1/72 Monogram F-19 Stealth Navalized

by Raúl Duarte

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  Mexico Independence Day 2007 

 

This project begins as a challenge: "can you make it as navy jet, and of course, make it believable?  After a few weeks of studing the model, I took pieces from various models -all are 70's models-:

  •          Entex F/A-18: main gear, wheels, wheel well, vertical stabilizers;
  •          Revell A-7: nose gear and wheels
  •          Revell F-16: cockpit

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The kit bash and scratchbuilding was simple, but required a bit of effort to make it look correct:  

  • The nose wheel well and his doors was created from plasticard.  All were painted in gloss white in the inner sides.

  • The canopy was a clear PVC sheet, Vacuum form using the original one as a mold.  And to place in her position I used white glue that filled the seams at same time.

  • In the main gear, I added wire to simulate the hydraulic system, I used the one in 1/48 from Monogram F/A-18 as a example.  All where painted in gloss white.

  • With the vertical stabilizers, I simply put together both pieces, and cut when their lines matching, using the kit ones as a base. The upper color was in both sides.

  • In the base of the nose radome, I drill a hole and placed half of cone to simulated a gun port. I used Gunze gunmetal, to created the effect of the blast.

  • Finally, I cut off the tips of the wings, and repositioned and aligned them straight to the aileron in the inner wing, simulating a plane that was landing.

 

 

The paint was the real goal of the project:  

  • The camouflage was a combination of a Phantom and Eagle low-viz, I made two versions and used the best looking one to me (but I put the other in storage to use in this same model in 1/48 scale), I used light gull gray (36440) overall adding a 3% of white to simulated aged and dark compass ghost gray (36320) in the shadow upper with 1% of black to simulated toasted color.  The decals are from my scrap box.  I intend to reproduce the look of the Navy in the middle 90’s with a combination of full color and low-viz emblems. I exaggerated the lines with oil and skin of the aircraft, to give her more credit as a useful plane.

 

I spent about 30 hours on this model, most in the belly and the cockpit.  The final model looks good, and in certain angles they look like a ray fish: very beautiful.

Nevertheless, this is an old kit, but with a little effort it can be converted in a beautiful model.  After all, this is a reason for being a modeler.

Raúl 

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Photos and text © by Raúl Duarte