Arctic Ambush duel

Slavo Hazucha
My little contribution to the Aggressor group build... The F-111 is getting done, no questions there, but after some less stellar developments in my work life forced a break in the hobby upon me, I needed something new to drag me back in...

Since there is absolutely no chance of getting an Aggressor plane done anywhere near the end of the year, I decided to take a little more liberal approach and declare it a twin build, Impostor vs real-deal threat... Should be fun comparing different details of this uneven yet so inter-tied couple...

Anyway, the boxes are open, the orders are all IN & the fun can begin...

To avoid misinterpretations, no, the F-18 engine is not accidentaly in 72-scale... 😄

Btw, as seen on the 2nd pic, the camo really works... Sort of sad it was prototype-only... Still, no stable genius mind should ever even think about invading mother Russia in the winter!!😉

Patrick Hagelstein
This looks promising! I'm in! 👍

Bart Teunis
Hi Slavo, nice project you have going. Beware of the fact that the windscreen of F-18 can be very diffecult to fit... I had major issues with it....hope you haven't

Konrad -
And here we go 👍!

Bart Goesaert
taking a seat, and some carrots and other crudities (to many popcorn lately, my cholesterol is suffering 😉 )

Stephan Ryll
I'm also in Slavo 🙂
take your time with the Kinetic instructions... and check out your reference pictures before following them...

Jens
I have secured the Su 35 S, but I have to wait, from China it is very long ways, but also good prices, of course I am curious what you use so all accessories to the kits, the Kinetic F 18 is mine also in the warehouse, but after the experience with the A6A Intruder I'm afraid to open the box 🙁

Neuling
Welcome back in town, Slavo! I had missed the literary supplement to this platform.

Daniel
That's unfair slavo, next to this russian monster the poor hornet will look like a toy! I propose you build the flanker in 1:72 😄
I can confirm this camo works, as I have an rc flanker in this coloration and in a certain distance those splinters blur and you really can't judge the silhouette anymore. If it didn't have a white belly I would have crashed it on the first flight 😄
Looking forward to see more on your double splinter build!

Harry Eder
Interesting topic! 👍 I´ll take a seat!

Bart Teunis
me as well

Jos Jansen
Hey Slavo, it's great to see you're behind the bench again! Your description during building is always very constructive and motivating. What an inspiring subject, can not wait for the reveal of these two-piece twins...😉

Maciej Bellos
Taking a seat!

bughunter
Good luck with this mojo-restore 👍

Bart Teunis
Slavo with all this posivity...... hope we can make you get your mojo back 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates, the mojo is absolutely not the problem, it's my recent work situation... wanted to start some work yesterday, instead ended with excel sheets & powerpoints till midnight... Saturday morning, I noticed I still got 2 kids (good to know they are still around... 😄), but I will get to something today!

Patrick Hagelstein
😄 Always good to know that those kids are yours as well! 😉

Patrick Hagelstein
At least, to remember it in time. 😉

Slavo Hazucha
Patrick, the Kids were in a remarkably good condition actually... 🙂 Going to check some Vienna christmas-markets today!

And here we go with some actual work on the model... Starting with my favorite subject of used jet-engine appearances...

I am very happy with the AMUR resin, although the kit parts were not bad in most aspects... one even made it to the final assembly... The 4-part separation of the variable thrust nozzles in the kit is a riddle to me... It IS possible to mold a nice detailed ring and connect it to the sprue smartly...

This is not finished yet - ATM the brown aspect is too prominent, but that will be solved with a light overcoat cloud of titanium... Or so I think... 🙂 Hope to finish the insides today at some point.

@Jens - the Su-35 GWH kit has awesome surface details, but the fit of some parts is a little below par - nothing unfixable though. I´m really looking forward to work with those details... Curious which version you´ll take, some options there, but I am not aware of any self-punishing camo-patterns of your preference in the line-up...😉

Bart Teunis
Good to hear Slavo

Patrick Hagelstein
Oh man, I love to watch you play with all those colors and media! 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Managed to finish the nozzle insides over the WE! Felt rather good...

I overshot a bit with the dark flakes, could be avoided, but here we stand & I can live with the result...

Hornet engines, Flanker nozzle exteriors and cockpits next!

Nathan Dempsey
I apologize for my tardiness. This is going to be great !

Stephan Ryll
Very nice looking nozzles Slavo 👍

Bart Goesaert
Nice step by step... will try this also when I come around mine. Thx

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Nathan, Stephan, Lode & Bart! Nothing you missed Nathan, this is not going to be a fast ride😉

Bart happy to hear that - looking forward to see what you make out of it - but I find this a very comfortable & controllable method with no bridges burned behind you through the steps as the oils remain "editable" for quite a long time so you can make up your mind about the results

Slavo Hazucha
Friends, one of these numerous moments has arrived when I need help and counsel again!

I am about to tackle the Hornet nozzles, but am not sure about the right finish. The range of options seems to be particularly wide - I picked some directions into Image 11.

A,B & C could be stages of the same aging process, although how the "C" variety comes to being is not 100% clear to me - single petals exchanged? Also, it seems on A,B & C that the soot on right engine nozzle is always darker than on the left... Coincidence or a common maintenance pattern?

D is completely different, maybe a Super-Hornet aft section sneaked into the research?

In any case, could some of the experts have mercy upon the unknowing and advise mo on which is the most plausible choice for an A+ VFC12 Aggressor?

Patrick Hagelstein
D is definitely a Super Hornet and I won't go into details about why that is black with white squares. 😉 A through C are F/A-18C/D engines and they all start stark white! ....Pause for dramatic effect..... and then become black after the more engine cycles they attain. The white is a (somewhat porous) ceramic heat dispersing coating applied to a lot of engine exhaust parts in order to protect the metal against the extreme heat an engine can produce. Over time soot will deposit on that coating and it's not in the daily inspections to remove it with a tooth brush to have a pristine engine. The coating works with or without soot stains. What might be a reason to exchange petals might be some wear beyond a certain limit, hence the bright new and flashy whites in picture C. The difference in color between the two engines might be because of engine startup and shutdown sequence but I'm no expert here. Remember that the sooting occurs when fuel isn't fully burned so not during AB use but actually right before shutting down. It's the partially unburnt fuel that causes the most soot.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Hans & Patrick - great I can count on you mates!

With a 6-minute response time, Hans proves to be faster than an emergency Ambulance 👍😉

Patrick thx for going into such length! I think I´ll go for the C-variant then, it looks interesting enough and for a ground-based plane, with all the taxiing & co, I guess the lo-rev times might be on the longer end and darker nozzles with some petals exchanged make reasonable sense...

The darker right engine seems to be regular enough so I´ll go for that too = more interesting model in the end...

Great to have friends like you guys!

Patrick Hagelstein
You're welcome! 👍 😄

bughunter
A joy to follow 👍

Peter Hardy
Is that a reversing camera sticking out the back?

Patrick Hagelstein
Yes, it is! Last thing you want to do is burn a tree on a carrier while backing up. 😄

Slavo Hazucha
Some sunrays finally - managed to take a few semi-decent pics... Hornet nozzles +/- done, unfortunately there was not soo much to do...

Flanker nozzles much more of a challenge - am trying a new method - light metallic color as base, darker clouds on top & then brushing drybrushing transparent violet & blue ober it. The MRP solvent softens up the layer below, so I get down to the light metal layer below at places... Anyway, the petals experiment is done, the rest will follow... somehow... 🙂

Nathan Dempsey
Wonderful work on the nozzles Slavo. I really like the color variations on the Su-35 nozzle.

Stephan Ryll
Great work Slavo

Jos Jansen
Beautiful work Slavo...👍

Patrick Hagelstein
Wow! That method yielded some stunning results! Cool way how it adds some splotches and chips.

Patrick Hagelstein
I can only agree with everything Lode just mentioned! 👍

Daniel
What a start slavo! you could screw the rest up totally (which I know you won't) and it would still be a stunner because of these cans, awesome 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Nathan, Stephan, Jos, Patrick, James, Lode & Daniel - your support is much appreciated as always!

I'm experimenting some more and having fun, Flanker engines are just great for that...

Lode thanks a lot for all that praise - I took a lot of inspiration from your work & zen-like slow art of crafting 👍 hope to see some of it live at some point & shake the hand of the master in person! Maybe 2020 at some show in your corner, will see...

Messing-up is always an option Daniel, I am especially worried about applying/removing all the masking tapes for the splinter camos - it's such a cool pattern & it works - hope your RC Flanker will not fall victim to its effectiveness...😉 - but with so much tape coming & leaving, "things" are bound to happen...

Sergej I
Sweet, Im in 👍

Christian Bruer
A very good eye for the details and excellent craftsmanship 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Sergej & Christian! Have a seat and supply yourselves with patience for a long, long journey for months ahead - since speed is truly not my virtue!😉

Finished the Sukhoi nozzles too!!!

To be honest, it´s not exactly what I imagined - I wanted tings generally "sharper" - I tried a layering technique with airbrush/drybrush/oil/wash + details & airbrush clouding on top... Was a lot of fun, but things had a mind on it´s own, so I swam along and this came out - I learned a lot & am ready for further Flanker engine & aging variants, these things and the way they wither are pure industrial artworks...

Last 2 photos courtesy of my wife - much better than my pathetic fiddling with cell-phone cameras... 😄

Palo M
Looking good! What kind of transparent paints are you using?

bughunter
Great work with lots of paints! I made the experience on my Small Stuff rotary engines - painted with Alclads and oil paint wash, that a camera sensor see only the top layer. With naked eye it looks much more metallic. So I experimented with a polarisation filter (optical, not picture processing) in front of the lens and this seems to improve the pictures to show a more real look.

Spanjaard
nice work on those nozzles

Harry Eder
The nozzles looks awesome! 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Palo, Bughunter, Lode, Spanjaard & Harry - glad you like it!

Palo - it´s all with the MRP range - metallic metals, metallic colors blue & violet + transparent yellow & orrange on top in some areas. Fresh layer of MRP melts into the layer below depending on how much you put on the surface + with a stiffer brusch, you can scratch down a layer or two too...

Bughunter - thx for the tips. Getting the light & angle to make these colored metals work is quite a pain - in real life, it´s more blue-ish and "real" than the general orange touch it got on the pics here... Guess that´s what Donald Trump is struggling with too...😉

Lode - surprisingly not that much - maybe three to four 1-2hour sessions (for all the engines) and a couple of days of waiting for different Oils to get dry enough for further treatment... All within normal in my time-space continuum 🙂

Patrick Hagelstein
😄 Being Dutch, I love orange! But sometimes too much is just too much! And yes, a certain president has a bit too much as well! 😉
I know what you mean with wanting it a bit more blueish but engines come in many different guises. 🙂

Bart Goesaert
Splendid work on the nozzles...

Tim Heimer
Slavo, your work on exhaust parts just amazes me! One day I hope to get half as good!🙂

Mathieu
I need to take a seat on this.
Great start on thoses burners.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Patrick, Bart, Tim & Mathieu! I am happy you like the nozzleworks - lots of fun & experimenting 🙂

Big news - I have "unexpectedly" moved to a new home... 🙂 One quick decission followed the other and here we are - my new "corner" - not really a proper man cave, but at least "a place" 😄

I also did some humble resin & wiring work on the hornet - the Aires parts fitting was a bit fidgety, but no blockers & once in place, I grew to like them a lot... have a look at the canopy comparison though - biggest GWH disapointment thus far...

Does someone from the senior wizard circles here have an idea how to fix/improve that?

Sergej I
Home is where the models are... great detailed start on that cockpit!

Konrad -
Very nice looking details on the Legacy and Flanker. Looking forward to more. And hey a nice place to create nice stuff 😉!

