1/48 Tarangus Saab JA-37 Viggen
I started this kit in 2016 (and only finished it a week before publishing this article) when I came back to modeling after a 2 year hiatus (due to personal issues.) The kit itself is a short run kit that isn't the easiest to build or paint.
I am mostly disappointed in the model maker (me) not the kit as it has been screw up after screw up. At this point I'm just happy I didn't heave it into a wall in a fit of frustration and rage. Nothing really went right for me. I had a hard time dealing with the Maestro PE cockpit set (especially the IP!) The intakes were another matter (solved with getting a resin intake set.) The resin engine louvers were a pain to just get right. The white metal landing gear which I tried to solder together didn't go well. And the c**p cherry on top of this turd Sundae was that I installed the nose wheel well backwards six years earlier (which I found out after painting and I attempted to install the carefully assembled nose wheel.)
Every time I started working on it, something went sideways (literally in a couple of cases.) The paint job is about the only thing that worked out. I do recommend getting the masking set if you are doing this camo scheme or you will find yourself in the depths of insanity.
I ended up using a stand (which someone told me later, the rubber knobs at the end will eat into the acrylic paint.) I don't mind because it would be the least annoying thing that I've done with this kit.
For the interior I used the kit ejection seat (which didn't fit well either!) and a Tamiya 1/48 pilot from the F-4B kit because a plane would look funny flying without any crew.
Sometimes, you make the model or the model makes you. Through no fault of its own, the model made me. Again, I am happy that I finished it rather than smashing/binning it. The only reason this is an article is for catharsis.
@dbdlee, Well, she does look good in flight Dan. And, that paint job looks great! The Viggen is still such a futuristic design and still impressive. I have the AMT 1/48 kit in stash and have wanted one to display for years. I'd say you've nailed the most feature of the JA-37 with that awesome paint work! ?
"Endeavour to persevere..." Lone Watie ?
Thanks. I'm proud of the paintwork and glad I finished it and not much else.
Barring all the problems you had it still looks great. Nice stand.
Thanks. I bought the stand from Amazon.
It is a Calibre Wings Router-Style Aircraft Airplane Display Stand for 1/72 diecast Models.
Despite all the issues, you turned it into a beautiful Viggen in the end, Dan @dbdlee
Well done.
Thanks. It worked out. Posed in flight, it's not bad.
Mind over matter. Where there is a will there is away. Dan, looks like you did both and came up with a solid build of a complex paint scheme.
Two thumbs up.
Thanks. Sometimes, things don't go the way you want and you just have to do what you can.
I like it a lot, Dan!
Your perseverance paid off: this is a beautiful Viggen!
Thanks Spiros!
A victory of talent and persistence over plastic!
Thanks Tom. You would think that after building some 200+ models that things would get easier.
Yep - paid off nicely! Looks great.
Thanks
Great job on the camo! I have the mask set for this kit but right now I'm doing the same dance with the Tarangus SAAB Lansen! (Although it is almost ready for paint.) I do need to get to Sweden to see the Historic Flight Viggen in the air!
1 attached image. Click to enlarge.