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Wolfman63

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Everything posted by Wolfman63

  1. 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/
  2. I used gunship gray paint with some pastel chalk to weather it.
  3. 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/
  4. 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/
  5. 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/
  6. 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/
  7. 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
  8. 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/
  9. 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/
  10. 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/
  11. 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/
  12. 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/
  13. My next build is the 1/48 Freedom Models X-47B US Navy UCAS. This is an Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) built by Northrop Grumman. It is essentially a semi-autonomous limited combat aircraft with two weapons bays. It is designed for use on an aircraft carrier to supply reconnaissance and identify targets for the air wing. With its stealth and ordinance capability it can take out a target that could be an immediate threat. It can also be refueled in the air for extended range. Only two flying demonstrators were built. Since there is no “cockpit” for a pilot to sit in, I decided to super detail the landing gear and weapons bays. I started by priming the bays with white primer. Next I worked on the landing gear. For the nose gear I drilled into the landing light to form a concave hole. This was then painted chrome silver. Once dry I filled the void with acrylic gel to form the landing light lens. I then added some 32 gauge wiring for the cables and hoses. I then use foil tape for the cable ties. This will be weathered later just prior to install. The main gear has the duel hard lines with bare 32 gauge wire then using black coated wires for attaching inside the bay. I then started to detail the bays. I used black, blue wire and green wires for the different uses and then cut thin strips of foil tape for the cable ties and mounts. I am currently working on scratch building the hoses then moving on to the weapons. The kit comes with two JDAM bombs so I need to build and detail them. You can see all the photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-x-47b-ucas/
  14. I have finished the Mohawk. This was a difficult kit to build. The fit requires a lot of work especially the canopy sections. The decals were also difficult to get them to sit down. They did not soften easily with decal set/solvents. Even with a base coat of Future they did not adhere or conform well to the surface details. The photo etch and resin accessories worked and fit well. If you build one of these the instructions state to use 19 grams, you need closer to 24 grams to keep it from sitting on the tails. Aside from the difficult issues it is a good representation of a unique aircraft. Thanks for following along. You can see all the photos and details from the start to finish in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/
  15. This week I am getting closer to finishing the OV-1C Mohawk. I started by detailing the fuselage with photo etch accessories. On the bottom of the fuselage is a loop antenna. The kit antenna was difficult to separate from the tree due to how thin it was. It broke in two different places. I placed the pieces on a piece of tape the used some 32 gauge wire and made my own. I cut the mounts for the for the kit antenna and attached them to the fuselage then drilled a hole to fit the new wire antenna. With all the wings attached and landing gear mounted I placed the aircraft on the gear. As expected I added enough weight to the nose to keep the tail up. Next I built up the replacement resin propellers. The resin set came with a jig to attach the blades at the correct pitch. I then decided to make this a ground support version using incendiary and high explosive rockets. I made the drop tanks and rocket pods using photo etch details. A fellow modeler mentioned that the canopy fit very badly. So I dry fit the canopy sections to see why they did not fit. It turns out there are multiple issues. The main one is the overhead console. It mounts at an incorrect angle and is too long. I sanded down the ends and the top to match the curve of the photo etch panel. I then mounted it with the console to be flush with the top of the rear bulkhead. This allowed the top part to line up correctly. Next came the windscreen which also has a console across it. Even with the overhead console trimmed it still went past the edge of the windscreen. I marked where the center console meets the windscreen console and mounted the windscreen console .03 inches back from the edge. Everything lined up. I then base coat painted it using green drab for the late Viet Nam scheme that was used. Once painted, I looked over the side doors of the canopy. They were horrible. One side looks like the mold had a hot spot or did not cool evenly and caused distorted lines inside the plastic. Both of them also had a lot of scuffs on the outside surface. I sanded them with 2000 grit then polished them with Meguire’s PlastX. Aside for the distortion on the one side due to the mold process, they came out great. I am now getting ready to start adding the decals. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/ After repairing and polishing using https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-repair-clean-and-polish-clear-parts/
