JAS-39C Czech Air Force no. 9234 - Centennial - WIP

I will use this kit from Italeri to build the Gripen. It's not the best kit, but it's not the worst either. And the kit is version "A". However, the Czech machines have been upgraded to "C" standard. So the kit needs to be modified.

For easier modification and improvement of the kit I will use additional set of photo-etched parts from Eduard, designed for Italeri kit.

I'm going to use JBR decals for the colour scheme.

I started by modifying parts of the cockpit and pilot seat. Following the instructions for the photo-etched parts, I cut off the plastic parts that will be replaced with photo-etched parts later.

I replaced the original plastic nozzle with a photo etch.

In addition to the output nozzle, the photo-etched kit also includes the motor end section.

The cutout in the fuselage sides for the hinged part of the transparent cockpit cover is too deep. So I raised the top edge by gluing a 1 mm thick tape.

I painted the inside of the engine parts and the nozzle.

After painting the engine parts, I glued them together.

I painted the modified pilot seat and added details from photo-etched parts. I will replace the inaccurate instrument panel from the kit with a new instrument panel assembled from photo-etched parts.

I painted the modified pilot seat and added details from photo-etched parts. I will replace the inaccurate instrument panel from the kit with a new instrument panel assembled from photo-etched parts.

I added side panels to the cockpit, also photo-etched of course.

Undercarriage shafts are not very accurate. But I still have the landing gear shafts from an earlier Gripen build from the Kitty Hawk kit, where I used resin parts.
The Kitty Hawk kit parts are more accurate. They now serve as a conversion kit for my Italers.

I glued the cockpit and engine to the left half of the fuselage.

I used a part from the kit for the cockpit and added photo-etched parts. I replaced the dash from the kit with photo-etched parts.

I used a part from the kit for the cockpit and added photo-etched parts. I replaced the dash from the kit with photo-etched parts.

Also in the right half of the fuselage I added instrument panels from photo-etched parts.

After painting the engine internals and nozzle, I glued the whole assembly to the left half of the fuselage.

After painting the engine internals and nozzle, I glued the whole assembly to the left half of the fuselage.

I upgraded the seat from the kit with photo-etched parts and painted it. Now it is almost finished.

After gluing the cockpit and engine to the left half of the fuselage and adding weights to the nose of the fuselage, I glued the fuselage halves together.

After gluing the cockpit and engine to the left half of the fuselage and adding weights to the nose of the fuselage, I glued the fuselage halves together.

After gluing the cockpit and engine to the left half of the fuselage and adding weights to the nose of the fuselage, I glued the fuselage halves together.

On the glued fuselage I removed the step in front of the front transparent part of the cabin with a piece of plastic plate and putty. By gluing the plastic plate, I closed the APU opening in the rear of the fuselage and glued the air inlets to the fuselage. I then filled the joints between the fuselage and air inlets with sealant, repaired the step in front of the cockpit cover and closed the APU opening. After the sealant cured, I sanded the entire fuselage.

I glued pieces of plastic plates into the hole for the lower part of the fuselage with the wings to hold the parts in place better.

Before gluing the wings together, I gradually sanded the edges of the top half of the wing where they meet the bottom half, to reduce too large gaps where the top half meets the bottom half. This saved me the trouble of filling the wide gaps with putty and then repairing them by engraving. After gluing the wings together, I cut off the inner control surfaces. I'll glue them on later, but angled down.

The joint between the top of the wing and the fuselage is not very good and the grinding of the upper wings has increased this error.

To reduce the gap between the wings and the fuselage, I widened the fuselage slightly at the front by gluing a plastic log.

By gently widening the fuselage, the gap between the wings was reduced to an acceptable limit. But it will still need to be caulked and sanded.

After yesterday's "magic" with the wings and fuselage, today I glued the wings to the fuselage and fixed them with wire for safety (while the glue dries).

The Czech Gripen uses two versions of hangers. After the upgrade, the Czech Gripen can use GBU ammunition and uses NATO standard hangers to carry it.
In the Italeri kit there are only Swedish version hangers.
The Kitty Hawk Gripen kit, however, includes hangers for both versions. In the photo on the left are the NATO standard hangers, on the right the Swedish version hangers.

The front control surfaces are too thick and their depth is also greater than it should be. I took 1 mm off the trailing edge of the duck surfaces and sanded both surfaces to 1/3 of their thickness. I replaced the plastic pins with hard wire metal pins.

The Italeri kit is not completely accurate and there are errors in the lines between the panels. In addition, the kit represents the original "A" version. However, the machine I am building is version "C" with some changes.

To correct the erroneous panel lines, I took the help of the drawing and played the "Find the Differences" game. First, I marked the wrong lines in red on the model.

I also marked the wrong lines on the bottom and sides of the model in red. After finding all the deviations, I filled the extra lines with CA glue.

Since the photo-etched parts from the Eduard kit don't really match the actual look of the upper dash cover, I made a new cover from a thin plastic plate.

I glued a PE part to the back of the cockpit to cover the holes after cutting off the instruments. I will make new instruments from PE parts and glue them on later. Right now they would unnecessarily interfere with further work on the model.

The spindle at the top of the vertical tail surface is shaped for the "A" version. That's why I cut out the back of it. I made a new rear part of the spindle (corresponding to version "C") from plastic prisms and plates and glued it to the vertical tail surface.

I sprayed the model with Surfacer to unify the surface. As always, Surfacer showed a few more spots that still need more care. So I'll be sanding or filling for a while yet.

I sprayed the model with Surfacer to unify the surface. As always, Surfacer showed a few more spots that still need more care. So I'll be sanding or filling for a while yet.

I cut the fuel intake outlet from the plastic plate to the fuel tanks. I sanded this to fit and glued it to the underside of the right wing.

I glued the brake shields in the closed position and unglued the nozzle. I'm still going to experiment with it.

And I'm adjusting the inner elevons so I can glue them at an angle.

I removed the original air outlet at the rear of the fuselage (it was the wrong shape) and replaced it with a new metal pipe outlet.

I added the missing small air inlet to the underside of the scab. I made it out of a thin fence.

