigation light.

Thanks! The Kapton tape I use works great. Benn using it for years.

The Stuka aircraft is just about done. After I finished the weathering, decals, and top coat done I detailed and painted the canopy frame and then installed the canopy. The antenna line inside the canopy was made with 32 AWG wire. The antenna line from tail to mast was done with some EZ-line. The aircraft was then set aside (more weathering to be applied once it is set on the base) . I then started on the portable generator for the display. For the engine I added the fuel line and ignition wires. The cable to hook up to the aircraft was part of the kit. I painted it German Gray and weathered it with gray, brown and black pastel chalk. I will add the grass and dirt stains later when it is mounted to the display base. I am now starting on the display base. The base is a 16” diameter, 1/8” thick maple base. I will be using Scene-A-Rama accessories to make a grass field next to a paved runway. I also have the tractor and seven figures to build, detail, and paint. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

This week’s update on the Stuka I finished the fuselage. Once the base coat of paint was completed I used the kit decals for the common decals and then added the home made decals for the squadron markings. The kit decals went on very well and they did not require a lot of solvent to sink into the details. After the decals dried I applied the clear top coat. Weathering was done. I used brown, dark gray, and black pastel chalk for the exhaust staining. In the fuselage I used medium green on the center of the upper panels to add some sun fade and a mix of dark green and black for panel lines. The underside was weathered with light and dark gray. I then started working on the canopy sections. The canopy sections will be in the open position. There are some photo etch details such as handles and the frame for the rear gun. Once I complete the canopy I will start on the Kettenkrafyrad and all the figures for the display then prepare the display base. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Work continues on the Stuka. The nose cowl panels have been separated, painted and weathered. The two lower panels that will be on the aircraft fit well once thinned. The panel that goes forward of the sight window did need to be corrected. It did not have the slot for the lower cooler hose. I will be mounting this on a base that will be accessorized to like an airfield. I already have the base. I ordered ICM’s German Luftwaffe Pilots and Ground Personnel set which has 7 figures (it arrived a couple of days ago) and I also ordered the Tamiya 1/48 German Kettenkraftrad which has a power cart, a maintenance tractor, and two figures. (This is scheduled to be delivered tomorrow.) With the panels completed I added the landing gear and flaps. The scheme I am doing has the aircraft with RLM 70 SCHWARZGRÜN on top and RLM 65 HELLBLAU on the underside with yellow cowl and yellow rudder. I base coated the aircraft and the bombs. I need to make the decals for this specific scheme then apply them. There are also quite a few photo etch parts to detail the canopy that need to added. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

I now offer decals for all the aircraft for certain ships/cruises. You can see the 1/350 Air Wing Decal Sets at https://davidsscalemodels.com/decals/1-350-air-wing-decals/ I am working on more sets as well. You can also buy the hangar bay decals with the air wing decals as a package set at https://davidsscalemodels.com/decals/1-350-cvn-and-air-wing-package-sets/ The Air Wing sets are two full 8X11 sheets that cover all the squadron decals for every aircraft that was aboard. Here is a sample of the first sheet for the USS Kennedy during the 1980 and 1981 cruises.

Hope everyone is enjoying this holiday season and staying safe. This week was spent building and detailing the engine on the Stuka. Starting with the upper cooler the front and rear were cut out and replaced with photo etch replacements. The scoop for the supercharger received the same treatment of cutting the panel open and using the photo etch replacement. The engine block was assembled and I added some engine controls to match the reference photos and then added wiring to match. The engine was then mounted to the fuselage and the wiring was fed into the firewall. The kit did not have any parts for the upper cooler hoses. I added shrink tubing that when shrunk was the correct size and added the hoses. The exhaust was added and the entire engine was weathered with black, gray, and brown pastel chalk. The front plate and the propeller shaft were added. As I mentioned previously, the reference photos show some of the panels still on the aircraft while maintenance is being performed. I will be doing the same thing. This however requires more work than I thought. I carefully cut the panels apart and realized the panels are too thick to fit over the engine and mounts. I am currently sanding and filing each panel to reduce the thickness. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

The Stuka is coming together very well. With the cockpit tub assembled I worked on the instrument panel and pedals assembly. The pedals are photo etch. This was attached to the instrument panel as well as the belly window. For details I mounted the window panel in the open position. The Inside of the fuselage was detailed with photo etch details, weathered, then assembled. There were only a few small areas that required some putty but overall the fit is very good. The wings, rudder and rear horizontal stabilizers were added and the control linkage photo etch parts were added. The kit includes a detailed engine. I will be building the engine and detailing it. The kit only allows two options, one with all the nose panels off or all on without the engine. Many of the photos online show some of the panels on as they performed maintenance. So I will be modifying some of the kit panels so they can be installed to like they were in the field. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

