SwissFighters

Looks like its printed at 1/32 rather than 1/48 scale! Great recovery in the end...

MiG-29A Fulcrum Polish Air Force Trumpeter 1:32
 

Thanks Gaz!
 
Painting continues with black ID markings on fuselage and wing tips.  I've used a 50/50 mix of Tamiya Nato Black and Tamiya Black.



 
 
I'm not sure you can see it but here is a glimpse of some of the texture that was created when the Post-It adhesive reacted with the metallic paint in the middle of the wing near the black wing tip.  

 
 
In hindsight, it would've been easier to paint the black walkways and mask them off prior to the metal paint but my brain didn't catch it.  So I had to do it the hard way.  A layer of hairspray was applied in the masked area before the black paint went on.  Black, in this case, was again a 50/50 mix but instead of Tamiya Black, I used Tamiya Flat Black because I've found that flat paints chip easier than gloss or satin finishes.

 
 
Here is a pause to look at the model after the painting stage.  The black walkways still need to be chipped and then sealed.  And then it is on to the decal stage.











 

SHM has 4 F-15 Pratt Exhaust versions in work for 32nd Tamiya and Revell F-15s:  Pratt  F100-100/220 and F100-129, both in feathered (F) and non-feathered (NF) configurations. Only the Pratt -100/220 (F & NF) will be available for Revell      The 48th F-15A-I Pratt Exhaust series will be available this June while the 32nd scale by late summer.   F-16 Pratt F100 series soon to follow, in both scales.   These Exhausts were developed from the actual Pratt F100 Engine, scaled to fit each kit manufacture.    The 32nd F-15 Pratt-229 Nozzle only sets are available.     Tamiya -100/220 NF     Tamiya -100 Feathered (for F-15A)       Revell -100 Feathered (for F-15A)             Shop (sierrahotelresin.net)

Looking much more super bug now and construction is moving ahead with ease (well...as easy as it can be) seams dealt with and not too terrible after all that.

 

 
Radome fitted and a sanding of that seam needed

I'm thinking the biggest part of the job (hopefully?) is behind and can steam roll ahead now
Thanks for looking

Gaz - this one is indeed being designed from the ground up!  Challenges remain (an understatement).  BTW mate - was in Cairns for a few days in March vacationing with my daughter who lives in Sydney.  Visited a few places in Queensland along the coast.
 
 
Chuck - having all kinds of fun!  But anxiety as well.  One's head needs to stay in the right place for modeling like this.  This project is Mt Everest for sure.  It is daunting.  But I must remind myself at times that I am not working to a deadline.  It may not be apparent from my posts, but big challenges are involved, that in addition to the sheer magnitude of it all (it is increasingly clear this is to be another multi-year project).  An entirely 3D printed model is not the optimum way to build a model - it comes with warts.  Few things are coming easily.  Although some parts print up well with no surprises, others come out with deformities or other imperfections.  I have documented some of those issues in this thread - for instance remember the problems I had with the prop spinner?  So there is hand-wringing involved in the process of creating parts.  Other challenges involve the fragility of 3D printed thin gage or otherwise small parts and the risk of breakage.  And fit up of 3D printed parts can be a challenge - I have not yet mastered the art of pin size versus hole size and other male/female fit-ups.  This resin grows a few percent when curing (holes get smaller and pins get larger for example), so you have to design for it when CAD designing the parts.  When I do it right, parts fit together wonderfully; when I don't, it can be a challenge.  What I am trying to say is that this model can consume my life if I let it, and cause alot of angst.  It can keep me from sleeping if I dwell too much on the next task's challenges.  It can make me forget to shampoo my head in the shower because my brain was elsewhere.  It can make me ignore chores I am supposed to be doing.   Or worse, ignore my wife.  You cannot let a hobby do that.  Gotta keep priorities straight and I work on that.  But also - a TON of gratification when things come together, as much as any model I have made.  We all know that feeling.
 
