F7F-3 Tigercat - BuNo 80405 - VMF 312 MCAS - El Toro, CA 1946

[Out2gtcha]

Contrary to what most probably thought at this point, Im still working furiously on the big twin kitty! 

I just have been doing more building and a bit less picture taking during the building. 

 

Craig, Hacker, Jack, thanks for the kind words gents!

 

I did take quite a few updated progress pics as to where I am right now, I just waited till I had a bit more to show. Not that at this point, its anything ridiculously forward of where I was, but some decent progress none the less..........

 

Pics in a few when I get them uploaded to SmugMug. 

[Out2gtcha]

Ok, so here we go again...........

 

First off, I got all of the nose gear parts painted in MRP DSB, although I didnt take any pics of those parts since I still have them in masking, and still have yet to add the needed remaining detail. I just didnt figure the same parts I showed before, except in blue would be that interesting.

After I sprayed the nose gear parts with primer then DSB, I got down to work on the cockpit parts, as that is the next hurdle to getting the whole fuselage closed up, other than the nose gear well pack.

 

(Please excuse the sub-par pics, as its extremely cold in my modeling room and it effects the light brightness I believe, as well as my cell camera not dealing with lights/whites very well)

I started off with the seat. I modified the back of the seat, as the real deal has two seat mounts that attach the top of the seat to the rear  cockpit bulkhead. I also had to cut down the seat pedestal, which OOB made the seat sit significantly too high.

 

Used MRP interior green and some acrylic aluminum for the wear. Im planning on eventually getting some of the brushable MRP acrylic paints to go along with the normal MRP acrylic lacquers:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next up was the cockpit itself. I fit the cockpit floor in the fuselage, then glued the front and rear cockpit bulkheads to the floor, but not to the fuse yet, per the instructions, so that the whole unit would be sure to fit back into the fuselage after assembly. The bottom of the cockpit floor and the top of the nose gear well pack unit must both be shaved down in thickness significantly in order to all fit together in the fuselage.

Here was now the time to try out HpHs new instrument process. This new process entails cutting out the decals "roughly" per the instructions, removing the associated PE from the fret, and gluing those pieces to a sheet of styrene, and finally applying the decals to said PE parts while on the styrene sheet:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I followed their instructions to the letter. A couple of things I found in doing this that might help anyone else building this kit, or any other new HpH kit that uses this method:

 

- The instrument decals (I have not tried their fuselage/airframe decals yet) are extremely delicate. They rip fairly easy, and with the raised sections of the IP, dont try to move them around too much (ask me how I know!) or they will tear, and distort

 

- The IP decals seem to take to MicroSol pretty well. There doesnt seem to  be a need for anything hotter here such as Solvaset or especially Mr Mark softener - I fear they may full wrinkle up and distort terribly with anything hotter than MS.

 

- Looking at the layered IP decals where instruments are supposed to be (IE PE with holes that are supposed to let the instrument faces show through), instead of holes, there are just black circles. According to the instructions, although they dont specifically address this, the black holes should stick to the styrene sheet, while the rest of the decaled PE lifts off the styrene sheet. 
This is only a theory at this point, as I have yet to try to lift any of those PE parts off the sheet yet

 

- Im not sure how HpHs other airframe decals are, but the IP decals are printed on one big sheet of entire carrier. Its up to you to cut them out around the exact decals lines, not unlike the older non-laser-cut HGW seatbelts

 

- The instructions call to cut out IP the decals "roughly". Do not do this. My humble suggestion is to cut them out exactly on the decals edges as you would want them on the IP itself. The reason I say this (again from personal experience)  is that with the vast amount of non clear/opaque carrier on all the IP decals, its nearly impossible to see where exactly the decals are being placed on the PE. This can lead to the decals being off center on the PE (again, ask me how I know!)

 

 

 

 

 

I followed the instructions and glued the PE parts to a sheet of styrene, then cut out and applied the decals. The first one I tried was the large black base decal for the main IP, which I followed to the letter and cut out "roughly". That IP decal ripped significantly, and since there was so much carrier around the edges, its now placed a bit off center, but there is nay I can do about it at this point.

From that point on, I cut out the IP decals right on the line, as perfetly as I could, and the IP decal application went much smoother from that point on.

I will have to figure out how to address that part of the IP when I get to assembly of the IP itself. Things look a bit rougher here than then actually are, as some of the touch-up paint i used to cover the remaining bits of carrier make things look a tad crappy at this point.
I'm hoping that once assembled it will look much better. I also plan on masking the instrument parts off of the lower green/beige colored section, and painting that color to match the interior green:

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also got the sides of the fuselage detail painted and washed. These have nothing added to them  yet, and just have the molded on detail painted and washed at this point, as I figured doing it now would let me get to places with a brush and wash that may not be possible after some of the smaller cockpit sidewall detail parts get glued on. Im not at ALL happy with how I painted the molded on wire detail for the starboard side fuselage, but its about as good as its getting, and after assembly and the addition of the cockpit sidewall parts, will be very hard to see anyway. Fortunately, these look a lot better IRL than in pics:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MORE....................

 

 

[Out2gtcha]

 I also got a wash of AKI enamel "landing gear wash" on the nose gear well pack. Nothing drastic, but I like the look a lot better with the wash, as it just didn't look right to have a nose gear well be so clean. The AKI wash also make a lot of the extra and molded on detail pop a lot more as well:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now it was onto painting and assembly of the cockpit itself. After detail painting the molded on detail, as well as putting on some of the aforementioned PE covered with the HpH decals. 