I started cutting new panel lines on the lower hull.

Looking at the photos, I found slight differences in the execution of some of the details on the lower part of the rear fuselage. I have marked them with red rectangles on the drawings and photos. The lower part of the rear fuselage of the Italeri kit corresponds to the drawing.

The execution of details in the drawing corresponds to the Swedish machines.

However, the Czech Gripen No. 9234 with the anniversary livery has (according to the photos) a different panel design on the lower fuselage without the rectangular "louvered" opening. In addition, it has a protrusion above this panel with an air intake opening. (indicated by the larger red rectangle). And it also has a deception target ejector (smaller red rectangle).

The design of the panels at the rear, including the air intake opening and the deceptive target ejector, can be clearly seen in this photo. The red rectangles in the photo indicate the same parts as in the drawing above.

According to previous drawings and photos I made a hole in the fuselage for the flare ejector. The shape of the hole is not yet final. I will create the exact shape, according to the ejector, before gluing it into the fuselage.

I made the flare launcher from a plastic plate and marked the individual flares with engraving.
The flare launcher was slightly recessed under the fuselage surface. Because of the shape of the fuselage and the thickness of the fuselage wall at the hole, I glued a thin plastic plate to the edge of the launcher (closer to the center of the fuselage). I shaped this into a groove. Once the launcher is glued into the fuselage, the groove will form the side walls of the hole with the launcher. I left the groove long for now. It will serve as a handle when I glue the launcher into the hole in the fuselage. it will help me in setting the exact position of the launcher.

I cleaned the hole and glued the rest of the flares on.
Then I realized I'd made a mistake. I had determined the position of the hole by the edge of the wing, but didn't realize that the elevators were cut out of the wing. So I moved the flare launcher hole forward. Correctly it should be (see drawing a little above) level with the trailing edge of the wing (after the elevators are cut out).

The glue hadn't dried yet, so I easily removed the glued flare launcher from the hole. I sealed the hole in the fuselage with a thick plastic plate and applied the putty to the fuselage after the glue dried. The circle closed. After the putty has cured and the fuselage has been sanded, I'll go back to where I started yesterday.

After sanding the putty, I cut a new hole for the flare launcher, making sure it was in the right place.

I glued a scratched flare launcher into the hole. The long part served as a handle for me to properly position the launcher in the hole. And it also kept the launcher from falling into the fuselage.

After the glue dried, I cut off the protruding parts of the launcher.

I applied putty to the launcher and its immediate surroundings.

After the putty cured, I sanded the aft hull.

After moving the flare launcher to the correct location, I continue to restore the lines between the panels. It's slow going, but I'm making some progress.

There is only one additional fuel tank in the kit. However, I want to use two additional tanks for my Gripen. They have a special coating that matches the annual livery of this aircraft.

So I decided to make new tanks. I made two new tanks at the same time, so that they would both be the same.

I used the plastic parts of the tanks from the kit to make the new tanks. First, I cut the stabilizing wings off of them. Then I applied three layers of paper to the two halves of the tank one at a time. I painted each layer of paper with dispersion paper glue. I diluted the glue with water so it wouldn't be too thick and the paper would soak it up well. After applying all three layers of paper, I let the glue dry. I "painted" the dry surface of the future tanks with a thin layer of thin CA glue.

After the CA glue dried, I sanded the surface of the tanks. Along the edge of the plastic part, I cut off the excess material with a sharp knife and sanded the edges flat.

Finally I glued the two halves of the tank together. Since I need two tanks, I repeated the whole process again.

The auxiliary fuel tanks are sanded and ready for surfacer spraying.

Work on the auxiliary fuel tanks continues. I cut new wings and their flanges from thin plastic sheet. I then glued them to the tanks with CA glue.

The new lines between the panels are finished. Now I have to sand the engraved lines and then clean them up.

The new lines between the panels are finished. Now I have to sand the engraved lines and then clean them up.

According to the photo, I made a trapezoidal protrusion out of a piece of plastic and glued it to the fuselage.

A small air inlet also had to be added to the underside of the fuselage. A piece of plastic plate and a needle file were enough to make it.

I added a cannon under the nose of the hull. I used a kit part to make it. I replaced the front of the cannon with the same part from the Kitty Hawk kit. It's better than the Italeri cannon barrel.

Surfacer unified the surface, but also showed a few places that I still need to fix. A little putty and sanding will still be needed.

Surfacer unified the surface, but also showed a few places that I still need to fix. A little putty and sanding will still be needed.

I started riveting on the top side of the fuselage.

The transparent cockpit covers of the Gripen are coloured golden brown. In the kit the cockpit covers are clear, without any colouring.

I tinted the transparent cockpit covers myself. I sprayed them with very heavily diluted paint mixed from brown and gold metallic.

I finished the riveting, glued the inner elevons in the folded position, added the APU door (I found it among the PE parts) and added a few small covers (now I see that one round cover is missing on the back of the fuselage just behind the cockpit).

Next time I have a free moment, the Gripen will go to the "paint shop" and get a primer white paint.

I added a round cover to the top of the fuselage behind the cockpit. And I added large antennas. After these modifications I sprayed the whole model and the additional tanks with white primer.

I added a round cover to the top of the fuselage behind the cockpit. And I added large antennas. After these modifications I sprayed the whole model and the additional tanks with white primer.

Out of curiosity about how it would look, I took a picture of the white sprayed model with the tinted canopy. The duck surfaces and cabin are not glued on.

Several views of the canopy from different angles. You can see how the transparency of the cover changes depending on the viewing angle and lighting conditions.

To illustrate the "carpet" I used a foam sponge to apply thick paint to the dash cover.

I made and added small details to the rear cockpit wall from pieces of plastic plates, wires and plastic tubing.

I used PE parts to make the "boxes" behind the pilot's head.

I used PE parts to make the "boxes" behind the pilot's head.

The Eduard PE parts set for Italeri also includes parts for the equipment of the head compartment behind the pilot's head. Unfortunately in this case some PE parts are not completely accurate. The "box" closer to the rear cockpit wall is too wide and symmetrically placed. However, this does not match the photos.

