Airfix 1/48 Jaguar GR1

[digger303]

[Steve64]

I like the paint phase best on aircraft too. Its looking good, best of luck with the paint job

Hey Stokesy, yes the paint brings the whole thing to life, it seems, and there are options for creativity too. I find putting down a smooth layer with the airbrush is an oddly satisfying process - maybe because when I first started I always ended up with a texture like sandpaper. Looks like you are ready to get cracking on your 109.

Happy modelling.

[cor]

Really coming together. Looking forward to seeing it painted, then of course with the decals

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

I'm making slow but steady progress; most of the build is done and I've started the preparations for painting. I also added a little extra detail to the underside of the outer pylons because they will be empty on my version. I can't claim that the detail is one hundred per cent authentic but with a bit more work and some paint I'm hoping to create the right impression. By the way, earlier I think I said I wouldn't use primer but looking at the pics and the general finish I've changed my mind - a unifying layer now feels like a good idea.





Happy modelling chaps.

[Stokesy44]

I like the idea of detailing up the empty pylons. That's just clever.

[digger303]

[Stokesy44]

Just a thought, are there any air forces still flying Jaguars?

[Tomcat64]

Just done some serious catching up on this thread and that's some great work sorting out the various hiccups Airfix provided for you.

With regards to the gear doors, even if they're closed when the aircraft is parked under normal circumstances I would guess there would have to be a way for the maintenance crews to open them for access? It'd be a real shame to hide all that work if you can avoid it.

Looking forward to seeing this painted up - I'm another Jag-lover that was tempted by this kit when it first came out.

[Kevthemodeller]

Loving it

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

Thanks for all the comments and feedback.

Neil, you're right about the doors being open for maintenance but by the time I read your post and thought about it, I'd already glued them shut. Damn.

Stokesy, a quick search told me that the Indian Airforce still has Jaguars in service. Apparently, they call them 'Shamser' or Sword of Justice, although it seems like the sword is getting rusty because there have been three crashes this year. That's all from the internet.

Back at the kit, I have been looking for trouble. Well, more precisely checking my work, especially the areas that needed the most attention. That means spraying primer on the potential hot-spots, in my case Mr Surfacer 1500 diluted about 50/50 with Mr colour levelling thinners.



Once the primer worked its magic, it brought into sharp focus areas that needed attention as well as some where the construction process did its job. Here's a close-up tour.

First the area where the intake joins the fuselage. One side looks pretty good. Apart from a dip in that rectangular panel line on top, the filling and sanding has done its job.



On the other side there is dent where the parts join but I think with paint and weathering it will be camouflaged so I'm not going to attempt a repair. This close you can see a hint of surface texture too. I'll gently sand the surface at some point to tone it down.



While we are looking at the good bits, I'm happy with the way the nose seam line disappears under Mr Surfacer. I put on several coats, with a few going on wet to make the most of the primer's filling properties. Job done there.



The same approach reassured me about the seam lines on the fuel tanks and recon pod, which had a noticeable discolouration where the parts joined. Under primer that vanishes, although I can also see at least one panel line that I forget to rescribe. Taking close up photos is actually a pretty good way of checking for errors but it does exaggerate them.



I thought the seal between the canopy and fuselage was perfect, but it's not. There's a tiny hole at the front and a small gap between the transparent part (now primed and under painted) and the fuselage. That will need to be filled, because with the naked eye it looks like a panel line, and my references tell me there is not one there. You can also see a lip where the front of the transparency joins. I'll try and correct that too.



While I am at it, I need to find a reference shot of these tail fins. You can see my version leaves a gap, but I'm not sure that's authentic. It's an easy fix should it be needed.



Now to the one area that I really should have sorted out earlier. You can see the step between the nose section and fuselage. Ideally I would have fixed this at the construction stage, because now it is major sanding and rescribing job that risks getting junk into the landing gear bay and generally causing mayhem. My hope is that paint and weathering will camouflage it, and because the problem is underneath it won't be seen when the kit is on display. Hmmm, not ideal but I'm going to try and live with it.



So, just when I was thinking I'd get some pre-shading down I'm going back to filling for a little while. That's life.

Happy modelling gents.

[digger303]

Damn, that's the way things go for me usually. Otherwise it is looking good.

[Stokesy44]

Its like the labors of Hercules, never ending. I admire your unwillingness to compromise. The end result will be all the better for it.

Thanks for the info on if there were any still flying

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

Thanks for the encouragement.

Now, I said I was going to live with the step on the underside didn't I? Well, just like a world leader's promise, that lasted about twenty four hours. As I was correcting flaws in other places the join kept nagging at me, so I carved and sanded it down from a step to a slope. It's still not perfect but I hope it will be less noticeable.



This is how the nose area looks after blending in the canopy and sanding out a ghost seam that showed up under artificial light. By the way, you might notice that the peto tube is missing. I'm trying to hold off fitting it as long as I can because it is asking to be broken (and would have been already - I've bumped the nose many times).



The little fins on the tail definitely benefitted from filling where they join the fuselage.



