Dutch Man Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 Bavaria scheme, I think is really cool to do. Robert Jan Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregair Posted May 8, 2020 Share Posted May 8, 2020 17 hours ago, Madmax said: Hi Derek, Wow! I assume you have an engineering background, or enjoy improvising tools. I actually hope you are going to tackle your own suggestion, and show us how to make a "Derek B hex-punch" TM. I suspect it will actually work. Thanks Joachim! You are some way ahead of me at this stage, and I have just seen how you are getting on with the instrument decals - tough game. The 1:48 scale decal sheet is the answer. Nick, I was wondering about how you intend to complete your F-15? To your question however. I have a connection to these aircraft in a way - Our family spent three years in Germany in the mid seventies and we were surrounded by Starfighters. My dad was the South African Military Attaché at the time. I thought maybe I should do one from that time period, but was a bit underwhelmed with the mid service look. I do like the earlier scheme, when they stood outside and got some proper weathering. I pulled out my reference books (and a bit of nostalgia), to see what else might look good. The Kropf book is a real treat - look at this stunning shot! Who needs wings when you are in a missile? How about a very early scheme... Or something totally different? Who knows Nick - looks like I may have to build a couple of them. I do have a secret favourite already for this build. All I will say is that it is a Luftwaffe aircraft. A nice compromise between cammo/colourful would be the cammo F-104 (101 on wingtip tank fin) with the Bavaria tail in the middle of this page Derek B, Dutch Man, Madmax and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmax Posted June 14, 2020 Author Share Posted June 14, 2020 I agree with Robert Jan and Greg that the Bavarian flag is very cool in some way or another on a Starfighter! Now that I have finally put the Zero in the display cabinet, it is time to move on with the Zipper... Joachim (Fanes) has been bravely continuing with his trainer, and I have been watching with interest. The cockpit of the two kits is different in two ways - two seats, and sidewalls. The single seater doesn't have any, so I made some based on his photographs and the DACO book. The Eduard Brassin seat is lovely, and the decals are a VERY welcome inclusion! I wish more companies did this. I will tackle the belts at a later stage, as this looks like a tricky thing . The gear components are painted, and lots of decals added for interest. They are all from the spares box of course, so don't read too carefully. The instrument panel and side panels didn't turn out quite as I had hoped. The sloppy moulding is hard to get away from, and my attempt to improve them is not great. I think that Don (dmthamade) has the right idea to use the Eduard panels - much neater - which is the key to how these cockpits look. Anyway, Covid postage put an end to that option so we move on... Having completed the internal bits, there is a big jump in construction and the fuselage goes together in a jiffy. You may want to check the fit of the wings before joining the halves. Mine needed a shim only on one side. The surface texture and panel lines are going to require some attention. I am glueing in all the panels one can for now, and then sanding the fuselage to a neutral shape which I can refine as desired. For other Italeri Zipper builders, the gun bay needs some shims to get the panel close to flush with the fuselage. The gun port (blast tube) is clearly an Italeri B-side moulding, nurse - sandpaper please! Cheers, Sean Dutch Man, Lothar, Derek B and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanes Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Fantastic progress Sean! Take your time for the seatbelts. They require a lot of patience since they are way too rigid. I really like how the gear bays have turned out - it's about time that I tackle mine, too. Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheetah11 Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Great looking gear bay Sean. I still think you missed you calling. Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dutch Man Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 Hi Sean. Nice progress. Now I'm gonna make notes on your surface handling. When I finish my Hasegawa, waiting for the paint shop relocated and operational, I start my Italeri. Kind regards, Robert Jan Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mistral Posted June 15, 2020 Share Posted June 15, 2020 Amazing work as always Sean . Your detail work is very fine and I'm sure you could get a job as a hydraulic fitter !! Regarding colour schemes - why not go for a black and yellow tiger scheme (non-Luftwaffe) ? Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmax Posted July 8, 2020 Author Share Posted July 8, 2020 Thanks guys! Looks like I am actually going to have to become a hydraulic fitter... Anyway, Joachim - it seems like we are at about the same point in our builds. Interesting to compare notes. Robert Jan, here comes the surface treatment. I suppose there are two ways of approaching this. I have seen a couple of builders live with the surface pretty much as it is, and work hard at getting the joins right so as not to complicate matters further. I chose the other way. I have made some attempt at correcting the joins, but then once they were nearly right, out came the sandpaper. All the raised panels have been sanded flat, and the messy joint surfaces faired into each other. A note here that might help: I went over all the existing panel lines with a scriber to get them deeper, which results in crisper and narrower panel lines after sanding. The frames just ahead of the jet exhaust are often visible under the skin. I used the dimpling of the kit surface due to the moulding of the internal frames, and ran a riveter over them. This is not 100% accurate, but makes for a simple solution and pleasing visual effect. Then came the worst join in my experience - just plain messy. Notice also how the airbrakes don't actually fit, too narrow. I think this kit was meant to be built with all the panels provided in the open position, since none of them fit! All sanded flat. The bleed air exhaust louvres are pretty challenging, and I can see I will have to do some more carving and scraping... That cannon blast tube is another detail that is best tackled after a glass of wine. After having prepared the canvas, I would now like to get this shark like surface replicated on the surface of the intake skin... This should be fun. Cheers, Sean Landrotten Highlander, Brett M, Cheetah11 and 11 others 14 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alain11 Posted July 8, 2020 Share Posted July 8, 2020 hi what a nice job on the wheel well !!! that looks so " easy " , I am admiring !!! it's a bit a shame that most of your efforts will be hidden at the end but you know that you did it Alain Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fanes Posted July 9, 2020 Share Posted July 9, 2020 Great work with the panel lines and the rivets - it looks a lot better than what's there out of th box! I shimmed the airbrake with some sheet to get it flush, but you're absolutely right - they are clearly undersized. What a piece of garbage in some places... Thrilled to see what you will do on the intakes. Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Madmax Posted July 12, 2020 Author Share Posted July 12, 2020 Merci Alain. Joachim, it is a strange kit - just like their Mirage III's! I have been joking about different mouldings done by an A and a B team, but here is one that confounds my theory. It literally has an A and a B side on ONE moulding. Exhibit A - Team Firenze: Exhibit B - Team Vesuvio: I have done some work on the wings that are generally Firenze quality, but need a little surgery here just to keep it all square and sharp. As well as the rear portion of the wing to fuselage join. For those considering a bit of extra surface detail, here is how I went about it. I pencil in lines where I would like rivets, and tape the spacing referenced to existing panel lines - to make sure that they all run parallel. The spacing I have used is wider than on the real aircraft. I then fold some 400 grit sandpaper and sand a shallow furrow along the rivet line, which then gets smoothly blended into the rest of the surface. Sanding sponges are useful to smooth this all out, and then 4000 grit micromesh. Give it a try. The panels on the spine clearly need some more attention. Then I discovered what the C team was up to - moulding transparencies. This crack is right inside the plastic, and may have started on clipping the windscreen off the sprue, or it was there all along? I recall the Mirage III C's having similar issues. Nurse, scalpel please... Starfighter, daveculp, Landrotten Highlander and 9 others 11 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dodgem37 Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 Lots of great work everywhere. Love what you're doing. Sincerely, Mark Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyrosjzmichos Posted July 12, 2020 Share Posted July 12, 2020 Simply amazing work! Love all the cockpit and wheel well detail. The surface detail is also a vast improvement over the original! Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starfighter Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Excellent work! The surface details are a nightmare, aren't they? Hard to believe this kit was developed some five years ago... but you are showing what result can be achieved with extra work. Makes me want to get mine off the shelf of doom as well... Derek B and Madmax 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Love the main gear bay. The hydraulics are so crisp. Seeing work like that makes me want to get out of my WW2 comfort zone and attempt a modern jet fighter one of these days. Madmax 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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