So with the Tiffy now finished I have moved on to a Red Arrows Hawk. Pretty sure I must have built one of these as a kid and decided that now was the time to have another go.
Build is going to be OTB, the only extra being the addition of a pilot as I’m fixing on doing this closed up with a white or blue nylon/perspex/acrylic rod up the tailpipe to show it in flight (and hopefully simulate a smoke trail)
This is the pilot: Note, the pilot arrived after I had finshed the main part of the cockpit and the little blighter wouldn’t fit in! so he has had to have both legs amputated at the knee…plus a lot of sanding…to get in there.
So, I’ve been tinkering with this for the last 2/3 days and this is where I’m at, just about ready to join up the fuse. I used the decals for seat belts but they are truely awful! What were Revell thinking!!! Have read that there is usually a cover over the rear seat when flying sinlge seat so will add that later to cover the awful decals.
reading a few reviews for this kit, it seems there are many inacuracies/ommissions on it (for the purist/aficionados). I’m not planning on addressing any of them. I build just for me and my pleasure, anyone (including me) who may see this model will never know of these…and hey…it keeps me happy [:D]
I had not looked before, but given the scads of AM for the thing, that makes a tone of sense.
Looks like it’ well on the way to a great build. And having one occuppied and one empty seat in the cockpit does allow showing off the fine work there.
So, a few more days down the road and all the bodywork is done. Last of the flaps has gone on, just wait 'til this evening for that to dry and then I’ll start misting the red on [:D]
So, this little baby now has it’s red coat and the first clear coat. Once that’s gone off then will remove the canopy and address the rear seat cover…and maybe the clipboard. Was sent a real cool pic showing the seat cover. Will then close her back up, another clear coat and then go for decals.
The seat cover is just going to be some toilet paper (to give a little texture) and watered down PVA glue. Should do the trick. We’ll see.
The ‘gadget’ is just a cheap airbrush holder with a marker pen (which goes up the tailpipe!), nothing special!!! “Necessity is the mother of all invention”. I actually put an old scalpel thingy up the tailpipe to hold when painting then stick it on the marker pen to dry.
A bit more progress last night and this morning. Have ‘made’ a seat cover for the rear seat, bit of toilet paper and pva glue. Also masked and painted the light grey det cord around the large canopy.
Will fix it all back in place later, then second coat of clear…and then on to the decals. Here’s hoping they don’t let the red grin through and go pink on me!
Just got the 2nd clear coat on (Humbrol Clear Gloss), will give it the night to cure off. Missus is at work tomorrow so should be able to get some/all of the decals done.
Worryingly, the canopy seems to have gone a bit hazy. Canopy was dipped in future previously and this is the first gloss coat on top of it. Fingers firmly that the cloudiness disappears as it dries, else I’ve just s****** it up.
Right then, had a bit of a disaster and am reaching out to the ‘collective mind’ of FSM for some guidance/assistance.
Put the first decal on my Hawk a short time ago and after 10 minutes or so found this:
I’m using:
and
This is all going over Humbrol Clear Gloss and so there seems to have been a reaction of some kind. Anyone else come a cropper with this combination? Was sprayed yesterday evening so had some 14 hours to dry…and it certainly feels dry and not at all sticky.
Luckily, I have just put the one on so everything has come to a grinding halt until I get this sorted. I have tried washing and gently using a cotton bud/warm water combination to rub this off…but doesn’t work and still have the ring:
Does anyone have any suggestions as to a way forward? And know how to fix this? I’m thinking to let this dry off properly and then put gloss back over the top. Guess I could mask off the roundel and respray the area.
I have Microset/sol here as well so maybe that works OK with Humbrol?
I usually use Alclad gloss and have never had this whitening issue before, maybe I just fix this one and then spray the Alclad over everything.
All suggestions/help/fixes will be greatly received!!! as I’m mightily p****d off just now.
Mopar…Didn’t turn out too bad, the cloudiness has gone but the clarity of the canopy has been affected a little. It’s nowhere near as clear as it was before with just the future over it. Strange because I’ve seen people who use Humbol Clear to dip canopies. Oh well, I think I will have to polish it up some and dip in future again. Could have been so much worse so I guess thank heaven for small mercies.
So, things are a little better. I’ve calmed down a bit now, finished the ‘bad word’ stage. Sprayed back over the offending area with Humbrol Clear Gloss. It has taken away ‘most’ of the white bloom/ring.
Thinking I’m just going to have to carefully touch up the red…or mask the roundel off and spray the red back over.
Trouble is…suggestions on next step. think I should go spray it all with Alclad Gloss before doing more decals (as not had issues with Alclad/setting solution…or…just found some Humbrol Decalfix in the drawers and I’m guessing that the decalfix/clear, both being Humbrol, should not have this bad interaction?
Seeing as on the one decal I’ve managed to get on so far, the infamous roundel, has got the damm red grinning through the white, I’m dubious to put the other decals on and have them pink on me. I’m experimenting on a mule to see if decalfix is ok…but that won’t solve the pinking issue.
So…I made the rash decision to mask off the underside and attempt the white arrow. Only got a couple of thin coats on so far so is still pink but hoping that a couple more coats will make it turn out OK. just have to keep remembering to push down the tape in a few places to make it conform to the curves!
Not sure how I’m gonna deal with the top side yet as there is text and not just lines/flashes…any suggestions?
Even if I say so myself, pretty chuffed at the results. Way better than ‘pinking’ decals:
Roundel has been saved with some careful painting…but you can clearly see the ‘pinking’ when compared to the sprayed white. Guess the only way round this is to paint over the white part???
WRT to the other remaining roundels (3), I figure on painting a white ‘disc’ shape under where the decal will go so it comes up white.
Whilst this ‘may’ work out OK for the roundels, how do I deal with the wording on the sides? Anyone have any suggestions. Does anyone have a spare/unused decal set for this model that they would be willing to sell (or know where I can buy) then I could piggy-back the decals…figure double thick would get rid of the pinking?
More masking today, along with putting the roundels on. Sprayed a white disc prior to putting decal on and that worked out just fine…no damm pinking
Also masked off the ‘stripes’ down one side. Not so easy to do…but got lovely white stripes. just got to cut a couple of Union Jacks and a badge off the original decal to stick on the model.
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