If you are building a 1/350 or 1/700-1/720 US Navy CV, CVN, LHD, or LPD I have decal sets that will enhance the look of the hangar bays and docking bays. For the 1/350 CV/CVN's I am currently working on decal sets to so that all the aircraft markings are accurate for specific cruises. Paypal and free worldwide shipping. You can check out the available sets at https://davidsscalemodels.com/decals/ Here is a sample of the CV/CVN hangar bay set Here is a sample of an Air wing set (sets are 2 full size sheets) Here is a sample of the LHD hangar bay set Here is a sample of the LPD Hangar Bay set

This week I worked on building and detailing the cockpit on the Stuka. Once the ejection holes were filled and sanded I added the photo etch details. Some reference photos I found online included a B-1 Stuka that was found in a forest and was getting ready to be restored at a museum. The photos show the cables and wiring had a yellow and white covering. I then added some yellow and white cables using 30 AWG wire. I routed them the same way the reference photos had them routed. The cockpit walls were then weathered using pastel chalk. The instrument panel was then detailed with photo etch panels and levers. In between the pilot and gunner is a radio set. I replaced the kit version with the corrected photo etch versions and mounted them onto the rack. The side walls were installed. Working on the fuselage details and getting ready to assemble it. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

For my next build I will be taking on the 1/48 Airfix Junkers JU-87B-1 Stuka. This was a World War II dive bomber use by Germany. I am not using the scheme in the kit. Instead the scheme will be that of the Staffelkapitan, 4th Staffel, Stukageshwader 77. It represents how it looked in June 1940 in France. I purchased the Eduard “Big ED” photo etch detail set (#49166) and will also be scratch building some other details. Starting with the cockpit I added the photo etch details to the ammunition cartridges. Then I detailed the seat with the photo etch seat belts. The cockpit floor required some putty as the ejector points were a little on the deep side. Once filled and sanded it was painted using Vallejo RM2 gray. The spent ammo casing bin was assembled and a photo etch cover was added. I added the ammunition cartridges to the mount and the put the bin, ammo, and seat into the weathered cockpit. I am working on the cockpit walls. Again these have a lot of ejector marks which required putty to fill. The cockpit parts have very good details although it is kind of a shame that there is a lot of ejector marks. You can see photos and details of the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ju-87b-1-stuka/

The Black Hawk is now finished and ready for display. After detailing and painting the main rotor it was mounted on to the helicopter. I ordered a brass nameplate etched with the information the client wanted and added the Army National Guard logo to a wood plaque that was painted with a desert tan surface and Army green trim. The main wheels of the helicopter were then pinned. I drilled two holes for the pins and glued it down. On the bottom side I added four felt pads so it can be displayed on any surface. While the kit itself had some issues the overall display looks great. This will be delivered to the pilot who flew this next week. Thank you for following along with the build! You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

This week I am near completion of the Black Hawk. The base coat was painted an overall olive drab. I made my own decals for the specific aircraft and used the kit decals for the general decals. The kit decals worked well. Once the decals were applied I added weathering with pastel chalk using dark olive, dark brown and black overall and some dark gray and light gray for the engine exhaust. I then did a top coat of matte clear to seal the decals and weathering. For the light on top of the tail, tail navigation light, and the bottom of the boom I cut off the body colored plastic and replaced them with clear styrene versions taken from my extra tree bin. The lens’ for the top of the tail and under boom were then painted with clear red. The photo etch included the mount for the tail whip antenna and I used 30awg wire for the actual antenna. I then added the small antennas to the top of the canopy and the photo etch wipers. The Minicraft one piece canopy looks so much better than the kit parts that had a poor fit. I am working on the main rotor now and will be adding photo etch details. I have the display base ready for finishing but am waiting for the brass etched nameplate to arrive. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

This week’s update on the Black Hawk covers the assembly and detailing of the fuselage. The rotor transfer case was assembled and detailed with photo etch then painted. The cabin/cockpit roof was then detailed with photo etch and some styrene rods. The tail rotor and main wheels were detailed. The fuselage was then assembled. The fit was average. It required some putty around the nose and the top just behind the main rotor. I dry fit the kit windshield and top section above the cockpit. This fit was very poor. The windows above the cockpit were too small to fit into the section and the windshield did not line up very well to the nose and doors. I instead used the canopy section from the1/48 Minicraft UH-60 kit. This is a one piece clear section. Remarkably it lined up very well. I polished it, taped off the window sections with kapton tape, and installed it. Next came the numerous photo etch detail parts for the fuselage. The vents and screens molded on the kit were cut out and the photo etch parts were formed and placed. The photo etch adds the correct formation lights, landing light, various cable cutters, antenna’s, and panels. There is even photo etch details that go in the main wheels. Last night I made the specific decals to match the reference photos of the actual Black Hawk. I am currently working on the fuselage getting it ready for base coat of paint. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

I used gunship gray paint with some pastel chalk to weather it.