I have decided on the next sub-project.  I will install the crown skin panel and perhaps the side windows.  That in order to protect those full frames sticking up in the breeze asking to be broken off.  Already I have made two repairs to those frames.  A pre-requisite to that work is design and printing of a station 200 bulkhead to terminate the aft end of this fuselage assembly - a unique part to my build.  The actual airplane has no such animal; instead a light frame at that location.  The real forward fuselage ends at station 248 and a bulkhead resides there.....I digress, sorry.  You all should see that work next post.  
 

Another very small update, but one that did take a couple of sessions to complete - though in total it was less than about an hour's work.  The tedious nature of this step tested my eyes, and to avoid re-working it, a few short sittings made short work of this.
 
The area adjacent to the flaperon has some Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) applied, and that has a texture to it, in person, it seems to be very faint, but well-defined.  That is what I've gathered from a handful of photos and of course, the Modern Viper Guide which has been invaluable.  
 
To perform this accentuation of the Tamiya part, which is pretty good off the sprue, I used a needle chucked in a David Union pin vise.  To ensure a well-defined circle, the needle was carefully profiled to a sharp but concave point on a diamond stone.  I then filed flats on 4 sides, approximately square to make a very small broach-type cutter.  To accentuate the holes, the needle was placed into the depression on the kit part, then turned lightly only allowing the weight of the tool to bear down, and a very small amount of plastic was "cut".  After all the holes were reamed out, a bit of clean up with a toothbrush and they were done.   
 
Below the one on the left has been done, but not cleaned up just yet.  
 
 
This panel is half done.  Part of me thinks this may be overkill, but I've found that re-scribing and punching rivet detail tends to refine the detail and make it more crisp.  This is an area that would likely not be noticed, but working on the details is a good exercise for future work - so if in this case, it doesn't really enhance the detail noticeably, it won't detract either.  With the bottoms of these depressions being very small from the needle, after some light surface sanding before paint they will likey shrink in size some, yet maintain their round shapes.
 
 
Now, for those familiar, the parts are very small.  The grind on my cutting mat is in 1-inch increments, so the grid pattern to re-work is nearly impossibly small.  The only way this was managed without worrying about becoming permanently cross-eyed was through the use of a good pair of magnifying glasses.  These have a bi-focal with reading lenses at 2.0 for near vision, and an additional 2.5X of actual magnification at a focal length of 17 inches allowing me to sit upright and save on the back and neck.  
 
 
Lastly, the final result with a very light sanding at 3000 grit before gluing to the fuselage.  After the fuselage is closed up, a final sanding will take place.  It is tough to photograph this well, especially on my phone, but in person, it does look a bit better than how they arrived on the sprue.  The truth will be with paint and the final weathering and wash as to whether or not the effort was truly worth it in the end.  
 
 
Thanks for checking in!

was pretty common in the AT-38. Usually from asymmetric g’s. We just lived with it.

Nose shock cone painted and installed. Really scary part coming up next - the final finish coat of varnish! I am trying to decide whether to go for Tamiya XF-86 Matt clear, or Newton & Winsor Galeria acrylic matt varnish? (I don't want to mess it up).
 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Derek

Ack!  Too late! 
 
The painting continues.  In the process of masking off panels to paint in a different metallic shade, I found that the adhesive from the Post-Its I was using reacted with the AK Extreme Metal White Aluminum in certain areas like Zaxos345 experienced.  So I sprayed on a layer of clear gloss (Tamiya LP-9) and them buffed the affected areas with Micromesh. Luckily the effects weren't that bad and restricted to the outer wings.







 
 
Instead of using the flat PE representations, I scratched up the rocket "pigtails" using copper wire and bits of plastic.  These will be attached to the rear opening of the rockets.

 

Thanks Jay!  Yeah, really small!  Itching to get back to my normal 1/32 LSP's after this!  I am nursing an old bottle of Future that I got about a decade ago. I recycle the stuff for canopy dipping by keeping a small amount in a separate container.  Trying to make it last as long as possible.  I have no idea if Future is still available in the US anymore.
 
The brass flap inserts have been glued into place using extra thin CA glue.

