Tamiya F-15C Kicked Up A Notch- Dec 1/17: DONE!

[KitmodellerNZ]

 

Not for me.  Here's a Few pics of the results I've shown of my P-38L many times before.  Maybe you didn't add enough thinner?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Possibly needed to thin mine more. I was using a 50/50 ratio and shooting at around 20psi. Happy with the result from the Mr Levelling thinner, although it isn't as easily obtainable here in New Zealand as the Tamiya Lacq is, so would prefer to stick with Tamiya if I can.

Edited July 13, 2017 by KitmodellerNZ

[skydivin]

Thanks for your tip on the thinning.  Model is awesome as always!

[chuck540z3]

July 19/17

 

 

Near the end of all my builds I find something that I wished I had changed or modified earlier.  In this build, it's the chaff and flare dispensers, which are not totally correct and hard to paint.  Searching around, after the fact of course, I find that there are some really nice ones made from PE brass and resin, although they can only be displayed in the “empty†situation, leaving square holes.  I would have, could have and should have installed some of these earlier, so now I'm doing a band-aide type of modification using some Eduard PE parts.

 

According to Jake's books and many different pics I can find of these dispensers, the flare dispensers are in a 2 X 3 configuration (6 total) and are reddish, while the chaff dispensers are in a 5 X 6 configuration (30 total) and are silver/white in color.  The kit has 4 dispensers on each side and they are all 4 X 5 (20 total), which is close to the chaff boxes for accuracy but miles away from the flare boxes.  I also found that there is almost always blanking cover plates on at least half of the boxes and the distribution of flare and chaff boxes is all over the map, with no real common pattern.  What to do?

 

There are PE blanking plates found in the Eduard F-15E kit, although you have to cut each one separately out of a 4 X 4 part, but no colored plates for the F-15 at all.  Using colored chaff and flare dispensers made for an F-18E, I cut out a 2 X 3 flare box that fit the kit parts, but the orientation of the flares are out by 90 degrees to the real deal.  No biggy.  For the chaff dispensers, I was able to cut out 3 X 4 parts that fit which is wrong, but the colors of both dispensers are pretty accurate and let's face it, these items are underneath and can only be seen clearly with a mirror if the model is displayed over one.  I found that the blanking plates are generic grey jet ones most of the time (not always), so I painted all of them F-15 light grey (FS 36251, which has a tinge of brown) to add some contrasting interest to the overall blue.  These look very colorful and unrealistic right now, but with some weathering soot applied at the end of the build, I think they will look pretty good later.

 

 

 

 

To prep the model for a gloss coat, in this case Tamiya X-22 acrylic, I used Mr. Laplos polishing cloths to smooth the paint finish further and remove any dust and other imperfections.  This makes the dark blue paint look even lighter with an uneven and flat finish.  Recall that I used a LOT of white to knock down the intensity of the blue (see post # 842 above), which was way too dark to begin with.  Did I go too far lightening the blue?.....

 

 

 

 

Of course not!  I learned the hard way many models before, that a gloss finish will make dark colors look much darker than before and even after a subsequent flat coat finish after decals, the lighter color never seems to come back to where it started.  Anticipating this would happen yet again, I made the dark blue at least 25% lighter than what I wanted for a final color, so that after a gloss coat, it looks like this……

 

 

 

 

Now a “walkaround†of the model as it stands right now.  I'm pretty happy with how those toned down rudder hinge bulges and raised rivets turned out with the new glossy reflection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you look close you can see a very little bit of "orange peel" to the gloss finish, but that will all disappear after a satin coat at the end of the build.  If you can't lay down decals successfully on this finish, something is very wrong.  At this stage you can fill panel line and rivet detail with the gloss coat, because the detail has been captured and sealed in.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm also really happy with how the nose cone turned out.  The kit part does not fit very well, so you need to do a lot of sanding and dry fitting to get it looking smooth to the front fuselage.  The scratch built front windshield vents and windscreen trim looks OK too.

 

 

 

 

The main gear wells will get some attention when I install the landing gear.  It looks like I need to fill a small divot on the near stabilator, even though it's on the bottom.

 

 

 

 

The top of intake PE mesh remains clog free.

 

 

 

 

Now another tip:

 

 

How I sprayed Tamiya X-22

 

 

1)  Thin X-22 with (Edit) 50% Tamiya lacquer thinner (yellow cap).

 

2)  Use an airbrush with a relatively large needle and a bit higher flowing pressure than you usually use with paint.  I used an Iwata airbrush with a 0.3mm needle and my flowing pressure was about 18 psi.  I tried my 0.18mm Iwata and it kept drying at the tip, causing sputtering.  The 0.3mm needle didn't sputter once.

 

3)  Start at an end close to you and spray away from you, getting the surface nice and wet before moving forward.  This reduces spray “dust†of dried X-22 ahead of the airbrush, which doesn't get a chance to dry as it gets wet again as you move the airbrush forward.

 

4)  Spray parallel to wing roots and other 90 degree obstructions, again to avoid air turbulence and dried dust.

