Dr. Zooch Lifting Body build thread

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Squadron's web site is www.squadron.com I can't bring up the direct link...but hit the aircraft button....and then search by product looking for Aeromaster decals....the solid decal sheets are listed as canopy trim...comes in multiple colors. its handy.
 
OK....made some progress on my US Navy version of the Dr. Zooch Lifting Body...I was trying to make the booster look like a Polaris A3 ICBM......I have a picture of a test launch that says Polaris down the side...I was not sure what was on the other side so I went with US Navy...
100_2705a.jpg100_2707a.jpg100_2708a.jpg
 
couple more pics...
100_2711a.jpg100_2712a.jpg100_2713a.jpg

I like this version almost as much as my Titan....what a neat little kit! I will start work on the Orbiter this week...I have a "throw back" paint scheme in mind....as with the Titan, I have made some modifications to the Zooch kit..the kit doesn't come with the decals and I did add the small engines at the base of the booster instead of a fairing that comes with the kit. I made the decal lettering off of the printer with some decal paper and I used Aero Master cockpit trim (its a solid sheet of black decal paper) for the roll bands and the nose cone..
 
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OK...made some progress on my US Navy version of the Zooch Lifting Body....the orbiter is not done yet...I am waiting for some other decals to come....hope you like it!

100_2725a.jpg100_2716a.jpg100_2726a.jpg
 
Thanks Paul!! I appreciate that....but I have learned a lot of techniques from the masters that post on this forum....I feel like I get a little better each time...still trying to get better at paint and finishing..... The Zooch Lifting Body is just a neat kit...I haven't flown them yet....with the change in seasons and the shorter days that pretty much leaves just the weekends now and the last 6 weeks or so have been booked up by SHE WHO MUST BE OBEYED....from what I have read, the Lifting Body doesn't like wind so I am waiting for a nice day where I can let them fly and see how they do. What is neat about the kit is that there is no paint scheme...you can kinda do what you want....so I decided to have fun with them. Been a LONG time since I broke the ol airbrush out....and in the process I stumbled upon my old stash of decals from my plastic model days (pays to be a pack rat...) I always liked the Grumman Hellcat....its my favorite WWII fighter (something about a 19-1 kill ratio...) and loved the tri-color scheme from the mid war. I saw some really neat custom builds that Daddyisabar has posted where he makes WWII fighters (which are REALLY neat by the way) and thought I could give it a try here....so my Navy version is the old Hellcat scheme. This kit is really a lot of fun to build!

sodmeister said:
This is such an impressive build, you obviously have many skills and much patience.......very well done !!


Paul T
Click to expand...
 
WOW!!!! That looks AMAZING!!! WAY better than I could do! :)

I figured when you said "Hellcat" that you were going to just paint it that dark Navy blue with a white belly like the old Corsairs on the "Baa Baa Black Sheep" TV show (which is a COOL show BTW-- got it on disk a few years back... :)) Didn't expect something multi-toned...

Does it have a tail-hook for carrier landings?? LOL:) VERY neat stuff...

I've heard of interservice rivalries, but this takes the cake... :)

Yeah, the Zooch LB is really cool... I'm gonna HAVE to do a Soviet version now... one of these days... :)

Later and KUTGW... OL JR :)

PS. "When you first came here, you were but the learner... now, *YOU* are the master... " (Darth Vader)

"Henceforth, you shall be known as DARTH.... HELLCAT!!!" LOL:) (Emperor Palpatine)
 
Thanks Luke! I appreciate the kind words...but I am not even close to being in your league...but I keep trying and experimenting....if you look close at some of the pics you can see that when I used the spray paint it came out with a somewhat granualed layer of paint....it didn't come out with a nice smooth coat..I am not exactly sure why...maybe I was too far away from the surface with the can?..the lighting and the setting I used for the pictures really seems to accentuate that, but, all in all, I am pleased with my Navy Hellcat II. I did order a decal sheet on line so there are a few markings I will add to the orbiter in a week or so, but for the most part, its finished. The Grumman Hellcat is my favorite WWII fighter and I have always loved that tri colored paint scheme from the mid war...late 1943 to 1944...just colorful and cool looking so that was the plan for this build. I kinda like the Polaris booster too...amazing what you can do with a Shuttle derived fuel tank and some decal sheets...LOL...fun kit to play around with and try things with them! I had the same difficulty you had with your Polaris nose cone...its just difficult to get the decal sheet to conform to the curve of the nose cone. When I put the Krylon clear coat on, I must have gone too heavy with it because two of the black bands shrank a bit leaving a few small holes in the decal sheet...I just trimed off some small extra decal sheets and covered it up. All in all, I am pleased with the booster and I think it has a cool look. I have some more to do to wrap her up...Flamefins and stuff....just a fun kit!