Patrick Hagelstein
Sergej is absolutely right: Home is where the models are! If it applies to Hugh Hefner, why won't it apply to us? 😉

Peter Hardy
Let's hope the creditors don't find you there Slavo!

bughunter
Oh, Slavo is back! Happy new year! A wonderful wooden prop in the new home 👍

Spanjaard
happy modelling in the new place Slavo!

Nathan Dempsey
Lovely workspace Slavo 🙂 I'm no senior wizard. More of a senior jester but I'd break out the polishing set (1000 to 12000 grit) on both the inside and out, then go for a dip in future.

Spanjaard
nice workspace

Tim Heimer
Too funny Nathan! I was thinking the same thing, and like you I'm no senior wizard also.

Daniel
Most impressive resin-details and again masterfully painted 👍. So will you use the mesh cover over the electronics department? They are sometimes left half open after the pilot put in the data cartridge, might look interesting 🙂
How was the fit of the aires stuff? As it is for the HB kit right? Looking forward to the rest of the cockpit and taking notes, hope it fits as well 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks friends - I like the "home is where the models are" particularly Patricks addendum😉

@Peter - new home has a nice dungeon-like cellar - no one would find the creditors 😄

@Bughunter - I compared the propeller to your creations & there is not much difference! Mine is actually less realistic, I think it was made as a decoration with no real flying ambitions... But in that purpose I do like it a lot

@ Nathan & Tim - thx for the tips, I'll definitely try some polishing, but it seems that it would be easier to obtain a working AK-47 assault rifle here in Austria than a bottle of Future...

@ Daniel - I will add some Aires fitting pics & comments soon!

Spanjaard
about Future, if you have friends or family in Germany, it was possible to order via Amazon germany. i got mine from Amazon France, thanks for family there... for some reason, the seller i found only sell in Amazon Germany, France and UK and only deliver to those same countries....

Daniel
If you have no future, like me (haha) you can substitute with "emsal vollglanz", does the same thing. And for a normal price. Dont know about Austria but in DE it's available in nearly every store.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Spanjaard & Daniel for the Future & Ersatz-Future tips! I definitely want to try some of the magic stuff 👍

@Daniel - I added some Aires-fitting review pics - it´s clearly meant for a different kit - make your own conclusions... My experience with HB (4 kits owned, 1 built 100%, 1 80%) is extremely positive even OOB, with reasonable aftermarket add-ons they make great models IMHO... Would probably go for HB-Hornet next time...

Having the Kinetic Kit (which has it´s own merits) on the table, I try to make the best of it now - my intention is to show the gear retracting (I saw some nice inspirations for this state here😉 ), so I will fill the gaps with sheet & hope that the dynamic pose will distract any rivet-counters from noticing... 😄

The mesh in the back of the Hornet cockpit is a dilemma... Even in Aires PE finesse, barely anything is visible through it and my heart bleeds when I think about all the lost detail... But since even Captain Mitchell would not pull-off an open cockpit take-off in a F-18, in the end, I´ll bend & put it there...

Finally, in the spirit of asymmetric warfare, while the Hornet gets the cockpit area behind the pilot done, the Flanker receives some buttons & switches and a comfy chair... I intend to show the 902-prototype approaching the end of the test-runs, with some basic visible wear on the seat & surfaces.

PS: the Flanker cockpit is sprayed in MRP "Sukhoi cockpit blue" and is basically blue-ish in real life, but the morning light & cell-phone combo produced this rather uninspired grey tone...

Christian Bruer
Excellent work on the Flanker cockpit 👍

Bart Goesaert
With regards to the wheelbays: time to check against some linedrawings... what a bummer about the fit... Cockpits look splendid...

Bernhard Schrock
Excellent result as far: (pic 17: nozzle looks more realistic than original🙂. Pic 18: perfect transition between resin-wires and metal-wires. Pic 19: nice bonsai and guitar🙂 Pic 24: excellent paintbrush-job). I'm in.

Daniel
So there are some tiny issues appearing when mixing the kits designated resin it seems😉 but nice job handling that, bet those gear bay gaps will be closed easily. 👍
Always heard kinetic is the best 48 legacy but I didn't build it yet, neither the hobby boss -but looking forward to try them both this year 🙂
And really looking forward to the dynamic pose! I fear retracting the Hornets gear is not for the faint hearted - no prob for you😉

Daniel
Ah, yes! Good thing I recently ebayed one, make that three on the list. Big letdown there is a lack of boomboom and other equipment (well if you don't have boxes full of spare parts at hand😉 ) And I heard the only thing they added, their fuel tanks, are too short...

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks a lot Christian, Bart, Bernhard, Daniel & James for your kind comments...

Bernhard, your summary feels better than getting a medal at a show!! The guitar is my boy´s btw, but gets a lot of neglect lately... The bonsai is a special lacquer-fume neutralizing breed & surviving well thus far...😉

Daniel, looking forward to your Hornet-spree, the Kestrels one was a big show already! I guess the HB Kit + the Aires stuff should make a fine marriage! @dynamic LG - I´ll be taking it one step at a time, something will come out...😉

In the meantime, I found out that the drawback of moving my model corner to the new house first was that I still had to move in & set-up the rest of the household afterwards, which on most free days left me sans-energy and with hands shaking so badly I hardly could embrace the day´s last can of beer, not even thinking about touching anything hobby-like... 🙂

Still, some lazy polishing of clear parts happened and the Hornet parried the Flanker´s cockpit panels & seat with a fresh instrument panel of it´s own... Things should get better from now on!

Michael Phillips
Looks like I am a little late to this party, but better late than never!

Everything looks fantastic so far, but then again, what else would I expect from you. I will be eagerly watching every step as you move along!

Patrick Hagelstein
Looks like Slavo finally got rid of those shaking hands! Well, for polishing canopies that might actually come in 'handy', saves on a rotary tool! 😛

Patrick Hagelstein
As long as those shaky hands don't spill that beer, it will be fine... 😉

Jos Jansen
Nice work on that instrument panel of the cockpit...👍

Nathan Dempsey
That's a fine looking instrument panel Slavo. You can almost track the red force aircraft on those screens.

Clifford Keesler
Most excellent. I will watch this one with keen intrest. Watching is about all I can do at the moment. LOL.

Tim Heimer
Impressive as usual! Keep it going!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Michael, Patrick, Lode, Jos, Nathan, Clifford & Tim!

Michael welcome on board, as usual, this will not be a short sprint 🙂

Patrick, I regularly spill Airbrush cleaners, Extra-thin glues, even CA when opportunity allows, but never lost a drop of beer!😉

Nathan, good Idea with the radar signatures 🙂 - I am working on the dude now - hence a friendly question to all who know their stuff:

Would a VFC-12 Pilot have the red star on the back of the helmet, as many Aggressor pilots do?

Daniel
Looking great slavo! 👍 An inspiration for the dude:
flickr.com/photos/sr..58733/in/photostream

Patrick Hagelstein
😄 👍 Good one on that beer! 😉

Clifford Keesler
I would take it that the answer on the dude's helmet is a resounding yes!. I know I put one on my VFC-12 dude's helmet. LOL.

Bart Goesaert
Nice work on the canopy. That IP may be there as well...

Konrad -
Hey Slavo nice pit on the Hornet and the Pilot looks also very nice 👍! Cool progress on both planes so far. Looking forward to your next steps.

Jos Jansen
Excellent pit Slavo...a very special project mate!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates, your comments & quick support when a question comes up are the best fuel for the project 🙂

I managed to steal a few moments for the hobby, all went into the Hornet this time - Pilot & some updates here & there around the broader cockpit area - incl. the mesh, which, in black, allows some hints of the instruments below to be seen - I am actually happy with the result there.

The pilot does cover a few of the finer details of the Aires set, but then, an Aggressor F-18 certainly is no UAV... 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Beautiful pit. I Love it sir.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Clifford!

Sorry mates for the "going under", but moving to a new place turned out to be a larger than imagined task, especially with fully intact work & family life going on in usual intensity while I was filling/moving/emptying countless boxes & stuff... Still, no beer spilled during any of the efforts😉

But, things going as they do, I shifted from walking past my bench to actually sitting behind it a bit and the Super Flanker now holds the narrowest of leads in cockpit completion, with added instruments panel & HUD to the ongoing detailing-party...

The HUD resisted several attempts of applying the clear parts, in the end 5 were made to finally get 3 of them resting +/- in position inside 🙂

And - before words of rightful judgement are uttered in this thread - I admit to crimes of blatantly mixing versions here and creating a Frankenstein cockpit - while the 2-screen panel would be right in a full-prod Su-35 (but there would potentially be a less chunky HUD then), according to my research, the 902 prototype´s instruments were based on a Su-30 version with interim parts and some temporary instruments in the cockpit - which I after careful consideration decided to leave out. So the panel is wrong, but the HUD is actually quite correct 🙂

Patrick Hagelstein
Yep! That bench time thing..... 😄

Jos Jansen
Well, you're back on track my friend...! 👍

Sergej I
Blasphemy, but beautiful blasphemy 😄 👍 Awesome cockpit, I can't wait for further details and the whole trip. Nevermind the speed, you are not alone.

Matthew Stec
Amazing job.

Kerry COX
Slavo, as always, our eyes are treated to a festival of detail to wonder at. !
I do apologise for not commenting earlier, but.......better late than never.
Thank you for the intrigue. 👍 😉

Tim Heimer
I too agree! The details you put in your builds are just amazing!

Clifford Keesler
Beautiful pit sir.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Patrick, Jos, Sergei, Matthew, Kerry, Tim & Clifford! I am very happy you bring the patience to stay & follow my sluggish projects 👍 🙂

@Kerry - there is no such thing as being too late to anything I buid! 😄 Welcome & I look forward to any tips & comments you may bring from the other side of the globe!

Staying on the Australian tune - I will switch a bit & finish-finish the F-111 in the coming days, to make it to an event here in Vienna, so have a look there if you like, something should pop-up soon.

On this project, some serious Aires resin-fitting madness comes next!😉

Daniel
They have some nice flat screens in the new flankers, engage autopilot , Netflix and chill 😄 Looking excellent! Which color is that greenish gray behind the seat?

Slavo Hazucha
Hey Daniel - exactly - 2 iPads in the cockpit, what more can you wish for 😄

@color: as if it could be different, I am using MRP Sukhoi Cockpit...:

mrpaint.sk/index.php..i&product_id=274

It actually looks blue-ish in certain light conditions. This is washed a bit, so more grey than when originaly applied.

Holger Kranich
Holla what Do we have here? 🙂

Christian Bruer
The progress you have made looks very promising 👍

Clifford Keesler
I will be glad when I finish my move, and once again can get my workbench set back up and get back to modeling.

Slavo Hazucha
Soooo - back to this little project...

First, the AIRES LG wells now rest in place and are even visually connected to the rest of the model with some extensive filling & sheet!

Second, enjoy a technically correct & well documented, but ultimately unsuccessful attempt to tackle the hornet intakes - it had to be all re-sanded, but we´ll be back!😉

With the failed intakes (will take some time), the Flanker barrel-rolled to the Hornet´s 6´ and grabbed some progress with "a" lightly modded FOD guard... Now I have to do it again for the other side... 😄

Spanjaard
those grills look really good (all this in this build, anyway)

Daniel
play-doh huh? Think I will try to get some 🙂 Really hard to see what happened there in the intakes but you cant fix this with some light sanding or even a matte coat?
I am no Flanker expert, but if I am not mistaken the covers only deploy with weight on wheels and engines running? So no flying Flanker here?

Peter Hardy
Ohhhh Kayyyyy, blown away again.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Spanjaard, Daniel & Peter!!

