*COMPLETE* The Final Countdown Zero dogfight diorama - Part 1: 1/72 Academy F-14A

[JNordgren42]

I assembled the AIM-54's and the last AIM-7 and shot some primer on them, as well as one each of the kit missiles just to see how they compare. And WOW! What a difference. Even accounting for the fact that I only did minimal cleanup on the kit parts, the detail is just next level on the Reskit parts. I'd love to see how good their 1/48 and 1/32 offerings look.

The full loadout. From left to right: AIM-9D, AIM-7E-2, AIM-54A, AIM-54A, AIM-7E-2, AIM-9L

Reskit & Stock AIM-9D

Rear end of Reskit & Stock AIM-9D

Reskit & Stock AIM-9L

Reskit & Stock AIM-7E

Rear end of Reskit vs. Stock AIM-7E.

Reskit vs. Stock AIM-54A

Rear of Reskit vs. stock AIM-54A

Top side of the Reskit AIM-54A

 

[Analyzer]

Nice

They really do have a notable difference

 

[JNordgren42]

I'm super close to starting paint. I've got all the major assemblies built, and made a first pass at sanding and polishing out the mold seam on the canopy. I'm waiting on some clear blue to arrive for the front windscreen and I need to decide on an alternative for the discontinued Future/Pledge for the canopy. I've also got a couple of minor seams to fill and clean, but I'm almost there.

All the bits. Almost ready for some primer:

The canopy isn't perfectly clear yet, but the seam is gone and an application of some sort of clear should get it the rest of the way.

I debated weather to glue the verticals on before or after painting. I went with before, hopefully it's the right decision.

The "biggest" issues that need a little attention with filler are the seams at the nose halves. Really pretty minor in the grand scheme.

 

[Analyzer]

Looking good

As far as a replacement for Future

Tamiya X-22 works great if not even better than Future in the long term as a general clear gloss coat

As far as dipping canopies and such, I personally do not do it any longer as most these days look fine without it

But if you want something that seems to work and behave like Future, there is this

A Replacement For Pledge? Here It Is! – JonBius.com

This review is about using the product for SCALE MODELS. NOT FLOORS.** NOT FLOORS **.just to be Klear. (See what I did there?) A few quick notes about this post/video: Yes, it's cloudy. No, it doesn't go on cloudy. I'm not saying this is a super gloss coat. It is a utility coat. If you…

www.jonbius.com

I can't offer up any first hand acknowledgement of the claim, but I know next time I am in Wal-Mart I will pick up a bottle

 

[Analyzer]

Also to add AK Interactive makes a clear gloss and canopy dip that is supposed to be good as well

 

[JNordgren42]

Also to add AK Interactive makes a clear gloss and canopy dip that is supposed to be good as well

Thanks! I've seen the Quick Shine, and the AK product looks interesting. I'm actually leaning towards getting some polishing compound and just going that route. It's already pretty good with just sanding and using a raw Dremel polishing wheel. I think with some compound it would shine up nicely.

 

[Analyzer]

Thanks! I've seen the Quick Shine, and the AK product looks interesting. I'm actually leaning towards getting some polishing compound and just going that route. It's already pretty good with just sanding and using a raw Dremel polishing wheel. I think with some compound it would shine up nicely.

For what it is worth, I have used the three Tamiya polishing compounds (course, fine, and superfine/finish) along with their polishing clothes (the red/pink, the white, and the blue ones) and things come out great without adding any clear coat

 

[pengbuzz]

Just about any acrylic floor polish should work.

 

[JNordgren42]

I'm ready to start painting! I did final touch ups on the cockpit, shot a little clear green in the front windscreen and did a little surgery on the R.I.O.'s arm (it interfered with the canopy closing). I glued up the canopy and applied the masks. I also found a great use for one of my expensive kitchen gadgets, the wings had a pretty pronounced warp in the leading edges, so I fired up my sous vide immersion circulator set to 190°F and gave them a little hot water bath to make them pliable and bend them back to shape. It worked fantastically well. Tomorrow I shoot the first coat of primer so I can get a better idea of what still needs work.


Final views of the naked canopy before butting it up.

Canopy glued down:

My Wolfpack decals came with pre cut canopy masks:

Bent wing:

In the sous vide bathe for a minute or so:

Much better!

 

[JNordgren42]

There's nothing like a nice coat of primer to simultaneously tie everything together and show you every single flaw in your model. I'm fairly pleased with how the first coat laid down, but I definitely have a couple of areas to finesse. I'm going to let this cure then get busy with some filler and re-scribing.

 

[Analyzer]

Looking good

 

[JNordgren42]

I'm almost ready to start painting in earnest. My base colors came in at my local(ish) hobby shop and I'm going to pick them up sometime this week. I think I've got one more round of filler to touch up a couple of spots and then it's on to undercoating. I've never done marbling before so I cut and scribed a few test panels to practice on.

Getting close.

I'm not super happy with the panel lines in front of the wind screen, but I don't know if it worth it to mess with them more. It's hard to notice by eye, and I think it will be difficult to tell once the black anti-glare is on.

Test panel to try out my marbling technique.

 

[Analyzer]

Nice

Here is a great technique for the swept wing effect using a compass tool and a larger flat brush. Very convincing and so much better and looking than decals

It is around the 27:23 mark

 

[JNordgren42]

Nice

Here is a great technique for the swept wing effect using a compass tool and a larger flat brush. Very convincing and so much better and looking than decals

It is around the 27:23 mark

That's a good idea. I've seen people use a 1" or 2" brush and paint in a circular motion, but a compass would ensure everything is concentric.

 

[PHArchivist]

Add the B-25 camera plane and make it a behind-the-scenes diorama!

 

[JNordgren42]

Add the B-25 camera plane and make it a behind-the-scenes diorama!

That might be fun! I think I'm going to do the first Zero next and then I'll decide where to go after that.

 

[PHArchivist]

Fantastic aerial imagery in that movie...

 

[JNordgren42]

I got the marbled undercoat down for the white bottom areas. It's not perfect, but I've got medium gray going over it for the panel lines and then the base white over that, so I'm sure it will be fine. My test panels didn't turn out half bad, and I'm sure I'll get better with practice.

 

[JNordgren42]

One thing I love about Mr. Color lacquers is the super fast drying time. I was able to get both the panel shading and the base color coat down. I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. Now to let it fully cure so I can mask it and start on the Light Gull Gray on the upper surfaces. One helpful commenter on Reddit pointed out something interesting that I totally missed. These birds didn't have the white upper surfaces on the horizontal stabilizers, flaps, and spoilers. I don't know how I didn't notice with the amount of times I've gone over the film footage. I prefer the white on the upper parts, but I won't have to mask the spoilers, so that does make things easier.

The ventral side base color is done. The pic doesn't really do the shading justice.

Ventral side of the port wing. Camera exposure is a little lower than the fuselage and you can see the shading a bit better.

One of the Reskit Phoenix's in white. The detail really pops with color on it.

Fuselage at the panel shading stage. It's a bit messy, but it works once the color is on.

 

[Analyzer]

Nice effect with the paint