Collin Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 This is an OOB build trying to be built into a ICAP II aircraft based out of Patuxent River in the 1990's. First, this kit is a lesson on learning to test fit, and a great subject to learn to use super glue and better your scribing skills. Trust me....if you build this kit, you will get practice at both. Used Miliput to create some seatbelts on the other-wise bland seats. Cockpit painted up and installed. Overall this is the state she is in now. This kit has fit issues. The wings went on pretty well after searching the net and getting the "gouge" on how to grind down areas to get a better fit. The rest of the kit fits OK, but I pulled out the super glue and scribing tools and went to work. Upper surface wasn't that bad. The belly was a pain. Lots of glue/sand/glue....then rescribe. The intakes are a pain, so this is how they ended up: Built the canopy up (I plan on building it closed). Added a small strip of plastic strip to the underside to provide some rigid structure...it's very frail without it: Also trying my hand at darkening up the canopies. Prowlers have to hard to recreate tint, but I am trying to some brown Future wash (just experimenting at this time): And finally tried my hand at creating wingtip lights (and rescribing the lost details): Cheers Collin Gazzas, Out2gtcha, F-4Phanwell and 10 others 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrish Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 nicely done Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 Terrific work so far, Collin! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_K2 Posted May 6, 2019 Share Posted May 6, 2019 A nicer kit than the Revell offering, I assume? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gazzas Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Some impressive skills! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titan8251 Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Looking good dude! Looking forward to seeing it in person Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale32 Posted May 15, 2019 Share Posted May 15, 2019 Wow! Your persistence has really paid off, excellent work Collin. Cheers Bevan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted June 2, 2019 Author Share Posted June 2, 2019 Finally got some MOJO and hit the model room recently. Trial and error getting the canopy tinted and the rest of the bird ready for paint. What I have found out is there are about a thousand way to do TPS paint schemes....I aimed for center mass and hoped for the best. I'm doing a heavily weathered/faded aircraft from ~1991 onboard NAS Patuxent River....so lets get on with it. First...major pre-shade in the areas that are heavily weathered. My observation is any black base is going to make any TPS grey you put on take on a darker tone (so beware) Next comes a series of lighter grey pre-shading and basing...along with some brown. We have seen this type of modulation over the past few years....seemed a decent way to go: Now comes very very highly thinned TPS grey's. Using Mr. Levelling Thinner....I just sprayed on thin coast to start to cover the base work Now with the base TPS down....it's time to start beating her up. You can see some references in the background, that's my target. Used a lighter color of camo grey for the touch ups. Finally, with the painting down for now....time for the non-skid. Simple Mr. Surfacer dabbed on and stippled. Darkened it up based on some reference photos: Next is back to planning my attack....mask the areas where traditional grey warning and caution markings go then shoot the Orange. Of note....other ref pics I have shows this aircraft still had white lower wings (just the section outboard the wing fold) with orange markings (except the speed break...which was white). Cheers Collin chukw, Lenny320, chrish and 5 others 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chrish Posted June 2, 2019 Share Posted June 2, 2019 Nicely done! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squizzy 78 Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 Excellent work Collin, a great subject with what looks like a perfect paint job. I'm looking forward to seeing this come together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scale32 Posted June 8, 2019 Share Posted June 8, 2019 Wow that looks fantastic. Cheers Bevan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted June 13, 2019 Author Share Posted June 13, 2019 Masking....and masking....and masking.....painting....and more masking, and masking...and painting. That's been my build for the last few weeks when I find time to hit the man-cave. Able to mask and paint the leading edge yellow/tan high speed LE tape, then spent a few days masking for the orange/red high-vis markings. Came out OK. Now it's time for a beer break as I decide how to spray the tail ECM receivers and to the modex/SD markings. The last photos gives you an idea what she will look like at the end (hopefully). Cheers Collin chukw and Out2gtcha 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 I'm crying "UNCLE" for today....time for a beer. Masked off and painted the grey receivers on both sides of the tail. That pulled off some of the high vis red...so more masking to retouch those areas. Then I was planning on using Steel Beach masks to paint the grey numbers, well that reverse masking would have driven me nuts (remember the high vis red underneath is going to pull up). So I decided to spray paint and lay down the numbers and "SD". I think it looks pretty darn good for a model that is going to sit in a display case in Pax River and not win on a contest table. Time for a Dunkel. Cheers Collin easixpedro and Out2gtcha 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted June 18, 2019 Author Share Posted June 18, 2019 A huge shout out to David W. Aungst, who I happened to see creating F-14 tail decals for a project of his. One of his F-14's carried the earlier Strike Test airplane-swoosh marking. I asked for a few and he printed them up since this Prowler carried the same marking around the same timeframe. We have been exchanging emails on how best to put them down since they are delicate and printed on white backing. Following his directions they went down tonight with little fuss. A light brushed on coat of Future and they look terrific. One curled up a little bit (I was warned), one of the hotter decal setting solutions melted the port marking a tad, but not enough for me to cry about. The results below....Thanks again David!! Cheers Collin chukw, LSP_Kevin, easixpedro and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collin Posted July 1, 2019 Author Share Posted July 1, 2019 Anyone else's work area look like a construction site? Tried my hand at some filters (really not good at that), and some oil weathering today (and finally flat coated). Test birds at Pax are kept clean (even if the paint is touched up)...so it's not as dirty as a carrier based aircraft would be after a 6-month cruise. I will have to save that for another build. Off to run around with the Navy for the next few weeks, so this build will have to wait for …...antennas to be done, landing gear, cockpit clean up, HARM's/drop tanks on the wings....and finally adding the folding wings. Those things will probably take me another 6 months at this rate. Cheers All....Collin LSP_Kevin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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