obdl3945

Hi... As others have said, a lovely model and I applaud your time and effort with this oldie. If I may be very picky, there is one error... the codes on the right side of the fuselage are the wrong way round. In this case, 'F5' was the unit's parent code and was always presented to the left of the national marking, irrespective of what side of the fuselage you look at. Four-character alpha-numeric codes such as this always read from left to right and always started with the parent code. I notice several of the mainstream model manufacturers also getting this wrong on their instruction sheets in recent years which is sad, as it encourages people to get it wrong on their models and consequently, I've seen some beautiful kits spoiled somewhat when the error is replicated. Otherwise, your kit is first class and as far as rescribing is concerns, light years ahead of anything I would attempt. I congratulate you on your efforts. Regards, Paul

Hi, guys... Thanks for your comments. Glad you liked the pics. I hope ZM bring out more kits of this standard as it was a joy to build. Looks far more complicated than it actually is but still has enough of a challenge to keep you busy! Regards, Paul

Hi... finished the impressive Zoukei-Mura Horten Ho9 recently... some pics below (quite a few!) Hope you enjoy them. First, engines... Then internal fuselage supports, finished in wood effect with metallic framework, clips/bolts and fairings picked out. Lower frame to be completed, upper frame finished. Right side of central fuselage section with wood-effect frame in position. Test run of fitting engines into framework. Test fit of transparent skinning. In my kit, this will be overpainted but shows how good it might look if you choose to leave the skin transparent. Good snug fit all round. One of my favourites... a profile view of the central fuselage showing the sleek lines of the design. This is the inside of the upper central section, again finished in wood effect. Much of the interal area will be seen on completion so even if camouflaging the external surfaces, the internal areas will benefit from a good bit of effort as well. Another test fit of the forward nose section. The metalic and white paint you see are again internal, the white being the undercoat for the subsequent wood effect. Testing the rear upper central section cover, minus the nose. Wing details with fuel tanks and control surface actuators attached. Wings and central section complete, awaiting test fitting. Four small transparent pegs, two upper and two lower on both wing roots hold each wing in place... surprisingly sturdy given the weight of the wing relative to the the pegs. I permanently fitted the wings so had to fair over the wing root with some filler to blend it properly. Underside of central section, clearly showing the 'see through' quality of the model and confirming why the insides really need painting as well. The start of the colour scheme - late war greens x 2, plus brown. All this as well as wave pattern on control surfaces and the 'spine' of the centre section behind the canopy applied using a spraygun. Close up shots of the forward central section and cockpit area. Two seats are provided, one with no detail and the other with the integrally moulded seat belts... beautifully reporduced and look great when finished. And finally, the completed kit in the markings of JG7 and a comparison with a same-scale Trumpeter Me262B-1a/U1 nightfighter. ZM have produced a beautiful masterpiece with this kit that will suprise many. Few tricky bits but the main one was getting the nosewheel support strut to locate deep within the central section framework. Camouflage and markings, of course, are a figment of the builder's imagination as the aircraft never reached operational status. I opened a couple of small fuel hatches on the upper port wing and a hatch in the underside of the nose section, as well as turning the nosewheel, just to give the model a bit of life This is my first ZM kit but hoepfully will not be the last. All nine instalments of the build are over on Hyperscale in the 'Plastic Pics' forum, under the heading: 'Zoukei-Mura Horten Ho229 - Part 1' (2, 3 etc). Hope you like the pics and thanks for looking in. Regards, Paul

First class, Fuad... lovely kits and well finished. Regards, Paul

Well-finished model, Claudius... love the paintwork . Regards, Paul

Hi, Stu... Nice build. I agree with you that the canopy frames are 'vague', and I had a fight with the 'T'-shaped exhaust surround on the top of the cowlings, but generally, it's a lovely model. He111 out at the end of the year and a Ju87B-1 in the summer... allegedly. Here's hoping. regards, Paul

I really like this. It captures the real aircraft perfectly. Excellent work in 1/72 scale nd just goes to show what's possible. Well done. Regards, Paul

Excellent finish on 'il gobbo' ... truly a 'handsome hunchback'! Very well done. Regards, paul

Hi, Thanks to everyone once again for your kind comments... . Regards, Paul

Thanks, guys, for all your comments. sdk_uk... the main canopy is a bit of a neat fit and you may need to firmly attach at one end (I use Krystal Klear to attach canopies) and clamp in place with some low-tak masking tape and once dry, repeat at the opposite end; the KK will also allow a little flexibility. Other transparencies are good, although personally, I think the frame lines on the nose transparency are fractionally oversized, but that could just be my mind comparing with the replacement vacuform items I've previously used on the old Frog/Monogram kits. Glad you all like the end result. Thanks for looking in. Regards, Paul

