Moments of Zen

[Zen]

This is all great work. I have been wrestling with my airbrush for a while now and have not got to this level of quality of freehand work; I use blu-tak to set up the camo schemes I do.

Thank you! Although it was just a test, the camo on the Flanker came out much better than i expected, i might try it for real on a proper build. I think that the trick lies in trigger control and air pressure, use lower pressure when doing it freehand.

Last night i got most of the decals on the F-15, and i realized that i was forgetting antennas and probes...



And also, that i didn't have a pair of missiles needed for this bird, so i scratch-built a couple of antennas and air data probes and modified an Aim-120B to try my luck in converting it into a Rafael Derby...



Not perfect but good enough for me!



Tonight, i hope to get the last of the decals on and finish the weapons.

[Dazzled]

Excellent freehand airbrushing and a good use for an unwanted model too

[Zen]

Thank you! BTW, i'm considering putting the Flanker back on the bench to finish it, it's as bad as all the others i've been finishing from my early period... I really like that aircraft and the camo came out much better than i thought it would so, i'm giving it a second chance.
I'll still have 7 other models to use as test subjects for painting and other tests.
Today i've finished the 3rd decal session on the F-15, should be able to finish it this weekend.

[Zen]

Well, another one off the bench!





More pics and backstory tomorrow.

[Zen]

Well, another recovery from my "pile of shame" is finished... Pics and back story of the F-15CSE here: http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=201& ... 93#p294193;
Started the recovery with a paint mix test to see if i could get a modern looking metallic grey, like the F-22 Raptor's finish... I like the result, although this was a "get it done and off the bench ASAP" job... i've been working a lot and getting very little bench time, but i want to start a couple of new projects and these unfinished models are getting in the way... At the same time, i don't want to move on to new stuff without fulfilling my goal of finishing all of my first stalled/screwed-up models, since the end of 2013.
So, out of 20 models, 3 are out of the count as they're not worth the time and effort, far too wrecked to be usable so they were thrown into the spares box as parts donors.
Of the other 17, 11 are finished so that's 6 to go...
ZTS Mig-17 and -19, Italeri Me-109 and SU-27, Airfix F-86 and Focke Wulf FW-190
Some of these are still in consideration because i like to have some old models around to test stuff on so, one or two might still be sacrificed for these purposes.
Next to be finished is the F-86E in PoAF service...

[skypirate]

Well-conceived and constructed model!

cheers,

David

[ShaunW]

Very nicely done Zen, that is a great looking F-15

[Zen]

Thank you for your kind words, guys! Glad to know you like it!
I think this would be a good option for Nato and other countries that don't want or can't buy the F-35. With the economical crisis going on, IMHO, there should be more 4th gen fighter upgrade programs made available for such countries. The F-16 is another aircraft that has been extensively used in technology integration testing, like in the DSI intake and LOAN nozzles programs. Those would be easily retrofitted to most, if not all, F-16 fleets, and would greatly reduce the RCS signature of the old Viper. But that would obviously go against the idea of selling the F-35s in the first place so, more likely to never happen.
Saying that, reminds me i wanna build one of the 6 F-35s in my stash soon...

But first, i still have to finish my stalled builds and that may take an uncertain amount of time... After no modelling done at all in the past week, today i finally had a few minutes to mask the F-86 for the rest of the scheme, which will be based on PoAF's F-86F's scheme but with a darker overall grey and a few other minor differences.



Looks like i'd used very little glue when assembling the intake lip as while i was holding the model while masking the nose, the lip part came off easily and no glue can be seen... in fact, this helps the painting, just have to be extra careful when i put it back on.

[Zen]

The Sabre has been painted...



I did the normal blue bits of the PoAF Sabres in X-4, but painted the canopy framing and anti-glare panel together, influenced by the Yugoslav Sabre scheme.




NMF panels and exhaust area next, then it's a good gloss coat before decals.

[hayabusa]

Zen,

What country had this F-86F camouflage ?

[Zen]

The Portuguese air force Sabres had this scheme, used since 1958 with the blue bits over the NMF and after 1962, the fuselage was painted in a very light grey.



This is also going to be what if because, in real life, the PoAF had first ordered E models but delays with delivery meant they got the F instead, so this is a could-have-been if there had been no delays.
Nothing done today as i had some social affairs to attend to, maybe tomorrow.

[Zen]

I shouldn't have gone near the bench today... First, i scratched the fuselage and wings in several places so i had to begin the session with correcting that, which obviously ruined most of the pre-shading that i'd done and was very happy with how it came out after the XF-24 layer...
After that, masking the exhaust and gun ports, sweaty hands were beginning to take their toll and almost ruined it again, but decided to get of my *ss and go get a pair of medical gloves. Still, i was a bit scared of chipping the paint again so i didn't press the masking tape well enough and this was the result...





Can i ruin a paint job or what?

The only thing that i see as a bit ironic, the hardest bit of masking with two colors, XF-10 Gun metal and XF-11 Silver, the exhaust area, came out ok...





This was a very frustrating session... Now i have to redo the anti-glare panel and touch up a few blue and grey bits... Still, the fact that temperatures rose up to 36ºC at the time during which i was down in the Zencave, could help to explain the sweaty hands and the masking tape might have suffered from that too...

Zen

[Stuart]

There are days when we should just put our feet up with a cold beer and a good book...

Looking good though, and I'm sure you'll sort out the issues around the Gun panel.

That's an interesting aircraft in that photo, I don't recall seeing a Sabre with Missile Pylons before - what did they carry - sidewinders?

[Zen]

There are days when we should just put our feet up with a cold beer and a good book...

Looking good though, and I'm sure you'll sort out the issues around the Gun panel.

That's an interesting aircraft in that photo, I don't recall seeing a Sabre with Missile Pylons before - what did they carry - sidewinders?

Sir T, thank you for the cheer up.
Yup, you're totally right, that's what i should have done... missiles were the Sidewinders, 9B, i believe?



They got the capability to launch those in 1962, IIRC.

I'll mask the gun ports and spray the XF-24 on the fuselage, X-4 on the intake lip, and after that, XF-69 on the anti-glare panel. Let's see if i don't mess it up even more.

[Zen]

Well, finally did it, it's ready for a gloss coat and decals.






Zen