Revell Germany 1/48 F-22 Raptor

Modeling Subjects Aircraft
1

Hello, folks! This is my first post on this site, so I thought I’d say “hello” by posting links to pictures of my latest work-in-progress. I’d been out of modelling for about 4 years until recently. I finally finished the workshop I was building in my garage, so now I’ve got all the room to do whatever I want! Now all I have to do is find the time!

This is a Revell Germany kit, which seem to be MUCH better in fit and finish than US built Revell kits. This one is 1/48th scale, and the detail is quite nice.

Mostly finished cockpit section here:

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0207.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0208.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0209.JPG

Please forgive the horried small-detail painting. I never have been very good at tiny brushwork.

The HUD sight-glass. Dipped in Tamiya X25 Clear Green. A bit too green if you ask me. I might have to start over with some Future and a small amount of green food color.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0211.JPG

Seam work using Mr. Surfacer on the forward fuselage sub-assembly prior to sanding. This is my first whack at using Mr. Surfacer, and so far I really like it.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0213.JPG

After sanding/polishing:

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0221.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0222.JPG

More pre-sanded seam work on the aft fuselage:

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0215.JPG

Detail of the engine exhaust/thrust vectoring units. It looks better in natural light rather than the flash from the camera. Even so, I might “simple-green” it and start over, airbrushing the exterior T.V. units instead of hand-painting them.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0223.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0216.JPG

Bottom fuselage-half, including whited bomb/missle bays and wheel wells:
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0218.JPG

The intakes are indeed a pain in the arse. I started work on them darned-near all night. Gluing them down was insanely difficult to begin with, but I think I got things looking as close to “right” as possible prior to fill/sand/polish.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0224.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0225.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0227.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0229.JPG

Here’s a few “post-Mr. Surfacer” shots. Not sanded yet.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0233.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0234.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0235.JPG

After it was sanded and polished , it turned out well. Pics of that further down.

I also tinted the canopy and attached it to the canopy frame. Detail work still needs doing here.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0231.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0232.JPG

I finised the seam that runs laterally along the back of the plane. Half a bottle of Mr. Surfacer, fourteen flexi-files and a lot of patience later, this is what it looks like:

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0236.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0237.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0238.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0239.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0240.JPG

In the last two photos, you can see some of the panel line re-etching I’ve done. It’s not as difficult as I thought it’d be, and it turned out that I had most of the required tools. The pictures don’t quite do them justice. They actually look pretty darn good, and I think they look even better with a coat of primer on top of them.

After primer, here’s what that seam across the back of the plane looks like:

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0241.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0242.JPG

Virtually gone! I’m so proud of myself! [:D]

The custom-fit of the air intakes turned out great too!

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0243.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0244.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0245.JPG

As of right now, I’m taking care of some blemishes along the back of the airplane where I had to custom-fit some access panels. Straight from the box, you can either build them open or closed, but the look like hell closed and I don’t want them open either. Lots of filling/sanding/re-etching to be done here.

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0246.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0247.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0248.JPG
http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0249.JPG

While waiting for the filler to dry for those, I’ve base-coat painted the missles, landing gear (minus the wheels/tires), landing gear doors, and weapons-bay doors. It’s a nice flat-white, isn’t it?

http://home.socal.rr.com/gjcalvin/pics/Modelpics/Raptor/DSC_0250.JPG

That’s it so far. I’ve been working on this kit for about three weeks now, and I figure I’ve got another three or so to go in order to get it to the level I want it. If there’s anyone interested, I’d consider putting more pics up as I go along.

Glad I found this forum!

Sincerely,

Glenn

2

looks good so far. the detail is incredible.

joe

3

Wow! Great work!

4

Great work so far CaptainBrazilia. Oh and [#welcome] to the forums.

5

Welcome to the Forum [#welcome]. Very nice work. Is the kit a rebox of the Italeri kit ?

6

Thanks all!

rjk,

Yes. I’m told that it is a rebox of the Italeri kit.

7

Well…I boogered the gray-on-gray camo job. From the research I did, it’s supposed to be dark-gray splotches on a light gray background. Well, I tested on paper prior to spraying the model and liked what I saw, but when I sprayed the model the dark gray turned out too dark!

Aww crap!!! [:(!]

So what’s the best way to fix this aside from stripping off the paint completely and starting over? I wonder if a thin coat of lighter gray from the airbrush would tone the dark gray down a bit?

Aww heck! This model was going so well, too! [:(]

8

great detail captain ,and welcome to the forums.

A thin coat ontop the darker will fix it ,also it will create tonal variation
just like a/c in the field.

9

Really…

Okay! Off to try it!! I’ll show some before/after pics here when I’m done in a few hours.

Thanks for the tip.

10

[:D]

Before:

After:

It’s not SPECTACULAR…but it’ll work.

Next question: Future or Dullcote?

Thanks to everyone (again) for their input!

Sincerely,

CaptainIndecisive

11

Wow this a very good and cleanly build work. Good job. I love it. Welcome to the forum[#welcome].

12

Aye ,aye captain!
looks good to me ,thats a pretty plane you got
there.

13

I’ve gone to work on the weapons bays. So far, this is the worst fit and finish I’ve found on the kit.

The side bays are supposed to contain two sidewinder missles (one in each side bay), that are mounted on retractable rails. The idea behind this is when they’re fired the weapons bay door opens, the rails extend so that the missle is clear of the fuselage, and the missle is launched. Then, everything retracts and closes up again to “stealthify” itself.

Well, I’ve decided that the rails provided with the kit look like hell. The rails are modeled in the “extended” position, which makes the missle hang off the side of the plane. Since I’m relatively sure that they aren’t LOADED in this manner (rather, simply with the rail retracted and the doors open), I’ve decided to modify them.

In the above picture, you can see the difference between the “shortened” rail (LEFT) and the original rail (RIGHT). This, I figured, woould make the missle fit snugly into the weapons bay instead of hanging out the side. It turns out (as if you thought that’d be SIMPLE), that the missle DOESN’T EVEN FIT INTO THE WELL!!! With the rails almost where they’re supposed to be glued, the fins touch the sides, leaving it sticking out about a sixteenth of an inch.

ARGH!!! [:(!]

In the center weapons bay, they’ve given me six of what I imagine are air-to-air missles…though I’m not sure of the type. I’m also not sure that this would be an actual load during a true deployment of this aircraft. Here’s a shot of the initial fitting. They’re not glued in yet.

As you can see, they fit rather snugly. I think they’ll look a lot better after the doors are put on and I put this thing on its wheels. [:p]

I’m working now to detail the weapons bays prior to installing the missles permanently. Lots of hydraulic lines and electrical boxes to paint in there!

Next is a quick re-scribing (and possible shading) of panel lines, a light shot of Future, decaling and weathering, and another shot of Future to finish things up. Then, I’ll go hunting for a mirror to display it on so the underside can be seen easily.

More later!

14

cool. Iooking forward to seeing the finished product.[#welcome]

15

You and me, both!

[:D]