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Wolfman63

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Everything posted by Wolfman63

  1. Progress on the MIG-21 is coming along nicely. Detailed the wings and fuselage with photo etch details they moved to the ejection seat. The photo etch details really highlight the seat. I then started to paint the aircraft. I used Model Master Aluminum buffing metalizer. The process is you spray the model and let it dry. It looks like a very dull and grainy appearance. Using an old cotton T-shirt I then buffed the paint to a shiny aluminum finish. You will need gloves as while buffing you can inadvertently leave fingerprints in the surface. I then painted the highlight areas like the engine exhaust cone, intake trim and the ventral fin on the bottom. Next I went to apply the decals. There are over 155 tine stencil decals that needed to be placed. While tedious (took two evenings to do just them), they went on nicely. I then added the Polish Air Force decals. They went on very well and with a little Microsol came out great! Starting work on the R-3S missiles and then the canopy needs to be polished, detailed and painted. Should be completely done in a few days. You can see all the build photos from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-mig-21-pfm/
  2. Thank you all, I have a set that are on their way to me.
  3. I am looking for a set of decals for a 1/48 AH-64D that were available from IPMS at the 2010 convention. Or if you have one of the Two Bob's 1/48 decal sets for AH-64D Helicopter. Please contact me. Thanks for looking.
  4. Starting the Eduard 1/48 MIG-21 PFM. I will be using the decal scheme for the Polish Air Force. The scheme represents the aircraft as it appeared in 1996. The kit includes photo etch details so no extra accessories were added. To begin I started with the cockpit and the engine exhaust. For the interior color, Vallejo makes a Model Color (70.838) which is a match to the interior color used on the actual aircraft. The cockpit section also has the nose gear bay attached. I detailed the bay walls and assembled them. The dash was multiple layers of photo etch and looks great. The exhaust was detailed with photo etch and then weathered with pastel chalk to add a level of realism. The main landing gear bay was assembled and detailed. I added some 32 awg wire for details. I added some weight to the nose cone so the aircraft would not drag the tail once fully assembled. All of these sections needed to be built so that the fuselage can be built up. Assembling the fuselage was a little tricky for the area around the cockpit. I had to trim the sides of the cockpit floor by removing about 1mm from each side to get the fuselage to meet together. You can see all the build photos in my build log https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-mig-21-pfm/
  5. I use Meguires PlastX, Q-tips and a microfiber cloth. See my tip here: https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-repair-clean-and-polish-clear-parts/
  6. The 1/48 Tamiya/Italeri AR-196A German float plane is now complete. I added the rigging for the floats and the antenna using EZ-Line. I added the sight glass by using a small piece of acetate. The decals are for the aircraft used on the Bismarck Battleship. The decals were really nice. Thin but not too thin. Slid right into place and laid down nicely. The canopy sections were polished, detailed with photo etch and painted. Aside from a few gaps this went together well and came out looking good. You can see all the photos from start to finish in the build log https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-arado-ar-196a/
  7. Lots of work completed on the AR-196A. First, assembled wings and found that the fit to the fuselage has an issue. There is a large gap on the port side. The other side and bottom also have small gaps. These were all filled, filed and sanded. Then the floats were assembled and detailed with photo etch parts. The oil cooler was replaced with photo etch parts and added some more photo etch details to the fuselage. The rear machine gun was then detailed, painted, and mounted. The dolly was then assembled and painted. I painted the “wood” to look weathered and aged. Painted a brown base, then dry brushed tan and finally lightly dry brushed light gray. Once the paint was dry I used dark brown and black pastels to add weathered and dirt to the surface. Now working on painting the base coat on the aircraft. The first color of the scheme is done. Letting it dry overnight before I mask and paint the other color. Many more photos can be viewed on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-arado-ar-196a/
  8. More work done on the Tamiya 1/48 AR-196A float plane. I have completed most of the cockpit and installed it in the fuselage. The fit was a little difficult. The top of the cockpit walls fit fine but I had to twist it a bit to align it. If you ever go this route don’t install the cockpit to one side then join the fuselage. Put the fuselage together then install cockpit from bottom. I made a couple of shims to keep the cockpit floor square to the top. I then started on the engine. The part with the pushrod’s had one pushrod that was “short shot” in the mold. I trimmed the nub and scratch built a new one using some stock styrene rods. The photo etch details and wiring were added and painted. After reviewing some photos of the real engine I used 32 gauge wire to make the oil return line. I cleaned up the cowl parts (the seams and a little flash) then installed the engine. The photo etch set also comes with the front cowl mounts. It was tricky getting them mounted the correct height so they would meet the cowl edge correctly. Once I finish cleaning the outside of the cowl and the assembly mounted to the fuselage I will be starting on the wings. You can see all the build photos from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-arado-ar-196a/
  9. It is the safety belt for the rear seat. It attaches to the seat which looks like the seat can move forward and backwards on the track. When I first installed it, it took a while to figure what it was for.
