Moments of Zen

[NARSES2]

P40 looks good

[DogfighterZen]

P40 looks good

Thanks!
I am enjoying this build a bit more now, the scheme got me a bit more into it but i admit the masking can be boring if you're using 6mm masking tape to make curved edges on 1/48 models...



Well, i guess it was good practice for 1/72 models, right?
I don't have any liquid masking solutions and only had Tamiya's 6mm and a cheap 20mm tape which leaves glue residue on the surface of the models, and i was afraid to use uhu's Patafix cause it also leaves a bit behind and it can get tricky to remove completely. A fellow modeler on the UAMF forum suggested i try silly putty, which is less tacky than Blu-tac, Patafix and the likes, probably will buy some to try it out.

[NARSES2]

Silly putty will give you a soft edge I'm told. I hand paint freehand so can't comment from experience.

[DogfighterZen]

Silly putty will give you a soft edge I'm told. I hand paint freehand so can't comment from experience.

Yes, i think i'll keep using tape for hard-edged camo jobs. Anyway, i'm gonna try using Patafix on the Me-262 to mask the top of the fuselage before i try to paint the underside and mottled areas.
Today i sprayed the P-40's underside with Tamiya's XF-19, and the P-47 got a good coat of gloss varnish so it's ready for the decals.

[DogfighterZen]

So, got the P-47's decals on today and no work done on the P-40,so it sits as it was yesterday...



The Santa Cruz Decals PoAF decals gave me problems again, another 3 roundels wasted today, just ripped apart when sliding of the backing paper... after about 2 minutes in warm water...   After that, it was the Vallejo Medium Decal Softener, which made them wrinkle up... After going over the roundels with a dry piece of cotton to smooth them out, i still had to run a round toothpick in the panel lines for the decals to conforme a bit better. Then i ruined the black US mission markings and had to use the French's white mission markings, fortunately, also provided in the kit's sheet. The "In the Mood" lady came from Italeri's F-16C/D Night Falcon sheet. The backstory is set so, after about 110 decals, this is how the Jug looks...



Final licks of glue and paint go on tomorrow, if i have enough time, a coat of gloss and then i'll try to do some slight weathering.

[DogfighterZen]

So, the Jug is finished... http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,42194.0.html#new
Time to finish the Flying Tiger, pilot, guns and exhaust are painted, a coat of gloss varnish and decals are next...

[NARSES2]

Nice work on the pilot my friend 

[DogfighterZen]

Thanks ,Chris!
The Monogram pilot is very well molded, great detail, but i am used to 1/72 pilots so this, being 1/48, was easier.. although it is far from perfect, obviously, i do like the way the mustache came out...

Well, today the F-16CP/DP bros got some white... Intakes, wheels, landing gear components, LG bays and respective doors...



The F-18D got XF-19 sky grey on the radome and a gloss coat so it's ready for a wash and decals.



The P-40 got it's sharksmouth and some other decals...



More soon...

[DogfighterZen]

Lately i've been trying to pick up the pace as i've a bunch of great kits waiting in my stash, i'm anxious to start a special few like the Monogram 1/72 F-16XL, the 1/72 Revell YF-23.
Although i also want to start the twin-seat F-16W... Probably will be called TW... or WT?
So, for the time being, i'm directing 90% of my attention to the P-40 and it's been progressing everyday. Today i assembled the wheels , which were already painted, and finished the rest of the decals.
After that, i just dry tested the landing gear in place to get a glimpse of the beast's stance... 8-)



Also assembled the F-16DP's intake, which needed a little bit of convincing to stay together... Visible in the pic are the gaps on the inside, not sure if i'll try to fix that, it's a PITA to do on 1/72 intakes... :roll:

[Rick Lowe]

How about a loop of .25mm card, or paper inserted into the intake? Put the seam at the top and you'll never see it, make the sleeve 15mm or so long and that takes care of that.

Just a thought.

Cheers

[DogfighterZen]

How about a loop of .25mm card, or paper inserted into the intake? Put the seam at the top and you'll never see it, make the sleeve 15mm or so long and that takes care of that.

Just a thought.

Cheers

Hey, Rick, thanks for the idea!  It is a good one but i've already fixed the problem. I was intrigued by that seam cause when i dry-tested the intake duct, it didn't have any gap at all so, all i could do was take it apart and assemble it again. I found that it was my mistake when putting it together the first time, now there's no gap at all cause it's correctly assembled. No wonder it needed the clamp to hold it together...

[Rick Lowe]

Yup, that'll get you every time! 

(Been There, Done That too many times to admit to...)

[DogfighterZen]

Yup, that'll get you every time! 

(Been There, Done That too many times to admit to...)

Yup, me too. In this case, i wasn't really paying attention when assembled it the first time, i was watching the Wings episode about the Skyraider at the same time.
The Kinetic kit is good, fits well and the detail is also good, the panel lines might be a bit too wide and deep for some but, IMHO, this kit is great value for money.

[DogfighterZen]

Well, as i'm patiently awaiting the In The Navy GB to begin, went down to Stapples and bought some White Spirit to clean off the AK enamel panel liner wash. The one i have is the Grey/Blue camo wash so i applied it on the F-18D which already had the gloss coat on.
Left it to dry for half an hour and then wiped it off with a moistened tissue and with a cotton swab, and it came out easily... maybe a bit too easily but i still wanna look at it during the day and do it again if needed. Masked the Aim-7 Sparrow missile fins for the grey.
Also went out to my LHS and bought a few Tamiya paint jars and matte coat, and also Humbrol's Rust and Dark Earth weathering powders to use on the Flying Tigers P-40. Lots of new stuff to learn!
Also, i was getting a bit bored and instead of just progressing one of the bench, i ended up deciding a scheme and markings for the F-86E, so i masked the canopy and touched up the pilot and cockpit for the rest of the scheme. Will be a whif and will have a mouth...

[DogfighterZen]

Lots of work and not much time for modeling, but the F-18D is going to be a barbarian...





And the P-40 got some dirt, smoke, minor paint-chipping and it's just missing some dark earth on the underside and a matte coat to close things up with the Flying Tiger.