 
 
A preliminary view of what the flaps will look like once they are installed.

 
 
The flap insert area is given a primer coat and all of the orifices have been masked with either wet tissue or tape.



 
 
I've decided to give the model an overall light primer coat to make sure I have a stable base for the metal finish to come.  I'm using Mr Primer Surfacer 1000 thinned with Mr Leveling Thinner.





 
 
After the primer, the base metal shade is sprayed.  I am using AK Extreme Metal White Aluminum.  Very similar to Alclad.







 

Basic colours now sprayed on to the nose cone. Next will be a coat of varnish followed by weathering and final paint detailing.
 

 

 
Derek

Let's not worry about the main landing gear struts for now.  Even if I have to hog them out of brass block, something will get done eventually.  It has been about three weeks since I posted any significant progress, and I have been busy advancing the ball.  Let me show you; I will be as brief as I can:
 
First, a couple more cockpit items had to be done.  The hydraulic hand pump and its several hydraulic lines was first.  Here is the pesky little hydraulic hand pump:
 

 
Designed in Rhino, 3D printed.  The wiggly little part in the middle is supposed to be a canvas cover for the piston head.  Hmmm...  And this time I incorporated the hydraulic line connections into the Rhino part instead of cobbling up Meng nuts and the like.  Worked great actually as long as I was careful.
 
Installed onto its (PITA) bracket on the RH side cockpit sidewall, with lines made from thin solder:
 

 
Also behind the hand pump you see my rendition of two microphone jacks secured by two clips situated in an unused area of a radio equipment bracket.  That is accurate enough although in reality I suspect there was only one mic, with the removal of the Detrola and the IFF stuff......    Also new is the O2 hose which is connected to the newly installed O2 regulator that has been sitting around a while now.  There is in reality a clip on its free end kind of like a big clothes pin that clips onto a fabric strap hanging off the upper longeron.  This hose will be simply lying on the floor....  The hose is .032 solder with .01 solder wrapped around it a gazillion times.
 
In parallel with that work, I Rhino designed and printed off a number of new parts.  First the fuselage tank and its bling:
 

 
In reality, the tank is a rubber bladder and has a bit of sag here and there.  But it is well supported by the radio rack above it, and quite hidden as you will see, so I didn't try to do that.  Underneath it is the interior green lower radio floor, 3D printed.  Printing it was kinda a mistake - it is fragile and I broke pieces off it and had to repair more than once.  But I needed all the slots in it (which are for fuselage frames) to line up well with those frames, and the side contours had to be right on, so I wanted the best accuacy I could get.  In the end, just cutting it out of thin plastic sheet would have more than sufficed.  It is ugly, but hidden.  The other parts you see front to back are the 90 deg angled vent line fitting, the fuel quantity gage mounted on a stand pipe, and the larger filler fitting, which in reality attaches via a flex hose to the prominent red filler fitting you see on the side of P-51 fuselages.  It was useless to make that part - it cannot be seen at all once the fuelage is done.  
 
A bottom view showing my attempt at floor stiffening:
 

 
A repair is in evidence (the white part).  
 
More parts were designed and printed off - the radio rack, radio equipment, and the battery:
 

Wohoo!  These parts turned out great!  
 
And just like that it was time for a major milestone - LH/RH fuselage join.  A big deal as any airplane modeler knows.  And this is where the fuselage jig would be called upon again.  Only I replaced one of its parts with a 3D printed radio floor locator:
 
    
 
It's the unpainted gray one.  I had no confidence I could get that spindly flexy radio floor properly installed between the fuselage panels without some sort of locator.  There it is.  It will accomplish its purpose once, and then will be useless. 
 
