Zero77 Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) Hi ! Sorry guys, it's been a while i havent been posting, as i'm very busy at work at this time (and tired when i'm back home). But i haven't been inactive. I've started the new Italeri F-35A. A pretty nice kit ! Let's start with the cockpit. There is no resin available, but even in full scale, it's not really a busy desk. So i decided to use the Eduard PE fret (even i'm not very fond of PE details for jet cockpits). Here is the cockpit OOB : And with a few Eduard PE details. The armrest is a very nice addition ! Then i worked on the engine. The front (even if it's almost impossible to see it in the bottom of the intakes) : And the rear. I was not able to get pictures of the inside, so i just go OOB. I protected the exhaust fan with masking tape to putty and sand the seam clean : And for the intakes, i used the wall paint technique. However, i really struggled with this one. Maybe because i used another brand of paint, i dont know (but i did 3 tries, and cleaning between each tries was a PITA) And for the nozzle, i assembled the 2 parts and applied some putty in the seam : And i build this custom file with plastic sheet and sand paper cut to the exact width of the petals so i can sand the putty clean without destroying the internal details. Sorry i just forgot to take pictures of the result (coming soon). Edited September 5, 2017 by Zero77 Shaka HI, johncrow, Uncarina and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 More pictures of the finished cockpit. For the instrument panel, i masked the border and paint the screen black with another coat of smoke clear (as i did not wanted to make the screen on). Then i worked on the seat. The headrest did not look like what i saw on the pictures, so i modified it : With the Eduard details : Then i added some "fabric texture" on the cushion, using paper tissue glued with white glue thinned with water. After painting. I'm not 100% satisfied, but i keep the idea for next builds. I also added some carbon fiber effect on the sides of the headrest, as it is on the pictures of the real seat. It is some hasegawa selfsticking film. Not easy to conform on very small parts. However, it's too glossy, so i will add a coat of satin varnish later. On the intakes, i masked where starts the white area as the entrance is painted grey. I will also allow me to putty and sand clean the seam. Then, ,the intakes glued on the lower fuselage, and the seam sanded clean : The canopy interior sides. There are some rivets moulded, but also a huge moulding flaw just in the middle. So i shaved those details and used some archer rivets : The turtle deck conditionned air device : Uncarina, DesTROYer, Uilleann and 6 others 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 The almost finished seat (still have to paint details, add the ejection wire between the legs, and correct my dirty drybrush on the side....) and cockpit. I added a few details on the IP coaming : The paint chipping on the side vents results from the seat. They wont be visible once the seat is in the cockpit. ANd here is were i am now. The paint job is coming ! plane_mc, Starfighter, jgrease and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alain11 Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 hi very nice job for now , I don't know anything about this AC , and I am amazed by the cockpit layout , where are the gauges of the early classic planes Alain F`s are my favs 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F`s are my favs Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Oh, i`m so excited about this build. Magnifique! The cockpit is beautifully clean and sharp! Shaka HI and Zero77 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) Thanks Alain and "F" ! Wake up Alain, you're in the 21st century now ! No more digital bezels. Look close and you will see there is not even any HUD. It's directly projected in the helmet visor. This helmet is about $400K. Edited September 5, 2017 by Zero77 KiwiZac, Uncarina, Dany Boy and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Breaker Posted September 5, 2017 Share Posted September 5, 2017 Really nice work so far. I really am tempted by this kit, can never make my mind up! Not keen on the PE belts though. Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 (edited) Thanks ! I dont like PE belts either. But they are the only type of belts available, either the kit ones, or the Eduard ones. For the jets, nothing is better than a nice and crispy resin seat with moulded in belts ! Edited September 5, 2017 by Zero77 Dragon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonH Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 All this model technology is amazing. I wonder if you can download Netflix on the TV screen. Although we are in the modern era, I note you are still using inches rather than the more modern metric system Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark M Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 amazing Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyrosjzmichos Posted September 6, 2017 Share Posted September 6, 2017 Great work zero! I especially love that seat! Got the kit in my stash so will be looking at your build for tips! Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) It's slow but still in progress. The fit of the wings halves on the underside is far from perfect without any correction. I just added a 1mm thick plastic sheet and it's quite ok. Then, a tricky assembly for the glue to cure in the best position possible : And then, gap filling. I started with CA gel : Next i shaved the excess with a hobby knife so there is not too much to sand : And after a few coats of Mr Surfacer (applied with a brush) and a serious sanding, here we are, that's fine : The underside is much more hard to treat, because it doesn't fit as good as the upper, and also because of the polygone panels you dont want to sand : I also finished to blend the intakes with the external fuselage. Not easy at all as you dont have a lot of access to sand : Edited October 9, 2017 by Zero77 dmthamade, F`s are my favs, jgrease and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 (edited) A few cockpit pictures with the seat : On the fuselage side beside the flap, there is a visible gap. I filled it with a piece of plastic sheet and now that's OK : On one side of the nose, the zig-zags was very shallow and almost invisible. So i did restore it with Mr Surfacer. I also restored a lot of panels with the same technique (masking + spraying a thick coat of primer). I then glued the canopy. I usually dont glue my canopies as i prefer being able to remove it to see the cockpit, and it also allows for last time corrections inside. But in that case the fit was so terrible that i had no choice. I dont know if it's my fault or the kit's (for the bad fit...), but anyway i struggled to get it flush with the fuselage. I then had to restore the panel lines and make them looking clean. Edited October 9, 2017 by Zero77 blackbetty, Starfighter, Gazzas and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zero77 Posted October 9, 2017 Author Share Posted October 9, 2017 Here are the numerous doors, all closed on my model, which have been a struggle to make them fit, too. I filled the seams with Mr Surfacer (removed the excess with Tamiya laquer thinner), sometimes rescribed the lines, and finally slightly sanded the whole stuff. It looks ok to my taste. Here is the exhaust, after a lot of work too. There is a big seam inside, and some sinks to be filled and sanded clean. Now it's ok, so i can start the paint job. I started with some AK stainless steel on the tip of the petals, then i masked them : And applied a coat of AK titanium : I added a ring of pale burnt metal and here is what it looks like : Here is my model primed and ready to get the lighter grey : ClumsyDude, HerculesPA_2, Uncarina and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClumsyDude Posted October 9, 2017 Share Posted October 9, 2017 Nic, this looks terrific. I love what you did with the Surfacer to restore the panels on the nose, and the fuselage is looking terrific. what colour are you going to use for paint? Will you try to replicate the metallic sheen? Jim Zero77 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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