Sea Harrier FRS.1 by Old Collingwood - FINISHED - Kinetic - 1/48

[Old Collingwood]

Evening  all,   more progress this evening  - after  applying the serial codes to the bottom of the tail, I then  settled it down with micro sol, and when I was sure it was set  I then rubbed  some pancil into the rear lower part of the frame to represent staining from the Hot rear  jet pipes,  after  I started work  brushing on  my Vallejo Acrylic Varnish, my method for doing this was to work in controled areas  and  dry  between coats.

Working over the decals was/is taking its time as its needing several coats to hide/blend  the silvering  on the decals  - it is working just slowly  and  some are more stubborn than the rest.

 

I will put some pics up when I am  happy with the result.

 

OC.

[popeye the sailor]

mak'in some great progress on this one OC..........decaling and the cockpit glass look awesome!     

[Old Collingwood]

33 minutes ago, popeye the sailor said:

mak'in some great progress on this one OC..........decaling and the cockpit glass look awesome!     

Thank you so much Denis.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Good day all,   I have been pushing on with the varnishing with my brush  -  its not going too bad, the main culprit  being the Royal Navy  decals on the tail, its not fully blendid into the paint surface but it will do,   I have also been concentrating on creating the SHARS  tell tail  rear dirty shiny  rear lower from the heat from the rear jet pipes.

 

So without delay here are some pics -

 

OC.

[Edwardkenway]

Nice work OC !

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking great OC!  My guess is that with some weathering and a final top coat, the tail code films will be even less visible.  

[Old Collingwood]

2 minutes ago, Edwardkenway said:

Nice work OC !

Thank you Edward.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

5 minutes ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Looking great OC!  My guess is that with some weathering and a final top coat, the tail code films will be even less visible.  

Thank you kindly Mike,

 

Yep  thats what I have been doing but will continue , the tail has had about  Ten coats of Matt Acrylic Callejo top coat  so far, but I can keep adding more.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

A few days ago I was looking up what to do with carrier film issues.  Some suggested that it could be from air pockets between the decal and the model.  To minimize this, the consensus seemed that (1) a gloss coat before decal application gives a smooth surface, so the decals can sit easier, (2) use of decal setting solutions (I've been using Micro Set and Micro Sol, but it sounds like there are others that are stronger but you have to be careful on certain kits, and (3) use a pin to pop a hole in the decal to let the solution under the decal to release the air pocket and help the decal to sit better.  

 

On my 1/72 planes, I sprayed with Future, then added Micro Set to the model before adding the decal.  Once the decal was on, I added more Micro Set and a bit of Micro Sol.  Had zero carrier film issues, but sitting the decal on the Micro Set led to a weaker decal that was prone to ripping.  On my F3Fs, I added the decals straight to the painted finish without the Future gloss coat (didn't want to dull the aluminum finish).  When applying the decals, I added water to the model, added the decal, then added Micro Set and Micro Sol on top.  Much easier to manipulate the decals using just water and not Micro Set, particularly the pin striping.  But, if the light hits it just right, at an acute angle you can see the carrier film edges.  It was more prominent pre-final clear coat and weathering, but is still there.  

 

So I don't know what the answer is.  This certainly wasn't a controlled experiment as I was using decals of different ages and from different manufacturers.  Next time I might try using both water and a touch of Micro Set under the decal when positioning them.  Seems like the carrier film issue is prevalent across many model and decal types though.

[Old Collingwood]

My procedure for my decals was to apply micro set to surface first, then position the decal and using a cotton bud smooth out the decal, then when set I applied a good few coats over the top with micro sol, with the tail decal it settled down even let the panel lines show through  - but  the silvering  between the decals  on the decal is showing the decal not  pulling it down  (its all down to me not applying a gloss coat before the decals)

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Im back again  -  next up  was the rear jet pipe exhausts  - these get very hot so they  soon show a burned  metal finish, I mixed up a  mixuture off  Brass  and flat Black  and gave then a couple of coats, next came the fuselage heat shields  - thease again tended to get  very hot and show a burned metal look.

After these had dried I applied a few coats of top coat then they were glued in place  - next was the placing of the 190gal  drop tanks  on thier inner pylons.

 

Its getting there.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all, more progress  with SHAR  -  I decided to wortk on the Pitot Tube  and nose cone, firstly the kit one is able to be improved  with the addition of a brass Masters  tube, but first I had to cut off the plastic one where it is joined to the fuselage frame, then it was a case of sanding the front part  flat  - and with a very very very fine drill  I made a small hole in the end  (not very easy)   I managed to do this (just)  then the brass tube's end  (protrution)  was glued into the hole with ca,  this was left on one side while I worked on the nose cone.

The nose cone needed some shaping as the fuselage at the very end is not a purfect circle, so I sanded the edges where it needed flating slightly,  then I maked with a pencil inside  for the T.D.C  alignment,   then I  applied a few coats of  Black/Grey  and after a few coats of top coat,   then when dry  it was lined up and glued in place,    still needs some work to tidy up and a bit of paint on the tube.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all,    Sidewinder Time  -  these come in seperate sections  - body / Two piece tail fins  and seperate front fins, then several layers of paint  and a couple armd marks, then it was attached to the rail  - it still needs the pre-rail  painting.

 

OC.

[Canute]

Well done with the heater, OC. A very reliable missile.

[Old Collingwood]

9 minutes ago, Canute said:

Well done with the heater, OC. A very reliable missile.