It was time.  Into the jig went the RH fuselage panel, the lower radio floor with fuselage tank (goobered up with lots of 5-minute 2-part epoxy in the right places), and then the LH fuselage panel.  The jig's end plates were slid into position securing the longeron ends, and then it sat for hours:
 
 
 
If before you did not see the humor in the fuselage jig, you should see it now.  This uber-important step was successfully completed.  Clearances between the fuselage tank and the fuselage sides and frames are so tight and so hidden that I could just slather gobs of 2-part epoxy between them prior to join and let it all dry that way in the jig.  What resulted is a very robust perfectly square forward fuselage assembly.  Or at least the aft half is robust.   The forward half is a bit flexy and will continue to be until the floor panels and windshield unit are installed.  This assembly is the foundation of this entire build.  Everything attaches to it.
 
And then came the heater ducts.     Recall please that part of the Malcolm Hood modification was relocation of the heater duct outlets, and I sought to duplicate that.  For the ducts I used the same approach as with the oxygen hose - a piece of solder wrapped with thin solder - only the heater ducts are a larger diameter (and therefore stiffer).  So I had to man handle quite stiff pieces of solder to fit onto fragile structure.  In the end it got done, but it's not great and I am thankful the armor plate will cover 75% of it.  Pictures:
 
   
 

 
Note how this mock armor plate covers most of the ducts:
 

 
It may not look that way, but that task was full of anxious moments.  One of the nozzle support brackets broke off requiring a micro-surgical repair.  And alas - the throttle quadrant handle broke off (a moment of silence please ):
 
 
 
It was not if, but when.  The repair is do-able, but will be even more fragile than it was.  That can wait.  
 
Then it was onto the stuff that sits atop the fuselage tank - the radio rack, the radio equip, the battery, and the miscellaneous tank hardware.  I don't have much in the way of detail pictures, except this:
 

 
The fuel quantity gage, with another of Peter Castle's wonderful decals.  I am so proud of this detail!  And it is very visible on the finished airplane, through the aft LH side window.
 
Finished up:
 

 

 
See the green tube that connects the LH and RH canopy drive chains?  Not a challenge, but to me very cool - part of the Malcolm hood mod.  Ultimately it will hide behind the armor plate almost completely.  The battery - it didn't need to be made at all.  It is entirely invisible once the fuselage crown panel is on.  Boy it must have been a pain to service the battery.  To do so, the radio and dynamotor had to be removed first (heavy no doubt), and this was done through one of the removable side windows.  Can almost hear the muttering and cussing now.  You also will see the sheet metal trays that the radio units and battery sit on.  Scratch built with .005 thick plastic or aluminum, and bent up just like real sheet metal parts.  Here you get some idea of what is to be visible and what is not:
 
 

 
The fuselage jig has served its purpose.  The forward fuselage is now a stand alone item that needs no support to keep shape:
 

 
To me,  a very big deal. 
 
OK - there are a couple of items that must be added between the radio and the Sta 146 A-frame, and then....and then....not sure yet!  I have options.  Guess you will see next post.  Til next time!  Thanks for looking in.    
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    

Hello,
 
here it is my F-16C "CAS Viper".
The WIP can be found at the following link:
 
And now some pics of the finished model, I hope you like it.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CIAO!
Piero

Great progress John!  I always appreciate the informative way you explain your builds, and the pin-sharp photography. I'll give your Future tips a shot on my next build, and remember that fix for cracked seams
 
 
 
Matt 

Thanks John!  Appreciate the comment!
 
 
Thank you!  No sink marks... just a half-moon depression on the warhead and discoloration from the sanded down sprue gate.
 
The rear bottom joint has been filled and puttied. Rivets and panel lines have been restored.



 
 
A coat of primer (Mr Primer Surfacer 1000) has been applied to check the joint.  There is a joint along the starboard fillet that has cracked due to insufficient glue.

 
 
In order to fix this joint without re-cracking, I have to do a little bit more than just apply putty.  So I've gouged a small trench along the joint using my scribing tool.

 
 
The trench is filled with black CA glue.

 
 
After some more fine sanding, another coat of primer to check the area.



