# Finishedmy Viper Mk II



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

With the exception of a custom base and just a few minor details like a small bit of engine wiring and antennas scratchbuilt, this is straight out of the box. At some point I'll probably build another one with PE accessories and lights though at the rate Moebius is pumping out new and awesome kits, I almost hate using time to build the same one twice! Looking forward to doing the Moonbus now. One of my all time favorites! Hope you like the pics.


----------



## fxshop (May 19, 2004)

Killer build up! Looks great!

Randy:thumbsup:


----------



## Moebius (Mar 15, 2007)

Turned out great!


----------



## Moonman27 (Aug 26, 2008)

Now THAT is a nicely done Viper!!! I love the weathering,and scratches. The best I've seen so far!:thumbsup:


----------



## DocJam00 (May 18, 2010)

Amazing! How did you do the weathering?


----------



## dklange (Apr 25, 2009)

Great work on the Viper, JeffG!!!:thumbsup: Definitely one of the best I've seen. - Denis


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

DocJam00 said:


> Amazing! How did you do the weathering?


Thanks! Most of the weathering was done with brushed on pastel chalks then clear coated to seal it. After that, the decals were scratched and chipped to look like they were painted. Some of the recessed areas were painted dark and then drybrushed with additional steel or aluminum to bring out the highlights. This was done after the nain body was dullcoated to allow some parts to maintain their metallic shine and not just all go flat.


----------



## DocJam00 (May 18, 2010)

thanks for the tip....looks like i will have to steal my wife's pastels....


----------



## Dr. Brad (Oct 5, 1999)

That is very, very nice! Great job!


----------



## louspal (Sep 13, 2009)

Even though I was never a fan of the show, I have been soooo tempted to picjk this kit up because it just looks so cool. Seeing your build (Amazing weathering!), just tipped the scales. Really nice OOB build.


----------



## Xenodyssey (Aug 27, 2008)

That's a really nice presentation of the Viper as well, the base and mounting really help. Did you use the decal strips or did you paint the red striping? The stripes are the best I've seen.


----------



## RogueJ (Oct 29, 2000)

Very nice build up. One to be proud of.

Good work,
Rogue


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Xenodyssey said:


> That's a really nice presentation of the Viper as well, the base and mounting really help. Did you use the decal strips or did you paint the red striping? The stripes are the best I've seen.


Thanks. Those are actually the decals. There's a few high gloss white coats of paint on the body since decals need a smooth glossy finish to seat properly and lessen the chance of seeing decal film. To help set them in place and conform to contours, I use Solvaset.

Solvaset is pretty potent stuff on some decals, so if you're leery you might wanna test it on a scrap piece you're not gonna use. As it's working, it'll look like hell because initially the decals will wrinkle a bit, but just chill and let it do it's thing. It'll level out as it dries. If you get an air bubble, just pop it or slit it with a sharp xacto blade and apply a bit more Solvaset. 

I had to use a bit of red paint to touch up a couple of areas around some corners and such, but you'll always get that. Once everything is dry, at least a day or so, then you can clear coat it, weather it with pastels, then give it another clear coat to seal the weathering.


----------



## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

Darned nice job - and excellent work on the weathering. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## Lou Dalmaso (Jul 13, 2004)

these Vipers are just like potato chips.

You can't build just one.


----------



## teslabe (Oct 20, 2007)

OMG Jeff, what a fantastic job........:thumbsup: I love the weathering, that alone is amazing. The base is a fine peace of work, I'm godsmacked........


----------



## spocks beard (Mar 21, 2007)

Awsome work on the viper kit!
I especially love the great weathering effect job you did.
It looks prop quality:thumbsup:


----------



## OzyMandias (Dec 29, 2004)

Beautiful build JeffG. The paint & weathering are first rate!


----------



## scooke123 (Apr 11, 2008)

Extremely well done!!! Great weathering job and I really like the ustom base - really sets the Viper off.
Steve


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Thanks all!


----------



## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

You can't ask for a much nicer build than that. Awesome work. Your weathering is spot-on, looks like a well used machine!


----------



## RedHeadKevin (May 1, 2009)

Looks incredible! I LOVE the scratched and rubbed-off details on the stripes, and yes, I'm gonna steal that technique on mine. I also love the scratchbuilt antennas, and again, I'm stealing that. 

