Derek B

This is a double first for me, as this is the first 1/32 scale model I have completed as a member of LSP (which I joined in 2004), and the first time that I have ever put anything in the RFI section!  
 
Well, about nine years after starting this one, it is now finished! (I have made it for a friend of mine, who obviously has the patience of a saint!). There have been many trials and tribulations with this build over the years with practically everything either corrected, modified, detailed or scratch built much too many to list. The only area of the kit not extensively modified is the windscreen and canopy, but even this is a much improved Aerocraft Models replacement part which drastically improves the appearance of the model (a big thanks to @Ali62 for this) and is the only aftermarket concession I have made, as all other improvement work was by hand using very basic tools and techniques.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
Derek

It's been a busy couple of weeks with grandpa and then "cat-sitting" duties away from home, but over the past couple of days I have managed to get a bit more done on my Tiffy.  Firstly the two vents (port) and one (stbd) were added, made from lead foil over a carved resin former:
 



 
Then I spotted that the servicing picture that I'm using as a reference showed that the cannon had been removed, so I altered mine (with the CO's approval):
 



 
Next up were the fishplates, the originals were sanded off when the Revell back-end was added.  I scaled a photograph then made mine from Oramask, I can't say they are the exact numbers nor locations but they are there:
 

 
And then I made some camouflage masks, followed by painting, but only after Jacko's Z-Zebra leading edge letters had been added:
 







 
The canopy doesn't quite sit right at the moment because the "A" frame behind the pilot is marginally too high, but that will be fixed when I do all the other gubbins in that area.  Talking of gubbins, I'm going to make some ground crew walkway servicing mats similar to these:
 



 
And finally, the latest addition to the Typhoon library:
 

 
Brilliant reference book! Bye for now. 

Thanks once again Dennis and Alan, much appreciated. Found this useful reference pic last night:
 

 
and whilst I had the Tiffy upside down in the jig I thought I’d test the fit of the lower parts of the Sabre. The aft end of the scoop couldn’t fit because I hadn’t cut enough of the fuselage underside away  so it was out with a sharp knife and razor saw for some delicate surgery. Needs a lot of tidying up, as do the wing roots, but it’s now more promising:
 

 

This afternoon has been a bit of a head-scratcher involving the undercarriage and covers.
 
Peter's wonderfully detailed u/c legs are a MUST for me, but I initially encountered a slight problem with using them alongside the other MDC parts.  The parts that Peter has supplied to me are the main oleo plus an actuating arm:
 

 
but the MDC u/c parts have the same, though less detailed, actuating arm.  There is also a smaller arm which, on the Airscale offering is at the wrong angle to fit correctly into the MDC wheel well.  So after much thought and trial fits, I have reluctantly cut off the "Airscale arm" at the indicated point:
 

 
Not a lot is visible of the detailed parts so I'm ok with what I've had to do, but I'm slightly worried about the strength of the u/c structure; it's already quite a weighty model so I'll have to make sure that the oleo is firmly glued in place to take the brunt of the weight.  But there's another difficulty too, the Airscale main wheel well covers, so detailed and beautifully rivetted, are considerably larger than the MDC ones:
 

 
This is a shame but I'm afraid I'll have to use the original MDC ones, fortunately it appears that the Airscale oleos fit well with them:
 

 
Next!!  
 
 

Thanks Guy, she’s looking more and more like a Typhoon:


 


Hoping to make a start on the undercarriage tomorrow, but there’s quite a lot more to do on the engine then the area behind the pilot so plenty to keep me busy.
 

There's been some discussion about masking routines; there are many techniques or methods, but for what it's worth, this is mine on my Typhoon using MRP paints:
 

 
I should have added that the yellow is freehand, take care not to spray/stray onto the white area nearer the centre!






 

 
I always think of this as the "lazy man's way" because tape is used next to cover up all the masks and their edges so no spray through is possible.






 

Recieved a set of updated landing gear this morning 
 

 

 
What incredible customer service from Peter. Thank you Airscale.
 
Regards. Andy

Thanks @N4521U I may still look at this as an option. I've had the decals printed by a low cost printer (around £13 for an A5 sheet inc. postage) and although the stencils are absolutely fine it is clear that the roundels and code letters themselves fall short of the quality needed. For smaller scale models the resolution may be totally acceptable - but not for this project. I've not actually tested them yet but I understand them to be around 13-15 microns - so I will give a more thorough review later.
 