For my next build I am building the 1/48 Italeri UH-60/MH-60 Black Hawk. I will be building this on commission as a UH-60L of the Illinois Army Air National Guard. A few years ago my company used to have a picnic lunch around the 4th of July in our parking lot during work. At these picnics we typically had government officials and military personnel give recognition for the work we do. The military personnel would arrive in a UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter and land in the parking lot. I have quite a few reference photos of these from over the years. Anyhow, one of the Back Hawk pilots (who landed in our parking lot a couple of times) after completing his service now works at my company and wants a model built of the particular Black Hawk he piloted. The kit will be detailed using Eduard interior and exterior photo etch sets and custom decals for the scheme. I started with the crew cabin. The seats in the kit are basic looking. Since the seats are removable on the real helicopter they are mounted using cables and turnbuckles. The cables are mounted under the seats. To replicate these I used 30awg wire and made decals for the canvas flags. The seats were then detailed with photo etch seat belts and buckles. Once the crew seats were completed the cockpit was next. The instrument panel for the kit lacked details and the decal for the panels was basic. The photo etch requires the top of the instrument panel to be trimmed off. The panel modified and the photo etch pieces were applied. The pilot and co-pilot seats were then detailed with photo etch pieces. While reviewing reference photos I noticed the back of the pilot/co-pilot seats was a first aid pack. Using the photos I created a small 3-D file and 3-D printed the packs. These were then painted and mounted on the backs of the seats. I am now working on the crew cabin roof, engine, and tail rotor assemblies so I can assemble the fuselage. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-uh-60l-black-hawk-helicopter/

The Thunderbolt is now complete! This build has been a tedious but fun build. The numerous accessories that were added and lighting work well together to bring the aircraft from the Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) into an awesome display piece. The Tamiya kit itself was nice the way it was designed to be built. It made adding the LED’s and fiber optic lines a little easier. While many of the decals for the particular scheme were homemade, the kit decals I used were very good. They went down nicely. I then carefully packed up the aircraft, test cart, and a CD filled with over 250 high resolution build photos into a box using foam supports, bubble wrap, and plenty of tape to keep everything held in place. The box was sealed and then placed in a larger box surrounded by foam peanuts to keep it all safe and secure for its trip to the northwestern United States. It is scheduled to be delivered today. The client purchased a hangar display base for this. Once he has it unpacked and on display he will take a couple of photo and I will update this log later with them. Thanks for following along. You can see all the photos and details from start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

