JSI Tomcat - Super Detailing???

[granch]

Are you going to reinforce the inside of your Cat? I think that your acrylic rods will have to go deep into the fuselage, if you don't want to see the rear part of the fuselage sagging: the beast is heavy... or do you plan to display it in a totally vertical climbing angle?

[A-10LOADER]

No need for reinforcing granch, the Cat will be going vertical at a slight 10 - 20 degree angle.


Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Small update on this Monday afternoon. I worked on the main body getting it ready for the forward nose section. I decided to use 3/16" brass rod figuring this would be nice and strong. I cut 3 pieces of the rod to 1 1/2" long.





I then drilled 3 holes into the main body to accept the rods. I sanded down the rods with some 120 grit sandpaper. This allowed the rods to slide into the holes perfectly.





To make sure I have no problems with the rods coming loose later I used some 2 part epoxy to join them to the holes.







I'll let these dry overnight and drill the hloes for the rods in the nose section tomorrow. Thanks for looking.

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Small update for tonight, I played around with the colors for the rods today. The blue came out alright, I think anyway but, I had some trouble getting the flat white to spray without splattering. I played with the mixture, I played with the airpressure, I did everything I could think of and this is how it turned out. I wish I could get the white rings a little more defined without so much splatter. I'll keep working on it until I get it where I'm happy with it BEFORE I paint the 2 good ones. Any how here's some pictures of the test rod. What does the "peanut gallery" think ??

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Small update for tonight. I was discussing how to paint the rings on the rods with a fellow modeler yesterday. He suggested I make a jig to hold the rods while spraying the rings so, this afternoon I threw this together quickly, thanks Ed. I wish I would have used this before painting the test rod. It would have made it easier to keep the rings more consistent. Hopefully it will yield better results on the other rods. I just need to get the white paint to cooperate better next time.





Thanks for your continued support throughout this project, until the next update.


Steve

[firefighterpilot1]

That's a really cool concept, it's probably going to look pretty sweet when it's done! A little curious as to why you chose blue, though? Is that going to be the final color or are you painting orange over it?

[A-10LOADER]

Nope, blue is the color of choice. After studying multiple photos of the B and D models, they seemed to have a more bluish flame out the back end.


Steve

[firefighterpilot1]

Mind sharing those photos you're referencing? If anything, maybe a light purple at night but definitely orange most of the time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWJgHYp6PkU

[granch]

I'm not a specialist at all.
1) Think that colour perception of a definite object depends a lot on the background colour, so all cameras that correct automatically the colour (wavelength, density...) change the real colour of anything. Our brain makes its own corrections according to its mood, records and so on, so what you remember of the real thing is always different of what you later see on the pics... Some of you saw and think purple, other white, orange, blue, all are right!?
2) Also think that the flame colour might depend on flame temperature and speed, aircraft speed, contrast between flame temp and air temp... Probably the blue flame with white rings is what one could see at a high altitude with a very fast flying Tomcat and long time afterburner shot, not like low altitude, start, short afterburner periode and low speed acrobatics with full power...
3) All pics made at high altitude get a dose of ultraviolet waves, so the probability of a blue flame, white with purple is higher than an orange flame.

[granch]

A-10LOADER,
Seeing your painted acrilic rods, the blue transparent colour is very nice, but the white is like putty, opaque... Did you try to paint the rod in blue, than remove the blue colour in a ring way and nothing else? You could probably get a nice effect if the blue colour is not stopping sharply into what the absence of blue will appear as a ring. Perheaps adding "cool white" neon bulbs or LEDs hidden in the base of the rods could even add something more. (Sorry for my low english level, hope I could have shared what I've in mind).
What do you think about it?

[firefighterpilot1]

Perhaps it could have something to do with air/fuel mixtures at higher altitudes as the air is thinner up higher but I have still seen plenty of pics and videos of Tomcats at higher altitudes "plugging in the blowers" and they're still a bright orange/ white.

See 3:24, 4:40, 6:10, and 6:15 in this video I posted

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sgecLNdZALE

[granch]

Thank you firefighterpilot1 for sharing this very impressive video. At the end of it, I also got a link to another one about the VF-213 F-14, it was an hommage to the first female naval carrier based fighter pilot, Lt Kara "Revlon" Hultgreen; she crashed and died during a missed deck approach. I have been moved.

[supersonicfifi]

are you going to put an afterburner LED light like this one ?



i think it could be cool with your blue flames ....

[supersonicfifi]

it's a new trend in the RC jet business....

http://www.hyperdynelabs.com/products_RC_RGBaftburn.php

[A-10LOADER]

Thanks granch for posting the photo, nice bluish effect. I can't figure out how to post other people's photos on here to show the ones I used for my reference material.
Firefighterpilot1, I decided to do the blue effect for a couple of reasons, 1. It's a single color which makes things easier for me. 2. I did not feel I could replicate the orange, red, white effect that well and, at the cost of the rods, I didn't want to screw them up. I originally wanted to order 4 rods so I could experement with different techniques but, since they were so pricey I only had 3 made.
Supersonicfifi, I would have LOVED to add lighting to this project. I considered it at the beginning but, felt it would be too hard to do since it was already assembled. If this aircraft had been released in a "kit form", it would have gotten the full lighting treatment. I would have done the cockpit, all the exterior lights and, the burners.


