AM 1:48 IL2

[Fozzy]

Hi Si

Been in UK for a bit and am now catching up on your build....the engine looks superb mate!....back to the kit now eh?....thats a bit of a bugger isn't it?

[Dr.Jellyfingers]

Cheers Fozz'!

Thanks for the pics Jason, that first one has given me an idea but I'd need to scratch that crane/hoist thing they have.

Could do it just inside a hanger and have the block & tackle chained to the roof with the airframe tail in so you can see the engine. I might just do it like that as I still want to put some working drills and stuff in a workshop so it would all tie in nicely, more lights and clock-work on the way soon!

Just a quick pic of the interior colour I've mixed. My 'Sad-O-Matic' camera puts a crappy cast on light colours under flourescent light, it looks more grey in real life. I'll get some pics up tomorrow after some detail painting in natural light.

I want to get the fuse' together fairly quickly so the detail in the pit will be virtually OOB as I now want to remove just about every panel from round the engine!!

More soon,

Si.

[Learstang]

You're welcome, Si! If you need any photographs of the cockpit, I have a few of those, also. I see what you mean about the colours - that looks a bit Sky Type S-ish on my monitor!

Regards,

Jason

[Dr.Jellyfingers]

Some pit pics would be great Jason, would you have any pics of the engine bearers and any engine bay details?

Final task for tonight, I've chopped up and drilled out the kit exhausts,

All good fun!

Si.

[shark 64]

I bet you put gas(petrol) in the engine and it wll start right up. Lovely work

Oliver

[Learstang]

Let me say once again, that's a great-looking AM-38, Si! I like the way you've toned down the rather lurid green of the coolant pipes at the front. It really looks grimy like a real engine should. I should probably tone down the green on my engine also; after all, it's supposed to be a well-worn engine, that's why my engine's being worked on. I'll look for some cockpit and engine pictures and post them. It does look like if you put some 95 octane Soviet petrol in it, it would start right up!

Regards,

Jason

[Martian]

I'm liking the idea for the working machine tools a lot. Will the be some sort of quirky twist in this diorama?

Martin

[Learstang]

I'm liking the idea for the working machine tools a lot. Will the be some sort of quirky twist in this diorama?

Martin

Hmmm, well Si could have Tatyana and Dimitriy getting friendly in the corner of the workshop, or even more quirky, Tatyana and Irina!

Regards,

Jason

[AdrianMF]

I like the engine! So that's what you do when you start with an accurate Il-2 that needs no modification...

I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

Regards,

Adrian (working on Airfix Il-2)

[Radleigh]

Brilliant stuff Simon, Been watching this...Can't wait to see it done!

[Learstang]

I like the engine! So that's what you do when you start with an accurate Il-2 that needs no modification...

I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

Regards,

Adrian (working on Airfix Il-2)

Yes, Adrian, let's just say that the AM kit is just a little bit more accurate than the Airfix kit, but where's the fun in that (unless you do something crazy like build an entire engine as Si has!). Si, I haven't forgotten about the piccies - I'll try and post some today.

Regards,

Jason

[Mike]

Keep up the good work Si

[tank152]

Hi Si, just checking in, late again! Will take some time out and catch up with what i'm missing.

[Dr.Jellyfingers]

I bet you put gas(petrol) in the engine and it wll start right up. Lovely work

Oliver

Cheers Oliver. Nah it wouldn't, I got the spark plug leads mixed up! (I rekon your turbine is actually a working model though)!!

Let me say once again, that's a great-looking AM-38, Si! I like the way you've toned down the rather lurid green of the coolant pipes at the front. It really looks grimy like a real engine should. I should probably tone down the green on my engine also; after all, it's supposed to be a well-worn engine, that's why my engine's being worked on. I'll look for some cockpit and engine pictures and post them. It does look like if you put some 95 octane Soviet petrol in it, it would start right up!

Regards,

Jason

Yeah, although I liked the sharp contrast of the gloss green it just didn't look right ! Thanks for the continued support with piccies BTW

I'm liking the idea for the working machine tools a lot. Will the be some sort of quirky twist in this diorama?

