Gnats in Portugal

[DogfighterZen]

So, going to try this one week GB for the first time, although it's a late entry and i've have never finished a model in less than a full month...
With that said, "What if the PoAF had bought 8 Folland Gnat T.1 trainers in September of 1965 for it's academy?"

The kit will be the Airfix 1/72 kit and the scheme will be created as i go along the build because it will be an aerobatic display team aircraft... and for the first time, i'm going to paint a plane in white...



I'm enjoying the last of my 2016 vacation days so i should have enough time for this so i should have something to show soon.

[DogfighterZen]

Ok, haven't taken many pics of the assembly but it's almost ready for primer!
The kit is easy to put together so i just assembled everything OOB after painting the separate parts of the cockpit and landing gear bays and quickly closed up the fuselage...



The intakes were a bit hard to fit in but went in there after a little convincing, still would need some sanding...



Some joints needed some work but UMP sanders took care of everything...



And after all was sanded smooth, i glued the pitot tube on and it's just waiting for the pilots and the masked canopy to get some primer on it...

[Librarian]

Still have such a soft spot for the smaller jets and the Gnat has a certain something...much prettier than the Hawk. Airfix really have to do something about their 'tramline' panelling, especially as the kits aren't that cheap.

[strobez]

That's looking great! I built one recently that was a joy to fit together. I was seriously considering having another go at it for the 1-wk GB.

Can't wait to see what she looks like in white.

[Dizzyfugu]

Still have such a soft spot for the smaller jets and the Gnat has a certain something...much prettier than the Hawk. Airfix really have to do something about their 'tramline' panelling, especially as the kits aren't that cheap.

The deep panels are IMHO not that bad. It really evens out once you add some paint (at least with a brush), and the engravings remain deep enough for washes.

[NARSES2]

Still have such a soft spot for the smaller jets and the Gnat has a certain something...much prettier than the Hawk. Airfix really have to do something about their 'tramline' panelling, especially as the kits aren't that cheap.

The deep panels are IMHO not that bad. It really evens out once you add some paint (at least with a brush), and the engravings remain deep enough for washes.

Totally agree with Dizzy. I think perhaps Airfix have deliberately done the panel lines on some of their newer tools to cater for brush painters ? Some in the modeling press seem to forget that brush painters are not an extinct species.

[PR19_Kit]

Some in the modeling press seem to forget that brush painters are not an extinct species.

PRECISELY! 

[DogfighterZen]

I do find some of the panel lines a bit to wide but i can live with that, although some details do look a bit toy-like, but all things considered, it is a small scale so it doesn't really bother me. I still prefer these engraved lines over raised lines, at least it's easier to recover details lost by sanding.
I'm now down in the cave, ready for an airbrush session so i'll have some progress to show later today...

[Librarian]

Depends on the modeller really. Those panel lines ARE good for the wattle-and-daubers but hopeless for those who have some finesse. A good example from my experience was a couple years back when I put together an Airfix 1/48 Spit XII... . Stuck it on Ebay, then bought the Special Hobby release. Beautifully refined panelling (and a far more accurate, slim Spitfire).

Airfix can do refined...their Spit F.22/24 kit is a prime example. On 1/72....I shudder to think as I have has experience of their Mustang release.

...and the gates . Hack-saw the parts of the sprues then weigh the model parts against the leftovers. Serious wastage.

[DogfighterZen]

Depends on the modeller really. Those panel lines ARE good for the wattle-and-daubers but hopeless for those who have some finesse. A good example from my experience was a couple years back when I put together an Airfix 1/48 Spit XII... . Stuck it on Ebay, then bought the Special Hobby release. Beautifully refined panelling (and a far more accurate, slim Spitfire).

Airfix can do refined...their Spit F.22/24 kit is a prime example. On 1/72....I shudder to think as I have has experience of their Mustang release.

...and the gates . Hack-saw the parts of the sprues then weigh the model parts against the leftovers. Serious wastage.

I've now built 6 of these new-tool 1/72 Airfix kits, the panel lines are all the same on these kits, and while they might be a bit too wide, i've read a lot from people complaining about Hasegawa's panel lines because the're so fine that the layers of primer,paint and varnish make it almost impossible to get a wash to stay in the lines so i believe that it could be one of the reasons.
Although i haven't built it yet, i have the 1/72 Airfix Spit F.22 and the panel lines are exactly the same as on the F-86E, P-51D, Harrier Gr.9, Zero, Gnat and the FW 190, and i agree that they're not as fine as on other brand's kits, i think they're a bit too wide, but at least they're not rounded trenches like on Matchbox kits...
I totally agree with the sprue gates being too thick, the plastic's so soft it's very easy to take a chunk of the part you're trying to cut off... and the waste is a lot indeed...

Anyway, i'm enjoying this quick build, i've made some good progress, might even be able to finish it before the deadline...
First was to mask the canopy, which was a quick job, but when i placed it on the fuselage, it left a gap on the rear part, so i had to glue a bit of plastic card on the frame to reduce it. Also painted the pilots and threw them in the cockpit so i could close it all up... i know, the pilots look like they're wearing swimming caps and goggles...



Then it was time for some Tamiya grey primer, followed by the XF-2 as the base for the display scheme...



The acrylic paint's already dry as the temperature's been pretty high today, so i'll start masking tonight after dinner...

[DogfighterZen]

Wasn't done exactly after dinner but i got it masked for the second color...



More tomorrow...

[DogfighterZen]

And to start off the day, i got up really early with nothing to do so down into the cave i came and sprayed the second color...





More masking to be done for the 3rd color...

[AXU]

 

[PR19_Kit]

Ooooh, 'Green Arrows'? 

[Librarian]

I was referring to the 1/48 Spit 22/24

That scheme is going to look fantastic and the model looks a winner