So I narrowed the "box" and glued it asymmetrically, closer to the left side of the cockpit, according to the photo.
After this modification I started to add the wiring. So far I have only managed to make and add a few cables and the "best" is yet to come. But even from this little you can already see how the cables will brighten up the cockpit.

I assembled the engine nozzle from two PE parts. The inner part of the nozzle is from the part marked with a red rectangle and the outer part of the nozzle is from the part in the red circle.

However, the shape of the nozzle assembled according to the instructions for use does not correspond to the actual shape of the nozzle. The outer lamellas of the nozzle are straight ...

To correct the shape of the nozzle, I first disassembled it. I kept the assembled inner part. I cut a thin ring off the plastic nozzle from the kit. I glued the plastic ring to the inner PE part of the nozzle.

... but actually the nozzle is slightly convex.

I cut out the individual lamellas from the outer parts of the PE nozzle. I bent the lamellas slightly. Then I glued the bent lamellas to the modified inner part of the nozzle.

The repaired nozzle now corresponds to reality.

The repaired nozzle now corresponds to reality.

After yesterday's detour to the engine nozzle, I returned to the cables in the cabin.
I prepared a 2 x 2 mm square of 0.1 mm thick plastic board and drilled four holes in two rows. I painted the board black and started threading the cables through the pre-drilled holes. From the back of the square, I glued the strung cables with CA glue and waited for it to dry. Then I trimmed the overhanging cables from the back side to the minimum and sanded the back side flat. Finally, I glued the square with the cables to the side of the back box.
Although it doesn't look like it from the photo, drilling 8 holes in the miniature square (smaller than a match head) and running 12 wires through it was quite laborious. It took me more than 2 hours. To avoid squinting my eyes, I preferred to quit.
Tomorrow I'm going to give the wire broom the right shape, run the wires between the boxes and paint everything. So I'm going to sleep on it.

I shaped and shortened the prepared wires. Then I painted and glued them in place in the cockpit and finally painted the small details.

I shaped and shortened the prepared wires. Then I painted and glued them in place in the cockpit and finally painted the small details.

I glued a sight glass to the front of the cockpit. I also glued the front part of the canopy.

I added trapezoid plates to the top of the fuselage and group flight lights to the sides of the fuselage. I used PE parts for both.

I sprayed the preshading over the white primer. I sprayed the back and vertical tail surface with white paint.

I added trapezoid plates to the top of the fuselage and group flight lights to the sides of the fuselage. I used PE parts for both.

I also sprayed both add-on tanks and the upper surfaces of the duck faces with white paint.

The base camouflage paint is sprayed on. The camouflage scheme of the Czech Gripens is simple: the lower surfaces are light grey ...

The base camouflage paint is sprayed on. The camouflage scheme of the Czech Gripens is simple: the lower surfaces are light grey ...

... and the upper surfaces are dark gray. The white paint on the upper surfaces of the canards and vertical tail surfaces will be later fitted with coloured decals with an anniversary coat.

... and the upper surfaces are dark gray. The white paint on the upper surfaces of the canards and vertical tail surfaces will be later fitted with coloured decals with an anniversary coat.

I applied decals to the Gripen with special anniversary colouring.

I applied decals to the Gripen with special anniversary colouring.

I applied decals to the Gripen with special anniversary colouring.

I sprayed the blank decal paper with black and dark grey ink. After both colors dried, I sprayed the decal paper with clear varnish. I cut thin strips from the painted decal paper.
I glued the strips of black decal paper to the cockpit canopy frames.

I glued grey strips on the black strips so that a very narrow black stripe (between the glass and the cab frame) remains visible.

I glued grey strips on the black strips so that a very narrow black stripe (between the glass and the cab frame) remains visible.

Due to the transparency of the canopy, the canopy frames are black inside.

I enlarged the photo of decals for the 1:72 scale model to 1:48 scale and printed it. I used this pattern to make the masks for the blue and red and sprayed the additional tanks.

I enlarged the photo of decals for the 1:72 scale model to 1:48 scale and printed it. I used this pattern to make the masks for the blue and red and sprayed the additional tanks.

All that's left is to paint the rear surfaces of the tanks, as seen in this photo.

View of the right side of the hangers with applied decals. Rocket adapters are still without decals.

View of the left side of the hangers with decals applied. Rocket adapters are still without decals.

After applying all decals I repainted the whole model with clear coat to unify the surface. Now it's time to illustrate the operational wear and tear and surface contamination of the aircraft.

The canards are just dry fitted for now.

I have illustrated weathering and minor operational surface damage on the Gripen's upper and side surfaces. I have tried to get as close as possible to the condition visible in the photos of this machine.

I have also illustrated weathering and minor operational surface damage on the lower surfaces. Unfortunately I have no photograph of the undersurfaces of this machine. Therefore, I have used photographs of the undersurfaces of the other three machines and used them to make "average" weathering and minor surface damage.

I added the prepared wing racks to the underside of the wings.

I added the prepared wing racks to the underside of the wings.

I also added a rack to the underside of the fuselage.

I also added a rack to the underside of the fuselage.

Gripen control assembly with additional tanks. The tanks are temporarily installed for inspection and photography only.

Gripen control assembly with additional tanks. The tanks are temporarily installed for inspection and photography only.

My set of AIM -9 Sidewinder missiles from Eduardo arrived. There are four pieces in the set, so I have enough Sidewinder for a two-seat Gripen as well.

The rocket casts look good. The subtle front wings of the rockets, designed as separate parts, promise a lot of fun, twice. First when separating them from the castings and then when gluing them to the rocket body.

Fortunately, the photo-etched parts board also contains (among other things) a mounting jig to maintain geometry when gluing the front ailerons to the rocket body.

He finished the exit nozzle and glued it in place. After a slight modification to the outer nozzle design, the nozzle finally assembled from photo-etched parts looks good.

And after gluing the front ailerons, clear lens on the bow and painting the rockets, you can try your patience with sticking decals.

