Italeri 1/48 MB.326

[goon]

Hi kids,

Next on my bench is the Italeri 1/48 MB.326. I'm planning on doing Argentine markings (not sure which scheme yet) and have the Neomega cockpit set to fit. This is my first WIP, so I'm looking forward to documenting the process.

Box shot.

Some of the cockpit set off the pouring stubs and under a coat of primer (I know I've missed a bit!)

Edited January 9, 2011 by goon

[Martian]

A nice little kit this, I am looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

Martin

[loloskymaster]

Hi Goon,

Ah, nice kit this ex-ESCI!

I have one on the bench to do in Ghana markings but only with two resin seats.

I have discover this resin pit a bit late but I am sure you will get a nice result with this!

Assembly is quite easy except with air intake that you will have to well fit dry before gluing parts.

So, show us next step.

Cheers,

Lolo

[goon]

Thanks for the tip Lolo. I think I'll be fitting FOD guards though, if I can find references.

[Ian]

Didn't know that Neomega had done a set for the little Macchi, I got my kit in the Esci box for almost nothing on that well known on-line auction site, so could easily justify splashing-out on a resin detil set - and let's be (very) honest, you can see everything under that enormous greenhouse/canopy.

Will bw watching as this one progresses, Grytpike

Ian

[goon]

Hi Ian,

The Neomega set is really nice, with lovely detail. Unfortunately there were no instructions in mine, so I e-mailed them, and received a reply that the illustrator they had commissioned had let them down, and no instructions exist! It's largely self explanatory, but a couple of bits have got me scratching my head.

Hopefully an update with photos before we go away for the weekend.

Grytpike

Hercules Grytpype-Thynne? "April in Parreeeesss....."

Edited November 23, 2010 by goon

[Avgas]

Nice start! Still one of my favourite little kits for a number of reasons.

I'll be watching..

[Metallicus]

That resin looks awesome!!

[goon]

OK, some more work done. I didn't realise how WIP builds really lay your work bare to viewers. The individual components in isolation, and magnified around 6 or 7 times (at least on my screen) really show the flaws! Using the inbuilt flash doesn't help tone things down either, but I can't be bothered getting the tripod out....

Rear cockpit bulkhead.

Two views of the cockpit tub, not quite finished.

One of the seats with most of the shading added, still a bit of work to do.

I'm also working on one of the instrument panels, punching tiny decals out of one of Mike Grant's sheets. Enormous fun and looking quite effective so far.

[Ian]

I'm also working on one of the instrument panels, punching tiny decals out of one of Mike Grant's sheets. Enormous fun and looking quite effective so far.

So you're taking this one pretty seriously then ??

Ian

[robw_uk]

I have just bashed this kit in to submission (original ESCI one I had at my parents from 1986/7 I guess).... it fits up quite nicely. Love the cockpit additions - mine didnt have anything as the canopy was damage so was covered in "tarpaulin"... will watch how you progress.....

[goon]

So you're taking this one pretty seriously then ??

Yeah, giving it a whirl, but my first WIP is not going well. I left my camera under a table in a restaurant in London last night. I haven't been able to raise them on the yet, but if they haven't got it there won't be any pictures for a while.

Stupidest thing I've ever done....

EDIT: Woohoo! Just been contacted by the restaurant and they found my camera under a table. I've just got to wait until on of my friends / relatives can bring it up from London for me! I'm so relieved....

Edited November 29, 2010 by goon

[goon]

Well, in lieu of pictures (see story about my camera above) I can tell you that I've finished painting all that resin, having corrected some of the belt colours on the seats, and buttoned up the fuselage. I've also cut out the flaps, and faired in the recesses and profiled the leading edge of the flaps.

It's going to be a couple of weeks until I get my camera back, so it may well be finished (yeah, right!) before you see any more pictures. This is very embarrassing for my first WIP!

[goon]

Ok, got my camera back today so here's where I'm up to. The airframe is in primer after making several attempts at rescribing lost and faint panel lines. The plastic is typical soft Italeri stuff, and a nightmare to work with.

You can see I have cut the flaps out, ready to position dropped.

Here they are with plastic fillets sculpted and smoothed.

The seats with shading finished and the belt colours corrected. I added some pull handles too.

Upper side view.

Cockpit in place.

A view of the rear cockpit and instrument panel.

Overall top view, and first beer of this Christmas. Have a great Christmas and New Year everyone!

[luis pacheco]

I have this kit in my list to do also.

Nice build. Looking forward.

Merry Xmas

[Ian]

Hey Grytpipe, that's the same beer glass that I use !! - Talk about kharma, not only are you building the same kit that I have, but you're drinking from the same glass. Looks like it's fate that I have to copy you sometime next year. Really nice work so far. Hope you dont mind but I'm keeping all the progress shots as reference.

Best

Bluebottle Ian

[loloskymaster]

Hello,

Ah, some good news!

Ready for the camouflage, now It seems to be ok.

Lolo

[goon]

Hi gang,

A little work done this morning, I'm off out to the shed after dinner to get some more done.

Here is the underside preshading.

Here is a tentative go at spraying the underside white. I think I can afford to thin it a little more. It looks more grey here because the white balance of the image is a little bit off. I'm trying to build up the colour slowly. I hate spraying white!

[goon]

The white is finished:

The top side showing the preshading.

Off out to do the top side grey later.

[goon]

Some pics with the paint on. I had to do some touching up of the black areas, but it was quite straightforward. I've got a lot of the decals on now, but had a bit of an issue with micro sol dissolving some of the Klear and the paint underneath. Some careful remedial work will be needed.

[Ian]

H.N.Y.

Don't want to sound all expert'ish here, but I'd give the underside another shot of white, still looks a wee bit grey to me - but that could be the photo's having a detrimental effect.

Just a thought.

Ian

[goon]

Hi again everyone.

Ian, the photos make the white far more grey than it actually is, with the colour balance being a bit off.

Got the decals finished today. I was worried about how they would perform, being from a battered second-hand kit of unknown age, but they have been superb, settling down perfectly on to detail with just micro-set and sol.

I have however had a bit of a disaster with some staining. It's not on all the decals so think the brush for the sol has been contaminated with some dirt. I have yet to come up with a method of cleaning it up. Reapplying sol or Klear doesn't work. Any ideas?

Where it pooled under the nose it actually dissolved the Klear and the paint beneath. Here is the damaged area before a little squirt of paint to make it good. I think I might have got away with it!

Thanks for looking, more soon.

Edited January 6, 2011 by goon

[goon]

Well I've had to slow down now I'm back at work, and getting to the point where things can only proceed in sequence. Obviously it's up on it's gear (and not a tail-sitter! Phew...) and I've got the flaps glued in position.

Here is the model after some Promodeller washes, before the flat coat was sprayed. That is currently drying, and once I've sourced a replacement for the beacon light I lost, and sorted out the wing lights I'll post some more.

[Ian]

Very simple & elegant scheme, Grytpipe. Any chance it will make it to any shows this year, would like to see it 'in the flesh' one day ??

Ian

[Giorgio N]

Looks good to me ! The accident on the nose is quite annoying. Never had such reaction with micro sol, while it happened a couple of times with the gunze equivalent.