Robert Podkoński
Taking a first row seat, of course! 🙂

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Welcome Robert, nice to see you again at my model build. 🙂
It will again be a plane with a special paint job.

Robert Podkoński
How could I miss such a talent show? 😉

Rando
Love me a Swedish delta 🙂 or I guess Czech in this case

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Robert, you've come at the right time. I started airing my show today. 😉

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Welcome, Rando. I'm glad you're here. You're not wrong, the plane will be in Czech colors. 😄

Mark D
Nice and following this build! I heard that the panellines of this Italeri kit are a bit soft or a bit deep, are they? It looks, well, acceptable.

J35J
Taking a chair 👍🏻

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Mark, it's true that the plastic of this kit is a bit softer than the standard kit, but it's nothing terrible. Also, the panel lines are a bit thicker (compared to Tamiya or Eduard kits), but again, not entirely bad. The kit does have a few minor shape flaws as well, but overall it's pretty good and with a little effort you can build a nice JAS-39 model from it.

I will describe the kit's faults and how to fix them, including modifications to the "C" version (the kit represents the original "A" version), as the model is built.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
J35J, welcome. I hope you have a good time. 🙂

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Little progress on the model.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm preparing the hull for its closure. I've glued the assembled engine and cockpit to the left half of the fuselage.

Alec K
Looking great! Taking a seat for sure 👍

Vloudila se ti tam čeština, pics 13-16. Jen v případě že to nebylo úmyslně 😉

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Hello, Alec! There's always room for you at my place. 🙂
Thank you for letting me know. It was my fault. The texts are already in English.

Jos Jansen
Watching

Michael Kohl
Me too

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jos and Michael, welcome!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The fuselage halves are already glued together.

Jos Jansen
How's the fitting...?

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I haven't put much together yet. The fuselage halves can be glued together without any problems, they fit together well and the panel lines follow each other. The glued joints are gapless, just sand them lightly. When gluing the fuselage tip, care must be taken to ensure that it is turned correctly. If the tip is glued to the fuselage with the bottom side up, it will not follow the shape of the fuselage correctly when viewed from the side.

If there are any problems during construction, I will point them out.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Work on the model continues. The first problems are appearing. It was necessary to modify the joints between the upper and lower half of the wings and also the joint between the fuselage and the wings. The use of putty and sanding is unavoidable.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Little progress today. I glued the wings to the fuselage and started prepping the other parts.

Rando
Really cool techniques Ludvik! Taking notes on how you reduced the gaps

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Rando, thank you for the compliments. 🙂

The technique of extending the fuselage by gluing struts from inside the fuselage is nothing new. I have been using it successfully for many years. In my opinion, this technique is better than gluing the wings to the fuselage without extending the fuselage and then repairing by filling large gaps with putty and sanding.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm continuing with modifications to fix some bugs in the model and rebuild it to version "C".

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I sanded and puttyed the model. And I got to the point where it was hard to recognize the places that still needed to be repaired. So tomorrow (time permitting) it's surfacer's turn. I'll take some pictures tomorrow.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The Gripen model has been sprayed with Surfacer.

Alec K
Looking good! What Surfacer do you use (1000, 1200)?

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Hi Alec, I use Surfacer 500. After finishing minor finishing work and sanding the Surfacer, I spray Base white 1000 (both are Gunze) on top.
I then spray the camouflage paints on top of that prepared surface.

Alec K
Thanks 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Most of the errors are already corrected after sealing. Now I will add some small details on the surface of the aircraft. I'll have to scratch most of them.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Not much time to work on the model this week. But some progress was made on the model after all.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
When I looking the photos I found minor differences in the details on the underside of the rear fuselage. The model will need to be modified.

Christian
Beautiful work! Thank you for sharing all of this tremendous research detail - very fascinating. I have this same kit on my "to-do" shelf, so I'll be looking over your shoulder for tips and ideas.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Christian, welcome aboard! I'm glad you're interested in my project.

When you look over my shoulder, make sure you don't make the same mistakes I did. I've just discovered that my inattention has caused the flare hole to be too far forward. I'm working on correcting that mistake right now.

And I remind you that the modifications described are only for Czech Gripen. For other users' aircraft these details may differ.

Vintagemodeler
Another one to join to the observation, as I will have to do it at some point aswell . Is it the Front Noise need to be replaced by the quick boost?

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Welcome Vintagemodeler! I hope that in the course of building my model you will find inspiration for building your Gripen.

