The most exotic of Italian Exotics - Pagani Huayra by Aoshima - the most challenging of modern challenging kits (picture heavy)

[mrm]

1 hour ago, Justin Porter said:

The Aoshima Paganis in some ways feel like spiritual successors to the Fujimi Enthusiast series. Daunting, challenging, frustrating, but jaw-dropping if properly realized just like yours!

Thank you Justin.

I have few of those Fuji kits and I have started some in the past, but I never finished one. The last was their Ferrari Daytona, but from as far as I got with it, it was a pleasure working on it without any issues. The Huayra is definitely challenging and frustrating in a completely different way than their Zondas, which just make me scratch my head and ask "what were they planing to do here?" 

[mrm]

56 minutes ago, Ace-Garageguy said:

Beautiful beautiful beautiful. Just the job on the carbon alone is exceptional, but the whole thing taken together, with working features that actually work...and fit...is pretty d------ impressive.  

Thank you Bill.

I think this is the most carbon I have done on a 1/24 scale model. I've done the Tamiya Enzo and LaFerrari and they had a lot of carbon, but nothing like this. Besides the carbon I used on them was precut templates ready to use, which made a world of difference. The hardest thing here was the blue carbon, which was actually clear decal. What is not seen on the pictures here is that everything is covered in carbon, including all the undersides of the roof, just like on the real one, but it was finished in flat clear. If you are interested to see, the WIP it's here:

 

[Rich Chernosky]

Michael...this is one outstanding model. The carbon fibre work alone,  is beyond compare. I have this kit and your post will definetly help me on my way. I also read with great interest the history of Pagani and your struggles with the model. This isn't just a great model but an exceptional post as well. Thank you for your contribution. 

[mrm]

3 hours ago, Rich Chernosky said:

Michael...this is one outstanding model. The carbon fibre work alone,  is beyond compare. I have this kit and your post will definetly help me on my way. I also read with great interest the history of Pagani and your struggles with the model. This isn't just a great model but an exceptional post as well. Thank you for your contribution. 

Thank you Rich, greatly appreciated.

You should definitely build your kit and I hope my threads - this one and the WIP, will be of help to you. If you have any questions during your build, I'll be happy to help if I can. 

[slusher]

Gorgeous car, fantastic detail!

[mrm]

4 hours ago, slusher said:

Gorgeous car, fantastic detail!

Thank you Carl.

It took a while to finish, but it was worth it. 

[rv1963]

Great work on your build, it's not easy getting all those carbon fiber decals to look that good.

[beeRS]

On 8/12/2024 at 5:04 PM, mrm said:

Thank you Sonny. The carbon definitely took a long time. It actually posted one of the biggest challenges to the fitment of the model as a side effect. This model theoretically fits like a glove. When you first start it and mock everything up, it all fits and lines up perfect. But as you start assembling it things start shifting. I guess they did not account absolutely any room for paint. And with carbon decals you need to first prime everything, then paint it gloss for the decals to stick, then decal it and then apply a good coat of clear over the decals in order for the the carbon to look realistic. These layers automatically throw fitment off on most models, let alone on this one. So I had to kinda reverse engineer it to account for that. That's a lot of sanding and dry fitting over and over, which is where most of the time was spent. 

   I am sorry if I have discouraged you building one. My intentions were the exact opposite. I am saying that it is possible to make it work and I would love to see more people take the challenge and do even better, because there is definitely room for improvement. 

Please don’t be sorry. Your work is actually inspirational. It’s interesting to hear your reports about how paint film thickness can throw the fit out. I’m tempted to build without the carbon decals. 

[mrm]

On 8/13/2024 at 11:27 PM, beeRS said:

Please don’t be sorry. Your work is actually inspirational. It’s interesting to hear your reports about how paint film thickness can throw the fit out. I’m tempted to build without the carbon decals. 

Whichever way you go it will be fine. These cars are not only build to order, but their owners constantly change them, especially when they change hands. There are some there that are very subtle (if that could ever be said about a Huayra) and done in elegant colors inside and out. And then there are some clown cars that are a testament that money can't buy taste. 

    The situation with thickness of finish coats affecting fitment can be an issue with any kit. As I said you have primer, black gloss, decal and clear. What's more is that this is on both mating surfaces as all my panels are covered with carbon, even underneath the hoods. So now you have double the coats. And I like using 2K clear, which will be generally slightly thicker.

