Su-34 Fullback (1:72, Italeri + scratch + aftermarket) Update: 2015-01-20

[splinter]

I won't make a big introduction this time, as this deadline will kill me.

But I was thinking should I jump in or not? And here I am...

I made one back in 2000 or something, as bort "43". Maybe I could dig a picture of it.

Still not sure about bort number and weapons, but one thing is for sure: I HATE THIS NEW GREY CAMO !!!

Basic Italeri mold + few scratches planned + Eduard PE + Pavla cockpit + AKAN paints

I'm missing joysticks from Pavla - never got them

Pictures are talking for themselves...

Edited January 20, 2015 by splinter

[AndyC]

Well this should be entertaining! Look forward to this

[SaintsPhil]

Another good choice! I'll be watching this one with interest, especially to see how you get on with Akan paints, I fancy trying those, where did you get them?

Phil

[Amen]

Very promissing build! Good luck!! you can join another GB if you want with this build

Russian GB @ MC

Where did you get the akan paints? They have their own thinner?

Edited July 11, 2012 by Amen

[Pin]

Good luck!

These threads could be helpful

http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/viewtopic_t_33624.html

http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.p...topic=234910802

There is a resing correction set from Olimp Resin Accessories on the way

will be available shorly

Where did you get the akan paints? They have their own thinner?

This type of AKAN paints are water based and should be thinned by distilled water only

Edited July 11, 2012 by Pin

[Robert Stuart]

Looks interesting

Where did you get the akan paints?

I'd be interested to know where to get their paint too - for my IL2

[splinter]

Sorry guys to keep you waiting!

One model shop from Poland was attending a local modelling cup in Croatia and was selling AKAN paints. They are hard to find outside "mother Russia" and were not cheap but then I don't have this opportunity each day so I bought one set for Su-34 and that's it.

[splinter]

Thank you all for provided links. I appreciate this: very helpful and good advices.

So, what have I done in last three weeks:

I decided to add Begemot stenciling, as this will be useful for weapon systems

I also found some leftovers from my last Su-34, so now I can make bort 44 white

I had a mess with canopy (surprise, surprise)

Canopy was eventually dipped in Future and masked on both sides

PE rings and fans were applied

Missing sticks were scratchbuild

I also made new nose pitot tube from two medicine needles

Intakes were filled, sanded and PE mesh was glued

I'm also working on intake covers

PE HUD and new scratchbuild base with wiring

Resin K-36 seats: red ejection wire was self made as those, provide by Eduard were not good enough (for me, at least)

[lyn]

your work is good

i will keep looking

[smuts]

Very nice, great job on those seats too, must say its good to see some modern Russian birds too.

Andy.

[Bertie McBoatface]

What happened to the canopy? It does look a mess.

[splinter]

What happened to the canopy? It does look a mess.

It had a few scratches and I tried to polish them with Dremel - quite stupid idea as got a few DEEPER scratches - so I had to sand down a lot to get even surface. After that I dipped it in Future and now everything is OK.

Anyway, tomorrow (today) is big day: I will be brushing flat clear, two AKAN paints (interior green and basic blue for underside), Dark Gull Grey (also acrylic from MM), Flat black and Burnt Metal (MM Metalizer)

I don't know how main wheel bay looks like on preserial prototypes, so I preserved Italeri's details, after I filled some nasty sink marks:

On underside I tried to fill a lot of holes in the wheelbay:

This should be final arrangement for intakes and intake covers:

I also made boundary layer splitters, as there was a huge gap between intakes and lower fuselage.

Keep your fingers crossed for aibrushing

Edited August 4, 2012 by splinter

[splinter]

You could ask yourself why do I make so much noise about airbrushing?

Well, to be honest: I haven't 'brushed anything for 10 months or so, and now 6 paints waited for me, from various shades, types of colours and manufacturers.

So, after 3-4 hours I can say I'm quite happy with the results.

Main question is answered with the following two photos: can I remove AKAN paint with alcohol to get enamel below it? Yes.

These are PE parts from Eduard which I won't use, but they are good as testbed. Notice how dark green is that interior paint from AKAN, under artificial light source.