Overall, the kit is well detailed. It contains everything needed to achieve a realistic looking rocket. Unlike the Sidewinders in the kit, which are one piece, Eduardo's rockets are more challenging to assemble. The reward for the effort is very good looking rockets.

After modifying the outer nozzle design, the nozzle assembled from photo-etched parts looks good. Especially when viewed from the rear.

I assembled the front landing gear leg from kit parts and added a few PE parts.

I assembled the front landing gear leg from kit parts and added a few PE parts.

Také jsem přidal PE díly na nohy hlavního podvozku.

I assembled the front landing gear leg from kit parts and added a few PE parts.

The main landing gear wheels from the kit are not the worst, but they are the original design for the A version. They had to be modified to look like the wheels used on the C version. First, I milled all the lugs out of the disc. I cut two wheels out of a thin plastic plate that fit exactly into the milled center of the wheel. I glued round centers cut from thicker plastic to the plastic wheels and finally prepared the photo-etched parts with the disc spokes. I painted the prepared parts and assembled them.

I painted the undercarriage legs after gluing the photo-etched parts.

I painted the undercarriage legs after gluing the photo-etched parts.

I made the hoses and tubes on the front landing gear leg out of thin wire. I prepared a thin wire. I bent the wires according to the photos and glued them together in several assemblies. After painting, I glued the assembled wiring groups to the front chassis leg.

After replacing the landing gear shafts, I had to extend the struts on the main landing gear.

The front undercarriage leg is complete. To get a better idea of its size I photographed it together with a regular match.

I added electrical cables and hydraulic lines to the assembled main landing gear legs. I made these out of thin copper wire.

I added electrical cables and hydraulic lines to the assembled main landing gear legs. I made these out of thin copper wire.

I only managed to finish one leg of the main landing gear this afternoon, so I have to do the same again on the other leg.

I have completed the electrical and hydraulic wiring to the second leg of the main landing gear.

I have completed the electrical and hydraulic wiring to the second leg of the main landing gear.

I started adding wiring and hydraulic lines to the main chassis landing gear shafts. I've only made a modest start so far.

I started adding wiring and hydraulic lines to the main chassis landing gear shafts. I've only made a modest start so far.

I'm gradually adding hydraulic and electrical lines in the main chassis shafts. I use copper wires of various diameters, which I paint in the appropriate colour as required.

I'm gradually adding hydraulic and electrical lines in the main chassis shafts. I use copper wires of various diameters, which I paint in the appropriate colour as required.

I had to glue the chassis legs together to connect the wiring. I still need to add the hydraulic pistons and then I can continue adding the hydraulic and electrical wiring.

I had to glue the chassis legs together to connect the wiring. I still need to add the hydraulic pistons and then I can continue adding the hydraulic and electrical wiring.

Komentarzy

83 27 November 2023, 19:59

Robert Podkoński
Taking a first row seat, of course! 🙂

27 November 2023, 20:02

Ludvík Kružík
Welcome Robert, nice to see you again at my model build. 🙂
It will again be a plane with a special paint job.

27 November 2023, 20:12

Robert Podkoński
How could I miss such a talent show? 😉

27 November 2023, 21:56

Rando
Love me a Swedish delta 🙂 or I guess Czech in this case

27 November 2023, 22:03

Ludvík Kružík
Robert, you've come at the right time. I started airing my show today. 😉

27 November 2023, 22:15

Ludvík Kružík
Welcome, Rando. I'm glad you're here. You're not wrong, the plane will be in Czech colors. 😄

27 November 2023, 22:19

Mark D
Nice and following this build! I heard that the panellines of this Italeri kit are a bit soft or a bit deep, are they? It looks, well, acceptable.

28 November 2023, 14:25

J35J
Taking a chair 👍🏻

28 November 2023, 16:04

Ludvík Kružík
Mark, it's true that the plastic of this kit is a bit softer than the standard kit, but it's nothing terrible. Also, the panel lines are a bit thicker (compared to Tamiya or Eduard kits), but again, not entirely bad. The kit does have a few minor shape flaws as well, but overall it's pretty good and with a little effort you can build a nice JAS-39 model from it.

I will describe the kit's faults and how to fix them, including modifications to the "C" version (the kit represents the original "A" version), as the model is built.

28 November 2023, 18:50

Ludvík Kružík
J35J, welcome. I hope you have a good time. 🙂

28 November 2023, 18:55

Ludvík Kružík
Little progress on the model.

30 November 2023, 10:09

Ludvík Kružík
I'm preparing the hull for its closure. I've glued the assembled engine and cockpit to the left half of the fuselage.

3 December 2023, 11:33

Alec K
Looking great! Taking a seat for sure 👍

Vloudila se ti tam čeština, pics 13-16. Jen v případě že to nebylo úmyslně 😉

3 December 2023, 14:24

Ludvík Kružík
Hello, Alec! There's always room for you at my place. 🙂
Thank you for letting me know. It was my fault. The texts are already in English.

3 December 2023, 15:03

Jos Jansen
Watching

3 December 2023, 18:20

Michael Kohl
Me too

3 December 2023, 20:24

Ludvík Kružík
Jos and Michael, welcome!

4 December 2023, 00:29

Ludvík Kružík
The fuselage halves are already glued together.

4 December 2023, 11:05

Jos Jansen
How's the fitting...?

4 December 2023, 11:21

Ludvík Kružík
I haven't put much together yet. The fuselage halves can be glued together without any problems, they fit together well and the panel lines follow each other. The glued joints are gapless, just sand them lightly. When gluing the fuselage tip, care must be taken to ensure that it is turned correctly. If the tip is glued to the fuselage with the bottom side up, it will not follow the shape of the fuselage correctly when viewed from the side.

If there are any problems during construction, I will point them out.

4 December 2023, 12:56

Ludvík Kružík
Work on the model continues. The first problems are appearing. It was necessary to modify the joints between the upper and lower half of the wings and also the joint between the fuselage and the wings. The use of putty and sanding is unavoidable.

5 December 2023, 22:55

Ludvík Kružík
Little progress today. I glued the wings to the fuselage and started prepping the other parts.

