Build: Modelart F117 American Flag 1/72 scale
- Thread starter flpaperguy
- Start date
I just realized some people may not know this is a model of a real F117 as micarogers mentioned. The colorful paint job is not fictional.
The nose piece, vertical stabilizers and landing parachute cowling (located in between the stabilizers) are installed. The position for the stabilizers and cowling are marked with white lines, which are covered up when the parts are in place.
Building the landing gear follows the standard procedure, but the parts are relatively small. The instructions suggest using thin wire or pins to strengthen the legs of the gear. I used straight pins my wife uses for sewing. The oversized head on the pins made handling much easier. The patterns for shaping the gear legs are included on the parts sheet next to the landing gear components. (See the red arrows in the photo.)
Once the pins/wire are formed, the leg covers are wrapped around the pins. The wheel brackets are glued to the bottom ends to cover the pins. The wheels are then slipped onto the axels. Cut the excess off the top with a wire cutter.
Once the pins/wire are formed, the leg covers are wrapped around the pins. The wheel brackets are glued to the bottom ends to cover the pins. The wheels are then slipped onto the axels. Cut the excess off the top with a wire cutter.
Using straight pins to strengthen the landing gear is a great idea. The landing gear looks GREAT!
I often use toothpicks to strengthen landing gear on 1/32 scale aircraft models, but something much thinner is needed for 1/72 scale. I printed the leg covers on regular 20-pound printer paper, because I couldn't get cardstock to neatly wrap around the pins.
Installing the landing gear and doors completes the model.
I managed to build the probe on the tip of the nose with the cardstock parts provided, but the cardstock parts for the other 3 probes were too small and asymmetrical for me to shape correctly. So, I used 3 pins (the same kind of pins I used in the landing gear) painted black (see yellow arrow).
I managed to build the probe on the tip of the nose with the cardstock parts provided, but the cardstock parts for the other 3 probes were too small and asymmetrical for me to shape correctly. So, I used 3 pins (the same kind of pins I used in the landing gear) painted black (see yellow arrow).
