Milos Gazdic

Hello Hobby Boss's front is not perfect: _Chin intake is wrong shape (should be a but wider than the one on HB kit) and _holes on top of the nose have to be closed up & nose reshaped in that area. and IIRC the deck behind the seat under the canopy is not really well done. I guess it is best replaced by donor from another kit (or maybe can come from your rear part model (Eduard)?) ... but on the other hand - if you are good modeler who can put 2 different kits together and fix all the issues - why not maybe chase RV Resin kit & do it straight from the box? Those kits are good!

Hello SD! I am sorry if I have missed Chris' post above. I could not find the photo from JaPo's book online but the post I have made was just to show that no matter how rare they were, Doras with the rack still existed. I sincerely hope we will be seeing some more of them in foreseeable future. Based on the things we know, there were plans to use them in ground attacks so I guess some kind of modifications could have been made, even maybe on unit level?! Best, Milos

Hello In the LEMB discussion it is mentioned as a promise to a veteran who gave it to Mr Crandall. But I never seen Jerry saying it directly himself. I believe that video will really help to skeptics like myself get persuaded. Until we can join some airing of the video... we can only hope to another copy existing. Best, Milos

Here I meet my friend Mike over the exciting topic that since early 2000s didn't bring anything new to the table. Recent discussion we had over on Hyperscale [LINK TO THE DISCUSSION dealing with the JG1 Checkers]. As a modeler I wish the Yellow/Black & Red/Black cowlings can be confirmed 100%! But until I see that video in full (maybe on some trip to US after all the Covid troubles are gone) I somehow am not able to be sure they existed. No offense to anyone, just my personal beliefs. Good to see interest in the subject for sure!

They seem to have been very rare but the photos have surfaced up since the original post has been made:

Without having 2 engines side by side and measuring them in detail we will never know (unless we find exact dimensions for each in some document). All of the lenses have either barrel, pincushion or mustache distortion. Depending on the level of distortion and position of the subject in the image - the deformation of the subject will be accented causing us to see different shapes... Additionally lens might render 1:1 square in reality into something like 1:1.1 rectangle on the image, further altering the proportions. And lastly, the proportions and shapes can be slightly altered in many other ways on a photo even in the printing process so all these images cannot be considered as correct ways to determine a shape of the engine in scientific way.

Hello @G.R.Morrison Sorry to bother with possibly silly question, but are the afore mentioned photos from ECPA published anywhere in full? Best, Milos

Thanks Safety Dad! Appreciate it! I think that the Eduard's kit gives basically all these things in plastic. I don't have the conversion you've mentioned but I do have few of those resin conversions but none of them gives me a chance to make what we would need. I think that Pacific Coast in their early Butcher 1/32 scale kit gives some of the options to build A-1 (with few modifications still needed to be done by modeler). I still have to see small wings & un-armored nose somewhere for either 1/48 or 1/32 scale. (I personally prefer 1/48 scale). It might be that in 1/72 scale there are some earlier options but I stopped following that scale about 15 years ago. Maybe Mike @MDriskill knows more.

Hello Safety Dad, Unfortunately this set is correct for -2 and later options (and some -1 modified airframes). Early -1 and -0 had some features that were different than those, some of which were significantly different! Easy way to spot A-0 was based on omitted slots on the cowling sides. Just in front of that area, cooling ducts on the side of engine were different shape than on all later machines. Differences in the cockpit area (I don't care about those much when it comes to modeling but the headrest was obviously different which is obvious. Cowling tip was looking different with that small lip on top of nose protruding forward. No armored ring on the nose. A big difference - not really easily visible in photos on some of early machines were small wings. Different, weaker armament than "production" aircraft. Still no kit in 1/48 featuring all this out there, AFAIK. But let's get back to V-13! Please note that the intake for carburetor on HB V-18 is of bad shape too. Don't remember if anyone mentioned that.