This weekly update for the A-10 Thunderbolt II covers the power cart and most of the weapons. So the Hasegawa accessory kit came with two carts. The A/M32A-60A generator and a TTU-228/E Hydraulic test stand. I used the TTU-228 as it was large enough to hold the 9V battery. The cart was detailed with the wires and hoses that came with the kit. The top panel of the cart sits in between the side rails so it kind of clips in. I had to extend it to match the modification I did to the cart. It was then painted and decals added. Then a final coat of matte clear coat was sprayed. I then assembled the wheel chocks and painted them yellow. Moving onto the weapons and pods, I started with the AGM-65 Mavericks. The inside of the window was painted with chrome paint and the outside with 3 coats of Tamiya smoke. This give the head a tinted lens look but reflects the chrome when the light hits it. The ALQ-184 was painted. The resin pod did not come with ant decals so I made the decals as they were in the game skins. The CBU-54’s were assembled and painted then moved on to the mk. 84. The game skins have a shark mouth and some graffiti on the side. I made the decals from the game skin sheets. Finally comes the 3-D printed Litening Pod which was detailed and painted. All of these were then paced onto their stations to match the game skin. The only thing left is the APKWS rocket pods. These were ordered from Phase Hangar and arrived earlier this week. The other thing that was on the skins was FOD covers for the engines. These cover match the same style as the ones used on a YouTube video titled “A-10 Thunderbolt II Maintenance in HD” which is the same squadron. For the FOD covers I cut out two circles from a styrene sheet and used red wire to make the handles. I made a decal of the squadron logo and put one on each cover. The covers were then glued to a small piece of black foam. This gives them the black seal for the edges and holds them in place. These can be removed to show the intake vanes. All that is left to do now is to scratch build the triple rack to hold all six rocket pods (3 on each side) mount them, then take the final photos, and pack it up for its trip out to the west coast. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is heading into the final stages of the build. The aircraft was painted and the custom decals to match the combat simulator scheme were added. The Master Model was then assembled and installed. This accessory set also comes with a brass pitot tube for the wing. The hole in the wing was too large for the brass one so I filled the hole and re-drilled it the correct size. I was searching around the internet and stumbled upon a fellow modeler who used a glow-in-the-dark paint that he used for the formation lights (nicknamed “Slime Lights”). I looked up paints and found a brand called Spacebeams. They make a line of glow-in-the-dark paint called Aquaris. I purchased the Bright Aqua color. The paint is very thick. Almost as thick as the acrylic gel. Since the photo etch set came with the formation light frames, I used a toothpick to fill in the areas where the lights go then used the edge of the hobby knife blade to level it out. The paint itself has a leveling property itself so it dried to a smooth level. In normal light the paint has an ivory color to it. Once you place it in the sunlight or “charge: it with a UV flash light it glows brightly and is a match to what they look like on the real aircraft. The effect is amazing! The boarding ladder and the canopy were detailed and installed. At this point the basic aircraft itself is finished. So I am now working on all the weapons and pods. The weapons load-out will consist of two AIM-9 missiles, two AGM-65 Mavericks, two GBU-54’s, one mk.84 bomb, six APKWS rocket pods, the AAQ28 Litening pod, and the ALQ-184 pod. The missiles and bombs are Eduard Brassin, the APKWS rockets are from Phase Hangar, the ALQ-184 is from GT resin and the Litening pod is 3-D printed. Once the weapons load is completed all that will be left to do is finish building and detailing the Aircraft Test Cart. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

This week the wing tip lights were placed. I made an optic coupler to go from a PICO sized LED into a .5mm fiber optic line. One wing has a red LED and one has a green LED. Then the fun part, the wings and tail assembly need to be installed before the fuselage halves so the wiring and optic lines could be routed properly. I added weight to the node area so it will sit on the landing gear correctly then carefully put the fuselage together. The main gear was then detailed and installed and the engine assembly was built up, painted, detailed and exhaust was weathered. Once installed on the fuselage I checked that there is enough weight in the nose. There is, it sits on the gear without and need to prop the tail. I then added all the photo etch details to the fuselage. I then set up the model with the power cable and performed a light check. In my build log is a video that was taken with my cell phone to get an idea how the lights look from various angles. The photo etch HUD was then assembled, detailed and painted. Need to do some more cleanup work on the fuselage then start the base coat of the paint scheme. I am currently working on scaling and making the custom decals. The client wants a specific weapons load so I had to order some resin weapons that should arrive on Monday. The GPU cart will then be finished after the aircraft is completed. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/ Link to video: https://videopress.com/v/H04hAhkK

Let there be light! This week’s work on the Thunderbolt II is installing the aircraft lights. Starting with the navigation lights there are five locations. The locations are the aft of the fuselage, each side of the tails, the dorsal light and the belly light. The kit provides a clear lens for the tail which is 1mm in diameter. So to start I drilled a 1mm hole all the way into the fuselage cavity. The clear lens was placed and then a 1mm fiber optic line was placed against it. For the belly light a 1mm hole was drilled and a piece of styrene stock was added to provide strain relief. I then used a lighter and slightly melted the end of the 1 mm fiber optic line to create a “lens” and installed it. The tails and the dorsal spots were drilled with a .5mm drill and like the belly I used a lighter to slightly melt the end of each .5mm fiber optic line. I then made a light box out of styrene and installed a 3mm LED on one end and then drilled two 1mm holes and three .5mm holes for the fiber optic lines. All the fiber optic lines were then routed and attached using acrylic gel to hold them in place. To power the lighting I took the 1/48 Hasegawa cart and built it up. The problem I had was the interior of the cart held the battery but there was not enough room for the connector to the battery. To correct the fit I added some .2” thick styrene to the one end and some thin stock styrene to extend the edge of the top cover. A 3.5mm hole for the power cable was drilled out on the aircraft power spot. I used a coax wire sleeved with black shrink tubing as the power cable. One end was routed to the battery connector and the other side I installed a female coaxial pin. On the aircraft next to the nose gear bay is the aircraft ground power port. I cut out the panel (will make one later in the open position) and installed a male coaxial connector on a thick styrene sheet with epoxy and glued it into place. The cover of the cart will not be glued down which will allow access to change the battery if needed. I used the photo etch detail parts to build up the nose gear bay and then started work on the nose gear strut. The A-10 has two lights on the strut. There is a lower light for taxi and the upper light for landing. Using styrene rod I made both light housings. I installed a white PICO sized LED in each one and made the lens using acrylic gel. So not only does it create the lens it holds the LED’s in place. I am now starting on the red and green wing tip lights which will use individual LED’s and fiber optic lines. You can see more photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

