1-72 Heinkel He-280 V2

[Nigel Heath]

After my Sycamore build this is going to be my next project:

 

 

The kit consists of two grey runners:

 

 

The surface engraving and detailing is very nice but typical of short run technology the gates are quite heavy, there are no location features, no  numbering of parts on the runners (although that is covered by the instructions) and there is a bit of flash here and there.

 

There are two clear parts and a crisply printed decal sheet:

 

 

The instructions look clear enough:

 

 

 

Note the two tail options.

 

Here are the scheme options, I think the one in overall RLM 02 might have existed as the prototype, the rest are what ifs:

 

 

I think I am most taken with the one second from the top which features a cream coloured underside in RLM 99 which I've never come across before. Its also the one in the box art.

 

The first thing I did was whip out the scissors and sticky tape and convert the annoying end opening box into a more user friendly one with a nice lid:

 

 

Bye for now,

 

Nigel

[celt]

Very interesting

[Martian]

Up for this one!

 

Martian

[CedB]

Me too - another weird Luft subject being given the Nigel treatment - not to be missed!  

[dogsbody]

A definite improvement on my old HUMA kit.

 

 

 

Chris

[RidgeRunner]

Interesting.

[Nigel Heath]

I have made a proper start today including doing a spot of research. It turns out that nine prototypes were produced but it never went operational as the Me 262 was the favoured choice of the RLM. It still has the distinction of being the first jet fighter. Among the finds was this cutaway drawing:

 

 

I was hoping to find some cockpit detail but the above does not show much but it does show there should be an aerial mast which is not included in the kit.

 

Starting on the cockpit I found there was an issue with the instructions, if the IP support was glued right at the forward edge of the floor the instruments would be way too far forward. Instead it should be fixed a good 3mm rearwards:

 

 

I made good use of the extra plastic by using it to reinforce the support using some 2.5mm square strip:

 

 

The cockpit is rather basic and is missing the side consoles. I drew a little sketch of the sort of thing required:

 

 

I cut out the sides first using some scrap 0.6mm card, I try to be economical with my material utilisation:

 

 

Here are the completed consoles which are a nice snug fit with the seat:

 

 

I have also added some side wall details using 0.5mm square strip:

 

 

That's it for today more to come tomorrow.

 

Bye for now,

 

Nigel

[neil5208]

A good looking start, will be an attractive scheme when done. Scheme no5 looks interesting as well.

[Oddball]

Something a bit different here, I'm going to enjoy this one. I quite like scheme 5 as well.

[Pete in Lincs]

I'm with Nigel and plump for number 2 (fnar).

I see number 5 seems to have a Scotty dog on it's side?

A Rudolf Hess rescue mission aircraft perhaps?

[TallBlondJohn]

Good idea with the box, must try that. The end openers drive me nuts, especially Roden and Revell for some reason.

[CedB]

Nice start on the internals Nigel - those consoles worked out well  

[Nigel Heath]

Quote

Good idea with the box, must try that. The end openers drive me nuts, especially Roden and Revell for some reason.

 

I think we all know it makes sense. it only takes a few minutes to sort the job out.

[Nigel Heath]

Tonight I have had horrendous problems uploading my photos to PB and when I finally got them sorted I got an error message when I tried to embed them so I have instead uploaded today's pictures to Flickr. I started today with a hunt through the PE spares box for some pieces to represent the controls on the side consoles:

 

 

There they are just resting in place as I will paint them separately.

 

While I was in the spares box I also found some suitable PE seat belts:

 

 

Next I decided to make a map pocket, the starting point was a strip of PE fret. I wanted round corners on this so Blu Tacked it to some 0.8mm rod ready for bending:

 

 

When clamped in place the Blu Tack was removed and the first bend made:

 

 

Here is the finished item:

 

 

And here it is installed along with a bit of detailing added to the parcel shelf:

 

 

Next I glued together and cleaned up the main wheels as well as adding weighted flats to the tyres. I find this sponge abrasive pad the best thing for cleaning up wheels:

 

 

Next I wanted to install the nose gear well but had to do a bit of work on the associated parts first. After deepening the hole for the retraction strut, I drilled out the gear leg with a 0.8mm drill ready for a mounting pin (there are no location features on this kit and a butt joint here would be rubbish):

 

 

The mounting point in the well was similarly drilled out:

 

 

The hole for the retraction strut was also drilled out but not at such an acute angle as I would have liked:

 

 

This was because of a step in the well roof and the drill was already as close to the surface as a dared take it:

 

 

I can always put a suitable crank in the retraction strut.

