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Airfix F2H Banshee


dmjung

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Started this one in the fall while undergoing radiation, so decided it's up next while I'm on a roll. I'm doing this one strictly OOB. Reviews indicated it went together well considering its age and so far no coronary-inducing issues. Hopefully, the old decals will cooperate...

 

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Alright...my first big mistake. :)

Acrylic primers (and paints for that matter) adhere mechanically so they need a surface they can key/lock into.  I suspect a large amount of the bad press acrylic primers get is due to failing to prepare the surface.  So knowing that and even thinking I needed to knock the shine off this old-school blue plastic, I shot an acrylic primer coat straight onto that shiny smooth plastic.

It actually stuck fairly well where it could, but I knew it was going to end up being a problem, so time to practice wet sanding.  At least I'm getting the raised panel lines knocked down a little. And for some unknown reason, I like wet sanding...

To my eye, the Banshee has always had that ungainly, but graceful look to it. Kind of like a swan I guess.

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Starting to look like an airplane.  A few seams to work over, but maybe I can get it all done this next weekend. That would possibly be a record time for my finishing a kit even though I started it in the fall.

 

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Worked on seams off and on all week. Reattached a stabilizer I knocked loose, etc etc, the usual comedy of errors...

Last night decided I was ready for another primer coat. (Using Mr Surfacer 1000 in a can.)  Last time I sprayed this primer I had stuck a bamboo stick up where the tail hook sits, but I was a little afraid that hook assembly was going to break out. So I glued some scrap sprue into the front wheel well.  That handle worked quite lovely.

Of course, the sprue and plane parted ways when I was basically done and just inspecting for anything I might have missed.  The kit headed towards the nastiest surface in the vicinity--the paint booth filter. (I think that's a Law of the Universe.)

I dropped the Lensmen kit I was building a few years ago at about the same stage of construction. Hopefully not a harbinger of things to come...

--David

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First coat of Glossy Sea Blue on the nether regions.  Smells like...victory. (I'm trying to not think about those old decals and how nasty they look.)

 

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It's Vallejo Glossy Sea Blue.  I noticed that tint in the picture, but I think being shiny it was reflecting the inside of the paint booth. Or my cell phone camera just didn't get the color balance right. Sitting on my desk, it doesn't look gray at all--more navy blue, almost black when the desk lamps aren't on.

Next picture I'll plop it on some white paper.... :)

--David

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Hopefully, this is my last coat of sea blue. I have a feeling my leading edge masking isn't going to pan out, but we'll see.  With some white for the camera to work with, this picture has the sea blue looking more normal-ish.  And examining the picture I see a nice seam line on the right-wing fuel tank that I didn't pick out during the prime. sigh.

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All masking off now. Not as good as I wanted, but better than expected. I have to keep reminding myself this is supposed to be a fun oob build and not pitch it in the brake fluid to strip it down. :)

I'm going to let it cure for a few days and then see what I can touch up. Probably smooth up everything and coat with a clear gloss. Then those decals...

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