Hi, folks... Hope you've all had a great Chrsitmas and also looking forward to a happy and peaceful New Year. By way of ending the old year, a new model... a few images of Airfix's new Do17Z-2 kit. This is a nice offering and I'm now looking forward to their release of the Ju87B-1 and He111P, due July and December 2015 respectively, and apparently able to be pre-ordered now... nothing like being organised... The kit has been finished in the markings of Gruppenstab, III./KG3 based at Heiligenbeil/East Prussia in September 1939. Full build details can be found over on Hyperscale54 under the heading 'Airfix's elegant Pencil'. Enjoy, and thanks for looking in. Regards, Paul

Hi, folks... Thanks for all your comments. I appreciate every one... :-). This was a fun build, despite the long hours at the weekends. Got my next topic lined up, but that's a wee bit away still. Off to have a well-deserved lie down! Thanks again for looking in. Kindest regards, Paul

Hi, Steve... Thanks for your comment... :-). I acquired my kit from my local model shop at the full-fat price! Worth every penny, though. Regards, Paul

Hi... My latest completed model is an old favourite... Airfix's 1/24 scale Ju87B. More or less OOB - some additional wire at the back of the engine made from differing lengths of fuse wire, added percussion rods to the wing bombs, home-made cushion for pilot's seat and seat belts added, a lot of fiddling with the cowling covers to get them to sit better and alternative markings. I used Humbrol's new Luftwaffe enamels which are almost completely buried under the snow scheme. All twelve installments of the build are over on Hyperscale under the same thread title as here. Two and a bit weeks of work and rather tired eyes. Enjoy... ;-) Markings are of an aircraft from Geschwaderstab/St.G.2 on the Eastern Front. Hope you like the end result. Regards, Paul

Great build and excellent paintwork on the camouflage scheme. Wonderful...! Regards, Paul

Hi, Adrian... I have to say, I looked in on your He111 post... what you did with that 'oldie' was quite something; as with Sean's use of the early Revell Bf109E, the old Airfix He111H-20 sparked great interest in my formative mind at an early age. Mercifully, I was blissfully unaware of the then Frog counterpart, as it portrayed the earlier Battle of Britain vintage machine as opposed to the late model Airfix offered... and then along came Matchbox's kit which, at the time, was a complete revelation to me... early-style dorsal windshield and well replicated offset nose turret! Only years later did I appreciate the later versions' nose turret didn't rotate and hence wasn't as visually pronounced as the early versions. As for Humbrol's new shades, I really like them. There is a part of me that wishes they were 'standard' quality like the rest of the range and not the gloopy stuff but only because I've built up a working knowledge of how to use the standard shades and what they're like to work with, although on the other hand the new shades do compel one to (re)learn the old ways of paint-brushing. I only use white spirit or turps substitute for thinning but as you can see from the images above, the coats of paint are applied very thinly and quickly and I feel this is what allows them to dry fast. It also helps if, like me, it's relatively easy to set aside a whole day and, having painted the pale grey undercoat the day before and allowed it to dry thoroughly, it's quite easy to do four coats every two or so hours. So, one uses the equivalent of a working day to spread the paint work and of course, if done quickly but carefully, even allowing for slight over-application of very thinned coats in a few areas, the results should be good; it's the rapidity of application and thinness of the paint that holds the key, I think, as well as not expecting the first couple of coats to immediately reach 'exhibition-standard' perfection. I feel it is and indeed, should be, a progression towards the depth of finish you want to achieve at your own pace. The other thing the process may instill is patience. As with all things modelling though, please practice on an old kit or some scrap pieces before applying to your latest beloved creation... I take no responsibility for mishaps! I mentioned 'weathering by default', and what I meant was quickly-applied coats that leave brush mark traces and also some of the undercoat showing through, with the darker green suffering the same end result but instead, having some of the lighter shade of dark green showing through - to be clear, I do not mean the colour below 'lifting' through the colour above as would be the case in say, overpainting a non-yet fully dried previous coat, but rather, the deliberate choice to create a streaked effect by applying paint layers so thin that the previous shade will inevitably still be seen to some extent, in the same manner that, as seen in the above images, we see the initial dark green allowing the pale grey undercoat to show through due to the thinness of the dark green coats of paint; one can build up the shades to the preferred level of depth and consistency - see Sean's Bf109 above, where the coats are very uniform and don't detract at all from achieving an excellent and even finish. However, if you want to reflect something more battle-weary, I think the thinly streaked application of paint works rather well in offering the more 'used' appearance. Personally, this approach benefits me because although I marvel at those modellers who use pastel pencils, oils and various shades of black-washing to enhance their models, their skills are way beyond mine in that particular respect and I have no inclination to try and equal their achievements as I am more than happy with the level I have attained so far. Also, I have a built collection just shy of 200 Luftwaffe kits and I'm bedeviled now as to whether or not to continue with my old compound shades or heartily adopt the new Humbrol shades, as doing the latter will create a two-tier finish throughout my collection which, if those carrying an RLM70/71/65 scheme are progressively repainted and/or replaced, I'll have little time for wonderful weathering, or much else besides! I've enjoyed this thread and having an opportunity to discuss something like new paints on a more technical level. Might I also say, that although not offering a posting into this thread, I note many have 'liked' the article using the 'Like This' button... you know who you are and my thanks to you all, seen and unseen, who have taken time to comment by whichever mechanism. Kindest regards, Paul