 

5)  If you get dust and other crap on the model while spraying- and you WILL!- keep moving and leave the dust alone.  You can sand it out later.

 

6)  Always spray on a horizontal surface if possible.  This means holding the model at 90 degrees when spraying the sides.

 

7)  Spray one side, then turn the model to spray the top or bottom.  Let it dry for at least ½ hour, then spray the other 2 sides.

 

8)  After the X-22 has dried for one day, sand out the imperfections with #1,000- #1,500 sandpaper or polishing cloths, clean up the dust, then spray the entire model once more.

 

 

Although Future/Pledge (FP) can work great and I have used it successfully many times as a gloss coat, the X-22 is just plain easier to use.  It doesn't run, it dries much quicker and it dries to a much harder finish, allowing light sanding within an hour.  My only complaint with X-22 is that it is only sold in small bottles, so for a model this size you will need at least 2-3 of them.

 

Next up, Titanium rear panels!

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

Edited July 21, 2017 by chuck540z3

[A-10LOADER]

Beautiful job Chuck.

 

Steve

[Guest Peterpools]

Chuck

Geez, the Eagle looks tremendous and the chafe and flare dispensers fill the bill - nice going.

Very nice work glossing the Eagle for decal work with Tamiya's  X22. Thank yo for the mini tutorial on how you shoot the X22. I've started using it this year after being a Testor's Glosscte Guy for a zillion years. My procedure is a bit different but close just the same. I thin the X22 more towards 50/50 with Tamiya Yellow Cap Thinner, counting drops to keep the mixes consistent. My working pressure is adjusted to between 15-20 psi depending on the Air brush. I normally shoot with an H&S Infinity CR Plus and a .2 tip but for gloss work and primer I now use an Iwata Revolution CR with a .5 tip. The difference in the spray pattern and coverage amazes me - smooth and very consistent. I am going to try out your thinning ratios and see how they compare to my own, as I'm always looking to improve my game.

Super work

Keep 'em coming

Peter

[Joel_W]

Chuck,

 Those  Chafe dispensers really look fantastic, and add a lot of additional interest.  The Gloss surface you've achieved with the X-22 is excellent. Like Pete, I thin 50/50 but use X-20A since it doesn't dry as fast as Tamiya Yellow cap. 

 

  And thanks for the reasoning of starting with a slightly lighter color. it explains why I usually end up with colors slightly darker then what I started out with. So hence forth I'll make a similar adjustment in tone.

 

Joel

[dsahling1]

I've still got to get the WIP started, but my F-15C is well under-way with your expert "tutelage" I ran into a little snag though, when I was sanding my intakes to be flush with everything I overdid it a bit and sanded off pretty much all of the "lip" on the bottom edge of the intake, I'm repairing it with milliput but its going to take a lot of diligent and carefully sanding to get it right.  Just a setback, one of the things I like about building models is that you always need to come up with "solutions" when you mess something up.  Luckily the experience I gained doing my F-16A conversion let me experiment with milliput and found this to be a great stuff to work with especially for things like this.  I've got a busy weekend, but hopefully once its done I can put some photos onto imageshack and show you my progress. 

[Finn]

Marvelous work as usual Chuck however as for the C/F dispensers here are couple of pics that might help your cause:

 

A cover is a cover no matter what colour, also note they are flush or slightly submerged:

 

https://media.defense.gov/2013/Feb/22/2000073876/-1/-1/0/130215-F-HG907-903.JPG

 

Here is some chaff and flare being loaded on a F-15C, note the number of flares:

 

https://media.defense.gov/2008/May/27/2000615344/-1/-1/0/080526-F-3961R-148.JPG

 

of course for training missions having full load of pods wasn't always required so the blanking panels would be in place, as you can see in the second pic.

 

Jari

[chuck540z3]

Chuck

Geez, the Eagle looks tremendous and the chafe and flare dispensers fill the bill - nice going.

Very nice work glossing the Eagle for decal work with Tamiya's  X22. Thank yo for the mini tutorial on how you shoot the X22. I've started using it this year after being a Testor's Glosscte Guy for a zillion years. My procedure is a bit different but close just the same. I thin the X22 more towards 50/50 with Tamiya Yellow Cap Thinner, counting drops to keep the mixes consistent. My working pressure is adjusted to between 15-20 psi depending on the Air brush. I normally shoot with an H&S Infinity CR Plus and a .2 tip but for gloss work and primer I now use an Iwata Revolution CR with a .5 tip. The difference in the spray pattern and coverage amazes me - smooth and very consistent. I am going to try out your thinning ratios and see how they compare to my own, as I'm always looking to improve my game.

Super work

Keep 'em coming

Peter

 

 

Chuck,

 Those  Chafe dispensers really look fantastic, and add a lot of additional interest.  The Gloss surface you've achieved with the X-22 is excellent. Like Pete, I thin 50/50 but use X-20A since it doesn't dry as fast as Tamiya Yellow cap. 

 

  And thanks for the reasoning of starting with a slightly lighter color. it explains why I usually end up with colors slightly darker then what I started out with. So hence forth I'll make a similar adjustment in tone.