Baa Baa Black Sheep was a GREAT show! I remember when it was on TV live and I watched them all! I do think they watered pappy Boyington down a bit because in real life the guy was a handful! Hell of a pilot and leader though!!

luke strawwalker said:
WOW!!!! That looks AMAZING!!! WAY better than I could do! :)

I figured when you said "Hellcat" that you were going to just paint it that dark Navy blue with a white belly like the old Corsairs on the "Baa Baa Black Sheep" TV show (which is a COOL show BTW-- got it on disk a few years back... :)) Didn't expect something multi-toned...

Does it have a tail-hook for carrier landings?? LOL:) VERY neat stuff...

I've heard of interservice rivalries, but this takes the cake... :)

Yeah, the Zooch LB is really cool... I'm gonna HAVE to do a Soviet version now... one of these days... :)

Later and KUTGW... OL JR :)

PS. "When you first came here, you were but the learner... now, *YOU* are the master... " (Darth Vader)

"Henceforth, you shall be known as DARTH.... HELLCAT!!!" LOL:) (Emperor Palpatine)
Click to expand...
 
NJRick said:
Thanks Luke! I appreciate the kind words...but I am not even close to being in your league...but I keep trying and experimenting....if you look close at some of the pics you can see that when I used the spray paint it came out with a somewhat granualed layer of paint....it didn't come out with a nice smooth coat..I am not exactly sure why...maybe I was too far away from the surface with the can?..the lighting and the setting I used for the pictures really seems to accentuate that, but, all in all, I am pleased with my Navy Hellcat II. I did order a decal sheet on line so there are a few markings I will add to the orbiter in a week or so, but for the most part, its finished. The Grumman Hellcat is my favorite WWII fighter and I have always loved that tri colored paint scheme from the mid war...late 1943 to 1944...just colorful and cool looking so that was the plan for this build. I kinda like the Polaris booster too...amazing what you can do with a Shuttle derived fuel tank and some decal sheets...LOL...fun kit to play around with and try things with them! I had the same difficulty you had with your Polaris nose cone...its just difficult to get the decal sheet to conform to the curve of the nose cone. When I put the Krylon clear coat on, I must have gone too heavy with it because two of the black bands shrank a bit leaving a few small holes in the decal sheet...I just trimed off some small extra decal sheets and covered it up. All in all, I am pleased with the booster and I think it has a cool look. I have some more to do to wrap her up...Flamefins and stuff....just a fun kit!

Baa Baa Black Sheep was a GREAT show! I remember when it was on TV live and I watched them all! I do think they watered pappy Boyington down a bit because in real life the guy was a handful! Hell of a pilot and leader though!!
Click to expand...

You're too modest... your skills are complete... Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen... LOL:)

As far as the granulated paint, well, it's possible you got some dry spray, or "orange peel"... it can cause that sort of problem where too much of the solvent evaporates from the droplets and they get too viscous and won't flow out smoothly onto the surface, leaving it somewhat "pebbly" or like the skin of an orange... BUT for some effects (like fades) on a paint job, there's really no good way around it... at least not with rattle cans...

I'd like to hear how you did the paint jobs as well... that would be cool.

Yep, they don't make TV like they used to... and yeah, Pappy Boyington was a mess, but he DEFINITELY had "the right stuff"...

Later! OL JR :)
 
Hey Luke,
I used my trusty ol Badger 150 airbrush to paint the orbiter...I used regular white spray paint for the base coat on the orbiter and then airbrushed the light blue and then the dark blue paint on I used Model master paint for the blues...both had the correct FS number. Now..I haven't used the airbrush in I don't know how long...I had some slight over spray with the blues, but that is because I didn't thin the paint...I thought it was acceptable as it was straight for the bottle. Truthfully, I prefer to use acrylics in the airbrush because it is so much easier to clear it with water than thinners but I couldn't find any with the correct FS numbers so I went with the Model master paints which are enamels. I then used Testors gloss overall to prep it for the decals. I laughed when I opened up the box to the airbrush...my father bought that for me a long time ago...I still have the pamphlet that came with it saying that Badger was "the airbrush for '80's!"..LOL!! she still works like a charm!
The booster is simple gloss white and the roll patterns are all trim decal sheet.

luke strawwalker said:
You're too modest... your skills are complete... Indeed you are powerful, as the Emperor has foreseen... LOL:)

As far as the granulated paint, well, it's possible you got some dry spray, or "orange peel"... it can cause that sort of problem where too much of the solvent evaporates from the droplets and they get too viscous and won't flow out smoothly onto the surface, leaving it somewhat "pebbly" or like the skin of an orange... BUT for some effects (like fades) on a paint job, there's really no good way around it... at least not with rattle cans...

