Once the targeting system was finished I got all of the parts together for the internal sections and got them ready for painting. They were all attached to cocktail sticks in some way as most of the parts were very small.
For priming I used MMS-001 black primer, as the cockpit is quite void of color and I could lighten it as I went. To do this I used Vallejo Model Color black grey. I added it to large panels, the floor and the consoles.
I wanted to highlight the amount of detail I put into the seat covers. To do that I added a few drops of white into the black grey and dry brushed it on to the seats. To the mix I added a hint of brown and dry brushed that on, to give the seats a bit of a worn and faded look.
For the arm rest covers I used a light maroon color and added a dark maroon wash. Made up from MMP-013 Red Oxide.
Next I added color to all of the small connections, wires, triggers and clasps. Colors that were included were MMP-073 Light Ghost Grey, MMP-118 Medium Grey, MMP-001 White, 69.059 Vallejo Mecha gold, 71.065 Vallejo Steel and XF-7 Flat red from Tamiya.
I then moved on to add some decals around the cockpit. I put some 'HAND HOLD' signs on the right and left side outer panels. These were the only decals that came from the kit, the rest I added from other decal sheets and put them on according to the reference photos I have. They included two yellow warning labels on an electrical box behind and to the right of the pilot, right and left signs on the middle console, writing on the inside panels next to the pilots and also some hand written notes.
I added chipping and worn effects to some of the metal parts in the cockpit using 71.065 Vallejo Steel. Mainly around where the pilots sit and on the consoles in front of them.
For the air intakes I gave them a gloss coat and then sprayed a couple of coats of chrome metal effect from Green Stuff World, mainly because I wanted to try it out. The effect is really neat, it has a nice metallic sheen to it and a mirror finish.
The targeting system was painted with MMP-073 Light Ghost Grey, in light coats. The rivets were done with 71.065 Vallejo Steel and then it was sealed in with Tamiya's TS-13 Clear Gloss. After which I added a couple of pin washes. Tamiya's XF-4 Flat Red was put into the recesses along the reflective panels and MMP-118 Medium Grey was put into the access panels at the back. It was coated in a flat clear. I put together the housing around the ball, adding putty to remove the seam in the middle. It can rotate up and down and side to side.
I used a resin photo-etch upgrade kit for the details on the monitors, key pads and controls. They came pre-painted and add a huge amount of realism to the piece. All of the parts were cut from the sprue, cleaned up with a metal file and then glued to their corresponding cockpit piece.
It was time to add all of the pieces together to create the cockpit interior. Since it is a crowded space I needed to add the pieces in an order. First, I glued in the pedals and the panel in front of them. The monitors went in next and then the joysticks. Lastly, the mission grips as they were fiddly and quite fragile.
The final things to finish the cockpit off were the seat belts. I had a set from Eduard, pre-textured and painted so all I had to do was cut them from the sprue and install them. Honestly they look great and really add another depth to the model.
All of the components were then ready to be put into the two halves of the fuselage and sealed up. all parts were glued into the right side and then lined up with the left side. It all snap fit together pretty well, no issues to be had.
For now all off the glass work and the ceiling will be touched on later as I still have a lot of work to do filling and removing seams.
Some photos of my work so far.
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