Now I have to redo my surface prep and check the work, with everything crossed.

Happy modelling chaps.

[Tomcat64]

Awesome attention to detail mate - the work on the underside "step" is really impressive.

[Steve64]

Thanks Neil, I hope it all looks good under primer. We'll see soon.

[digger303]

Good fix.

[Steve64]

Thanks too Digger

And look what arrived:



The Reskit wheels are a small step up from the kit parts, and had I not messed up I would have been satisfied with Airfix's plastic. Honestly, at this scale and viewed with the naked eye the extra detail is barely visible. It's only with a camera lens that Reskit's extras make a splash. Here is an example with the original kit part bottom left in the pic.



Happy modelling chaps.

[digger303]

I see what you mean.

[Stokesy44]

You'll notice the fidelity of the resin more when its painted, the crispness, depth and extra details will all come to life.

[Steve64]

And talking of painting, I've finally been able to put down a layer of Mr Surfacer all over the kit. That's mostly to check my work but it also gets some first stage colour modulation down.







Now I can check the surface, which I do under artificial light. Holding the part I want to check almost parallel to the rays of light can be very revealing. For example, here's the cockpit side with the light hitting at about 45 degrees, and it looks good.



But turn it a little, and suddenly all sort of little horrors are revealed. They can be gently brushed and sanded out.



The same applies to the step on the underside. With the light at one angle it seems to have vanished.



But again, the reality is different.



That, I will have to live with and content myself to keeping it out of sight.

In case you're interested here is what I use to get the surface back to something like the original plastic's smoothness. The sandpaper is 6000 grit and that worn out looking stiff brush is... er... a worn out stiff brush. The big softie is used for removing all the detritus, often with water, and the scriber helps me get any junk out of panel lines.





Well, that's all for now gents. Next up some pre-shading.

Happy modelling!

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

I think I promised pre-shading but I turned my attention to wheels instead.

Although Reskit's parts are labelled as specifically for the Airfix kit, the holes in the wheels are too shallow and too wide to take the kit axles. It's an easy fix (even if it shouldn't really be needed), simply drilling deeper into the interior hub using the right size bit and then using the new hole as a template to chop off the excess axle does the job. Like this:



The wheels and hubs go together well enough once you've done the usual work to remove moulding blocks. Personally, I don't enjoy the cutting and sanding involved with resin and I'm wary of the small cloud of carcinogenic dust that can be created. I wouldn't quite say that I did the job underwater, but I did look at my snorkel and the bath for a moment. While I was dousing everything to keep down dust I also sanded a flat spot into the tyres. Lordy, if all four wheels sit perfectly flat it will be a miracle. Let's see.



You can see some filling needed, so guess what I'm doing next?

In the meantime, I hope life is good and your kits are behaving.

[Kevthemodeller]

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

It's hard to believe that nearly two weeks have passed since my last post. Getting the kids back to school and an odd time at work kept me away. Even so there has been progress with the wrap around cammo. Here's where I got to.

This is the green applied over a mottled base coat (not the final grey).



Now these parts have both the RAF grey and green applied with some of the pre-shading showing through.



This is how I masked up - a combination of white-tack to mark the edges and panzer putty to fill the gaps. I usually use masking tape but I watched the Lysander build on Genesis Designs and Model Craft and it inspired me to try this approach.



Sometimes I'm lazy and forget the panzer putty which can work if I keep the airbrush close to the surface but not so much when pull back and let overspray drift in. That's why happened to this wing area - it will need more green.



Here's a close up. The variety of tones is not an accurate representation of what was well applied smooth paint on the original, but it gives some visual interest, which I like.



More soon.

Wishing you a happy time with your kits.

[digger303]

[Stokesy44]

Nice work, still a bit to do but its looking good.

I find that method of camo painting often gives me problems too. I either end up with too much coverage where the colors meet or too little

[digger303]

Nice work, still a bit to do but its looking good.

I find that method of camo painting often gives me problems too. I either end up with too much coverage where the colors meet or too little

The over spray nails me so I tend to fill in the gaps with tape.

[Kevthemodeller]

Coming along very nicely

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

Yes, having tried using the white tac method I must admit it's not quite giving me the result I hoped for. Next time I'll either use making tape (which takes me longer and gets a sharp edge) or free hand. But, because I'd started that way I finished up, with this result:





It's not bad but I still think the weathering is too pronounced for the Jag' I'm depicting, and I have areas of overspray or missed masking to deal with. That means some detail work coming up with the airbrush.



In the picture below you can also see where I touched the flap with a glove still damp with thinner after cleaning my airbrush. That'll be another touch up.



Another downside of using white tac is its sticky property. In places it did not want to come off and I had to use the classic method of dabbing at stubborn patches with a bigger ball. That gets off the residue because - as you probably know - this stuff likes to stick to itself more than almost anything. The worst places were where I handled during painting. The pressure of my grip must have pushed it into the surface. The spots where a lot of dabbing could have damaged parts were also tough to deal with.



