yarvelling

While it may not be an 'exact' representation of the original aircraft, that looks pretty darn good! Maybe another very random spotting of RLM 65 & 'sand' to break-up some of the dark green (and overspray) patches might 'help'? Still looks pretty good though, and with a different viewpoint, the more diffuse/softer green-over-blue & sand colours as your model has, it looks to be a better camouflage pattern !

Bit late to this party.... but I agree.... The fit on their 1/48 JU87 was superb - it was exemplary, and as was that of the Hurricane.... it just fell together! And after a period of not doing any modelling at all for the past 6 months, I've recently started back up with the Airfix Dambuster and found it to be a superb fit (even though the fuselage halves were twisted like bananas), and have picked up again the Airfix ME-262 and given it a coat of primer that it has been waiting for for months! It went together well - although the engine nacelles did need a little fettling to make them fit well - not too much though, as with the originals, the fit wasn't exactly what you'd call 'perfect'... 😉 I like these new Airfix kits, though I wish they'd reduce the number of sprue contact points.... especially on finely described items like pitot tubes, machine guns, and aerial masts...the heavy sprue gate will too often snap the item required! 😕 But overall, no problems with the 262 in question - it's now awaiting a camo spray-job, and the Dambuster likewise... 🙂

Pah...! Sorry gents! This was the link I was thinking of...not that 1/72 version! This 48th scale doesn't have the snake markings after all, but would make a great kit for the AM decals... https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/junkers-ju87b-2-r-2-1-48.html

DDELK: I think the newer issue of the kit which is the R2 will be applicable... Have a look here... hope this link works https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/junkers-ju87b-2-r-2-stuka-1-72.html It even has the snake motifs that you want

The new Airfix is a very well engineered kit! I recently finished a build, and found that it went together with almost the precision of Lego bricks... a click, and it's done!! Cockpit detail is nice, and I used Tamiya tape for seat belts/harnesses, otherwise built OoB.... I used the open canopy version, but first I scoured Hannants website: There is an excellent new Eduard canopy mask set for it, that takes care of the inner and outer frame work brilliantly Here's the Hannants product code number: EDEX536 Airfix do have the R2 version imminent, if not already available..... the Eduard canopy set will of course work The B1 build's-up into a lovely looking Stuka

Hi! Thanks I was very lucky to get those photos...... I knew the F-35 was there (I work in the BX on Lakenheath), but rarely get a chance to go and see what's happening on the flight-line. Well that day I'd been out locally, bird-watching, and had seen the F-35's around in the sky, so stopped by the viewing area on my way home, and caught these coming home to roost And yes... the RAF are now using F-35's apparently As for the canopy, it is lightly tinted... a sort of coppery/grey colour..... I tried using Tamiya Smoke on some spare transparent parts of the Hasegawa kit, but although it looks to be the right colour, it is too dark.... maybe a couple of airbrushed thinned coats on 48th scale would look ok? When it comes to canopies, I'm reluctant to do anything 'experimental' like that, unless there's a duplicate provided That Meng kit does look very appealing though; I had a good look at one at my LMS, but couldn't quite bite the £40-odd for it... Still tempted though.... it's a particularly interesting subject... rather ugly - bit like a JU-87 Stuka - but still beautiful...!! I look forward to seeing your build progressing

When I recently saw the F-35A's when they came over to here at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, UK, I got a few photos and yes, they are a fairly uniformly dark grey.... though it seems that dependant on squadron/fighter wing, then the shade may vary? Along with the prominence of the RAM patterns..... these in from Hill AFB were a very plain dark grey all over...the RAM patterning was faint to say the least! I hope these work...... some photos that I took on a sunny day at the viewing area by the flight line......... I hope these photos at least give an 'idea'..... doing Google searches show different wings/squadrons, have highlighted RAM patterns, others are like these, and plain all over!! Also it seems that the paint coverage is a special metallic type that has a different appearance under under different lighting... all part of the 'stealth' aspects of the aircraft! I'm currently building a Hasegawa 1/72 version of the F-35A, and though it's gone together very well, I must admit, that the paint callouts are a bit too contrasty, and the decal RAM patterns are too 'bright' having started applying them over a very heavy gloss varnish! I think I'll continue, and then give a thinned light spray of a slightly different shade of dark grey to try and level the transfers, and give an impression of varying colours..... I'd already read about this 'modern' paint type and though another thin coat over may give an interesting effect..... I think that with these very bright transfers supplied, it will need toning down anyway..... and then maybe another gloss coat, before a final matt coat That may - hopefully - give an impression of the deeply varying colour without using any out-of-scale metallics in the mix, though I did think about it.... but I don't want it looking 'silly' glittery!! Just a deep, dark grey is probably best for a simple overall paint-job, or maybe various very layers over gloss varnish for a more interesting (?) effect..?