  16. They were painted with Model Master Jet Exhaust paint then weathered with dark brown and black pastel chalk. https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/weathering-with-pastel-chalk/
  17. The build continues on the OV-1C Mohawk. The first thing I did was to detail the nose gear bay with more photo etch so I could install the cockpit/nose gear assembly into the fuselage. Once done, I was able to assemble the fuselage together. The instructions call out to add 19 grams of weight to the nose so the model will sit on the gear rather than its tail. I actually added about 22 grams. Only 15 grams fit in the nose so I added the rest on the sides of the nose gear bay between the bay and fuselage wall. I then began work on the wings. The first step was to cut out the entire main gear bays as these were completely replaced with photo etch parts. The bays were then primed with white primer. The main struts were then detailed with photo etch details. The engine exhaust area was detailed with photo etch and the kit exhaust was replaced with the upgraded resin version. The resin version is a seamless casting and shaped a little better than the kit version. The exhaust was painted then weathered with pastel chalk. The wing halves were then put together and finally the main gear was installed onto the wings. Next up is the tails and fuselage detailing. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/
  18. For my next build I will be building the Roden 1/48 OV-1C Mohawk. I will be detailing it with Eduard photo etch for the cockpit, exterior, and undercarriage as well as Quick Boost resin accessories like the exhaust, accurate propellers, and accurate scoops. This is one of the unique aircraft that you rarely see them built in scale models. Roden makes three versions in 1/48 the A, the C, and the D. I chose the C as it was the more widely used version during the Viet Nam war. The Mohawk's mission includes observation, artillery spotting, air control, emergency resupply, naval target spotting, liaison, and radiological monitoring. Built by Grumman in 1959, it was used for monitoring the DMZ in Korea then used during the Viet Nam war. It remained operational even during Desert Storm and until it was retired in 1996. Starting with the cockpit, I built up and detailed the seats with over 20 pieces of photo etch. The cockpit tub was then assembled and detailed and finally the instrument panel was detailed. The nose gear bay has photo etch details except where the wheel sits so I dug through my extra photo etch bin and located a panel that resembled the reference photo and installed it. I need to do a little more work on the nose gear and bay and look for areas to add some weight so it sits on the gear correctly once built. You can more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-ov-1c-mohawk/
  19. The AV-8B II Plus of VMA-214 has been completed. The fit issues make this a bit of a challenge. Not only was the dorsal and wing fit very poor, so was the canopy. It took a lot of work to get the canopy to line up to the windscreen. I could not mount the canopy open like I wanted because the two scoops behind the canopy are too close together for the canopy to fit in between them. The rest of the kit was fine for the fit. The Caracal decals worked very well. Overall it does present well. I really cannot recommend this kit unless you are up for the challenge of correcting the fit. 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-av-8b-harrier-ii-plus/
  20. The work on the AV-8B has been a little bit tedious. I started by building up the fuselage. Everything was going smoothly up until I went to assemble the dorsal and wings. Typically Hasegawa has a very good fit. However, with this kit there are some large gaps and ill fitting parts. To start with the forward fuselage to the rear fit nicely on the top and bottom but the lower part of the intake had some large gaps. Once filled, sanded and shaped. I then added the panel of the dorsal just behind the cockpit. This panel was a little too wide and .1” too long for the position. This required some careful trimming to get it to fit. Once placed, I went to install the wing assembly. The gap between the wing root and fuselage was not bad. It was the leading edge to the fuselage where the gap was really bad. More filler was required. I added some photo etch details like the shield behind the aft exhaust thrusters, the CHAFF blocks, various blade antenna’s. While the fuselage putty was drying I started on the under wing stores. I utilized a 3-D printer and printed an AN/AAQ-28 Litening Pod which was detailed and painted. I then assembled the AIM-9 missiles and made the IR sensor heads (see https://davidsscalemodels.com/tips-and-tricks/how-to-make-laser-and-ir-sensor-heads/ ) Finally after the sanding and shaping of the areas that were puttied, the landing gear was detailed and installed. The entire fuselage was then base coat painted with gunship gray on top and medium gray on the bottom. Next up is the decals and detailing the canopy. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-av-8b-harrier-ii-plus/