 

Here's how the leg looked with it's 0.8mm brass mounting pin:

 

 

Now I could install the gear well. Its a bit gappy to say the least so will have to be filled before any more detailing can be added:

 

 

At this point I made an electrical box for the cockpit side wall, it not fixed yet as it will be painted separately:

 

 

Next some levers for the side consoles, using my patent method of solder on the end of some 0.3mm rod:

 

 

Here is the first finished lever:

 

 

Here it is installed:

 

 

I then made a second lever. Here they are both installed:

 

 

At least the pilot now has something interesting to play with.

 

I think pretty much all of the cockpit parts are now ready for some paint so that will be the first job for next weekend.

 

Bye for now,

 

Nigel

[CedB]

Nice work Nigel, as always. Those levers... amazing.

Have a good week  

[AlexN]

It took some serious digging to find this thread, but I'm here at last (cue chorus of groans punctuated by dark mutterings).

 

 

 

Looking good already - as usual. And curious about that Scotty Dog (woof!).

 

That's exactly what I did to all my end-opening boxes about ten years ago (and incidentally thus making them totally unsuitable for flogging on fleabay or elsewhere...). Snap!

 

Sadly, they don't seal as well after the surgery, and not nearly as well as proper top-openers, and I have an amusing collection of unidentified bits from various kits to sort out at my leisure, as a result. Swings and roundabouts, I spose.

 

Cheers,

Alex. [    ] <-- Wot? No Sheep?

[Nigel Heath]

I got nothing done last weekend but I did make it to the last ever Birmingham IPMS show which was a fun day out, especially meeting up with some other BMers such as Perdu, Tomoshenko, Whofan and Sargent Malchett (for the first time). While there I did manage to procure some paints for this build:

 

 

The greys are just to replenish existing stocks but I will be using the Bright Green for the fuselage band (I bought the emerald green before spotting the better green) and the yellow is best I could find to stand in for RLM 99 on the underside. I have discovered that RLM 99 means "shade irrelevant" so I got a paint that matches the pale cream on the box art.

 

I made another equipment box for the cabin sidewall and now all the interior parts were ready for painting. The last job was to mask the fuselage edges:

 

 

I typically use 1.0mm masking tape from Little Cars for this job:

 

 

Here are all the interior parts plus the wheels ready for some primer in the morning:

 

 

I have a much clearer day tomorrow so expect things to romp along, I may even get the fuselage closed up.

 

Buy for now,

 

Nigel

[Martian]

This has been coming along nicely Nigel.

 

Martian

[Whofan]

2 hours ago, Nigel Heath said:

I got nothing done last weekend but I did make it to the last ever Birmingham IPMS show which was a fun day out, especially meeting up with some other BMers such as Perdu, Tomoshenko, Whofan and Sargent Malchett (for the first time).

 

Crumbs, sounds like a summit meeting of BMers!

 

[Nigel Heath]

Just the inner sanctum.

[JOCKNEY]

Count me in Nigel, 

[snapper_city]

Interesting stuff.

[Nigel Heath]

The first job for today was to get all the prepared parts primed:

 

 

I applied white primer to the cockpit tub and a length of lead wire, everything else got grey.

 

I used white on the wire as I will paint that yellow later, the tub got white because one of the side panels has some perforations in it and by masking a rectangle of white I could have that showing through the perforations:

 

 

Next came a series of top coats applied in this order:

 

 

With RLM02 now applied to the cockpit I could do some detail painting and unmask the strip of white:

 

 

The seat was on the critical path to get the cockpit finished. As soon as the RLM66 was dry enough I masked it up for a silver seat pan like this:

 

 

With that done I then started to create some masking for the leather-work using a 1.4mm punch:

 

 

 

Here is the finished masking with a blob of Blu Tack to mask the back of the headrest:

 

 

While the leather paint was drying I applied Mike Grant decals to the instruments:

 

 

Here is the finish painted seat along with some assembly of the cockpit:

 

 

I then added the belts to the seat, details to the side walls and gave some key areas a dark dirt wash, glued in the seat and finished things off with a Mike Grant placard decal by the side of the seat:

 

 

The last thing to be added to the cockpit was the yellow electrical wires:

 

 

With the wires trimmed I could then install the cockpit. Note I had to move one of the equipment boxed as it was fouling the yellow lever:

 

 

I was just about to close up the fuselage when I remembered in the nick of time the need for nose weight. I trimmed up some lead sheet with my mini tin snips:

 

 

The big pieces were superglued in place and the chopped up off-cuts packed under the cockpit: 

 

 

That lot should do the trick. Everything was the permanently locked in place with and application of black Milliput:

 

 

The last job of the day was to then close up the fuselage:

 

 

I said I'd get there.

 

Bye for now,

 

Nigel

[CedB]

Very nice Nigel, a good days work. The internals look really good.

Have a good week  

[Pete in Lincs]

That does look good.

I was just wondering though,

Who'll be first to do a two seat night fighter WIF?