Out2gtcha Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Excellent work! The brass really looks great and improves the look of the thruster areas tremendously. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockie Yarwood Posted December 6, 2020 Share Posted December 6, 2020 Really cool. Great work so far! Cheers, Rockie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepp Posted January 30, 2021 Author Share Posted January 30, 2021 (edited) I can't believe it's eight weeks since I last updated this build - even by my standards, that's a long time! The weather really hasn't been suitable for painting for much of the time - far too cold and, with the central heating on, by turns too hot and dry, too. However: Custom case arrived from Widdowson's. Great service, especially considering the ongoing lockdown(s). Pilot's badge added. Graphics for the decals done. Squadron badges and serials reference my lad's job. Crew chief will go on left fwd gear door, referencing his training Staff Sgt. It took a while to get the mask for the nose stripe right. Solid line was my first attempt, dotted line is where the kit's decal strip terminateed. This version of the mask will do, I reckon! Having a mule to practice/experiment on has been really useful. The thing that took the longest time, was deciding how to hold the thing while painting it as it's one colour, all over. Eventually, this agricultural object took shape. It ain't pretty, but works a treat. The horns clip inside the engine nacelles. The twisted wire on the hook part of the coat hanger from which it was made (not shown) works nicely to spring the ends free. Now, what colour red for the stripes? After looking at various options, I settled on Vallejo ModelAir Fire Red. Paint on the right of the Y, kit's decal fragment on the left. And so, eventually to painting the thing. Grey primer, so I could see that the white top coat had covered properly and a light gloss coat on top, then the part I'd frankly been finding excuses not to get to... masking the stripes etc. This major feature had to be symmetrical and square, or it would be into the round file with the whole thing. also, the trusters on the no. 2 engine nacelle had to be exactly in the middle of the red stripe... no pressure. Fortunately, it seems I was on my measuring-up game, when I did that part! That red looks very... red, lol. Still, too late to worry now! and when the wraps came off: Some minor touching up to do, but nothing I can't live with. Phew! It's been sitting curing for the last week; next up is painting the fuselage and engine details, wing tip lights, and most importantly NOT forgetting to remove the paint from the thrusters on the red stripe and then another couple of gloss coats, ready for the decals. That's all for now, Sepp Edited January 30, 2021 by Sepp LSP_K2, LSP_Ray, Landrotten Highlander and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted January 30, 2021 Share Posted January 30, 2021 That's coming along really nicely! Kev Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brett M Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Really good looking work, nicely done! Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rockie Yarwood Posted January 31, 2021 Share Posted January 31, 2021 Great progress, Sepp! Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepp Posted February 17, 2021 Author Share Posted February 17, 2021 (edited) Hi again. Very small update: Fuselage panels and engines painted, first gloss coat on, pictured prior to polishing it back to a better finish. Why oh why does dust seem to find the bits that will be most often/closely looked at? I'm quite pleased with how the panel detail turned out - carving out the fourth grill/bar thing and reprofiling them was definitely worth it. Engines may or may not receive some pipework. It should be there, and I know I should at least have a stab at representing it; I'm just feeling lazy at the moment! Another ponder point is that the vertical panel lines on the fuselage are most often depicted as black, but I found a studio shot with the one under the cockpit covered by a raised chrome strip. I haven't decided which way to go, yet. A second gloss coat has now gone on and will again be polished back prior to decals and sorting the aforementioned panel lines. Can't quite see the finish line yet, but I can see the glow of the lights over the hill. Cheers! Sepp Edited February 17, 2021 by Sepp I really can't type, lol chukw, Rockie Yarwood, Landrotten Highlander and 7 others 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepp Posted February 28, 2021 Author Share Posted February 28, 2021 (edited) Hi again, More progress: Try as i might, I couldn't persuade my printer to match the grey of the kit's decals, so I bit the bullet and drew up my own stencils and the decal sheet now looks like this: The really tiny letters pushed my Lexmark laser to the limit of what it could produce, and probably a bit beyond. Next time, I'll probably use an inkjet, which I know can reproduce such small detail. For some reason, the "dotted panel" warning came out lighter than the others. No idea why, but it's too late now - at least they're the same on both sides! Decals are on, glossed and dull top-coated, so she can now be released from that coat hanger entanglement You can see what's next, on the right... Major worry, overcome: as I built the kit out of sequence, despite trial fits there was always the worry that the landing gear wouldn't fit as it's designed to be mounted before the belly tray is attached to the fuselage. When inserted through the hatches, it has to be rotated 90 degrees and lifted outboard slightly to slot into place. Room in there is... tight... but it went in with no bother - whew! It's strange that in the above pic the fore/aft part of the red stripes look thicker on one wing than the other... they're not. Cameras are odd things. She's on her own feet at last, and looks reasonably square and upright. She's now going back in her box fror the glue to set up properly and while that's happening I'll paint the canopy frames and make the tip aerials. Once they're done, all that's left is mating the engines and body and NOT forgetting to add the cockpit back wall before closing the canopy so hopefully the next post (either later tonight or tomorrow morning) will declare this one over the line. All for now, Sepp, out. Edited February 28, 2021 by Sepp LSP_Kevin, Out2gtcha, chukw and 3 others 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Out2gtcha Posted February 28, 2021 Share Posted February 28, 2021 Great work! Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sepp Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 Me again. I'm calling it done. I was going to add some form of wiring/ducting to the engines, but my lad is happy with it as is - and as it looks like he might have caught "the virus" he wanted something to look at while he's isolating, so we decided enough's enough. I can always revisit it later, should he want. Painted in Vallejo ModelAir shot through a Paasche Talon, except for the engines, fuselage panels and canopy frames which were brush painted. Tip lights are Tamiya clear red. Home-spun decals (another first for me) made with Experts choice laser decal paper, which is really very good stuff. Colonial roundel/logos are kit decals. Case by Widdowson's. Lift thrusters made using Albion alloys tubing, RCS thrusters are computer chip sockets - I have no idea what the real term is. Cockpit includes various etch, Airscale decals and Green Strawberry seat. Thanks for looking - now to tidy up the work room and then on with the next build. Cheers, Sepp Alex, KUROK, Landrotten Highlander and 8 others 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Madhatter Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 That is a great looking Viper your lucky son gets to have! It has agreat maintenance crew - it's very clean Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Impressive! I remember waiting eagerly for every week's episode when I was a kid... Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chukw Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Absolutely brilliant- cheers! Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LSP_Kevin Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Awesome! Kev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leaning_Dog Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Lovely build! Thanks for sharing the journey. Cheers! John. Sepp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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