Incredible research This all so fascinating to see: and history books being re-written right here Excellent stuff... well done! And lovely modelling too

Just picked on of these up today from my local model shop.... it looks beautifully molded, but...... I notice on the main undercarriage, that mounting points are present, but there's no scissor suspension present, or on any sprues to add around the oleos...... Every other ME-262 that I've seen or built have had them either to attach, or already folded to the legs... Is there something different about the particular aircraft that Airfix have represented, in that these were not present? Or have they made an error? Cheers! Looking forward to following this build... it looks a well designed and molded kit, and I can't wait to see how this pans-out Cheers! Steve.

You're doing a lovely job with this one, but not surprised that you're having a bit of a 'mare with the transfers..... it's Revell....! I've yet to find a Revell kit where the transfers (decals) want to play ball and NOT silver even on a perfectly high-gloss, smooth surface! They're Revell transfers - they 'silver'...... They always did -even when I was a kid back in the early 70's, sticking them onto badly painted gloss enamel paint.... Airfix on the other hand have always behaved well... the new Cartograph transfers are the best I've used so far! Anyway, not wanting to get into any debate about transfer/decal quality... I really like what you've achieved with this old Revell kit..... Lovely job! Cheers, Steve.

Big X, those two Messerschmitts look the part.... a great display stand, and two superb looking Emil's...... Brilliant!!

That Hurricane is looking fantastic... (you &) Leo have done a great job with it...looks brill...!! And yes, you should be proud of Leo wanting to pay his respects to the fallen heroes..... and proud of your own parenting skills too Fabulous stuff Looking forward to seeing this as it progresses

I've only just found and read this WIP..... truly Magnificent..... outstanding craftsmanship on display here, and a Magnificent aircraft.....!!

Hope that helps your young lad to show what can be achieved with brushes, and the easy-kit Hobby Boss kits.... I like those HobbyBoss kits, but I have found that with several kits that I've ordered and built, the decal/transfer sheets can have problems on them with some looking a bit 'odd'....some parts nice and smooth gloss, and other parts with almost matt stain-marks across them... these show up on the model when it's been built too... :/ When they're nice and glossy, then the HobbyBoss transfers settle well, and aren't prone to silvering, but they are a little 'delicate' as well... so handle with care! They're not like the current Airfix splendid transfers!! But yeah... more power to young Leo..... keep up the great work

And here's my last brush-painted 1/72 scale Hurricane (Airfix kit)........ just to show that an airbrush isn't always needed at this scale I used Humbrol flat brushes from a a brush-pack to make this one.... the flat brushes make the difference though for getting a smooth finish...

Looking good so far... Here's an example of the Hobbyboss easy-build kits with my two Heinkel He162's..... sorry, the lighting is horrible at the moment in my living room....

I can agree on the HobbyBoss Easy-Kits too.... I made a couple of their lovely little Heinkel HE-162's..... they look brilliant when finished! No cockpit detail, but the overall detail, fit, and finish is terrific Young Leo is doing a splendid job on his Hurricane.... a very talented young man! My first ever model (I think) was an old 60's Airfix bagged Hurricane, that my Dad helped me to build.... no paint came anywhere near it though! :/ It was one of those early kits where you had to melt the end of the undercarriage 'axle' to stop the wheel from falling off - if you wanted rotating wheels Light blue plastic!! Dad showed me how the 'transfers' worked and we put them straight on to the bare plastic.... This would have been around 1966....I was also 5... and thrilled with my new light-blue Hurricane! A 'unique' PR version is what I'd call it nowadays... Ha Ha!!

Great idea for a build thread Just an idea that I found very neat with this new Airfix Hurricane - if you paint all areas of the interior cockpit area silver (spray, or brush), and then use the 3mm flat Humbrol brush to paint the Humbrol 78 interior green in-between the raised moulded areas (that are now coated with silver)... the 3mm brush fits very well and, and buts-up nicely to the raised silver lines, and makes for very neat cockpit wall painting, allowing the (raised) silver framework to show through For the very little that actually shows through the canopy (even if posed in 'open' mode), it looks good... far better than trying to paint the silver lines over the background green HTH.... Steve.

