1/48 Su-11 construction

Katya Hodgson
So, made a start on this at last! Only managed the exhaust and the cockpit so far, but I think this is my best cockpit yet. ^-^

Maciej Bellos
Looks ok. Will you build it with canopy closed? If not, try to correct the places where the silver of the switches got on the panels too.

Katya Hodgson
Canopy is in one piece so it will definitely be closed. Besides which I never build canopies open anyway, there's too much danger of getting paint on the cockpit or the inside of the canopy, which would ruin it. I thought I did a pretty neat job painting the switches...

Maciej Bellos
The thing is, eith all those super-duper terapixel extra macro mode cameras we see things we wouldn't normally see with the naked eye. So the switches probably look good, and nobody will notice them under the one piece canopy. Keep up the good work!

Rob
Looks good so far - looks like you have a steadier hand than me! I often get wrapped around the axles when I see photos I've taken of my work, too. Truth is, with the canopy in place (open or closed) and the model in the display cabinet, I usually can't see anything I did anyway!

Clifford Keesler
Looking very nice.

Katya Hodgson
Thanks! Realised I forgot to paint one switch, so i'll have to fix that. But hopefully today I can get onto building the actual plane! Although that relies on me making the nosecone/intake work properly... still worried about painting and masking that bit.

Bryn Crandell
Looking good so far. Keep up the great work.

Richmond
Painting that cockpit in such detail looks like an exercise in frustration. It must have taken you ages. One of the many reasons I steer well clear of modern jets. What size brush did you use? Nice work by the way.

Nathan Dempsey
Katya, I have a set of resin wheels for this kit if you find the need. I dont need them since I traded the kit for an Su-15.

Katya Hodgson
Thanks Bryn!

Richmond, I'm not sure on the exact size of the brush, but it wasn't too hard due to the paints I used, and the raised details, I found if I was careful the paint would fill the raised detail almost by itself. Normally I would just stick with decals but in this case there was only a decal for the main console, and not the sides. So I have started experimenting with a small brush.

Nathan, do resin wheels need cleaning up? I get very nervous when I hear "resin"... And ooh an Su-15! I need to get some of those at some point too.

Currently I have ran into an annoyance in that the cockpit doesn't fit into the airframe properly. I managed to get it to fit once with the end of a long stick but I wasn't ready for gluing at that point, so I am dreading the point where I actually have to glue the thing together.

I'm also still not sure how i'm going to be able to mask the nose to paint it green... it would be easy if it was a separate part, but the nose cone is molded as part of the intake assembly, so it HAS to be fitted before you can join the fuselage halves. 🙁

Nathan Dempsey
The wheels are just on a thin carrier that can be popped off by hand.

Katya Hodgson
In that case that might be cool yes. 🙂

Nathan Dempsey
PM me your address and I'll ship them out. Happy someone can use them 🙂

Katya Hodgson
So close damnit

Katya Hodgson
Painting the nose and intake assembly, plus a bunch of other assemblies waiting to be put together. The cockpit still doesn't fit quite right into the fuselage but there doesn't seem to be much I can do about that, so I guess i'll be forcing the fuselage together, and breaking out the filler.

Katya Hodgson
Realised I forgot to drill the holes for the missile pylons, so had to tear the wings apart. I managed to get them back together but... well, they're somewhat worse for wear. 🙁

Katya Hodgson
Definitely going to need filler. I just hope the canopy fits...

Katya Hodgson
Just waiting for the comments going "Oh a MiG-21"...

Tomorrow i'll fill the gaps on the fuselage and properly stick the wings and stabilators on. 🙂

Clifford Keesler
Looking good.

Katya Hodgson
Thanks! Should be able to make some good progress today.

Katya Hodgson
I'm issued with a license to fill.

Katya Hodgson
Thanks! It's ready for painting now, assembly is done other than the wheels and underwing stores.

Katya Hodgson
I'm not sure enjoyment would be the word.

It is satisfying when they are done though.

Michael Phillips
Looking great so far! Love the unique subject choice Katya.

