AntoineG

Very nice job for a nice aircraft! What did you used for the life raft?

Excellent job with this vampire. And nice pictures!

Very nice model and excellent choice of marking (I'd like to do the same for years....) And the weathering is just amazing

Hi, With lot of events in my personal life and with another completed project (I’ll post it soon in the correct topic), it has been a quite difficult to progress on the Rufe. Nevertheless, here is the latest update. Engine: painted with Alclad and with some added wires made of stretched spue. That will be enough at this scale. Trailer: assembled. I painted a first layer of steel (Alclad) then applied some Maskol with a spare foam (coming from the Aires kit). A layer of flat black is applied and the Maskol removed. Still some patches of rust to be added. This will probably be made of Humbrol 113 mixed with some sprue dust. This is the first time I use this method of weathering. So before doing it on the complete aircraft, the trailer is used as a test. Feel free to comment and provide any advice. Float: after the test on the trailer, I started working on the main float. First a layer of Aclad Aluminium, then some foam-applied Maskol and then some red for various warning and markings. In accordance with various sources, I used Gunze H327 for the red, lightened by a few drop of yellow for weathering. Cheers, Antoine

One last picture taken under the good old sun light

Wünderbar !!!! It looks really amazing. I really like your choice for the camouflage and the way you mastered it.

Hi, I don't know how you manage your modelling, but for me, finishing a kit always takes ages Anyway, here is the end results (at last). Since last time, some touch-up of the paint (rear of the cockpit) and scratch built of the gear bay doors with their retracting mecanisms. Thanks again for all your encouraging messages for this first participation to this forum. Cheers, Antoine

I love it! Superb job! Antoine

Thank you guys. Glad you like it.

Hi, Thank you for your comments. Here are the latest progresses. Decals have been applied and sandwiched between two layers of gloss varnish. I know lot of people use some Future-like product but to be honest I have had several bad experience with this product, on application as well as after a couple of year. So I'm using Gunze varnish (heavily diluted). The decals are mostly coming from my spare box (feedback is that Italeri decals behave very well even after 20 years; for instance, the grey dots are coming from their Fw-190 A8 box that I built back in '91... and in the end, no a single trace of silvering/ congratulations Italeri ! ). The model was then washed with a mixture of black oil paint and white spirit. Graphite power was used on the canon nozzles. Then it was all sealed under a matt varnish (Gunze again), tried to avoid applying this layer on the engine metallic nozzle. The end result look like that: I have now some finishing jobs to do: a few paint patch-up (see the white line behind the cockpit) add the breast belts add the landing gears' bay doors with their actuators. So next time, I hope to be able to present you with a fully finished model. Cheers, Antoine

Thank you guys

Hi, Paint done . I used Gunze paints: H417 = RLM76 H421 = RLM83 H422 = RLM82 Wings were masked. Fuselage was free-handed. I'm not 100% happy with the result (some strips are on the "heavy" side on the tail)... maybe I'll try again... or not... Hope you'll enjoy the pictures. By the way, now you can see the sewing pins. Thanks again for the tip! Have a nice weekend, Antoine

Hi, Thanks for you comments. The little Gnat has always been an attractive plane to me. So I was very pleased when I got this kit. However, it is tricky. And if you intend to build one (special mention to Luis), please listen to this advice: do not follow the instructions and more specifically, do not glue the landing gears before you finish your paint job! Otherwise, it has been a very enjoyable build, so don't resist, build one! Cheers, Antoine

Hi, Jjust a quick update. Paint job is proceeding but only slowly. Wings are done... and masked I'm struggling to get a smooth surface finish on the fuselage though. Should have use primer… I'll come back when masks are off. Cheers, Antoine

Hello Gentlemen, Here is my latest finished model. This is Airfix 1/72 kit. Basically made OOB with only modifications of seats (harnesses and ejection handles) and of the inlets. Used Alclad and a homemade mix of Gunze for the orange color. Hope you like it. Your comments will be welcome. Cheers, Antoine

Hi Stew, You're right. Kit's cockpit is kind of basic. But if you use the kit's canopy, and with home made belts and some ribs on the sides, it would look the part. I did it this way a few years ago and the result was quite ok. Cheers, Antoine

Hi Stew, Very nice model. Your P-40B is very elegant in that sober livery. I like it. Antoine

Hi, Aires kit fits ok but requires to thin down the sides of the fuselage. Tricky part is to attached the instrument panel. I finally attached it on the gun cover (V3) that I had glued on one fuselage half first. But you'll probably want to thin it down (I didn't... too late now). I had to use some plastic card to hold the back section in place. Once the cockpit done, the rest comes pretty quickly. But don't forget to add some weight in the main float so the model will sit properly on its trailer.

When I’ll be looking at this kit in a few years, I will probably hear in my mind Queen’s song « it’s a kind of magic ». Not because of anything related to the Highlands. But because of all those tiny little photo-etched parts that kept disappearing. This is unfortunately a fate that every one of us has had to deal with one day. So where is the magic would you ask? Not there for sure. No. The real magic was in those tiny little parts to … appear back! Well, all but one that I had to scratch build. Here is the end result. For the interior color, I stick to Hasegawa instruction (Mr Hobby H303) And it will disappear again when the fuselage is closed... Silly me...

Impressive job. This is a lovely kit you made. Congrats!!

Thanks for the description. This kit has gone higher in my (too long) buying list.

Hi, This is a sad story but a very nice finished model. I am looking into buying this kit. Could you describe it a bit? Cheers, Antoine

Hi, Haven't had much time to seat at my workbench lately. Here is a picture of the cockpit. Nearly finished. Next step is masking and painting. Cheers, Antoine

Hi, Thank you for your support. That helps to keep the momentum, especially with the Rufe teasing me and crying to have its cockpit painted. Before attaching the windshield in position, I’m trying to finish the “dirty” work that would present some risk of damaging this so difficulty obtained part. This consists of: Scribing new panels and rescribing the ones that have been erased by the sanding Lowering the flaps; this is done by cutting the sides of the flap with a fine razor blade, by deepening the engraving of the flap on the lower side with the scribing tool and by gently bending the flap into a convincing position, without breaking it loose. Creating formation lights I use some artistic licence for the scribing and the light as nothing can be found in the available documentation. Hope you like them! Cheers, Antoine

Thank you Nigel.