tc`s VF-111 `Sundowners` `upgrade to 1/48` Project

[steve149c]

TC - love that sharks mouth scheme - one thing I note is how clean all the USN stuff is!

Look forward to this

[tc2324]

So the time has come to start making the Academy F-4B `Sundowner`.

Now as some of you may know, this kit comes `colour coded` just like the Matchbox kits of days gone by albeit in a much more professional manner.

This means quite simply that if you wish, you can leave the paints/sprays alone. I can only assume that this was aimed at the less experienced modeller which in itself is a good thing. The following picture gives you a general idea of what Academy are trying to aim for.



Now obviously I`m going to paint this kit. But as a little experiment, I`m going to proceed as far as I can go without painting to see exactly how it might look unpainted.

So onto the cockpit tub and seats. Now prior to deciding to go the unpainted route, I had indeed pre-painted a few bits and bobs. These included the Ejector seats sides and cockpit tub and walls. Hence why these parts look dull and the rest shiny The remainder are unpainted and note that the pull down handles are not fitted.





Ok, so the seats will `do` and the detail level is reasonably acceptable. I`m not quite sure what the white bit sitting between the headrest and seat back is all about though?

And this is where I become a little confused with the thought process at Academy HQ.

They have created and released technically what you might call a `pre-painted` model possibly aimed at the `younger` market and yet the kit itself could be construed as quite complex to assemble for a less experienced modeller.

The seats themselves are made up of 8 bits and then take a look at how you put the main u/c legs on....,







Don`t get me wrong, I`m actually quite enjoying putting this little lot together and I may well be wrong about why Academy have pre-painted the parts and the market they are aiming for. However it does seem to me to be a little confusing to mix complex kit building and then give you the option to leave it unpainted.

More soon.

[paddyboy]

HI TC

I can just see you making that up OOB ....... NOT

Keep us all posted

Cheers

Patrick

[tc2324]

Cheers Patrick.

A few pictures of the work so far......





The pictures above show, in my view anyway, how complicated the assembly of the main u/c is. You can`t just build the airframe and then stick them on when your ready after coating, decaling and weathering like you tend to do with most kits I`ve worked on. Instead you now have to be very careful not to knock or catch them while completing the build. I appreciate the level of detail, but I think it also has to be a bit practical as well.

Again it was a case of putting 7 bits of plastic together for one wheel well which again screams of overkill to me especially as this kit is aimed partly at new modellers.

The next picture is a rough idea of how the pre painted section look once the main section is built. In this case I`ve just dry fitted them together for the photo.



I will admit that as long as your very careful with the glue and avoid smudges, this could come out very respectable indeed.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

As usual, your 'pit is lookin' cookin'

'7 parts for 1 wheel'

Whose idea was that for a 'beginners' model build

Keep us mere mortals posted

Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

Here`s the Academy F-4B unpainted, (say for the exhaust nozzles which I had to do because there was no other way of getting round them), with the elevators dry fitted for the purpose of the photo`s.

Not bad all in all, although the white tail fin looks odd, but then you have to consider that the `sun burst` markings have a white background so it could be reasonable.











So this is probably where I say farewell to the idea of building the kit unpainted but hopefully it gives any `newbies` an idea of what this kit looks like without adding paint.

[paddyboy]

HI TC

I will be interested to see how you overcome having to build it that way

Best regards

Paddyboy

[tc2324]

Got `Old Nick 201` into more formal wear today.

Still needs a touch up here and there, but the main spray is now complete.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC



Cheers

Patrick

[tc2324]

After a few days of non modelling and taking a break, it`s time to climb back on the horse.

Tail decals are on and this F-4 now has an identity......

[paddyboy]

Hi TC



Cheers

Patrick

[tc2324]

More decaling added and I haven`t even started the stencils yet.......

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

She is going to be one very 'busy' bird with all that decaling/stencilling

Cheers

Patrick

[tc2324]

Ok, so I`m almost there, kinda...

Here`s a couple of shots of `Old Nick 201` with the canopy dry fitted just for show. (This will be open when finished).





The weathering and wash seems to have come out quite nicely on this, but I also made sure that it wasn`t too dirty looking either.

Center tanks, a few `winders and Sparrows, u/c and flaps and I`ll be calling it done.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

'Seems to have come out nicely'

Seems to have come out brilliantly to my ol' mincers

Superb work, mate IMHO

Best regards as always

Patrick

[tc2324]

Now I was going to start work on an F-14, either as the famous `Miss Molly` or another high vis scheme for the cat.

However....,

.... this little gem has landed on my doorstep and I can`t resist the `Last Gunfighter`.



You`ll have to forgive the awful iPhone pictures but my desktop is back in the shop again after another `meltdown`.

Back in June 1968 Tony Nargi was mixing it with MiG 21`s over Vietnam and claimed the Sundowners first kill with a AIM-9 flying `Old Nick 103` and this will be the subject matter for this build.



Oh but I hear you cry, thats an F-8E and Mr Nargi was flying in a `C`. Well you should all know me by now and that I`ll not scared to break out the surgical equipment and try to make thing right.

So lets take a look at the things that need doing.

The `Hump`



Well that's gotta go.

The RHAWS Pod



That`s gotta go as well.

The Nose Cone



Now I`m not entirely sure if this needs to be shortened or sharpened? Any advice will do.

The Canopy Pod



As you can see the pod needs to be added in this kit so to make sure it looks like a `C`, I`ll be forgetting to add that.

Now IIRC I also seem to remember that the front fuselage is slightly `slimmer` on the `C`. But I`m not really going be able to make a difference in that area so I`ll have to let that one go.

More soon.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

I will be following this REALLY closely, as I love 'the last gunfighter' as much as I love the 'Frightning'

One of my all time fave displays was by the French Navy at IAT 1987, when the pilot nudged the sound barrier on one pass

Very best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

So after 5 days at the repair shop, my desk top is now back in business and I can update you on the `Gunfighter`.

Step 1.

First I tackled the hump and as a precaution before removing it, I used filler in all the gaps to prevent it from falling apart in my hands.



Step 2.

I removed the hump while at the same time trying to blend in the leading edge of the tail fin. This picture is about half way through.



Step 3.

Pretty much built the model and checked it all fit snugly.



Step 4.

Trimmed the nose cone, removed the trailing fin pod and smoothed off the hump. I them gave it a lick of paint and ended up at this stage by the end of the weekend. The second picture is a kind of profile shot showing my modifications of turning this `E` kit into a `C` kit.

Did I succeed? That is up to the eye of the beholder.





Step 5.

Then came the fun part of adding the decals and sorting out the weathering and the model as of a couple of days ago ended up looking like this.



I`ve pretty much finished the kit now with the weapons and u/c fitted which was a bit of a pain as the fit is terrible. (but that's another story).

I just need to add the anti collision lights and the finished pictures will be posted soon.

Thanks for looking.

[paddyboy]

Hi TC

You have go to be pleased with that work

The weathering looks spot on

Best regards

Patrick

[tc2324]

As I`m in a Sundowners mood at the moment, it`s time to introduce you all to a certain Miss Molly.



Now for the boring history bit.....

F-14A Tomcat, BuNo 161621/NL 200 was a rare Tomcat for it`s day. It was often officially discouraged from applying nose art, especially pin ups, as it was deemed politically incorrect.

This nose art was chosen as a tribute to Molly Sneed who had christened CVN-70 in 1980 at Senator Carl Vinson`s request as she and her husband had been his life long aides.

161621 was stricken in 2004.

So far a bit of pre painting and the cockpit section have been completed.