Masking the Cockpit Windows (Part 1)

I ordered some special masks to fit the windows of the Intruder and to my surprise there were two sets. The first one seen here is slightly smaller then the second set and is to be painted black to replicate the rubber lining around the windows. The next one will slightly overlap the first mask so that I can paint it to match the upper section.

White Paint is hard to Apply!

After applying seven coats of white paint a I am finally satisfied with the results. To my relief the mask to cover the cockpit worked and nothing was damaged during the paint process. With the mask gone I was finally able to add the heads up display (HUD).

Front Wheel

After a little break from spray painting several coats of white paint I completed today detailing the front landing gear.

Cockpit Mask

Today I added a tape mask as to prepare for the several coats of white paint that I need to apply to the underside of the aircraft. That parts makes me nervous as I don't want to destroy any of the detail that I added to the cockpit.

Clamp those Wings!

Today completed glueing together the lower and upper halves of each wing.

I started with the right wing yesterday which required seven clamps to make sure everything was aligned properly since the pegs that are designed to go into the holes inside the wings are very small and easily slips out of position.

The left wing which I worked on today required five clamps since the fit was better then on the right wing.

I tested the wings on the hull of the aircraft to give me an idea of how it would look like when complete and my first reaction was amazement from the sheer size of the kit!

Bombs, Bombs and More Bombs!

The two white hardpoints (weapon stations) are finally complete and to my surprise was actually a much longer process then I had initially expected when purchasing the kit de to all the small parts.

Each of the twelve Mark 81 general purpose bombs (nicknamed "Firecracker") have two clamps that were painted aluminum for a total of twenty four. These needed to be aligned and glued to the two white weapon stations. My A-6 Intruder will ultimately have the two hardpoints plus three drop tanks as depicted on the box of the model.

Landing Gears

Just completed the back landing gears for the A-6 Intruder. Painted details such as black cabling and aluminum shock absorbers. I have seen modellers remove such plastic details and add real wiring but I did not want to spend tens of hours on such little detail as I have changed my modelling philosophy from super detailer to just adding any extra touch at strategic areas. Although difficult to adhere to at times it has made the hobby more enjoyable. I will however be adding weathering at the end of the project which will bring out all of the details in the wheel wells.

Hindenburg

My oldest son Casey (7 years old) was asking me the last weekend what models I built when I was young. I starting going through the list of old kits I built as a teenager which I no longer have and recalled that I had taken some photos of them with an old camera back in the late 90's early 2000's.

I started rummaging through my old photo album and managed to find a picture of the Revell Hindenburg kit I built when I was 19 years old in and attending Vanier College in Montreal. While the kit looked interesting when I purchased it, it turned out to be the most dull build I ever had since everything is aluminum colored with very little detail except for the propellers and cabin area. The picture is slightly blurry but it's the Hindenburg hanging from my bedroom ceiling...

Having Fun in the Garage

The A-6 Intruder has a lot of white paint, about half of the kit. When I painted the external fuel tanks during the summer it took 4 coats of spray paint to get it right. So now I am painting the under wings and landing gears but it is currently below freezing with a bit of snow from earlier this week which means I have to spray indoors. Since I do not have a spray booth my only option is to do it in my garage due to the strong fumes from the Tamya spray cans that I am using. The garage having recently been painted is very clean and is pretty much dust free which traditionally would have been a concern. I bumped up the temperature from 12 celsius to 18, got my first coat done and I hope it will only take a total of 3 and not 4 coats.

Flight of the Raptor

Tonight I finished the final touches of the F-22 Raptor which included some last minute touch-ups and the application of the stickers which Casey preferred that I do. I placed it on Casey's dresser next to his other completed kits, wonder what his reaction will be tomorrow morning...