Italeri CF-104 Starfighter "Kicked up a Notch": KLP Publishing eBook now Available!

[Troy Molitor]

All hail Chuck!   

[allthumbs]

Trailblazing work, I love it!

[Oldbaldguy]

13 hours ago, Neo said:

Although I love the nuclear flash theory's, I thing simple glare issue's must have been the deciding factor, think back to WWII the b-25 and B-17 had glare issue's from the wings.

Leaving the nmf on the fuselage = weight reduction, painting only the wings to prevent glare makes sense especially in the days where speed was the #1 goal

 

Not to belabor the point (mostly because it is a pointless discussion for this thread), but once strapped into this thing, the pilot  was on the very tip of the spear and could see hardly any bits of the airplane at all because his field of view is pretty much side to side and straight ahead where there are no airplane parts visible to get glare from.  This is probably one of those “number of angels dancing on the head of a pin” discussions.  The wings were white; I probably should have left it at that.

[dsahling1]

Apologies if this was covered or mentioned already.  One idea in regard to the clear coat prior to the decals, is something similar to what I will do when sealing decals if I'm trying to avoid a thicker clear coat filling in panel lines and detail all over is I will only spray the clear coat over the general decal area (thereby keeping most of the clear coat thinner and will take to washes easier).  I say 'general area' to prevent a small 'step' from forming over the decals.  To apply to your model, what Im trying to say is after you've laid down the alclad, very carefully and slowly build up a clear coat only over the areas where the decals will be applied, a 'feathered edge' will help 'blend' it in to the overall alclad very subtly.  It certainly won't be perfect, but if viewed from a little distance away you hopefully will keep that wonderful 'gleam'/'shine' from the alclad but won't have any silvering of the decals.  And obviously same technique with sealing the decals.  

 

Also, I know you like to alternate jet/prop with each subsequent build, if you haven't decided already I would highly suggest considering Tamiya's 1/32 Mosquito Mk. VI, the engineering and fit is without comparison, a real joy to build and it turns into a beautiful plane.

 

Keep up the good work, also, I'm going to be starting work on a 1/32 F-14A, I was curious what you used for panel line references on the upper fuselage for yours (I know it was a B and D), but I imagine the panel lines are mostly the same, with possibly the exception of the beaver tail region.

[Ginja Ninja]

Hi Chuck,

 

I recently joined LSP, although I have been following your build of the zipper from early on when I was looking for inspiration. I was tempted by the Italeria 1/32 for a GB on another forum I'm a member of, but in the end (out of fear) decided to go with the Kinetic 1/48 which I am really pleased with and it fits together nicely. I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your build, every time I read a new post I am blown away by the detail and effort you put in. 

 

I would describe myself as a mediocre modeller so the explanations you include in your posts are really invaluable to me and inspire me to do better. Therefore I'm determined to make a start on one of the four 1/32 kits in my stash (Tamiya's Spitfire Mk IXc, F-15J, P-51D and an Academy F/A-18+), all of which I have been too terrified to build. That's about to change! Maybe I will do a build thread?

 

Many thanks for sharing your awe inspiring work!

 

Jeremy

 

 

 

 

[chuck540z3]

Thank you everyone!  I am very happy with this "base" as someone suggested earlier, to really make it complex and interesting with decals, new paint and some weathering (but not too much).

 

2 hours ago, dsahling1 said:

Apologies if this was covered or mentioned already.  One idea in regard to the clear coat prior to the decals, is something similar to what I will do when sealing decals if I'm trying to avoid a thicker clear coat filling in panel lines and detail all over is I will only spray the clear coat over the general decal area (thereby keeping most of the clear coat thinner and will take to washes easier).  I say 'general area' to prevent a small 'step' from forming over the decals.  To apply to your model, what Im trying to say is after you've laid down the alclad, very carefully and slowly build up a clear coat only over the areas where the decals will be applied, a 'feathered edge' will help 'blend' it in to the overall alclad very subtly.  It certainly won't be perfect, but if viewed from a little distance away you hopefully will keep that wonderful 'gleam'/'shine' from the alclad but won't have any silvering of the decals.  And obviously same technique with sealing the decals.  

 

Also, I know you like to alternate jet/prop with each subsequent build, if you haven't decided already I would highly suggest considering Tamiya's 1/32 Mosquito Mk. VI, the engineering and fit is without comparison, a real joy to build and it turns into a beautiful plane.

 

Keep up the good work, also, I'm going to be starting work on a 1/32 F-14A, I was curious what you used for panel line references on the upper fuselage for yours (I know it was a B and D), but I imagine the panel lines are mostly the same, with possibly the exception of the beaver tail region.

 

 

Hi Dan,

 

I've had good luck with decals over Alclad sealed with a clearcoat, as shown below.  These are all decals and you'd be hard pressed to find the edges of the decal film.  It's there, just not that noticeable.  If I do as well on this build, I'll be very happy.

 

 

 

 

I've thought about the Tamiya Mosquito many times, but the reality is that I don't really love the looks of them.  Weird, I know, since most people do, but I'm not one of them so I'll pass.  One prop I'd like to build one day is another P-51D like the one above, but this time a totally pristine restored "Warbird", where the only real weathering would be exhaust staining over a polished aluminum fuselage, much like this build.  With 2 Merlins under my belt already (incl. Spitfire), I think I could do a really special one this time and unlike the Spitfire kit, the magnetic cowlings fit the front very tightly, which allows them to be on or off.