Hi, guys... Thanks for the comments. Glad you liked the outcome of the paintwork. Sean... do my eyes deceive me, or is your Bf109E the (very!) old Revell 1/72 kit from so many years ago that I'd rather not say just how long?! That was one of my first kits, when I was about ten... so not recently, sadly! I was quite impressed with the box artwork I seem to remember - not so much for the presentation of the sleek '109', but because the backdrop was portrayed as a lovely evening sunset, or was it an early morning sunrise... strange the things one remembers! Regards, Paul

Hi... I decided to repaint an 'old' Hasegawa Ju88 recently, if for no other reason to try out Humbrol's new Luftwaffe range of colours for land-based aircraft - RLM70/71, having already tried the maritime RLM72/73 already. I've also noticed a few people saying the new paints are a little difficult to work with, so here's my efforts at trying something new. I should also add that my comments are in relation to applying these paints using a paintbrush rather than an airbrush, although I have read that they apparently spray well. The model was given an undercoat of the the standard Humbrol light grey 64, and when dry a first coat of RLM71 (Humbrol 242) was applied. Several threads I've read recently mention the paint is a rather 'gloopy' coming out of the tin, and it is. It really needs thinning out quite a bit. On this occasion, I used a standard brush but previously when trying the maritime colours on a larger aircraft kit, I used a broad, flat brush. Not sure there's much difference as both will do the job; perhaps the slight advantage of the broader brush is it will spread the thin coat of paint a little wider and therefore may cut down the amount of brushwork. A standard brush will require you to go over your initial application a couple of times to ensure it is properly spread thin. I actually quite like the initial result; admittedly there are obvious brush marks but this doesn't bother me as further coats to come will provide a lot more uniformity. Strangely, however, I quite like the streaked effect and even when built upon with successive coats, it has a slight tendency to linger. The first two images below show the initial application to the model and the following two show the kit after about four coats - bear in mind these are very thin layers and time must be left between applications. I gave it a couple of hours between each. Despite this, you will have to be careful as over thinning will produce areas of poor visual appearance; the beauty however of having an accurate shade straight from the tin is that any additional painting needing done does not require the guesswork of a compound shade to try and remedy the situation. Also, there shouldn't be any compromise on the detail of the model's surfaces - because the paint layers are ideally very thin, they don't tend to clog up the engraved detail but I suppose this will be dictated by how may coats you may wish to apply. In the next image, the darker RLM70 shade (Humbrol 241) has now been applied to create the splinter pattern. Again, being a thin coat, it too will leave some brush marks only this time it will be the lighter of the two dark greens showing through. Depending on your preference, you could apply several coats but I elected to paint only one coat of dark green - in hindsight, two may have been better but I don't think it unduly detracts from the end result. In the following image, the depth of each shade is apparent, indeed perhaps brightened somewhat due to the camera flash. On the lower left wing and in the area immediately behind the cockpit, my exuberance with the outlining of the splinter area has resulted in these outlines being more visible than the infilled area, and in the other fuselage area and the right engine nacelle, the dangers of over application are apparent. Neither of these should be overly problematic. If you suffer the same problems, then wait until the area is dry then recoat with the same shade in an almost 'drybrushing' manner, with next to nothing on the brush but enough to build up the uniformity. The undersides were completed with Standard Humbrol enamels of yellow and a compound mix for the pale blue; weapons stores come from the kit but the dive brakes were replaced with items from the Italeri kit as I feel they are slightly better represented. In these last two photos, the completed model can be seen. It was sprayed with gloss varnish ahead of applying the markings; the rudder kill markings should be on both sides of the rudder but I ran out of transfers for this so at present, the model only sports kill markings on the right side. Thereafter, the model was coated with Humbrol's matt varnish a couple of times to produce the finish you see here. Close inspection will show some continued streaking in the final result, but to my mind it is more a case of 'weathering by default' and I am very happy with the end outcome. The canopies had become very dust-encrusted over the years but I have at last found a combination to rectify this - using a cotton bud, apply a coat of Revell's Aqua Colour Clean fluid, which will give instant clarity but this will fade quickly as the liquid dries. However, it will remove the dust. Once completely dry, this taking only a few minutes, a careful application of floor polish with a small paint brush will give you gleaming results. So, in the last image above, a large degree of uniformity of finish has been achieved. The original markings were all replaced from the spares box. An addition machine-gun was added to the forward nose transparency and flame-thrower... yes, flame-throwers :-)... were attached to the rear fuselage under the horizontal tailplanes. This colour scheme appears in the 'Luftwaffe im Focus' edition 19 publication, with good photos of the aircraft and an excellent colour profile of this machine by Claes Sundin. One word of caution, however, is that the profile shows the cowling ring as being yellow. As this area of the engine cowling was coloured to reflect the Gruppe status within this unit, and due to the aircraft being operational with the I.Gruppe, I believe the cowling rings should be presented as white, the I/D colour for I.Gruppe. This was the only modification I made to the colour scheme. The aircraft is shown in the markings of Gruppenstab, I./KG51 while operating on the Eastern Front and although an A-4 subtype, it is clearly shown in photos with the earlier A-1/A-5 straight hinge line at the top of the rudder. Hope you like the images and perhaps the info on the new Humbrol colours will be helpful too. Regards, Paul

