Shelliecool Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 (edited) On a recent trip to one of my local model/toy shops, I came across Italeri 's 1:72 Dakota Mk.III. I had recently watched a programme about the RAF's role during D day, so was instantly drawn to this kit. I have to admit however, that I had never been that keen on the Dakota. That was until, I had the luck of witnessing one display at Abingdon airshow with my family. Having seen the aircraft in action, I was very impressed, and realised it deserved a lot of respect. So, wanting to build a slightly larger aircraft (in prep for the Lancaster and Halifax in my stash) I am about to begin the Dakota. On opening the box I was greeted by a very impressive decal sheet (the box doesn't lie....it is pretty super!) There are 3 grey plastic sprues, all with a lot of detailing, and a small clear sprue. There seems to be minimal flash and it all looks pretty good (if rather big!😬). I am planning to use the paint scheme of 233 squadron of the RAF, which was based in Swindon between 1944/1945. I am a brush painter, the body of this aircraft is rather large however, so I will be relying on the trusty rattle can to get me through. So here goes, my first BIG build!!! Edited August 13, 2017 by Shelliecool 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Best of luck, watching with interest. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beard Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 One of the things stopping me from doing the larger aircraft in my stash, apart from the lack of shelves to display them on, is brush-painting large areas. Good luck with the rattlecans. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 I've built a couple of these over the years and they're not bad kits. Be careful of the lower fuselage seam between wing trailing edge and cargo door, it could do with a bit of internal reinforcement. If you're feeling keen you can open out the navigator's window on the port side between crew door and first main cabin window, but above the line of the main windows. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 An interesting project and one that should turn out well. A subject that really inspires you always results in a better build in my experience. Martian 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelliecool Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 I have only just started and already I'm having problems with paint! Actually, I have encountered the same problem with tubs of Humbrol paint over several builds. All purchased (from different shops) recently, the paint is rock solid and off! In today's case (Humbrol 166), having dug down and removed a blue rubbery substance, I have found thick paint! Time to move to Revell acrylics?? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Time to move to just about any other paint brand by the looks of it! Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PLC1966 Posted August 13, 2017 Share Posted August 13, 2017 Cough.........OCD alert........RAF not Raf................ As for the paint, had that with Humbrol Acrylics, seems they have put the base colour in and then not topped it up with the thinners type fluid that must I guess must be added. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelliecool Posted August 13, 2017 Author Share Posted August 13, 2017 34 minutes ago, PLC1966 said: Cough.........OCD alert........RAF not Raf................ As for the paint, had that with Humbrol Acrylics, seems they have put the base colour in and then not topped it up with the thinners type fluid that must I guess must be added. It certainly appears to be lacking in a thinning agent, I have managed to recover this pot by adding a little water (the others were set solid, and sadly ended up in the bin!). Apologies, I have edited the post! Thanks Michelle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted August 14, 2017 Share Posted August 14, 2017 A great subject for a build Michelle. I'm not sure, but this could be the old ESCI kit. I have the latter in the stash, sadly with a few parts missing. Italeri have another Dakota/DC 3 kit with different sprues, their own mould so to speak. Both are good; it's a beautiful aircraft. I've had the same trouble with many Humbrol acrylics. I don't want them to go out of business, just to be aware that this is happening and do something about it. I would like to send my dried out ones back, but I can't find an address for them on the website. I'm in Australia so want to make sure it goes to the right address (expensive postage). Maybe if we all send them back and ask for replacements, they'll stop it from happening? Good luck for an enjoyable build TonyT 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelliecool Posted August 14, 2017 Author Share Posted August 14, 2017 Having done a little online research today, I have decided to scrap the off tub of Humbrol 166 and opt for a darker grey instead. I have been painting the floor, seats, and interior panels tonight. Not that visible from the photo, I have painted the main floor pan dark grey, with cockpit green down the raised panels. Once dry I will give it a dirt wash. With the seats, I painted them olive drab (as per instructions) however, from photos the look greener, so I gave them a coat of cockpit green, added some silver for rub marks and dirt. This I have sealed in with Quick Shine, as they look glossy in photographs. The interior panels I have added radios and other equipment by painting them black, once dry I will add more details. Coming along ok I feel, it's a very absorbing and consuming build. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NAVY870 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Dont be too worried about exact matches with colours on Dakota's. Its a proven scientific fact that there are no Daks/C-47's/DC-3/ Goon's/Bikkie Bombers that are the same 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 (edited) On 14/08/2017 at 2:58 AM, TonyTiger66 said: A great subject for a build Michelle. I'm not sure, but this could be the old ESCI kit. I have the latter in the stash, sadly with a few parts missing. Italeri have another Dakota/DC 3 kit with different sprues, their own mould so to speak. Both are good; it's a beautiful aircraft. I've had the same trouble with many Humbrol acrylics. I don't want them to go out of business, just to be aware that this is happening and do something about it. I would like to send my dried out ones back, but I can't find an address for them on the website. I'm in Australia so want to make sure it goes to the right address (expensive postage). Maybe if we all send them back and ask for replacements, they'll stop it from happening? Good luck for an enjoyable build TonyT Tony, the contact address is at the bottom of the e-mail contact page on the Airfix.com website; from the home page scroll right down to the bottom, click om "Contact us" and then to the bottom of the second page. The address is 3rd Floor, The Gateway, Innovation Way, Sandwich, Kent. HTH, Steve. Edited August 15, 2017 by stever219 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyTiger66 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 2 hours ago, stever219 said: Tony, the contact address is at the bottom of the e-mail contact page on the Airfix.com website; from the home page scroll right down to the bottom, click om "Contact us" and then to the bottom of the second page. The address is 3rd Floor, The Gateway, Innovation Way, Sandwich, Kent. HTH, Steve. Many thanks Steve I'm not quite as sharp as I could be at the moment so that's very helpful. I feel a very Victor Meldrew style letter coming on, a padded envelope and some dried up new pots travelling around 10,600 miles. It's not that I'm focussed on the refund/replace side. I just hope that if enough people do it, they may make a special effort to rectify the problem in the production process. That way, they may sell more and a few British jobs will be more secure. Apologies for thread wander Michelle; happy to edit it out. Best regards TonyT 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Mc Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 This is the former Esci mould. I completed one only a few month ago although I finished it in NASA markings. It's a pretty decent kit. http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234991236-italeri-douglas-c-47-nasa-817/&tab=comments#comment-2151478 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Darby Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 I've never done one of those. I have been tempted and seeing that option has French and Italian decals may tempt me one day. Those Humbrol acrylics are rancid in the main. I do have a few but use them just for very small bit painting if the need arises. I do use Revell acrylics quite a lot for brush work on figures and some ships and not bad. They can get a bit thick on occasion. Just keep your brush damp and keep brushing them until almost dry. That's how I use them. Others may have different methods 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackem01 Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Looks to me like your making agreat start there despite your paint problems. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelliecool Posted August 16, 2017 Author Share Posted August 16, 2017 I have added some detailing to the radios, and electrical equipment since my last post and sealed it in with a coat of Quick Shine (to give it a more authentic look). I then began building the interior and cockpit of the aircraft. This has gone nice and smooth, and apart from adding some more detailing and weathering (to dirty the inside up a bit), it's all together. That is with the exception of the instrument panel. I painted this in the hope that a kit with such 'super decals,' would have a decal for this......but no! So before I can fix this into place I need to add some details by hand. Really enjoying this build so far. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 16, 2017 Share Posted August 16, 2017 That's looking just fine. Martian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelliecool Posted August 18, 2017 Author Share Posted August 18, 2017 My mission today was to create an instrument panel for the Dakota (it may not be visible when the build is complete, but I will know it's there!). Having found an image on the net I set to work, adding dials the best I could, and I'm fairly happy with my representation. I have since sealed it in with Quick Shine, and whilst it was drying I turned my focus to the wings. There was a little flash on these, and from a dry fit I discovered some gaps that will need filling. Having glued both halves together, I sat the fuselage next to them to discover the final(ish) size of the aircraft, and boy she's an impressive size! That's it for tonight! 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corsaircorp Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 Hello Michelle, You're a machine ! Great production line, you're way more fast than I used to be, Congratulations. Sincerely. Corsaircorp 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bristow95 Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 Enjoying this build as I built this exact kit in the past and found it lovely. It certainly looked the part when built. Keep up the good work. Regards 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 Going well there! Span-wise the real aeroplane is 7 feet shorter than a Lancaster, so just over an inch in 1/72th. You will not see much of your interior detailing, even with the cargo doors and crew door open: I spent too long adding seat belts to the troop seats in the back and the pilots' seats in my Airfix Dak and you can't see 80% or more of them, especially forward on the port side. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelliecool Posted August 19, 2017 Author Share Posted August 19, 2017 1 hour ago, stever219 said: Going well there! Span-wise the real aeroplane is 7 feet shorter than a Lancaster, so just over an inch in 1/72th. You will not see much of your interior detailing, even with the cargo doors and crew door open: I spent too long adding seat belts to the troop seats in the back and the pilots' seats in my Airfix Dak and you can't see 80% or more of them, especially forward on the port side. Thank you, I'm really enjoying this build so far. I do sometimes add harnesses and other bits but like you say guessed not a lot would be visible once in the fuselage, so I'm going to stop with the interior now. It's been good fun trying to replicate some of the details though. Thanks, Michelle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stever219 Posted August 19, 2017 Share Posted August 19, 2017 Next one I do I'm leaving the doors shut and saving myself a load of work!😁 It might well be KN452 in Coastal Command colours. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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