 

I'm now trying to distress (i.e., fade) the Orange Day-Glo. The Testors Day-Glo Orange is labeled gloss.   I then used Gunze Gloss Orange Yellow followed by Gunze Semi-Gloss RLM04 Yellow to simulate fading.  They all dried flat!  I am confident that I have identified the problem.  I recently started using Mr. Color Leveling Thinner.  I love it!  Great stuff - except this is the fifth time gloss or semi-gloss paints thinned with Leveling Thinner came out out flat.  I'm going to have to use a different thinner for gloss/semi-gloss paints or I'll have to re-spray with a clear gloss/semi-gloss using a different thinner.  Likely the latter using clear acrylics thinned with alcohol/water.
 

 
The real Day-glo was gloss  The faded Day-Glo was flat.  I'll have to re-paint the Day-Glo areas gloss and then re-paint the faded areas so they are flat.  Need to do some light sanding.  Glad I took close-up photos to show the flaws.
 

 
These photos show a more subtle fading than I see in-person.
 
As regards our earlier discussion about whether Day-Glo really faded as badly as speculated:
 

 
I'm not going this radical but I feel a LOT more comfortable with my and the group's vote to fade it.  I'm going to experiment and see what happy medium I can find.

Thanks guys!  Appreciate you checking in!
 
Canopy parts have been dipped in Future.

 
 
Wings are glued onto the fuselage.  Fit is pretty good except for the rear bottom joint, which will need attention.

 
 
But the fit along the wing roots is good.



 
 
The kit rockets upgraded with PE clips and resin fins from the Eduard set.



 
 
The prop blades and spinner have been painted.  Very light hairspray chipping along the leading edges and some salt weathering on the blade surfaces.



 

Thank you everyone!
 
 
While the 6-8 coats is accurate, I have a bit of a "cheat code" for my painting.  Living in a very cold climate during winter, I found that I needed a small ceramic heater next to my paint booth in my garage.  Not only did it heat up my work environment, but it dried the paint much quicker than even inside my warm house.  I now turn the heater on every time I paint and adjust the heat level to whatever the conditions dictate.  For the white paint, I would apply a thin coat over the entire model and about the time I finished the first coat, it was dry enough to apply a second coat where I started, all due to this heater.  I would then apply a second thin coat, then shut things down and bring the model inside for several hours, fix blemishes, then start the third and fourth coat and repeat.  8 coats of paint using white, was really only 4 painting sessions.  For the light blue, I also had about 3 sessions, while the dark blue took 4 sessions, because I had to keep the coats ultra-thin to avoid paint bleeding under all the complex masks.
 
The other cheat code I have for painting a clear gloss coat of X-22 is to spray one good coat on, then apply a flash coat of pure Tamiya lacquer thinner on immediately thereafter.  The lacquer "melts" the X-22 so that any orange peel is leveled out a bit, creating an ultra-smooth finish.  For those who haven't tried this before, I highly recommend it.
 
Some examples...
 

 

 

 

 

 
HTH
 
Cheers,
Chuck
 

Quickboost resin seats were bought a while back, test fitting showed they wouldn't fit. I spent a minute scratching my bald spot then hit on the idea of just widening the cockpit walls. Tamiya razor saw and a few minutes of cutting;

 

 

 

The kit comes with a control stick for both front and rear seats which are quite nice and, as the Trumpeter control sticks are too big, this kit will be donating the rear (unused) stick to the front office in the Trumpeter kit (future build) 
Thanks for looking

Wow Paulo!  There is a whole world of 3D print products out there, isn't there?  I may contact this fellow but it looks like he is very busy.  And he has incorporated a metal pin into his Macchi gear.  I didn't see the stress testing.  I'd love to know what material he is using, he may not want to divulge that!
 
 
Thanks Tony - this option was bandied about when I was designing the F4U gear some years ago.  After my stress test, I abandoned it thinking I had the issue resolved.  That Corsair is one heavy model, alot to ask of those LG.  I was not enamored with this idea then or now for a number of reasons - one, the metal rod must be near-on perfect shape or else during assembly it will bend (or fracture) the resin "case" instead of the resin bending the rod.  Making the rod thinner than the cavity it would reside in would help...  Two - I would have to deal with a seam, where right now with the one-piece it is just .....beautiful.  One of the best 3D print parts I have ever produced.  I show it again:
 

 
No seam.  A weak excuse I guess.   Three - alot of work!  But you know, there is nothing stopping me from giving it a try.  I might surprise myself.  Thanks for the suggestion.
 