After that I painted all other parts. Front instrument panel from Eduard.

Overhead panel from Pavla

Cockpit

Canopy was covered with interior green from inside and outside.

An then I added another layer of black from outside.

Green was also added to the inner side of fuselage in the cocpit area

While the front instrument panel cover got black

As well as the HUD

Seats got flat clear

Tires got black (All "black" here is flat black with 1-2 drops of white)

Nozzles and exhaust blades and rings got MM burnt metal

Wheelbays got Dark Gull Grey (MM Acryl)

And I also brushed AKAN basic blue in the area of intake boundary layer splitter. Here it looks like turquoise but under natural sun it's quite pale blue. I like it.

[splinter]

Last update for today. I promise!

I was working whole afternoon and evening on the cockpit and now I can say: almost done.

Cockpit tub with joysticks

Front instrument panel

Canopy with overhead panel

HUD

Seats are in place

There was a big fight between Eduard, Pavla and Italeri. Who lost? My HUD.

I need to repair it tomorrow.

I fixed pitot nose tube, the cockpit tub and front instrument panel with epoxy. I also added some epoxy in the are of IFR probe, as I have something in my head to fix it.

When I tried to dryfit lower fuselage, that resin block was in the way. And removing resin in the area of front wheelbay was unnecessary, of course.

[SaintsPhil]

Good progress, how did you get on with AKAN paints?

[splinter]

Good progress, how did you get on with AKAN paints?

First impression: CRAZY is not good enough.

+Very fine pigment

+Can be airbrushed directly

+Colours look almost alive

+Can be easily removed with alcohol & swabs.

+Smaller repairs with ordinary brush are almost invisible.

I just brushed 2 paints on rather small area. I think I can give good review after I paint whole airplane.

[splinter]

For the past 20 minutes or so I was trying to find how to edit subtitle, to announce another update...

Hmmm... It seems I still need to get used to new forum ...

I was a bit "off-modelling" this week so I was very happy that the weekend came!

My main focus this weekend are weapons, as this is CAS GB after all!

Since Sukhoi has strange system for numbering weapons points, I will try to explain my choice in detail. My main references are Yefim Gordon's book Su-27 Flanker (from Famous Russian Aircraft series) and instructions for Su-27 stenciling from Begemot Decals.

Hardpoints no.1 & 2 (tandem between the engines)

I decided to scratch a KAB-1500L for centerline pylon (rear one will remain empty). Pylon to be used is one from the box, intended for KAB-500L. Hope to start it today.

Hardpoints no. 3 & 4 (middle underwing positions)

Kh-29L from the box + modified AKU-58 MLU from the box. Missiles and rails are ready to be painted.

Hardpoints no. 5 & 6 (outer undewing stations)

R-77 from the box (modified with Eduard PE) + scratchbuild APU-170 MLU. Still working here

Hardpoints no. 7 & 8 (wing tip stations)

R-73 from the box (no missile rails needed). Still working here

Hardpoints no. 9 & 10 (intakes)

On one side it will be a scratchbuild Kh-59M with scratchbuild AKU-58 (as I don't have enough from the box). On the other side it will be a scratchbuild APK-9 datalink pod, needed for Kh-59 family + selfmade pylon.Still working here

Hardpoints no. 11 & 12 (inner underwing positions - added for Su-30MK, Su-35/37 and Su-34)

Modified Kh-31P from the box + extended AKU-58 rails from the box. Still working here

Currently, I don't know if I will have enough clearance between Kh-59M (intake station) and ground - it could be that I will have to rearrange weapons again. Problem is that all photos I have for APK-9 pod shows it installed on intake pylon OR rear centerline pylon (hardpoint no. 2).

Once I place KAB-1500L to the front centerline pylon I doubt there will be place for APK-9 behind it.

On the other side, it would be crazy to have for example one Kh-29L under the wing and another under the intake, so I can have APK-9 on the other intake and Kh-59M under the wing.

I would be quite happy if someone can post a picture with APK-9 on any other station on Su-27 family.

