ElCapitan's 1/48 KittyHawk Jaguar GR.1

[ElCapitan]

For this GB I'll be tackling the notorious 1/48 SEPECAT Jaguar kit from KittyHawk. I don't plan to use any aftermarket on this, although I may "borrow" a pilot from another kit so that I can display the aircraft in flight.



The SEPECAT Jaguar is a British-French jet attack aircraft originally used by the British Royal Air Force and the French Air Force in the close air support and nuclear strike role. It is still in service with the Indian Air Force.

Originally conceived in the 1960s as a jet trainer with a light ground attack capability, the requirement for the aircraft soon changed to include supersonic performance, reconnaissance and tactical nuclear strike roles.

I'll be painting this in the Gulf War scheme, so should be lots of weathering to do!



There's a lot of plastic crammed in this tiny box, although a lot of it seems to be weapons that aren't relevant to the GR.1, but actually the French Jaguar A:








Lovely looking instruction manual, including full-colour painting instructions:







Wish me luck!

[ElCapitan]

I've made a start on the cockpit, using the PE included with the kit. No problems here, everything seems to fit nicely, and the detail seems good.




All primed and ready for some black paint.






This kit gives the option of having the avionics bay on display with the hatches open:



But as I want to display the Jaguar in flight, I decided to glue them closed. I needed to put some blu-tac inside to hold them in the correct position while I glued them with Tamiya extra thin.

[ElCapitan]

I've just performed some major surgery on this poor bloke - a double foot-ectomy and some elbow realignment. He's from a different kit, but I've made him fit quite well. He's a yank, so I've repositioned his air hose off to the side to look more like an RAF face mask. I think he'll do just fine



Everything here is dry-fitted for now. I'll give him a bit of a clean up before priming him and then get started on painting him and the cockpit. I'm hoping I can fit the PE seatbelts on him...

[Tomcat64]

Nice start Rob - and well done on engineering the pilot into the seat too!

[walklong]

I've just performed some major surgery on this poor bloke - a double foot-ectomy and some elbow realignment. He's from a different kit, but I've made him fit quite well. He's a yank, so I've repositioned his air hose off to the side to look more like an RAF face mask. I think he'll do just fine



Everything here is dry-fitted for now. I'll give him a bit of a clean up before priming him and then get started on painting him and the cockpit. I'm hoping I can fit the PE seatbelts on him...

Just as long as he doesn't need to use rudder.....

[ElCapitan]

I've just performed some major surgery on this poor bloke - a double foot-ectomy and some elbow realignment. He's from a different kit, but I've made him fit quite well. He's a yank, so I've repositioned his air hose off to the side to look more like an RAF face mask. I think he'll do just fine

Just as long as he doesn't need to use rudder.....

He'll just have to get used to using his stumps!

I spent 3 hours last night getting the cockpit and pilot painted, and here they are:







I'm quite pleased with the result!

[papatika]

Totally worth it! Great job!

Maybe you want to add some gloss coat to the visor to increase visuals later on.

[gaz45]

Nice work so far mate

[Tomcat64]

Great work on the pilot & cockpit details Rob!

[ElCapitan]

Nice work so far mate

Great work on the pilot & cockpit details Rob!

Thanks!

Totally worth it! Great job!

Maybe you want to add some gloss coat to the visor to increase visuals later on.

Thanks, I do plan to add some gloss to the visor, it definitely needs it! Also some of the instruments could use the same treatment.

[Zen]

Excellent work on that pilot.

[ElCapitan]

After a short battle I've managed to get the two fuselage halves together. One side was slightly twisted so I felt I could have done with a second pair of hands to hold them together! There are a few tiny gaps and a slight ridge, but nothing too bad.



I also had to make a small adjustment to the seat, as it was too high in the cockpit meaning the canopy wouldn't be able to fit. I just sanded a millimetre off the bottom and it's all good now.

Plenty of free time this evening so hope to get more done on this.