I found the grills still lacked "an edge" - Searched through some old PE bits & pieces and added a stripe from a PE-frame + some bit of really old 1/700 ladder... 1/700 PE´s, prove to be a great universal DIY-source for 1/48 "technical details" 😄 Exactly the kind of fun one needs when locked at home...

@Peter, you of all people should have a solid foothold here - I´m keeping an eye on details I can´t even name on that Aussie beast-truck! 👍

@ Daniel - Light sanding I tried and the color of plastic I saw... 😄 Not worried though, 2nd attempt will work. Comparing with pics I think I placed the grey-white border a few mm too upfront anyway... And you guess right, the flanker will be very much ground-bound, with open cockpit, but the Hornet...😉

What do you think about the "device" in the FOD-guard reference pic in square C-5 (counted from top left) - It seems not to be always there. I´m not sure if I should have it or not...?

Slowly I´m putting together a list of "things I may run out of..." AB-cleaner, CA & foremost, cotton swabs...! But for the next few days, things should be fine!

Slavo Hazucha
Hornet intakes done!

This time (3rd attempt...) everything went smoothly... Once you learn the angles, spraying these is not that horrible... 😄

Patrick Hagelstein
Whoah!!! And whoah!!! Both sets of intakes look stunning! Good to see that perseverance pays off! 😄

Tim Heimer
Slavo you continue to amaze us!

bughunter
Wow, you take here a very special care of details! The grills are fantastic 👍 You must still be delirious with fever😉

Daniel
How one little ship ladder can make such an improvement 👍 intakes look super neat, perfect!

Starbase101
Besides your as-usual phenomenal modeling, I especially like that you put captions on your photos so we can understand what we're looking at and sometimes learn new tricks by reading how the magic was done rather than just seeing the pretty results. I wish more people took the time to caption their photos. Again I am amazed by your excellent detailing. 👍

Nathan Dempsey
I have many a note-card stuffed in my kit boxes based on Slavo's photo descriptions.

Adam Gudynowski
Nice work 👍

Clifford Keesler
Very nice intakes. I see I am not the only one who uses play-doh to mask with. LOL.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates - indeed the abundance of time allows for some fun at the bench (finally!) - day 9 without outside contact & everyone quite healthy here so far...

@ 1/700 parts - i really find them super useful as "general-purpose detailing base" for 1/48 tech-details. Particularly railings & AA... Sorry everyone actually building 700-scale ships, this surely is a sacrilege...

@Mike & Nathan - it's an honor to be of some use with my banter - one day I'll do a commented Album of things that did not go so well (trust me, many... 👎 )😉

@ Clifford - in all seriousness, I find Play-Doh a completely viable solution for many masking jobs, easy to apply, easy to get out, much more "gentle" to paint than tape... and sublimely cost-effective too..!

Clifford Keesler
I agree 100%, I use it often. I used it once to mask a set of wheel wells on an F-4. After I applied the paint I got busy doing other things and did not get back to it for a few days. Well the play-doh dried out, but it came out of the wheel wells fine, and now I have a hard mold mask for F-4 wheel wells. They just drop in place and I paint. LOL. Glad to hear you and your family are doing well. I have not been out of the house for almost 10 days. We also are doing well. Hope all of my mates are well.

Spanjaard
it looks amazing

Slavo Hazucha
Clifford good to hear you´re doing fine..! Spanjaard thanks, it´s really a great way to clear one´s mind these days to just sit down & do some details... 🙂

In that spirit, while the main body of the Hornet got put together, filled & sanded a bit, I took some time to fiddle with the nose & this came out of it...

These pics were taken with an LED lamp shining right into the barrel of the gun, everything looks more subtle in normal light...

The outside metal of the gun-shield will be painted properly later after the camo, I hope it will look more coherent once that is done...

Bryn Crandell
Hope it's not to late to join the party. Looking good so far.

Clifford Keesler
Looking the part sir. I finally started putting my work room together today after being in the new house for 3 weeks. Will soon be modeling again.

Daniel
like the extra! 👍 and I got a feeling we're in for a lot more 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Bryn, Clifford & Daniel!

The Hornet HUD is ON! Maybe a little too prominent, but under the canopy, it all looks kind of fine. Pics taken with piercing LED light, finals will look more... "final"...😉

Donald Dickson II
Interesting indeed!

Jos Jansen
Great work so far Slavo...!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Donald & Jos!

A very work-in-progress update - I am through some of the more time-consuming steps of filling, re-filling, sanding, re-scribing, priming, re-polishing & re-priming, masking & airbrushing the main colors... 🙂

The J´s pre-cut camo masking sheets were quite benign to work with, I de-radicalized them by sticking them 2-3 times on a flat surface before going on the model and had only one rel. small & easy to fix "down to plastic" tear-off...

However, while the pattern is rel. true to the original around the rear and on the wings (although some alterations according to photos were needed, around the front it does not match either what I have as source photos or the camo shown on the Decal-sheet... I decided it was too late for a complete re-work, so my Hornet will differ from the photos in several aspects & details of the pattern...

So here we are with the basic canvas, fresh from the spray-booth - it will need a correcture pass with each of the 3 colors, but generally, I am happy with 90% of the lines.

Nathan Dempsey
Looking great Slavo! That splinter pattern is the most fun I've had on a modern jet in a while 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Nathan - I still well remember the Cheetah😉 - I hope to finish the fixes today & move on to the "post-process" fun...

Due to airbrush-cleaner levels slowly going critical, I decided to try an experiment and not go for a pre-shade or marbling coat, but do the surface all with layers of oil paints - will see how that works out!

Kerry COX
Outside the big tank proving grounds in the UK was a Chieftain tank at the front gate painted in the splinter/cube pattern like your camo Slavo, and it was amazing that when asked, not one visitor saw it. !

Maciej Bellos
I like those splintered Hornets, I think they are my second best pattern! Your work might change that 🙂
Looking forward for the "post-process". Cheers!

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, that is looking awesome. Nice to see this bird coming to live with her camo

Mathieu
Hi Slavo. This is really top notch work. Did you mask the splinter by hand? If so you are a real courageous man. Cheers

Sergej I
Mathieu, check pic #1😉

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates for all the cheer-up! 👍

@ Kerry I really like this camo philosophy - reminds me of some of the more effective "dazzle" ship camouflages in that it does not try to hide, but methodically break-up the actual object silhouette so much it is hardly recognizable for what it is, so I really believe the chieftain story!

Maciej & Lode - I'm just happy I got the brunt of the work done & am now warming-up for some oil techniques... 🙂

@ Matthieu - most of the work was the J's set, which is a good start - I have only altered and added some bits to match the photos better. Doing all this by hand is a task for masters far beyond my levels of patience 😄

Clifford Keesler
Excellent camo work Slavo.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Clifford! - slowly warming up for the oils & surface effects while I'm still fixing minor glitches in the camo.

This is going to be some good fun 🙂

Daniel
Very nice subtle bleaching and streaking going on here, all looking very convincing! I agree that the post-effects route is the way to go in multi-colored camos, especially in this splinter style, cant wait to see more!

Clifford Keesler
I have yet to work up the courage to try a modern splinter camo scheme.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Daniel, Clifford & Danny - welcome to this little endavour!

I spent the past days on fixing the camo-transitions and little glitches here & there - that´s now 98% done, just one more dark grey pass on 2-3 spots and we´re done!

I applied the Furball Decals and must say they were the best I´ll ever worked with so far 👍 Check the "AMBUSH" on the tank - applied directly to MRP without varnish, no silvering or even a trace of thickness of the decal itself...

Now things will be allowed to dry, I´m using up the time to work out & test a proper method for the weathering & some work on the landing gear. All in all having a lot of fun 🙂 Very much looking forward to the next stages...

In connection to Donalds Flanker-painting thread - note how the dark grey turns different between the last 2 pictures, just by changing the angle of the photo... Phone camera, very sunny day 2 pics taken at the very same conditions... 🙂

Maciej Bellos
Fantastic result, even without the weathering.

Tim Heimer
I agree with Maciej!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Maciej, Roland & Tim!

Going without weathering would never be an option of course... I hope it works out roughly in the direction I plan 😄

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, I am in awe when I see the pictures you post. Even detailled photos show crisp work. There a superlatives to invent to describe this gem

Jos Jansen
Beautiful splinter camo Slavo...looking forward to the final result!

Daniel Klink
Fantastic job Slavo! Crisp in Detail and overwhelming finished look. Wow

Michael Phillips
Man, this is an awesome update! The camo is really fantastic, and your details are stunning as usual. Really looking forward to seeing this one approach the finish line.

Clifford Keesler
Agree with Michael, just awesome.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Lode, Jos, Daniel, Michael & Clifford - your most kind comments are really appreciated & the best motivation to try stuff 🙂

I´m curious how far I will be able to take this one without any pre-shading at all - did some tests yesterday and I think I´ll go for 3 separate layers of Oil-paint techniques, so it will take some time.

Originally, I intended to proceed +/- evenly between the Bug & the Super-Flanker, but with Covid-times setting the pace & my main supply of MRP´s cut off, I need to ration and some Flanker colors will be mixed from the base tones needed for the Hornet, so I need to finish this before going there...

Take care & stay healthy!

Daniel
Absolutely flawless, color match with decals looks perfect as well, nice! I am always silvering-worried without gloss coat, but it seems to work out obviously - do you polish before or just spray, dry&apply? Very interesting color change in the last two pics, something I noticed in my china flanker as well. Seems to be pretty much the same color… FS36076 ? Looking forward to learn something in your 3 layered oil treatment technique!

bughunter
Wow - the master is teaching (from home office) !

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Daniel & bughunter!

@Daniel - I will always see the flaws, once you know where to look, they are eye-magnets... - even after glitch 3 repair-sessions 😄 - the color is actually a base of Dark Gunship Grey FS 36081 (leftover from Vark) with some black added - the Furball paint scheme sheet suggested plain FS 36081, but that looked wrong vs. pictures & my "feeling"...

@bughunter - where? - I could take a lesson too!😉

Progress-report on an attempt to make non-pre-shaded/marbled surface look acceptable - I am going through the 2nd layer of oil treatment - the 1st was with shades of the 3 camo-colors, the 2nd is black - save your judgement for Nr.3, since it´s all too generic now & lacks "esprit" in the form of small games with color, streaks and the little odd irregularity here & there... 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Sure is looking great.

Tim Heimer
I agree!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Clifford & Tim!

Added a few pics from the weekend... Going through the weathering steps and taking my learning by doing lessons in oil-painting... 🙂 I tried to keep the surface effects within reasonable boundaries, as a particular Aggressor scheme on a plane from NAS Oceana would probably not suffer so badly during it´s lifetime (sigh...)

I´m starting to really feel a love-hate relationship with this build... Increased by the Corona-quarantine restlessness, it calls me to the bench every few hours, but in each session I damage/mess-up something in a prolonged mad create-break-repair race to finish it... Still some way to go, both with the surface job & the gear mods and equipment.

Sergej I
Slavo, walk it off and get back to it 🙂 You are doing great, the bug is a solid copy of the realdeal 👍 can't wait for the Suhoj.

Augusto
Great job!

Nathan Dempsey
Still looking great Slavo 🙂

Laurent VILLANUEVA HELLER ForEver
nice

Daniel
Corona-Restlessness, my exact feelings, I am really not built for home office...great job slavo, this is just the right amount of extra pigments on there imo to bring it to life, add some depth and still keep it clean- which these guys mostly seem to be. -mostly:
picuki.com/media/2255705929138283616
if you want a 4th layer 😄
You can go all in on the underside rear end now which is always an oily grimy mess 😉 good thinking with the flaps, do they add a half flap option in the kit? Really looking forward to your MLG magic 🙂

Greg Baker
Wow... that looks so sharp I'd be afraid to pick it up for fear of having my fingers sliced off!