6 December 2023, 23:45

Rando
Really cool techniques Ludvik! Taking notes on how you reduced the gaps

7 December 2023, 02:30

Ludvík Kružík
Rando, thank you for the compliments. 🙂

The technique of extending the fuselage by gluing struts from inside the fuselage is nothing new. I have been using it successfully for many years. In my opinion, this technique is better than gluing the wings to the fuselage without extending the fuselage and then repairing by filling large gaps with putty and sanding.

7 December 2023, 10:40

Ludvík Kružík
I'm continuing with modifications to fix some bugs in the model and rebuild it to version "C".

11 December 2023, 00:30

Ludvík Kružík
I sanded and puttyed the model. And I got to the point where it was hard to recognize the places that still needed to be repaired. So tomorrow (time permitting) it's surfacer's turn. I'll take some pictures tomorrow.

12 December 2023, 21:37

Ludvík Kružík
The Gripen model has been sprayed with Surfacer.

13 December 2023, 20:27

Alec K
Looking good! What Surfacer do you use (1000, 1200)?

13 December 2023, 23:46

Ludvík Kružík
Hi Alec, I use Surfacer 500. After finishing minor finishing work and sanding the Surfacer, I spray Base white 1000 (both are Gunze) on top.
I then spray the camouflage paints on top of that prepared surface.

14 December 2023, 08:38

Alec K
Thanks 👍

14 December 2023, 17:46

Ludvík Kružík
Most of the errors are already corrected after sealing. Now I will add some small details on the surface of the aircraft. I'll have to scratch most of them.

15 December 2023, 21:31

Ludvík Kružík
Not much time to work on the model this week. But some progress was made on the model after all.

23 December 2023, 23:44

Ludvík Kružík
When I looking the photos I found minor differences in the details on the underside of the rear fuselage. The model will need to be modified.

30 December 2023, 23:50

Christian
Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing all of this tremendous research detail - very fascinating. I have this same kit on my "to-do" shelf, so I'll be looking over your shoulder for tips and ideas.

6 January, 13:48

Ludvík Kružík
Christian, welcome aboard! I'm glad you're interested in my project.

When you look over my shoulder, make sure you don't make the same mistakes I did. I've just discovered that my inattention has caused the flare hole to be too far forward. I'm working on correcting that mistake right now.

And I remind you that the modifications described are only for Czech Gripen. For other users' aircraft these details may differ.

7 January, 10:48

Vintagemodeler
Another one to join to the observation, as I will have to do it at some point aswell . Is it the Front Noise need to be replaced by the quick boost?

7 January, 10:54

Ludvík Kružík
Welcome Vintagemodeler! I hope that in the course of building my model you will find inspiration for building your Gripen.

I'm very sorry, but my English skills are not perfect and I don't understand your question. Could you elaborate on your question a bit?
Thank you.

8 January, 08:43

Vintagemodeler
Yes mr! I cant believe how you did those amazing scratch! i just mean if front noise looks good, as few people told me that it need the QUICKBOOST upgrade part, i get it for mig 29 and Su-27, but didnt get it for JAS-39 yet, as i didnt saw that much difference.
kind regards

9 January, 11:21

Mark D
JAS 39C/D Gripen - Correct Nose (Quickboost QB 48 227, 1:48)

9 January, 21:21

Ludvík Kružík
Vintagemodeler + Mark D, thanks for the explanation.

I think the QUICKBOOST nose is not necessary. According to the drawing, the nose from the kit has a good shape matching the drawing. The bad shape of the nose is elsewhere. The top of the nose needs to be corrected. The windshield in the kit rests on a raised area that is not on the real model. However, this can easily be corrected with a little putty.

A clear description of the basic modifications to the Italeri kit can be found here: kits.kitreview.com/jas39agripenreviewrw_1.htm

9 January, 22:44

Ludvík Kružík
Moving the flare launcher to the correct position is done. I will fix minor errors after spraying the model with Surfacer.

9 January, 23:06

Vintagemodeler
Amazing article! What a nice work mr!

11 January, 21:11

Ludvík Kružík
Vintagemodeler, thanks you!
I agree, the article clearly describes the modifications of Italeri's biggest faults. But since this article was published (2005) many JAS-39s have been upgraded (some machines more than once) and the appearance of some details on Gripen aircraft has changed. When building a particular machine, it's good to have not only a drawing, but also photos of the particular machine.

12 January, 23:03

Ludvík Kružík
I'm continuing to restore the lines between the panels. It's slow going, but the lines being restored are increasing.

12 January, 23:04

Alec K
It's looking good Ludvíku (👍

14 January, 13:30

Vintagemodeler
Will be an epic build 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

14 January, 16:47

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you Alec!
Vintagemodelerer, the quality of the Italeri kit (considering the time of release) is somewhat half-hearted. But with some effort it can be used to build a nice model. I've already made most of the modifications. Once I finish restoring the panel lines, the model building will go faster.

14 January, 19:51

Guy Rump
Looking good, following. 👍

14 January, 20:25

Ludvík Kružík
Welcome Guy Rump! Good to see you.

14 January, 21:17

Jennifer Franklin
It's been a while since I looked at this one, Ludvik; it is progressing nicely. Your work is exceptional; the attention to detail is beyond my imagination. I love watching what you have done.

16 January, 10:48

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, thank you for your kind post. I'm just trying to build my models as best I can and it's great fun for me too.

17 January, 20:21

bughunter
Oh, two Saab at once - no wonder that I nearly missed it! Nicely done too.

17 January, 20:24

Ludvík Kružík
Yes, I'm building two Gripens at the same time. Both aircraft have a large number of the same parts and the same basic grey paint. It makes my job easier.

17 January, 21:32

Ludvík Kružík
Italeri kit contains only one additional tank. But I need two tanks. That's why I decided to make them. To make both tanks the same, I made two.

18 January, 09:39

Ludvík Kružík
The auxiliary fuel tanks are ground down.

