Scaleplanes

David I couldn’t get her all in…. She’s just over 1.3m Here’s the best I could get

And finally:

A few more:

Hi everyone. This is my Trumpeter Hood finished this month after 10 months on the bench. It has the Pontos detail set and Micromaster HACs, Quads, Searchlights, 4" secondary guns, and 4" ready use lockers. There's a full 50 part Vlog at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWLcXWGXVcO3LZEJiwETkJ9eY_GZJBfI2 Hope you enjoy. Steve

Main top mast under way this week. All Pontos turned and etched brass

Thanks for posting the channel link Iceman I appreciate it. Steve

And another, low level shot

I'm trying to post a picture as usual but the URL box turns red when I try to insert into the post - any ideas anyone. I've tried flikr and dropbox plus another host which worked earlier in the week but now nothing works. The links all look good.

This week Ive built the foremast starfish and spotting top. No real dramas but the Pontos etched brass is pretty challenging especially the parts for the maneouvering lights and radar arrays.

A bit late in the day but I’ll post the run in to completion of this model here over the next couple of months. Started in October last year and I’ve had a weekly build video on my YouTube channel (the model shed) since then. I’ve just finished the main 15” turrets and this week work moves on to the foremast starfish and spotting top.

Weathering wash done with MiG starship enamel wash. I’ll add a bit more grime here and there with oils but it’s nearly there for me.

Decals on today. They were a bit stubborn taking ages to release from the backing sheet and gripping the model very quickly. I had to use plenty of water to keep them moving until they were positioned. After a few coats of micro set though they settled down nicely - the kit’s fine rivet detail still showing through. Very few stencils so a quick job.

Gloss coat on. Should get some decals on tomorrow. I’m wondering about the spinner and backplate colour: the instructions give the option of green or yellow - the green to match the grun hertz emblem or the yellow to match the theatre markings. The only photo I can find only reveals the backplate which does look a much darker shade than the fuselage band so I’m tempted with the green. Does anyone have any better ideas. All the artworks I can find show yellow.

Topside done. I wanted a worn look to the white as per the photos of Philip’s aircraft at Krasnogvardiesk in 1942. I masked the undersides off and the yellow fuselage band before applying an irregular mottle of RLM 74 and concentrating more around the wing roots and hatches etc where the overpainted white has worn away. Then a patchy overcoat of Gunze Matt white allowing the RLM 74 to show though. The fuselage band showed signs of white overspray so this was replicated as well. I’ll put on a couple of coats of Gunze gloss later ready for the decals. That should be an easier job than usual with a 109 as the winter white appears to have been applied over the stencils. Anyway here it is ready for topcoat.

Gunze H417 RLM76 on the undersides.

So this ones got priority to be next for the display cabinet having been hanging around this forum for months. Since last time I’ve primed the model, pre shaded and today I got the RLM 04 yellow theatre markings on. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that this one is going to be Hans Philip’s F-2 in winter camo. I’ll wait for a bit for the yellow to harden (I have found it picks up finger marks if touched too early) before masking and getting the undersides painted. I was dreading putting on the etched reinforcement strips on the tail and I was right to be - they’re fiddly and took a few attempts to get right. I ended up picking them up with my etching positioning stick and painting a bit of gloss varnish on the back to tack them on the fuselage. After they’re in place a coat of primer locks them in position. Here we are as of today. The lower pair are to high in these pictures and I’ve subsequently moved them down nearer to the tailwheel opening.

Sorry for the gap in progress - I’ve been finishing up my F6F which is now in RFI. I’ll be back on this over the next few days so I’ll be back soon.

Just finished - if anyone's interested the build thread is at https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235057495-eduard-148-f6f-3-hellcat Eduard 1/48 Profipack, Brassin wheels, Quickboost engine, Aires cockpit (Hacked about), Master gun 50 Cal barrels. Mainly Gunze acrylics except from their way too dark Intermediate blue (Tamiya medium blue to the rescue). Alclad light sheen final varnish and a nice even coat of Tamiya modelling wax to level everything up. Oh and before anyone mentions it I just noticed that the canopy is back to front - there's a job to fix........

Ok its done - how an aerial wire and 6 guns can take three days I don't know. It just goes to show why I have so few models to show for all my fiddling around. The Intermediate blue looks right in natural light - the queries about the previous photos are down to the poor light in the modelling room for photographs. This one is now over on RFI at https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235061045-eduard-148-f6f-3-hellcat-ready-for-inspection/

Thanks. The intermediate blue isn’t massively contrasting with the sea blue but the light in the modeling room does tend to darken photos up quite a bit and it’s definitely better for real. There’s also quite a bit of weathering under the cockpit which tends to blur the contrast a bit too. The difference is most clearly seen on the cowling sides where there is less scuffing. Looking at the photos of Alex Vraciu crouching on the wing you can see that the contrast isn’t big where the exhaust gases have faded the paint. So overall I’m pretty happy with the scheme - certainly I didn’t want the sort of bright colours indicated in the decal placement guide. I’ll either take the RFI pictures in natural daylight or edit the colours to represent what the eye sees.

Ok all I just have the fuel tank and aerial wire to do so I’m going to finish this thread up and move the build to RFI tomorrow. Thanks for following.

Nearly there....weathering done and the undercarriage fitted - just the couple of small doors at the front to go. Then it’s a coat of the final varnish (I’ll probably go for alclad light sheen) before adding the engine, prop and last bits and bobs.

Up on its legs.

I’ve finished the decalling and given the assemblies a wash to get rid of the decal solutions followed by a sealing coat of gunze gloss clear. Now that that is all dry I’m getting the airframe together. The wings are a push fit into fairly substantial slots in the fuselage. I can’t stand wonky wings so this simple template ensures everything aligns properly. First up the wings. And stabilizers....

As close as I could get....... Actually on closer inspection of the decal sheet Eduard supply both versions of the hoisting sling stencil - just forward of the “Felix the Cat” so I was able to use the correct one for this A/C. The instructions would have you use one of each style on port and starboard (don’t think that can be right) which is what brought my attention to the fact that both are supplied.