Bryn Crandell
Oil weathering is coming along nicely. What brand of oils do you use?

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Sergej, Augusto, Nathan, Laurent, Daniel, Greg & Bryn! I really need to get this done... 🙂

@Sergej - the Flanker is waiting for the colors to be "freed" from the Hornet... 🙂 But it will get all it´s due share of love & attention soon!

@Daniel - thx for the reference - I do not want to go that far with the weathering, but here & there... who knows...😉 But the picture definitely convinced me of what I was brooding over for some time now, that I had the nozzles wrong... Corrected that with an ad-hoc MRP metal session now...

@Bryn - I am using Winsor-Newtons, which I get from an Artist-supply store here in Vienna - very happy with them, especially when used thick or mid-thinned. 👍 When over-thinned, they start to grain a little

Palo M
Upgraded engines look solid!

bughunter
From your point of view I would call it a successful weekend, the oil paint result is fantastic, this bird looks soo real!
Regarding the restlessness - I was not able to concentrate enough for the decal job and was forced to put it aside for now.

And this is a huge thread again, your excellent work got a lot of attention 👍

Slavo Hazucha
@Palo - indeed it looks much more like Hornet now... I can sleep well tonight... 😄

@bughunter - I can reproduce what I see on HD pictures, you have to give life & spirit to machines from withered BW photos... And my threads are probably long since I start a build when the cherry tree is in full blossom and do not finish before the last leaf has fallen from that tree - where others manage 4 or more builds at the same time 🙂

Günther Decock
Nice work Slavo. Also a special camo.

Clifford Keesler
I think it is still looking great.

Nathan Dempsey
Oh wow those exhausts came out well Slavo. I agree with you on the Windsor & Newton oils. I have several tubes that are still going strong after many years of use.

Konrad -
Slavo my friend what are you doing here I thought you build modells and now it seems your building the real thing 😉!
How cool is that I love it man absolutely stunning 👍! 😉

Bernhard Schrock
Slavo: meine tiefste Verbeugung vor dem Realismus deiner Oberfläche & Wethering. Nicht zu viel, nicht zu wenig, an der richtigen Stelle und auch der variierende Glanzgrad. Sieht wie das Original aus. Hoffe das Modell nal live zu sehen...Chapeau!

Pierre
Very convincing oil work Slavo!

Slavo Hazucha
Welcome Günther! As my last build was an all-grey, I felt the need for some camo-work this time😉

Cliffors, Nathan, Konrad, Bernhard & Pierre - thank you gentlemen & friends for all your kind words & praise..!

@Nathan - they are middle of the price range here - 7-15 Euros per tube for most colors & I really like the properties. Maybe it´s the specific combo with MRP coat below, but during the overall wash, it´s possible to create a nice map different-sheen areas like on real aircraft by rubbing the surfaces to a different polish. Adds a lot of "esprit" to the overall look on large even areas. I´m reluctant to put varnish on that, the oil dries long, but worth the time IMHO...

@Konrad - My 6 year old daughter recently expressed the wish to be a Jet-fighter pilot, so I try to inspire 😄

@Bernhard - Vielen, vielen Dank mein Freund, deine Projekte sind der Olymp dessen, was im Rahmen von Modelverbesserung durch Eigenkreationen denkbar ist, umso mehr Wert hat der lob! Irgendwo findet man mal zusammen, würde mich auch freuen.

Treehugger
Oh wow that landing gear bay in photo 69 looks spectacular! 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Small progress-update - working through layer 3 on the underside & LG wells.

Great thing on oils is that I can make up my mind and tweak the intensity several times before they dry... So I leave more on first, ponder over it, then reduce here & there until happy...

The Aires LG wells finally show their value - fitting them required some nerves & negotiation sessions, but they do look rather well... Treating that complex resin stuff with a wash & polish did take some time though... 😄

Patrick Hagelstein
Haven't checked my Scalemates messages in a while, but diving in this again, this looks awesome Slavo!!! 👍

Lode Schildermans
Your feeling for details keeps amazing me, Slavo. Well done also with the oils. It looks very realistic to me

Jos Jansen
Can it even get better...outstanding details Slavo, superb!

Daniel
Nice streaks going on! the intensity is just right in imo. Wheel wells are a joy to behold as well, this duel wont be an easy win for the flanker 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Patrick, thanks & great to get a life sign from you here! Hope you'll find some time for your swing-wing beauty soon!

Lode, always happy to get your opinion - with weathering, I usually first think it's too much, but then it "grows on me"😉

Jos, your Phantom leads the way mate!😉 👍

Daniel, the wells are really just the Aires parts with some hi's & lo's helped with dark wash & drybrush. No mad wiring this time... Allready running a little "compensation" project...😉 I do brood over the Flanker a lot... there seem to be just no proof it ever got dirty, so I'll have to work out how to bring "clean, yet interesting" together on my bench...

Clifford Keesler
You sir are one of the "Master" builders on this site that continue to inspire me with every build you do. Just utterly amazing work Slavo.

Yann BAUGNIES
I love this scheme, and the result!

Patrick Hagelstein
Still alive and as a matter of fact agreeing with Clifford. 😉

Slavo Hazucha
Clifford thank you very much for such an assessment... I´ve seen & followed a few of your works and I am a big fan of your work, particularly the overal finish & feel you give the planes, the more happy I am reading your words!

Yann welcome aboard, there is still a journey in here, particularly the whole of the Flanker to be built...

Patrick, being alive is an asset these days, hope you keep your good spirits up, would be a shame to be short of your comments!😉

So I spent the past days burried in some detail work and faced the fact that since the Hornet just cannot be happy with a simple "lollipop" for a main LG leg & wheel, there was some angle adjustment to get the straightened shapes that actually go into the wells. The front leg also needed almost 1cm of extension, so I studied some of Bernhards & bughunters albums and set out with some sheet, cutter & glue... Quite a fun job, with a few fantasy elements maybe, but I hope I can walk off with those... 🙂

Konrad -
Nice nice nice nice!!!!

bughunter
It is nice to read the own nickname in other people's postings - but now I need a "red face" smiley!
Unfortunately you probably got infected, not with Corona, but AMS. And that is incurable! But I am not aware of any guilt, that was probably Bernhard.
The legs are really nice!

Daniel
nice legs slavo! the kit offering them extended is quite a blessing 👍 sadly they forgot to put detail on their tires ... and to measure their hub hole

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Konrad, bughunter & Daniel!

bughunter I think with all the stuff "In the Air" around my bench, Corona has little chance...

Daniel, no extended legs in the kit, but 2 sets of "contracted" ones, from which you can build what you need... 🙂 And let´s not talk about the kit´s tires indeed... 😄

Peter Hardy
Slavo, sometimes you knock me off my feet! Wow, wow and double bloody wow!

Bughunter, your smiley face should be beet red a lot because your name comes up a lot! Guys like you and Slavo and KC and Rui drive a lot of us to improve what we do. It isn't just what you build either, you guys always encourage encourage encourage. You will never fully appreciate just how influential and appreciated you top modellers are.

Clifford Keesler
Beautiful landing gear. You sure you didn't sneak in a picture of the real thing? LOL.

Dave Flitton
Awesome work here, keep it up

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Peter, Clifford and Dave!

Peter your "treated machinery" - be it on truck or bike - is legend for me - I love watching & trying to create scale-appropriate wear, grime, artificial shadows and stuff & you give quite a show in this department 👍

So things have escalated a bit mainly due to acute loss of all patience... Gear is where it belongs now, roughly in the positions I imagined... The front wheel may be a bit more down to be truly in sync with the mains, but then nothing would be seen of the Aires wells and that´s a no-go after all that cutting and fitting trying to get the "for HOBBY BOSS kit" stuff into the Kinetic kit´s belly... I tried to put the main legs slightly offset one higher than the other, have seen that happen on pics & videos & it adds some life to the action IMHO...

The wheels themselves... well my Boy has Hotwheels cars with better looking rim & rubber... maybe I change them for something reasonable later when the world works again, I superglued them "gently" for that purpose. Already played with the idea to pixelize them for the moment 😄

Equipment´s done too, although in a decidedly unspectacular manner this time...

So I am 4 kit parts (position lights) and one wood-sawing session away from finish, then I can shove an iron rod up the Hornets *** & make some final pictures - probably this WE😉

Nathan Dempsey
That is looking REALLY cool Slavo!

Patrick Hagelstein
Did I say 'Whoooaaah!!!' already?

Martin von Schreckenstein
Stunning result and incredibly inspiring too! looks like you are going all out on this one - is what I'd say if I didn't know you treat all your builds like this🙂

Maciej Bellos
Looks pretty cool!

Daniel Klink
Masterpiece Slavo!

Jos Jansen
Man Slavo ... what an artist guy you are! So cool to see how you can turn these plastic models into little gems! Excellent...👍!!!

Sergej I
Sick!! 👍

Tim Heimer
Slavo….Amazing as usual! Love your work!

Peter Hardy
That's now crossed the border into insanity. My God man, are there no limits?

Clifford Keesler
I am just beyond words sir. What a masterpiece.

Donald Dickson II
You can stop showing us all up any day now.😉

Konrad -
Agree with all above mentioned comments👍!
Absolutely great!!

Erik Leijdens
What a craftsmanship! 👍👍

Slavo Hazucha
WOW.... Never expected to get so much good karma for a pair of exposed Hornet legs going up...! 😮 😉

Seriously - totally humbled & know that I value your comments & all the inputs and inspirations I get from you mates much more than any prize on a competition...

This hobby is not about being better or out-competing anyone for me, but about having fun & relaxing, negotiating with plastic & colors to do roughly what I want them to while my eyes and lungs get a treat and sharing it with the best bunch of slightly mad gentlemen (and a few ladies) on the world... 🙂

I got the position lights IN now, so kit´s done and I have an idea for the base... Will see - WE should be "Hornets End" over here so I can mix colors for the Flanker & get that story re-opened...

Maciej Bellos
Slavo, the Hornet legs (together with the Flogger ones) are the most peculiar ones and pretty sophisticated. So making them extended is very-very cool!

Sergej I
I think Slavo should only post pictures made by Nokia 3310. This makes the rest of us lot look like modellers aged below 4 or above 90 years...

Greg Baker
"Negotiating with plastic" is my new phrase...

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Maciej - you are right, a Flogger LG is something to look forward to 👍 The Kinetic kit has 2 sets of main legs - none extended, but it´s a good parts pile to start with!

Sergej, combining the unrestricted imagination of a 4-year old with the life-experience of 90+ sounds like a formidable base to start from! 😄

Greg - you approach it with a smile on your face while behind your back, there is already the hobby knife glistening in your hand...😉

ZHOU Kun
Very great depiction of F/A-18 landing gears!

bughunter
After examing the landing gear 👍 I'm very interested in the final arrangement on the base!😉

Maciej Bellos
So... Kinetic saw Slavo's work and decided to cop, errr, release it:

F/A-18A/C/D (Kinetic K48088, 1:48)

Peter Hardy
Going up Slavo? They cannot be going up as then you would find a way to make them spinning! They must be going down!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Zhou, you have a gem of a kit of the same plane too 😉 👍

Maciej... will be great 👍 - I still personally do not think it´s advisable to do the camo with decals (don´t think they´ll do that anyway) so the J´s masking kit (or another) is still a good "helping hand" 🙂

Peter - I can, ocasionally, put batteries into an electric device and then it works... Creating spinning or blinking objects is Greg Territory, I watch from the common crowd sector 😉

bughunter - have a look:

The Hornet is finished, so is the base and they wait´s for his true role model, the Flanker, in this little gallery:

Arctic Ambush Duel | Album by slavatarko (1:48)

Günther Decock
Dag Slavo, ik volg uw werk op de voet en het is fenomenabel. Uw werk en dat van Jos vind ik super. Jullie zijn toch profesionelen? Alleszins in mijn ogen toch.

