Hi folks! I'm back!!!

Having recently returned to the hobby and having finished the Pilot Replicas excellent Saab J 21A in 1/48 (see thread here: http://www.network54.com/Forum/47751/message/1459260049/Pilot+Replicas+SAAB+J21A) I was thrilled to start with their equally excellent flying barrel. The aircraft has always been a personal favorite of mine.



I started with the exquisite pilot figure (sold seperately). I'm quite the newbie at painting figures, but I think he came out rather well.





And once dry and ready for takeoff:



The kit is absolutely wonderful (in most repects). The surface detail is the best I've ever seen, as is the fit. My only concern with this models is the lack of detail in some important areas. There will be aftermarket enhancements, but for me personally, I settled with nice pitot tubes from Master and some AIM-9B from Brassin (to be added later). The sidewalls of the cockpit, for example, are very spartan.



Since the fit is so nice, I decided to try something new with regard to NMF paint job (new to me at least, and I didn't find any good examples on the net). I did not assemble the whole model prior to painting, but rather started with "pre-shading" the main parts in gloss black, matt grey and left some panels in the Tamiya fine white primer.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y3/polarbear500/AF098401-F023-42FE-BB43-1F6028B76849_zpsmv4hljyd.jpg[/img]

It was very easy to mask off the different areas in this way. Once done, I assembled the model.



My hope was to acheive a subtle panel effect, similar to what I've seen on the real aircraft. I'm a little alergic to NFM planes that look a little too much chess boards.

I sprayed two coats of Alclad II Semi Matte Aluminium, and tried to keep it as thin as possible. I was happy to see that my method worked according to plan. You have probably all seen and done this many times before, but for me - I felt like a genious!!! The pictures below are "sharpened, (in order to better show the difference in shades), so the surface looks more shiny and grainy than in real life:



I have since worked a little more on the NMF, but apart from some minor details in Alclad II Steel, there has been no need for masking etc. I've used a soft pencil (8 HB) to emphasize some panels and rivets, but that is about it. Redundant lead was removed with tape.





Personally, I am overjoyed with the result so far, since it represents the subtle panel effect that I was aiming for. I do wish to hear your comments, though, since this is rather new to me and I can use all the advice that you can give!

Finally a picture the real barrel (curtesy of Airliners.net):



//PolarBear

Looking very nice Bjorn, great NMF, the varied pre shading worked beautifully. The pilot figure looks great as well.

Really good to see you back in the forums.

Cheers, D

Lovely build Bjorn. Your sabbatical from modelling was obviously beneficial and it looks like you have come back fresh and raring to go. I agree with Damian, the pilot figure looks very good. Looking forward to seeing images of the finished build.
All the best
tim

Your build looks great so far, Björn! Did you put some weight in the front not to have a tailsitter?
Recently I have finished my Tunnan from Hobbyboss (scroll down the page to the bottom)and really enjoyed the build, though I have put a bit too little weight in it as there's not much room for it. And the next Saab aircraft is already approaching my stash, as I've ordered the Lansen from my LHS.

Torsten

Thanks for the kind words, and sorry for not posting for a while. I've restarted the build a few weeks ago and it is coming along nicely.

Tried out a new product for the front window; Alclad II Armoured Glass. Gooey stuff! Had to whipe of and retry several times...


Finally time to add some life to the model! I chose oilwash, white spirit anf and cotton. I do love this part of modelling! A sweet mixture of total control and utter chaos!!!


The metal does come alive! Compare to the unweathered wing on the opposite side!


The wash stuck rather fast on the unprotected coat of Alclad II Semi-matte Aluminium. Had to grind with some force, which made all the little parts fall off and fly far, far away! Next time, I'll wheather before attaching the sub-assemblies! Smart!

I'm trying to accomplish a reasonably weathered look (streaks from standing outsid etc), more heavy on the belly than on the top.


And now the sides and top...


Same method as previous, but with a more diluted wash and more controlled application. Time consuming, but fun and rewarding! Feeling rather pleased with the result - a nicely aged lady!


The metal finish really changes with the wash. Even though more matte and worn, it feels more like the real thing. I wish that I would find time to build more often, so that I could experiment more!


And now the final stretch! Some additional work in the cockpit and surrounding area, the we are ready for take-off!


Cheers!
PolarBear

Very nice. I'm checking all kinds of NMF builds prior to my first one on a MIG 19. This is really what I had mind too. Recently used AK True Metals Wax. Want to experiment with it on a wing surface.

Kind regards,

Robert Jan

I really like this. I am a bit of a fan of the look of Saab aircraft and I think is a fantastic rendition of one.

A superb model of the Saab J-29F Björn. The pilot sat in the cockpit adds a tremendous amount interest and scale. I feel inspired to add a pilot figure on my next build. The weathered aluminium finish is very well done.
Nicely done Björn
tim

Thanks for the kind words, y'all! I have not tried the AK stuff yet, but I have seen some amazing work. Good luck with the Mig-19, SpeedyJ! Should be a perfect choise if you wish to wheather a plane!

Of course you should try and add a pilot every now and then, Lite-Speed! There are some amazing resin figures out there now, and it is a lot of fun painting them (only done two so far)! Adds life to the inanimate subject!

I ain't quite finished with her yet, but today I had the opportunity to take the lady out in the daylight. Unfortunately, I only find time to build late at night and with insufficient lighting conditions. I wished to check if the metal and the wheathering felt right also in better light, and - if I may - I must say that I'm rather satisfied!



One remaining issue is the gap that is going to materialize once I attach the front window to the plane. Any ides how this can be minimized? I really don't wish to fill, sand and repaint at this stage. - This is what you get for building in a crazy order...


The pilot appears to be a tad unhappy? He probably wonders where the hell his rear view mirror and other cockpit details are at! Hopefully I can take care of that later tonight!


Cheers!
PolarBear

Project done!



I had a lot of fun building this fantastic kit!











All comments are welcome!

Cheers!
Polarbear

Excellent result.

Your weathering is much more prominent than what I would ever do but that is a question of personal taste, what you have done id definitively not "wrong".

Your model is very well build.

Very nice Björn! One of my favourite jest and Swedish planes of all time. Love the weathering – just to my taste

/Mikael

Thanks for all the nice comments! Truly appreciated!
The lighting and the camera adds somewhat to the worn effect, and the weathering is not as prominent to the naked eye.

Now on to the next project - the Saab AJ 37 Viggen!

Cheers! PolarBear

Bjorn,
Just an outstanding build of a Saab J-29F. I've never attempted to weather a NMF, but after seeing the difference it made on your build, I'm going to give it a try.

Joel

Nice and very neat build. Looking forward to your Viggen. Not really on my list, but maybe will come, who knows.

Regards,

Robert Jan

Thanks again for the comments! Truly appriated. Of course you should go for it, Joel!

Now, on to the Viggen project!



Cheers!
PolarBear