Finally, and as a reminder to myself as much as anything, the very tip of the nose will be green. I'll paint it after I have attached and blended in the pitot tube.



More soon, and good luck with your own projects.

Happy modelling guys.

[Stokesy44]

Its a really good effort and I think the modulation looks ok. I have exactly the same issues with the white tac method so I feel your pain. Once its touched up and you do some levelling of the modulation I reckon you'll get the finish you want.

[digger303]

Stokesy is on it
Looks good and I'm sure you will get it the way you want.
I get better lines with panzer putty, but depending on the ambient temp they do tend to move unless your quicker than I am.

[Steve64]

One of the things I enjoy about this forum is the exchange of techniques. Next time I need a soft edged camo I'll try the panzer putty for the whole thing. For now, I'm back to my comfort zone using masking tape and a little masking fluid to prepare areas for black/grey paint.



Thanks for the encouragement as always gents and good luck with your kits.

[Tomcat64]

More good work & thanks for sharing the warts & all stuff Steve, it's how we all learn from each other.

That's coming along really well - RAF full wraparound camo schemes are a real pain as I never seem to know where to hold the damn thing while you're painting!

[Kevthemodeller]

Shame about the white tac result, unfortunately it behaves more like putty. Where as something like Ammo masking putty is a lot more fluid, especially when warmed, it seals it's edge even over very uneven surfaces.

As mentioned the strength of this forum is we all share experiences and lessons learned. You've got a really good result with the white tac, way better than I got when I tried it. I'm certain you'll get it all sorted and back on track.

[Steve64]

More good work & thanks for sharing the warts & all stuff Steve, it's how we all learn from each other.

That's coming along really well - RAF full wraparound camo schemes are a real pain as I never seem to know where to hold the damn thing while you're painting!

Hi Neil,

Thanks very much.

Yes, that cammo was not easy - I sprayed in stages so I had somewhere to hold. And, the warts and all approach is sort of an antidote to some of the Youtube shows I watch where there seem to be few problems. I must admit I haven't built and painted a kit yet without something going wrong, sometimes basic things that after forty years of modelling I should get right but still mess up by being lazy or taking short cuts. I hope to get a good result in the end by using some of that experience to correct my foul ups.

Thanks for looking in and good luck with your builds.

[Steve64]

Shame about the white tac result, unfortunately it behaves more like putty. Where as something like Ammo masking putty is a lot more fluid, especially when warmed, it seals it's edge even over very uneven surfaces.

As mentioned the strength of this forum is we all share experiences and lessons learned. You've got a really good result with the white tac, way better than I got when I tried it. I'm certain you'll get it all sorted and back on track.

Hi Kev,

Yeah I didn't enjoy it and I'll go a different route in future. It did work out OK eventually - it just cost me time and paint, but you're right, I think it will be OK after decals and weathering. We'll see!

I'm sorry to read you had a rough time with white tac. I hope the kit worked out anyway. Happy modelling. More progress here soon, my friends. I can't write that without hearing an Uncle Night Shift voice in my head. I wonder if he was inspired by an early line in this song...?

[Steve64]

Hello gents,

If you are building a Jag', check out this wonderful walk around from Airfix. You couldn't ask for more really, and I wish I'd found it sooner.



Back to the kit, and I'm moving to detail painting with brush and airbrush. There's a lot of variation in the colours of these parts depending on the squadron, date, and theatre of operations. I'm trying to be as authentic as I can to a II Squadron aircraft in the late 1970s, even if that occasionally means deviating from the instructions. One example is the final panel on the rear underside. The painting guide has this in cammo colours but as far as I can tell from hints in period photos it was natural metal. So, I went with NMF. Here are a few photos including the first stage painting of the wheels with a scrappy demarcation line between tyre and rims in places. I'll fix that with oils or a bit of careful hand painting later, I hope.

Happy modelling chaps.

[Stokesy44]

Good to see the detail and character coming out. I forgot the exhaust and tail on the Jag made it look like a baby Phantom!

[Steve64]

Thanks Stokesy, yes the Jag's tail really does look like a Phantom. I'll soon be slapping on RAF roundels so we don't get confused

[Kevthemodeller]

Another build I can no longer see

[Stokesy44]

Another build I can no longer see

Same here

[Steve64]

Hi guys,

I was about to post some pics, and then I saw your posts and realised the curse of the international border had struck.

Living in Switzerland, Imgur still works for me, and I have a lot of pics there so I'm loathed to move to a new host but maybe that's the only choice now. Does anyone have a fix for the Imgur problem or is it beyond our control?

With some disappointment,

Steve.

[cor]

Hi guys,

I was about to post some pics, and then I saw your posts and realised the curse of the international border had struck.

Living in Switzerland, Imgur still works for me, and I have a lot of pics there so I'm loathed to move to a new host but maybe that's the only choice now. Does anyone have a fix for the Imgur problem or is it beyond our control?

With some disappointment,

Steve.

Digger put me onto this one

https://imgbb.com/

Its a bit more clunky than using the imgur integrated part of this website, but once you get to know it it works pretty good.