F-117A Nighthawk (channelling my inner scratch builder)

[Uilleann]

Well thanks to your build I now have less money!

Just had to order the kit off eBay!

Fantastic and as it turns out inspiring build, as now I have to have a crack.

Keep it up and love the detail work, I'll be referencing it shortly.

 

Heh - I didn't know I had that kind of power.    It's really turned out to be a rather fun kit all in all.  I'd strongly recommend the Brassin wheel set, and the Aires cockpit at the very least...but for the most part, I've found the rest can be scratched without a great deal of difficulty or complication.

 

When can we expect your WIP thread here? 

 

Cheers

 

Brian~

[Macbain]

Don't want to hijack your thread, but yes I ordered what I believe to be all the aftermarket available: Eduard's PE and wheels, Aires cockpit, and some decals.

 

I have the Tamiya 1/48 kit with Aires bomb bay, and will use that as a template from which to scratch build the bomb bay.

 

Of course there is this thread as reference also, especially the wheel bays.

 

The difficult part will be the weathering of such a dark colour, but I have some ideas to play with.

[Uilleann]

Don't want to hijack your thread, but yes I ordered what I believe to be all the aftermarket available: Eduard's PE and wheels, Aires cockpit, and some decals.  I have the Tamiya 1/48 kit with Aires bomb bay, and will use that as a template from which to scratch build the bomb bay.

Of course there is this thread as reference also, especially the wheel bays.

The difficult part will be the weathering of such a dark colour, but I have some ideas to play with.

 

Hijack? - not at all.  This airframe and it's subsequent kittings are far from the popular kid on the block, and I am all for any participation related to the F-117 I can get!    I'm stoked to see your approach to the Aires tub in particular.  The only word of caution I would offer is to be extremely careful with the little lever switches - they are crazy delicate!

 

I think black finishes are not really any more difficult than stuff like NMF, but they do require some forethought and a touch of planning.  I think with the 117 in particular, there are so many variations that can be found that one can really go all out and try some different shadings and colors to great effect.

 

Do post away when you jump in to your kit!  I, for one, am thrilled to see any other gobblins under construction!

 

Cheers

 

Brian~

[Uilleann]

A touch more done this evening.  I still have a little further to go cleaning up seam lines, adding hydro and electrical lines, and a few placards before I get the final finish on the main gear legs.  But I couldn't resist throwing the Eduard Brassin wheels on and tucking things into their eventual place in the main wells to get an idea of how everything would look once completed.  I also added the remaining PE to the gear doors, and worked on the new engine faces from Mike at Sierra Hotel:

 

 

 

The main gear are really starting to look the part.  With the added detail in the well, along with the improved drag brace structure and springs, the resin wheels don't look over-detailed and out of place with the otherwise plain kit structure.  Now if I can just get my gloss white sorted I should be all set:

 

 

 

A little closer shot.  I can see I need a bit more time cleaning up the gear leg and drag brace arms, but the basic shapes are there and look alright to my eye at least.  I also will be working out replacement landing lights from some MV Products lenses and a touch of scratch building for the backs.  The kit parts just weren't convincing in the least.  Apart from MV - does anyone happen to know if there are any actual hollow light products still available?  There was a Russian fellow I contacted a while back, but he's been out of production for some time now.  At any rate, here's the goods:

 

 

 

The main gear doors and wheel covers with the Eduard exterior PE attached.  I would have liked to add the star patterned ribbing to the wheel indents in the doors with some very small styrene strip...but my initial effort came up pants.  I may still have a second go at it, but I'll need to re-think my approach.  The rest looks the part more or less - forgiving of course, the fact that the doors should be more 3 dimensional in reality, with ribs instead of simple lines on the PE bits:

 

 

 

And the new engine face (compared against the original part on the left).  The appearance of the stators is greatly improved, and the first compressor blades really make the sale.  I know the center cone isn't quite the right shape (owning to this being a kit for the F404 from a Hornet, and not the F-117A), but I figure it's more than close enough given it may be somewhat difficult to see clearly once installed at the back end of the intake:

 

 

Hope to get a first bit of paint on the gear doors and the remaining main gear leg in the near future.  Progress...slow and steady. 