 
Exactly Guy.  I have the file still (an STL).  I could obtain another resin, maybe what Peter is using for the Sea Fury, and use the file as is, or I could send it to Shapeways as is, if they convince me they have the right stuff.  
 
Frankly this issue has messed up my feng shui.  But discussing these options have done much to settle me down.  As OBG said - "Squirrel!".  So gotta get on with it.  Update very soon.  

So sorry to hear this Corsair update Jay. That must be a little bit heartbreaking. My solution would be to print two halves in resin which are recessed to receive an appropriately bent (stainless steel / piano wire = stiff) metal rod core. This rod might also incorporate a bend or two at the top for afffixing the gear to the wing structure and likewise wheel to the gear. Scale Ordnance Works does this very well. At 1/18 scale I could also imagine running the metal rod to the ground through the wheel (= no load on the resin). Obviously not all landing gear lends itself to this method, but most would, include the Mustang. I plan on this for my f/18. I cannot imagine a resin would never eventually bend under load. Good luck with your research! Tony

Looking great! So glad you kept going...
Tony

May 9, 2024
 
After many hours of picky, picky work, the main painting job is now over.  Whew!  I’ve never used so much masking tape in my life, as you’ll soon see.
 
Before I start with the descriptions, I’d like to walk back some of my prior comments about the camo pattern on the tail as being “wrong”.  Now that I’ve had a chance to paint the entire aircraft and compare it to several pics of the real deal, I found that about 75% of the masks are fairly accurate, another 20% or so are off a bit (like the tail) and 5% are just plain inaccurate, which is a good thing!  If 95% of the masks  arepretty good, that’s fantastic, especially on a camo-pattern that is so intricate and complex, with so many curved surfaces.  The other comment I’d like to make about the masks themselves is that they are a good compromise of thin flexibility to conform to irregular surfaces while still being thick enough to be moved over and over again without losing their shape or adhesive.
 
The painting instructions have you paint the top then the bottom.  Since the bottom is white and the top is blue, I think it’s a lot easier to do it the other way around.  After you have painted the radome and box beams with FS36251 (MRP-094) and any other antennae and other bits, mask them off with tape.
 
As mentioned above, I went with pure White for the bottom, using MRP-004, which I hate.  It takes at least 6-8 thin coats to cover, but it’s nice and thin and compatible with the other MRP paints I’m using.  Note below that I didn’t load up the central areas with paint, since they will all wind up dark blue when the painting is finished.
 

 
Apply the masks according to the instructions or “Maps” as they are called.  Here you will want to have on hand some good reference pics, because it’s hard to figure out where the masks are supposed to begin and end.  In a lot of cases, the wing edges or other prominent features dictate where they should go, so it’s easy.
 

 
The 5 antennae at the front should be painted grey and masked off before you paint.
 

 
The masks around the intake are by far the most complex and difficult to do, with multiple masks and many irregular surfaces to deal with.  For ease of handling, I cut a few of the big ones in half, then spliced them back together with masking tape. 
 

 
The entire top of the intake remains white, so should be masked off completely using both the vinyl masks and tape.  This takes a long time to do properly, but is well worth the effort when painted.
 

 
The demarcation line between upper blue and bottom white is a straight line from the edge of the LEX to the nose cone.  While the vinyl masks attempt to do this, you’re better off trimming them back and using masking to get a cleaner edge.
 

 Next step is to flip the model over and apply the light blue (FS35450, MRP-240).  There’s no need to worry about masking the bottom, because that’s already been done (including box beams) and any overspray will be covered by the dark blue later.  I painted the fuel filler door and dorsal antenna earlier, which were masked off first. 

 
Add the masks to the top side, which is a lot easier than the bottom.  The only mask that was tough to do was the one over the gun, which is full of bulges, raised rivets and cavities.
 