Spanjaard
a masterpiece

Zbynek Honzik
I am speechless! This is amazing!

Laurent VILLANUEVA HELLER ForEver
good

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Günther, Spanjaard, Zbynek & Laurent!

After a few weeks of procrastination, I managed to gather some bench-time on the project again 🙂 Landing gear wells are ready to be filled & masked, Fuselage & wings are joined in harmony & I am working on the intakes now... The GWH kit is generally really good a pleasure, just some easy to manage fitting & filling topics around the front third when the top- & underside came together - all going fine & I can totally recommend it for a Super-Flanker project.

I imagine the 902 prototype gathered some serious flight-hours in all kinds of conditions Mother Russia can provide so the landing gear can receive some basic wear & grime...

While normal front-aircraft often distinguish themselves by gathering parking tickets on the side of the runway due to lack of funds to kick them up into the sky and the weather does things to the upper side camo, the prototype paint looks very smooth & consistent on all pics, so this is at least some "minor playground" 🙂

Kerry COX
Slavo. Bravo my friend. 🙂
You obviously do a mountain of research for each of your builds. 😉
Not only on the subject at hand but what is available in the 'after market' domain for your super fine details to make each step come alive.
I tips' me lid as the saying goes. 😉.
Always a spectacle for all to enjoy. 👍 👍 🙂

Palo M
The gear wells have excellent detail. Thanks for sharing!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Kerry - with my "speed" of building, it is indeed possible to acquire one or the other info about the subject...😉

@ Palo - dust off your stash & have a look... It´s a very good model - some parts do not totally fit, some assemblies are split in ways defying human logic and some of the best surface detail I´ve seen yet is occasionally "further improved" by the odd ejector pin mark here & there... but it´s all good, it´s good! 😄

Palo M
@Slavo: too many pieces in progress, need to finish the KV-122, AT ST, AT/AA battery, F-84 and A-7 first 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Amazing as always sir. I will say it again, you sir are a master modeler.

bughunter
Yippee! Slavo is back 👍

Tim Heimer
The master of detail!

James C
Intricate detail work as always Slavo. Looking spectacular 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Palo, Clifford, bughunter, Tim & Jim!

@Palo - that´s why I have not (yet) built any considerable stash! I must take it one model at a time, otherwise all is lost... 😄

@detail - well, starting with a good kit does a lot 🙂

Clifford Keesler
If I tell my wife I want to buy a kit that cost over 30.00 she goes ballistic. LOL. So I have gotten good at improvision.

Slavo Hazucha
Clifford I always point out the prices on the Revell & Italeri kits as "orientation", then buy in secret😉

I´got on the wave and pushed some work on the landing gear - the GWH kit is a Garden of Eden of detail in this area... 👍

Also, since I want to glue the fins in place before doing the splinter camo masking, I decided to do the engine covers metal before, since I just remember too well from the Su-34 how once in place, precision airbrush work on some angles becomes virtually impossible. Tried some stuff with a sponge on the blue, still far from finished, but we do have a start... 🙂

Clifford Keesler
It is looking good.

Jos Jansen
Wow...great progress Slavo...and interesting how you build-up the metal layers!

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, you're a way too modest. What you considering a starting point is for much builders the end point. Keep up the pace and continu to surprise us with your tremendous modelling

Augie
O.o Slavo, darn.. that looks epic!

Maciej Bellos
What Lode said, moreso with the end point for us mere mortals.

Daniel
That blue part is an piece of art in itsself 👍 i'd like to order one in poster size please

Greg Baker
As always, I watch Slavo's builds in awe. Simply amazing stuff that I have no idea how to replicate. I also learn new words like "kit price orientation" - very useful. One nice thing about building in 1/144 is that my wife always assumes smaller means cheaper. I don't have the heart to tell her that the 1/144 scale resin kit of my CH-54 Tarhe shipped from the Ukraine cost almost twice as much as the 1/72 Heller B-707 I bought off the shelf...😉

No need to trouble her with those details...

Donald Dickson II
I have taken note of the sponge thing. I rather like that effect. Now I am curious to see how you get the burned metal orangey parts in the same pattern. Short of masking that pattern, I couldnt think of a way to exactly replicate that. I have another flanker or two in the stash, so I need the learnin!

Greg, how much is it worth to you for this to stay a secret????😉 LOL

Nathan Dempsey
Ooh shiny! I feel as if I'm staring into the birth of the universe with all those random patterns.

Soeren R.
Fantastic work on the Hornet and the Flanker also comes along really nice!

Spanjaard
Greg, ignorance is bliss 😛

Fly By Jan
Ohhh wow that burned blue looks amazing!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates so much for all your comments & support! I had some difficulties getting back to the model (the prospect of making another of those intake FOD-Guards made me look for all kinds of excuses to avoid the hobby bench 😄 ), but now I finally got some traction into it again...

@Jos & Lode - I have a rough plan for the layers, we´ll see where it will get me. I´ll do the airbrushing now, but finalization with brushing, polishing and weathering will have to wait until fins & camo are on to get it all into one final, hopefully reasonable whole 🙂

@Maciej, Daniel, Donald & Nathan - the MRP burned blue (and other tones) are really great stuff, somewhere between normal & metalizer paints, looking really good on metal background... As for the orange section, this will be somewhat of a more interesting challenge, but I do have "a cunning plan"...

Spanjaard
those cans look simply perfect!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Spanjaard! Actually, this was a very pleasant work - small area/few quick cycles kind of job... went cca. like this:

- from the point where the blue metal pics stand, I added a cloud-coat of pale burned metal and burned iron subsequently, burned iron through the sponge
- then applied a rel thick coat of winsor-newton burnt sienna, let dry for 3 hours, removed slightly irregulary
- after a day, flocked in burnt umber with an almost dry brush
the oil coats are beautifully translucent & the metal undercoats still keep some sheen
- the various doors were hand-painted & dry-brushed, after which some thin black oil went in for good measure
- the nozzles are just dry fit there, some final polishing of the transition-area will follow before they are put on in earnest...

the whole thing now needs to dry for at least 3 days before any touching (or masking!) of the area can safely take place. Have to find an occupation for the time being... 🙂

Tim Heimer
They are looking good! Patience now.

Clifford Keesler
Most excellent sir.

Sergej I
Beautiful work, Slavo!
In three days you can do a speed-build on a most hated kit in your stash. Or start a Tomcat😉

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Tim, Clifford & Sergej!

Unfortunately, I only buy things I love...😉 😄 Yesterday went to a physical store and saw the AMK Tomcat there... that kit is just amazing...

Clifford Keesler
Yes, that one is on my "Bucket list" and it cost less than the Tamiya one. Hopefully they will also do an "A" version.

Kerry COX
The colours are one thing, but it's the techniques we develop that gets us the visual results that portray the 'feel' of what we want to create. 👍 🙂
Greate to watch this mystro at work. 👍

James C
The heat stressing looks amazing! 👍

Palo M
Looks decent 🙂 🙂 🙂

Palo M
Slavo, if you get a Tomcat, I'll get the same one 🙂

Soeren R.
Fantastic looking exhaust!

Daniel
Stunning, stunning, stunning! exhausts look just Epic with capital E 👍 I see the head start of the hornet dwindling in this duel😉
So they have AMK Tomcats in Austria, that is nice to know for my next Holiday😉 Still not available in DE 🙁

Maybe a short OT mid-build review, since it came up:
Stunning kit, great Detail+options, furball decals, very fun build so far - but no tamiya shake+bake! The occasional fit issue, some surface imperfections, some steps in panel lines, mediocre clear parts and a lot of sneaky mould lines waiting to be discovered. Nothing nerve wrecking, but you keep noticing.
Instructions are...well...improvable.
Punch Line:
Very well researched+ambitious but they could have tidied+polished up some of their stuff a bit more i'd say… so (without having built it) i think the extra buck for the tamiya is still justified for their obviously flawless engineering. But when you dont shy away from tidying up yourself, the AMK builds into a stunner 👍
Sry for drifting off, back to topic 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Kerry I got rather inspired by the burned metal on your Super-Sabre a while ago - not the same colors & effect as on a Flanker, but it just captured the way it happens on the real plane quite exceptionally!😉

James & Soeren - glad you like it! And James good to see you return to that quite recognizable Avatar!

Palo - I studied a lot how the browning effect on a white Grillwurst develops when done properly - helped a lot with the decent results... 😄 Nice attempt to try to blame me for the Cat-business, but it will have to wait! Got to attend some aMiGos first😉

Daniel - thanks a lot mate, the Flanker livery looks all clean on pretty all pics, so I had to find a "playground" but it was always clear the engine round would go to the Flanker... 🙂

As for the Tomcat topic, I was playing with the idea of doing a Jolly Rogers one in flight chasing a Zero as seen in "The final countdown" but the AMK kit is Totally wasted on this topic, IMHO it really has to be built with the wings totally dissected to show it's muscle... I actually saw it in a store in Bratislava/Slovakia, just went there this week as the border is now open again. Goes off the shelf for 80€ there. Left the shop with another AMK kit in the end, but maybe I'll do one when the intimidating ones by -you all know whom I mean- are finished 😄

Daniel
"Left the shop with another AMK kit in the end" ... oh I do hope it is the big+russian one 😄

Jos Jansen
Great exhaust nozzles Slavo...we get a free lesson in perfect delivery of the exhausts! Yes, go for it Slavo...JOLLY ROGERS...FEAR THE BONES!

Sergej I
...what Jos said... 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Agree, what a cool Idea, a Tomcat and a Zero. Forgot all about that Movie. I bet you would make a killer dio. Zero killer that is. LOL.

Augie
ooo yes love that film.. great idea!

Slavo Hazucha
"Alert one... ...Splash the Zeros, I say again - splash the Zeros!" - can´t get it out of my head already... nor the main theme... 😄

Youtube Video

Jos Jansen
My all time favorite aerial movie...just epic! Awesome dogfight with two majestic Jolly Rogers Tomcats...Splash the zero's...!

Spanjaard
i love the idea too... i have the tomcat and currently waiting for the zero to arrive... got lost in the mail 🙁
i am sure there are several other similar projects

Augie
Might use my revell F-14 for it and... I have no idea which Zero lol!

Tim Heimer
As for the zero's in real life, last I knew there was only 1 salvaged and restored that runs. Amazing history of those planes. I know Hollywood mocked up a bunch of Texan T-6 trainers for several movies. From the what it's worth dept.

Slavo Hazucha
I am more or less set to go for the Tamiya Tomcat now - I tell myself for any other one I´ll need to get the decals, pilots & probably engine nozzles = +3x15€ which suddenly makes Tamiya OOB look like a good deal + I really like what´s going on over at Jos´s😉 👍

I first thought about grabbing a Hasegawa Zero somewhere, but looking over the movie shots I now think it has to be a Texan conversion. They actually look rather good posing as Zeros... Great practical effects & real-life movie shooting in the 80´s really... Most changes seem manageable, with the notable exception of the canopy, creating/modding which I have no clue or experience...