 

Cheers

 

Brian~

Edited February 21, 2017 by Uilleann

[Ironwing]

Brian,

 

Slow and steady is the way to go. Your attention and addition of fine details makes it all happen. Really a great job...

 

Best

Geoff

[Uncarina]

The camera shows all and in the case of your build the closer I look the more I'm convinced it's the real deal!

 

Cheers, Tom

[Uilleann]

Thanks Gents-

 

I'm hoping I'll be able to get the paint sorted (#!*@ gloss white paint!!!), and can start on the lines and straps soon.  My thought for those is to paint a black stripe just a touch wider than the raised straps mounted to the legs, and then apply a tiny stripe of metal foil over the top a touch thinner in width.  Hopefully will give a believable appearance?

Edited October 4, 2014 by Uilleann

[Guest Peterpools]

Terrific work on the nose bay and gear - looks simply terrific.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[Uilleann]

Terrific work on the nose bay and gear - looks simply terrific.

Keep 'em coming

Peter

The latest work has been the main gear bays...as opposed to the nose.     But who's keeping score?    Hope to find time over the next couple of weeks to get these more or less wrapped up and then begin work on the larger assembly of the kit.

 

Cheers

 

B~

[LSP_Kevin]

Very nice work Brian!

 

Kev

[Uilleann]

Very nice work Brian!

 

Kev

 

I appreciate the kind words Kev.  Always good to keep the motivation level high! 

 

Cheers

 

B~

[Uilleann]

I had a bit of time to throw a few more details at the main gear doors today (and add a couple more fiddly bits to the gear wells also).  I was able to lay down some thin strip stock in the wheel depression to try and simulate the ribs of the real thing on the newer door style.  Trumpeter used the old, original (solid, heavy) door style for whatever reason, but the Eduard PE kit is based on the newer lighter composite(?) doors.  I don't think it's accurate in the least, but I added a touch of raised rivet detail to the trailing tip, in addition to the door up lock mechanism just aft of the wheel depression:

 

 

And the opposite door, with a quick shot of flat white, to see how it ties in with the rest of the assembly:

 

 

I think if one of the aftermarket resin producers felt the bug, these late style doors could be produced rather simply, and with a much more prototypical appearance than even with the added PE above.  And seeing as how I happen to know there is a massive rush for F-117A kits in general, and this one in particular, I'm just certain someone will jump at the chance to....

 

*crickets*

 

 

 

 

Edited February 21, 2017 by Uilleann

[Guest]

Brian, she is still looking good. Very well done.........Harv

[Daywalker]

I really like what you are doing here with this one Brian, the attention the small details makes this one stand above the others.  I admire your tenacity to press on until it's "right".

[Uilleann]

Brian, she is still looking good. Very well done.........Harv

 

Cheers Harv,  and thanks!

 

I really like what you are doing here with this one Brian, the attention the small details makes this one stand above the others.  I admire your tenacity to press on until it's "right".

 

Frank, again, coming from you, that is high praise indeed!    Thanks Mate.

 

I almost forgot to include one of my small victories here as well today - the tie down rings.  The kit offering is literally nothing more than a small circular bump on a flat panel.  No ring, no raised detail to speak of, no hinge...nothing.  So out with the sanding stick to remove the 'bump', and replace things with a proper tie down ring assembly.  The new Eduard pieces certainly look the part.  (I have since added the bolts to the sides of the hinge with tiny bits of styrene, and worked on fixing that slight kink on the right side of the hinge there):

 

 

The parts are, of course, stupid tiny...and you have to fold this bit over that, and bring this bit up to that angle, blah blah blah...  But in the end, I got both rings folded, placed into their pivots, and attached without too much trouble.

 

The biggest victory here, is that I didn't feed the carpet monster (or the Labradors) again with delicious "model kibble".     I'm dreading the gloss paint step, but I fear I am close to not being able to do much more till I can get the legs painted up in their proper clothing.

 

Bri~

Edited February 21, 2017 by Uilleann