I'd like to hear how you did the paint jobs as well... that would be cool.

Yep, they don't make TV like they used to... and yeah, Pappy Boyington was a mess, but he DEFINITELY had "the right stuff"...

Later! OL JR :)
Click to expand...
 
NJRick said:
Hey Luke,
I used my trusty ol Badger 150 airbrush to paint the orbiter...I used regular white spray paint for the base coat on the orbiter and then airbrushed the light blue and then the dark blue paint on I used Model master paint for the blues...both had the correct FS number. Now..I haven't used the airbrush in I don't know how long...I had some slight over spray with the blues, but that is because I didn't thin the paint...I thought it was acceptable as it was straight for the bottle. Truthfully, I prefer to use acrylics in the airbrush because it is so much easier to clear it with water than thinners but I couldn't find any with the correct FS numbers so I went with the Model master paints which are enamels. I then used Testors gloss overall to prep it for the decals. I laughed when I opened up the box to the airbrush...my father bought that for me a long time ago...I still have the pamphlet that came with it saying that Badger was "the airbrush for '80's!"..LOL!! she still works like a charm!
The booster is simple gloss white and the roll patterns are all trim decal sheet.
Click to expand...

Cool!

Yeah, they made stuff better back then...

later! OL JR :)
 
OK...finished up my throw back US Navy version of the Dr. Zooch Lifting Body Shuttle...I went with the old WWII Hellcat tri-color scheme for the orbiter and tried to make the Polaris A3 as the booster...here are some pictures:

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OK...finally got a chance to get in some test flights with my Lifting Bodies....I made four flights all with B6-2 engines for their first flights...I had 3 successful glides...the only one that was not successful impacted the booster at the ejection and went into a spin and didn't recover...no damage though....hope you enjoy!

IMG_0002a.jpgIMG_0036a (1).jpgIMG_0024a.jpg
 
couple more
IMG_0012 (1).jpgIMG_0016.jpgIMG_0018.jpg

on the third image, you can see the Navy Orbiter in the bottom left hand corner...in the last image you can see the her starting her glide. On the first image, you can see my Air Force version ready for touch down
 

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this is really a neat kit. I really enjoyed these builds and flying them is just fun....in one of these pictures the angle of attack looks like it is dive bombing but she made a right hand bank, flattened out and landed with no damage....I thought they flew better than I expected....I would estimate the winds at less than 5 mph. The boosts were straight with no deviation...maybe a little weather cock on one of the pics but no problems at all in all phases of the flights....as for their glide characteristics...both of mine flew in right hand banks...they do not soar and they are clearly coming down....but controlled....maybe a 30-40 degree glide scope...I mean, they are clearly coming in and coming in fast!...these little orbiters fly pretty quick, much faster than I thought but are they fun to watch fly!! they fly much faster than Wes' Shuttle which tends to glide nicely. The only damage sustained was that I did lose the front lug for the Navy version, the lug that you use to attach to the booster...but that is an easy fix...but all in all, they both flew great I thought! I can't wait to use a C6-3 and see how they do.

this kit is just fun! Well done Dr. Zooch!!:cheers:
 
Well done!! These look GREAT and they look like they fly really well. You've done a great job on your builds and finishing them. I'm very impressed!!
 
thanks Mushtang! I would love to see you give one of these a try...you have great build skills...they are fun to build and fly! they do fly much differently than the Shuttle.,..I mean these little puppies really scoot through the air! its now one of my favorite Dr. Zooch kits!

Mushtang said:
Well done!! These look GREAT and they look like they fly really well. You've done a great job on your builds and finishing them. I'm very impressed!!
Click to expand...
 
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Hey, great work Rick!!!! That looks SO amazing! Absolutely love the artwork finishes you did on them and they look and fly great! Congrats!

Looking forward to what you come up with next... :)

Later! OL JR :)
 
thanks Luke....funny you should mention what I might come up with next...but I think I may buy another one of these kits...my wife is going to kill me..:kill:..but I would like to take another stab or two at making some additonal orbiters! This kit is really fun to build and fly. I have some ideas that I think would be pretty cool!


luke strawwalker said:
Hey, great work Rick!!!! That looks SO amazing! Absolutely love the artwork finishes you did on them and they look and fly great! Congrats!

Looking forward to what you come up with next... :)

Later! OL JR :)
Click to expand...
 

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