Tag: Aircraft

On the Bench

WIP : AFV Club 1/48 F-5E Tiger II Pt. 5 – Finishing

The resin ejection seat was painted separately and left out until final assembly. The cockpit is much improved with this lone aftermarket part and I highly recommend it. The nose gear is a straightforward build. The kit gives you the option of an extended nosegear. If I’m not mistaken, the nose gear takes on that …...

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On the Bench

WIP : AFV Club 1/48 F-5E Tiger II Pt. 4 – Finishing

So work has finally continued after not having touched this kit since end of June. Markings are from TwoBobs’ 48-216 F-5E PACAF Gomers #2. As usual, some layering of decals are required but once cured they look great. I then mildly weathered and panel washed the kit with my usual thinned oil paint sludge. The …...

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On the Bench

WIP : AFV Club 1/48 F-5E Tiger II Pt. 3 – Painting

To prep for painting, I began with masking off the cockpit, adding the HUD and attaching the windscreen. The instructions called for aluminum for the wheel bays but I only had Model Air Metal Steel on hand. I think it looks close enough. All the landing gear and doors were also painted steel separately. The …...

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On the Bench

WIP : AFV Club 1/48 F-5E Tiger II Pt. 2 – Construction

Work continues and I begin with masking the canopy. Unlike my previous builds, I decide not to dip the 2 canopy parts in Future since they look quite clear as is. Maybe I’ll brush on some in the end. I’m also planning to leave the canopy open so I decided to mask the inside of …...

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On the Bench

WIP : AFV Club 1/48 F-5E Tiger II Pt. 1 – Construction

Kit Info Manufacturer : AFV Club Scale : 1/48 Media : Injection Plastic and Photo-etch My next kit is a new build (as opposed to another Shelf Queen) of a USAF F-5E Tiger II flown as an Adversary for training purposes. The build begins with the cockpit as usual. Details are nice and are finely raised. …...

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My Builds

Completed : Italeri 1/72 Grumman EF-111A Raven

Kit Info Brand and Kit Number: Italeri #1235 Media: Injection Plastic Markings: Cutting Edge Modelworks CED72048 EF-111A Sparkvark Nose Art The Subject The EF-111A Raven was an electronic warfare aircraft designed to replace the USAF’s B-66 Destroyer. Grumman was contracted in 1974 to convert 42 existing General Dynamics F-111A...

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On the Bench

WIP : Italeri 1/72 EF-111A Raven Pt. 4

Decaling begins with a gloss coat. I’ve had very good results with AK Interactive Intermediate Gauzy Agent. With a 1:1 thinning with water, it gives a very shiny and smooth gloss without as many problems as other gloss coats I’ve used. The markings comes from Cutting Edge Modelworks’ EF-111 Sparkvark sheet (CED72048)....

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On the Bench

WIP : Italeri 1/72 EF-111A Raven Pt. 3

I’ve been a big fan of Gary Wickham of ScaleSpot and is constantly amazed at his detailed work. In his 1/32 Mosquito build, he showed a method of breaking up the monotony of a single color scheme so I thought I’d try it here but in a simpler form. The first step is to spray …...

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On the Bench

WIP : Italeri 1/72 EF-111A Raven Pt. 2

Work continues as there’s more to fix than expected. First up is the joint between the 2 halves of the fuselage, which isn’t as smooth as I hoped. I should have added a spreader on the rear half so the transition between the halves is smoother. I tried various methods including Perfect Plastic Putty, correction …...

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On the Bench

WIP : Italeri 1/72 EF-111A Raven Pt. 1

For my next build, I decided to tackle a modern aircraft. This time it’ll be the Italeri 1/72 EF-111A Raven or ‘Sparkvark’. The kit is a rebox of a release in the mid 1980s by Esci. Details are good for its age and features recessed panels. The cockpit features decals for the restraints and the …...

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