Skypirate's Airfix-Plastyk 1/72 blended Hunter *FINISHED*

[skypirate]

Started putting on Pledge coats today, alongside work on canopy, seat, and undercarriage.
I see that 3 others have finished, and done very well.

I tried airbrushing Pledge mixed 4:1 with isopropyl alcohol. The Humbrol so-called 'satin' light aircraft grey simply absorbs that mix. Very slow to show a difference. I think I will revert to the good old soft, wide brush method.

I appreciate all the encouragement, but this is going to be one to look at from the other side of the room. A large, crowded room. At night, with the lights off.

Cheers,

David

[skypirate]

Is that looking like a Hunter at last?



But it has turned into a tail-sitter! Must be all that putty and reinforcement in the rear fuselage!
And when I drilled a hole in the cockpit floor from below, for the nosewheel, it knocked out the control column, now floating about in the cockpit!
Aaaarrrgh!

David

[TimJ]

Looking very nice.

[skypirate]

I have lined the nosewheel bay roof with strips of wine bottle lead foil (hoarded for many years), so as to add some weight while preserving the scratchbuilt bay as far as possible. Almost fixed the balance but not quite. If I can replace the nosewheel doors with metal, it might be enough. Let's see if I can find some spare Aeroclub white metal parts to hack up.
The difficult decals are done:



This was quite a challenge because the Airfix doors do not fit the Plastyk wings! I have also painted the shallow wheel wells with shades of silver to resemble the Revell kit. I'll try to tone it down a bit. Funny thing is the inboard doors were missing from the Airfix FGA.9 kit in the blueprint box. I looked in another one I have and those are missing too! I looked at a built example in my display and I have used styrene card for those! But a later release (end-opening box with Gavin McLeod box art) has them! Weird! I'm not going crazy. I think.

And the wing tanks have been test fitted.

What fun!

David

[iggie]

I knew there was a reason to drink wine!
Good work David, hopefully the metal u/c doors will be enough to tip the balance

[DavidWomby]

I'm off to check my hoarded Airfix Hunters (4 IIRC ) have all their inner mainwheel doors!

David

[skypirate]

Feels like the finishing straight! All the decals are on. A bit of blu-tack holds the nose down. There are the Airfix nosewheel doors. I haven't any suitable bits of spare white metal to replace them. I shall try to either graft some lead foil onto them or manufacture replacements from folded lead foil.



And here is an inboard mainwheel door built from two layers of styrene card, plus some styrene rod and stretched sprue for the actuating jacks.



Notice the shiny decal. The late-release Airfix decals from the Hunter kit are very glossy. So I have to put on a shiny finishing coat. Humbrol Gloss Cote is the shiniest of my choices (others being Microscale gloss, and Alclad Aqua Gloss, both water-based). I have not used the Humbrol product for years. It needs thinning, which worries me about the effect on the finished model. Brushed on to a test subject it has done no damage yet, but is really too thick to apply that way. Maybe another brushed coat of Pledge first before airbrushing.

So many finishing steps!

David

[JamesPerrin]

Humbrol themselves recommended thinning their Cotes with cellulose thinners when airbrushed. They take and age to dry with ordinary enamel thinners. Brush painting the gloss works very well and I use it to seal homemade decals.

Anyway the end is well insight

[Gregers]

This one is looking stunning. Great work.

All the best

Greg

[DavidWomby]

It may be painful, the mainwheel doors, nose weight and now glossing, but she looks gorgeous.

David

[skypirate]

Thanks, chaps. All is now ready for the last coat of Pledge, and then perhaps a Humbrol Gloss Cote thinned with lacquer thinner. I have learned that Humbrol Matt Cote does not like lacquer (cellulose) thinner - it works ok for me with good old turps. But I will experiment with the Gloss Cote.
I have made lead foil nosewheel doors (all part of the general 'don't look too closely' theme for this model!), and it just barely balances out. Woohoo!
I won't have proper photos until after this weekend.

David, did you find the inboard mainwheel doors in your other Airfix Hunter kits? Very curious.

Cheers,

David

[DavidWomby]

David, did you find the inboard mainwheel doors in your other Airfix Hunter kits? Very curious.

Cheers,

David

LOL. All present and accounted for thank you, David. However, I did find I have 5 Airfix in the stash - not just 4. 3 FGA9s and 2 of the early F6 kits.

BTW - I used ModelMaster Acryl Gloss Clear for the first time on my Hunter and liked it a lot. I struggle with clear coats - either they end up pebbly or I get runs but this time it was very easy to airbrush. I'll try it again on the next one.

David

[skypirate]

Hmmm... I'll look out for the Modelmaster gloss. Would be nice to find a reliable gloss coat.

Cheers!

[shangos70]

Looking great now, well worth all the effort.

[skypirate]

More photos in Aviation Modelling and the Gallery of Completions.



Thanks for watching!

David