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A Tale of Two Vipers (and a Mud Hen)


Eaglecash867

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Getting more modelling time again, and the time needed for things to cure and so forth was just seeming like a lot of wasted space in a project. So, I've gotten going on 3, all 1/32 scale.

 

I usually start with cockpits first, but I just couldn't resist getting the tails going first on the two Vipers. I was inspired by some pics of the 50 Years of YGBSM Viper scheme on the Shaw AFB web-site, and actually found the full decal set for 1/32 scale from Two Bobs. Couldn't wait to get the tail going, because the decals are just so cool. I had to do some modifcations to make it accurate. Removed the ASPJ air scoop, and used Bare-Metal Foil to fabricate a decent-looking BLOS SATCom antenna cover on the base of the tail. Also added the extra static wick to the tail cap by using one of the extra static wicks that came in the Tamiya Block 50 kit. Started using the thinned oil paint/turpentine technique technique for panel lines on this one...and I think I've found my new wash method, at least for AF aircraft that are MUCH cleaner than Navy aircraft.

 

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Not much to report on the green CAS Viper yet. Had to make a few mods to the tail first. The CAS Vipers didn't have the ASPJ scoop during testing, and I accidentally broke the tail cap static wick off, along with the sensor tube near the top of the leading edge. So, I repaired both items with two different diameters of brass rod, primered it, and just finished laying down the Medium Green base color. I'm making custom decals for that, since they don't exist in this scale. Nothing worth showing on that just yet.

 

The Mud Hen is getting its cockpit done first. That's going really slowly, because I'm experimenting with kind of a "hybrid" technique between the kit details and Eduard photo etch. In this case, I'm only removing the kit detail from the areas that will benefit from the photo etch. Generally speaking, photo etch is too bright and too two-dimensional, so I'm only using it where the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. Eduard has you remove all 3 MPCDs on the pilot panel, all the way to the base panel itself. That takes all the depth out of it. So I did a lot of surgical detail removal, and cut some tiny grooves in the bottoms of the MPCDs to allow the Eduard photo etch panels underneath to slide up into them. I also cut a small, rectangular hole in the center pedestal for the CCPO vent, so it now looks like air might actually come through it, instead of seeing the grey of the instrument panel through the louvres. Still have a few things to do to it, but its coming along.

 

XfQuWX.jpg

Edited by Eaglecash867
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Magnificent! Great job on that tail and instrument panel! I know what you mean about waiting for things to dry. That's why I work on multiple models at a time as well.

 

Keep it coming man!

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  • 1 month later...

Thanks for the comments guys! WHEW...its been a rough couple of months which has curtailed my modeling time quite a bit, but I did manage to get some progress done on my Vipers. It took a lot of experimentation with different techniques for dealing with what is probably the biggest pain for most jet modelers...the intake tunnels. I ended up making my own sanding tools for getting the seams on the insides down to a tolerable level. I took a chunk of a wire coat hanger and wrapped the loop part of some low-profile velcro around it...and then cut strips of micromesh sanding sheets and put the hook part of the velcro on the backs of those. That way I could take the strips on and off of the coat hangar by wrapping them in a spiral. Just chucked it up in a cordless drill and went to work.

 

Then came figuring out how to paint the insides. I ruined one Hasegawa intake tunnel by trying the "latex paint pour" method I read about on-line. Not very good results using that method, since there is nothing, chemically, in the latex paint to form a good bond with the plastic. It was very easy to accidentally make a hole in it when polishing, and then it would start peeling away at that hole. I ended up trying something that I hadn't read about yet on a new intake tunnel...using Plasti-Dip and pouring that into the tunnel. That worked really well. It has Toluene in it, so it bonds like crazy with the plastic. Instead of using tape to cover the bottom of the second tunnel while I poured, I used a MUCH simpler method. I cut the finger off a latex glove and stretched it over the end...then just cut it when it was time to drain the Plasti-Dip...the whole thing was then easily slipped right off and disposed of without getting Plasti-Dip everywhere like with the tape method I used with the first tunnel and latex paint. Its acceptable, but if I had to do it again, I would dip it next time after masking the outside. The pour method was a little too quick and trapped tiny air bubbles in a few spots. Still looks pretty darn good though.

 

Also used the Archer panel line transfers for the first time to put the raised panel lines back on the center portion of the intake tunnel exterior. I had pretty much erased both lines that go back from the sides of the nose gear well while I was removing the seam. They worked GREAT, and were actually really easy to apply.

 

The Tamiya intake I'll post when I get more visible progress on that. That one I airbrushed, and then dipped in 6 coats of Future...that looks just about perfect.

 

Here are a few pics of the progress on the CAS Viper, with a couple of close-ups of the intake tunnel.

 

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Edited by Eaglecash867
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  • 1 month later...

Finally got all the tiny handles attached to the Mud Hen panel, so it looks like I've got a good build technique to continue with on the other projects. I opted to ditch the Tamiya decals for the MPCDs, since they look a little cheesy, and just went with MPCDs that look like they're turned off. Used a layered approach with Alclad gold on the backs, and layers of red and green transparent paint on the front to give them the kind of gold/metallic/brown look they actually have when off.

 

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Also got the grey viper's engine bay bulkhead and ADG painted and ready to attach to the engine bay. Intake tunnel components came out smooth and seamless using the white paint/dipping in future technique.

 

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Edited by Eaglecash867
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  • 4 months later...

Thanks Gil!

Finally getting some modeling time again, but its gonna be sparse for a while.  I had to trim back my ambition a little bit and just focus on the Mud Hen for a while.  Still working on putting all of the switches into the side consoles, but the bucket, PE pedals, and pilot and WSO panels are finished.  Just ordered my styrene strips from Evergreen for scratch-building the throttle levers.  I think that's going to be fairly easy to get right, since I have a HOTAS Warthog right here, and the throttle in the A-10C is the same as the F-15E.

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Edited by Eaglecash867
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