  21. This next build is the1/48 Hasegawa AV-8B Harrier II Plus. It will be detailed with Eduard photo etch and the scheme is going to be the infamous VMF-214 Blacksheep. The squadron was started by Major Gregory Boyington back in World War II. The Blacksheep transitioned to the Harrier in 1989 and deployed to their home base of MCAS Iwakuni, Japan. The decal set is produced by Caracal decals (set # CD48115) I will be doing the blue tailed scheme from 2015. For the first week of work I started with the cockpit and added the photo etch details to the cockpit tub, ejection seat and instrument panel. With the details added they were all painted and assembled. I then detailed the cockpit walls which are part of the fuselage with photo etch panels. The cockpit tub was then installed into the forward fuselage section. The next detail was the vectored exhaust. The vanes inside were thick plastic. These were removed and photo etch vanes were added. I am now working on the rear part of the fuselage and detailing the intake section. So far the build is moving along very well. You can see more photos and details in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-av-8b-harrier-ii-plus/
  22. The F6F-5N Nightfigher is now finished. I had a brass nameplate made and used it as the front of the battery box. The box was built out of sheet styrene. The end caps just press in for battery access. The end cap on the right side is just temporary. I will be adding a switch to turn the lights off and on. The switch is on order and then once it arrives, I can design the end cap and I will 3-D print it for a better fit and to make the power switch not so noticeable. Overall this is a very nice kit with the exception of the decals. Even though I had to build it in a different order than the instructions due to the lighting, everything fit well. The final pictures have different stages. The first ones are without the nameplate and light off. Then lights on with the battery sitting outside camera frame. Then the final photos are with everything on. The last photo was a Photoshop with a “sunset at sea” background. Thanks for following along and hope this encourages some of you to add lighting to your builds. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f6f-5n-hellcat-nightfighter/
  23. I am heading down the final stretch on the lighted Hellcat Nightfighter. So this week I added the drop take and added the straps with some spare photo etch parts. The aircraft was then base coated with Vallejo dark sea blue. I then installed the exhaust pipes and started on the decals. I was about halfway done with the decals when a fellow modeler informed me that the kit decals are slightly larger than what they should be. I had already installed the “21” on the side of the fuselage but did not do the tail. I then looked at the tail decal and “slightly larger” is being nice. The tail decal covers the entire tail and hangs off the back. I scanned in the tail decals and resized them to match the tail. I made my own decals for the tail and it looks way better. I finished the decals and then weathered the exhaust stains then finally top coated it. While it was drying I started on the base. The frame was white so I sprayed it hull gray. The flight deck insert was then sprayed with deck tan and then deck blue. I then painted on the dashed lines in light gray. The deck was scraped lightly with some 600 grit sand paper to give it the weathered painted wood look. The tie down strips and the arresting cable tracks were painted dark metallic gray. The arresting cables were painted gunmetal, installed, and the entire surface was weathered with black, gray, and dark brown. This was then sealed with a thin coat of matte top coat. Stay tuned as next I will be detailing the canopy and some other minor details then mounting to the base and making the name plate which will also house the battery. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f6f-5n-hellcat-nightfighter/
  24. More progress on the Hellcat Nightfighter. I built up the main landing gear and ran a wire on each one to simulate the wiring for the landing gear. I drilled a hole in the hub and the bottom of the tire. The wire was strapped to the strut with some photo etch bands and routed into the hub, thru the tire, and out the bottom. This is done so I can rum the wire thru the base to the power source. The landing gear was attached to the wing and the wire was routed to the fuselage. I have to attach the wings to the fuselage halves before closing up the fuselage due to the wiring and fiber optics used in the wings. The wires were routed, tied together, soldered and sleeved. The optic lines for the wings were routed and glued in place using the acrylic gel. I taped the fuselage together and did a light check before I glued the fuselage shut. With all lighting working the fuselage was glued together. The engine was assembled, detailed with photo etch wiring, and detail painted. I installed the resin radar pod but it was not a perfect fit so I had to fill the gaps with some putty. With the engine mounted, horizontal stabilizers, rudder, and engine cowl assembled it was ready for painting. I used some Micro Mask liquid masking to cover all the lighting lenses. Next up will be painting and decals then I can start painting and weathering the flight deck base. You can see all the photos and details from the start in my build log at https://davidsscalemodels.com/build-log/1-48-f6f-5n-hellcat-nightfighter/
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