Global Scale Modeller

Same kit I'm building! I've built the kit before. It goes together really well. Good luck!

Which one are you doing? Not decided but I think it'll be the one on the box top with the black tail. Looks cool.

Actually I'm redoing this one...

http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =35&t=7767

I made some mistakes the first time around that I really wasn't happy with at all. I decided to start completely over and do it up right. Still waiting for the kit itself to arrive. I have the resin and the decals here already. The nice thing is I know what to expect this time 'round so hopefully it will go smoothly and end successfully!

If I were you, I would definitely upgrade the decals. Tamiya is a phenomenal model manufacturer but their decals really suck, and that was obvious with this particular kit...at least in my opinion. One of the mistakes I made on the first build was messing up some of the decals from the aftermarket set I purchased. I ended up having to use a few of the Tamiya-supplied ones and they looked horrible...WAY too thick, especially for the really small decals. I then purchased a couple more sets of the aftermarket ones anticipating another build.

I've not found Tam decals too bad in the past so we'll see how these go. Is that you next to the Stearman in your Avatar? Have a PPL but my medical is suspended at the moment because of some minor heart probs I've been having. Off to see the specialist next Friday so hopefully I can get my medical cat back.

Pics gone.

Looking good buddy.

I've just ordered the same kit for this gb! Nice work so far, I'll be following to get some tips! Good luck buddy

Cheers guys, Chief it looks like it's going to fall together, I've heard it's a brilliant kit. The only thing I can see at the moment that's a downside are the seams on the canopy but that's not a big deal.

Good luck with this build, seems a popular choice.
Jase

One of the best Viper kits out there! Nice job so far!

Looks good so far
have fun with the build

Dave, I would recommend joining the Fwd and aft top fuselage pieces togther before attaching to the bottom fuselage. you can avoid allot of headaches with the seam if you do it that wa,y vice the way the instructions read.

also there are many holes to dril/tapl out on the fuselage and wings for air scoops and pylon etc.. pay close attention to the instructions for those.. they are easliy missed.

rwsmith14 wrote:Dave, I would recommend joining the Fwd and aft top fuselage pieces togther before attaching to the bottom fuselage. you can avoid allot of headaches with the seam if you do it that wa,y vice the way the instructions read.

also there are many holes to dril/tapl out on the fuselage and wings for air scoops and pylon etc.. pay close attention to the instructions for those.. they are easliy missed.

I'm just about to start the same kit. Thanks for the warning buddy!

Thanks for that RW, I'd already noted the drill holes, easy to miss!

Pics gone.

She's looking Good !!!!

Quick update after all my pics disappeared... I'll plod on.

Got the main paint on. Not happy about the gray on the front, it looks more blue to me, it's supposed to be gunship gray. Might be the contrast between the dark gray of the main body. Bit of overspray to touch up.







Got the exhaust done and weathered.

She's looking good!!

Thanks RW but I'm going to have to respray that front end a different colour, that gunship gray just doesn't look right. I think I'm going to do it Tam Neutral Gray. So, back on with the masking and it also means masking the canopy back up to get the proper fade on the rim. Deep joy.

Note to self: don't take the masking off until you've seen it in natural daylight.

I think this looks better. I used XF82, looks far more grayer.

Don't know what scheme you are going for, but it looks very dark

It's this 'un.

Peppie: took this photo in the sunshine, looks a lot lighter.



Getting on with the undercart. Got the grandson this week and he's building his first model (a Spit, natch) so my own progress is slow.

Undercart done. Complicated little beasty.

You are right, it does look better in sunlight.
Looking great up to now

Wow Nice Build really impressive mate

Thank you gentlemen.

Play stopped for lunch and the latest score is:

Decals are still shrivelling under their dose of Micro sol.

Nice progress so far buddy. How did the spitfire go?

Thanks Chief. Spit is ready for spraying although it's on hold at the minute as he's gone back home. It's hard to resist helping, I just watch and give advice. It will be his first time with the airbrush when we get round to it so that should be interesting! He's ten and this is his first shot at anything plastic, it brings back memories of sitting round the kitchen table in front of the fire with my Dad and sister when I was that age. I'm pretty sure my first model was an Airfix Spit too, two bob they cost, or 10p in new money.

Looking Very good..

I agree with your assessment of the landing gear being busy!! Trying to decide how to proceed with it in 1/72 scale myself. I think there are 14 parts to the mains and 5 to the nose. Gonna be interesting..

Thanks Todd. Got the Aqua Gloss on and bunging the decals on. I like doing the big ones that you can see but some of the stencils are just dots so I probably accidentally don't bother with those. Can't bloody see them anyway (well I can't). Managed to keep the radome off until I put the gloss coat on with the 'I'm not going to break the pitot probe off, oh no' line of thought which worked fine until I glued the radome on and literally the first thing I did afterwards was break the pitot probe off. Oh how I laughed.



Reattached with CA. If you forget it's an F16 for a minute is it just me who thinks it weirdly looks a bit like a Vulcan front end if you squint?

LOL! Broken pitot tubes...gotta luv 'em. If I designed the sprues for a/c models, I would create an entire section with nothing but extra pitot tubes.

Interestingly enough, I used to help design pitot tubes and pitot/static systems several years ago for one of the main aerospace manufacturers in the U.S. They could withstand the impact of a frozen turkey shot at them at 500kts in a wind tunnel.

Interestingly enough, I used to help design pitot tubes and pitot/static systems several years ago for one of the main aerospace manufacturers in the U.S. They could withstand the impact of a frozen turkey shot at them at 500kts in a wind tunnel.

There's a great tale about that. Rolls Royce had developed a new jet engine and it could withstand the impact of a chicken fired at the blades. The Americans tried it and it always broke the blades. Rolls Royce responded with 'Defrost the chicken first.'

Pitot static systems, spent 20 odd years in the RAF dealing with those!

Decalled up, waiting for the microsol to do it's stuff then will get the next gloss coat on and some weathering done.

Looking good!

sweet looking mighty fine well done .

Pretty!

Thanks chaps. Tried a pin wash on this one, first time I've tried it. Very subtle efffect, didn't use anything special, just some diluted oil.

Calling this one done. Pics on reveal page.