ClumsyDude

That's the great thing about custom stuff ... you can get stacks of it because the cost is all in the creation. I got Randy to cut me 9 sets of masks for my hornet project ... haven't used all of them but I've gone to 8 on some areas, and it has really taken the pressure off. Once you go custom, you never go back ... Cheers Jim PS decals look terrific - what an awesome project Ben. Great work.

Looks good Gerhard. If you hang out here you'll pick up so much that you won't feel like a noob for long .. Jim

Tony, Neo & Kev - thanks guys! Hope to show some photos with decals soon. Jim

Looks cool Gaz - keen to see this one come together. Jim

Ok, minor update ... not minor in terms of hours, of course, just results. Plenty of touch ups of tiny blemishes in the paint, some with the airbrush, some with the 000 brush. Also some spraying of metal panels around the airframe, which I didn't take pictures of. First job was to extend the wing markings down the leading edge under the flap (they weren't there because the flap itself covered the area while I was spraying the masks). The job here is to make sure that, when the flap is extended, the edge of the paint on the wing lines up with the flap. This doesn't appear to be a factor on the real hornet, so probably a constraint of the scale model ... anyway, much painstaking masking, but got it right first time ... Next up, the bird slicer IFF antennas. I'm going to have to attach these after the gloss is sprayed, sanded and polished, so any gaps with the surface (if they don't sit quite flat) will look terrible. So here's my solution: I've masked off where they will sit. Now after I spray a few coats of gloss and lift the masks, there will be a very slight depression which the antennas will slot into, and it will look like they're flush with the surface. Here it is: I was a little dismayed to notice that the star is too far forward! There should be about 1.5mm between the star and the antennas, but they're touching. Nothing for it but to sand down the edges of the paint around the star, and respray ... Then it was on to the black walkways. These have a star in the middle of them, which I had placed previously by putting down the mask with the star, then lifting the mask. Now I laid the mask over the top, then masked around the outside with Tamiya tape. Masks up, ready for paint ... And voilà ... I have made a start on decals but no photos to show yet ... more in a couple of weeks. Thanks for following. Cheers Jim

You too eh Dean?

Yes, yes, yes ... definitely vary the satin and matte for the zigzags. Of these things is a convincing model made. Too often people ignore the variation in gloss finish across an aircraft. Jim

I agree, all over grey is very very hard to do convincingly. The less variation there is in the base colour, the less distraction from what they eye expects to see. I am watching with intense interest to see how you go with the have glass finish. No need to post interim pics, but I'll be waiting with interest to see when you get some on the model. Cheers Jim

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

Also for Austrians .. Jim

Terrific model - always like a good sci fi effort. Jim

Looks terrific Bruce. Bet you can't wait to get some paint down. Jim

The realism you achieve never fails to amaze Micha ... what blows me away is, you seem to be able to work all the variations, from massive ships through to heavily weathered construction equipment. Bravo. Jim

Looks really crisp, Andy. Great job. Jim

Super convincing as always Micha. Great stuff! Jim

Wow, Micha, that looks like the real deal! Excellent work. Jim

I hope Revell takes as long as they need to get it right (keen as I am to see it) - once the moulds are made it's forever!! Jim

Crikey Kent ... if anyone can carry off that engineer's position it's you. Good luck. Jim

Wow, the wire mesh approach looks awesome. I think that's the most convincing quilting effect I've seen. Jim

Wow, Shan, that looks really really good. The sunlight looks good, but the model is just terrific! Mossie isn't half bad either. Jim

Ben, brilliant as always ... that's some really crisp masking. I have to say I'm completely hooked on masks now - don't know if I can ever go back to decals. I will have to learn how to work a Silhouette cutter or it'll be too expensive! Jim

Torben, bravo on the mirror, it looks awesome! A+ for creativity too. Jim

I'll say Mark, this is well awesome. That figure is terrific. Dan - love the idea of playing with the gloss levels, good luck. Jim

Agreed ... genius.

Wow, David, those rivets are looking really terrific. Can't wait to see it with paint on. Jim