YF-117 FSD "Ship One", 18 June 1981
![Album image #1 Album image #1](/albums/img/0/9/8/1189098-31781-78-720.jpg)
780 during one if it's first flights - the camo only lasted a few months before it was painted light grey.
![Album image #2 Album image #2](/albums/img/0/9/9/1189099-31781-32-pristine.jpg)
Box states "Accurate New Tooling": certainly it's much more better than Dragon's first attempt!
![Album image #3 Album image #3](/albums/img/1/0/0/1189100-31781-71-720.jpg)
Always helpful to have good references.
![Album image #4 Album image #4](/albums/img/1/0/2/1189102-31781-24-720.jpg)
Not many parts!
![Album image #5 Album image #5](/albums/img/1/0/1/1189101-31781-31-720.jpg)
First step - weights added so it'll sit on the nosewheel. No cyano here!
![Album image #6 Album image #6](/albums/img/1/0/3/1189103-31781-97-720.jpg)
After dry-fitting and slight adjustments, fuselage halves were joined.
![Album image #7 Album image #7](/albums/img/1/0/4/1189104-31781-19-720.jpg)
The five FSD aircraft had smaller tailfins, later replaced with the larger production items to provide better stability and control authority.
Cut here! ?
Cut here! ?
![Album image #8 Album image #8](/albums/img/1/0/5/1189105-31781-43-720.jpg)
Of course I cut the left one too short (should have done this operation before attaching them!!), so had to re-attach the tip and file to correct size.
![Album image #9 Album image #9](/albums/img/1/0/7/1189107-31781-62-720.jpg)
Like this.
![Album image #10 Album image #10](/albums/img/1/0/6/1189106-31781-31-720.jpg)
There was a "pilot" blob in the seat which I removed and also added left & right consoles plus an instrument panel.
![Album image #11 Album image #11](/albums/img/1/0/8/1189108-31781-52-720.jpg)
This is the FLIR cover which I scribed beautifully but then put in in such a secure location I wasn't able to find it after painting ?
![Album image #12 Album image #12](/albums/img/1/0/9/1189109-31781-78-720.jpg)
Needed to drill for the 5th air data sensor which the FSD aircraft all had.
![Album image #13 Album image #13](/albums/img/1/2/5/1189125-31781-61-720.jpg)
After a lot of research and trial & error I decided on Light Ghost Grey overall with AV Flanker Blue/Middle Stone for the camo colours.
![Album image #14 Album image #14](/albums/img/1/1/0/1189110-31781-78-720.jpg)
......like this.
![Album image #15 Album image #15](/albums/img/1/1/1/1189111-31781-67-720.jpg)
Panel lines done with my recently discovered AK-Interactive weathering pencils
![Album image #16 Album image #16](/albums/img/1/1/2/1189112-31781-27-720.jpg)
The dullcoat after decals of Pledge/Klear with 25% AV Matt Acrylic 518 wasn't so convincing, so after curing I used some weathering pigments to try and bring the gloss back. Still not 100% satisfied, but that's why I'm building these 1/144 kits - to try various techniques.
![Album image #17 Album image #17](/albums/img/1/1/3/1189113-31781-62-720.jpg)
Last step was to add the 2 retractable antenna clearly visible on most F-117's. A donor 1/48 seatbelt was pressed into service.
![Album image #18 Album image #18](/albums/img/1/1/5/1189115-31781-60-720.jpg)
Like this; also added the removeable collision avoidance light.
![Album image #19 Album image #19](/albums/img/1/1/6/1189116-31781-87-720.jpg)
Finished!
![Album image #20 Album image #20](/albums/img/1/1/4/1189114-31781-36-720.jpg)
![Album image #21 Album image #21](/albums/img/1/1/7/1189117-31781-43-720.jpg)
![Album image #22 Album image #22](/albums/img/1/1/8/1189118-31781-33-720.jpg)
![Album image #23 Album image #23](/albums/img/1/1/9/1189119-31781-99-720.jpg)
![Album image #24 Album image #24](/albums/img/1/2/0/1189120-31781-92-720.jpg)
![Album image #25 Album image #25](/albums/img/1/2/1/1189121-31781-77-720.jpg)
![Album image #26 Album image #26](/albums/img/1/2/2/1189122-31781-34-720.jpg)
![Album image #27 Album image #27](/albums/img/1/2/3/1189123-31781-37-720.jpg)
![Album image #28 Album image #28](/albums/img/1/2/4/1189124-31781-17-720.jpg)
Here's the earlier F-117 kit from Dragon, plus the prior F-119 invention from Revell for comparison.
![Album image #29 Album image #29](/albums/img/1/2/6/1189126-31781-59-720.jpg)
That early F-117 kit is wildly inaccurate!!
![Album image #30 Album image #30](/albums/img/1/2/7/1189127-31781-94-720.jpg)
Komentáre
3 21 March 2022, 13:40
Album info
First operational Stealth aircraft.