Splash's Day Fighter ***Finished***

[splash]

As per usual I have not done any research yet, all I have is the kit and the VW nose, so it looks like I will start the kit and make up my mind on what mark/colours in a day or two subject to what results turn up on the research.

Regards Splash

[Old_Tonto]

Sounds like a cunning plan.
The same plan as me infact.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Ah, the old "What's in this paint pot?" plan

[splash]

Now my F4 Tiger meet GB build is finished I will start on the Defient. I found a photo of an early mk1 with the Black and White underside and Green Brown top that looks different enough, also a Fleet Air Arm trainer in silver/Yellow & Black.

[Dirkpitt289]

Sounds great Splash. I look forward to seeing the build

[splash]

OK time to start the build, as we are all building the same kit I will not bore you with the kit photo. As I have no experience working with resin I decided to attempt cutting the VW spinner and nose of the resin block using my trusty Scale Aircraft Modelling rule with its saw edge.

Being a flat saw blade it cut the parts off with minimal fuss and made a clean cut that will require minimal cleaning up.

Looking at the parts I see the transparencies are far from transparent, the turret might have well been cast in solid plastic as your not going to see any detail through it, so my first cunning plan will be to try and crash mould some transparencies using the parts off a Defiant my Grandson had started to build a few months ago.

[Dirkpitt289]

That's a nice looking nose

[splash]

The first attempt at crash moulding looks like it might have worked, I will treat this as a practice as I'm still toying with the idea of doing the target tug trainer in the Fleet Air Arm markings.







Regards Splash

[Dirkpitt289]

I was going to try the same thing Splash!!! That looks so much better then the kit supplied parts. I just need to get some material to try it with

[Martin R]

That plunge-moulded turret looks miles better than the kit one. Well done!

regards,

Martin

[splash]

I was going to try the same thing Splash!!! That looks so much better then the kit supplied parts. I just need to get some material to try it with

I just used the plastic clear packaging that covered a set of HP printer ink cartridges.

For the hot air source I used my wife's card making hot air gun, it produces high temperature at low air pressure which is just what you need to melt the plastic in a controlled manner.

Regards Splash

[JohnRatzenberger]

Wow, my turret isn't great but it sure beats the one you got !!
Good job on the molded one; it'll look great with frames on it.

[TomW]

Definitely an improvement on the kit item! and no nasty ejection mark right in the centre of it

Regards

Tom

[splash]

I managed to get an hour on the bench tonight and start the Defiant. There is not much to see all I have done is join the two sides together and cleaned up some of the flash.

I have decided on an early a/c in the green/ brown upper surface and black/white underside.

Regards Splash

[splash]

A bit more work tonight cutting off the nose, still nothing to photograph.

Regards Splash