Small update for today. I was feeling a little creative yesterday so I made myself a display plaque for the Big Cat. The black frame is 3/16" black foam core board. The Jolly Roger stripe, made from archival card stock, is actually 3 seperate pieces layered on top of each other and, yes I cut the chevrons out by hand. A little work in Microsoft Word was used for the text. There is a shadowing effect behind the text but, it's hard to see in the photo. I attached everything with a very thin 2 sided tape made by Elmer's for photos. The " Anytime Baby ...!" logo was printed out on card stock and cut out by hand as well then attached with the tape.
I enjoyed getting something acomplished finally and I think it will be a nice touch to the final display. Now I just have to get the aircraft itself finished !!!





On a side note, I got tired of looking at my other 1/18th scale Cat sitting in the box ( for the past 3 years ) so, I assembled her and she's now on display in my aviation room. I keep a sheet over it for now until I can save up the money for a acrylic cover, I HATE the dust monster. This Tomcat is 99.9 % stock out of the box as she came from the factory. I did add knee boards to the aircrew and custom painted their helmets. I also added some brown paint to the CCG's on the GBU-16's. I'm also working on a display plaque for this one as well. I am hoping to get shots and post them later in the week.

Thanks again to everyone who still finds this project of interest, til the next update.


Steve

[granch]

A-10LOADER, can you show us the pilot with his knee board? Would like to fit my crews with such an accessory...
Agree with you, a lot of things are much easier to do with a kit. I can't tell you the difficulties I had to house a real nav lighting in the undercarriage cover of my Blackhawk.
It is also why I suggested you to lighten your acrylic rods from the bottom and not from the inside of the plane...

[A-10LOADER]

Granch just go back to page 14 and you'll see pics of the aircrew with their kneeboards.

I have a very powerful, little flashlite made by SUREFIRE. I held it up to both ends of the acrylic rods and when you view the light from the jet's exhaust end it looks really good but, lighting the rod from the other end just dosen't look right. It's too bright from the wrong end.


Steve

[granch]

Thank you A10. Seems that I don't have the same user settings, so I scrolled all pages. Can't imagine the number of hours you've been working on your Cat. So you won't go with drilling a hole in your rods (part inside the fuselage) to house 1 superstrong white or blue LED in each rod... of course, with the problem of bringing current, wire, using the powerlever in the cockpit as a switch, ejection seats for a money sized battery ...one's wife would have divorced much earlier, children married or in a foster home long before it could be finished.

About kneeboards:
Does somebody here know if F/A-18 and UH-60 pilots of the 1990's also have kneeboards? And what kind of documents are fixed on these kneeboards? Check-lists? Charts? I found a simple way to make accurate 1/18th charts. Got some pics of charts through Google, pasted them on a MS-Office doc and reduced them to the 1/18th scale with the mouse and help of the page's scale/grid. Could cement such an ICAO chart on the kneeboard. I have allready made some maritime charts for my boats and Afghanistan charts for all my platoons and humvees, of course folded 4-6 times to get into driver's 1/18th hands.

[A-10LOADER]

Had to redo the plaque, the time period was wrong. Here's the new one




On a side note, my mom has been in hospice care for the last 3 weeks so, progress has been REALLY SLOW on the Big Cat lately. I've tried to sit and get things accomplished but, my mind wanders and it's really no use. At this point I don't want to screw up anything because I can't focus. Not sure when the next update will be but, thanks to all of you who are still keeping a watch on this project.


Steve

[rschaap]

Family is always first. Be with her every chance you can and make her comfortable. The project will wait

[granch]

Real world priority. Best wishes to you and your mother.

[A-10LOADER]

Thanks guys, much appreciated.

Wishing everyone and their family a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Steve

[A-10LOADER]

Greetimgs everyone, hope you all had a great Christmas.

I've managed to get my head straight long enough to complete a few items so, on with today's updates.

I decided to fill in the wing root where it meets the Radar Warning ECM antenna fairing, it was too severe for my liking. Good call BUZZ, it does look better. I'll have to go back and redo some of the "panel fastener" detail however.





The front windscreen is all set to be glued into place. The tape is to keep the clear parts glue from getting all over. I need a clean, seamless joint to the fuselage and I do not want to sand anywhere near the glass. I'm hoping once I lay the glue in place I can smooth it out with a damp Q-Tip .... fingers crossed.





I drilled the main canopy and inserted some small brass rods to help spread the canopy back to where it needs to be. Now when the canopy is closed it lines up nicely with the forward windscreen. The main canopy also got sanded with some 600 grit to accept the black paint before the primer. I also added the lightning dissapaters to the underside of the canopy. I cut thin strips of .010" sheet plastic and used the clear parts cement to attach them then colored them with a bronze sharpie.







Some forward progress, better than nothing I guess. Thanks to all who are still following along and enjoy your weekend.

Steve

[normandy]

Fantastic work A-10!! I've not had much to say....just looking in amazement, I'm enjoying your progress.

All the best to your and family.

[A-10LOADER]

Thanks Normandy, my mom passed peacefully on Friday afternoon, January 16th. I know she is in a better place but, it's not easy to accept. I will miss her very much.

Needless to say, no updates this week.


Steve