caterhamnut

That's cool - many thanks GW!

De Havilland Mosquito FB Mk.VI This particular version is modeled on one that took part in Operation Jericho, RNZAF, No 487 Squadron Finally - that took a while! My first aircraft kit (although I started and finished a Spitfire for a mate in between) and it is a cracker - I know it is expensive, but cannot fault this Tamiya kit. Although I used some Eduard detail kits (engines, guns etc) you certainly do not need these to make the kit amazing. I'm learning the weathering thing, and I know this is a little 'dirty' - but I thoroughly enjoyed it and learning what I did, having been inspired by the masterpieces elsewhere on this forum... ...sorry, I find it hard to edit the number of photos I want to do some more pics with a bit of photoshop play, backgrounds etc.... And finally - I posted the montage below on FB.... ...within minutes a friend sent me this. She made my day and it makes me smile each time I see it.... Build 'WIP' can be found here:

Gonna start a finished thread, but here is a preview!

Cheers Kirk - that is very kind....wall mounting vertically makes a lot of sense - I have also seen something like that on FB recently - it works for F1 cars as well (full size!) Some of the 'grass' mats you can get now look incredible, but aimed at 'tank' size models, so maybe a combination of grass-next-to-runway might work... I have the 'spare' Merlin engines (one Tamiya, one Eduard) to build up, along with the Tamiya gun that didn't get used - I'd like to make them up as well to display - a few options! If the Mossie was 'in flight' I'd do what I did with the Spitfire, which I was really pleased with - base part of a cheap IKEA LED light....

I added a bit of shadow to the canopy... ...although I seem to have not taken any pictures of that! I bought one of those plywood frames to hold the plane while I work on it - a bit flimsy, but I recommend it - saves damage from fingers etc, especially when working on the underside. At this point I was touching up chips etc where paint had fallen off some PE bits... It can be adjusted for different sized models... Props were next - I had left them as I did not want to damage them. Although I painted and 'weathered' the hubs, they won't be seen (of course!) I did add some 'chips' to the leading edges of the blades, and add some 'streaks' - but kept it quite subtle. Next it was the exhausts. I used some of that 'buffing' Humbrol paint which I had from years ago, oils and some rust 'powder' - no real planned combination, but it came out ok! ...again, some of the shine was taken back later. Almost forgot the mesh guards that are on the air intakes! I used graphite pencils and some wash to add depth to the engine that would be on display...this is a 'finished' shot... I had to tweak the multi-part canopy a bit to help it fit - the internal frame was a little high and was stopping the clear bit from fitting easily, so I had pried it off the model, and shaved a tiny bit off the frame so it sat a fraction lower - then I glued the canopy itself on with white glue. And that was pretty much it! I took lots of 'finished' photos (which I'll post in the 'finished' section!) and only after taking these did I realize I had missed off one part - the windscreen wiper!! (now added) Now I just have to figure out how to display/mount it. I like the idea of keeping it clean, but it needs something, so maybe a grassy base....then what - I don't know! No where to display, and the joy was in the building for me, so maybe sell it? But then again I like the idea of displaying it with the 1/32nd Lancaster (HUGE) and a 1/32nd Spitfire and Hurricane! Finished photos next...

So, where was I - the Mossie made it back from New York ok, but has been sat waiting for the final touches - fitting the canopy, tail fin, exhausts, props & final weathering touch ups etc....and some crew! I'd left it too late to add any crew into the cockpit (I wanted everything visible and not blocked - of course, once closed up you can't see anything anyway) - but there is a pilot posed to climb the ladder into the cockpit, so I may well use him. Never having painted any figures, I painted all of them while I did the 1/24 Spit pilot. First layers of colour...now adding some depth. Gloss will be removed at the end (matt) At this point I took some new shots in the photo cube...just testing! Engines have no detail paint at this point - or exhausts... Also got a few shots of things that will soon disappear!

About time I updated this thread! Amazingly - I've finished the model! I can't wait to be settled enough to set up a proper 'permanent' man-cave modelling table, but right now I am still semi-permanent, so modelling has taken a back seat for a while - but I HAD to finish this beauty, as I was so close...I did sneak the Airfix 1/24 Spitfire build in, which I built for a friend - I already posted that on here. I'll carry on and update the build process first..

oh bugger - I missed the mirror!! I'll have to make that and go and fix it! I knew there were some variations on the aerial - to be totally honest I added the fine wire because it is a nice model detail! I appreciate it may not be 100% accurate...but great links above - thanks!