Thank you kindly  Ken,   it took me nearly all day to do.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all  -  Right  both Sidewinders are on.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

Looking really good OC.  Nice to see it with some teeth in  

[Old Collingwood]

11 minutes ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Looking really good OC.  Nice to see it with some teeth in  

Thank you kindly Mike.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all,   I did abit more  today  concentrating on the U/C  units  these are built up in stages with  painting and weathering  in layers,  I have  been able to glue them in place  letting them set  before I work on the  outrigger units  - then it can be sat on its  wheels.

 

The main u/c  doors were changed onboard  Hermes  as  they had an issue with original ones  (hence the colour shade difference)😉

 

# just noticed the front u/c small door has moved and will need re gluing.🤨

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all,     Thank you all for all the likes  and comments,

 

Right straight in with some progress  and a little laugh  -  I had finished  attaching the main and front u/c units  got then lined up and flattened the tyres  for weight, then somehow I managed to drop the plane  onto the floor  😦  I expected the worst  - but the only damage was the pitot tube had  come away, bit of a pain  as my ca glue has gone thick and  wont smooth into place, I had to use some as the pitot is metal, I managed to smear  a bit around the  break but it was not a smooth as I wanted - oh well  best left alone.

Next job today  was to work on the Two outrigger legs  - simple?   - not quite,  glued in place and even added flat spots under the wheels, but they were two high and were pushing the main u/c unit off the floor by the eqv  of a bout a  foot, so some fiddling  sanding  under the outrigger units  and re try, did this for some time - till one of them came un glued and fell to the ground🤬    you know  those bins  - it nearly  got a plastic SHAR.

 

Any way I can away from the table  for a break  - then later I returned  with a new wind  and tried again, the leg was re glued and forced dried with the dryer, then after it was set I continued till I got all sitting on the deck.🙂

 

They still need painting  - but I decided I would have a go at  simulating HMS Hermes deck using the  section of board I have thats grassed on one side, I flipped it over and have started to lay some paint layers down, It needs a dark strip down the centerline and white edging bands  - these will be masked up and painted by hand.

 

So this is the current status  - and a couple of pics...

 

OC.

 

[Canute]

Looking good, OC, Suitably mean jet.

[Old Collingwood]

13 minutes ago, Canute said:

Looking good, OC, Suitably mean jet.

Thanks Ken,

 

Im hoping to set her  on a  deck  type scene  - may later  add  a ladder / pilot  and possibly a tug  - that will be next year though.

 

OC.

[Edwardkenway]

Very warlike OC , it'll look fabulous on the deck!!

[Old Collingwood]

21 minutes ago, Edwardkenway said:

Very warlike OC , it'll look fabulous on the deck!!

Thank you kindly Edward.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks fantastic OC!  Glad the modeling gods were with you on the drop.  🧐

[Old Collingwood]

Evening all.     before I  do a briefing about my status with the build  -  this is what the admiral said to me about todays antics  - "You should  stop making model planes"   reason being - 

 

I decided to carry on putting some  masked White lines on the board thats simulating  HMS Hermes deck  - its going very well,    I put it aside to dry  and noticed that the pitot tube on SHAR was drooping even further,  so it had to be corrected some how  - out came my gummed up bottle of ca glue  - its gone like a treacle now  stiff and stringy,  I had no choice but to try to use a fine bit of stiff wire and dab it in the glue then try to smear it around where the pitot tube is attached  (did I say it was a mess)  "yep even more mess caused"   streaks of ca strings down the nose cone and a few blobs also, yet the pitot  was still not secure.

No choice but to pull the pitot out and attempt to sand down the nose cone,  it took a good sanding and polishing to get it smooth, then where the pitot enters I sanded it back and made a fresh tiny hole  - then I brushed onto the cone a few layers of my Vallejo Black surface primer, this went on quite well as it tends to self level, but after force drying it I then buffed it abit to smooth out a few  brush marks.

I had thrown away the ca as it was now no good and had caused enough trouble,  so I had to use a bit of my Revell  plastic glue  to secure the pitot tube  - I agian used heat to kind of melt the join and trap the pitot tube pin that makes the joint.

 

While all this was happening  I also managed to knock the front u/c leg off (it fell into the carpet jungle)   and also one of the sidewinders cam un glued, I found both and simply re glued them.

 

Hence the admirals comments above.

 

OC.

[Old Collingwood]

5 minutes ago, Landlubber Mike said:

Looks fantastic OC!  Glad the modeling gods were with you on the drop.  🧐

Thanks mike,    read below/above.

 

OC.

[Canute]

OC, you sound like that guy in the old "Joe Palooka" comics, always under a dark cloud. Don't know if that comic was shown in the UK and I'm trying to find a picture of him. You have been snake-bit, but always rally back to turn out some gems, like this SHAR. 👍

[Old Collingwood]

1 hour ago, Canute said:

OC, you sound like that guy in the old "Joe Palooka" comics, always under a dark cloud. Don't know if that comic was shown in the UK and I'm trying to find a picture of him. You have been snake-bit, but always rally back to turn out some gems, like this SHAR. 👍

Thanks Ken,    having that breather  -  fresh eyes  really helps, I think when you are pushing so hard on a model and things start to go wrong  - a break certainly helps  even if just for a few minutes.

 

OC.

[Roger Pellett]

Wasn’t, that Joe Bjnxf (sp?),  the professional jinx in Lil’ Abner?

 

Roger