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 …...
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 …...
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 …...
WIP : AFV Club 1/48 F-5E Tiger II Pt. 1 – Construction
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. I first sprayed a base coat of Model Air Black Grey then Mig Ammo …...
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...
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)....
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 …...
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 …...
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 …...
Completed : Hobbyboss 1/72 Grumman F-14B Tomcat ‘VF-102 Diamondbacks’
Kit Info Brand: Hobbyboss Scale: 1/72 Media: Injection Plastic Markings: Cam Decals 72-046 Tomcat Alley: Grumman F-14B Tomcat The Subject In 1987, the Grumman F-14A received its first major upgrade in the form of the F-14A+. The original TF30 engines were replaced with the F110, which provided a significant increase in performance, range...