But if you build it without carbon decals it could be greatly beneficial for you. It will save you money, time, your sanity and fit better with less work. So go for it. I would love to see more of these built. 

[Bainford]

Incredible! This is a fantastic build in many ways, but that carbon fiber decal work is warping my mind. All round a stunning model. A trial of patience and tenacity, I am sure.  Hat's off!

[mrm]

On 8/16/2024 at 12:15 AM, Bainford said:

Incredible! This is a fantastic build in many ways, but that carbon fiber decal work is warping my mind. All round a stunning model. A trial of patience and tenacity, I am sure.  Hat's off!

Thank you Trevor.

It really took a lot of restraint not to smack it against the wall quite few times. LOL

Edited August 17, 2024 by mrm

[JNordgren42]

Beautiful work on what sounds like an extremely daunting kit!

It's a different sphere of modeling, but I get the same feelings from the Polar Lights 1/350 U.S.S. Enterprise Refit (movie version) I'm working on. I just passed the first anniversary or starting the build and I'm still working on the lighting rig and the few interior spaces that are visible from the outside. ?

[mrm]

On 8/21/2024 at 5:02 PM, JNordgren42 said:

Beautiful work on what sounds like an extremely daunting kit!

It's a different sphere of modeling, but I get the same feelings from the Polar Lights 1/350 U.S.S. Enterprise Refit (movie version) I'm working on. I just passed the first anniversary or starting the build and I'm still working on the lighting rig and the few interior spaces that are visible from the outside. ?

Thank you Jason.

And yeah, some models do that to us. But then the satisfaction when we are finished is totally worth it. 

It reminds me of when I used to race downhill bikes. On the way down you are holding on for dear life, cussing yourself how stupid you were to decide to do this and as soon as you get to the bottom of the mountain and your legs stop shaking, you are immediately thinking "Lets do it again"!

[JNordgren42]

15 hours ago, mrm said:

Thank you Jason.

And yeah, some models do that to us. But then the satisfaction when we are finished is totally worth it. 

It reminds me of when I used to race downhill bikes. On the way down you are holding on for dear life, cussing yourself how stupid you were to decide to do this and as soon as you get to the bottom of the mountain and your legs stop shaking, you are immediately thinking "Lets do it again"!

Yes, the satisfaction of doing something I've never done before greatly outweighs any frustration in the moment. And if it goes to plan, it will be a damned impressive build of my all time favorite subject. And I do plan on doing it again with the Bandai 1/72 Perfect Grade Millennium Falcon (if I can ever get my hands on one for a somewhat reasonable price). I don't have a lot of space for big builds, but there are a couple that are close to my heart that are exceptions to the rule.

[mrm]

42 minutes ago, JNordgren42 said:

Yes, the satisfaction of doing something I've never done before greatly outweighs any frustration in the moment. And if it goes to plan, it will be a damned impressive build of my all time favorite subject. And I do plan on doing it again with the Bandai 1/72 Perfect Grade Millennium Falcon (if I can ever get my hands on one for a somewhat reasonable price). I don't have a lot of space for big builds, but there are a couple that are close to my heart that are exceptions to the rule.

Whaaaaat? 1/72 scale Millennium Falcon? That thing would be the size of a kitchen table. 

[JNordgren42]

14 minutes ago, mrm said:

Whaaaaat? 1/72 scale Millennium Falcon? That thing would be the size of a kitchen table. 

It's good sized, but it's still smaller than the DeAgostini or LEGO UCS Falcon. But it is exquisitely detailed and engineered, and is the definitive ANH Falcon in any scale (other than the filming model, of course). They did a ton of painstaking research, identifying all of the kitbash parts that were used on the original. Unfortunately it has a price tag to match, this listing on Amazon is actually not bad (it's about $100 above MSRP), if I had the spare hobby budget right now, I'd click buy in a heartbeat.