I actually quite like this look!  It seems superior in looks to the sometimes grainy, and off color look of the Eduard stuff. If I can perfect the best way to apply the decals to the PE, this could be a very nice process in the end.

There was also quite a bit of fetteling here as well. I had to cut own the base of the hydrolic hand pump, so that the seat could fit on centered between the seat belt retaining bar I added made from a styrene rod and some PE bits.

 

There is still a lot more detail to be added here, but like the fuselage sides, I wanted to get most of the base stuff painted and washed, as after adding more detail, it would have made getting to those molded on parts very difficult after the fact:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tiz all for now gents. Im progressing quite steadily now, and my passion for the F7F seems to be taking hold and so far, has overcome any obstacles with the kit itself, including modifications and additions.

My next item to start will be the HGW seat-belts. These will need to be attached to the rear cockpit bulkhead, then looped over the seat-belt bar, then attached to the seat itself.

I am also now going to start adding the kit detail parts to the fuselage sidewalls, as well as adding some missing detail to the cockpit floor.

 

Cheers till your older!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Super duper work buddy. Keep it going.......Harv

[Jack]

paleeeeze.....pick up my jaw from the floor.........awesome!!!

[Vandy 1 VX 4]

Looking great keep it coming

[Thunnus]

The cockpit is shaping up very nicely!  I have not seen that particular approach (decals on PE) to the instrument panel but it looks like it will yield excellent results.  How will the excess decal carrier be trimmed without tearing the instruments?  Looks like a delicate operation is ahead.

[Guest Peterpools]

Brian

Just lov-in your progress on the Big Cat. MRP paints are really addictive once you start using them and there is no turning back. Most of my work now is with MRP and Mr Color - lacquers all the way - just need to keep the spray booth going.

Seat, the front office and nose bay looks spot on the money with the weathering, as the details really pop. I've never used AKI Landing Gear Wash. How do you apply it as it produces a completely different effect then the Tamiya Panel Line Wash I've been using for popping he details; looks so good.

BTW, the nose gear bay looks fantastic!

Keep 'em comin

Peter

[Out2gtcha]

Thanks gents!  Very kind words indeed, thank you. We are in fact our own worst critics, so when it comes to my own work, on my very favorite aircraft of all time, Im pretty hard on myself, and Im not sure IIl ever be totally satisfied with any of the work, but I guess shooting for the impossibly perfect, will at least yeild some decent results. 

 

 

 

How will the excess decal carrier be trimmed without tearing the instruments?  Looks like a delicate operation is ahead.

 

Thanks John.

The decal carrier (according to the instructions) should probably stick to the styrene sheet, and the rest of the decal should come away with the PE. In theory, only minor brush cleanup will be necessary, and Im hoping that is the case. Again, all untested as of yet. Im hoping there is not major repair or cleanup work to do, but with my flub on the main IP section (probably a mm or 1.5mm) off I will definitely have some modifying to to from side to side on the IP. 

[Out2gtcha]

Brian

Just lov-in your progress on the Big Cat. MRP paints are really addictive once you start using them and there is no turning back. Most of my work now is with MRP and Mr Color - lacquers all the way - just need to keep the spray booth going.

Seat, the front office and nose bay looks spot on the money with the weathering, as the details really pop. I've never used AKI Landing Gear Wash. How do you apply it as it produces a completely different effect then the Tamiya Panel Line Wash I've been using for popping he details; looks so good.

BTW, the nose gear bay looks fantastic!

Keep 'em comin

Peter

 

 

Thanks buddy. 

Prior to this not had a chance to use the AKI washes much, as like you I in the past generally used enamels and lacquers. Having started in on the MRP paints, and also like you, absolutely LOVING them,  I now have a chance to use them, as they are purely enamel, and use mineral spirits to clean up.  I used a lot of MM enamels in the past, and of course the AKI stuff is about the last thing you want to use on enamel paints.

 

I found the AKI enamel washes work pretty much just like the Flory and the like clay/water based washes;  Apply to the model with a brush as needed/sloppily and let dry.

The only difference I found is you use mineral spirits instead of water to remove the excess AKI wash.   So far, so good!  

[AlexM]

... but I guess shooting for the impossibly perfect, will at least yeild some decent results.

 

Quite an understatement. Looks great so far. Your patience with this kit obviously pays off

[Out2gtcha]

Quite an understatement. Looks great so far. Your patience with this kit obviously pays off

 

 

Thanks Alex!  Very kind of you to say. I think in a way, most all scale modelers working in our scale have this to some degree. I always am looking at others stuff and thinking WOW, that looks spectacular!   Only to read a comment by the OP that says they hate what they did, or are not satisfied with it in some way.

 

Weird bunch are'nt we?

[Guest Peterpools]

Thanks Brian for the info on AKI

I'm working on an MRP paint order today and will be adding some of the AKI washes to the order to give them a try.

Peter

[mark31]

you are doing a great job on her

I have put mine back in the box and in the stash

 

Keep going

 

Mark

[dutik]

Nice.

 

Nice, nice, nice.

 

 

 

BTW, is building this kit a therapy or will you have one after finishing this build?

At least I know that I will never touch this kit, even not with a 6 ft pole...

 

 

OK, I have to make a call to the Nationals. Time to order a name plate with your name on it for a first prize in the 1/32 scale Props class   

 

Regards

- dutik