If I had to make 1 gripe (and believe me, it's a _minor _one) it's that some of your weathering is a little off. I'm looking particularly on the stripes on the wings. For the aft edge of the stripe to be scratched off like that, the Viper would have to be flying backwards. The "rub-offs" should be oriented front-to-back. On the other hand, Vipers CAN fly backwards in space, so...


----------



## wander1107 (Aug 12, 2006)

What everyone else said. :thumbsup:

Great job.


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

RedHeadKevin said:


> On the other hand, Vipers CAN fly backwards in space, so...


See (lol)! No, that is an interesting observation though, I was recently looking at some footage of these things and man, they're all over the road when flying! Backwards, sideways, nose down going forward, so I figured the weathering might reflect that. I mainly went from source material of a weathered CGI version of the ship and additional reference of the full size mockup and a bit of my own touch too and when they're beat up, they really do look this far gone.


----------



## Tim Nolan (Jul 9, 2008)

Heck, those scratches could have been done in the hangar bay by some lunkhead technician dragging a piece of equipment up onto the wing to do an inspection........:freak:


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Tim Nolan said:


> Heck, those scratches could have been done in the hangar bay by some lunkhead technician dragging a piece of equipment up onto the wing to do an inspection........:freak:


Yeah, I thought about that after my last post. Not all the wear and tear had to come from flight. I'm sure quite a bit was forklifts, equipment and such being moved around in the hanger bay too. I almost started to put a few scratches or even a small crack in the canopy, but I figured that may be the one area they swap out or try to keep as clean as possible for obvious reasons.

I also forgot to mention that one other little thing I did was to cut and angle Apollo's head downward just slightly as I felt that just that little change in angle added a bit more life than just having his head straight and completely level.


----------



## RedHeadKevin (May 1, 2009)

Like I said, my only gripe was a MINOR one, and just an aesthetic choice. It's still probably the best Viper model I've seen done. (until mine gets finished, of course )


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

RedHeadKevin said:


> Like I said, my only gripe was a MINOR one, and just an aesthetic choice. It's still probably the best Viper model I've seen done. (until mine gets finished, of course )


Now you did it! I'm gonna have to build another one, light it, put a tiny working LCD display in the cockpit, cast some metal afterburner cans and rig up a working butane thruster system. Like Trelane said 'I'll fix you. You'll see!'


----------



## ham1963 (May 4, 2001)

Great job, I am building my 1st one, One question what color did you paint the cockpit???


----------



## Kitzillastein58 (Jan 27, 2009)

Awesome looking build, excellent paint work! :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:
Kitz' :wave:


----------



## rkoenn (Dec 18, 2007)

Great looking build of a great looking model. I have one of these on the shelf and picked up the decal/photo etch set aftermarket set for it from Cult at the fest. Maybe I will have to move it up a bit in the list for doing a build on it. Again, very nice, love the effects.


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

ham1963 said:


> Great job, I am building my 1st one, One question what color did you paint the cockpit???


I used Model Masters Gunship Gray for the overall color. The instrument placards and bezels were painted flat black. The one to the left of the lower display is Light Ghost Gray, the smaller display is a bluish green mix and the seat has a light coat of Tamiya Khaki on it. A bit more depth was added by using darker pastels again in the corners and such, clear coating the overall cockpit flat, then adding a touch of gloss to the instruments and screens.


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Very, very nice Jeff.

Can't wait to see it in person.


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

Thanks! Here's a couple more in progress pictures.

In primer and ready for gloss white coat.


















Third and final 'stupidly' wet coat of Testors gloss white.


----------



## CMANavy (Apr 17, 2010)

I hope my weathering can come out like that. I have not built a model in some time.

I did notice on thing on the Pilot, the viper patch was on the wrong arm, viper on the right, ship patch on the left. (sorry I'm a flightsuit nazi)


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

CMANavy said:


> I hope my weathering can come out like that. I have not built a model in some time.
> 
> I did notice on thing on the Pilot, the viper patch was on the wrong arm, viper on the right, ship patch on the left. (sorry I'm a flightsuit nazi)


Wow...you're absolutely right and I totally overlooked that. As much as I looked at reference for the suit I'm not sure how I missed it either! The instructions state that decal 43 (the Galactica 'gold' patch) goes on the RIGHT shoulder, and that decal 44 (the white and blue patch) goes on the left shoulder. That is in fact reverse of how it should be after checking reference photos again. Thank you very much for pointing that out. Damn. Now I have to do it all over again! :thumbsup:


----------



## SJF (Dec 3, 1999)

Wow, just wow. Love the weathering on this. Looks like she's been through some of the most wicked dog fights. Superb work. 