This is a big deal!! My FIRST post in a 'finished' section after multiple 'WIP' threads!! Build diary can be found here

Final post on this one - it's a bloody miracle but I've actually finished a model, after numerous WIP threads.... Final touches first... With this model being wheels up I needed some sort of stand to display it. Th eSpitfire is iconic in that banked view, so I wanted Mark to have the option of displaying like that - but this is also a big kit... I'm quite chuffed with my solution...buy one LED light from IKEA, take out the lighty bits, cut the bendy bit down, add some supporting washers and enlarge the hole for the nav light in the belly of the plane - et voila - fully adjustable stand....it has worked really well - and the remaining bendy bit has been reunited with the light bits, given a wooden base and now becomes a usable LED light again.... The model fits snuggly on the stand with no glue, so can be removed as required... Final pieces on the kit was the exhausts. I added a bit of texture and weathered them a bit - and then used graphite pencil scrapings to add that metallic finish... And that was it! So onto the finished pictures...

Still got the exhausts to add, but been a bit distracted....took a few pictures in the photo cube anyway...

Sorry Dave - hadn't signed in to here for ages so not seen your message etc!

Hi Dave - 'pulley face' detail PE sheet, as below...

Looking at the start of your thread, I think you have a much bigger challenge than me! My wings were certainly not suffering like yours are, and judging by the white moulding in your pic, mine looks like it was 're-freshed'! Good luck

That is very kind - but please note - any detail I added to the sides of the cockpit is pretty much made up

Cheers guys - yeah, I went a bit heavy on those - I may try and 'dilute' them a bit, so it is more of a smokey waft, rather than a streak.....

thanks guys, appreciated

So looked much better in matt... ...so it was on to some weathering. I've only ever done one other, so I am sticking to what I know at this point - so the end result will be a 'used' Spitfire - as opposed to a polished-to-perfection version! I am very aware that half the skill during this next stage is knowing when to stop... I'm missing my Tamiya Panel Gap wash (waaaay too dangerous for the UK apparently!) which worked very well, so it is straight to the oils.... ...always a bit scary this bit... ...and then wipe off, hopefully leaving some detail behind! I wipe in the 'direction' of the airflow. The molded rivets did not hold much black - but I think it turned out ok. I pretty quickly started on adding localised detail, in the form of stains, smoke trails, exhaust etc...again using oils. I dotted oil on and brushed with a 'dry' brush. Used a mix of black and some burnt umber. You can see I have added some more parts - the light behind the cockpit, and the aerial mast. I added the cockpit canopy - fitted surprisingly well, and the sliding bit...slides! At this point I also glued the prop on, and the airspeed tube on the underside of the wing (if that is what it is) - I also added an aerial wire - I AM AWARE THIS MAY NOT BE PERIOD/CORRECT - but it is a nice detail - I was showing my 'customer/mate' a little later yesterday, so I wanted all the fine stuff on - I'll probably take the wire back off again though... I used Tamiya flat clear sprayed from the can between various layers of oil etc - otherwise finger marks will show. The only main parts missing on these final photos are the exhausts - although I have added the exhaust staining. So very almost there! Just got to figure out how to mount it (in flight) but I do want to show it 'banking' as opposed to in level flight. For such a much-maligned kit, I'm pretty chuffed with the end result...when it is 100% finished, I want to take some proper pictures of it - it is big though! I may even try some taken at the old WW2 airfield that is a few miles away - Harrowbeer, Yelverton.

Had a minor potential disaster (and got away with it) where I had been using Tamiya airbrush cleaner (from Belgium!) and had a bit on a piece of kitchen roll, which I then rested the model on - luckily it was only on a one-colour section - so a quick gentle re-spray of the area worked - few!! I obviously had not learnt my lesson - when I was making the Brabham BT52 I managed to wipe the freshly dried blue Zero paint with a similar rag, and cause much more damage - perils of working on a small, temporary space - arrrgh!! Ginger had survived all the manhandling... ...and the canopy is going to fit! ...so on to the decals. Really comes alive now - I had sprayed a semi-gloss clear to protect the paint and help the decals, so everything looks very shiny right now... So, now onto the hard bit - adding a bit of weathering and detail! Quick question for Spitfire nerds - rear wheel - up or down? You see both in pictures....