I'm very sorry, but my English skills are not perfect and I don't understand your question. Could you elaborate on your question a bit?
Thank you.

Vintagemodeler
Yes mr! I cant believe how you did those amazing scratch! i just mean if front noise looks good, as few people told me that it need the QUICKBOOST upgrade part, i get it for mig 29 and Su-27, but didnt get it for JAS-39 yet, as i didnt saw that much difference.
kind regards

Mark D
JAS 39C/D Gripen - Correct Nose (Quickboost QB 48 227, 1:48)

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Vintagemodeler + Mark D, thanks for the explanation.

I think the QUICKBOOST nose is not necessary. According to the drawing, the nose from the kit has a good shape matching the drawing. The bad shape of the nose is elsewhere. The top of the nose needs to be corrected. The windshield in the kit rests on a raised area that is not on the real model. However, this can easily be corrected with a little putty.

A clear description of the basic modifications to the Italeri kit can be found here: kits.kitreview.com/jas39agripenreviewrw_1.htm

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Moving the flare launcher to the correct position is done. I will fix minor errors after spraying the model with Surfacer.

Vintagemodeler
Amazing article! What a nice work mr!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Vintagemodeler, thanks you!
I agree, the article clearly describes the modifications of Italeri's biggest faults. But since this article was published (2005) many JAS-39s have been upgraded (some machines more than once) and the appearance of some details on Gripen aircraft has changed. When building a particular machine, it's good to have not only a drawing, but also photos of the particular machine.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm continuing to restore the lines between the panels. It's slow going, but the lines being restored are increasing.

Alec K
It's looking good Ludvíku (👍

Vintagemodeler
Will be an epic build 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Thank you Alec!
Vintagemodelerer, the quality of the Italeri kit (considering the time of release) is somewhat half-hearted. But with some effort it can be used to build a nice model. I've already made most of the modifications. Once I finish restoring the panel lines, the model building will go faster.

Guy Rump
Looking good, following. 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Welcome Guy Rump! Good to see you.

Jennifer Franklin
It's been a while since I looked at this one, Ludvik; it is progressing nicely. Your work is exceptional; the attention to detail is beyond my imagination. I love watching what you have done.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, thank you for your kind post. I'm just trying to build my models as best I can and it's great fun for me too.

bughunter
Oh, two Saab at once - no wonder that I nearly missed it! Nicely done too.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Yes, I'm building two Gripens at the same time. Both aircraft have a large number of the same parts and the same basic grey paint. It makes my job easier.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Italeri kit contains only one additional tank. But I need two tanks. That's why I decided to make them. To make both tanks the same, I made two.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The auxiliary fuel tanks are ground down.

Alec K
Very interesting way to make the auxiliary tanks 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Hi, Alec!
There are resin tank castings that can be purchased as separate accessories. However, their price, along with the cost of shipping, is high. It's much more than half the price of the Gripen kit I bought from Italeri. So I decided to make the additional tanks myself.

The choice of how to make the tanks was simple. Making the moulds and then casting the tanks is quite laborious. In addition, I do not have a vacuum pump, so air bubbles would form in the castings. I also don't have a 3D printer and I don't know how to model in 3D software.
Therefore, I figured that making tanks out of paper was the easiest way for me to make them at home.
I think paper is an underrated raw material in plastic modeling. With a little knowledge and skill, you can make various accessories (e.g. additional fuel tanks) out of paper. And as a bonus for the work involved, paper add-on tanks are very light and don't put unnecessary strain on the landing gear. 😄

Alec K
I agree, all good points. For what it's worth, here are my few observations regarding casting from personal experience: for a small job like the tanks, you really don't need a vacuum pump (nor, and IMHO more importantly, a pressure tank). Yes, you will likely get some bubbles in the resulting cast, but those can be fixed relatively easily 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Alec, I also have experience with making parts from cast resin.You are right that bubbles can be fixed fairly easily with putty. But for making 2 tanks I find casting unnecessarily laborious.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm continuing to build the Gripen. I finished restoring the lines between the panels and added more details to the fuselage.

Alec K
👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm continuing to fix the minor surface errors that surfacer showed. I've also started riveting.

CaptGPF
Love the super detailing - as well as the extensive riveting work. Are you planning to rivet the wings as well? I will need to use your trick of using wires to pull the wings up to close the gaps on the next build. The Italeri kit is a good foundation for the Gripen, but it is sorely lacking in details - I'm glad to see you putting that into the kit.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
@CaptGPF
Thank you for your comment. I'm really glad that my ideas will serve someone else.