Here are some sample shots:

 

 

 

 
I'm still awaiting a response from another UK printer who can print at much higher resolutions. They have a large backlog of work so I don't know how long I'll be waiting.
 
In the meantime I have still been trying masking but it is clearly a craft to be mastered and to be honest, because I've tried about 3 times now and each time have had to sand it off and start again I'm beginning to lose the mojo for adding it to my bank of (limited) modelling skills. In hindsight, because I need a white base for my colours, I probably should have done the main markings first and then sprayed the black.
 
In all honesty, this is probably not the kit to be learning on. It is the most expensive kit I own and it therefore has to be done "right" and to my own satisfaction.

Here’s a few scenes from my Tamiya Netz conversion in progress
 
Aires main well

 
Mini Craft Collection seat


Tamiya pit, Aires Glareshield, scratch IP, Quinta details.
The Aires pit is actually atrocious. The entire thing sits way too far aft.


Vertical fin modified with Hasegawa fin base and Quick Boost flare dispensers 


Aft deck A model details/Archer rivets






MCC canopy internals


Bandit Resin Factory captive AIM-9


Flight Line Resin ACMI pod

 
Scratch IP with TopAces configuration. Set on Aires pit..which I did not use. Craptastic.

 
Final result there…minus HUD obviously

 
cheers
Pigfighter

Hi Jay - in this case I do have drawings, well access to lots of them anyway from Ian Slater's collection at Typhoon Legacy, but there isn't a drawing for everything obviously. In the absence of a drawing there are a number of valid options - you ask how much guesswork? Some, sometimes.. Lets say you want something like a Defiant fuselage (and the same for the Veltro I started) - there are no drawings; that I have access to anyway so what to do? Well, I started with every 3 view (especially Jumpeii Temma's) and photo I could find, especially any that are in near linear views like side, plan, front etc. I also bought model kits, the Defiant had just been produced by Airfix in 1/48 after LIDAR scanning Cosfords so that was assembled and sectioned in 1cm bits which gave me about 15 cross sectional outlines after photographing them. All of this is rolled up into a draft 3D curve model in Rhino as the basis of the shape. After that it is photo interpretation, like where do the exhausts go - well, find a good period photo and line up enough valid reference points and it goes where the photo(s) show. Rinse and repeat.
For  more complex details a bit more work is required. The cockpit, undercarriage or systems parts for example - here the same process is used but to scale something you don't have drawings or linear photo's of means you have to use what you do know. For example I know the dimension in the nose between the skins that this radiator sits in..
 

 
..that means every other dimension can be derived (guesswork see..) and copied allowing for printing limitations so it can be reproduced..
 

 
..the 'shock cone' thing on the front is reproduced in the same way - what do you see..
 

 
..you see the outer ring is angled,the inner 'pipe' is straight, the inner vanes are at 45 degrees, there is a lip at the rear so reproduce what you see. It's depth is unknown to me so play until it looks right (guesswork again..)
 
rinse & repeat..
 
..my folders are stacked full of images I have imported into rhino to do this..
 

 
 
 
..and therin lies in my mind, kit perfection..
 
Very well produced IM major parts that have excellent surface detail and good assembly qualities, partnered with incredibly finessed 3D parts that take away all the limitations of IM parts for details
 
That is kit experiment number two
 
Peter

..another milestone, the IM fuselage blank is complete for assessment by the mouldmakers..
 
..there are many new rules of design I am not sure I have met yet, but this after weeks of work is at least the start..
 
clearly the cockpit needs cutting out and many other structural bits need doing, but the area there needed to be thin for all the cockpit structure..plus all the surface detail needs doing of course..
 

 

 
..we will see, I will probably have to completely redesign it 
 
Peter

Sorry to hear this. Would be great to see this beauty finished!!!! I saved all the pictures to use them as reference to build my own Frelon!!! 
 

olivier left the site years ago....

Any news about this terrific build???? Curious about the PE used at this model. 

Took the yellow box out and replaced it with the flotation device. Added straps too.
Oliver

More done today

Sensational!

After the fix

Well..i am stuck.
Glued the badly warped wall to the floor but a large gap appeared between bulkhead wall and cargo...dont know how to fix, may have to close up cargo and loose all that inside work. Gonna sleep on it for a week.
Oliver