Martin

I can tell your not quite fighting fit yet, normally you'd have provided a twist by now !!

I'll see what I can imagine !

I like the engine! So that's what you do when you start with an accurate Il-2 that needs no modification...

I'm looking forward to the rest of it!

Regards,

Adrian (working on Airfix Il-2)

Thanks Adrian.

If I'm really honest I need to start with the most accurate kit I can as I just get cold sweats and the shakes at the though of chopping to the extent you have.

Actually altering a kits appearence to be more accurate always impresses me.

Brilliant stuff Simon, Been watching this...Can't wait to see it done!

That Mil finished yet ?!

Keep up the good work Si

Cheers Mike, always nice when the boss looks in!

Hi Si, just checking in, late again! Will take some time out and catch up with what i'm missing.

Thanks Tank, I noticed you've been busy!

I've been cracking on with the pit and IP so i can get the fuse together and get the nose opened up.

The kit IP had me a little worried at first as decals usually give a horrid flat appearence but the transparent IP once painted with the decal behind it looks pretty good.

Flat black then a dry brush with med grey and gunmetal. finished off with a drop of Klear in the lenses.

Try as I might I can't get my Box Brownie to reproduce the real colour of my pit. It looks right to me, light grey with a hint of apple, sounds like a Dulux add now !

It'll be fine after some weathering and a wash or two. All I've added to the kit pit is homemade belts and a couple of trim levers, OOB its very nice when all together.

More soon,

Si.

[Alan P]

Actually altering a kits appearence to be more accurate always impresses me.

I'm with you there Si. Courage, boldness or recklessness? Discuss!

light grey with a hint of apple, sounds like a Dulux ad now!

Where did you get the apple? Is it a Tamiya colour?

Keep it up, dunno how you do this depth of detailing time after time....

Al

[tank152]

Si, that engine is a work of art. Just shows what can be made out of odds and ends and years of experience.

[Martian]

Although I have to plead guilty on the creative front of certain parts of the last diorama, I don't think it was actually me who came up with the idea of the dunny in the first place. Anyway, do people really want me fighting fit? who knows where that would lead to!

Martin

[erikmuntz]

God, Si, your projects are simply incredible! I'm really enjoying watching this! That engine is great and the cockpit is looking just as snazzy!

Any diorama ideas? Maybe some soldiers having a snow ball fight?

Erik

[Learstang]

Si, here are a few more engine/engine compartment photographs. The first one is of an AM-38 in a Polish museum showing the placement of the engine nameplate. The second photograph is of the nameplate itself (I actually reduced this down, printed it onto a decal, and put it on my engine, not that anyone will ever notice, but I know it's there). The third photograph is again of my HB model in progress. Forgive the open seams, unfinished look, etc., as this was very much a WIP picture, but I think it shows off well the placement of the intake trunk above the front wing-spar carry-through. The fourth photograph shows a drawing from a technical manual on the IL-2 and shows the engine bearers. Notice that it still has the upper half of the spinner armour, the bar on top of the the cowling panel attachment "ring" towards the front, and propeller shaft, which of course would have all been removed when an engine was pulled. Realise that the engine bay was bare by Western (and German) standards. The AM-38 was basically a "power-egg" with most of the auxiliary equipment (semi-)permanently attached to the engine. The empty engine bay basically consisted of the cowling armour plate and the engine bearers. The rear of the bay consisted of the wing-spar carry-through, the intake trunk, and the armour plate in front of the upper front fuel tank. In terms of photographs of the cockpit interior, Si, what exactly are you looking for as I probably have least a hundred photographs of the interior?

Regards,

Jason

[Dr.Jellyfingers]

I'm with you there Si. Courage, boldness or recklessness? Discuss!

Where did you get the apple? Is it a Tamiya colour?

Keep it up, dunno how you do this depth of detailing time after time....

Al

Cheers Al, I just get a bit carried away with details sometimes, if I think I can make it I'll give it a go!! The 'apple' colour is just Humbrol 120.

Si, that engine is a work of art. Just shows what can be made out of odds and ends and years of experience.

Thanks Tank, only two years of experience if I'm honest, most of what I do has either been inspired from here or blatently copied !!