Ausgezeichnet! Yes, that's almost the extent of my German, but I'm sure you understand it, Kai... . A wonderful, subtley understated colour scheme, beautifully brought to life with the shading and weathering. Truly an outstanding first post. I look forward to seeing your future offerings. Kindest regards, Paul

Hi, Andy... Very smart. Did you use the kit canopies, or replacements? Those pieces were the only thing I didn't like about the kit(s) when I was building them so replaced them all with Falcon vacuforms instead; otherwise, a very well produced model by Italeri (now Fujimi...? I think they got the moulds afterwards). Regards, Paul

Hi, Mick... To be honest, when I read your previous post and you commented you hadn't got a pitot tube with your kit, I did look over at my model as I couldn't remember if there was one there or not! I have to say I can't remember if it came with the kit... heavens, old age catching up on me! I'd like to see the end result of your kit when you're done... I'm sure it'll be good :-). Regards, Paul

Hi, Mick... The attachments at the rear of the floats are small wheels, not rudders. They were attached when the aircraft was removed from the water and placed onto the beaching trolly so as to facilitate the trolley being pulled by a tractor, without the back of the floats scraping along the ground. The ones on my kit are tailwheels from Italeri's 1/72 He111. Glad you liked the end result. Regards, Paul

Hi, Fuad... Top notch again! Lovely finish on this kit. I've got two W34hi kits which I would say were challenging but very unusual. I've still to acquire the W34hau but you've certainly made me think about doing so. Well done. Regards, Paul

Hi, Paul... That's a first class finish. The kit looks very smart and the detail - lowered flaps, bomb bay etc - seems to be rather good. I'm looking forward to Airfix's Do17Z in due course. The images on the internet of the parts look equally good and well detailed as this Blenheim model. You've captured the aircraft very well and it's got a clean finish, too. Well done... . Regards, Paul

Well, that was tour de force...! Excellent outcome, though. I've always loved the He111 and my first was the Airfix kit. I sat in my dad's car all the way home burning a hole in the box artwork and examining every last detail of the image, hoping to goodness he would 'help me build it' soon... twelve year olds then, as I was, had a somewhat hopeful disposition, sadly not fully realised. The kit sat in the highest top shelf of the cupboard for at least two years before my dad got time to help! I sympathise re the new Humbrol Luftwaffe range, but having persevered - and also having tried the acrylic offering of same before the enamels to catastrophic effect! - I can say I am warming to them. A Ju88 awaits as I type and I hope to finish it in RLM70/71. I've already tried the maritime shades 72/73 and I think they're good, although I did tone down the darker shade a little. They do require a couple of extra coats but I think it's worth the effort. Again, your He111 is a great build and lovely end result . Regards, Paul