Katya Hodgson
Well post WW2 if you don't like MiGs it's basically Sukhois or nothing.😉

Katya Hodgson
A few minor gaps filled and the "inner" canopy colour painted

Ricardo Reis
Very nice - do you know if this model has the usual Trumpeter/HobbyBoss mistakes? Following, in any case. 🙂

Katya Hodgson
I think someone mentioned somewhere that the model's fuselage is about 3mm too short, but that's not the sort of thing that bothers me.

Oh, apparently cockpit is a bit soft on detail but again, i'm happy with it.

Katya Hodgson
Top side is primed. 🙂

Katya Hodgson
And that's the priming done! Hopefully can move on to painting it properly tomorrow. 🙂

Bryn Crandell
Looking so far Katya. I presume NMF for the overall effect?

Nathan Dempsey
I know it's just primer, but it kinda looks cool in black.

Clifford Keesler
What paint are you going to use for the NMF?

Katya Hodgson
*grumbling* not a MiG... stupid MiGs.... can never escape from them...

And yep! First colour for the NMF will be Vallejo Air's Metallic Aluminium, then i'm planning to do the nose area in metallic steel, the exhaust in metallic black, and a few areas around exhausts in metallic gunmetal. I'll also probably drip a bunch of black wash into the gear bays to make their details stand out more.

Martin von Schreckenstein
MiGs look too nice when compared to the strangeness of the Sukhoi designs would be my guess🙂

Katya Hodgson
I have a personal grudge against MiGs. 😛

Anyway, that's the underside painted!

Katya Hodgson
That's the aluminium done now! Once I get back from work it should be dry, and I can paint the other colours.

Katya Hodgson
There we are, the painting and detailing is done. Once it dries fully i'll give it a coat of pledge to protect the paint and to get it ready for decals.

Nathan Dempsey
Very nice! That's the look I was hoping for when I build my Sea Fury, but it didn't quite come out as nice.

Katya Hodgson
I assure you it looks far worse in person. There was also a horrible disaster just before this that made me give up in tears, but I went back to it and managed to somewhat fix it.

I'm really annoyed with Trumpeter though, the nose is off centre in the intake. -_-

Rob
Their MiG-21s are the same. I had to re-align the nose on my J-7G, too.

Katya Hodgson
I didn't realise until it was too late...

Katya Hodgson
Decals are on

Katya Hodgson
Masks are off

Maciej Bellos
It looks nice this M... Su of yours. Well done!

Clifford Keesler
Looks very nice, agree well done.

Katya Hodgson
Thank you. The drop tanks are painted now and i'm working on the R-8 missiles.

Clifford Keesler
Can't wait to see it done.

Katya Hodgson
Just waiting for paint on missiles to dry, and then I can clear coat them and the drop tanks. 🙂

Katya Hodgson
Missile decals on, that should be the end of all the decals now.

Katya Hodgson
All glued on!

Katya Hodgson
There we go, it's done other than the wheels. I won't do a proper album until those are here, so in the meantime have these comparison shots with my 1/48 F-104J.

Clifford Keesler
Looks very good Katya, well done.

Katya Hodgson
Thanks. 🙂

Holger Kranich
Pretty big beast!

Katya Hodgson
Yep! Huge engine in the back, over 96 kN of thrust!

Bryn Crandell
Looks good! The F-104J also looks great. I have a soft spot for JASDF and russian birds.

Katya Hodgson
I'm very fond of the JASDF and Soviet aircraft myself! Except MiGs, don't like MiGs.

Daniel Klink
Very attractive couple there Katya👍
Amazing how quick you implement new techniques and skills built by built 👍

Donald Dickson II
Excellent work as always!

Katya Hodgson
I wouldn't say I have used any new techniques... and I assure you it looks MUCH worse in reality than in the pictures.

Maciej Bellos
That Su is one big bird. Well done Katya!

Daniel Klink
different Metal tones with the starfighter for example?

Katya Hodgson
Oh... I did the F-104J a while ago, I couldn't have done it without the Eduard masking set.

Katya Hodgson
Wheels arrived! Just clear coating them now. 🙂

Nathan Dempsey
Nice!

Katya Hodgson
They're stuck on now, just giving them some time to dry, and then i'll upload final pictures. 🙂

Clifford Keesler
The wheels look very nice.

Katya Hodgson
Thanks. 🙂