ruzlkampf Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Now that I have the major visualization behind me, I can FINALLY start on the model. Wanted to thank you Matt for that excellent link to the ejector seat pics! Wow, that's now a book-marked site of mine. Hey Kevin, if you see this, check it out as they even have Sea Venom seats and cockpit shots. Cool Jeff; nice to see another flight simmer on this forum! You are correct. This particular version of the A-4 is Vol#2(out of 4 available) for the Razbam A-4 series. Got this one, cause it came with an HMAS Melbourne too. I've also re-painted the flight deck on that to show it in the 1975-79 era of the AC I'm modelling. I'm repainting Ito's TA-4 into Aussie markings to go along with this version, to have as AI aircraft flying off this carrier.(amongst other AC) More pics of that in about a week. But I digress; I was giving the fuse a hard look tonight, and I had to get rid of the RWAR stuff as the A-4G ain't got it. Makes it look a lot simpler and cleaner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 7, 2008 Author Share Posted November 7, 2008 Here's my pilot all 'frankensteined' out, and mocked up in the pit. Got 'goggle eyed' head choice #1 afixed to the torso to see what he'll look like. Hmmm, jury is still out on this guy, Matt! Can't tell if he's got glasses, or hasn't slept in about a week? Still a work in progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big matt Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Wow Russ, I don't know now. He looks like something from the star wars cantina scene! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted November 7, 2008 Share Posted November 7, 2008 Good to see you cutting plastic once again Russ. You know I'm gonna be following this one closely. I'll check out that link too... Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 Hmmmm, yeah...I think that 'head' is genetically challenged. Let's just slide that visor down and cover that mug up, shall we? One last test of the pilot in the pit just to make sure he ain't gonna bonk his melon on the canopy. Even though this is a 'small' jet, it sure doesn't look that way with a pilot to 'scale' it out now, eh?! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 I've got the cockpit painted now, and ready to install after I make something to eat. Gonna have the fuse zipped up tonight and the wings installed. I'm having so much fun building this kit, I've decided to take a long weekend and get it pretty much knocked out. Go back to work Tuesday and make up some decals for it.(yeah, I work so hard! ) Got kinda 'uppity' tonight and painted some checkerboards on the visor to go with the tail markings. whoooo. Still need to put some patches on the pilots shoulders and paint the black stripes on the pull of the ejector seat....but he's good to go. Probably have more pics tonight of him sitting in the buttoned up fuse/wing. I gotta get more of these kits, they're cool. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveJ Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Looks great Russ, and you're blazing through it as usual! I keep hoping for a re-tooled A-4 series since their 1/48 Scooters are a dream kit. Have I mentioned that I hate re-scribing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Nice work Russ. Did you paint the IP or are the instruments decals? Looks really good either way, but if you painted it then I'm calling it quits! I keep hoping for a re-tooled A-4 series since their 1/48 Scooters are a dream kit. Have I mentioned that I hate re-scribing? Hey, send it to me Dave! Seriously though, you could always just bang it together for practice and leave the raised detail in place. Me, I hate rescribing only slightly less than I hate raised panel lines, so I usually bit the bullet, at least in LSP scales anyway. In 1/48 they don't bother me so much, and I've seen some pretty amazing panel effects created on old kits that weren't rescribed. Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 Aaaaooogah! Anomaly, achtung....Stop everything!! Houston,..we have a problem. Had my first "uh oh, sphagettios" moment tonight. Dooh! Wheezed a sigh of relief cause I caught myself before buttoning up the fuse...without a weight in the nose. Then commenced the 'nightmare fandango' of popping the leading edge slats out. That was not a beautiful thing, but I figured, hey...I need the practice for the F-4S I got coming up. After arm-wrestling them into place, and getting them all matched up, I had an epiphany whilst basking in the glow of a job completed. The leading edge slats only pop out whenever the flaps are down.(I learned about this by flying my digital A-4 around.) The flaps are split trailing edge type, so the top of the wing stays put and the flaps drop down. ALAS, that Hasegawa molded the flaps onto the top of the wing. Calling Mr. Dremel, ahoy! Had to do some major surgery in this area, as I'm determined to have these correct. On the right is how the kit is molded. On the left is how I modified things. Hmmm, gotta cut all those pipes outta the wheel-well and replace em,...those look like crap. :angry: Fuse is buttoned up, and I somehow managed to get a close-up of the pilot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 9, 2008 Author Share Posted November 9, 2008 Wing is mated to the fuse, and here is a pic of my 'relieved' flap area. I'll be scratching up new flaps. Off the the LHS today after I get up to get lots of white paint. More pics as things progress. Russ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
big matt Posted November 9, 2008 Share Posted November 9, 2008 Hey Russ, that pilot looks like he has been assimilated! Love the checkers and I will loan you that 3 hair brush to do the patches. I thought this kit has raised panel lines??? I don't see any. Did you sand them down? I am sure I will forget the 100g for the weight in the Thud. That is my nightmare. Looks good buddy, Matt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Oh!!!, I must've forgot to take off my 'anti-raised panel line/rivets' filter on the camera. Whups! heh heh, Actually, I don't have any smoke and/or mirrors (like SOMEBODY I know ), but I have been mumbling juju,...throwing chicken bones,...and smearing vaseline all over my lens so ya can't see em. Bwhahaha! Naw, so far this is pretty much outta the box, and what the kit looks like. I'm going to try and see what I can do with this as is. Surface detail is actually quite subdued to these tired old eyes. Hard to believe how old this kit is, it's done so well. I'm getting ready to spray all the white, so I thought I'd take a break and show ya'll how my new flaps turned out. Mocked up everything that's going on the bottom of the wing to see what it's going to look like, and to make sure the flaps don't hit my dang drop tanks. Got my 'special Australian Sidewinder Rails' knocked together to make sure they hang correctly at the right height/fore-aft position. Whoohoo! Couldn't believe there is absolutely NOTHING on the flap insides. No formers/stringers/strengthening strips/zero/nada/ or zip! Smoooooth. I like this plane. P.S. Don't think I'll be needing the 'professional grade' brush, with the 3 hairs plucked from a marmots eyelashes, for the shoulder patches Matt. Still suffering from an incurable nervous twitch after painting FOUR rows of checkerboards on my a$$imilated pilots beanie. 'Mr. Technology' has provided me with decals. I am not worthy, just chicken(bwhawk..cluck cluck) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 10, 2008 Author Share Posted November 10, 2008 Holy sherboinkys,...that's a lot of white!!! Stopping for the night here. Gull grey tomorrow methinks. Phew. More pics as things progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spads57 Posted November 10, 2008 Share Posted November 10, 2008 Wow Russ you build fast.I'm away for a while and unable to work on swat,then come back to see more of your excellent projects posted. Keep up the outstanding works. Highest Regards, Gregory Jouette Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruzlkampf Posted November 11, 2008 Author Share Posted November 11, 2008 Whoohoo! Glad to see ya back Greg! Yep, I'm a man on a mission....got a jet bug that won't let go until I stomp on it like a big ole hairy spider. Gotta little motivation with a heap of inspiration to knock this out ASAP, cause I've got a Tamiya F-4J I want to hack into an F-4S. Haven't done an American aircraft since I joined this forum. Going for this look; Going to have the Heater-Ferris 4-tone camo from VF-301. I like it. But I digress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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