Beyond The Sprues

Current and Finished Projects => Physical Models => Aero-space => Topic started by: raafif on December 24, 2024, 06:59:46 AM

Title: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on December 24, 2024, 06:59:46 AM
I've got the old Hasegawa 1/32nd kit started but the decals are totally shot, not even Microscale's decal solution has saved them.

So what do I do ?  As Yellow Wings don't have any F4B4 decals in stock, do I fudge another country & use up some of my decal bank (have Dominican & Manchurian) or do a civilian one ?
I've already painted the top wing yellow  ???

Any ideas for a crazy (but easy to apply) civil scheme ?
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: Frank3k on December 24, 2024, 11:18:31 AM
fudge! Use whatever decals you have that may fit, bend reality to match.
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: GTX_Admin on December 25, 2024, 01:42:46 AM
Paint it all yellow perhaps as a equivalent to the Grumman G-22 Gulfhawk II (see below):

(https://ids.si.edu/ids/deliveryService?id=NASM-NASM2019-07792&max=900)

Perhaps as a advertising mechanism for something like Yellow Cabs:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/eb/Yellow_Taxi_Cab_1930.jpg/2880px-Yellow_Taxi_Cab_1930.jpg)

Or if you want a darker tone, perhaps something tied to the Taxi Wars (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yellow_Cab_Company).
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on December 25, 2024, 05:30:03 AM
I did google the Gulfhawk but not much else came up - other than a pic of an Aurora F4B4 in overall red.

Fudge it is !  As a fan of Latin American wars, I think it will be a Gran Chaco participant.  Now whose markings will it be in - Peru, Uruguay, Bolivia or something else  ;)

I do have markings for all those countries but maybe not big enough for 1/32nd.
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on December 27, 2024, 06:55:28 AM
Just like any Hasegawa, the build is progressing fairly smoothly.  Considering its a 1960’s kit, interior is basic & accurate just a bit crude for this scale today.  Fit of the cockpit needed some hacking of the floor mountings – eventually managed to get it & the instrument/gun panel glued inside the fuselage but broke the pedals & stick off so it was tricky to add them again.  I’ve had to shim the area in front of the windscreen as the instrument-panel held the fuselage apart here and had to deeply scribe the inside of the front deck/strut panel in order to make it easier to spread it to fit the fuselage.
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: perttime on December 28, 2024, 02:06:23 AM
Wait!!!
Doesn't that look like a mean vintage racing car?
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on December 28, 2024, 06:08:42 AM
Wait!!!
Doesn't that look like a mean vintage racing car?

YES ! the struts would support Spandau machine-guns ! :D
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on January 31, 2025, 06:10:32 AM
Cam under way .... Gran Chako War

The decals I chose were from Hobbycraft but they disintegrated as I lifted them out of the water too so its back to finding something else  :icon_nif:

(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61fSPGAUVNL._AC_UF1000,1000_QL80_.jpg)
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on February 06, 2025, 06:12:08 AM
A little progress ...
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: finsrin on February 06, 2025, 07:24:29 AM
My build progress is glacial, yours is faster.
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: raafif on March 06, 2025, 06:21:34 AM
Basically done. Boeing’s biplanes all seem to have double rigging for some reason & I’m just waiting on some EZ-Line to finish it off.

A few problems with mounting the port N-strut & the angles of some of the exhaust pipes.

After having two sets of Hobbycraft decals fail, I switched to a spare Cartograph sheet for Greek F-104s.  The roundels aren’t as large as I wanted but look good, I added the fin-flash to the roundel to represent a whif South American country.  I offset the R.H. one as, like dazzle painting, it somewhat misdirects the enemy as to the true height & direction of the aircraft.

This kit pissed me off a bit having gone to great lengths to get such a beautiful finish painting the upper wing & engine face in yellow only to have to change the subject matter & cover it all in beige.  But Hey, I will NEVER paint anything yellow EVER again !!
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: Frank3k on March 06, 2025, 11:02:09 AM
I like it! The offset roundels are a great idea.
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: apophenia on March 07, 2025, 06:19:48 AM
I like it! The offset roundels are a great idea.

Ditto  :smiley:
Title: Re: Boeing F4B4 biplane
Post by: KiwiZac on March 19, 2025, 10:12:35 AM
Delightfully different. Lovely job!