Sean


----------



## CMANavy (Apr 17, 2010)

You can always build another one....

When I do the patch on mine I may fake the galactic patch, it blends in with the suit so well.

I would like to see a super detail pilot at some point, one with a clear visor on the helmet.


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

CMANavy said:


> You can always build another one....
> 
> When I do the patch on mine I may fake the galactic patch, it blends in with the suit so well.
> 
> I would like to see a super detail pilot at some point, one with a clear visor on the helmet.


That was my original plan was to carefully hollow out the helmet and use one of the heads from an F-18 pilot-standing without his helmet-that I had on hand. As it turned out, there were some size differences that would have made it more daunting than I felt it was worth. Problem was, either the F-18 pilot's head was slightly too big or the Viper pilot's helmet was a bit too small and narrow-whichever way you want to view it. Obviously the two look correct on their own, but combining them doesn't jive right. If I do another Viper, I'll revisit that idea however.


----------



## ham1963 (May 4, 2001)

Thanks Jeff for the info on the cockpit.


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

Hey Jeff,

After revisiting this thread, I wanted to say nice job on the photographs.

The lighting in some of them looked like you could photoshop the model onto the hangar deck and it'd fit right in.

Nice job on the scratches as well.


----------



## xsavoie (Jun 29, 1999)

Looks like it's been through a few fights.


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

xsavoie said:


> Looks like it's been through a few fights.


She's mixed it up with the Cylons a few times in her day!


----------



## ClubTepes (Jul 31, 2002)

What did you use for the hoses coming out of the top of the seat?


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

ClubTepes said:


> What did you use for the hoses coming out of the top of the seat?


Nothing special. Just a little scrap copper wire I had laying around that bent into a U shape.


----------



## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

How did you deal with the pilot fugure's faceplate? And with the flight suit's "irridescent green" base color?


----------



## JeffG (May 10, 2004)

seaQuest said:


> How did you deal with the pilot fugure's faceplate? And with the flight suit's "irridescent green" base color?


The faceplate is simply gloss black with a further coat of Tamiya clear gloss carefully brushed over it. Even though it looks more silver here, the helmet is actually pearl white. That was more a judgment call on my part since the actual prop seems to reflect light in odd ways that seem like pearl.

As for the suit, I painted it a base coat of silver, then over-coated that with Tamiya clear green and clear yellow. It turned out about 70% correct, but I just let it slide at that. Also take note that I've got the shoulder patches on the wrong sides, but I think that's how they were called out in the instructions. I should have double checked.


----------



## StarshipClass (Aug 13, 2003)

Thanks, Jeff G! That's a great build and with your pics and advice, I feel confident on building mine, now!

I like your gloss white and weathering on the outside technique. I also like the way you did the cockpit--VERY impressive!


----------



## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

JeffG said:


> The faceplate is simply gloss black with a further coat of Tamiya clear gloss carefully brushed over it. Even though it looks more silver here, the helmet is actually pearl white. That was more a judgment call on my part since the actual prop seems to reflect light in odd ways that seem like pearl.
> 
> As for the suit, I painted it a base coat of silver, then over-coated that with Tamiya clear green and clear yellow. It turned out about 70% correct, but I just let it slide at that. Also take note that I've got the shoulder patches on the wrong sides, but I think that's how they were called out in the instructions. I should have double checked.


Great idea! I'mma steal it. Beats the Interior Green/Metallic Gold mix.
Seems the helmet was a bit copper in color.

I saw someone post pics of the gloves. What manufacturer is that, what kind of gloves are they, and where can I get a pair?


----------



## Paulbo (Sep 16, 2004)

The photo of the gloves (with the logo) is in the third post here: http://www.hobbytalk.com/bbs1/showthread.php?t=299374&highlight=glove


----------



## Mitchellmania (Feb 14, 2002)

Awesome work!


----------



## seaQuest (Jan 12, 2003)

seaQuest said:


> Great idea! I'mma steal it. Beats the Interior Green/Metallic Gold mix.
> Seems the helmet was a bit copper in color.
> 
> I saw someone post pics of the gloves. What manufacturer is that, what kind of gloves are they, and where can I get a pair?


Found 'em! Ironclad heavy duty landscaper's gloves. Readily available at Home Depot and a few other smaller retailers in my area.


----------

