F`s are my favs

I think that they are easy to find - in the specialized metallurgic stores/online shops for magnets and ferrofluids. Or "neodymium magnets for sale" in google. This is the place from where exactly i get these magnets. They are neodymium magnets and are very strong - the smaller cylindrical ones (each) have a strength of 0.240 kg to iron surfaces. The bigger rectangular ones are nearly twice more powerful - 0.400 kg to iron surfaces. The neodymium magnets are usually very expensive, but only the bigger ones. These are very very small, indeed the smallest in the shop`s product list and so i think they are worth the price - the entire pack was around 6 Euro. While for the size - the round ones are with a diameter of 3 mm, while the rectangular ones are 9x3 mm, and what makes them perfect even for 1/48 scale models, according to me, is their thickness - just 1 mm Here are some of the last old magnets hidden in the equipment bay - with yellow is the small round magnet; with orange is the rectangular magnet; and with green is a squared magnet (also 1 mm thick but i figured out that the other two types of magnets are easier to hide). You can play with basically everything from magnet to magnet, magnet to large metal sheet, magnet to small metal sheet, magnet to metal wires, etc. A combination of different sizes of magnets, or even with identical poles to repel each other. I don`t know... just about everything. Here in this bay, a lot of force was required to make the door fit flush and snugly, and that`s why i used so many magnets. Otherwise just one small round magnet to a tiny little piece of metal sheet is enough, and the metal sheet is even thinner than 1mm, for example (i forgot to highlight it in the photo) exactly at the opposite side of the rectangular magnet (with orange), near the middle of the edge, there is a small square-like piece of metal sheet. It has not a perfect shape, but after weathering looks almost invisible.

The Magnets have arrived. This is quite a huge quantity for this F, it will probably last for 3 models, but around 95% of this amount of magnets went into my F-35B model. I like how heavy they are and their invisible force, which basically is eternal. Here is a comparison with the small exhausts:

Btw they are half way done... i plan to add some shiny "components" underneath them.

There are many pairs of 2 holes side by side near the back area of the canopy. So i covered these two holes with a screen. I don`t know if this is like that in the real plane, but just for a small difference to the other holes and exactly these are just barely visible and only with the canopy open. Then, the engine plates on top of the fuselage. I think they are accessing doors and in almost every photo they look a little bit "strange" than the rest of the fuselage, so i changed them with photo etch pieces. It was quite a challenge to make 4 equal pieces from photo etch leftovers, but it worked pretty well i think. And after: And finally the big GTR vents behind the intakes. I planned to leave them for much later, because i was thinking to make the bleed air ramps move-able too and it would be easier after that to mount the vents, but so far i just tack-glued the vents from all the sides except the front sides. So it would be easier to open and work the bleed air ramps, and yet it don`t know whether to do it... And i thinned the other vents on top of the fuselage too So the next photos are themed "Vents"

Yep, me too. Btw a couple of hours ago, i learn that this round transparent part is the light for the receptacle of the air refueling probe.

Looking very good, beautiful!

Thx a lot!! The tip of the nose cone is sharpened, and i changed this small "thing" with a transparent clear part: Here is the "thing" before... and after:

The boxes for the radar are wired + a couple of closeups with the gorgeous labels of the boxes:

Digital screens?! Where, where?? :DD Awesome man, awesome! Like a real homemade simulator cockpit.

Early wiring stage. Probably all of this will go inside:

oh, how can i miss that topic Fabio, i strolled through the pages and a very nice Tomcat is going on here. Congrats! The contrasting black and white cockpit is sharp!

Shawn, the kit is very god, all fits perfectly, i just make some small adjustments if needed. The MLG doors were a real challenge. Shelby, 10x for the awesome photo! The rivets - that`s exactly what i plan to do, but after the wash First painting and then a wash with different colors (mostly white, but also black and rusty reddish), and then sanding to seal the wash inside the tiny holes of the rivets.

The radar equipment bay... still only with the main colors. The opening is ready, then some rivets, i changed the handles of all boxes, and added about a dozen small decals for the labels of the boxes. And when is closed:

Absolutely, beautiful! 3D is 3D

I remember that a couple of years ago i was interested in buying a small turbine or compressor blade. But when i saw their prices, which indeed is for a scrap object, i pretty quickly forgot the idea...

Jim, i think that if you leave them switched off - a small amount of purple to a gloss lacquer (from the same type) should work very nice. Then a very thin layer of that glossy transparent slightly purple mixture right onto the screens, and that`s it, like a filter.

If i`m not mistaken, you talk about this panel (with the green arrow) I was thinking about covering it with a photo etch piece, but i cannot find one with the exact width, so i decided to make it with a thin plastic sheet, but then i thought that it would be impossible to engrave it as if it was a photo etch piece. Then i decided to leave it like that. But now when you tell me that the rivets are covered - i`ll definitely figure it out with a plastic sheet or with some CA glue onto the rivets. And to ask about the upper piece (with the white arrow) - is it the same case with this panel too?

New fuel vents for the wings, as well as the tips of the trailing edges (right next to the fuel vents) are quite much thinned:

This is huuuuge!!!

Very nice start! The paint scheme/decals are spectacular! I very much like the contrasts in the main panel too. Keep it up!

omg, i thought that i commented on your topic... okey... i don`t have that much to say... it`s just super realistically beautiful.

Hi, Zero 77, thanks thanks, it`s quite a journey in my case, i`m doing it from time to time... and i will probably soon start to build another kit, but in 1/48 scale, alongside with this beast, and for the 1st time i plan to post photos only of the finished model. I saw plenty of models shared directly in the sections for finished models... so i`ll leave it as a surprise I hope it will turn into a beautiful surprise In other words, this F is nearly 20% from completion and it will take a whole eternity for the complete completion, in my forecasting opinion . Btw what you mean about your F? I remember that i saw your theme and the Eagle was finished, painted, gorgeous, gorgeous. Can you share a link to your unfinished F?!

Interesting! Very nice! Only the squared knobs on the displays look a little unparalleled... indeed i have no idea how really small they are, but with a template... should get nicely paralleled.

Hi, in this relation, to ask about the paint color of the radar equipment bay? The huge front bay on the left side of the nose, just behind/adjacent to the radome. I have only 2 pics of that bay and they both show the metallic/blueish/greenish color. But i so much would like to paint it in white. Thx in advance if someone can help with info or a photo maybe?!

The verticals are done. The gaps where they meet the fuselage are covered, some very subtle riveting, and i imitated a few larger bolts or nuts, i don`t what they are... just about the same as the riveting, but with a much greater force so to carve out more from the plastic and to look more like convex bolts/nuts: After the riveting: And one with a temporarily attachment. Of course there will probably be visible some small lines at the joints, but much smaller.