Won´t happen all too soon, but just maybe I´ll make it 2020 😄

Bart Teunis
The moment I fell in love with the F-14

Patrick Hagelstein
Hopping on this bus after a while: the Tamiya Tomcat is simply amazing! That being said, it is designed to be buttoned up and quite bland. But, as 99% percent of the time Tomcats are actually buttoned up and quite bland, that makes them perfectly as canvasses for painting and weathering. If one wants to model a Tomcat in a (pre) launch, landing or maintenance setting, that's where the AMK starts to have it's merits over the Tamiya one as the AMK one comes with posable lift devices, posable stabs, a detailed TARPS pod and such. Personally I like the build-ability of the Tamiya one combined with elements of the AMK for specific areas of attention.

Patrick Hagelstein
Other than that: Amazing work on those exhausts Slavo!!! 😄 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Patrick, my thoughts & observations exactly... + I get all whiny if the kit is not all shine & glitter😉

+ bonus points for mentioning the actual build going on here too... 😄

Patrick Hagelstein
😄 😄 😄 Yessssss!!! Bonus points collected! Dzjing!!!

Peter Hardy
Favouritisim!

Ricardo Reis
Sorry to intrude, following! 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Peter, always vigilant to point out an injustice...😉 but one has to value any post not treating a Tomcat topic these days..! 😄

Ricardo welcome... with my pace, you're in only a few months before potential project finish..! 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Come on Slavo, splash the Zero's. LOL.

Andy Ball
Using these as references for current and future engines -bravo Slavo!

Slavo Hazucha
Clifford, I don´t see a way around the Zero-splashing now... 🙂 But maybe will squeeze in just one project in-between & while collecting "the right stuff"

Andy thanks for the praise - watching your projects with much interest 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Spent the last days on minor, but important tasks, completing (and masking...) the gear-wells, placing minor details & stuff. My kit is now as close to the Su-35 Prototype as it will get. Fortunately there was not soo much to change & modify - after following Donalds KH build, I think the GWH kit is probably slightly better suited one for this job, with the notable exception of the stinger, which the KH kit has in the prototype config with flare-launchers facing up.

In any case, it´s a beautiful kit to work with, the surface details are just beyond perfect in some spots...

Also made my take on mixing the dark color, but this is not yet ready for a full roll-out 🙂

bughunter
I am speechless and enjoy quietly!

Lode Schildermans
OMG

Clifford Keesler
Amazing as always Slavo.

Spanjaard
Lines in the windshield are a simple but simply spot on solution, congratulations

Nathan Dempsey
The Borg would be proud of your precision🙂

Peter Hardy
Ok, my ego is destroyed!

James C
Once again, incredible display of skill and subject knowledge with the detailing Slavo 👍

Donald Dickson II
And here he goes making the rest of us look like amateurs.😉

Greg Baker
Blind amateurs...

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates, happy you seem to generally approve of the progress going on here!😉 The real aircraft was kept (or at least photographed) in +/- pristine condition all the time, so there is no chance for the salty & oily weathering orgy everyone seems to enjoy in the Tomcat GB right now - so I look for small playgrounds with details & co... 😄

bughunter, Lode, Clifford, James - really happy you like what you see - with a kit like this it´s really a pleasure to work out details & I am looking forward to my bench-time & moving things on!

Spanjaard - it worked really well - I did 1-2 lines at a time, was afraid to lose the paint to masking tape but somehow it stayed on...

Nathan - I could definitely use some Borg nanoprobes here!😉

Kerry - that´s exactly what I don´t do and admire - taking a lump of stone and carve a statue out of it... I need a nice starter model which does all the important stuff & I just fiddle with biths here & there 😄

Peter, Donald, Greg - have a look at your Albums (or at your stuff in real world) & get your ego´s back on line, for you all can do things I take high-radius detours around!😉 👍

Soeren R.
Really nice Slavo
Im so impressed with your eye for every small detail.....

Patrick Hagelstein
Whoah!!! Amazing work on those windscreen strips! 😮

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Soeren & Patrick - simple thing actually, looks better on photos than it really deserves😉

Since I could not believe the color suggestion provided by GWH (and KH paint-guide too), I tried to mix my own blend for the peculiar "dark color" in the Russian splinter camo, which appears somewhat bluish in sunlight and quite grey in the shadow... Started with Gunship grey leftovers from the Hornet, kept adding dark signal blue + some black/white/yellow for good measure and this came out.

I also need to add that light yellowish tone to the grey, hope to achieve that later with a careful oil wash... 🙂

The thing is still heavy WIP, about 25% of the edges will need some form of quick fix (was same on the Hornet) + the underside.

Daniel
Nice, the blue is perfect 👍 Impressive, I can only imagine how many litres of paint I would use up during trial and error to mix this out of gunship grey...and yes, the light grey really is a bit too cold...I think I would re-mask the whole fella, but I bet you can pull it off with your magic oils😉

Slavo Hazucha
Daniel you guessed it, I do have a comfortable reserve of the color left now 😄 As for the grey, did the mistake and went by the book, buying the bottle of the tone-per-guide and going right on the model (who would mess-up a grey tone...)

Re-spraying = not happening - J's pre-cut masks turned out to be:

A; not quite pre-cut
B; only vaguely correct on 3 fin sides and one elevator - I cut it basically all by hand in many many pieces, so what is down stays down... 😄

Clifford Keesler
Still looks very impressive.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Clifford - I am over 50% sure I can bring the colors where I want them in the final appearance 😄

Slavo Hazucha
So, over this week, I was masking, un-masking, re-masking and over-masking more than Zorro in all movies ever made, but - apart from the canopy black job still pending - all is now in a state I can live with... This phase was much more work intensive than on the Hornet, the Flanker being considerably bigger, but mainly featuring a lot of additional areas to mask around the engines, different hatches and grilles, edges, etc, etc...

But now I have a nice big canvas for all the finalization with oils & co - very happy about that.

First advance in this direction done on an elevator - soon I should get to the actual plane 🙂

Tim Heimer
Nice!

Choppa Nutta
Slavo I gotta say hats off sir !!
This is some lovely work, especially the patina of the metal work ! 🙂
The "Munky" is impressed😉 😄

bughunter
Again a airbrush artist at work! It looks sooo real 👍

Palo M
Solid progress, nice combination of colors.

Jasper Breur
Could have sworn that was actual metal, absolutely stunning work!

James C
That looks amazing! 👍

Jos Jansen
Slavo, you blow us away with your stunning metal work, excellent!

Bernhard Schrock
107: How did you manage to shoot a picture of the original elevator?

Bernhard Schrock
I hope I get a chance to see this duo live!

Clifford Keesler
Awesome work Slavo, I love it.

Lode Schildermans
It takes a lot of work and preparation to achieve this result. Your photos only give a hunch of the time spent to get there

Andy Ball
Sub-f*******-lime. Bravo!!

Zach Wilson
incredible

Nathan Dempsey
I love watching Slavo's builds come together.

Daniel Klink
Me too Nahan, me too 👍

Daniel
Must be the most convincing burnt metal I have ever seen on a model, absolutely stunning! 👍 👍 👍

Peter Hardy
The boy's got talent that's for sure!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks a lot mates, I'm really happy you like the progress & am really humbled by all your way too generous comments!!

@Choppa - I really should take care not to drink & post after a hard works day 😄😉

@bughunter & Bernhard - I just paint well moulded stuff, you guys really create your models... & I it's me hoping to check your miracles in real life some day!

@Jos - got to find something distinctive a Tomcat does not feature...😉

@Lode you're quite right, I don't need to see any masking tape any time soon - the metalwork was actually fun, more creative than just masking & spraying geometric lines...

@Andy - Thanks & your project inspires me to try something in the future... Maybe a "Bear" metal finish in 72-scale... 😄

@Peter - just some youthful beginners luck😉

Gentlemen, thanks again & I hope not to disappoint in subsequent steps & finish...!

Choppa Nutta
haha no worries Slavo it was kinda funny 🙂

Anyhow, hats off to you for such a nice build thus far 🙂

Hanno Kleinecke
My admiration for such dedication and painting skills, that „bare metal" looks extremely realistic !

Laurent VILLANUEVA HELLER ForEver
good job

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Choppa, Hanno & Laurent!

Hanno especially on this build, I really focus on "small distractions" since the main surfaces were kept in absolutely top condition on the real plane so there is no shading/salt/chips/stains/grime party in the pipeline 🙂

Canopy is on & sealed - more or less...

At this stage a big thank you!! to Michael Phillips for actually providing it! As I run out of talent earlier and cracked mine beyond any level I could realistically repair, Michael most kindly offered to send a spare and save the build in the form "as originally intended" 👍 👍 I treated the new one as a prize diamond, removed the seam, but chickened out of the attempt to polish out the light warping on the lower sides (Seems to be an -across the range- feature with GWH canopies)... Still hope you find the integration acceptable!😉

I actually combined the clear windshield with the lightly toned canopy, since that is exactly what I saw on some Su-35´s and found quite cool (not the 902 exactly, but could happen with time there as well). The toned IRST bulb also came in extremely handy, looking much better than the clear part!

Laurent VILLANUEVA HELLER ForEver
nice

Tim Heimer
Nice save! It looks damn good to me!

Patrick Hagelstein
See, that's what I like about Scale........MATES! the possibility to ask for help and help a fellow modeler achieving his or her goal in building that ultimate model. Big kudos to Michael Phillips for acting the way Scalemates was intended and big kudos to you, Slavo for showing us what perseverance looks like! 👍

Greg Baker
I have to say, seeing Slavo's builds has inspired me to dabble in 1/48 scale. It's a bit of a slippery slope, I ended up getting gifted an Academy F-4 from a friend who bought it, unknowingly for his young son. Then suddenly I have aN F-14, F-5E, an F-8E and an F-111 In my stash. Looking at the HUGE plastic parts, I'm thinking "now, what would Slavo do?"😉

Greg Baker
I should also say, that I've never seen another group that acts quite the way scale model builders do. Over the years I've had "mates" from various sites send me (at no charge) propellers for a DC-3, canopies for 1/144 F-14s (one Revell, on LS), and a resin hard top for a Land Rover. To pay it forward, I've sent a fellow model builder who's down on his luck a couple of Academy P-40Ns to keep his spirits up. The spirit of camaraderie, even from people you barely know, is impressive.

Choppa Nutta
I have to agree there Greg, there have been numerous people who have helped me out with bits and pieces for various projects, wheels, 3mm rivets, some Star Wars Death Star molds and even a vintage chess set !!
And the warm encouragements have been invaluable too !! 🙂

Patrick Hagelstein
All true! 🙂 Greg, you'll make the modeling community happy! Those P-40s are really nice little kits! 👍

Clifford Keesler
I have to agree with all of the above. I have had mates send me kits and accessories, and I to have sent stuff to mates. I feel closer to the people on this site than I do to other people. I too love the encourgament, tips and just down right friendships on Scale Mates. Sorry Slavo. for high jacking your thread. The Artic Duel looks just awesome. You sir are a true craftsman.

Peter Hardy
Yep, Kerry just sent me a complete kit and 2 bottles of paint to replace the body I melted on the Mercedes C9 kit he gave me to start off with. Bloody awesome bunch of people we are! Must get him a Xmas present this year!

Clifford Keesler
Kerry is just great people, along wit Augie, Nathan Choppa, and just to many others to name here. It would take me all night to name them all.

Kerry COX
Hahahahaha. I am chuffed to be of help and encourage the best to come out of Peter. He deserves it, as there are not that many around you want to call 'mate', and Peter is just that. 👍 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Well, I just hope I´ll be able to help a mate some day, yet chances are pretty narrow - My stash-building is still under strict child-protection rules - Most the time allowed to look, but not buy... 😄 Fortunately, I am pretty resistant to sudden uncontrolled online purchase occurrences, leaving the "risk area" mostly to store visits and expo´s...