[ElCapitan]

I made some decent progress this weekend. Firstly I got the engines completed:



Then got them in place, along with the wings, with the flaps extended as there wasn't really much of an option unfortunately unless I wanted to do a fair bit of surgery on the parts. The tail stabilisers are dry-fitted.



OK now we have a look at the underside....oh dear KittyHawk...



As you can see, I've already attacked it with some putty, but some of these gaps are ridiculous!



I'm going to continue with it, but I don't get any enjoyment out of filling gaps at all. It's the sanding flush that does my head in, so I'll just knuckle down and do what I can before I lose interest. If it's not perfect I'm not going to lose any sleep over it!!

[jelliott]

WOW!!! Those gaps are bigger than the Grand Canyon! I have heard and read several things about KH kits and their terrible fit, this does not make me feel any more willing to go out and buy myself one. I'm sure they "can" be made to look great, and I'm sure you are going to do a great job with this one, but, not sure I want to buy stock in a putty company to do so.

[Tomcat64]

Ouch

I've seen some kits with fit issues but that is just shocking.

Hope you can knock it into some sort of shape Rob. At least it's on the underside so less likely to be visible when finished but I know that's scant consolation.

[ElCapitan]

Ouch

I've seen some kits with fit issues but that is just shocking.

Hope you can knock it into some sort of shape Rob. At least it's on the underside so less likely to be visible when finished but I know that's scant consolation.

As long as I can get the worst of it sorted I'll be happy!

[ElCapitan]

I've basically had to put putty in every join - under UV light it would look like something from TRON!

I'm starting to think a small mistake I maybe made has had a butterfly effect through the whole thing, as it surely can't be this bad a kit...just unforgiving maybe. Not to worry though, it'll look fine once painted I'm sure.

[gaz45]

Very nice work there mate

[ElCapitan]

I don't plan to use any aftermarket on this

This is no longer true - I just got a pair of resin fuel tanks from Flightplan, which also came with metal sidewinder missiles and rails.

[ElCapitan]

Here's the set of fuel tanks, sidewinders, rails and pods, and also Xtracrylix Desert Pink paint.



Last night I made some more progress on filling the gaps on the underside, and should almost be able to move onto adding the last few parts.

[ElCapitan]

Everything coming together now. Got the white metal AIM-9 rails in place with a bit of CA glue, with a bit of filing on the underside to get the best possible fit.





Also, had a look at the kit transparent part for the HUD and it was about 1.5mm thick, about 4 inches when scaled up

Decided to improvise - cut a small square from one of the transparent bags the sprues were packaged in, then glued in place with a tiny dot of PVA glue - much better!





Finally today I made a start on the aftermarket AIM-9 missiles. They consist of a white metal shaft with PE canards and fins. The first job was to drill the locator holes in the metal. The canards then start with a small PE tab:



Before folding the PE canard pieces around the tabs:



Pretty fiddly, but I'm enjoying the process. At least I have the kit missiles as a backup if they don't end up looking so good!

Thanks for stopping by!

[ElCapitan]

...and here's how it looks when it's complete:



Still need to make up the second one, along with the fuel tanks.

Looks pretty good as a test fit on the rail:



So here's where we are up to:





Pretty much ready for primer once I've masked the canopy and engine nozzles.

[Tomcat64]

Looking good Rob - I still can't believe the amount of filling you had to do underneath though

[ElCapitan]

Looking good Rob - I still can't believe the amount of filling you had to do underneath though

Thanks! It's crazy isn't it...still, I think it's going to look fine once painted.

[ElCapitan]

Started on the fuel tanks last night. This involved adding the PE fin locators and brackets, which will then have the actual fin folded over them. I hope to get them done tonight if I have a spare moment.

[Twokidsnosleep]

All that work is going to make it awesome when you prime it

[ElCapitan]

Bit of a while since my last update, but I've not been sitting doing nothing, I promise!

