Tamiya model number: 14100
After market:Renaissance decal sheet, Top Studio details
In progress through: 2007-04-xx - ??-??-??

 

This is my favourite livery of all times (so far). And I've feared this build since I first saw Eric Evains build on the Renaissance site. So much decals to apply and you want it all to look good. I've invested in quite a few detail parts for this build. Some people have asked me if I will use the Top Studio detailing set but I want this beauty to be fully dressed and the TS detail parts seem to take up to much room to get the cowlings on properly. So that have to wait until another build.


 

Started out putting the cowling parts together (seat, tank under cowl and front fender) I eliminated the glue seem using Mr Hobby "Mr white putty". I found this new companion (I've been using Tamiya putty before) to be a bit thready but as it is white it is easier to cover up with primer. I also put the frame together and gave it a light primer on the top parts where there is to be some honey comb decals later on.

 
The top cowl is to be a bit shorter than the original. After some asking around I got the tip to put some masking tape where the cowl and screen are to be cut and then gently sand the parts down. I started with a 100 grit paper and finished off with some Micro Mesh stix. To the right you can see the masked off parts. Masked off cowl parts
 
Put on the base coat from Zero paints, aquired from Hiroboy.com. The paint gives a flat pinkish surface that will be more flourescent when the clear is put on.

When putting on the clear I (of coarse) dropped one of the side cowls on the floor wich haven't been cleaned for say...a while. Into the brake fluid with that one. This is a picture showing the above seat cowl when it got treated with 2K clear.


This is the intriguing part of the build. There are a few sets to choose from. You've got the first released one from Renaissance, then there is the Crazy Modeler set, one from MSM Creation and one from SMS...at least. I have three of the sets and I'm was not too sure of wich to use. MSM has a nice chrome finish but then again the SMS sheet has no carrier film between the webbing... bah, I don't know.
 
photo etch
For this special build I got myself the highly praised photo etch set from Crazy Modeler. I'm not too fond of PE but this is a real gem.
I started putting the brake rotors together. The front brake disks consists of three plates making them up to scale when it comes to size. The inner spiders that holds the brake rotors to the rimb has four parts for each side. A great solution from CM are a PE ring that helps you cover the outer section of the brake disc when you are painting the inner section. A++.