Swifter: The Swift F7 in Operational Service

[Gondor]

The undersides are now a nice uniform aluminium so I have reached a stage that I do not like. Masking 

It's the fiddling around with tape that never wants to go where you want it to go nor to stick when you want it to and always does when you don't want it to stick.

I can handle the paint demarcation between upper surface colours reasonably well by hand, its the hard edge between the top and bottom colours that I find difficult. Got to be done though or I don't get to the decal stage and the model doesn't get finished 

Gondor

[Gondor]

Decided to just paint the upper surfaces without masking off the undersides as using a hairy stick means no over-spray, just brush-marks 

First coat is on the upper surfaces so its looking a rather dull and dirty dark grey at the moment which is not a good look but it will get better when I add the green in the next couple of days.

Gondor

[Gondor]

Green is on  this time unlike with my TSR2 I managed to complete adding the paint without getting my fingers involved other than just holding the model or brush



Still a lot to do but I think I should manage to finish in time for Perth if not for the end of the group build.

Gondor

[PR19_Kit]

Erm................ that IS a TSR2 Alastair, isn't it? 

[Gondor]

Erm................ that IS a TSR2 Alastair, isn't it? 

Very observant Kit, first person to notice as well. Pity I didn't post that a few days earlier. 

The Swift is actually progressing really well. Camouflage is finished so its some detail painting then on with the decals. Still got the missiles to finish too 

Gondor

[Captain Canada]

Looking good. Love the way the missiles sit on there. Perfect !

[Gondor]

Slight update. The Swift has now been given a gloss coat and will be given another one later tonight so that I can start decalling tomorrow. Yes the exhaust needs painting and I need to finish the Firestreak missiles but the undercarriage is on.



This should be finished before the end of the week and thus the end of the group build.

Gondor

[Gondor]

Decals have started to go on. Once that's done it will be a case of catching up with the other details to finish her off.



Gondor

[kerick]

Looking sharp!

[Gondor]

Another problem found with the Trumpeter Lightning, which was supplying the Firestreak missiles, is that they only provide decals for one missile 

So its out with the Airfix F6 and also thinking about using the decals from another Trumpeter Lightening kit to make up the second set. 

Regardless its slowing down the build, the paint job I have done on the missiles is not that great anyway so in that respect its not too much of a problem.

Gondor

[Gondor]

Sorted out the missile marking problem by taking the necessary decals from another Trumpeter kit. No idea why they only include decals for one Firestreak and one Redtop even when the boxing only has Firestreak missiles in it?

Canopy has been painted, made a bit of a mess of the windscreen section but got the painting of the sliding part spot on. I will manage to tidy up the paint on the windscreen later on but I wont be able to reduce the mess caused by too much glue when it was stuck down 

Nearly there 

Gondor

[Gondor]

One day to go and that has a Grand Prix to slow things down a bit by eating into my time. Only thing I am worried about is getting the ejector seat finished in time. The rest of the aircraft is not a problem, a few decals and a drop of glue and its done, other than the darn seat which I have been ignoring for most of the last three months 

Gondor

[Gondor]

Scraping in under the wire, UK time at least with my third entry for the Group Build 

Back story is that the Swift F7 enters service with the Firestreak missile instead of the Fireflash missile although in relatively small numbers but enough to make up a Wing of fighters in RAF Germany so that Hunters could be dispatched to the Far East to bolster the defences in case the Korea war expands any further or lasts any longer. The aircraft depicted is from 71 Squadron at RAF Brugen, Germany.

Anyway, Pictures.















The build consisted of the Airfix Swift with Freightdog F7 conversion set. Firestreak missiles from a Trumpeter Lightening kit and the decals are a mainly from the kit with squadron markings from a Modedecal sheet 86 which is mainly of Hunters.

Gondor

[Weaver]

Under the wire? You had nearly an hour! 

Lovely job anyway. 

[DogfighterZen]

That camo scheme looks good on any aircraft!