 

Joel

 

 

 

Thank Guys for the tips.  My question to both of you is what type of paint are you using under the X-22 gloss coat?  I am afraid of crazing my MM enamel finish with the Tamiya Lacquer, even though it is a "soft synthetic", so if you are using the same paint underneath, I will definitely give the 50/50 mixture a try.  I am always a fan of going thinner than thicker when I spray anything on my models.

 

 

 

 

Marvelous work as usual Chuck however as for the C/F dispensers here are couple of pics that might help your cause:

 

A cover is a cover no matter what colour, also note they are flush or slightly submerged:

 

https://media.defense.gov/2013/Feb/22/2000073876/-1/-1/0/130215-F-HG907-903.JPG

 

Here is some chaff and flare being loaded on a F-15C, note the number of flares:

 

https://media.defense.gov/2008/May/27/2000615344/-1/-1/0/080526-F-3961R-148.JPG

 

of course for training missions having full load of pods wasn't always required so the blanking panels would be in place, as you can see in the second pic.

 

Jari

 

 

As always Jari, thank you so much for both following my WIP threads and offering so much detailed information.  I really, really appreciate it!

 

As for the flare dispensers, I have found a multitude of configurations for the flares, so I have gone with what I see on page 151 of Jake's recent Eagle Guide.  I am sure they have changed frequently over the years including what you have shown above, so I have gone with what I can see in some reference pics, especially for this exact F-15C and what I can see underneath in the few pics I have.  As for how the covers are flush rather than above the dispensers, you are totally correct as usual.  Having said that, I'll go with what Eduard can provide in PE then what I can create from scratch.

 

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

 

Edited July 20, 2017 by chuck540z3

[Shaka HI]

Awesome work, Chuck. I switched to Tamiya Clear based on your P-38 build and do prefer it over Future (because I'm experiencing odd cracking with Future), but Future seem to produce a very realistic gloss/sheen that Tamiya's Clear does not. Tamiya's dry hard but looks too shiny to my eyes. Of course, it's rarely a final coat for us so it doesn't matter.

 

Kudos to Finn, I'm not sure where you're getting these photos, but their high resolution and rather obscure shots of the aircraft is very useful!

[chuck540z3]

Awesome work, Chuck. I switched to Tamiya Clear based on your P-38 build and do prefer it over Future (because I'm experiencing odd cracking with Future), but Future seem to produce a very realistic gloss/sheen that Tamiya's Clear does not. Tamiya's dry hard but looks too shiny to my eyes. Of course, it's rarely a final coat for us so it doesn't matter.

 

Kudos to Finn, I'm not sure where you're getting these photos, but their high resolution and rather obscure shots of the aircraft is very useful!

 

 

Thank you Sir,

 

As I mentioned, there is nothing wrong with using Future/ Pledge (FP) over X-22, even though I recently prefer the latter.  I like the fact that X-22 shines more than Future, which is the total point when applying decals.  I could easily go back to using F/P and not be disappointed.  Having said that, there where a few times when F/P kind of melted when I used Microsol decal softener when the F/P was applied quite thick, which I have yet to experience using X-22.

 

As for Finn (Jari), I believe that he used to service our Canadian CF-18's at Cold Lake as well as be close-up and personal with just about every other NATO aircraft during "Maple Flag" exercises conducted there every June.  The man knows his fighter jets, and for some reason he has a very unique arsenal of on-line references that I can never find using the usual search sources.  Thanks Jari!

 

Chuck

[zaxos345]

Awesome work on this buitie as always Chuck!!!

As the X-22 is my favorite gloss (i have test it against others, it really rocks), i have the best results when i thin it with Mr. Hobby leveling thinner, 60/40 or even more and spray it with a 0.5 nozzle at about 18 psi....very smooth finish with no orange peel!!

The litlle orange peel you see may is due to the straight laquer thinner, and the combination of the nozzle size and psi, as it dries more quicly due to bernulli effect. Again that is me humble opinion!! 

 

John

[chuck540z3]

Awesome work on this buitie as always Chuck!!!

As the X-22 is my favorite gloss (i have test it against others, it really rocks), i have the best results when i thin it with Mr. Hobby leveling thinner, 60/40 or even more and spray it with a 0.5 nozzle at about 18 psi....very smooth finish with no orange peel!!

The litlle orange peel you see may is due to the straight laquer thinner, and the combination of the nozzle size and psi, as it dries more quicly due to bernulli effect. Again that is me humble opinion!! 

 

John

 

I am sure you are correct on all counts John.  As usual, thank you for your input and kind words.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

[F`s are my favs]

Yep, glossiness at its shinest! The decals should really lay down pretty nicely. 

[Finn]

I just get lucky in my searches sometimes, when i do i like to pass on the info for others to see. Here is an example of mixes of chaff, flares and banking panels:

 

http://cdn.airplane-pictures.net/images/uploaded-images/2012/2/29/191199.jpg

 

the blanking panels replace the dispensers, it's much easier to load the pods with C/F when they are off the a/c.

 

Jari