(#1 DONE! , pix pg. 3&4) AVG Sunblazers Flight Demonstration Team Yak9 by Airfix

[TheChronicOne]

Getting closer on all the smoothing issues!   My eyes were good, but not perfect, so I still have a bit to go but I can say the top half of the aircraft is looking good enough for final paint.  Bottom still needs a bit of work but I need to let the primer dry for another 3 days or so or it won't sand properly.

That said, I'd like to share SOMETHING,so, here's the spinner and props... I wanted to do a lil something different so I painted the ends in differing colors that will fall in line with the overall paint scheme of the aircraft and also Autumn colors for this time of year. Orange, Brown, Yellow...   I think it looks neat! 

[TheChronicOne]

Moving forward. This might just be my first competed build for this GB.

Got the top side and sides of paint down. The underside is going to be a different color completely. 

[TheChronicOne]

Finally secured the last piece of the puzzle for this one today; the paint I will use for the underside!  Now, all I have to do is wash it again, mask the top off, and paint it. If the paint finishes well all I need to do is let it dry a couple days while I do the final fiddly bits (still have to paint a few gear doors and a couple other small things) then I can coat this in floor polish and start the transfer decals.

ETA: 6 days.

[TheChronicOne]

I need to remind myself to KEEP MY HANDS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE when handling this thing. I got sanding and gluing things then started manhandling it to get it masked and before I knew it I had dirtied it all up.. SHEESH... the finish is quite nice and I don't want to ruin it!! I think I got it all cleaned off, though.

Masked it all off and sprayed on the bottom color. I hope my masking is up to par. Tamiya tape is near the top of a list of things I need to buy.......

Will be sanding and doing another coat on the bottom.

I think at this point posting any more update photos would ruin the "reveal" so nothing but text from here out until it is completely done. I'm not far, now. After this sanding and another coat I'll take off the masking and see what mistakes happened and if nothing major all I have to do is let it set for a couple days then I coat it in polish and begin decaling.

Last but not least, I'll glue on all the fiddly crap like the canopy, gear doors and gear, antennae, and the prop.  All and all maybe an hours worth of work after decals. Then, one last coat of polish and it's a wrap!



EDIT:  No need for a new post...... but........ the paint on the belly went down well!!  I'll let it dry up a bit then removing the masking. 


EDIT:  I took all the precautions I could but until I get some Tamiya tape I'll never have product I'm happy with.  An afternoon of clean up and more painting ahead. lol

[TheChronicOne]

Yeaeeaaaaahhhh when the masking came off it was pretty bad....     I'll not be doing another until I get that Tamiya tape. I found some really cheap on ebay so no reason not to pick some up.

That said, some gentle rubbing with paint thinner cleaned up the bulk of it. So much so that I'm happy with it!  The paint on the bottom really needs to dry up some more but maybe by the evening I can put some polish on it.  The paint still has that smell to it.. and is tacky... if I were to press down hard enough I think I could put finger prints in it. I don't want put polish on it and scew up the "out gassing" or whatever it is that is happening.

Quite pleased with the finish of the second color and also how the belly came out w/ regard to the filler and sanding it all down. I started out with a craggy mountain range and it's much better now...

[TheChronicOne]

Whoa!!

Watch out, now!! Been decaling for last hour or better. Getting all the big stuff out of the way first then filling in and still deciding on what and what not to add. At this point my selection is from about 3 different sheets.

Romulan D-7
F/A 18
and...

Some type of race car. 

Bout to call it for the night on this one, however, as I'm about 2 beers in and I don't like to work on finer details with a buzz. In fact, probably won't be doing much else at all. Time to relax.

ETA:  2 days...   

[TheChronicOne]

All done!! First ever build for a group build and only the fourth model I've completed after a 20 year break from modeling.

It's the Airfix Yak-9 (see first page for other information).

This I made for an air demonstration team like the Thunderbirds or Blue Angels, but, with private citizens. Thus, the All Volunteer Group Sunblazers were born.

This is the flight leader's plane. I used transfers from a Romulan D-7 sheet from the Star Trek world, two number "1's" from an old 1/48 F/A-18 sheet (oddly enough from the last kit I did back in '96....  hell of a bridge... from the last model I built before the hiatus to the first group build..), and the streak across the side with name inside from some car kit decals I got off ebay for dirt cheap.

Considering the colors of the decals I wanted to stick with a similar color for the paint scheme so I it the bottom w/ orange (with some striping), did the canopy framework and prop spinner in yellow, trimmed the props in brown, yellow, and orange, and painted the little tab thingies (trim tabs I guess) on the wings in opposing colors. I wanted to throw the symetry off in a subtle way. Good ol' white for the upper because it just plain looks appealing. I can't think of a color that would have worked better here.

I've managed to scratch build at least one small thing for each of the three models I've completed since starting again and this one is no exception. The aerial  control wire there is copper wire that I spray painted black. I think it's too thick...  but looks OK!     (If I were to complain about this I may as well start in on the canopy and move on down the line... . . ) 

I really like how it turned out! Its looks sharp sitting there!!   

W/o further ado:


Won't be winning any photog awards.. just wanted to show my "fleet" of Yak.  Front and center is subject matter here. That white one up there was the first model I built after 20 years break.  (EDIT, I actually did a P 51 before this.. that I keep forgetting about!! I don't think I posted it here...  it's a WHIF but I think I built it before I joined, maybe..I dunno...anyway.. look for it in my upcoming Hangar thread in the Airplanes pictures post section)      Scratch built that radar...there's a thread here for it in the airplanes builds forum!  The crap you can barely see is one done in traditional scheme that I whipped up as practice.


















That's it, folks...  It was fun for the most part and look forward to some more stuff pretty soon. Have some weird time traveling stuff going on with the F-110B Vulture and a Camo-ed out U2 Spyplane shooting missiles at people..

Also, if I can find a 1/72 C-130 for cheap and in time I already have a perfect PERFECT set of decals to go on in to have it match this little thing and have it be the AVG Sunblazers Cargo Hauler a la Blue Angels' Fat Albert.

Cheers!
Brad

[Modelling_Mushi]

All done!! First ever build for a group build and only the fourth model I've completed after a 20 year break from modeling.

Hey Brad that's gorgeous! And your fourth one after a 20 year break, wow, even better  The decals have worked brilliantly

Loved watching the build thread.

Don't forget to post over on the finished build thread.

[TheChronicOne]

All done!! First ever build for a group build and only the fourth model I've completed after a 20 year break from modeling.

Hey Brad that's gorgeous! And your fourth one after a 20 year break, wow, even better  The decals have worked brilliantly

Loved watching the build thread.

Don't forget to post over on the finished build thread.

Ok, will do and thank you very much!   I might try to get some better pictures tomorrow once the sun comes back then I'll be sure to add my three. 

[Old Wombat]

Now that looks funky!

[TheChronicOne]

It's a Funky Chicken for sure!   

Thanks. 

[TheChronicOne]

Thanks!  I'll grab some tomorrow for sure.

[zenrat]

Love the colours. Good job.

[Dizzyfugu]

That's bright! Love the yellow landing gear - and it might be parked next to a Klingon A-1...? 

[Librarian]

Love it . Always like to see demo and racer planes in bright colours and markings. Great work on the paint, worked out well .