The Workbench
My RSS Feeds
RSAF F-16C, Part I
When I was in Singapore I grabbed a set of Siam Scale's 1/72 RSAF Falcon decals (this is the same set, but in 1/48). So, having the markings, I needed a suitable model on which to apply them. The first F-16 I saw on the shelf was Hasegawa's F-16C Fighting Falcon 'Wisconsin ANG'. So, about a year later, I'm building it.
I started with the cockpit. It's pretty basic, but since this was more of a platform for the RSAF decals, I didn't do anything other than add a copper wire ejection pull that I twisted into shape and the harness made from Tamiya tape.
There's no doubt in my mind that the ejection thingy is out of scale and not quite the right shape, but the canopy will be closed and tinted so I'm not too worried. I only added it because it was prominent. And next time I'll double up the Tamiya tape for the harness -- it looks too thin -- and maybe even consult a reference. Look, I've had such bad luck completing aircraft models that if this one doesn't melt down, it'll be the first. So I'm more worried about actually finishing than being accurate.
So after painting the cockpit as per the instructions and applying the kit's instrument panel decals I start to work on he fuselage. Let me just say I'm disappointed. This is the first Hasegawa model I've bought and I was looking forward to a shake 'n' bake kit -- just splash some glue into the box, shake it, and out pops a work of art. Well, this particular kit is nothing like that. It's not bad, but it's not what I expected.
There's a bunch of flash that needs to be cleaned up. Naturally, I got heavy handed and cut too much out of a couple places. The spot where the vertical stabilizer meets the fuselage is quite noticeable but I didn't want to fill and sand because I always end up sanding off all the panel lines -- which I did after filling some sizeable gaps at the wing roots anyhow.
Seriously, from now on, I'm using filler from a tube or Mr. Surfacer instead of super glue to fill gaps. I don't feel like I have to sand as hard with the fillers as I do with the glue.
There were some big gaps and steps at the nose as well, and after sanding away the panel lines, I tried scribing them back. This was the first time I attempted scribing panel lines. I used a Squadron scribing tool and some Tamiya tape as a guide and it worked out OK. I slipped once or twice and the panel lines don't quite match on one side, but I'm moving on anyhow. Here's a scribing tutorial that I wish I'd read before I started. I'll put it to good use one day when I build Revell's old Convair Tradewind.
Which brings me to some philosophical musings. First off, building aircraft models is way different than building armor models. I'm going to seek out the local IPMS chapter and find a mentor, or something. Second, being a great modeler is all about details. I'm not the most patient person in the world, so I know I'll never build a piece of art, but I damned well know I can do better than I've been doing with aircraft (I think I'm doing OK with the armor).
And finally, the real secret is knowing how to fix your mistakes. Sure, there's a skill to fixing the shortcomings of a kit and enhancing what's in the box, but what do you do if you screw up the canopy tinting? What if you shave too much off the tail and you don't notice until it's already glued to the fuselage and you know you'll never get the panel lines rescribed correctly? What if you paint the jet exhaust the wrong color? Does repainting obscure all the detail?
When you have the confidence to answer these questions -- or even seek the answers -- then you will be a great modeler, grasshopper. Frankly, I find myself all too often not trying something because I'm afraid I'll screw up the model and that bugs the heck out of me. I'm not that way, but the last couple failures have me a little gun shy right now. And so I went after this Hasegawa kit looking for a feel-good build, but I'm not getting it. Grrr...
Anyhow, it's built and primed and I get to experiment with painting a somewhat soft-edged camouflage scheme.