Tamiya 1/48 F-117
Presenting my F-117 that was finished a while back- finally getting around to posting pictures of it. Only aftermarket used was an Aires resin ejection seat.
While researching the boarding ladder I realized that essentially they are "Little Giant" brand (or very similar) ladders with a special plate welded to the top. The pictures I found of operational F-117 with ladders showed them as aluminium with orange joint sections.
For those who may not know, the model of GBU's used on the F-117 are designed specifically for them to fit the bomb bay.
I sprayed the kit with Gloss black to minimize silvering as much as possible when decalling. I used a TwoBobs decal set for the F-117. When it came to the flat coat, Disaster! I knocked over my last bottle of Aeromaster acrylic flat- and after mourning its departure, I ended up mixing up a flat coat with products I had on hand- Aeromaster satin and Tamiya flat additive. I wish I had sprayed it instead of my usual brushing- I was used to the even level I always got with Aeromaster flat. I may still spray a coat to even out the finish. Lately I have been focused on completing kits, because sometimes you can spend a lot of time waiting to get it right and never have anything to show for your effort and interest!
I am now getting into a system where I have been able to keep a kit going and improving skills at the same time. Hopefully going forward, the quality of article I post will also improve. I will be getting a much larger backdrop paper for starters, and working on a better camera and using a tripod.
The build AND the photos came out well, Dan. Nice work.
Thanks again Craig-appreciate your input.
Smashing !
Thanks again Phil!
A fun build, and interesting note about the ladder. Thanks for posting!
I don't know if I am right on that but it sure looks like my little giant ladder! Right down to the orange plastic!
Thanks.
Dan.
Wow, an airplane only exceeded in ugliness by the Blackburn Blackburn, and you manage to make it look good!
Thanks Tom, I really appreciate that from such a prolific builder!
Great looking model Dan, I find it more difficult to produce an overall dark colored paint scheme than anything else, and this looks like it came out very well. I have this kit on the shelf so I appreciate the tips.
If you are interested in the leftover aftermarket decals let me know. I would be happy to send them to you.
Thanks for the kind comment. I was hoping the finish would turn out partly irregular like what i have seen in pictures of the real thing.
Very cool, Thanks. I will be in contact
π ... Greetings ... π :
Nice clean build.
Thanks again! π
I do not see !
stealth
he,he nice build.
I am glad the camera recorded it!
Thanks for the comment.
I think Darth Vader would look good in it. You did a stunning job on this one. Well done!
Thanks Morne,
Plan to do a few more posts before the month is out- this has been a productive summer for me in regards to completing builds.
Dan.
It looks great, Dan. If you had not commented the flat coat disaster, none of us would have noticed a trace of a problem. Every single bit of it looks as intended.
Anyway, I do like what you're saying here: "I am now getting into a system where I have been able to keep a kit going and improving skills at the same time."
I think that's the essence of what it's all about with modelling: to walk the thin line between improving one's skills by daring new ways and nevertheless successfully finishing projects.
Thanks for this great article!
A pleasure to hear from you Halvar,
While I love to build, I have had some issues prevent regular building over the last few years. Lately, I have been very fortunate to have the time to clear work out of the "need to finish" pile.
I will be posting more completions from earlier this year and this summer in the next few weeks. I will be full into the school year (i am a teacher) by October so do not anticipate I will have much time to build or post by then!
Nice work Dan, I have got the Revell one somewhere in the stash, but I don`t think it will come out as good as this one has.
Well done mate.
Thanks very much Simon- I had avoided building mine for quite a while, but was glad when i just started banging it together bit by bit. Learned a lot as I went along- gladly, I learned about things at times just before making some major mistakes!
I appreciate your comment.
Splendid result, Dan ! An aircraft which will stand out of every aircraft collection.
Thanks Bernd!
Great model. These bombers are extremely cool! I built a 1/72 F117 when I was a kid. Then I think the cat broke it, something like that.
Thanks Richard. At one point i had considered selling it out of the stash, but I loved the aircraft itself so much i pushed myself forward with a build. Cats are jerks! π
Great work Dan! That's a cool plane dude. π
Thanks man- I appreciate the support.
I love what you did. I want to wish you all the best for doing a beautiful kit. I just got it myself and I hope I can I can do as well as you.
Hey Adrian, Thanks for the kind comment. One thing I am not sure I mentioned, is that you need to watch for the step in the instructions when they tell you to add the hexagonal domes on either side of the fuselage- those are only put on to allow air traffic control to "see" the F-117 when operating in commercial airspace. For an operational aircraft, you leave them off.
Feel free to message or email with any issues that you may encounter when you build.
Enjoy it!
Dan from Bermuda.