Landrotten Highlander

with some paint
 

 

to fit the windshield i have ti finish the pit first
the aztec seat is very delecate
 

Quick update: I’m almost done with the seat. I’ve made it look worn (probably too worn) but went with a standard interior green frame and a kind of murky black-green for the padding as I suspect that is what many of the wartime seats were padded with. The pad in the seat pan looks like it was a piece of leather to prevent chaffing of the parachute rip-chord. Unlike @Shoggz really neat work with the molded-in straps, I am going with Eduard metal straps. More later this week…

 
Kind regards,
Paul

Haven’t posted an update for a while. Painting is pretty much done. Some touch ups required.

Let's start with the Naval SIG group models:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 




Regards
- dutik
 

I am working on the propeller.
Spinner was painted and now the propeller blades
I used Quickboost blades .
 






 
 

There ya go, that’s better. Also noticed the wheels and am satisfied with my reverse engineered project. Time to scoot off and mix up some white paint … 

 

Working my way through the markings.
 

 

I continued with metal parts, here is the engine, its very detailed out of the box, I just added spark plug wiring later, it doesn't appear in this picture.
 
 

 
for the metal parts I primed them with black base from AK Xtreme Metal colors. Later I airbrushed AK Xtreme Metal Aluminium and then used chipping fluid technique on the colors. I don't want to varnish this parts so the metal chips keep their shine in contrast with paint roughness
 

 
 

 

 

 
hope you like it
 
Diego

This is finished after final additons 
I used Quickboost seat
 














 
 

I think I shall be taking up knitting (throws toys out of pram...)
 
seriously though, amazing work

Next step. It's been a long time for the splotches.
 

 

Some of the camo is painted.
 

 

Have been very slow with this build, spending too much time out fishing due to an early spring, ice came off about a month early.
   Have the Jag finished and we will have the Mk II buttoned up ready for paint in a few days, and of course you know Kotare is re-releasing the Mk 1, you can pre-order now, shipping in May.     thanks fer looking.
 
 

Time for some attention to the gun sight. Not really correct, but I’ve added a small disc to simulate the projector lens. Some flat black, followed with some light grey dry brushing and a spot of color for the lens, doctors it up OK. I don‘t believe the sight itself is really all that accurate, but certainly good enough for my needs. Projector lens was probably clear, but I decided to do ‘er up as clear green instead.
 

 
The reflector glass itself:
 

I’ve sprayed some of the MRP neutral grey 43 here, just to check my work in this area (probably should have used primer instead, as I have a ton of that). Despite what I’d thought were my best efforts, the seam still shows! I’ll continue the work to get it as decent as I can.
 

Waiting for yet more putty to dry on the wings, I turned my attention to the tail area. There were some minor gaps under the tail planes, but Vallejo acrylic putty fixed them up quite nicely. I love that stuff. (Still needs to be rubbed out with alcohol or thinner.)
 

 
 
 
 
 
 

I’ve got it standing on its legs, I needed to check the ground clearance for the ECM pod, the fit is almost ok, but silly me wanted a wee bit more, so I’m back at the mount welding without measuring anything ……I’ve been going back and forth with getting all the sub assemblies finished and ready for the paint shop…. be back soon… 

 

A little update - the ''Zipper'' needs new ''panel lines''. I checked other WIP builds, several pics of the real plane, and it really needs some ''reorganizations' of the panel lines. Moreover, they are HUGE, so they need thinning. Here is a simple measurement of the thickest lines...
 

 
Half a milimeter in this scale is somewhere over 1 cm, about half an inch, in the real thing, which is impossible. Two adjacent pieces of metal foil is the right way to go (I did some trials), but the ''gap'' underneath needs to be flat beforehand. Therefore...
 

 

 
Now it's drying time, then sanding, and probably a secondary filling/sanding of the panel lines. I'll figure out the locations of the ''new'' panel lines during the gluing of the metal foil, but the advantage of this black filler is that where two foil peaces are adjacent - the tiny little gap will be enhanced by the black color underneath.
 
PS: btw this white triangular white thing underneath is the finished casing of my F-117.   

A small update
I worked on the landing light
I used resicast lens as the light. 
Instead of the clear plastic cover part, I used clear cello tape. 
 

