This is my entry into the Christmas Tiger Meet Group Build, just about in time
for Easter!!.
The kit is the excellent Revell 1/48 Rafale B. Purists may
note that I have used the original 'Prototype' version and not the later
'production' version of the kit which is representative of a 2007 airframe. Lets
just say major Air Forces of the world are not the only ones suffering budgetary
constraints, and besides this was a build for fun and not for the rivet
counters!!!
The only item that was not in the box was the excellent
"Arctic Tigers Part 3" decal sheet from Model Alliance. And yes I do have an
Airfix Super Etendard in the stash for the other markings in the
set!!
Paints as usual were Gunze and Tamiya Acrylics, Future and Gunze
Flat base for the clear coats, Phil's Dark Dirt for the wash and Gunze smoke for
the post shading.
The kit was built out of the box with the removal of
the extra light on top of the tail fin as this was on the prototype only and
nose of the Mica missile was reshaped to represent an IR one that can be seen in
photos of this plane (this version of the kit only has the radar profile
Mica's)
The Box Art
This
is the original boxing and not the more recent update that has it's own 2006
Tiger Meet decals.
The sprues - all still in the sealed up
bag!!
No
aftermarket detailing on this one, just a beaut set of decals from Model
Alliance
I
do have the Super Etendard kit as well; however I will have to mould an extra
drop tank out of resin as Airfix only supply one in the kit.
Don't
know whether that is more daunting than the decals appear to be - there are two
more sheets of just tiger stripes as well!!
So
I have decided to take the easier option and build the Rafale first...I also
thought it would be nice to build a kit OOB for once too.
A bit of work
and the front and rear offices are ready to be installed in the top half of the
fuselage. One thing about the Rafale cockpit... there's not much to detail as it
is really just a number of display panels all of which are just a slightly
different shade of black when they are off!!. I did try to show the depth of the
Head level displays by painting black then filling with clear blue paint and
then some krystal clear. Also the seats are just various shades of grey, ranging
from a charcoal look for the seat itself, a slightly purple hue for the cushions
and back to grey for the belts. and as for the rest of the panels, switches and
joysticks....just more shades of grey!!
As
for the build itself, just a couple of tricky bits around the intakes but in
reality it all went together very well.
Well
I kinda got carried away and forgot to take photos of the pre shading and the
base coat without the lightened sections in the panels, but here she is ready
for a coat of Klear and then the decals.
Decals
are going on, here is a teaser!!
The
decals are on, wash has been applied, postshading complete and ready for the
final fit out and clear coat.
The
sheer elegance of this plane demanded some unusual shots, so I hope you enjoy
the shots that are taken from slightly unusual angles as well as the normal
ones.
Thanks
Graham