23 January, 23:27

Alec K
Very interesting way to make the auxiliary tanks 👍

24 January, 00:08

Ludvík Kružík
Hi, Alec!
There are resin tank castings that can be purchased as separate accessories. However, their price, along with the cost of shipping, is high. It's much more than half the price of the Gripen kit I bought from Italeri. So I decided to make the additional tanks myself.

The choice of how to make the tanks was simple. Making the moulds and then casting the tanks is quite laborious. In addition, I do not have a vacuum pump, so air bubbles would form in the castings. I also don't have a 3D printer and I don't know how to model in 3D software.
Therefore, I figured that making tanks out of paper was the easiest way for me to make them at home.
I think paper is an underrated raw material in plastic modeling. With a little knowledge and skill, you can make various accessories (e.g. additional fuel tanks) out of paper. And as a bonus for the work involved, paper add-on tanks are very light and don't put unnecessary strain on the landing gear. 😄

24 January, 11:21

Alec K
I agree, all good points. For what it's worth, here are my few observations regarding casting from personal experience: for a small job like the tanks, you really don't need a vacuum pump (nor, and IMHO more importantly, a pressure tank). Yes, you will likely get some bubbles in the resulting cast, but those can be fixed relatively easily 👍

26 January, 14:02

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, I also have experience with making parts from cast resin.You are right that bubbles can be fixed fairly easily with putty. But for making 2 tanks I find casting unnecessarily laborious.

29 January, 10:03

Ludvík Kružík
I'm continuing to build the Gripen. I finished restoring the lines between the panels and added more details to the fuselage.

29 January, 10:04

Alec K
👍

29 January, 12:57

Ludvík Kružík
I'm continuing to fix the minor surface errors that surfacer showed. I've also started riveting.

31 January, 12:49

CaptGPF
Love the super detailing - as well as the extensive riveting work. Are you planning to rivet the wings as well? I will need to use your trick of using wires to pull the wings up to close the gaps on the next build. The Italeri kit is a good foundation for the Gripen, but it is sorely lacking in details - I'm glad to see you putting that into the kit.

6 February, 17:07

Ludvík Kružík
@CaptGPF
Thank you for your comment. I'm really glad that my ideas will serve someone else.

I don't plan to rivet the wings. None of the photos (that I have) or the drawing show any rivet lines on the wing surfaces. Except for a few rivets on the leading and trailing edges of the wings. And I have already made these few rivets on the wings. If there are any rivets on the wing surfaces, they are ground in with the surface and not visible under the camouflage paint.
On the other hand, I'm considering removing the rivets from the Gripen Kitty Hawk wings (Kitty Hawk made the rivets marked all over the wing surfaces).
I will definitely do some weathering on the wings though. It's very visible on all Czech machines.

6 February, 21:33

Ludvík Kružík
I have little time to build models lately. So at least in one short spare moment I made an experiment with tinting the transparent cockpit covers.

7 February, 07:50

TH SCALE MODELS (Thomas Haberl)
Hi Ludvik! This build turns out t be another "crazy" build ... your view for details is amazing. Do you spend more time on research or building? I´m not sure 😉 again something spectacular is going to come here. Keep going (❁´◡`❁)

7 February, 08:05

bughunter
Wow, your tinted canopies are looking great! I once used a mix with Alclad (on a egg plane) and nearly ruined the clear plastic as it was dull matt afterwards 🙁

7 February, 08:55

Ludvík Kružík
Thomas, at the moment my lack of free time doesn't allow me to pursue modelling as much as I would like 🙁. It's just a transitional period and I hope it will end soon.

As far as research is concerned, I have a database on my computer with information, drawings and photos of aircraft, literature ..., for all the aircraft that interest me and I would like to build models of them. And I am constantly adding to this database. So the moment I start building a model, I simply open the appropriate folder in the database and draw from the information I have stored there.

In some cases, for example, when I was building the MI-24, I was lucky enough to work with a guy who works in an aircraft repair shop as a mechanic, and he would take pictures of various details of the helicopter's structural elements and email them to me, according to my instructions.
I am now using similar friendly help in building both Gripens.

7 February, 22:51

Ludvík Kružík
Bughunter, the procedure I used, I found on the website of a Czech modeller. With long-term testing of different color types from different manufacturers, it achieved the best results with metallic Gunze paints (MC series) and Gunze Mr. Leveling Thinner. The procedure is simple. I mixed gold (MC219 - brass) and brown (H017) into about 1 ml of diluent. From each colour to just a small drop (on the tip of the brush). Metallic paint does a partial transparency effect based on your point of view. From a certain angle, the cabin appears opaque, and from a different angle, you can see right through it. And that little bit of brown puts a slight damper on it.
The original instructions recommend the metallic colour MC215 - copper, but the author used this on American machines. According to the photos, the Gripen cabins are toned to a tawny colour and this is better matched by the golden hue of brass combined with brown. The precise dilution ratio is not critical, but he wants to test it. The important thing is to spray gradually a few thin layers (just to dust lightly) and spray the next layer of paint until the previous one has dried. With a thick layer, diluted metallic paint makes irregular spots.

And if it doesn't work, just wipe off the paint with a soft cloth dipped in thinner and start over.

8 February, 00:43

Jennifer Franklin
That is impressive, tinted canopies. Thank you for sharing the technique.

8 February, 00:49

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, it was my first attempt at a tinted canopy. I found a tutorial online and decided to give tinting a try. I did a few experiments on pieces of clear plastic first so I wouldn't ruin my canopy if it didn't work out. During these experiments, I tried different shades of metallic paints and chose the best combination of colors based on the results.

8 February, 21:47

Ludvík Kružík
Gripen is ready to be sprayed with primer.

8 February, 22:10

Ludvík Kružík
Gripen got a smart white coat (primer). Once the cockpit equipment is completed, it will be the turn of spraying camouflage colours.

9 February, 20:39

Mark D
Have you dipped the canopy in for example Alclad Aqua Gloss? It helps for transparency.

9 February, 21:53

CaptGPF
I read on Finescale modeler that you could get a golden tint using a mix of transparent smoke + transparent yellow diluted down with thinner.