https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Perfect-Grade-Millennium-Falcon/dp/B073ZRGX6T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3U2LIN185MOPS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1HHzpBRjYpyBqCi0H2t3lzOpQNYpTVpPneO-iPEyZIliySTTkc47pn-AR5LiIsCHFy7yYzixMADu9gjNLAVB4BcSI2fszG1IFQhflL2-6u_rGwypwlZzNgnpSRzTab5oj1cyg9vVsBqvl4uZrE6BKbZo3CaHCj2oJiyZhFWGgT1RXYUY_zQpZHuamczgQbWfDCFR4D0pd44mEXQDHuGnNXrHQMHOwzZDPLQJV1A_Z2UHx_3miPvixyEEB7jsqryKQ-40mV8MVtVkZH8OyMaW78aMePTvVA3bQu5wYEkgSmw.eNVSniiNvOlhbpdempnwffyxQRrDZiTbklXpmVWgUUo&dib_tag=se&keywords=bandai%2Bperfect%2Bgrade%2Bmillennium%2Bfalcon%2B1%2F72&qid=1724426484&sprefix=%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1&th=1

[mrm]

1 hour ago, JNordgren42 said:

It's good sized, but it's still smaller than the DeAgostini or LEGO UCS Falcon. But it is exquisitely detailed and engineered, and is the definitive ANH Falcon in any scale (other than the filming model, of course). They did a ton of painstaking research, identifying all of the kitbash parts that were used on the original. Unfortunately it has a price tag to match, this listing on Amazon is actually not bad (it's about $100 above MSRP), if I had the spare hobby budget right now, I'd click buy in a heartbeat.

https://www.amazon.com/Bandai-Perfect-Grade-Millennium-Falcon/dp/B073ZRGX6T/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3U2LIN185MOPS&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.1HHzpBRjYpyBqCi0H2t3lzOpQNYpTVpPneO-iPEyZIliySTTkc47pn-AR5LiIsCHFy7yYzixMADu9gjNLAVB4BcSI2fszG1IFQhflL2-6u_rGwypwlZzNgnpSRzTab5oj1cyg9vVsBqvl4uZrE6BKbZo3CaHCj2oJiyZhFWGgT1RXYUY_zQpZHuamczgQbWfDCFR4D0pd44mEXQDHuGnNXrHQMHOwzZDPLQJV1A_Z2UHx_3miPvixyEEB7jsqryKQ-40mV8MVtVkZH8OyMaW78aMePTvVA3bQu5wYEkgSmw.eNVSniiNvOlhbpdempnwffyxQRrDZiTbklXpmVWgUUo&dib_tag=se&keywords=bandai%2Bperfect%2Bgrade%2Bmillennium%2Bfalcon%2B1%2F72&qid=1724426484&sprefix=%2Caps%2C99&sr=8-1&th=1

Looks amazing. My problem with projects like this is simply space. I have ran out of display space in my house years ago. And what's the point making a model like this if it can not be displayed. I watched the video. They really went above and beyond on this model it seems. Included all the LEDs too. My wife laughs that if we were to win the lottery the underground space dedicated to my hobbies would probably dwarf the living space in our house. I would need a large basement just for my LEGO desires. Then one for my die cast collections and then a third for my plastic models. 

[Funkychiken]

Toot your horn all you like! It's an excellent build!

[JNordgren42]

3 hours ago, mrm said:

Looks amazing. My problem with projects like this is simply space. I have ran out of display space in my house years ago. And what's the point making a model like this if it can not be displayed. I watched the video. They really went above and beyond on this model it seems. Included all the LEDs too. My wife laughs that if we were to win the lottery the underground space dedicated to my hobbies would probably dwarf the living space in our house. I would need a large basement just for my LEGO desires. Then one for my die cast collections and then a third for my plastic models. 

I'm in the same quandary with space. I generally build in 1/72 or 1/144 for aircraft or sci-fi, and 1/24-25 for cars. The 1/350 Enterprise is ginormous, it will be almost 3' long when it's done, plus whatever extra space I need for a base/enclosure. But it (and the Falcon if I ever get it) are definitely exceptions.

[mrm]

3 hours ago, JNordgren42 said:

I'm in the same quandary with space. I generally build in 1/72 or 1/144 for aircraft or sci-fi, and 1/24-25 for cars. The 1/350 Enterprise is ginormous, it will be almost 3' long when it's done, plus whatever extra space I need for a base/enclosure. But it (and the Falcon if I ever get it) are definitely exceptions.

I hear you. When the LEGO Titanic came out, I absolutely had to have it. It was the biggest LEGO set ever at the time and it is 5 feet long. $700 and limited to one purchase per person, because people were reselling them for double that. I got it and it took quite some time to build it. I had to convince my wife to buy a whole new console table in the living room to display it. On top of her being furious about the money I spend "on a stupid toy". LOL. I admire the woman for keeping up with my sheet sometimes. LOL