Although I have to plead guilty on the creative front of certain parts of the last diorama, I don't think it was actually me who came up with the idea of the dunny in the first place. Anyway, do people really want me fighting fit? who knows where that would lead to!

Martin

It was Don that came up with the bog on that one, I think you came up with engines, cars, and various mechaniky bits, plus I'd have given up on the dog had it not been for your persuasion!

God, Si, your projects are simply incredible! I'm really enjoying watching this! That engine is great and the cockpit is looking just as snazzy!

Any diorama ideas? Maybe some soldiers having a snow ball fight?

Erik

Cheers Erik!

Love the idea of a snowball fight mate, there's loads of options for something there but I'm going for a concrete or tarmac base on this one, last one got a bit messey!

(Got me thinking for the future with the snowballs now)!!!!!

Thanks for the pics Jason, the engine bay looks to be nice and straight forward-ish!

I had a feeling that it was mainly just panelling after all the bits on the engine. Would you have any pics of the side oil tanks and would they be fitted to the bay or the side of the engine?

On the pit I can find loads of SIM info but very little real deal. I just need to see a basic layout so I can see if I've missed anything I can change before zip-up time !

I know I'm deviating a little on some colours but hopefully I'm still in the ball park, that reminds me I was going to do the inside of the bay in that burnt orangy-yellow primer I've seen, that might look interesting...eek!

A little progress with the kit itself. Tackled the wing centre section with the spares that need to be glued in stages from the middle out to bring the panel into the right shape for the wings. After reading a good few builds of the AM Il I knew to read the instructions and dry-fit until its well clear.

The little bit of fiddling the instructions tell you to do with the ele' control rod is fun but leaving the cover off the rear gun area does help. The pit looks like it will fit without being glued to the wing centre first. If the rear fuse is glued the pit goes in nicely leaving the oil tank to glue once its in.

It's all dry fit at the moment, it looked to be a bit fiddley at first but now looks to be too easy, I'll tack the wings on and if all is good I'll glue the lot up!

A few pics:-

And a little bit of weathering on the IP and gun:-

Thanks again chaps, your continued support will lead to something daft !!

Si.

[Martian]

The weathering on the gun and IP looks particularly effective.

Martin

[Learstang]

Si, Is this the colour you're talking about?

That was a common primer, called ALG-1, which could be quite variable in colour, but was generally an orangeish-yellowish colour. Here are some pictures of the office. The first one is from the 1942 Flight Manual; don't go by the colours they have here, but the equipment arrangement is correct. The second and third photographs show the starboard side of the cockpit, where most of the fiddly bits where (the port side being largely taken up by the console). Note particularly the position of the weapons release lever - it should be aft of the position they have it on the AM kit, and was located just above the aft wing-spar, which the seat was also attached to (you can see this clearly in the second photograph). These pictures were taken from the example in the National Air and Space Museum at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. If you need any more pictures, just let me know; as Jimmy Durante would have said "I got a million of them!". You'll probably want some of the gunner's cockpit, so I'll gather a few of those and post them.

Best Regards,

Jason

[Radleigh]

That Mil finished yet ?!

More soon,

Si.

Funny you should say that, I'm plodding on NICELY now I have a dedicated modelling area, watch this space

[Dr.Jellyfingers]

Ta for those pics Jason,

I've added a few little bits to the pit from them. The little round green thing with a silver handle and modified what I think is a fuel valve or primer on the pit floor.

I've glued the fuse' halves and set the pit in on the centre wing section, this is dry at the moment until I've finished modifying the front cowling and bay.

A few pics:-

I'm proper chuffed my engine still just about fits and is actually nearly the right size!

I tend not to measure anything and just use the 'hold it to it' and give it the eye method, I really am rough !!

More soon,

Si.

[Learstang]

You're welcome for the pictures, Si; looking good! The engine fits nicely in its home. That round green thing with the handle, if you mean the bit on the port side, is the elevator trim tab control. The bits on the floor are indeed the primer pump for the engine. To answer a previous question, the oil tanks were indeed normally attached to the sides of the engines (both sides in the arrow), and were painted a dark brown colour. I'll find some piccies.

Regards,

Jason