WIP : Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14B Tomcat Pt.2
Work (finally) continues on the F-14. Surprise surprise, the first thing to be tackled is the cockpit. I first sprayed Vallejo Air Dark Sea Gray thinking that it’s a match to FS36231 (the standard interior color for modern US jets) but it was too dark. So I ended up spraying my usual Vallejo Air US …...
Completed : Hasegawa 1/48 Douglas A-4E Skyhawk ‘TOPGUN 56’
Kit Info Brand: Hasegawa Scale: 1/48 Media: Injection Plastic The Subject The Douglas (later McDonnell Douglas) A-4 Skyhawk is a single seat subsonic carrier-capable attack aircraft originally developed for the US Navy and US Marine Corps. While relatively lightweight, it was nimble, had a top speed of more than 670mph and could carry...
WIP : 1/48 A-4E Skyhawk ‘TOPGUN 56’ Pt. 2
Another queen (this time from 2011) joins the masses. 😀 This is a Hasegawa 1/48 Skyhawk kit to be draped as TOPGUN 56, an A-4E flown by the US Navy as an Aggressor. The scheme is very unique with a desert camo MiG-17 silhouette superimposed on the aircraft. This build is heavily reliant on the …...
Completed : Academy 1/72 Vought F-8E Crusader
Kit Info Manufacturer: Academy Scale: 1/72 Media: Injection Plastic The Subject The Vought F-8E Crusader was a single-engined, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft which replaced the Vought F7U Cutlass in the US Navy and Marine Corps fleets. Known for its distinctive variable-incidence wing which pivoted by 7° out of the fuselage...
WIP : Hobbyboss 1/72 F-14B Tomcat Pt.1
The next project is a new kit instead of finishing a shelf queen. My friend said that this kit was quite straightforward compared to the Hasegawa. Let’s see shall we? First impressions are good so far. The panel lines aren’t as fine as Hasegawa’s but aren’t as deep as the Revell’s. Shape looks alright too....
WIP : 1/72 Academy F-8E Crusader Pt. 6
I spent some time fiddling with the canopy to get it to fit flush with the fuselage but it seems like the tolerance is very tight and the Future coat actually made the canopy thicker. I ended up resorting to some sanding and leaving out the back section of the canopy. And then it was …...
WIP : 1/72 Academy F-8E Crusader Pt. 5
I decided to give Lifecolor UA035 Flat Light Gull Gray a go and it turned out to be a more ‘correct’ shade of FS36440. Layering over the previous warmer shade of gray probably changed the color somewhat but it’s OK as long it looks more ‘right’ to my eyeball 1.0. Since the Crusader marking I’m …...
WIP : 1/72 Academy F-8E Crusader Pt. 4
After another round of fixing the seams and rescribing, I called it done and did a final primer coat to prep for painting. For this kit I used Vallejo White Primer instead of the usual Tamiya rattle can primer. It required multiple thin coats but at least it doesn’t smell as bad. As is the …...
WIP : 1/72 Academy F-8E Crusader Pt. 3
Work continues on this kit with fixing seamlines. This kit has a lot of panel lines and rivets that get obliterated due to sanding. I rescribed with a needle + pin vise combo using a strip of dymo tape as a guide. I choose to not redo the rivets just because :). It was also …...
WIP : 1/72 Academy F-8E Crusader Pt. 2
Now it’s time to put the two halves of the fuselage together. First up, the myriad parts I needed to assemble before hand. Incidentally, all were sprayed white. Academy provides a long trunking so you can see into the nose intake. Nice. From left to right: the MLG bay, the belly flap bay and the …...