I primed everything in Ultimate grey, then did the base colour of Xtracrylix Desert Pink. Some of the seams are still visible, but when I have nearly finished my Tamiya Extra Thin I plan to make some liquid sprue to deal with those better on future projects. Until then I am resigned to the fact that I am not good at making the joins invisible. Also I wish I had put some putty at the base of the tail fin.



I will hopefully get a gloss coat done at the weekend so I can start decals.

[Tomcat64]

It's looking good in the photo Rob!

I think we're in the same boat (plane?) with the seams - I either seem to leave them not quite filled or oversand and flatten the detail; can't seem to quite hit the sweet spot yet.

[ElCapitan]

Slow progress recently, but finally found time to put the decals on - all 16 of them!!!





Next up is weathering, as it's waaaay too clean!

[Tomcat64]

They didn't go overboard with the decals on this one did they

Nice work Rob it's coming together well!

[ElCapitan]

They didn't go overboard with the decals on this one did they

Nice work Rob it's coming together well!

I presume it was because a lot of the gulf war jets were painted in a hurry (I know that the Lossiemouth Bucc's flew out with the paint still wet!), so they didn't bother with all the no steps etc.. I believe the desert paint they used was only temporary too, so the permanent scheme and markings were underneath.

[Tomcat64]

They didn't go overboard with the decals on this one did they

Nice work Rob it's coming together well!

I presume it was because a lot of the gulf war jets were painted in a hurry (I know that the Lossiemouth Bucc's flew out with the paint still wet!), so they didn't bother with all the no steps etc.. I believe the desert paint they used was only temporary too, so the permanent scheme and markings were underneath.

Ah yes of course - that makes a lot of sense! I'd forgotten how rushed some of our preparations were.

[ElCapitan]

This has been sitting for a while as I've been busy with other things, but I've almost finished weathering - although the photos don't show it very well unfortunately.





All the weathering was done using Mig Ammo panel line wash, in neutral brown and medium grey. I find them excellent for giving an overall dirty effect by streaking them using a cotton bud that's been slightly dampened with enamel thinners.

Next step is to lightly spray some Tamiya smoke around the nozzle area, then matt varnish the whole thing.

Still not worked out how to display it in flight all suggestions welcome...

[Tomcat64]

Nice work Rob that's looking really good.

If you get chance try photographing against a dark background if you can as that may pop out the detail on the plane a little better.

[Tomcat64]

As for displaying in flight I tend to use a Perspex rod into the belly, but I'm guessing the centre of gravity for the Jag may be about mid-way down the ventral pylon which may make things tricky. I've seen other people put the clear rod up the jet pipes after bending them to shape but I've not tried that one yet.

[ElCapitan]

Nice work Rob that's looking really good.

If you get chance try photographing against a dark background if you can as that may pop out the detail on the plane a little better.

Thanks! I will need to try that. What I really need is a light-box with some different coloured paper backgrounds!

As for displaying in flight I tend to use a Perspex rod into the belly, but I'm guessing the centre of gravity for the Jag may be about mid-way down the ventral pylon which may make things tricky. I've seen other people put the clear rod up the jet pipes after bending them to shape but I've not tried that one yet.

That's what I was thinking. I could maybe display it in a climb, tilting the nose up enough to shift the C.O.G. towards the rear, just behind the pylon. Mind if I ask where you get your perspex rod? Also what's the best way to make the hole for it?

[Tomcat64]

Nice work Rob that's looking really good.

If you get chance try photographing against a dark background if you can as that may pop out the detail on the plane a little better.

Thanks! I will need to try that. What I really need is a light-box with some different coloured paper backgrounds!

For my in-progress shots I just try to position the subject under the same day-light lamp I use for building at my desk (or near a window on those rare days the sun is out ), I've also got a small rechargeable LED set that I use to provide fill-in light if needed - might be a bit cheaper than going down the full light box route?

As for displaying in flight I tend to use a Perspex rod into the belly, but I'm guessing the centre of gravity for the Jag may be about mid-way down the ventral pylon which may make things tricky. I've seen other people put the clear rod up the jet pipes after bending them to shape but I've not tried that one yet.