  10. Next up is the Tamiya 1/48 Arado AR-196A German seaplane. I will be doing the scheme as one of the aircraft that were used on the Bismarck battleship. The Arado Ar 196 was a shipboard reconnaissance low-wing monoplane aircraft built by the German firm of Arado starting in 1936. To add details I am using the Eduard detail set. The first thing I noticed was aside from a few of the kit parts like the seats and some bulkheads the cockpit is 80% photo etch! There are 3 sheets of photo etch and most are the cockpit. It is taking a lot of time to cut, bend, and place the many parts but it is looking great. You can see all the build photos and follow along in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-arado-ar-196a/
  11. LOL, The polar vortex this past week helped a lot, Off of work a day and a half due to -20* temps.
  12. The EA-18G Growler representing VAQ-209 is now complete. This build was very nice to build. The fit was great and the instructions were well done. The Two Bob’s decals are nice and thin. They went on well (aside from the Vader face being on a single film) and they look great! The Eduard photo etch set is great as well. Thanks for following along! All the build photos from start to finish are on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ea-18g-growler-vaq-209/
  13. The 1/48 scale Hasegawa EA-18G Growler is getting closer to the finish line. The landing gear has been detailed and installed. The nose gear door was completely replaced by photo etch. Hoses and cables added to the struts. Installed all the under wing missiles and jammers. The decals were then put on and the top coat applied. The decal set is very nice. Just a word of caution, the decal sheet with Vader’s face and the CAG logo is a single film sheet. It must be trimmed before placing in water. I they switched over to the canopy. The first thing I needed to do was to remove the seam down the middle. I have a tips and tricks section on how to remove the seam at https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-repair-clean-and-polish-clear-parts/ The HUD wad assembled using photo etch for frame and clear acetate for the glass. The canopy frame has lots of photo etch details for hooks, levers, and panels. Once the canopy has been fully detailed and painted it will be installed open then I can finish the external details. You can see the numerous photos of the build from the start at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ea-18g-growler-vaq-209/
  14. As work continues on the EA-18G, the landing gear bays have been detailed with the photo etch parts. The main gear bays required the entire outside wall to be removed and a photo etch panel attached. I used 400 grit sand paper to remove the kit wall. I then assembled the intake ducts. Using dental spade I filled the seam with putty and sanded it down with a sanding stick. The fuselage was assembled and the front landing gear bay was detailed with photo etch parts. Added some more photo etch details to the fuselage like wind splints, chaff buckets, and formation light frames. The exhaust cones were assembled, painted and weathered with blue, brown and black pastel chalk. The fuselage was base coat painted and weathered with dark gray pastel chalk to highlight panels and other details. Currently working on the under wing stores and the landing gear details. You can see the numerous photos on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ea-18g-growler-vaq-209/
  15. If I had seen it earlier I would have definitely bought a set. If I ever do the E/F I will get a set.
  16. Wish I would have seen this earlier. I just finished building and installing the intakes last night. The seams were really not too bad. The flexible sanding sticks I use were worked very well.
  17. Next up is the Hasegawa 1/48 U.S. Navy EA-18G Growler. The EA-18G Growler is an airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft which operates from either an aircraft carrier or from land-bases. The Growler is the replacement for the United States Navy EA-6B Prowler aircraft which entered service in 1971 and was retired in 2015. For this kit I will be using the Eduard photo etch sets for the seats, cockpit and exterior of the kit. I also will be using decals from Two Bob’s Decals that represent “Star Warriors” of VAQ-209. I chose these because I like the star wars theme with Darth Vader on the tails. Starting with the cockpit, I built and detailed the seats first. The photo etch set includes the seat belts, seat pads, handles, and warning signs for each seat. Once the seats were done I moved on to the cockpit tub. The details added were the pedals, walls and dashboards. I weathered the interior with some dark gray pastel chalk the mounted the cockpit in to the lower fuselage. The kit shares the same mold as the Hasegawa F/A-18E/F so some of the details on the nose needed to be modified. The instructions show you which panel lines need to be removed and which ones to add. Since the EA-18 version does not have the guns, the gun bulge and ports are removed. It is nice that the instructions include the corrections. Check out the many other photos in the build log on my blog at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ea-18g-growler-vaq-209/
  18. The Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B representing the “Ruptured Duck” is now complete! It has been mounted to the deck and tied down. I used Berkley 50lbs test braided fishing line to simulate the ropes. Then I used two tweezers to make the knots. Finally they were then painted with Tamiya Buff (XF57). Once it was mounted I used EZ-Line to rig the antenna lines. Aside from the issue with the decals I really liked this build. The kit is well detailed and the fit was very good. It now sits on the display shelf while I decide what the next build will be. Build log with all the photos from start to finish; https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/
  19. This has been a difficult week on the B-25B. Calling this the good, the bad , and the ugly week. The good is paint and decals done. The aircraft is nearly done with the exception of some minor details. I will be mounting it onto a resin base that looks like the deck of the USS Hornet. It will be tied down just like it was on its journey across the Pacific. The base is the Eureka XXL USN Aircraft Carrier Wooden Deck Base. It comes with a resin insert, wooden frame, and steel arresting cables. It is very nice and very detailed. I used a teak colored primer then top coated it with deck blue. I weathered it using some sandpaper and pastel chalk. The fit of the kit has been very good with minimal gaps. The bad is the decals. The kit decals are poor. They are slightly off register and very thick. I had a rough time getting them to adhere to the model. And finally for the ugly part. The Ruptured Duck logo aside from being difficult to adhere also was not very accurate and the coloring is wrong. It actually came off while I was painting the recognition and formation lights. After some internet searching I found the logo that closely resembles the original (as described in the book “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo”) and was used on the aircraft from the movie. I had to make my own decal for this. It looks a lot better than the kit decal. Stay tuned as I near completion of this kit representing a historic aircraft. You can see all the build photos at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/
  20. I use Kapton tape to tape off areas and do not have any problems around curves and angles. Have done boots on other models without issues.
