Global Scale Modeller

Dig this out of the stash last night - thought it might be a nice warm-up for the 48in48 challenge - a VERY old release of the Airfix 1/72 Saab Viggen.


So - onto the contents of the box:
Instructions








Sprues


Decals


The build
The instructions call for the interior and the various openings to be painted Airfix M13 Grey which equates to Humbrol 64. Using the colour tool on this site that, in turn, equalled Hataka's "Mid Ocean Grey". The jet exhaust was done with AK's "Burnt Iron" and the ejection seat in Tamiya's X18 "Semi Gloss Black". The nose cone had a bit of weight added with Liquid Gravity - I coated the inside with Loctite CA slow setting gel, added the LG then covered it in normal CA.


Once all that dried the fuselage halves were assembled together with the wing halves. As Digger is wont to notice - plenty of clamps involved!!


Meantime the pilot figure was started. The actual cockpit has no other detail so the figure will dill the hole. One thing I did notice was the difference in physical size between the two Vertol pilots already on the holder (yellow mae wests) and the Viggen pilot (orange mae west). Given they are both 1/72 it looks like Viggen pilots were giants....

Progress continues - firstly with yet more clamping:


And then the obligatory filling.....


Works going to be a bit slow next couple of weeks - the daughter Mk1 & husband have decided to go to Mexico for a fortnights holiday and we are Houndie sitting...


Black one is Maggie - she's ours, Brindle one is Angel, our daughters. In the photo they've swapped beds...

Added the intakes tonight - given how well things had gone together so far its a bit of a disappointment......

Getting close to primer time. All the exterior parts are now on - just need a little filler on the canard roots and that sanded and it can have a coat of black primer.


Missiles are more or less done too. White primer for these as they are a white finish when done.

Went to apply the black primer last night - and the airbrush wasn't having any of it!!
Just kept blowing bubbles back into the cup!


What paint did come out just spattered blobs on the test surface. So I cleaned it out, stripped it down and deep cleaned it then tried again. Same result.
So I swapped the needle and tip over for the new, unused 0.3 one that came with the airbrush and it worked perfectly. At first. About halfway through it started stopping and starting - needed to have the trigger cycled a couple of times before it would restart. Finally got the primer on after much unwanted faffing about.....


Paint is Ultimate Black Primer, bottle is maybe 5 years old and was thoroughly shaken before use. Compressor was set at 18 - 20 psi. I've got the tip and nozzle soaking in airbrush cleaner now. If that doesn't work I'll try soaking them in lacquer thinner

I'll be applying the topcoat today - AK's "Natural Metal" so fingers crossed theres no more problems!!!

Hopefully you've sorted out the AB problems. I've gotten some rather large lumps out of mine via paint supply channel connected to the cup. I soaked the whole thing in thinner for 5min and out it popped when using blowback.
Did you just putty the air intakes up to close the gap ?

digger303 wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:14 am Hopefully you've sorted out the AB problems. I've gotten some rather large lumps out of mine via paint supply channel connected to the cup. I soaked the whole thing in thinner for 5min and out it popped when using blowback.
Did you just putty the air intakes up to close the gap ?

The A/B is working OK with the 0.3 in so hopefully after a few more hours in the cleaner and a good scrub the 0.5 will be back in action. Its an odd - to me - design. Every thing behind the paint chanber is what I'm used to but the business end - different story. The tip is a push-in piece held in by a collar that needs a spanner to remove/fit and the usual reamer is too small to clean it out.
Yep- I looked at using an insert of plastic sheet but found the gap was actually closed at the bottom so it wasn't worth the aggro. It worked OK.

RangerNeil wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 1:33 am

digger303 wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:14 am Hopefully you've sorted out the AB problems. I've gotten some rather large lumps out of mine via paint supply channel connected to the cup. I soaked the whole thing in thinner for 5min and out it popped when using blowback.
Did you just putty the air intakes up to close the gap ?

The A/B is working OK with the 0.3 in so hopefully after a few more hours in the cleaner and a good scrub the 0.5 will be back in action. Its an odd - to me - design. Every thing behind the paint chamber is what I'm used to but the business end - different story. The tip is a push-in piece held in by a collar that needs a spanner to remove/fit and the usual reamer is too small to clean it out.
Yep- I looked at using an insert of plastic sheet but found the gap was actually closed at the bottom so it wasn't worth the aggro. It worked OK.

What brand of AB do you use ?

Are you still awake ?

digger303 wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 4:58 am

RangerNeil wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 1:33 am

digger303 wrote: Sat Mar 15, 2025 12:14 am Hopefully you've sorted out the AB problems. I've gotten some rather large lumps out of mine via paint supply channel connected to the cup. I soaked the whole thing in thinner for 5min and out it popped when using blowback.
Did you just putty the air intakes up to close the gap ?

The A/B is working OK with the 0.3 in so hopefully after a few more hours in the cleaner and a good scrub the 0.5 will be back in action. Its an odd - to me - design. Every thing behind the paint chamber is what I'm used to but the business end - different story. The tip is a push-in piece held in by a collar that needs a spanner to remove/fit and the usual reamer is too small to clean it out.
Yep- I looked at using an insert of plastic sheet but found the gap was actually closed at the bottom so it wasn't worth the aggro. It worked OK.

What brand of AB do you use ?

Are you still awake ?

I am now Caught a few zzz's whilst waiting for the assembly to set. Just about to return and start playing with some colours.
Airbrush is a Feng-da - same make as came with the compressor. I've got my eye set on an Ultimate Apex - but when I've got the money they've sold out and conversely when they have stock I've no money.....

Decals are on and a gloss clear coat applied.

Calling this one finished too. Markings are for Saab's demonstrator #1

Cool.

Hi, i'm a new member from Belgium. After 40 years i now start again with modelling. I just finished the same Saab Viggen kit from Airfix as you. My problem is that i don't know how i have to put the aircraft on the stand that is in the box. The plan is not mentioning how to do that; Can you help me?
thanks;
erik

Erik23 wrote: Mon Dec 08, 2025 5:28 pm Hi, i'm a new member from Belgium. After 40 years i now start again with modelling. I just finished the same Saab Viggen kit from Airfix as you. My problem is that i don't know how i have to put the aircraft on the stand that is in the box. The plan is not mentioning how to do that; Can you help me?
thanks;
erik

There was (is) a slot you need to open in the underside. Should have been done before assembly. From memory this is just ahead of where the lower wing section meets the front of the fuselage.

Thanks!