Afternoon folks, not quite as much done as I'd like but I got some other important stuff done. I've noticed I'm beginning to use MRP a lot more nowadays so priority was given to moving everything around in my room so the spray booth was closer to the window, a pain to do but a necessity.

Regardless, a little bit of work got done to the cat. Florymodels Dark Dirt wash was used, which is my go to weathering item for almost every model. This is a wash that is basically clay and water, and proves very easy to clean off. I completely slathered the Cat with the wash and let it try for a day, you don't need to wait this long but I find it helps make the clay try into the panel lines and not be removed as easily. For gloss coating I've been using MRP Super Clear Gloss, and credit to it I've had no easier time removing a wash than I have this time, using a kitchen roll was like using a wipe because of how smooth the gloss coat is. Some cotton buds were used in the harder to reach bits.

Next up is to paint some bits I've noticed are wrong, followed by some oil work. I also need to finish painting the weaponry.

2 additional images. Click to enlarge.

Very impressive, Harvey.

The end is near folks... For the Tomcat at least, still gotta finish painting all the missiles, racks and a couple of small bits like the tailhook.

But regardless, over the last few days I've spent some time on those missiles, giving the Sparrows and Pheonixs their white tips. No pictures though, as I forgot.


Most notably is the oil work. When it comes to oils I find I really have no idea what I'm doing. I did a method that could loosely be described as 'pin-dot method', one which was more akin to giving some parts an oil wash but with a not-quite diluted enough mixture and spraying air at it to cause it to spread randomly, and all of it got a treatment of rubbing with a small brush to blend it.


Oils used were MIG Oilbrusher and some enamels of course, I find the Oilbrusher line to be pretty good and most importantly affordable, for this I used the Starship Filth and Dark Brown oils, I'd like to try the well reviewed Abteilung 502 but the asking price is quite a lot. Regardless, my main goal was to dirty the Tomcat up, as I think I previously said I want this Cat to be dirtier than most CAG birds so it looks a bit more interesting as a model, but not as dirty as most Tomcats end up being. I think it's somewhat in that middle ground between clean and filthy.


For the cat itself, not a huge amount left. I'll leave the oils a day or two to try whilst I focus on the missiles and then I'll give it a final clear coat of provably MRP Semi-Matt.

1 additional image. Click to enlarge.

Great work on this, Harvey.

Decal the missiles... Quite a project on a kit like this. Ordinances often bog me down, so best of luck! The Tomcat is looking fantastic btw!

A bit of work done to the missiles and drop tanks, which are now all painted up and given a gloss coat. Decals will go on tonight, and after that a wash (as well as a wash on a few parts not glued on to the Tomcat yet)

Them AIM-54s sure aren't small! The decals that will be used are aftermarket HGW decals, my past experience with HGW is very poor to say the least so let's hope they work better this time.

Serious modelling on even the armament, Harvey.

Yep, a bit annoying that decals gave you a hard time, my friend @scalerambush.
All looks good now!