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First project on here (Kinetic 1/32 F/A-18C)


Crew Dog

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4 hours ago, chrish said:

Lots accomplished there!

Yeah, I was working on a lot of little bits, so rather than flood this with lots of ones or twos updates, I gave one large update with all the work thus far. I'm finally up to the gloss phase, so I'm really amped to move on.

Edited by Crew Dog
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I have reached the final painting phase, and moved to the gloss/decal/dirty-up step. I first attached the radome, making sure to check and recheck the alignment. Turned out, the top and bottom sections of the forward fuselage stuck out ever so slightly from the sidewalls, so I sanded the offending surfaces until they were flush enough with the side panels while still leaving enough of a gap to appear that the radome would be semi-regularly opened.

 

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(here you can see a gross touch-up I did just forward of the formation light, but I can soften that out in the smudging phase)

 

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The first decals I applied were for the tail code, as the rudders are still on the runners, so affixing was easy and straightforward

 

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Next came the tail flash, and as those of you who have used TwoBob's decals already know, these things are THIN! The left outboard tail stripe went without a hitch, but doing the inner surfaces proved more problematic, with me tearing both of them. Luckily, they were clean and straight breaks, so I was able to nuzzle them back into position. Overall, lesson learned, and I am happy with the outcome (more on this upcoming...)

 

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"Hmm, you never take shots of the right side unless specifically highlighting something there. Why switch perspective?" I hear you ask? Well, this is what happened. I affixed the national insignia on the left side, got it lined up perfectly where I wanted it, and applied my Solvaset. I moved on to the right side, got that one lined up, then thought to myself "is my thumb on the other decal?" Turns out, sure was. Folded the aft portion of the decal on itself. In a panic, I tried to unfold the insignia, but, as I previously stated, these are some thin decals, and ended up doing irreparable damage to it. So, I completely ripped it off, ordered a VMFA set of TwoBob's (since the USMC would use the same coloring as the USN) and have learned a valuable lesson: pay attention to where my hand is. Moving on from that, I decided to let the jet sit for a few days while I work on the armament, namely the AGM-65E. These decals are a little more robust, and have a protective film on them. I am currently down to the "no lift" markings on the fins, and will be able to move on to the GBU-12 shortly.

 

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I hope you enjoyed my moment of terror story, and as always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

Edited by Crew Dog
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Work has continued on the decal phase, with mainly the general warnings and cautions being done now as I wait for my replacement markings to come in. I also had a lucky day where I was able to focus on the GBU-12, so the decals and "remove before flight" streamer were added.

 

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The burner cans were also left to be done, mainly due to how to do the ceramic plates on the flame ring. I finally decided to spray the rings in white, give a generous helping of grime, and hand re-paint the support struts Chrome Silver before sealing them away in the exhaust tubes.

 

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The airframe itself is going smoothly, with lessons learned from my previous "incident" fresh in mind, I am definitely slowing down, making sure each marking is right well before adding my Solvaset.

 

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As you can see, the wheel and tire assemblies have also been added at this point, mainly to have the jet stop resting on it's struts. The next bit I worked on was the boarding ladder, adding the anti-slip coating to the steps

 

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Finally came the canopy and windscreen. I started off by masking for the B-1/2 sealant strip that would be present on most US military aircraft. I luckily had a pot of the color I was going to use for the dark gray on an F-16 if/when I build that one, and before I moved over to acrylics.

 

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I gave the B-1/2 two days to cure, as it's enamel, then re-masked and sprayed the upper surface color.

 

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Those pieces are just down to a second dip in Future to seal everything in, then attach the framework. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

Edited by Crew Dog
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  • 1 month later...

I'm back, after a work- and supply-imposed break from the model. My replacement set of decals came in yesterday, and that got my mojo running again. Needless to say, I have attached the missing National Insignia and US Navy identifier to their respective missing areas, and just by adding those two decals, it looks so much more complete. Keeping the momentum going, I decided to tackle the next area I was dreading (mainly due to self doubt): the anti-slip walkways. I got myself a tube of MiG's 1/48 black anti-slip, and for two reasons: 1 I didn't want to apply the anti-slip then paint over it, potentially ruining any decals that I've already applied; and 2 the 1/48 can better simulate wear of the walkways. So, using a set of VFA-22's decals that I got in the hopes that lo-vis would be the color I needed for the missing decals(spoiler: it's not,) I cut my own stencils for the walkways. After cutting them out and attaching them to the LERX, I proceeded to mark out the hash marks for the ladder advisory. As you can see, I am relatively happy with my results, with only minor additions needed to square off the walkway by the intake ramp

 

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And with the masks off:

 

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I have already cleaned up the forward-most section that bled up a bit too much, and will be proceeding on to the right side shortly. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

Edited by Crew Dog
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The right side of the aircraft has been anti-slipped, and the trailing edges by the inlet ramps have been squared off. I have also finished the general warnings and cautions for the exterior of the jet, save the canopy and outer wings, the latter of which still need their gloss coat (I have them sitting under a tuperware cover to prevent dust while I worked on the main fuselage.)

 

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I have also marked the drop tank that will be on the centerline, and attached it's respective pylon

 

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The rudders are also attached to the verts, and I have canted them to show a powered down configuration where the wind is pushing them as it sits on elevator 4 by the LSO station

 

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Lastly, I have finally attached a pylon to a weapon, opting for the AGM-65E first, as the launch rail is removable which makes attaching not only the rail to the pylon easier, but also will make attaching the pylon to the wing easier as there will be less weight on it as the superglue cures.

 

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No work is on the gear, affixing the kit-supplied decals (which are WAY too thick, as many of you already know) and other general markings. As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Work has continued on the stores, and all launch rails are done, with most of the ordinance attached (just ordered the USN GBU-38 set from VideoAviation.)

 

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The drop tanks just need another clear coat to seal in the decals before I make them filthy. While I was waiting for the sway braces to finish setting/drying, I moved on to the canopy and attached the rail that came with the cockpit set onto the glass.

 

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I also added the red and green lights for the AoA indicator that is mounted on the nose gear, and am waiting for my jar of clear orange to do the center lens

 

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As a final look, I temporarily attached the outer wings to the main assembly, just to see how it would look when its all done, and it did not disappoint!

 

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I did have a bit of a fight with the clear gloss, as since it's pretty cold now, I got the dreaded milkiness that shows up mainly in panel lines and rivet holes. Luckily, one more application and spreading it thinner seemed to take out the majority of the staining, and the little bit that's left seems to be a good representation of salt/sun discoloration!

 

As always, thanks for stopping by the hangar!

 

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