  21. Continuing forward the bomb bay doors have been now installed. The landing gear has been detailed and installed. I added the crew hatches and other details to the bottom. The bottom has been base coated with neutral grey and the top base coated with OD green. Need to tape off for the boot black areas and add some details to the top then move on to the decals. More photos in the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/
  22. For those of you that would like to see this in person, It will be at the National Convention in Chattanooga this August!
  23. Starting to look like a B-25B! The tails and wings are on. The fit was pretty good. Some very minor filling of small gaps was required. I then turned to the bomb bay doors. The photo etch parts completely replace the kit parts. Each door consists of five pieces. I used an aluminum handle of an Xacto knife to place and shape the curve of the door to match the fuselage. The inside of the doors were painted bright aluminum then weathered slightly with black pastel chalk. I am now working on the landing gear. The photo etch details have been added to the struts. You can see more photos and follow the build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/
  24. Continuing the buildup of the Accurate Miniatures 1/48 B-25B “Doolittle Raider” now that the fuselage is together, I worked on the engines and some more details. I assembled the bombardier section to the front. I added a “Field Upgrade” they did to the B-25. This added an armor plate to the top of the fuselage just aft of the upper turret. The kit engine cowls have too small of an opening for the B-25B. I used a round dowel and some 400 grit sandpaper to open them up by .05”. The engines did not have the pushrods molded on them (and no parts in the kit to add them) so I used some 32 awg wire and made my own. Once the cylinders were cleaned up, painted and weathered I added the photo etch wire harness and installed the front engine cover. Next I will be working on the wings. See my build log for all the photos of this build at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/
  25. A special update before the holidays on the 1/48 Accurate Miniatures B-25B. The Doolittle Raiders carried three 500lbs bombs and a 100lbs incendiary bomb for their load out. After some research the incendiary bomb was an OP-1664 spec bomb. It consisted of 32 individual bomblets. Each bomblet was packed with a thermite package in a steel tube and an aluminum hollow tail. The rods were strapped together with canvas straps and aluminum end caps. When released, the canvass straps were released allowing the rods to separate during the fall and spread out over the area. On impact the explosive charge ignited the thermite and dispersed it similar to a roman candle spreading burning thermite in a 50 foot radius. The kit does not include this bomb. So I took 32 1mm styrene rods and cut the 1” long and arranged them in a section cut from a drinking straw. This was then glued to a styrene base. I removed the straw section and then added the rest of the rods to the bomb. I used a strip of styrene and some 32awg wire on the top and found some photo etch straps to wrap them. Finally I removed one of the rack mounts from one of the 1000lbs bombs in the kit and attached it to the top. I painted it the colors I could find for OP-1664’s that were used in the pacific. Steel nose where the thermite sits, steel center section where the explosive and trigger is and aluminum where the tail is. The incendiary bomb was then mounted in the # 4 position in the bomb bay. The fuselage was then put together. This required minor putty on some of the seams. I added some weights to the nose behind the dash and installed the detailed nose bulkhead. I am now working on the nose section. For the Doolittle raiders the Norton Bombsights were removed so the design would not fall into enemy hands and a basic bombsight was made. This bombsight was nicknamed the “Mark Twian” bombsight. Using photos of the actual bombsight, I scratch built mine using a piece of styrene and a strip of photo etch for the guide. Still working on detailing the side of the nose. You can see all the photos on my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-b-25b-doolittle-raider/
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