IAI Kfir C1 plus
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/5/1/0/1619510-10501-63-720.jpg)
Italeri’s rendition of the early Kfir. On the surface it looks like a decent enough kit. I did not want to model the US version but with a little research I was able to design some custom Isreali decals, with the roundels coming from the spares box.
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/5/0/8/1619508-10501-36-720.jpg)
Cleaning up the first parts and immediately ran into problems with one of the inlet leading edges that was damaged. Nice and thin though.
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/5/0/9/1619509-10501-31-720.jpg)
Fit of the wing was so-so, first round of filler applied. Assembled the center tank and discoverd that the surface flakes off. Uh-oh…
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More filling needed on the wing
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The cockpit is very basic. Side consoles are missing, fit is again so-so. Boy, what did I get into…
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/5/1/3/1619513-10501-66-720.jpg)
Spruced up cockpit and ejection seat.
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/5/1/4/1619514-10501-19-720.jpg)
Trial fitting the wing showed interference from the landing gear bay roofs. Cut them off and installed them in the fuselage instead.
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/5/1/5/1619515-10501-14-720.jpg)
Getting the cockpit parts ready for installation. Made a decal for the instrument panel, hence the white base layer.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/5/1/6/1619516-10501-52-720.jpg)
Forcing the fuselage together. Gaps all over the place…
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/5/1/7/1619517-10501-13-720.jpg)
Added some detail to the cockpit aft bulkhead and installed inlets after painting them white. No surprise by now that filling is next.
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/5/2/4/1619524-10501-48-720.jpg)
Throughout the entire build the surface kept flaking off at random, leading to repeated filling and sanding cycles. Highly annoying…
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Assembly continues. Fit of upper surface is terrible requiring lots of tweaking, forcing, filling and smoothing. The flaking-off driving me to madness. Done with this kit by now…
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/5/2/6/1619526-10501-94-720.jpg)
Persevering and another shot of primer sanded smooth. Good (enough) to go now for the spray booth.
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/5/2/8/1619528-10501-97-720.jpg)
Used Humbrol Trainer Yellow for the high-via triangles, followed by the black edges, some panel pre-shading and light blue (Revell 49). So far so good, but I did damage the repaired intake lip during masking, which was repaired again…
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/5/2/7/1619527-10501-44-720.jpg)
Next the upper colors: Humbrol H63 yellow pale stone but this came out way darker than expected. So I followed up with a 50/50 mix with white, followed by the tan (MM 1742) and green (Revell 365).
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/5/3/0/1619530-10501-96-720.jpg)
Always the moment of truth: peeling of the masking tape. Not too bad, but some paint lifted here and there. Again... Not sure why this keeps happening to me.
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/5/2/9/1619529-10501-84-720.jpg)
Fixed the two bigger patches by airbrush, causing a somewhat lighter left elevon. Oh well, we’ll call it a field replacement.
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/5/3/1/1619531-10501-39-720.jpg)
After a gloss coat with HG51 it is time for the decals. I used a mix of kit decals, spare decals and printed decals. For some of the latter I needed a white backing first.
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/5/3/2/1619532-10501-29-720.jpg)
After the decals another gloss coat to prepare for light weathering with Revell weathering powders…
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/5/3/3/1619533-10501-22-720.jpg)
… followed by a Tamiya matt coat. After removing the final masks I have some touch-up on the canopy to do, but otherwise things came out nicely.
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/5/3/4/1619534-10501-30-720.jpg)
Underside looking good too. Did not spent much time on the wheel wells though I did add some detail to the nose gear well.
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/5/3/5/1619535-10501-42-720.jpg)
Installing gears, doors and underwing stores. Modified the missile pylons as they sat at a wrong angle. Also had to trim the mid main gear doors to fit. This kit keeps fighting me until the very end…
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/5/3/6/1619536-10501-49-720.jpg)
But finally done! Canopy sits loose, intended to open it but had no courage left to tackle mounting it. I’m done with it!
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![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/5/3/9/1619539-10501-29-720.jpg)
![Album image #26 Album image #26](/albums/img/5/3/8/1619538-10501-76-720.jpg)
Komentarzy
8 16 December 2023, 18:56