I don't plan to rivet the wings. None of the photos (that I have) or the drawing show any rivet lines on the wing surfaces. Except for a few rivets on the leading and trailing edges of the wings. And I have already made these few rivets on the wings. If there are any rivets on the wing surfaces, they are ground in with the surface and not visible under the camouflage paint.
On the other hand, I'm considering removing the rivets from the Gripen Kitty Hawk wings (Kitty Hawk made the rivets marked all over the wing surfaces).
I will definitely do some weathering on the wings though. It's very visible on all Czech machines.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I have little time to build models lately. So at least in one short spare moment I made an experiment with tinting the transparent cockpit covers.

Thomas Haberl - TH SCALE MODELS
Hi Ludvik! This build turns out t be another "crazy" build ... your view for details is amazing. Do you spend more time on research or building? I´m not sure 😉 again something spectacular is going to come here. Keep going (❁´◡`❁)

bughunter
Wow, your tinted canopies are looking great! I once used a mix with Alclad (on a egg plane) and nearly ruined the clear plastic as it was dull matt afterwards 🙁

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Thomas, at the moment my lack of free time doesn't allow me to pursue modelling as much as I would like 🙁. It's just a transitional period and I hope it will end soon.

As far as research is concerned, I have a database on my computer with information, drawings and photos of aircraft, literature ..., for all the aircraft that interest me and I would like to build models of them. And I am constantly adding to this database. So the moment I start building a model, I simply open the appropriate folder in the database and draw from the information I have stored there.

In some cases, for example, when I was building the MI-24, I was lucky enough to work with a guy who works in an aircraft repair shop as a mechanic, and he would take pictures of various details of the helicopter's structural elements and email them to me, according to my instructions.
I am now using similar friendly help in building both Gripens.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Bughunter, the procedure I used, I found on the website of a Czech modeller. With long-term testing of different color types from different manufacturers, it achieved the best results with metallic Gunze paints (MC series) and Gunze Mr. Leveling Thinner. The procedure is simple. I mixed gold (MC219 - brass) and brown (H017) into about 1 ml of diluent. From each colour to just a small drop (on the tip of the brush). Metallic paint does a partial transparency effect based on your point of view. From a certain angle, the cabin appears opaque, and from a different angle, you can see right through it. And that little bit of brown puts a slight damper on it.
The original instructions recommend the metallic colour MC215 - copper, but the author used this on American machines. According to the photos, the Gripen cabins are toned to a tawny colour and this is better matched by the golden hue of brass combined with brown. The precise dilution ratio is not critical, but he wants to test it. The important thing is to spray gradually a few thin layers (just to dust lightly) and spray the next layer of paint until the previous one has dried. With a thick layer, diluted metallic paint makes irregular spots.

And if it doesn't work, just wipe off the paint with a soft cloth dipped in thinner and start over.

Jennifer Franklin
That is impressive, tinted canopies. Thank you for sharing the technique.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, it was my first attempt at a tinted canopy. I found a tutorial online and decided to give tinting a try. I did a few experiments on pieces of clear plastic first so I wouldn't ruin my canopy if it didn't work out. During these experiments, I tried different shades of metallic paints and chose the best combination of colors based on the results.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Gripen is ready to be sprayed with primer.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Gripen got a smart white coat (primer). Once the cockpit equipment is completed, it will be the turn of spraying camouflage colours.

Mark D
Have you dipped the canopy in for example Alclad Aqua Gloss? It helps for transparency.

CaptGPF
I read on Finescale modeler that you could get a golden tint using a mix of transparent smoke + transparent yellow diluted down with thinner.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
@Mark D
The canopy in the photo of the partially assembled model is not the final solution. I'm still experimenting with tinting the cockpit canopy. The goal is a canopy that will be transparent from a certain angle and partially act as a mirror from another angle. I'm well on my way, but it still needs to be fine-tuned.
@CaptGPF
There are more ways to colour the canopy, of course. Using transparent paints is probably the easiest way. But it doesn't achieve the mirror effect described above. To give you a better idea, I have included a picture of the cockpit canopy from several different angles.

CaptGPF
I'd love to see how you can achieve that angled transparency effect!

