HobbyBoss TA-7C - Operation Granby FINISHED!

[Mossie]

Thanks guys.   It kind of feels right to take it back a step & correct the continual problems I have with the stabs & canopy, if I manage to keep them on for long enough to finish the build, I'll almost certainly knock them off at some stage in it's life unless I fix it now.  Also, a seam had popped on top of the fuselage & became visible, so I can correct that too.

As far as the paint finish goes, I'm going to do the best I can.  If it's not perfect I'm not going to worry about it.  It'll be back to the brush & if the the wash doesn't work to well, tough, it'll get finished anyway!

[srkirad]

brave move Simon I keep you fingers crossed - just take it easy and step by step, don't push it if something goes wrong...

Good luck and waiting for new progress photos
Srdjan

[Weaver]

Yeah good luck Mossie - you WILL win! 

[nev]

Go Simon!  Here's some inspiration

You're gunna need a montage

[Mossie]

I think that's done the trick!!!!!   My mate has the Rocky soundtrack, despite it being Grade A Stilton it always brings a smile to my face!

Sanded down the surface with a bit of 800 grit wet 'n dry, that's taken the roughness off the surface nicely.  I found a bit of piano wire just thin enough for the stabs, they're on at what looks about the right dihedral.  I've run a bit of poly in the popped seam, it'll get some putty tomorrow along with the gap in the stabs.  Canopy is partly Kleared up, for some reason it's taking longer than usual to dry, so I'll put a third coat on tonight & hope I have time to stick the canopy on before I go to work in the morning.

Fade out.....

[nev]

Don't forget the flesh paint

[Mossie]

By the power of the montage!  I've been carrying on the last few weeks, ups & downs as always, but I've finally got back to around the point where I was before.  I decided not to go with nev's flesh suggestion & used a mix of 2:1 Humbrol 250 Desert Sand to Humbrol 34 matt white.

Went back to what I know & brush painted it with several very thin coats, nearly messed it up when I put a coat on too early but recovered it.  Put the Promodellers washes on over top, stuggled to get it to take as even the thin coats reduced the very fine panel lines.  Scrubbed it with some white spirit & a tooth brush, took several attempts to get to a level that was acceptable, I'd ideally have gone futher but I didn't want to go too far.

More washes, then a couple of coats of Klear as I was knocking off the paint on raised parts with handling.  Done the detailing painting on the access panels.  I should be adding the decals soon then a matt coat, I'll probably add some more washes once this is on.

[Ian the Kiwi Herder]

Looks fine to me, Simon. I'd tidy-up the leading edge of the fin and wing roots (where you've got some 'blotches') then get the decals on and then as you say one final (brown ?) wash and then get it matted down.

You've put so much into this - T W I C E , it deserves to be finished and given it's freedom !

Ian

[NARSES2]

Looking good Mossie

[srkirad]

Looking good Simon, and I must agree with Ian - just fix a bit those leading edges of wings and vertical tail, and proceed to decals

Oh, and one suggestion for future projects - maybe you can try applying decals BEFORE wash - this is the way I like to do it - it seems more logic and realistic to apply dirt (wash) over decals, as in reality dirt gathers over markings and camouflage. This method would make your life easier too, as you would do the wash just once Only you have to give model a coat of Future before decals in order to make them set well onto glossy surface...

C'mon, now you're few steps from the end of this one waiting for checkered flag  

[Mossie]

Don't worry about the 'blotches' guys, they're actually deliberate.  It's hard to tell in these photos as the lighting is not great (got some new lights & they're no good for photo taking).

On the leading edges of some Granby aircraft, the ARTF paint wore through to the original finish.  You can especially see this on post war aircraft were larger portions started to wear.  I applied a few spots of Dark Sea Grey, worked at it a little with a sanding stick then applied the wash over the top.

Decals went on last night & I'm waiting for the matt coat to dry as I type this, should hopefully have some more pics by this evening in better light.

[ChernayaAkula]

Lookin' good. Sure has that "grimy" look the Granby Tornadoes sported.  

[Mossie]

Decals on.  I fancied the 112 Sqn option touted by Kitbasher, but to make it really work I needed some suitable decals to basterdise or print my own.  Lacking these & not at work to use their print facillities, I went with decals from the Airfix Buccaneer.  I found a large shark mouth in the Airfix Canberra B(I).8 kit & cut the tips off it to fit.  Added some more wash, not 100% happy with it but I was at risk of firefighting it so decided it was done.  The pic of the left nose shows it's a little faded, not sure what I've done there, but it'll need touching up.

Undercart on next.

[ChernayaAkula]

Markings fit like a glove!

[Taiidantomcat]

Wow! That looks wonderfully beat up!