This week on the A-10 Thunderbolt II I detailed and assembled the cockpit. I completed the details on the instrument panel and the side panels. I decided used a QuickBoost resin ejection seat as the kit seat was very incorrect. I then dug thru my 1/48 figures and found a very good detailed pilot. The pilot was painted to match the pilot used in the simulator. I made the squadron arm patch and helmet logo decals using the artwork from the simulator and painted the helmet red with tiger stripes to match as well. While the pilot was drying, I added some photo etch details to the nose wheel strut. The pilot was then placed in the seat and I used the photo etch seat belts to strap the pilot in. The cockpit was assembled and I ran the wiring down the one side of the cockpit. I am now starting work on the navigation lights. There are five white lights and the red/green of the wingtips. The white lights will all be fiber optic lines from a single LED source. Check in next week to see the results! You can see more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

For this next build I will be using the Tamiya 1/48 A-10A Thunderbolt II and doing a custom scheme as well as illuminating the aircraft. This is a commissioned work for a friend that flies this A-10 in the online flight simulator at the Digital Combat Simulator (DCS) website. The build will be detailed with Eduard photo etch, Eduard Brassin weapons (CBU-97’s, CBU-105’s, and Mk.84’s) and a Master Model gun for the nose. I will also be adding a M32A-60A Generator Unit which is part of the Hasegawa 1/48 US Ground Crew A set (currently on order) this will be used to hold a battery to power the LED’s used in the aircraft. Since I will be illuminating this it will not follow the instructions order of build so that the wiring and fiber optic lines can be installed as needed. I started with the instrument panel. The photo etch set provides an instrument panel as well as a clear plastic with the gauges printed on them. I cut out the center of the kit panel then using Tamiya clear green and blue I colored the certain gauges and sprayed the back side with flat white to reduce the brightness of the LED. I built a light box on the backside and installed a white PICO sized LED. Looking at reference photos there is a large landing light on the inside of the nose gear door. This is not included in the kit. I took a piece of 0.1” styrene rod and drilled into the end to make the back reflector and then cut the bottom lip to run the wires. I used a clear lens from my spare parts bin to cover the front and finally sanded the light case with a tapered back. I am starting to work on the taxi and formation lighting next. You can see more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-a-10-thunderbolt-ii-dcs/

The X-47B is now finished! First I need to bring up another issue. As I was applying decals a fellow modeler commented on one of the Facebook groups that the “Beware of Blast” decals were misspelled. I had already put the decals on the aircraft. So I looked at them and they say “Be Were of Blast”. They were carefully removed and I made my own with the correct spelling. Lastly I used some clear sprue trees and made the wingtip lights. These were shaped, sanded and polished. I trimmed the molded in one and put the clear ones on and painted them with Tamiya clear red and clear green paints. The overall kit was very good. It would be better but the decals being off register and the misspelling. For fit it was very good and the instructions were well thought out. The decals actually applied well. They do give you options for different schemes, however they only give you instructions for two schemes so you are left with a few decals with no reference to designate where they go. One final note, when I was reviewing the photos I took I kept thinking that the front on shots remind me of the alien fighters in the movie “Independence Day” with the intake looking like the front windscreen. Thank you for following along with the build of this unusual aircraft. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-x-47b-ucas/

This week’s update on the X-47B UCAS covers the detailing of the bays. After I use wire for the cables and hydraulic lines I used some styrene rods for the large hoses. For the orange hose I used foil tape for the clamps. I used some black vinyl tape and foil tape to make the hose connector on each one. Towards the aft I sleeved the shaped styrene rod with a braided sleeve and foil tape for the connectors. I assembled, painted and applied decals to the JDAM bombs. The decals that come with the kit had the white base slightly off register from the colors. The decals are also a little on the thicker side so they required a little more solvent to conform and lay down. This kit does not come with any clear parts. I trimmed off the upper and lower wing tip lights so I can make my own lenses. The base coat of painting was done and all the gear and bomb bay doors were painted. The instructions call out to use gunship gray but all the reference photos show the aircraft was painted dark ghost gray. The tail hook was painted and installed and the JDAM’s were put in the bays. I am working on the numerous decals then onto the final assembly and details. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-x-47b-ucas/