10 February, 07:23

Ludvík Kružík
@Mark D
The canopy in the photo of the partially assembled model is not the final solution. I'm still experimenting with tinting the cockpit canopy. The goal is a canopy that will be transparent from a certain angle and partially act as a mirror from another angle. I'm well on my way, but it still needs to be fine-tuned.
@CaptGPF
There are more ways to colour the canopy, of course. Using transparent paints is probably the easiest way. But it doesn't achieve the mirror effect described above. To give you a better idea, I have included a picture of the cockpit canopy from several different angles.

10 February, 10:58

CaptGPF
I'd love to see how you can achieve that angled transparency effect!

10 February, 16:01

Daniel
I had good results with holo nail powder:
Starting Pic 24
Fat Amy WIP | Album by halohead (1:48)

10 February, 16:23

Ludvík Kružík
@CaptGPF
A very thin layer of metallic paint takes care of the angled transparency effect.
@Daniel
Thank you for the illustrative example. Your canopy looks great.

11 February, 19:57

Ludvík Kružík
I'm continuing work on the cockpit. I am gradually adding more details to it.

12 February, 23:30

Ludvík Kružík
The "box" at the rear cockpit wall had to be modified. After correcting its dimensions and location, I added a few cables to the rear of the cockpit. More cables will follow shortly.

13 February, 22:29

Jennifer Franklin
The couple of wires that are in there look great.

13 February, 23:24

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, thank you! I hope the cockpit will look even better with the addition of more "cables" and the scope slide. 😉

14 February, 08:59

Ludvík Kružík
I wasn't in the mood for the delicate work of adding wiring today. So I busied myself with fixing a badly shaped engine nozzle.

14 February, 23:05

Robert Podkoński
That's a true craftmanship on this nozzle, Chapeau bas!

15 February, 07:07

Ludvík Kružík
Robert, thank you for the compliment! 😉

15 February, 08:58

Ludvík Kružík
I continue to work on completing the cockpit wiring.

15 February, 22:26

Ludvík Kružík
The cockpit cables are in place. I glued a few more PE parts to the fuselage and now I will prepare the model for spraying.

16 February, 23:05

Jennifer Franklin
The cables look amazing, Ludvik; your attention to detail pays off.

17 February, 01:18

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, thank you for the compliments. 🙂 I appreciate it.

17 February, 08:53

Ludvík Kružík
I prepared the model for spraying with camouflage paints.

17 February, 22:33

Ludvík Kružík
Gripen is ready for decals application. 🙂

19 February, 09:22

Daniel
Beautiful work + you're really fast! 👍

19 February, 09:25

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you, Daniel! My speed is only temporary. Soon I will start making smaller parts and the model building will slow down. 🙁

I have started applying decals to the painted model. So far I have only managed to apply the decals with the special anniversary coloring.

19 February, 21:44

bughunter
What a colorful nice looking outfit 👍

19 February, 21:55

Ludvík Kružík
The colour scheme of the in-line machines in a combination of two grey colours with little visible markings is practical for military purposes, but somewhat boring. It's good that there are aircraft with special paint! 😄

19 February, 22:47

Ludvík Kružík
Due to the extraordinary activities that took place during the day, I only got to the model briefly today. In those few minutes I only managed to glue a few decals. I added the national emblems and a few small labels. I will add photos later, when all decals are on the model.

21 February, 17:46

Robert Podkoński
Beautiful scheme indeed.

21 February, 17:47

Ludvík Kružík
Robert, from the first moment I saw the pictures of this Gripen in the attractive anniversary livery, I knew I would eventually build one. When the decals for this machine appeared on the market, I didn't hesitate a moment and bought them immediately. And now the moment has come when I am fulfilling my resolution.

21 February, 18:03

Ludvík Kružík
I "painted" the cockpit canopy with strips cut from painted decal paper.

25 February, 22:25

Jennifer Franklin
The canopy looks amazing

26 February, 03:10

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, thank you for your compliment. 🙂

The work on the baldachin will continue. I've only finished the outer part. I'm still working on the inside of the canopy. The inner frame, cross brace, rear view mirrors and the "collar" in the front need to be completed.

29 February, 11:13

"Sparky"
Great idea. I have always wondered why there is not a product to just stick to canopies instead of painting them for the frames.

29 February, 11:56

CaptGPF
Thanks for the tips on the canopy - I have an AH-64D in the queue and was wondering how to achieve the same effects you just taught us! thank you, Sensei! 🙇‍♂️

29 February, 16:12

bughunter
Ludvik, your macro is merciless! I guess in real size it will look better.

29 February, 19:35

Ludvík Kružík
I'm so glad you found my tutorial on painting canopy frames helpful. 🙂

Since masking the canopy, spraying the frame and a thin strip of gasket is laborious and the result is not always 100%, I was looking for another method that would be easier and less laborious. Using decals met my requirements. The application is simple and the results are accurate. And when layering the decals, even a very thin line of gasket can be easily created. And the use of decals also eliminates the laborious cleaning of paint that occasionally runs under the mask.

29 February, 21:04

Ludvík Kružík
I painted the auxiliary tanks this afternoon. Like the plane, the tanks have a special paint job.

3 March, 00:15

Jennifer Franklin
The auxiliary tanks look amazing Ludvik

3 March, 16:50

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, thank you for your kind words. 🙂

I worked on the hangers today. For the middle hanger under the fuselage I used a part from the Italeri kit, but first I modified it slightly, sanded it, made new joints and added rivets. For the underwing hangers and rocket adapters I used Kitty Hawk parts. These were left over from an earlier Gripen 9241 build where I replaced them with castings from CMK. For the wing hangers, I replaced the plastic pins with wire ones so I could accurately glue the hangers to the wing. For one thing, the plastic pins were large in diameter and would not fit into the holes in the wings, but more importantly, the wire pins served me well when spraying the hangers and then applying the decals.
The fewer stencils on the aircraft, the more there are on the hangers. I applied 54 decals on all five hangers combined (5234 did not have a forward fuselage hanger when it carried the annual livery). And I still haven't glued the decals on the rocket adapters.

