Mossie's Hasegawa F11f Tiger

[anthonyp]

Yeah, that is a great little kit!  Built two myself, with another one or two in the stash:

Modified USNR F-11S (Note new engine exhaust, wingtip rails, and ECM buldges)


Modified RAN F-11J (Note new engine exhaust and Falcon missiles)


Looking forward to seeing yours completed, Mossie!

[John Howling Mouse]

It didn't cover well, but I did paint on an unprimed surface.  Does Tamiya paint tend to resond well to primer?

I use Krylon's sandable matte grey primer (spraycan) for everything, including Tamiya brush and aerosol paints.  I've gotten to the point where I won't paint a finish without that as an undercoat.  Nice tooth for the paint to grip.  Before using this primer, I've had perfectly clean models with plastic that was simply so smooth some acrylics peeled off when masking, etc.  I won't risk it anymore.

[Mossie]

More nice Tigers!  Great stuff Anthony.  I like that later USN bird especially & the camo rings a bell from somewhere, what's the backstory?

Baz, thanks again!  I've always used Humbrol enamels & I never saw much difference primed or not, so I only really used it if I needed a base for another colour or to check the PSR.  The Spit wing I used was very smooth & there were patches where the paint just didn't seem to want to cover, even after three coats.  There could have been something on the surface as it came from the bottom of my spares bin (note to self:  clean parts in soapy water before painting!) but I think it was just poor adherence.  I guess now I'm using acrylics I'll have to watch out more for greasy fingers.

[Daryl J.]

Monochrome paint schemes show off shapes the best especially if they avoid the middle shades.

How about overall Gunze Hemp, or RLM-63, or IJN Grey Green?  Overall Dk Slate Grey, Lichen Green,  might be great too, but I think overall Gunship Grey would be too dark.

If one wanted two tone, it could be a darker variant of RLM-66 with wrap around dirty white and RAF markings in sort of a broad-stripe white tiger scheme.

How does the kit build up?   I've often thought of getting one because it is such a good looker.   Raised panel lines I presume, yes?


Cheers,
Daryl J.

[Mossie]

I can only go by dry-fits so far Daryl, but the fit is lovely.  The only areas that appear to need any more than a smidge of filler are a small gap between the right fuse & tail (it's moulded onto the left fuse) & the intakes.  Yes, the panels are raised & the cockpit has just decals for detail but it's a good kit for it's timeframe & as far as I know the only availble of the F11F/F-11 & Hase have released it in two decals options.  It's oop at the moment, but not that hard to get hold of.

I haven't got any Gunze paints & the only ones I can get hold of at short notice are Tamiya, if I go the weatherd route I won't be exact, but I've found that the IPMS Stockholm site lists XF-13, XF-27 & XF-61 as potential matches for FS 34079 Danish Drab!

[anthonyp]

More nice Tigers!  Great stuff Anthony.  I like that later USN bird especially & the camo rings a bell from somewhere, what's the backstory?

And oldie, but goodie of mine:  USNR F-11S

(now I remember why I don't like php...  it's not as intuitive as it should be)

[Mossie]

Some progress, painted up the cockpit tub & cemented it into the fuselage.  It's not going to win any contests & the instrument panel decal split, but it'll do.  The only thing I added was some masking tape belts.  The only real problem I had was with the grey base for the cockpit, it really didn't want to cover, & I had primed it too.  As luck would have it, I'd accidently bought two pots of this colour (XF-54), the second one was okay.  Then I glued the two fuse halves together, with some judicous clamping, went without a hitch.







So far, so good.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Sexy little machine isn't it ! - nice work so far, Mossie.

Ian

[Mossie]

Thanks Ian!  Yeah, pretty isn't she?  I'm hoping to give her a bit more oomph by taking Evans suggestion & adding an Avon engine.  I've got some photo etch which I should just be able to put inside the jet pipe, shouldn't be to dificult.  It'd be a much more elegant machine than the F11F-1F with it's J79, spoilt some of it's looks.  It would also be lighter & more powerful, possibly faster than the F-104???


See what I mean?  Not quite as pretty.

Didn't get anything done tonight except for a couple of tiny vanes on the forward fuselage, the Missus' parents & sister came around.  I was up for it though, despite getting home knackered & pissed off with work, so hopefully that's a good sign!

[HOG]

Hi Mossie
Are you brushing or spraying?
I`ve found Tamiya acrylic a right bathbun to brushpaint, and some quick tips are
Always prime your model. If your in the UK Halfords sell some great acrylic primer.
Use the Tamiya thinners but not too much as it dilutes very easily.
If using distilled water (Car shops sell this cheapest for topping up batteries) add a drop and just a drop of washing up liquid to the water as this breaks up the surface te4nsion of the paint and helps it flow better.
These days I use cellulose thinners (I think it`s laquer thinners in the US) for thinning everything, Tamiya enamels oils etc BUT watch the plastic your painting on, test on a sprue, dont use to much as it really thins the paint but does break down any grease on the model and self etches slightly into most plastics and it dries really fast. Also its great for brush cleaning. All my models that I`ve posted here have been done with cellulose thinner in spray or brush so it does work, just experiment a little.
regards Gary


ps Like your clamped picture. That little buggers definately not getting away.
    I thought your were keeping it simple and your already into photoetch

[Brian da Basher]

I'm going to enjoy watching you put this one together Mossie! I've got a real soft spot for the F-11F as it's central to the beginning of the war in Alas, Babylon.

Brian da Basher

[Captain Canada]

Looking good so far, Mossie ! Tigers are sweet looking little aeros.....

[John Howling Mouse]

You are officially making progress, Sir.  Comin' along right purdy, too....

[philp]

Tiger in Danish "Tiger" Squadron markings (as long as you are keeping it simple  )

[Mossie]

Thanks guys!  It's coming along, not as fast as I'd like, but I'm not expecting everything at once.

Gary, yes I've been brushpainting.  I'm dying to use my new (well, a year old!) Badger Airbrush but it doesn't fit my ancient Holding compressor & Badger don't do the right part, I'm hoping a plumbing or ventral heating supplier might do an adapter in the right size.  I've been using Halford primers, they've worked well, I found when trialing the Tamiya paint that it didn't like an unprimed surface one bit.  I've got both Tamiya & Cellulose thinners so I'll give these a try.  I've got hold of a couple of Citadel Acrylics, as I've heard these are great for brush painting, it's shame that they don't have the colour range for military modelling.  Oh & the clamps!  Yeah, I like to make sure that once parts are glued, they stay together!  So I tend to clamp heavily & use plenty of poly.  The trouble can be a little excess glue seeping out & very slight overlap of seams, but I prefer to deal with this than a fuselage cracking open at the decaling stage.....

Phil, I don't plan to add Tiger markings, but if I can find some small decals I might add them as a more restrained Tigermeet bird.  This would be fairly typical of the 70's Tigermeets which is the time frame I'm looking at.