Indiana Jones & The Secret Santa

[Mossie]

My Secret Santa kit was a 1/48 Revell Ta-154 Moskito kindly provided by The Wooksta!  After much thought about what I was going to do with it, I'm hoping (I say that because it's the first time I've attempted anything like this) I can turn it into something roughly representing this Roy Cobb jet fighter concept that was drawn up for the Indiana Jones Films but never used:



I say 'roughly' as I don't intend to copy it, more a kind of 'inspired by' build.  The kit has a high wing & I don't want to do the amount of work to turn it into a mid wing.  Because of that, the jets will probably go through the wing rather than over it.  I'm not sure on the tail, I might go for the same approach as the drawing or I might even go for a twin-tail.  I'm hoping to give it a proper gull wing rather than the dihedral wing shown.  The biggest dilema is the main undercarriage, but I'll come back to that later.

So here goes nothing!

Simon.

[Mossie]

I've got the cockpit together.  I should have taken some photos before popping it in, but I kind of got carried away & forgot!







The kit detail is nice & it's all oob except the masking tape straps.  It went together pretty well, no fit problems, but my over zealous clamping has skewed the join slighlty so it'll need a bit of PSR.  The photography has shown up a couple of mistakes I didn't know where there, & there's a couple of overs I'm aware of, but I'm largerly happy with it.  Think I went overboard with the highlights, the instrument bevels are supposed to be black, but never mind eh?

[cthulhu77]

overdone is the way to go !  Looking forward to seeing more of this build, for sure!

[nev]

Highlights are, by their very nature overboard and unrealistic.  Its the illusion they create that is key

Nice cockpit btw, and good luck with your Baztacular entry  B)  

[rallymodeller]

Totally cool! Really looking forward to seeing this one...



[size=8]BTW, it's RON cobb...[/size]

[Mossie]

RON Cobb!!!  Thanks Rally!  Don't know why, but I always get the names Ron & Roy muxed ip. :dum:  

[Mossie]

I can't believe it's over two months since I posted those last shots.  Well, just to prove I do occaisionally wind myself up to do something, heres pics of the tail.  Lots of Milliput-ing & PSR to be done!





Part of the reason it's taken me so long is working the best way to go about it.  I used the tail boom from an Airfix 1/72 A-10 that I'd had some trouble with (mostly of my own making).  I then realised that the A-10's front fueslage would give a good shape for the rear of my build.  The bit that took longest to work out was the smallest part, were the fuselage met the boom. That was supplied by a hacked-up spare nose from the Airfix 1/72 Navy Lynx HMA.8.

I added some anhedral to the horizontal tail (diagonal now!) & then straightned up the vertical tails.  This took a lot of doing & I'm still not 100% happy with the angles, partly because of my cack-handedness, partly because the A-10 tail was slightly twisted, so it'd never be perfect anyway.  I lost count of the amount of times I swore because I'd just got the angles about right before knocking the model or the supports I used!  Plenty of poly was used to convince the tail to stay in the right place, plenty of it on the kit surface too but that'll get sorted at the sanding stage.

After some serious PSR on that tail, it'll be time to tackle the engines.  I've had three ideas for these.  First attempt was a failure, I attempted to lengthen the A-10 engines with some water pipe.  The pipe wasn't to easy to work with & I got the cuts wrong on the A-10 engines.  Penciled the lines in, but just couldn't saw a straight line.  I now use a double strip of Dymo tape to act as a guide, didn't help with one buggered engine though!  I then orderd some 1/72 MiG-19's, but haven't got them yet.  After talking to Thorvic (cheers Geoff!) at the Aeroventure show, I found out he used MiG-15 fuselages for the engines of his fantastic HS.681.  I thought the MIG-19 would be better for this with a longer straight section.  After robbing my Nephew of a MIG-15 to check it, I realised they might be a bit on the large side.  I'll wait I've checked the kits when they turn up, but I've found a pair of 1/48 Tornado Hindenburger tanks that have the right diameter & shape.  Just hope I can cut them straight!

I wanted to lengthen the nose so I could pop in a couple of extra cannon, but I wasn't sure how to go about it, so I've popped the kit one on for now.  I may change it, but it'll probably stay that way.  Actually, the aforementioned Hindenburger tanks would have provided a good shape, but not if I'm using them both for the engines!

I've worked out I'm going to have to go with a fuselage mounted main undercarriage.  The donor kit had them in the engine fairings & the wing is just too high.  I've ordered some Ar-234 legs & I'll hack a hole in the rear fuselage to take them.

[Sisko]

This is looking good!

I have always loved Ron Cobb's work. He also did a lot of art stuff for Alien.

Very cool can't wait to see more.

[John Howling Mouse]

Still...catching...my breath...

Aw, COOL!!!      

[Mossie]

Whoa, thanks guys, that's praise indeed coming from you two!  I've got to admit, it's been quite difficult & very time consuming to get everything to go how I want it, but it's very satisfying.  Should have some pics soon with the jets, wings should be on fairly shortly!

[Brian da Basher]

Holy cow, mossie! She's turning into a real work of art! I am especially impressed with your mods to the tail. I am anxiously awaiting your next update!

Brian da Basher

[Mossie]

I've got the jets on now:





I also got a wagon-load of Milliput on the rear end, took three applications & several days before I got the shape just right:



These engines have taken my a fair while to get right & where mini-kits in themselves!  The bodies are 1/48 Tornado Hindenburger droptanks with the ends chopped off, then a section cut out of the centre to shorten them.  The fans & nozzles are from the continuing-to-be-very-useful 1/72 A-10.  I found it very difficult to get a perfectly circular section from them, in fact I haven't managed, I think although the outside of the tanks had a very good shape, the insides weren't as even.  A big oversight by Airfix, failing to anticipate that I might use them for jet engines over 15 years after buying the kit!


Before filler


After filler


Front & rear

I've got to fill the gaps between the engines & the fuselage next.  I made a slot in the engines & used the tab from the kit wing to attatch them to the fuselage.  One side was a snug fit, the other not so much.  I wasn't quite sure if they hold to well so I went for the cack-handed approach: Sh&tloads of cement, they were either going to stay or I'd dissolve the B*stards into oblivion!  Luckily, for me, it seemed to work.  Wings on soon, it took me two & half evenings of deliberation before deciding exactly how I was going to do it.  More soon (hopefully)!

[Brian da Basher]

Wow Mossie each update of yours is even more amazing than the one before! I'm really impressed by those scratchbuilt engines! The tail is coming together nicely too!

Brian da Basher

[Mossie]

Cheers again Bri!  One more pic I forgot to post, I drilled out the MG 151 & added some brass tube for the MK 108.  The MK 108 stub doesn't protude on the Ta 154, so I thought it'd just add a little bit to the model.

[ysi_maniac]

Hi Mossie,
This is absolutely gorgeous          
wow