4 March, 22:19

bughunter
Attractive combination of grays and colors 👍 Well done so far!

5 March, 19:45

Ludvík Kružík
Frank, I was intrigued by this machine from the first moment I saw it. The combination of the dark grey motif on the upper surfaces of the wings and fuselage with the red, blue and white accessories on the vertical tailplane and canards is (at least to me) very attractive. Although I find the special colour scheme of Czech tiger-themed machines very successful, this annual livery was a very pleasant change for me. As soon as I found out that there was a decal set for this livery, I knew I would definitely build this aircraft. 😄

This week unfortunately my work obligations did not give me free time to work on the model. I only managed to apply decals for the AIM-120 rocket adapters.
I also ordered a set of AIM-9 rockets from Eduard. The rockets in the Italeri kit are inaccurate and modifying them would basically amount to making new rockets.

10 March, 11:13

Ludvík Kružík
After a short break, I continue working on the model. Gripen has all decals applied and repainted with clear coat. Now it's time to work on illustrating the operational wear and surface contamination.

11 March, 21:56

Ludvík Kružík
Today I did weathering and minor surface damage to the aircraft.
... and I also glued all the racks.

13 March, 23:56

TH SCALE MODELS (Thomas Haberl)
Turning out great Ludvik 👍👍👍

14 March, 10:40

Ludvík Kružík
Hi, Thomas.
I'm so glad you like the weathering. I did a little experiment. Instead of traditional oils, I used Agama patina powder. I was pleasantly surprised. The powders work very well. Unlike oils, using patination powders is easy, fast and accurate. And if something goes wrong, the applied patina can simply be washed off with a cloth or cotton swab dipped in clean water (with a little detergent if necessary). 😉

14 March, 12:27

Ludvík Kružík
I'm sure I won't get to work on the Gripen today. So at least I took two photos of the Gripen in daylight with the auxiliary tanks temporarily installed. I like the result, the painted add-on tanks nicely complement the special anniversary livery of the aircraft. 🙂

14 March, 14:11

Alec K
This will be a beauty 👍

14 March, 16:58

Guy Rump
Looking great, following. 👍

14 March, 20:06

Jennifer Franklin
Looks amazing!

14 March, 23:26

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, Guy and Jennifer, thank you so much for your kind posts. It is a great support for me to continue working on the model. 🙂

15 March, 11:16

Michael .
Love the decal work.

15 March, 11:22

Ludvík Kružík
Michael, thank you.
All decals used on this kit are from Czech manufacturer of modelling accessories JBr Decals. I think he did his job perfectly.

15 March, 12:09

Ludvík Kružík
I'm kind of running out of free time lately. Every time I think I'm finally going to get around to building a model, something creeps in. So at least I bought a few accessories for my models, including a set of Sidewinders rockets from Eduard. The ones in the Italeri kit didn't work out so well. 🙁

22 March, 10:45

Rando
Thanks for the nice look at Eduard's Sidewinders, I'm going to have to buy some for my Hasegawa jets that have none eventually. Glad to know they come with a jig too! And I hear ya on the free time thing, my Mosquito probably would have been done weeks ago

22 March, 12:23

Ludvík Kružík
Rando, if you are concerned with the various suspension armaments, check out Eduard's site. Eduard offers quite a wide range of rockets, bombs and other armaments in various scales.

23 March, 21:54

Ludvík Kružík
I spent time this afternoon making the main landing gear legs. I also finished the nozzle.

24 March, 00:00

Ludvík Kružík
I have modified the appearance of the landing gear wheels and am continuing work on the landing gear legs.

27 March, 07:05

Robert Podkoński
Landing gear looks awesome, Ludviku! When finished, your model should stand on a mirror surface!

1 April, 09:32

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you, Robert. I've only finished the front landing gear leg so far. I started with it because it's the most complicated. Filling the "tubes" on the main landing gear legs will go faster. Compared to the front landing gear, they are almost wiring free.

Building the finished model on a mirror base is a good idea. However, I have a slightly different solution. The model will be placed in my display case of finished models on a glass shelf that is approximately eye level (of an adult). If you lean slightly forward, you can see the bottom of the aircraft with the armament and landing gear due to the glass shelf.

1 April, 10:20

Alec K
Great progress 👍

1 April, 11:20

Ludvík Kružík
After a break I resume building the model again. I'm adding hydraulic and electrical wiring to the main landing gear legs.

23 April, 23:18

bughunter
Was your break due to a visit of the Mosonshow?
Your lastest work on the model parts looks nice!

24 April, 13:23

Ludvík Kružík
Bughunter, thank you for your kind contribution.

My break was due to a much less fun thing than attending the Mosonshow. A colleague and I have rented a space where we have offices. At this point, our lease is up. We had to find a new place and prepare to move. We already have the offices, now we have to move in and get everything ready to work in them. So there will be more breaks.

24 April, 22:29

Ludvík Kružík
After this afternoon, both landing gear legs of the main landing gear are complete.

25 April, 21:08

Cristian A
OMG this is so satisfying to watch!! Great model, you are super talented 👍🏼

25 April, 21:17

Ludvík Kružík
Cristian, thank you for your compliments. I appreciate it.

25 April, 22:01

Ludvík Kružík
The first part of the wiring and hydraulics in the main landing gear shafts is in place.

28 April, 21:41

Jennifer Franklin
Looking amazing! I love the detail of your work.

2 May, 02:59

Ludvík Kružík
Jennifer, thank you. I appreciate your kindness.

2 May, 07:15

Ludvík Kružík
After a forced break, I'm back and resuming work on the Gripen. 🙂

17 May, 20:01

Album info

Machine No. 9234 with special paint for the centenary of the Czechoslovak Air Force.

JAS-39C Czech Air Force

161 zdjęć/zdjęcia

1:48

W trakcie

1:48 JAS 39C Gripen - Czech Air Force (Propagteam 48015)

1:48 Centennial Gripen 1/48 (JBr Decals 48013)

Saab JAS 39C Gripen

Vzdušné síly Armády České republiky (Czech Air Force 1993-now)
211 Sq. 9237
Two-tone grey

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