It was quite a ride, but I have a Malcolm Hood mechanism to show you.  This is what I am trying to represent:
 

 
The chains, the emergency release pushrods, the sprocket support fittings, the crank handle, the emergency release handle, and the black cover plates.  Not the cross-tube.  That comes later.
 
First, just as what happened so many times back in the 1940's when -B's and -C's were getting their hoods, I had to relocate the recognition light switch box on the windshield frame.  From here:
 
 
 
To here:
 

 
Had to be done to clear the new crank handle.
 
All the parts printed up pretty well.  There is alot of small detail, especially the chain itself, so I went with the 30 micron thickness setting on the printer (I normally use 50 micron).   After careful removal of supports, and carefully painting, I got this collection of details:
 
 
 
And I had to be exceedingly careful at all stages of preparation - the long thin parts are so very fragile.  The black plates are not 3D printed - just old fashion scratch build with styrene sheet and Meng nuts.
 
Ok that was the easy part.  Installing these details into the airplane was the hard part - a most stressful and "stimulating" experience, trying to pry into a small space all these parts without breaking anything.  I broke one of the chains, but had a spare and used it.   Everything else worked out OK, sort of.  Pictures:
 
 
 

 

 
The 3D printed chains are a success, I am happy to announce.
 
Let's see the finished mechanism in the fuselage jig:
 

 

 

 

 
I need to do a better job painting up the rollers - I know.  But that comes later.  Glad to put this sub-project in the rear view mirror!
 
Next I believe is a bit of miscellaneous clean-up chores, and then the lower radio floor and the fuselage tank.  I've been waiting forever to get started on that.  Hope you like the chain drive!  Later.

Ok, here we go....
 
This is my latest attempt at the F-16 by Tamiya.  I tried the Thunderbirds kit a long, long time ago but got stressed out and binned it (this was long before it went OOP).  Fast forward to now...I saw the latest Have Glass V scheme on the Block 50 aircraft and decided to:
Create a model based on the HG V scheme Create decals for at least one aircraft (I ended up creating markings for three so I have a choice). TBD - I've still got some outstanding decals to create, mostly stencils for the pylons and things like that.  
Aside from the F-16 kit, I've assembled a good selection of aftermarket to include:
Quinta Studios F-16 cockpit set Phase Hangar Resin JHMCS sensor (for the canopy rail) Reskit AIM-120Cs Reskit AIM-9X Reskit GBU-54 bombs Reskit BRU-57 SMART bomb rack Reskit F110-GE Exhaust Nozzle (Open) Wolfpack Aces II Seats (Late) Eduard GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs w/BRU-51 rack  
I'm still on the hunt for Master AOA probes and possibly, a set of static dischargers although I can probably create these myself with the stainless rod and tube I have in-house...we'll see.  I'd love to get a set of stabilators from Kopecky Scale Models but I'm too late there...all sold out.
 
So, where to start?  I decided on the AN/ALQ-131(V) deep pod... No particular reason other than it's as good a place as any.  The Reskit 131 pod looks absolutely fantastic in the box and when coupled with the Kopecky Scale Models AN/ALQ-131 pylon, it'll be dynamite! There are three main parts, the two ends and the body...simple.  The fit is pretty good.
 

 
The mounting lugs, electrical connection (at least that's what I think it is) and the 4 stabilizer points (again, not knowing what they're actually called) fit into the drilled holes on the top.  Each part has positive locating pins and in order to make sure it fits correctly, you need to have the pylon you're going to use handy or you may be sorry later on.  The electrical connection (immediately in front of the forward mount lug) sits in a recessed box; again, with a positive locator on the parts. 
 
 

 
I'm trying to make my photographs informative (like the ones Chuck does in his builds) so I've added commentary to the photos.  Next up will be primer and a coat of 36375, gloss coat then decals.  Yes, the Reskit pod (and indeed a lot of their other items) come with decals.
 

And the aircraft now has horizontal tails! Fit here, at least topside, is quite excellent.
 

 
Work also continues on the wings, and once again, raised surface marks from the ejector pins, have all been smoothed out with a fine sanding stick. I actually feel like I’m making genuine progress here now, and that certainly pleases me a bunch. Thoughts?
 

 
 

So, I took this with me this week on a little vacation. I tend to work on other projects in this mode. This trip I got back to the Eindecker and those PAINFUL resin and brass wheels. Shown are the halves.