Oh yes, that one I know very well. I just thought I missed something. Someone should do it

Wow! Didn't know that! There is no grill on the fuselage side of that kit? different shape of the front ring on the cowling? And yes - now I see red in 1st image

Once Covid restriction of traveling is gone in year or two (I live in China at the moment) I might bring my R.V. Resin model & use it to create something in that area for Hobby Boss based on that resin kit. I am not really great with Resin works myself especially when it come to complete kits... so R.V. Resin kit just sits home awaiting the day when I will be brave enough to jump on it.

Hello, Did Eduard ever do A-0 (even as overtrees only)? I never seen anything earlier than their A-2 models. I would love to do few A-0 aircraft for sure! best, Milos PS. I also don't see Red Lines

I wish too that someone does simple plug & play fix! It is easy thing to do as long as someone who knows how to do these things deals with it Someone skilled would probably be able to do it on a 3D printer too... that would be cool, wouldn't it?

Hello Sadly HB never corrected this omission! I live in China & found a contact of one of their representatives, wrote to him with the offer to send all the available info... but they didn't seem too interested. I am wondering if anyone out there has ever created some correction for this kit? I could not find anything online Best, Milos

and once again we can conclude that armor ring doesn't look larger than A-8 or A-6...

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/hyperscale/viewtopic.php?p=2712484#p2712484 and they were not so insignificant in size!

Please note that these "walk here" lines were painted on wings till end of the war on all production aircraft. There is a discussion on Hyperscale where I have posted photos from the last day of war with the wings on the assembly line showing the lines clearly. Machines repainted in frontline or extensively overhauled might have omitted the lines though as Modeldad suggested. IIRC there was a photo of Fw 190 wing showing red lines too. Cannot be 100% sure though Would have to browse the other forum to confirm.

I know it's been just about over 10 years since initial discussion - but since I stumbled upon this topic let me say regarding this: 30mm in 1/72 scale is 0.4mm in 1/48 = 0.6mm. Dimension like this can be added by simply not squeezing the oil tank fully into cowling ring when building a kit or overcoating the oil tank with 1-2 layers of some liquid / sprayable putty.

Hello Arnold, thanks for the prompt reply. I meant - if there are any photos showing sides of the original aircraft? Authentic photos from WWII. I saw all the images of your model - from all the sides and I have to say I even downloaded them for my future reference :)) Best Milos

Hello @Arniec Amazing model of an incredible subject! I wonder if you have any photos showing the sides of this machine? I have few photos of the noses of Fw 190s with the "shark" teeth but none showing the aircraft in total TIA

Looks like they didn't also bother with cleaning the airframe before exhibiting it. Considering it went into a belly landing - there was lots of dirt & dust there for sure

Hello @One-Two The most amazing build of one of the most amazing aircraft in the world! I could suggest you to maybe do an instruction for building all the batches / series of the IAR 80/81 family! Wondering - how long it took you to finish this model? I love shake & bake builds but I have 3 IAR 80 Hobby Boss kits in my stash so I can build them one day. I know that there are lots of things to correct out there if one wants to build various series of the aircraft. I'd like to have at least 4-5 different schemes: My favorite machines out there are (from memory): #3 in WWII markings, #26 pre WWII, #104 in WWII markings, #151 in WWII markings, #179 in WWII, #257 in post war markings with stars, #343 in post war markings with stars, #397 post WWII ... TOO many to choose from

This is a very interesting discussion and I am sorry to bring it up again but I would like to ask if Gustav Roth's 7101.99 has anything to do with RLM 99 (which according to my knowledge didn't have any prescribed color to it... @Nick Millman, do you know which companies used Gustav Roth's 7101.99 primer and if it was used on military aircraft? Thank you in advance Milos

Hello all! Very interesting discussion(s) here! Before I give my opinion - I would just like to ask if did any of you guys have ever try painting a large surface with the paint gun as those used in car paint shops for instance? And if you did - how easy was to paint a transluscent layer? I know we are used on a miniature world of our scale models but what about the 1:1 application... And how easy would that be for a low skill black man on the frontline airfields to do? Just a thought before we start discussing all the options... Best Milos