OK enough talking, let's post some WIP pics

Modified Kh-31P: exhaust area is hollow in the reality.

This tiny thing is turbojet engine for Kh-59M

Hollow body, blades, spinner...

This empty refill is OK for main body of future Kh-59M (dimensions checked)

Stage 2: rear narrow step is formed from the body of spare AIM-54 Phoenix (head was used for the turbojet engine)

APK-9 and Kh-59M body before filling with Milliput

APK-9 and Kh-59M body after filling with Milliput. Remains from AIM-54 will be used for vacuum forming a half sphere for missile seeker (for Kh-59M).

I'm quite happy with my Dremel: this is something I couldn't make with ordinary file.

I also sanded a lot of resin block from Pavla cockpit tub, to be able to close the fuselage.

Since KAB-1500L will be placed quite near main landing gear, I added 10 steel balls and glued them with hot glue gun. Glue itself adds some weight.

Enough for now...

[splinter]

I forgot to mention: I checked all weights already:

KAB-1500L 1500 kg

Kh-29L 2 x 660 kg

R-77 2 x 175 kg

R-73 2 x 105 kg

Kh-59M 930 kg

APK-9 260 kg

Kh-31P 2 x 600 kg

SUBTOTAL 5770 kg

+ AKU-58 5 x 185 kg

TOTAL 6695 kg

Other weights I don't know, but I'm quite assured that I'm still below 8000 kg payload limit for Su-34.

[rom1]

nice work!! ;D

[smuts]

Very nice work...well done.

Andy.

[splinter]

Some updates from me. I vacuformed clear lenses for Kh-59M with a help of candle.

I also scratched missile head seeker. Not much will be visible once painted. Head is tilted down, as seen while on the ground.

This is current stage for Kh-59M

This tank from spare box will be used for KAB-1500L

And here it's filled with Milliput. I also cut down Kh-31P as they were too long.

New control surfaces for R-77

[RNoAF Aerobatic Team]

Wow...

Outstanding work!!

[splinter]

I just wanted to share my happiness with you gen's: I Just finished Kh-59M

But first... KAB-1500L in progress from today afternoon. I tried to keep steps, but failed.

Anyway, here is the main body + sanded Kh-31P. Errors in Kh-31P were checked with Mr. Surfacer 500.

I was sceptical about cutting Kh-31P missiles, but now I'm confident with results.

And now... Kh-59M in all it's glory (and upside down)

[splinter]

I see that our GB has finished, but I will continue to post here. I was not at home for some time, but I continued to work on the drawings for Su-34 and finished just enough to make some basic comparison to Italeri original.

There are a lot of errors, here are just a few bigger which give me a headache: tailplanes, stinger and missing aerodynamic splitter in front of canards. Therefore, I decided to make new taiplanes, to shorten the stinger and correct fuselage area between the cockpit and canards.

Here are a few pics...

I accidentally discovered that if you use Tamiya Extra Thin Cement on inverted drawing, placed on styrene, you can "print" the drawing directly. Paper is ordinary copy paper (80 g/m²) and you need to remove paper before glue dries.

I also detached slats and flaperons from the wings.

This is lower right wing: you can clearly see panels for naval Flanker (separation line for folded wing and three-piece-flaperon)

This straight line in front of canards should be parabolic and aerodynamic splitter is missing

http://i741.photobuc...u34/7102012.jpg

[splinter]

Yesterday I finished scratching KAB-1500L: front stabilisers are still detached, and will remain so until the bomb is finished. Head is tilted down, as on H-59M missile.

Front stabilisers

This is the real one: http://i741.photobuc...4_Weps_04_2.jpg

I also had some bad luck yesterday: I lost one of PE rudders for R-77. It was a big headache from the very first day, when I noticed how fragile it is. Yes, I could make a dummy R-77 like on this picture: http://i741.photobuc.../Su34/Dummy.jpg

But instead, I decided to scratch two Sorbtsya ECM pods. This means I will need to cut the wing tip rail away and move R-73 missiles to stations 5 & 6, to be in order with the weapons ordnance scheme: