Moments of Zen

[DogfighterZen]

  Come on, guys, it may look scary but it isn't that complicated. First i did the outer edges with straight strips, the inner edges followed and then it was just a matter of filling in the remaining uncovered spots. The hardest part is cutting and placing the small bits of tape on the inner edges. I've cut small triangles with a matching angle and used my thin tweezers to place and press them on the model's surface. It works better than using the blade to cut the bits with the tape in place, less dangerous for the base color and it comes out better. I had to redo a couple of bits i did like that cause the edges simply weren't good enough.
It is a time consuming task, think it took around 12 hours to do this but, if i look at the time it took me to sand down the putty on the F-16W, this is nothing. I'm used to using up a lot of tape, i found it almost as hard as the PoAF Gnat i built for the one week GB, it only used less tape cause the plane is half the size of the F-35.
Now, the compressor is filled up, ready to start spraying the XF-66, then we'll see if it was worth it.
Later, brothers...

[DogfighterZen]

So, i decided to go with XF-53 instead of the 66 i mentioned last night, it was way too light so, after that it came time to see if it was really worth it...
I think it was!! 



Here you can see the lines came out sharp, just a few touch-ups needed where i was a bit too brute with the blade, helped by faded detail of the mold...



But i'm very happy with how it's looking, although it's not an accurate paint job, i like the colors and i'm very happy with this one so far.

Next, mask the underside, of which i've already masked and painted the easiest bits this morning, along with the topside.

[TheChronicOne]

 


Looks great! I'll be masking stuff later today myself. Like.. straight lines though. 

[DogfighterZen]

Looks great! I'll be masking stuff later today myself. Like.. straight lines though. 

Thanks, brother!
Well, i decided to bite the bullet and get my brushes out, took the 0/2 and painted all that was left to paint of RAM tape lines and i have to admit, it's not perfect but i thought it would look much worse...



All that's left to paint are the lines on the underside of the wings, which i'm going to mask in a bit, and also paint and glue on the missile pylons.
Maybe i can even finish painting the few details left after that...

[DogfighterZen]

Well, i decide to leave the underside wing RAM tape lines out of it, there's no detail there and it won't be seen anyway so i skipping them....
Painted some small details on the fuselage, glued the pylons on and removed all gear bays masking to glue on the nose gear in there.



The colors are different from the real thing but i like, makes them less noticeable and i prefer them that way, just to create some interest with the minor color variation on a very boring scheme.
Ended up not working on anything else today but it's good cause i made good progress on this one today, i might even be able to finis it before the year's end. 

[TheChronicOne]

Well, i decide to leave the underside wing RAM tape lines out of it, there's no detail there and it won't be seen anyway so i skipping them....

Yeah buddy. Makes perfect sense here in whif-world. 

Lookin' like a million bucks, dude! By year's end? NAH, I bet you get it done right in time for Christmas. 

[DogfighterZen]

Yeah buddy. Makes perfect sense here in whif-world. 

Lookin' like a million bucks, dude! By year's end? NAH, I bet you get it done right in time for Christmas. 

Thanks, bro.
I'll probably be able to do that, i knew that painting would be the turning point for this build. It would either work well like it did, or it would need another paint job after the masks came off.
I've had a hard day at at work today, the storm that hit my area last night knocked down a bunch of trees and on top of that, i rained hard while i was cutting one of the trees down and i got home soaked and freezing so, i touched up a couple of areas where i'd chipped the paint while masking, also glued the torque link on the nose gear leg and painted the wheels tonight.



Tomorrow i'll try to give the model another Tamiya X-22 gloss coat. I'm converted, the stuff is great, the paint has been holding up pretty good, even held up the blade running over the masking tape with almost zero chips or scrapes, and also, no faded areas like i had on previous models from holding it in my hands after painting and gloss coating with the floor varnish stuff, this is way more durable.
If i can get that done right after i get home from work, i'll have a decalling session for the night.
My backstory for the F-35 will be in a near future, around 2025, much like the F-16ADF, this F-35 will be an air superiority dedicated version, which would be developed for the Israelis, who have always had a strong dogfighting doctrine for it's pilots, and found the F-35I was not a good dogfighter in WVR combat so, they requested a more capable air superiority variant with a more powerful engine, 2D TVC flat nozzle, and also, the option to have additional wingtip stations for more air-to-air missiles in the non-stealth configuration. This variant would later be available to most NATO countries...

[DogfighterZen]

So, after almost 2 weeks, i got all the decals on the F-35!
Now, there's a couple of small details i was forgetting, that are not included in the kit, the air date probes. Guess i'll have to scratchbuild them as there are none in the spares bag... Missile painting is next and then, a gloss coat everything before panel line wash goes on.
I'm hoping to get this finished before the end of the year but the season does not give me much time to sit down at the bench... 
Wishes of safe and merry festivities to all from the south of Portugal.

[TheChronicOne]

I suppose I can wait a few more days. 

[DogfighterZen]

Might not take that long, ended up having the night off and already built a couple of air data probes, glued them on and am now about to paint them so i can clear coat the whole model again for a wash.

[TheChronicOne]

Gllllllllllllllorious!! 

Anyway.. glad you've found some free time to craft!!

You ever have to put nose weight into your Vipers? I haven't built one in a quarter century and it was on a stand sans gear so I didn't even worry about it. Not that would have mattered, I wouldn't have had the forethought anyway but since it didn't tail sit or otherwise thanks to the stand I have no idea.     

[DogfighterZen]

Gllllllllllllllorious!! 

Anyway.. glad you've found some free time to craft!!

You ever have to put nose weight into your Vipers? I haven't built one in a quarter century and it was on a stand sans gear so I didn't even worry about it. Not that would have mattered, I wouldn't have had the forethought anyway but since it didn't tail sit or otherwise thanks to the stand I have no idea. 

What kit are you building? Fujimi, is it? I've never built that kit but i believe it's very similar to the Italeri kit. I've built 3x Revell, 1x Hasegawa, 1x Monogram(XL), 1x Kinetic and 2x Italeri Vipers and none needed weight in the nose... That said, i think it's always better to test it yourself but i think you're safe to go without it.
Early morning session, will try to get a few small details done and maybe even go ahead with the panel line wash.

[DogfighterZen]

Well, after a nice and relaxed evening with the family, i came down to the shed to do some work on the F-35, which is almost ready. All i've got left to do is finish the missiles, have to put decals on and give them a gloss coat, assemble the nose landing gear and bay doors in place and give the whole thing a matte coat. Will be doing that now so it's going to be the first time i've ever finished a model on Christmas day... well, maybe except for the few occasions when i was a kid and got a kit for Christmas, which took only 30 minutes to "assemble"...
Anyway, will be finishing this and maybe if i have time before everyone wakes up, even get some work done on the F-16E...

[TheChronicOne]

Gllllllllllllllorious!! 

Anyway.. glad you've found some free time to craft!!

You ever have to put nose weight into your Vipers? I haven't built one in a quarter century and it was on a stand sans gear so I didn't even worry about it. Not that would have mattered, I wouldn't have had the forethought anyway but since it didn't tail sit or otherwise thanks to the stand I have no idea. 

What kit are you building? Fujimi, is it? I've never built that kit but i believe it's very similar to the Italeri kit. I've built 3x Revell, 1x Hasegawa, 1x Monogram(XL), 1x Kinetic and 2x Italeri Vipers and none needed weight in the nose... That said, i think it's always better to test it yourself but i think you're safe to go without it.
Early morning session, will try to get a few small details done and maybe even go ahead with the panel line wash.

Wilco. I'm not going to bother on future builds (which there are a ton planned) but I played it safe this time and threw some lead in there. If anything, the wind will have less chance to blow it away when I take pics!

[DogfighterZen]

Wilco. I'm not going to bother on future builds (which there are a ton planned) but I played it safe this time and threw some lead in there. If anything, the wind will have less chance to blow it away when I take pics!

Better safe than sorry.

So, i'm now on final assembly of the F-35, before giving it a matte coat and calling it done... Just have to hang missiles on pylons and attach the nose gear, wheels and bay doors in place so, maybe i can even get it finished tonight... 
Was going through the stash a bit ago and after reading a post about a Portuguese modeller admitting he's becoming addicted to the Viper... i had to let him know the name of the disease, which is acute falconittis... As he posted a pic of 4 Revell F-16 MLU kits and a Mastercraft F-16C, showing that the disease is quickly spreading and taking over his life and stash storage space, i showed him this pic...

Hi, my name is Rui and i have a problem with Falcons...



And there are 8 missing there, the ones i've built so far.