Thanks guys - it is getting there - kit is certainly not worthy of ignoring if you have one, it comes together 'ok'! More filler - had to plug one of the pairs of gun holes, and the wing roots are a real pain on this model - each side is a different profile, and there are prominent ridges - that get sanded away as you try and fill gaps etc! Spent longer on this area than any other... I ended up adding some very thin strips of plastic to re-define this wing root area... The engine panels had prominent fittings in the molding, some of which got sanded off during fitting. I decided to replace these - they are more flush on most models, but are a nice bit of detail on this one - I used PE 'washers' glued on to represent these - lower profile than the ones that had been moulded on - lots of them though! I also used a generic PE 'pulley' to replace the crude detail of what I presume is an oil filler cap or similar, situated on top of the forward fuselage. I added the very nice extra detail set of cannon... Now onto the painting. On the only other plane I have made, I used oils on the top surface to simulate panel profiles, panel gaps etc and shading - on this model I decided to try the method of airbrushing black shadows BEFORE the top coat. Took a while to get the airbrush set correctly (low) and to get the steady hand required to freehand the lines, but super-accuracy is not required here... This had the desired effect... HOWEVER - I was not happy with the colour. I had read that sometimes the proposed colour for this top surface of the Spitfire can be a little dark, so had tried a slightly lighter colour - but was still not happy - easy to respray another slightly darker colour on top - but I had to re-spray those pesky shadow lines again! But happier with the colour...and with my first attempt at the shading. I then had a similar issue with the underside - the colour that was suggested seemed too close to the top grey, so I ended up doing this twice as well - the smaller XF-83 was suggested, but I ended up using XF-19 - very subtlely lighter - but I also know that when I use my oils later, it will make things slightly darker anyway... Finally it was the time for the Dark Green (RAF) - I used my Blutack method I used on the Mossie - I like the slightly soft edge it gives. Before spraying the green I had to re-apply those shade lines again, once masked. Pretty pleased with the final result... ...and now some airbrushed details, such as stripe and yellow around the gun ports... I had also completed the canopy sections - I had bought some after-market masks, which seemed to work ok. There were internal and external masks - I was going to spray the internal colour the same as the light green cockpit, but pictures suggest that the canopy framework itself was actually dark grey/black. As I had already sprayed the dark green, I left the internal like this... So now onto the decals!

That is very kind Thom! I'd bought the Eduard harness set before I knew I was going to have Ginger in place, but still wanted to use at least some of it! Added the linkage I had seen in various source pics... I had already filed off the moulded in harness, glued these on top...I'll certainly add some wash etc to these, as they are far to clean and flat! With that - I glued the two halves together... I can still reach what I need to reach at final touch-up stage. Fitting the fuselage to the wings required some....thinning! Lots of lumpy, thick tooling here from this old kit... Lots of rigging to help parts line up and set where I wanted them to! Gluing in spacers to hold the wing skins together... But starting to look like a plane now... Let the filling, sanding and cursing begin. Although I had fitted the undercarriage, the plane will be 'flying' - so don't need this... I decided to cut the undercarriage out, so I could fix the wheel covers neatly, and glue the wheels in evenly, without being tied to the lazily moulded undercarriage struts etc. I also added the walls to the wheel bays... Not going to add huge detail, but did add some mesh to these visible rads... Now it is the new-skill-to-learn of re-scribing panel lines! ...and lots of sanding. Added a missing strut, then covered Ginger. ...so I could get some filler-primer on. and then start filling, sanding and re-scribing all over again!

what you are saying is 'messy' - lol!! Thanks mate - I hope it comes out well. Cheers guys - appreciated as always... Here are my attempts at the figure painting!! This is obviously a new skill to learn - I'll show some of the Mossie crew here as well for comparison, as I have done them at the same time - not finished yet. Amazing the difference in size from 1/32nd to 1/24! 1/32nd Test fit: I also applied some basic washes to the interior of the cockpit...

Right - shrank the chair! Pretty crude - but as I said, won't be seen AT ALL - and i want to finish this model! I've added a bit of 'padding' - (and obviously painted too early!) The filler inside is where the pilot part goes - I painted my 'fake' cockpit details.... ...and painted the instrument panel - I managed to get some white onto the clear parts, which have the dials cast in - when assembled with a black background, these actually look ok! (no decals) A test fit shows how little of any of this you will actually be able to see!! Especially with Ginger in position! Going to have to cheat Gingers physical appearance a bit to make him hold everything properly... I've also started removing his molded-in harness so I can use the Eduard detail parts I bought - at least the top straps that thread through the bulkhead to attach behind the seat...

Cool - on it then!. Yes, pilot looks like a kid playing in a big boys chair!

So Antb - this additional seat you had suggests the kit version is waaaaay too big - that the case? I'll have to do a bit of re-modelling of that is the case!!