 

For F-14 panel line detail, you can't beat all the reference pics found at the link below for "Christine", but it is an F-14D and the rear is quite different than the "A" version.

 

F-14D Christine

 

1 hour ago, Ginja Ninja said:

Hi Chuck,

 

I recently joined LSP, although I have been following your build of the zipper from early on when I was looking for inspiration. I was tempted by the Italeria 1/32 for a GB on another forum I'm a member of, but in the end (out of fear) decided to go with the Kinetic 1/48 which I am really pleased with and it fits together nicely. I just wanted to say thanks for sharing your build, every time I read a new post I am blown away by the detail and effort you put in. 

 

I would describe myself as a mediocre modeller so the explanations you include in your posts are really invaluable to me and inspire me to do better. Therefore I'm determined to make a start on one of the four 1/32 kits in my stash (Tamiya's Spitfire Mk IXc, F-15J, P-51D and an Academy F/A-18+), all of which I have been too terrified to build. That's about to change! Maybe I will do a build thread?

 

Many thanks for sharing your awe inspiring work!

 

Jeremy

 

Thanks for the kind words Jeremy!

 

I used to be in the same boat as you ~12 years ago, so I highly recommend you do a build thread here, for the following reasons:

 

• Sharing your build with others makes you a better modeler, because it pushes you to get better with each model as you show each build step, flaws and all.  I'm still learning and I'm still trying to get better, which makes this hobby so interesting to me.  These HGW decal rivets are a good example, which I've never used before and I am now certain that I'll be using them again!
• Many that follow your build will give you tips and advice, to help keep you out of trouble and make your model better
• Our hobby is generally "lonely" in that the general public just doesn't understand why we would care about making plastic model airplanes.  By sharing your experiences here, you are with those that do "Get it", which can be very rewarding
• Close-up pics often reveal flaws that you had no idea existed.  I can't count the number of times I took a pic of a build step, found a flaw and fixed it before posting it here.  My model is better for it.

 

If you do a build thread, one other thing I recommend is to learn how to take good pics, because a poorly photographed build thread is mostly a waste of time.  I used to recommend a decent DSLR, but the newer mirrorless cameras and the latest iphones can do a great job as well.

 

I've only made about 17 models in the last 12 years (I'm slow) and by coincidence I've made all of the ones you mentioned.  For a first build I recommend the Spitfire or the Mustang which are superlative kits, followed by the Hornet and then the Eagle, which is generally going from the newest to oldest.  The Hornet has some fit issues and the Eagle has a lot more of them, so it would be best to have one of the first two under your belt before you take them on.

 

Cheers,

Chuck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited March 6, 2021 by chuck540z3

[Finn]

Great rivet work Chuck, i hope you didn't see rivets in your sleep.

 

Jari

[chuck540z3]

7 minutes ago, Finn said:

Great rivet work Chuck, i hope you didn't see rivets in your sleep.

 

Jari

 

Thanks Jari!  Any comments on the white wings/ nuclear bomb flash debate?  Seems so far fetched, but I've seen it all over the 'net.

 

Chuck

[Marine104]

On 3/5/2021 at 3:04 AM, chuck540z3 said:

 

 

 

 

  Phwoar, outrageous finish! Well done Chuck, you nailed it! A top effort in getting all the rivets on, better yet, getting them all so well spaced and placed, I admire the patience needed for that and think it goes a long way. I look forward to the next steps.

 

David

 

 

[Finn]

1 hour ago, chuck540z3 said:

 

Thanks Jari!  Any comments on the white wings/ nuclear bomb flash debate?  Seems so far fetched, but I've seen it all over the 'net.

 

Chuck

If they were so worried about nuclear flash they would have painted the whole aircraft white, not just the wing tops. It is possible because of heat when flying at high speeds, and such a thin wing, that is why. I'm sure an answer is somewhere out there.

 

Jari

[chuck540z3]

29 minutes ago, Finn said:

If they were so worried about nuclear flash they would have painted the whole aircraft white, not just the wing tops. It is possible because of heat when flying at high speeds, and such a thin wing, that is why. I'm sure an answer is somewhere out there.

 

Jari

 

I agree.  Probably a dumb hypothesis that made the rounds and is now considered to be fact by some, just like the "Battle Damage Repair Patches" on the Tamiya F-4 kits.  For those that don't know, the raised panels are real panels that Tamiya may have found raised a bit on the real deal and then went too far with them.  Just sand them down and rescribe them and you're good.

 

One thing appears to be real though.  Canadian CF-104's were initially tasked with just carrying nukes and other bombs, which is why they didn't have a gun and had an extra tank of gas to get to their destination, which wasn't exactly nearby!

 

Thanks,

Chuck

[aircommando130]

Great work Chuck! My ears hurt from the rivet gun!

 

Cheers...Ron

[Anthony in NZ]

I am really lost for words,  have been studying your updates as I love this effect and not sure how it could be accurately replicated.

 

I wasnt sure at first how it would go for you.  But the results are stunning and something I might try on a kit myself one day.  The results really do speak for themselves....best update ever!

 

Cheers Anthony

[williamj]

Just marvelous Chuck...The rivets are the best I've seen..Have the HGW sets but haven't tried them out yet

so this is a real classroom you've set up here...Keep going.

[Derek B]

Amazing execution and education Chuck, thank you.

 

Derek