That's what I was thinking. I could maybe display it in a climb, tilting the nose up enough to shift the C.O.G. towards the rear, just behind the pylon. Mind if I ask where you get your perspex rod? Also what's the best way to make the hole for it?

I got mine off of Amazon - I got a mixed set but I use the 3mm the most. In terms of making the hole I put a small piece of masking tape over the area I want to drill and then make a pilot hole with a small bit in a pin vice before working up to the size I want.

I remember seeing someone use a "Blurred" effect display stand in another GB - let me try and find it for you because that looked pretty effective.

Here you go: viewtopic.php?f=583&t=22117

Oddly enough it was a Jag too!

[ElCapitan]

Nice work Rob that's looking really good.

If you get chance try photographing against a dark background if you can as that may pop out the detail on the plane a little better.

Thanks! I will need to try that. What I really need is a light-box with some different coloured paper backgrounds!

For my in-progress shots I just try to position the subject under the same day-light lamp I use for building at my desk (or near a window on those rare days the sun is out ), I've also got a small rechargeable LED set that I use to provide fill-in light if needed - might be a bit cheaper than going down the full light box route?

As for displaying in flight I tend to use a Perspex rod into the belly, but I'm guessing the centre of gravity for the Jag may be about mid-way down the ventral pylon which may make things tricky. I've seen other people put the clear rod up the jet pipes after bending them to shape but I've not tried that one yet.

That's what I was thinking. I could maybe display it in a climb, tilting the nose up enough to shift the C.O.G. towards the rear, just behind the pylon. Mind if I ask where you get your perspex rod? Also what's the best way to make the hole for it?

I got mine off of Amazon - I got a mixed set but I use the 3mm the most. In terms of making the hole I put a small piece of masking tape over the area I want to drill and then make a pilot hole with a small bit in a pin vice before working up to the size I want.

I remember seeing someone use a "Blurred" effect display stand in another GB - let me try and find it for you because that looked pretty effective.

Here you go: viewtopic.php?f=583&t=22117

Oddly enough it was a Jag too!

Excellent, thanks so much! I'll have a look on Amazon for some rod. I'm going to try and find a desert coloured blurred background too

[bfrd]

Looking awesome.

[ElCapitan]

Looking awesome.

Thanks! I'm quite pleased with how it's going.

Over the weekend I gave it a coating of Vallejo matt acrylic varnish, before removing the masking tape from the canopy - one of my favourite parts of a build!











Now I just need to finish the missiles and add the navigation lights while I wait for my perspex rod to arrive.

[Tomcat64]

Very tidy work around the canopy Rob - you should be pleased with that outcome!

[ElCapitan]

Very tidy work around the canopy Rob - you should be pleased with that outcome!

I am fairly pleased with it, thanks! Always room for improvement though

[bfrd]

I do love how a matte coat brings a nice paint job together!

[pourquoi61]

This is looking like one cool cat in the desert heat.

[ElCapitan]

I've not done much modelling in a while unfortunately, but last night managed to put together a stand for the Jag, consisting of an acrylic rod (5mm diameter) and a piece of MDF scavenged from a CD shelving unit. I plan to add a sandy coating to the wood, and will probably extend that to the edges as well so that the MDF texture is covered. I may also move the rod further forward on the base as it looks a little too far back.

Still need to finish the missiles too, they are just dry-fitted in this photo so that I could see how it will look.

[ElCapitan]

I couldn't decide what to do with the base, so I wasn't sure I would finish in time. In the end I decided to cover it in polyfilla and then paint it to look like desert sand and scrub. You can see the finished product over on the reveal thread: viewtopic.php?f=630&t=23864

I also decided not to use the missiles, as the decals fell to bits and they didn't turn out very well. I like the look of it without them anyway...

So please have a look at the final reveal, and thank you all for getting me this far with your comments and encouragement

[NorthernModeller]

BEAST, it looks amazing really lovely build