Y'know, I think a lot of why we don't build them as we did when we were kids is that now, we can build them them as we always imagined that they looked back then when you're 8 or 9, and it's all gleaming blue or grey plastic, with wonky transfers applied... but in your mind's-eye, it was always perfectly camouflaged ... Plus, back then, for me, it was the late 60's and my parents were reluctant to let me loose with the paints available at the time - Humbrol enamel - and I can't say that I blame them!! Ha Ha!! Then when a year or so later, I was finally allowed to use it, the results were very much what could be described as needing 'artistic license'..... but even then, to me, it still looked good enough.... but I was still only young - 10 or 11 maybe! Youthful imagination certainly filled-in a lot of blanks and inaccuracies .... but now, 45-odd years on, well, we've hopefully improved our skills, and there's no parents forbidding enamel paints being randomly splashed around the kitchen or bedroom!! Ha Ha!! It certainly helps too that now research has provided so much more information for more accurate colouring and camouflage patterns, but yeah, certainly for me as a kid in the 60's, it was light blue plastic with raised panel lines, a peg to sit a 'pilot' on in the cockpit area, and you had to heat a knife-end to melt the end of a plastic peg on the undercarriage legs to hold the wheel on, and still allow the wheel to turn, and that was brilliant Hurricane or Spitfire.... And very sorry for side-tracking your thread here Ventora3300..... love your original memories and the old photo that your Dad took..... wonderful memories to have, and loving your build of the old Dornier kit.... looking forward to seeing what happens next...!! Cheers, Steve.

Looks very good However, what scale is your model.... i.e.: how big is it? Is it around 72nd scale? Great for more distant shots.... but you may need more like 48th or 32nd scale for doing close-ups? And ultimately of course, it depends on how you light the model for the given shot.... do some test filming/shots, and see how they look...

Finally.... I caught-up!! Roma847.....or Manfred, if I may address you by name.... I saw your first post of this thread here yesterday, and have finally crossed three years of postings.... Seeing what you started with on here, back then was rather impressive, but seeing the lengths that you've gone to with all the intricate pipe-works, and structural details of this Shuttle launch bed has just been astonishingly amazing!! The detail work on all those water pipes (Sorry, I don't remember all the acronyms for them!) is just stunning.....and now all this work on perfecting the guttering... for heaven's sake!! And at this tiny scale too... (even though Revell didn't do you any favours here ), it's just amazing! This is wonderful modelling..... I, like everyone else here, can't wait to see what follows...

Hi Michelle.. With regards to brush painting Humbrol acrylics, I've mostly used one of the Humbrol wide, flat brushes, and a mix of paint and water...... always over a primer coat though; never straight onto bare plastic My normal favourite primer has been Halfords grey in the large spray cans... goes on thin and very strong! With the watered down acrylic - mixed in a shallow dish - I've normally managed to get away with two coats to get a nice smooth finish (if it's starting to come out too watery, I just dry the brush a little on kitchen roll and continue painting)... smooth it all as best as possible, and eliminate obvious brush strokes, though I don't obsess over a slightly patchy-ish finish..... as Steve Coombs mentioned above, wear and tear, weathering, and dirtying will result in faded and patchy looking paint on the real thing, so, a 'perfect' finish isn't always wanted... Humbrol seems to mix and thin better with water when using a brush - better than their own thinners, which I've not had any luck with really through an airbrush either!! Just makes the paint thin and 'sticky', and takes days to dry!! I'm sure it's also responsible for a very bad nose-bleed one day too, as I wasn't wearing any mask when using it! Never used it since! And found even with airbrushing, water is fine, though Humbrol paint can be a bit on the grainy side - I prefer using the hairy-stick and water with Humbrol; much smoother results. Hope this helps....

Hi Big X.... if you still need more pilots, PM me your address... I have a few 72nd and 48th that you're more than welcome to... a mixture of RAF and Luftwaffe

I think he got a bit offended by all the 'litter' that we left behind... seemed to think it made a mess of his cities...?

Great stuff...!! I'll be following this.... I work at the BX on RAF Laenheath (been there since 1992, in the electronics/stereo/PowerZone dept.).... and so lovely to see a Lakenheath bird being modelled 1/48th scale eh..? Going to be pretty huge when finished!! Lovely work on the cockpit..! Nice to see the Liberty Birds flying here... Thank you