1/32 Revell Tomcat from “The Final Countdown” movie

[Peterpools]

Scott

Strange things are always happening in the world of modeling, especially with kits from back in the day.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

It would be interesting to see if they have made any changes to the moulds. 

[Peterpools]

Carl

I would guess most likely they needed to make some repairs and adjustments for a kit that was first released in 1980 and pretty much in continuous production for all that time. 

 

[ScottsGT]

2 hours ago, Peterpools said:

Carl

I would guess most likely they needed to make some repairs and adjustments for a kit that was first released in 1980 and pretty much in continuous production for all that time. 

 

That was my thoughts as well.  I’d love to hear how many of these kits hit the market since they put it out.

Now way they could re-release this kit today without a complete rework of the cockpit and landing gear at a minimum to get them up to todays standards.  And by that time, price point would be inline with Tamiya or Trumpeter with the old reputation of a kit from the ‘80’s.  

[ScottsGT]

He heard there was another tomcat I was giving attention to. 
 

Had to check out the competition. 

[BlrwestSiR]

2 minutes ago, ScottsGT said:

He heard there was another tomcat I was giving attention to. 
 

Had to check out the competition. 

That's like our cat. Cat in lap: check. 1/32 Tomcat on bench: check. 

Does your sleep in your lap while you work? Ours does and I've ended up dropping bits on her that I then have to find. Talk about an actual living carpet monster. That moves!

 

[ScottsGT]

I’m too “active” at my bench for him to lay out and fall asleep.  Besides, my belly takes up all the room in that chair! 
Now watching TV in the recliner?  He’s all over one of us all the time.  He’ll lay out on top of my leg and against the arm rest upside down wanting belly rubs.  
If he’s on the bed upside down, DO NOT TOUCH BELLY!  

Almost 20 lbs of cat tends to lay where he fits and when he wants to.  

[ScottsGT]

Throwing down some primer and realized I jumped the gun.  Had to back up, paint the white in the intakes and wells.  Started taping them up this evening. 
 

 

Always find it a difficult chore to mask up the ‘pit. 

[Peterpools]

Scott

Glad you realized you hadn't done the intakes yet, as finding out now, surely saved a lot of backtracking. Right with you, as masking out the cockpit is always a tedious and time consuming job. Most f the time I prefer it to using the kit canopy as I've had issue with fogging in the past. Time well spent.

 

[ScottsGT]

Had a weather delay with high winds yesterday.  Had to pull my booth vent out of the window.  It was calm enough this morning to put it back in and shoot the primer. No kidding, I just finished cleaning the airbrush and the winds are kicking up again.  Perfect timing. 
 

[Peterpools]

Scott

Now that's perfect timing. priming looks spot on the money.

 

[ScottsGT]

I had a few boogers I had to work out that I didn’t see until it was black. Just took care of those moments ago. 
After it dries I’ll look things over closer and start the mottling of the surface. 

[ScottsGT]

I took the day off from trying to keep the wife happy and had some “Me” time.  I honestly have no idea what I’m doing here, but I’m trying to learn this black base technique.  
 

 

I think I need a lot more gray before the top coat. 

[Peterpools]

Scott, looking good and nothing like learning as you go. My money is riding on you pulling it off.

 

[GusMac]

Looks like a good start to me, or at least it looks fairly like my half-assed attempts! 😁

[ScottsGT]

No pic of second marbling coat, but mixed up a lighter gray, added to the marbling and then thinned out some of the light gull gray and started laying it down.  I watched “Doogs Models” video and got a few good pointers.  And man, when he says thinned paint, he really meant it.  I still need to lay down some more, but I must go with more thinner!  It’s kind of a spot blending technique.  And in all honesty, I’m struggling with the concept because when I was a paint and bodyman, you were taught full coverage, many coats.   I’m trying to put enough on to get the color correct but not enough to hide all the marbling effect.  
Here it is after a few coats of 16440.

 

[GusMac]

Looks good. I don't think you'll need too much more coverage as once you start adding the darker colours and markings they compress the apparent colours to make it look a lot more 'filled in' than it is. Less is definitely more with this method.

[BlrwestSiR]

I feel you pain there Scott. I'm trying to get the primer down on my Tomcat so it's at least opaque. 

At least yours looks like a Tomcat. 

[ScottsGT]

Ok, I’m calling the 16440 done except a touch up here and there.  Let it dry out a few days and tape it off for the white on the bottom next. 

[Bill_S]

Looking great, Scott! I find it amazing just how little paint you need when black basing.

[ScottsGT]

Yea, very little paint. Lots of Mr. Color leveling thinner though.  This one is my first attempt.  I kind of like the black base technique.  It gives me more control during the painting process that I can actually see coming alive vs. solid base color and hoping the weathering does the trick.  
I actually bought 3 bottles of 16440 for this one airplane and was thinking it would have taken a solid two.  I only used an old bottle that was half full and still have a lot of the thinned mix left over in another bottle for the next Navy carrier bird this color. 

[Peterpools]

Scott

Some mighty nice, realistic Tomcat weathering. Looking good.

 

[BlrwestSiR]

Nice paint job. I see that we're approaching the paint job from opposite ends. I'm starting with the white and you're starting with the grey. 

[BlrwestSiR]

@ScottsGT, I was just watching the film and noticed that the CAG's Tomcat has Gull Grey control services  when it traps at the beginning of the film. 

Is that the one you're doing or one of the Tomcats from the dogfight?

Carl

[ScottsGT]

According to my decal sheet they all had gray surfaces.  But I’ll look closer.  I’m doing 200. 
I’ll watch the movie scene again too.  
Edit:  Another non-modeling forum I’m a member of, I posted this project.  One of the guys there was actually working the movie set and told me that during that time period they were making the transition to all gray upper surfaces and these were all gray.  
I just watched the scene posted in your build thread and could not detect any white upper surfaces.  
But it did look like on the bottom they were true white and not the FS white that’s a shade off.