EA-6B Prowler (02 April: Done!)

[Collin]

1 minute ago, easixpedro said:

That's my first thought. But how well does the adhesive stick in the long run? I know it's sticky as all get-out, but am hesitant about it lifting or generally failing over time. 

 

Then again, I might be over-thinking this...wouldn't be the first (nor the last).

Peter

Flying S Models talks about using it. The stuff is pretty robust. 
 

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I’ve got one of the last USMC ECMOs out here in my command now. He’s a Hornet WSO until that job dries up. He was one of the lucky ones to make the jump. 
 

 

[easixpedro]

16 minutes ago, Collin said:

Flying S Models talks about using it. The stuff is pretty robust. 
 

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I’ve got one of the last USMC ECMOs out here in my command now. He’s a Hornet WSO until that job dries up. He was one of the lucky ones to make the jump. 
 

 

 

Thanks for that! Sets the mind abuzz thinking about the possibilities. Will have to tinker a bit before I commit to a course of action though.  Biggest hurdle I see is getting the correct template shape/profile before I attempt to attach it to my canopies. Don't want to risk cracking them yet again. Now that they're on and everything is buttoned up, I'm super-paranoid.

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NFOs in the USMC are literally a dying breed. Seen a few that jumped ship to the USN and became WSO/EWO types. Only time will tell how the corps fares in the long run without any corporate knowledge in the institution, (thinking of all those years of EW expertise being thrown aside in favor of a couple of Intrepid Tiger pods). But I digress. Thanks again for the video and the suggestion. Will hopefully tinker with it tonight!

[easixpedro]

28 minutes ago, JayW said:

Peter, I have used thin plastic before, 0.010 inch for large scales or 0.005 inch.  That's as thin as I have gone.  I will use 0.005 on the Corsair I think.  The flat patterns will be complex curved shapes of course.  I have done this on the computer before, and will again.  However using masking tape and pressing on the joints or using a pencil or other appropriate marker to imprint them works too.  Good luck with anything much thinner than .005 inch.  I believe this is one of those things where one cannot accurately scale the gage. 

 

BTW - those pics of Prowlers/Growlers are amazing.  Few aircraft are as badass looking (that's because they truly are badass!).  Question - do I see four crew members?  If so what are the functions of each?

 

And I see what you mean about the tint - I see it in spades on the F-22.  Think you can get it?

 

Still debating trying to use some super thin styrene sheet. Collin has me leaning towards the aluminum tape, but will try both (I think).  As for the tinting, I did my best. The gold watercolor looks good, but that reflectivity on the real deal is because it's actual gold flakes. In that photo on the elevator, it's really fascinating because depending on the light angle, you can see through the canopy or it's blocked. I really wanted to try some of Hasegawa's holographic decal film, but none of 'em are transparent. I even tinkered with actual gold pigment that crafters use. It worked ok. It gave the sheen like the real deal, but the pigment was thick enough that it also wasn't transparent. So I settled with a tinting on the inside of the canopies. Gives a close representation and you can still see all the detail inside.

 

As for the crew, here's a quick synopsis. Yes, normally a crew of 4. Depending on the mission we could fly with just the front seaters though (local ops, carrier landing practice etc). Minimum crew for an actual mission was 3. Lot's of factors go into that--especially as we humans are often the limiting factor when it comes to scheduling. Think additional duties, standing watch, even flying too much (crew rest).

Front left seat: Pilot (self explanatory)

Front right seat: ECMO-1 (Electronic Countermeasures Officer, or ECMO--now called an EWO in the Growler) this person did all the navigation and handled radios and was essentially a co-pilot (but no controls). Also did the comms jammer from the front.

Back right seat: ECMO-2

Back left seat ECMO-3. The back-seaters handled all the actual mission stuff (electronic warfare, i.e. the jammers) and the controls are the same. Once qualified, ECMOs sat in any seat and did any task that was required of the mission.  Over to individual crews as to who took what back seat. I'm 6'4", so always sat in ECMO 2 because there was extra leg room. That, and I didn't trust the ECMO up front to actually be looking out of the cockpit--I knew the pilot would be, because pilots tend to have a good scan pattern. NFOs, not so much. So out of a sense of self-preservation, I'd keep a pretty good scan out the right side of the a/c. something like that is super important in a mult-crewed a/c like the Prowler, as the Pilot couldn't see everything on the right side--so you had to be able to talk to them and talk their eyes onto anything, or get them to maneuver against a threat.  

 

As far as what ECMO got the front seat, well that was over the the scheduling gods. We all fought over it as that's the best view right? But the operations folks tracked that to ensure equity amongst the ECMOs and that all the qualifications (# of instrument approaches/types etc) were met.  It just meant that every 3rd flight was up front, unless you could sweet talk/bribe the Ops O.

 

Long-winded--hopefully it answered your question!

-Peter

[Collin]

I still remember my first ever cat shot in ‘91 in the back of a Prowler. Midshipman First Class Collin couldn’t see a darn thing looking forward. Seems like ages ago…wait, it was ages ago.  
 

I’d probably G-lock if they threw my 06 tail in a bird now….been some time since I put some G on my person. 
 

Cheers

Collin

[Timmy!]

I would use high build primer.  Use vinyl tape to mask the frame.  Spray primer until a layer has built up the carefully sand down to the tape and violin, a raised panel.  As for paint type, maybe Mr. Surfacer or generic high build rattle can stuff (admittedly I haven’t personally used either), I use 2 part auto primer.

 

The gray section on this shot is a panel made with primer.  The white ones are vinyl sheet cut with a vinyl cutting machine.

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by Timmy!

[easixpedro]

20 minutes ago, Timmy! said:

I would use high build primer.  Use vinyl tape to mask the frame.  Spray primer until a layer has built up the carefully sand down to the tape and violin, a raised panel.  As for paint type, maybe Mr. Surfacer or generic high build rattle can stuff (admittedly I haven’t personally used either), I use 2 part auto primer.

 

The gray section on this shot is a panel made with primer.  The white ones are vinyl sheet cut with a vinyl cutting machine.

 

I'd pondered the vinyl, but hadn't really thought about high build paint. Will add it to the list of things to 'test' before committing. Am actually pondering Tamiya primer. This kit is covered in it already, so a couple more layers wouldn't hurt!

[easixpedro]

27 minutes ago, Collin said:

I still remember my first ever cat shot in ‘91 in the back of a Prowler. Midshipman First Class Collin couldn’t see a darn thing looking forward. Seems like ages ago…wait, it was ages ago.  
 

I’d probably G-lock if they threw my 06 tail in a bird now….been some time since I put some G on my person. 
 

Cheers

Collin

My last flight was back in 2012. I'd just come back med 'up' following back surgery, but yet thought it would be a fitting end to have one last flight in the Viper. Went about as well as you'd guess after raging around for a .5 and never coming off the throttle. They had to haul me out of the cockpit. The doc was there as part of the group hosing me down, and was looking a little anxious. I told him it was his fault for believing me and for actually giving me an up-chit...

[mc65]

Hi Peter, 

let me give my modest contribute about the canopy frames: I think the safest route is to do some test either  with evergreen sheets and various alu tapes. 
the plasticard, when very thin, is pretty delicate and sensitive to glue, but once in place give the canopies that materic result one can expect.

here you can see how a little hint of glue has ruined it.

 

otherwise the alu foil replicates every imperfection, and with some type (the aeronautical high speed 3M, i.e.) the glue can be really sticky so be careful. the pro is that with very little effort is possible to add to it rivets heads and other details. 

 

so... it's up to you!

but I have no doubt that with a few separate experiments you will come up with a neat and clean canopy. keep it up!

cheers, Paolo

 

Edited January 19, 2022 by mc65

[easixpedro]

21 minutes ago, mc65 said:

Hi Peter, 

let me give my modest contribute about the canopy frames: I think the safest route is to do some test either  with evergreen sheets and various alu tapes. 
the plasticard, when very thin, is pretty delicate and sensitive to glue, but once in place give the canopies that materic result one can expect.

here you can see how a little hint of glue has ruined it.

 

otherwise the alu foil replicates every imperfection, and with some type (the aeronautical high speed 3M, i.e.) the glue can be really sticky so be careful. the pro is that with very little effort is possible to add to it rivets heads and other details. 

 

so... it's up to you!

but I have no doubt that with a few separate experiments you will come up with a neat and clean canopy. keep it up!

cheers, Paolo

 

Thanks Paolo, with pictures too!  I guess that's one of my fears with styrene is the potential of glue smears. As you say, I'll test some bits out tonight and see what I'm most comfortable with, AND most likely to succeed with.

 

Stay tuned--will hopefully have an update soon.

-Peter

[LSP_Kevin]

Excellent work, Peter!

 

Kev

[easixpedro]

Was having trouble seeing high and low spots as I sanded. Decided it would be easier to mask it and shoot some primer so I could see what I was dealing with.

 

 

Oddly enough,  the windscreen is the worst fitting. Needs some serious filler along the leading and bottom edges. As for the canopies, once I get everything faired in, I'll go back and start adding the framing.  Haven't decided how to tackle it just yet--still tinkering with the ideas everyone proposed. 

 

This pic also reminds me of a Prowler we had in VAQ-209. A crew was tanking off the Iron Maiden during an Allied Force flight. (Easily 1/2 the Prowlers deployed for it--was literally a conglomerate of squadrons and crews all flying together. I don't remember exactly, but they called themselves VAQ-679 or something as it was all the squadron numbers added together). Anyway, the drogue on the KC-135 is metal and does bad things to your airplane...in this case, it actually ripped the entire refueling probe off the Prowler.  Usually it's the other way around, especially on the nylon baskets on other tankers. So the jet essentially became a hangar queen for all of OAF, and was robbed for parts. When everything had settled down, they still hadn't repaired the IFR probe. One lucky crew got picked to hop their way across the Atlantic with a bazillion stops while everyone else flew home with big wing tankers and were home in a day. I remember checking into 209 and seeing a pic of the crew standing in front of the probe-less jet and was wondering what that was all about... they had been forced to pose for pics after they finally made it home about a week after everyone else. Such are the breaks of NavAir...

[jeroen_R90S]

Shark attack!

 

Does really start to look like a Prowler! In the past I've replicated frames with high-build primer as well (also good for depicting raised areas that aren't too big) but also using painted white decal paper (later overpainted in the final colour) -that is usually pretty thick, but I think for 1/32 it might be too subtle.

 

Good luck, I'm following along!

 

 

[Anthony in NZ]

Looking really really nice mate!  Love your last photo, she's really looking the part now.  As for window frames, I havent found an easy answer as each airframe throws up it's own set of issues.  I have considered @Archer Fine Transfers  as an option.  I think he does some large sections that could be cut into strips and applied to the canopy.  I have found that using Sol and Set you can run around curves.  But they are thick enough to replicate a frame without being too clunky looking I reckon??

 

Sorry I cant be much more help at this stage.

 

keep up the personal experiences...really enriches this build!  Totally loving it

 

Cheers Anthony

[Woody V]

On 1/21/2022 at 8:32 PM, easixpedro said:

Was having trouble seeing high and low spots as I sanded.

Spray a mist coat of black over the primer.
Old car painting trick

[easixpedro]

Well, I'll be dipped...

This crazy idea might be achievable folks! Don't know what else to say, but I'm pretty dang stoked. 

 

Was puttering around on Friday after everyone's suggestions (thanks again...love having other people pipe up with ideas). It dawned on me as I studied the canopy area. I tried both foil tape and styrene and it was tedious at best. Problem was always going to be getting really narrow bits down without messing up the canopies.  But then it dawned on me to use Timmy's!  suggestion. I already had it masked, so then only needed to mask the outer part of the canopies. Jumped right in and did it. Didn't use high build paint though, used Tamiya seam filler that you brush on. It's thick, and actually kind of self levels.first coat looked good, as did the second. Should have stopped there, but did a third. It started getting a little wavy as it took so long to dry. It was dry to the touch when I pulled the tape, but underneath was still a bit wet, so I got some ragged edges. All in all, it worked like a charm. Cleaned up the edges with a razor saw laying flat and then shot it to look for flaws.

 

 

Couldn't resist checking to see how she looks on the base. (Had fixed the mounting location,  which was finally dry.)

 

As I put everything back after taking these shots, impulse got the better of me, and I just HAD to take the masks off to see if I really pulled this off!

Color me floored. The canopies look much better than I'd ever imagined. Even looks like a Prowler.

 

 

The tinting actually looks good too, all things considered. 

 

Love the way the wiring up to the wet compass looks.

If you look at the pilots windscreen by the gear handle, something got on the inside. It's not fogged from glue, but probably sanding residue as I attempted wet sanding in that exact spot and realized there was a gap that was subsequently filled. Its barely noticeable,  and any fix will likely cause more damage than I can fix. Will study it a bit more, but it certainly won't derail the build.

 

This pic is my favorite. Highlights the curves that happen as the canopy transitions to the turtle back. I daresay 'graceful.' Looks like the real deal though, so I'm pleased at how it turned out!

 

All in all, today was a watershed moment in this build. The show-stoppers in my mind (and I believe I mentioned it way back in the beginning on page 1) were: the canopies,  the pods and landing gear. With the canopies AND pods done, I've got the gear left, and I've done ⅔ of em! Hallelujah...!

 

Next steps are to begin scribing and sanding on the nose. I'll work on the IFR probe too. Perhaps start thinking about the various antennas too. Then I can paint the Medium Gray that is the majority of the top and on to decals.

 

Pretty excited to have made it over the hump. Still a ways to go, but we're much closer now

 

Thanks for following along--appreciate everyone's comments!

-Peter