F-100F Super Sabre in NMF, Italeri 1/72
This F-100F Super Sabre from Italeri was originaly mentioned to be built as just-for-fun kit. I wanted to test new Alclad II colors, which I never used before. I also wanted to build airplane with NMF. Therefore I bought this one in second hand, expecting some failure might come...
I like nitted aircraft, so I made them using the scheme from REVI magazine. Te most complicated part was cockpit, in which I replaced original seats and panels with photoetched ones. Finally, I had to add piece of plastics under the seats to raise them up and also to sand panels and inner sides of fuselage to fit.
Most tricky part was intake hole... It totally re-worked it to make it deeper and more accurate.
Next extra work appeared when I was pointed to the fact that all aircrafts on the ground have always slots down.
Slots were made off from alu sheets (I scrap old beer can - emptied before, of course ;).
Some details were added also at pylons and in the wheel bays.
As i was completing the kit, I liked the aircraft more and more - its shapes are really sexy and elegant. The only thing I didn't done was the pitot tube bending - this was not sexy at all and it would have destroyed the overall look completely... (this is my opinion).
Finally, there was painting before me. Honestly - I don't like the style of kits painting which I call "mainstream":
Surfacer -> lines preshading with black -> basic coat -> final made by lightening of the panels... All models and planes gain the same look - but this would not be possible as they are used in different conditions, colors have different quality etc.
For the Super Sabre I choose to experiment a bit - i sprayed basic coat with surfacer and polished it. Then I painted some panels, lines with gloss black and also did some random stains with it. Then I mixed chrom and aluminium Alclad colors 1:1 and made just one layer. The effect was surprisingly good. In some areas I used dark aluminium to point out a contrast between different materials. On the gloss black the chrom is more vissible and the metal is glossy, otherwise it is more matt and has silver aluminium look. The burned engine parts originaly left in bare metal were sprayed with aluminium coloured by mixture of yellow, red, green and blue tones.
I think overall look of the aircraft is very realistic, when I compare it with some photos. I was so excited that I almost immediately decided to build another Super Sabre, but in my favorite scale 1:48, hopefully it will not take much time. 🙂
Beautiful job, Martin...very nicely built and photographed!
Looks very real! I like the treatment on the tail! The Trumpeter version of this in 1/48 is very nice! I'm building mine in Gabreski's colors. The Super Scale sheet is nice, but the fuselage bands need to have color correction done on them. The blue and green are both black on the decals. (The tail badge does have all four colors though, curious!)
Very nice build Martin!
High, Josh, thank you for the comment, but this machine is displayed in Warpaint No 4 in these colors and by my opinion the colors are correct. Stripes are dark blue with white stars.
Sorry about the confusion Martin, I was referring to Super Scale decals for Gabreski's F-100F (The ones similar to Dean Cutshall's airworthy F-100F.) The fuselage bands are the wrong colors on that set.
🙂 It is OK, I didn't get your point. Btw - I saw few builds of Trumpeter's kit and the kit looks beatiful. What is your opinion?
Great job done there Martin.
Well done sir.
WOW! Very nice metallic finish! It looks very, very nice and realistic!
This is one of my favorite "Bad Boy" aircraft & you captured it's look perfectly.
Well done Martin.
Your nmf came out beautifully Martin.Can't wait to see your next project.
Nice clean build of one of my favorite jets, great job.
Martin,
Excellent job on this. You did a fine job with the NMF.
Lovely finish!
Subtle metal shading, good panel variation and tonal variety - nothing 'mainstream' here, Martin!
Hello Martin...outstanding build on your Supersabre...very nicely done.
Looks like you've mastered the Alclad, Martin, great looking model.
Looks awesome mate! I love using the alclad paints but they evaporate fast mind don't they!
Just realized that's only 1:72 as well. I'm even more impressed, it looks bigger than that!
Good job. I'm lovin 'it. the riveting, fabulous. How did you do it? Do you have plans for the plane? I have one pending and I would like to rivet it too. Congratulations
Hi Jesus, yes I have got 2 blueprints I guess.
I bought also bigger version in1/48, so Iam not done with this type yet.
Rivetting was done with Dousek rivetting tool.
I made preshading with glossy black, while the rest was just a halfmatt surfacer.
The basic painting is mix of chrome with white aluminium (both Alclads). The burnout is titan shaded with orange, blue, yellow red, thinner black... just mix of different shades.
I also applied glossy varnish - I do not agree with general opinion that varnish is decreasing metal look.