1\48 JF-17 Thunder Update#11 Brick of Doom

Thanks again chaps!

Made progress on the office. Still etch to add and it'll need careful painting but no pre-painted etch or 3D print for this one ....
The kit supplied control column is very poor so I made one from a greebly in the spares box.



I've been working on a pilot figure too. Nothing in the kit so this is a hacked Phantom pilot with a bit of carving to represent a PAF flight suit.
He still needs a bit more surgery but we're getting there.



Found the first thing that I'm really not happy with. The efflux nozzle is very softly moulded and looks nothing like the RD-93 that's fitted.
I'll have to think about this one...

Grand work indeed Steve .
We can now see who a real master of the wings at work

Thanks Chaps  B)

Don't build me up too much Paul,  I might panic 

Found another issue with the kit. It under wing fuel tanks are completely the wrong shape looking more like Mig-21 types than PAF ones.
Maybe the data Trumpy used was a Chinese prototype but anyway they are unusable..



So a rummage in the spares box found something a lot closer. I think they are Tornado ECR left over from an Italeri kit I built years ago.
A bit of work on these and I'll be happier.
Also started on the kit supplied SD-10 BVR AAM , poor alignment is a problem here so a bit of sanding is needed. 
 


More soon 

That's an important correction Steve. Well done.

Paul, AG, Ian, thank you kindly dear Sirs 

That's an interesting set of photos Ian, thanks for taking the time to look buddy.
Where did you find them? This would explain the slim tank in the kit but not the two larger wing tanks as it certainly looks like F-7/ J-7

Cheers Ian
The page is full of great pictures.
I had to smile when I found the post where the JF-17 had 'shot down' 3 RAF Typhoons in a wargame.
The RAF never use the full suite of ECM or tactics in these, instead they watch the opposite side with interest.
Same happened when the IAF brought their Su-30s to Coningsby a few years ago.

Looking at the kit supplied 'Mig' tanks they are still not the right shape as they are far too blunt.
It's really strange as Trumpy have the right shape in their J-7 kit, even if the fins are too big.

Not much of an update as I've been really quite sick with stomach flu.. not pleasant at all..

Anyway before all the flu fun I worked on the tanks giving them a more pointed front and shaping the fins.
Also filling the trenches that Italeri put in them.



Had a play with the exhaust too. 
The real thing has a double nozzle and quite a smooth look.
I reduced the ribbed effect with careful sanding to sort that. 
Then found a spare F-4 Phantom part but it was too large in diameter so I carefully cut around 3mm out and in warm water worked it back to a round shape. Then glued this into the kit part.
So we've gone from this


To this, which I'll happy with after a bit more work as it'll look far better when painted and weathered. It also saved me £20 for an AM part 


Finally started on the undercarriage bays. These need a bit of cleaning up but will look good after some paint too.  


That's it for now, hopefully I'll be well enough to get back to the bench this weekend.

Steve, nice work on the tanks and those wheel bays look great! Hope you feel better.

Great bit of work and hope you are on the mend, too.