Daniel
I had good results with holo nail powder:
Starting Pic 24
Fat Amy WIP | Album by halohead (1:48)

Ludvík Kružík 作者
@CaptGPF
A very thin layer of metallic paint takes care of the angled transparency effect.
@Daniel
Thank you for the illustrative example. Your canopy looks great.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm continuing work on the cockpit. I am gradually adding more details to it.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The "box" at the rear cockpit wall had to be modified. After correcting its dimensions and location, I added a few cables to the rear of the cockpit. More cables will follow shortly.

Jennifer Franklin
The couple of wires that are in there look great.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, thank you! I hope the cockpit will look even better with the addition of more "cables" and the scope slide. 😉

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I wasn't in the mood for the delicate work of adding wiring today. So I busied myself with fixing a badly shaped engine nozzle.

Robert Podkoński
That's a true craftmanship on this nozzle, Chapeau bas!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Robert, thank you for the compliment! 😉

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I continue to work on completing the cockpit wiring.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The cockpit cables are in place. I glued a few more PE parts to the fuselage and now I will prepare the model for spraying.

Jennifer Franklin
The cables look amazing, Ludvik; your attention to detail pays off.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, thank you for the compliments. 🙂 I appreciate it.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I prepared the model for spraying with camouflage paints.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Gripen is ready for decals application. 🙂

Daniel
Beautiful work + you're really fast! 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Thank you, Daniel! My speed is only temporary. Soon I will start making smaller parts and the model building will slow down. 🙁

I have started applying decals to the painted model. So far I have only managed to apply the decals with the special anniversary coloring.

bughunter
What a colorful nice looking outfit 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The colour scheme of the in-line machines in a combination of two grey colours with little visible markings is practical for military purposes, but somewhat boring. It's good that there are aircraft with special paint! 😄

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Due to the extraordinary activities that took place during the day, I only got to the model briefly today. In those few minutes I only managed to glue a few decals. I added the national emblems and a few small labels. I will add photos later, when all decals are on the model.

Robert Podkoński
Beautiful scheme indeed.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Robert, from the first moment I saw the pictures of this Gripen in the attractive anniversary livery, I knew I would eventually build one. When the decals for this machine appeared on the market, I didn't hesitate a moment and bought them immediately. And now the moment has come when I am fulfilling my resolution.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I "painted" the cockpit canopy with strips cut from painted decal paper.

Jennifer Franklin
The canopy looks amazing

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, thank you for your compliment. 🙂

The work on the baldachin will continue. I've only finished the outer part. I'm still working on the inside of the canopy. The inner frame, cross brace, rear view mirrors and the "collar" in the front need to be completed.

"Sparky"
Great idea. I have always wondered why there is not a product to just stick to canopies instead of painting them for the frames.

CaptGPF
Thanks for the tips on the canopy - I have an AH-64D in the queue and was wondering how to achieve the same effects you just taught us! thank you, Sensei! 🙇‍♂️

bughunter
Ludvik, your macro is merciless! I guess in real size it will look better.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm so glad you found my tutorial on painting canopy frames helpful. 🙂

Since masking the canopy, spraying the frame and a thin strip of gasket is laborious and the result is not always 100%, I was looking for another method that would be easier and less laborious. Using decals met my requirements. The application is simple and the results are accurate. And when layering the decals, even a very thin line of gasket can be easily created. And the use of decals also eliminates the laborious cleaning of paint that occasionally runs under the mask.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I painted the auxiliary tanks this afternoon. Like the plane, the tanks have a special paint job.

Jennifer Franklin
The auxiliary tanks look amazing Ludvik

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, thank you for your kind words. 🙂

I worked on the hangers today. For the middle hanger under the fuselage I used a part from the Italeri kit, but first I modified it slightly, sanded it, made new joints and added rivets. For the underwing hangers and rocket adapters I used Kitty Hawk parts. These were left over from an earlier Gripen 9241 build where I replaced them with castings from CMK. For the wing hangers, I replaced the plastic pins with wire ones so I could accurately glue the hangers to the wing. For one thing, the plastic pins were large in diameter and would not fit into the holes in the wings, but more importantly, the wire pins served me well when spraying the hangers and then applying the decals.
The fewer stencils on the aircraft, the more there are on the hangers. I applied 54 decals on all five hangers combined (5234 did not have a forward fuselage hanger when it carried the annual livery). And I still haven't glued the decals on the rocket adapters.