 
The masks on the canopy that I used have remnants that extend down onto the canopy sill.  These were cut and retained earlier.  To position them, I used the painted canopy as a guide to make sure they lined up properly if the canopy is closed.
 

 
Next, paint the bottom with the dark blue (FS35109, MRP-238).  Again, use several thin coats to avoid paint pooling and leakage under the masks.
 
 
 

 
Then paint the top.
 

 
Now the fun- and scary- part!  Remove all the masks, other than the ones for the landing gear and cockpit.  This reveals how well your masking and painting job worked, which in my case, worked out really well if I do say so myself.  I expected quite a few errors and flaws and found that in general, 80% was as good as possible, 10% was “good enough” and 10% needed a bit of tweaking to make the overall paint job acceptable, as you will see below.  With all that snow white plastic now gone, I can finally use a dark background to help show the details.  I normally use blue, but with so much of that color already, I went with plain black.
 

 
With the masks removed, I then painted the leading edges of the wing and “beer cans” with more FS36251 medium grey.
 

 
That circular antenna on the top looks quite brown in this pic, but it’s really more grey in color and will get dirtied up a bit later.
 

 
Here’s an example of the flaws that need fixing because they are noticeable with paint “blow-out” along irregular edges.  One key thing I found when repainting these flaws was that you are far better off painting more dark blue over white than trying to paint more white to cover the blue, especially with MRP White.  If the little blue rectangle is a bit bigger than the real deal at 1/32 scale, so what, it’s likely not the right size to begin with!
 

 
The repairs.  Did I mention I used a LOT of masking tape!?  Overspray on the clean areas isn’t worth a few extra bucks of tape. 
 

 
The intake area had similar flaws on the other side.  Overall, I had about 8-10 different repair areas over the entire model.
 

 
I have a few pics that show that the gun opening is clearly grey and not blue, and about the same grey as the radome, so I painted it accordingly.
 

 

 
Here’s an example of the 10% “good enough” flaws that aren’t worth fixing.  On the bottom of the leading edge of the wings is a big gap, made even bigger by tilting the flaps up a few  degrees, which creates an area that can’t be masked off properly.  There shouldn’t be a gap of any kind on the real deal, so this is a case of just living with it, especially when it’s on the bottom that is rarely seen anyway.
 

 
The Aero Mask instructions don’t tell you where Mask #20 and 24 go, which is here.  I really like the engine nozzle collar I painted earlier next to the blue paint.
 

 
With all of this complex masking and repairs, I can’t even imagine how I would paint the intake lip cleanly now, especially on the top where there's no clearance.  Thankfully it’s already done!
 

 
I have lots of flying pics that show these antenna are grey and not blue, hence the masking earlier.
 

 
The instructions also have an error on the bottom, showing Mask #36 twice on Page 5.  The rear ones are #32 (not 36) and 40, while #36 is right behind the wing.
 

 
There was some discussion earlier about whether or not to use the Light Arctic Grey (FS36628, MRP-246) as the main color on the bottom as called for in the instructions, which is the same color on the port side of the tail.  Here you can see why I went with pure white instead, because that grey is nothing like what I’ve seen with my own eyes in person.
 

 
It was great to be able to paint the tail, horizontal stabilizers and brakes off the rest of the model for ease of handling.  Here’s a couple of parting shots with them attached.  When I first saw this paint scheme back in 2019 when it was new, I just knew I had to build it one day.  So cool…..
 

 

 
Next up is a good gloss clear coat of Tamiya X-22, followed by decals.  I’m nervous using the Aero Mask decals which don’t look as good as I’d like, but thankfully I have at least 5 sets of Two Bobs Viper Aggressor decals to use as much as possible.  Thanks for looking in.
 
Cheers,
Chuck

Hi gents,
 
Some progress with the Corsair...
I know that weathering might not be completely accurate for this particular navy bird, but I had to have some fun with it, and as you know Corsairs are perfect for that, so don't hold it against me.