Bowcat's Italeri SR-71 Blackbird

Mr Bowcat

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Cheers Colin. :smiling3:

Jakko, I had considered painting bands of Tamiya clear red, but in the end decided it would look a bit naff.
 

Jack L

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Cheers Chris. :smiling3:

I actually did consider doing that, however the SR-71 has quite a unique afterburner signature, and I couldn't figure out how to achieve it.

View attachment 358117View attachment 358118
It would be pretty difficult, and definitely wouldn't take the weight with the way you want to display it, but I think you could create the effect by cutting the clear rod at intervals and then gluing back together (with a clear glue!) If I am right, the light from the LED would reflect off the cut surface of the rod, more than the solid section, and you would get something like this. The brightness of reflected light would tail off (no pun intended) the further down the rod it went. Would take a fair bit of trial and error.
 

Jakko

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I had considered painting bands of Tamiya clear red, but in the end decided it would look a bit naff.
That’s more or less what I had thought of as well, and decided against it for the same reason. I suppose that if you’re good enough, you can probably airbrush something that looks convincing from most angles, but I wouldn’t trust myself to do it :smiling3:
 

Mr Bowcat

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It would be pretty difficult, and definitely wouldn't take the weight with the way you want to display it, but I think you could create the effect by cutting the clear rod at intervals and then gluing back together (with a clear glue!) If I am right, the light from the LED would reflect off the cut surface of the rod, more than the solid section, and you would get something like this. The brightness of reflected light would tail off (no pun intended) the further down the rod it went. Would take a fair bit of trial and error.

I had all sorts of crazy plans. One was to use acrylic rod with cut or notched fibre optic cable inside. In the end I just decided it wasn't worth it, particularly as there will only be a couple of inches of rod showing anyway. :smiling3:
 

stillp

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If you have access to a lathe, I suppose you could find a piece of clear tube that fits into the exhaust, and a piece of white rod that would fit into the tube, then turn a series of V-shaped grooves into the rod then slide it into the tube. Easy enough if you have an engineering lathe, tricky with a woodturning lathe.
Pete
 

stillp

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Me too Bob, I spent many happy and profitable hours on the lathe in a previous job. I haven't room now, my garage is full of woodworking machinery as well as the car.
Pete
 

boatman

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It would be pretty difficult, and definitely wouldn't take the weight with the way you want to display it, but I think you could create the effect by cutting the clear rod at intervals and then gluing back together (with a clear glue!) If I am right, the light from the LED would reflect off the cut surface of the rod, more than the solid section, and you would get something like this. The brightness of reflected light would tail off (no pun intended) the further down the rod it went. Would take a fair bit of trial and error.
HI Jack very intresting theory an some time I may have a try
chris
 

Mr Bowcat

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Morning chaps. :smiling3:

I had decided that I wasn't happy with the decal silvering, so rather than try and hide it with weathering I bit the bullet and took a brute force approach by going over the decals with Tamiya extra thin. :surprised:

It seems to have worked quite well, the decals are definitely less shiny, and the very small amount of bleed can be corrected/hidden with weathering.

MVIMG_20190926_233233.jpgMVIMG_20190926_233245.jpg
 

stillp

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Sounds drastic Bob, but it worked well. I haven't heard that trick before, but I've heard someone using X-20A thinner for the same purpose. Perhaps both are dissolving the paint into the decal, rather than the decal into the paint as with Microsol etc.
Pete
 

Mr Bowcat

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I'd already tried X20A Pete, which did nothing. The TET melts the carrier film down onto the paint, but didn't damage the paint. It's a risky thing to do, luckily I got away with it. :smiling3:
 

Mr Bowcat

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Morning all. :smiling3:

I started the weathering last night with some grey and brown oils. I'm undecided at the moment whether to leave it as this or go back in with weathering pencils to add some more tones of streaking??

MVIMG_20190927_235306.jpgIMG_20190927_235317.jpgIMG_20190927_235404_1.jpgMVIMG_20190927_235355.jpgIMG_20190927_235339.jpg
 

Jack L

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If the photo's are to be trusted, it looks spot on to me!
 

boatman

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I THINK THE SAME an as a concorde poilot said while you guys are up in your plane in your space suits im walkin around in my shirt sleaves but what planes they were fantatastic
chris
 

stillp

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I think the weathering looks fine Bob. The red walkway lines are a bit too visible though.
Pete
 

boatman

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I think the weathering looks fine Bob. The red walkway lines are a bit too visible though.
Pete
Well Pete this is no critisuim of your post but in my opinion the walkway line must be visible or someone may step on the plane where they should not an put their foot through a multi millon dollar plane but just my opinion
chris
 

stillp

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Yes, I agree it has to be visible in real life, and this isn't a criticism of Bob's build, but I think that walkway line stands out more than it does on the real aircraft. Italeri have made the decal too wide, and for a good reason - if it was nearer to a scale width then it would be impossible to apply without tieing itself in a knot.
Pete
 

boatman

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Yes, I agree it has to be visible in real life, and this isn't a criticism of Bob's build, but I think that walkway line stands out more than it does on the real aircraft. Italeri have made the decal too wide, and for a good reason - if it was nearer to a scale width then it would be impossible to apply without tieing itself in a knot.
Pete
Yes you are right there Pete ive had that happen umteen times an its very annoying like the main decal on airliner over the windows an sorry Bob if weve gone off your thread but you have made a great build
chris
 
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