This is my 2nd aircraft build, improved a little bit compared to my first attempt which is the A-10, but still needs a lot of practice. Painted with Gaianotes lacquers, pastels for the wash and weathering, I want the finished model to be a bit dirty like its a workhorse with lots of flight time. I also messed up the back part of the canopy (fogged by spilling thinner) that's why I opted to just paint it. Not that historically accurate, sorry to all flyboys out there. Pardon the photos, its a bit grainy, cant get the right settings for my cam this time.

More photos at -- Mechaion Designs

Here's the result after cleaning the pastel wash. Quite happy with the streaking effects. 

 

Close-up and belly view. Just a final top coat and its all done.

Just showing you guys the gap on the belly side. I always use an epoxy putty to cover and level gaps like this. 

Murphy's Law of Modeling. I accidentally spilled my thinner (while cleaning the puttywork) on several parts including the back canopy causing it to fog. Tried fixing it with progressive sanding and compounds but failed. Next resort is just to paint it. Historic accuracy down the drain. LOL

-Primed and ready for pre-shading

-Freehand the light gray

-Mask the edges using sticky tack

-Apply the second color

Here's the result of the camouflage scheme. I also applied 2 coats of satin varnish to seal the decal work. 

Pastel wash all over the model for that weathered look.

With the EX Model Hildolfr out of the way, I can finally go back to the F16 build which Im really excited to do. Started to seal the body and armaments. Still a long way to go but Im taking my time. I can see now that this bird will receive a lot of putty and sanding especially the belly area.

Painted the cockpit with flat black & did some detailing on the pilot seat by adding belts made out of strips of masking tape.

Lots of build going on. This one is for the Aviation GB (Plazone). This is only my 2nd aircraft build so Im still not quite out of the dark yet. Still reading and researching for references on how to build AC model kits. Since its not a very strict GB, I plan to play a bit on the scheme but will use the Aggressor variation as a guide but probably wont that historically correct. So to avid aircraft modelers out there, apologies in advance. :) 

Here's the cockpit area, not to shabby, I only used the decals provided for the details but Im not that satisfied so maybe I'll still do some retouches or oil paintings just to enhance the look a little bit more.

As expected its tail-heavy, So just put a lead weight inside the nose, and problem solved!

For the canopy, I'll just polish it with Tamiya Compund. A must have for AC builds

Here's the bird after a mock assembly, still need to glue most parts and for sure a lot of putty-ing to follow.

My first aircraft build and contribution to Mechapinoy's aircraft group build. This was a 1/72nd scale model kit from Academy and also a straight OOTB build. I encountered a couple of problems and fitting issues which was fixed by lots of trimmings and putty work. The hardest part for me was painting the canopy since all the details and edges were inside the canopy, I also kindda messed it up. After gluing it to the fuselage and removing the mask, I saw some dust accumulating and sticking inside the canopy (cannot remove it anymore since I used a clear epoxy as adhesive). At the end, it’s still very enjoyable, for me at least. Since this is another first for me and I've also learned a lot from my mistakes. This also broadens my interest in dealing and building other genres aside from mechas and armors.

More photos at Mechaion Designs.

Final update on my A10 Thunderbolt build, so far I've managed to apply a gloss coat and decals on the model. I also apply a filter on selected panels just to break the monotonous gray color as advised by my friend Wingnut of Plamo and IPMS Philippines (also a great aircraft modeler). Will just wait for it to dry, then the final flat coat will be applied and maybe take some decent photos of the kit.

Painted the whole kit and weapons. So far I like the results but I also think that the camo edges were too soft compared to the real thing. I also had a hard time fixing the canopy to the fuselage, the parts were seriously misaligned. I had to use a clear epoxy to fix it because of its strong bond. Next will be applying a pin wash and decals. Im still thinking if I should also apply filter. Need to research more on aircraft builds.

Primed the whole kit including landing gears/wheels and weapons. Also applied black to all the panels for preshading.

Just a short update; finally resolved the tail-grabbing issue. Many thanks to the guys at IPMS Philippines and Plamo for the inputs. By the way I used lead weights. real heavy and works perfectly. :D I also sealed the fuselage, expecting heavy putty work and sanding.

As expected, this guy was tail-heavy! I have to put so much metal stuffs I found that I cant fit it inside the cockpit and nose area of the kit anymore. Im thinking of using the Tamiya Multi Chasis Balance Weight as an alternative coz its smaller and easier to hide. But Im still asking the pros at Plamo and Mechapinoy, maybe they have a better suggestion.

This will be my first time building and painting a plane scale model, and its a part of the Mechapinoy 1/72 Aircraft group build. I choose the A-10A simply because its one of my fave birds of all time. I must admit that building this will not be a breeze since its my first time and I have to rely on different aircraft builds for reference. So wish me luck. :)

For the color scheme I intend to use this one:

Here's a bit of history about the model (c/o Wikipedia)

The A-10 Thunderbolt II is an American single-seat, twin-engine, straight-wing jet aircraft developed by Fairchild-Republic in the early 1970s. The A-10 was designed for a United States Air Force requirement to provide close air support (CAS) for ground forces by attacking tanks, armored vehicles, and other ground targets with a limited air interdiction capability. It is the first U.S. Air Force aircraft designed exclusively for close air support.

The A-10 was designed around the GAU-8 Avenger, a heavy automatic cannon which forms the aircraft's primary armament. The aircraft's hull incorporates over 1,200 pounds (540 kg) of armor and was designed with survivability as a priority, with protective measures in place which enable the aircraft to continue flying even after taking significant damage.

The A-10's official name comes from the Republic P-47 Thunderbolt of World War II, a fighter that was particularly effective at close air support. The A-10 is more commonly known by its nickname "Warthog" or simply "Hog". As a secondary mission, it provides airborne forward air control, guiding other aircraft against ground targets. A-10s used primarily in this role are designated OA-10.

Now onto the build...

As most aircrafts modelers do, I painted the cockpit and insides of the fuselage, actually hand-brushed using Gunze lacquer paints. I also used oil paints to give it a general wash. Was kindda disappointed because the instrument panels were only water slide decals.

I also dry fitted the kit to study it further; I really dont want to mess up sealing and painting this kit. I also realized that it was not a good idea to get an Academy kit, especially for a first timer like me... yes, it was a really cheap kit but it also has a lot of flaws like huge gaps, fitting issues, etc. Looks like this one will need a ton of putty work and sanding. I should have gotten the Hasegawa or Revell instead, oh well. (LOL)