Thanks to that, my stash is pretty slim, with just three upcoming projects ready... and one very-long time planned one, so one could say four... plus the started egg-Scharnhorst, making it technically five... and if you really want to count in the model Glasshouse I got from my wife, that would be six... yes - six total making my stash... 😄 So as you see, I operate almost like a Volkswagen factory with just-in-time parts and sub-contractor assemblies delivery... Does not leave much over to impress mates with... 🙁

@Greg & 48-scale - I just build & paint paint them, possibly adding a discreet detail here & there on the way, but you would add a working ground following radar & display to the F-111 with all that size to work with!😉 👍

Spanjaard
your job is certainly impressive.... having 2, 20, 200 or 2000 in your stash, make no difference in the pleasure we have seeing what you do with them. besides. better 5 projects, and actually do them, than 50 (like me) and not build anything (like me 🙁 )

Greg Baker
After boxing up 7 large boxes full of kits, I'm thinking maybe fewer would be better. However, I've had the luxury of being in a large city in a country where scale model building is pretty popular. So, I've been building a stash that will last me for a long time I believe. Also, I have to say, after looking at all that 1/48 scale plastic... now some of the modelling tips I've read make more sense. They're practically impossible in 1/144 scale... but now I see some new potentials...😉.

I'm just glad to follow along with all the great builds here to learn how to unlock some of that potential.

Spanjaard
looking forward what you do in 1/48 Greg, specially inspired by builds like the present one from Slavo...

Slavo Hazucha
The progressed state of the Flanker is now showing a strong pull-effect towards the bench... 🙂

Re-furbished the IRST - thanks to using white wood glue, not an issue at all to open and add something remotely interesting inside (shaded alu-foil circle...), the previous state just did not cut it...

Also faced the nemesis I knew about and dreaded for a long time now - the beautifully molded AMUR resin nozzles have a way too small contact diameter for the kit... like good 2mm smaller... I thought I may fit them and be smart with some colors, but it just would never do. Worked myself to a workaround now...

Turbine-engine engineers & rivet-counters of all countries, look aside!! 😄

Daniel
Haha, really like your little plumbers trick there, good thinking and implementation! Great stuff slavo! 👍

Jens
ohhh Slavo, you create a finish with the metal colors this is a show in itself, absolutely upset 👍 I'm not boring with the colors either, but that's real art 👍 👍 👍

Rui S
I agree with Jens. That is incredible realistic metal finish 👍. Plastic metal, right??? 😄
P.S. Oh no, it's resin metal ??? 😄
Well... whatever. It's magic 🤔

Spanjaard
Some of the best cans ever....

Nathan Dempsey
Oh yes that's lovely. More awesome metal work there Slavo 🙂

Ricardo Reis
Very nice exhaust colors indeed! 👍

Roland Sachsenhofer
I will never get exhausted studying your exhausts... that is more than stunning, that is simply.... adorable!

bughunter
Full ack on Rolands comment 👍
@Rui S You need to edit the wikipedia page about metal, that are two new kinds of metal!

Rui S
@Bughunter, I think Slavo has the patent 😄😉

Clifford Keesler
Beautiful metal work Slavo.

Donald Dickson II
Wish you had done this before I finished mine. Could have used that idea. LOL

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks a lot mates - it's really a pleasure and a great motivation to read all your far too favourable comments! 👍

Happy you like the burned Stalinium metal finish - It's the MRP metallic range over resin, on black priming, for which I used a normal gloss black, not black primer, which may have been a meh choice, since it surrenders and peels very easy with masking tape... Had to correct several small disasters, happy it's done now 🙂

Maybe I just should have cleaned the resin better, gave it a soap-water bath, in the meantime I clean stuff with a towel sprayed with kitchen glass cleaner (the stuff that makes glass cups produce unbearable squeaking noises when you go over them with your finger...), which produces much better halt (not using primer after that for non metallic MRP's most the time).

Jos Jansen
Man Slavo, you gave or actually give us all a masterclass in modeling...great inspiring work! 👍👍

Tim Heimer
Defiantly inspiring work!

Patrick Hagelstein
............

Patrick Hagelstein
.....me just being speechless.......

Antoine Meylan
Woah. magnifique

Mathieu
Checking in. And it's absolutely stunning !! The exhaust is out of this world. Cheers

Michael Phillips
I am glad that you got the canopy finally and glad I could help. It feels good knowing I have a hand in creating this masterpiece of yours (sorta! LOL).

Anyway, this is really becoming more amazing with every step. That metalwork makes me weep! Amazing work Slavo, amazing indeed.

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, your exhausts were already excellent, but this one is an improved version of perfection, as is the whole plane, IMHO. Congrats, mate

Bart Goesaert
Truly stunning work on these beauties. Nice reference build for some future projects

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Tim, Antoine, Mathieu, Bart - very happy you like it!

@Jos - the one or other inspiration certainly comes from your corner, rest assured about that!😉

@Patrick - I rather like your full-volume comments, hope you´ll find your voice soon! 😄

@Michael thanks again for the Canopy - it´s arrival really put this build into afterburner mode! 👍

@Lode - the thrust-vectoring exhausts with all the different metals and degrees of burn are a no-miss opportunity to let loose - but I like the nozzle-topic very much in general, often the best part of the build for me...

Alexander Grivonev
Mmmh, Sukhoi engines natural metal p0rn 👍

Patrick Hagelstein
I'm clearing my throat right now! More to follow! 😄

Maciej Bellos
Sweeeeeet! Are you sure you don't have that shrinking machine? It looks so real that if I saw it in person I would be afraid to touch it for fear of burning my hand. Hats off!

Christian Bruer
Excellent progress Slavo. Really impressive 👍

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Alexander, Maciej & Christian!

While I am slowly adding surface treatment to the big bird, I had some fun with the landing gear... There is no way going around the fact that the 902-black was really kept clean, so while keeping it more or less that way, I unleashed my frustration on these parts... 😄

Oil & grime galore, combined with the really excellent GWH material (watch out for seams and some ejector pin holes, but what remains is top notch!) and started adding Metallic Details PE wiring (all the rest, incl. the weighted tires is OOB stuff), more to come on the front leg... I´ve done full-scratch wiring before and would gladly do so again when needed, but I wanted to try this and must say in 48 scale the PE-wires are a viable alternative, at least to my eye... Really having lots of fun on this build 🙂

Gordon Sørensen
Great looking work, Slavo. The engine colours and detail is very good. What colour green did you use for the wheels (rims)? It seems a common feature of Russian aircraft.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Gordon!

I found my match with the MRP range for all airbrush work. They have IMHO the best colors for things Russian, pre-mixed directly for specific aricraft & camo types.

The green is this one:
mrpaint.sk/farby/lietadla/USSR?product_id=81

It says green for wheels, but the same green tone is used on radomes, dielectric panels & covers, etc... on Soviet era & Russian aircraft. For landing gears it´s spot on from the bottle, on outer surface panels it can fade & vary in tone considerably...

bughunter
Where did you find the great picture of the original wheels? That's awesome! 👍

Bernhard Schrock
I agree bughunter: it's forbidden to show original pictures as model pictures!🙂

James C
It's really impressive how you can make something so ordinary and mundane such as a wheel rim & tyre, look so eye-ctaching and life-like. Incredible! 👍

Jos Jansen
Totally agree with you James...magic hands!

Clifford Keesler
I agree also. Amazing.

Daniel
magic hands and magic oils! Not to mention the magic eye for the always spot on effect choice 👍Hats off to you slavo and to GWH for providing resin quality wheels, great stuff!

Andy Ball
I really don't know what to say, but the sheer artistry here is amazing in our chosen hobby...bravo Slavo...if I could get 10% towards your skill levels I'd be a happy chappy!

Bart Goesaert
Nice thing with the PE-wires. Would be complex to try this with wires. You can thicken the PE a bit by painting some MrSurfacer or thick paint on them to have some volume.

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks a lot for all the commends my friends - the Flanker wheels are just big pizza pies, really easy to slam some ingredients on... If you make a reasonable choice, the outcome should be appetizing enough😉 The Magic really is provided rather by mother nature´s weather and the caring hands of the crews which allow my inconsistencies to pass as "realistic use effects" 😄

The GWH kit is all over excellent (and let´s your wallet suffer for the excellence too...) - I am already looking for options & reasons to do another one in the future...

Bart I tried exactly that (paint) and it´s OK enough for the angles how the wiring will actually be visible in it´s final position. As said, surprised how well PE "fake wires" actually look...

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, you're not only outstanding in your paintwork, you've a keen eye to details. All the research you do, come to life in your builds. The explanations in your albums, give us a clue how do you do it, but replicating is only for the talented. I'm glad to be amongst a lot of talented builders, each in their own domain of interest. Grtz, Lode

Clifford Keesler
Hope I can make my Mig-27's wheels look half as nice.

Slavo Hazucha
Cheers Lode & Clifford! 🙂

Lode thanks a lot for all that praise - not that you would be one in need of much explanation how to make things look stunning & real at the same time! Every time I get all weenie about having to do TWO of a thing - engine, LG-leg... I recall the "Pom-pom story" and get myself back to shape...😉

Clifford when your builds come together the results are really a pleasure to look at & have a recognizable "touch" I personally really like - and the result is always more than the sum of the details, regardless how good & many they are... 👍

Clifford Keesler
Thank you very very much Slavo, that means a lot coming from you.

Ben M
picture 19 has a Schienenzeppelin!

Slavo Hazucha
A short update from the laundry - slowly progressing through the washes and surface toning - this is a very big surface 🙂 and the white is particularly diva-esque to handle. As I want the plane to look +/- in good condition as on most pics, I have to seriously restrain myself... but this is where we are now. I sorted the uninspired grey to a more lustful shade and carefully massaged in some panel line accents and very light color shade wear...

Much more to do, but it´s coming along... 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
@Ben, yes it does indeed - but my only action was to unbox it & put it there - it´s a vintage Schylling metal toy replica, with key, spring & stuff... 🙂

Ben M
I modified mine so the wheels don't spin on the drive axles and run it on track with other tinplate O gauge trains.

Alexander
Very convincing/realistic look so far, really like the splinter camo.

Jos Jansen
Outstanding Slavo...can't see the difference between the real one and yours, superb quality 👍!

Gary Dahlström
Slavo, you captured the essence of the real thing; sleek and menacing. Nicely done!

Nathan Dempsey
Those colors look beautiful🙂

Clifford Keesler
Stunning work Slavo, well done sir.

Konrad -
Slavo the Master of Flankers 🙂!
Really impressive mate! 👍 👍 👍!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks a lot Alexander, Jos, Gary, Nathan, Clifford & Konrad!

@Ben - I´ve heard that should be possible, but alas, I use mine to look good on the shelf and I actually had my kids play with it at times, trying to put meaning to this in the universe of today´s toys... 😄

@ Jos & Gary, Nathan & Clifford - thanks a lot for such compliments - working out the "dark" tone for this one was quite a journey, I did not wanted to just go by a number (and there were several different suggested anyway...), so tried to capture the essence of it & balance with the other tones from photos with my own mix...

Konrad - the Flanker is my Tomcat!😉

Daniel
killer! looks pretty much done to me? 👍
"the flanker is my tomcat" - love that line 😄

Slavo Hazucha
Daniel there is still some fun-fuel in this build left... legs, wheels, Decals application & sealing (I want to try a small experiment with multiple varnishes & different degrees of glossiness... maybe) and some minor leak & streak (can´t resist this completely...)

But yeah, it´s more done than it was before 😄 And I have to, my stash is now overflowing with three "next build" candidates... 😮 !

Tim Heimer
Every time I look at this it amazes me. Slavo you are talented!

Greg Baker
I can't look directly at Slavo's builds... I'm worried I'll go blind.

Gary Dahlström
LOL - Slavo threatens to blind us all. Momma never told me not to look.

Slavo Hazucha
Tim thank you very much - more like lucky with the camera...😉

Greg & Gary, on the contrary, right now I need every eye open, since I lost one of the little trident-like aerials from the tail fins...!

Gary Dahlström
Good luck Slavo - that carpet looks like a part-eater, if that's where it's fallen. I used to work on one of those thick, perforated rubber mats. I found that 90% of the time it would fall thru one of the holes before it got far. I could frequently find the wee bit by gently lifting the mat and looking in that immediate area. Nonetheless, I'm sure that someone of your skill could easily fabricate a replacement that would look better than the kit-issued part. Cheers!

Patrick Hagelstein
Or.....depending on other weekend hobbies.... wrap a nylon stocking over the vacuum tube and vacuum the suspected area. That way a small part like that would get sucked into the stocking. Works like a charm! 😄

Spanjaard
good trick Patrick, i need to remember that one!

Patrick Hagelstein
👍

Choppa Nutta
Yeah that is a damn good idea ! 🙂

Bart Goesaert
Preferably use one of your wifes stockings, going in a shop and buying them raised eyebrows for some reason..

Choppa Nutta
Just do what all those other professional victims do,
ie. accuse of them of being transphobic and sue them for a stack of cash😉 😄

Patrick Hagelstein
Cool! that way you end up with a bunch of cash AND stockings! 😄

Tim Heimer
Carpet monsters! You gotta hate them!

Slavo Hazucha
I think I can score through the whole spectrum by going to buy them, take my time choosing & trying some on and at the first sign of a weird look proclaim "... oh no, I need these to put on a vacuum tube to suck up small parts from my plastic model...! " 😄😄

Palo M
Nice! As an alternative, if they are the static dischargers, you can get a cheap(ish) brass replacement:

Static dischargers - type us../22 (Master AM-48-088, 1:48)

I *think* they are the same on a Su-35.
If the trident is something else, what a great opportunity for a scratch built detail! 🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates for all the tips & support, and let me proudly proclaim: "The culprit is in custody!"

I actually found it befitting to try an electronic warfare method first, scanning the carpet with a cold white LED lamp 10cm over the surface while turning it, the stark illumination and appearance of sharp shadows quickly revealing anything protruding from the surface, including our little fellow here - so the Nylon element is added purely for style & presentation purposes this time 😄

Happy I found it, I had PE-replacements at hand, but I shunned the two-dimensionality of the metal sheet...

@Palo I got these in my growing order cart at 48-ers, but am still philosophically questioning what I really "need" for my following builds... 😄

Palo M
@Slavo oh no, don't let reason get in the way of expanding your stash with invisible details!

Patrick Hagelstein
@Slavo 2: Oh no, don't let reason get in the way of expanding your stash of fashionable stockings! 😄 😄 😄

Lode Schildermans
Slavo, I took the time to review all the photos to see every step again. It makes the outcome even more impressive. And a very good picture of your craftmanship. Outstanding. What will be the next project to blow us away

Sergej I
A Tomcat, what else... 👍

Palo M
While a F-14 is close, I think it is missing a number 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Awesome Slavo.

Slavo Hazucha
Palo & Patrick thanks for the encouragements 😄

Lode, Sergej & Clifford thanks a lot - your lasting support means a lot and helps me find a way to the bench on days with 35°C heat we´re having here right now 🙂

Have been at work a bit, decals are on, but not sealed & finally blended in so no pics from this front yet, but, the Super-Flanker got it´s own legs! It´s initial entirely un-proletarian attempts to stick the nose up like a British aristocrat were checked by some tweaking of the weighted tires, but anyone going for the GWH kit and using heavy resin engines in the back - be advised to add some heavy Soviet metal into the nose!

And last but not least - I have a photo-box now! Courtesy of my wife in form of a well thought-out birthday gift 👍 (she knows I have a Spartan attitude towards purchases and would not dare buy such a voluminous household item on my own... 😄)

So I have to learn a new craft now - atm still with an iPhone, small steps one after another...

Sergej I
Totally realistic! Happy Birthday, Slavo😉

Treehugger
Oh, so GWH has photo etch for the slime lights, nice! 🙂

(Btw, I need photo etch slime lights if anybody know of any aftermarket product, but with the whole frame and all.)

Treehugger
Q: The set of two fat grills on the very underside of the Flanker, under the two big air intakes, I guess they must be plastic parts, or? Seems too thick for being PE.

Jos Jansen
When is the reveal of this beauty...absolutely a stunner, HBTY mate...👍

Alexander
@Treehugger I would say so, my Su-33 had the same ones. I don't know of a seperate set with slime light PE but a quick look at Eduards exterior set for the Kitty Hawk kit (if you referred to te Su-35 in your post) reveals that they covered some of them (but not all as it seems).

Kerry COX
Happy birthday master. 😉 👍
You are improving with age mate. 🙂 🙂 🙂

bughunter
Happy birthday!
That is a piece of art 👍 I like the painting, shading and subtle weathering! Now it's time for Brathering😉

Nathan Dempsey
That is looking Devine 🙂
Happy Birthday!

Bernhard Schrock
Auch von mir die herzlichsten Geburtstagswünsche.🙂
Wächst und gedeiht=wird ein Hammer. Die letzen zwei Fotos: die extra eingezogenen Hydraulikleitungen, alufarben sehen sehr sauber bemalt aus. Keine kleckserei daneben. Wie gemacht? Tatsächlich gepinselt oder nach dem Lackieren des Schachtes verlegt. Ansonsten washing von der Umgebung bzw. fürs hervorheben von Details sieht sehr fein pigmentiert, nicht übertrieben bzw. klasse aus. Chapeau!

James C
Looking fantastic Slavo. So many intricate details to take in with every picture. Fabulous! 👍

Lode Schildermans
Happy birthday Slavo. And what is funny, is that you give the presents with your photos

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks mates a lot for your comments, b-day wishes and all the positiveness here! Best lot in town to have a virtual beer with! 😉

@Treehugger - those are indeed plastic - there is a PE option including these:

Su-35 (Metallic Details MD4827, 1:48)

In my case this config (FOD-guards up, vents open) was a late decision and I used kit & scratch parts.

@Jos - reveal this week, probably... pylons & weapons and a few touches & it's done..!

@Kerry - still in my late childhood, so learning from role models comes naturally... 😄😄 😉

@bughunter 😄 - got a business trip to Hamburg this week, I thing some form of *hering will be unavoidable! Or at least a scalematjes... 😉

@Bernhard - ich mach alles separat und zusammen kommt's erst am ende, manchmal abenteuerlich chirurgisch "reinoperiert"... hier ist aber auch vieles wirklich Metall aus diversen Kabelresten... Danke für die Komplimente - so perfekt "clean" wie Du krieg ich's nicht hin, versuche halt "schön zu beschmutzen" 🙂

@Lode - I did not think I'll beat the launch date of the HOOD, but looks like I may. Still learning with the box, let's see where that will end!

Andy Ball
Belated 'many happy returns' Slavo: hope you had a good 'in!

Clifford Keesler
Beautiful Slavo.

Gary Dahlström
Belated Happy Birthday Slavo! Did anyone add to your stash in the form of a birthday gift?

Kerry COX
It's such a pity that so much of our best work will never be seen by the public, as most of it is on the underside of our builds or in the tube we know as the fuselage. But here, thanks to the camera and our ego's, the world can marvel at just what we do and are all so good at.
Slavo, your the perfect example of excellent work and skills that have helped us all gain some renewed vigor in our builds and imaginations.
A big salute mate. 👍
🙂

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Andy, Clifford, Gary & Kerry!

Kerry if you see it & deem OK, I´m fine with that, need no judges or public acclaim! 😉 The best bud´s in the hobby are here anyway - my stuff would not look nearly like this if I would not be peeping at your collection & ideas, Lode´s insane metal-bending, Bernhards or bughunters scratch-building, to name just a few of my regular daily stations... And the pull & challenge of the "4th-gen Club" with Jos, Michael Phillips, Daniel, Roland - again a long list to roll down 🙂 If I inspire any of you to do something new or a bit more here & there, I am a happy man 👍

Gary, actually I got one, from my long-years friend Palo M, who gave a visit recently - it´s this beauty:

Eikō (F-104J) (Eduard 11130, 1:48)

So that´s next, a chillout build to show some uncovered skin in NMF... Before I look into the deadly cool Eyes of a pair of MiG-31´s... Then it will be 2021 for sure 😄

btw. I found legitimate photo refference of 902-black without any armament, so I´ll keep it clean this time and we should have final pics this wednesday! 😉

Kerry COX
Slavo. All is good mate. Cheers and thanks for well worded reply. 👍 🙂

Spanjaard
maybe you need to change your profile... because according to it,your birthday is tomorrow😉
happy birthdauy anyway 🙂

James C
Happy Birthday Slavo! I too had noted it was the 12th in your profile.
Anyway, all the best mate😉👍

Daniel
Chiming in into the happy birthdays though I dont know about the date as well 😄
Thats a cool birthday present - though my cheer goes out to not one, but two bad ass cold faced bomber killing russian interceptors 👍 👍 👍 So a front row ticket please, might be crowded later on, let alone corona and such😉
Oh and those gear assemblies look fantastico, thats what I originally came to say!

Michael Phillips
Regardless of what day is actually your birthday, HAPPY BIRTHDAY Slavo!

And as for the Flanker, what can be said that hasn't already? A-M-A-Z-I-N-G work, but then again, what else would we expect from you? 🙂

Spanjaard
now we expect the Eikō 🙂 (i have a 104 in my stash, so i certainly look forward seeing what you and try to learn something 🙂 )

Maciej Bellos
Happy birthday Slavo. Cool gift, the Japanese 104s are eye candy, and I would pretty much like to see it built instead of the two big a$$ Soviet interceptors. That doesn't mean I won't grab front row when you start doing your magic landing gear stuff.

Of yes, almost forgot. The 35 looks amazing, as Michael said!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks a lot mates, for all the B-day wishes and words of support! 🙂

To clarify - technically, my birthday is the 12th - just this year, everybody seemed to want to get done with it as soon as possible, hence I got my gifts in advance. I found nothing wrong with this procedure for sure 😄

@Daniel - the major plan was to do 3 aMiGos - the "Export" in racing livery, a icy/salty/windswept service one and one with the Kinzhal missile. Reason re-surfaced and I´ll skip the Kinzhal one for now and will do the first two as a HB vs AMK 12-round showdown 😉

@Spanjaard & Maciej - Eikō goes first, the MiG´s will take forever and I want a nice little chillout-build before that adventure... 🙂

Also, I hurled the Flanker through the finish line - so it´s finally joining it´s costumed impersonator:

Arctic Ambush Duel | Album by slavatarko (1:48)

Lode Schildermans
Well, I waited until the 12th 😉. Happy birthday, Salvo

Palo M
Happy birthday, Slavo! Enjoy the Eiko, looking forward to that build, too!

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Lode & Palo!

Lode going by the ship's bell, precise like a Swiss watch!😉

Palo - table & tools cleanup & off we go!

Bart Goesaert
fantastic one, from start to finish...

Antoine Meylan
Joyeux anniversaire Slavo, et c'est toujours un plaisirs de regarder tes réalisations

Slavo Hazucha
Thanks Bart - if you do want to do yourself a favor, get a recent GWH kit...

Merci Antoine et j'espère que je ne décevrai pas à l'avenir😢

Lode Schildermans
Aha, tu maîtrises même la langue française 🙂

Gary Dahlström
I feel like a TV show I'm addicted to has aired its' last episode. Bravo! Will be watching for the next riveting series by Slavo.😉