bughunter
Attractive combination of grays and colors 👍 Well done so far!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Frank, I was intrigued by this machine from the first moment I saw it. The combination of the dark grey motif on the upper surfaces of the wings and fuselage with the red, blue and white accessories on the vertical tailplane and canards is (at least to me) very attractive. Although I find the special colour scheme of Czech tiger-themed machines very successful, this annual livery was a very pleasant change for me. As soon as I found out that there was a decal set for this livery, I knew I would definitely build this aircraft. 😄

This week unfortunately my work obligations did not give me free time to work on the model. I only managed to apply decals for the AIM-120 rocket adapters.
I also ordered a set of AIM-9 rockets from Eduard. The rockets in the Italeri kit are inaccurate and modifying them would basically amount to making new rockets.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
After a short break, I continue working on the model. Gripen has all decals applied and repainted with clear coat. Now it's time to work on illustrating the operational wear and surface contamination.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Today I did weathering and minor surface damage to the aircraft.
... and I also glued all the racks.

Thomas Haberl - TH SCALE MODELS
Turning out great Ludvik 👍👍👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Hi, Thomas.
I'm so glad you like the weathering. I did a little experiment. Instead of traditional oils, I used Agama patina powder. I was pleasantly surprised. The powders work very well. Unlike oils, using patination powders is easy, fast and accurate. And if something goes wrong, the applied patina can simply be washed off with a cloth or cotton swab dipped in clean water (with a little detergent if necessary). 😉

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm sure I won't get to work on the Gripen today. So at least I took two photos of the Gripen in daylight with the auxiliary tanks temporarily installed. I like the result, the painted add-on tanks nicely complement the special anniversary livery of the aircraft. 🙂

Alec K
This will be a beauty 👍

Guy Rump
Looking great, following. 👍

Jennifer Franklin
Looks amazing!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Alec, Guy and Jennifer, thank you so much for your kind posts. It is a great support for me to continue working on the model. 🙂

Michael .
Love the decal work.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Michael, thank you.
All decals used on this kit are from Czech manufacturer of modelling accessories JBr Decals. I think he did his job perfectly.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I'm kind of running out of free time lately. Every time I think I'm finally going to get around to building a model, something creeps in. So at least I bought a few accessories for my models, including a set of Sidewinders rockets from Eduard. The ones in the Italeri kit didn't work out so well. 🙁

Rando
Thanks for the nice look at Eduard's Sidewinders, I'm going to have to buy some for my Hasegawa jets that have none eventually. Glad to know they come with a jig too! And I hear ya on the free time thing, my Mosquito probably would have been done weeks ago

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Rando, if you are concerned with the various suspension armaments, check out Eduard's site. Eduard offers quite a wide range of rockets, bombs and other armaments in various scales.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I spent time this afternoon making the main landing gear legs. I also finished the nozzle.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
I have modified the appearance of the landing gear wheels and am continuing work on the landing gear legs.

Robert Podkoński
Landing gear looks awesome, Ludviku! When finished, your model should stand on a mirror surface!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Thank you, Robert. I've only finished the front landing gear leg so far. I started with it because it's the most complicated. Filling the "tubes" on the main landing gear legs will go faster. Compared to the front landing gear, they are almost wiring free.

Building the finished model on a mirror base is a good idea. However, I have a slightly different solution. The model will be placed in my display case of finished models on a glass shelf that is approximately eye level (of an adult). If you lean slightly forward, you can see the bottom of the aircraft with the armament and landing gear due to the glass shelf.

Alec K
Great progress 👍

Ludvík Kružík 作者
After a break I resume building the model again. I'm adding hydraulic and electrical wiring to the main landing gear legs.

bughunter
Was your break due to a visit of the Mosonshow?
Your lastest work on the model parts looks nice!

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Bughunter, thank you for your kind contribution.

My break was due to a much less fun thing than attending the Mosonshow. A colleague and I have rented a space where we have offices. At this point, our lease is up. We had to find a new place and prepare to move. We already have the offices, now we have to move in and get everything ready to work in them. So there will be more breaks.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
After this afternoon, both landing gear legs of the main landing gear are complete.

Cristian A
OMG this is so satisfying to watch!! Great model, you are super talented 👍🏼

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Cristian, thank you for your compliments. I appreciate it.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
The first part of the wiring and hydraulics in the main landing gear shafts is in place.

Jennifer Franklin
Looking amazing! I love the detail of your work.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
Jennifer, thank you. I appreciate your kindness.

Ludvík Kružík 作者
After a forced break, I'm back and resuming work on the Gripen. 🙂