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*done* "Fool´s Paradise IV"


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Thanks Steve! I first bought the decals, only then did a search for "Fool´s Paradise IV" and found out how this scheme links up with Airfix history. I only built Matchbox and Revell Mustangs back in my childhood :rolleyes:. Thanks to Imperial War Museums, these pics are readily available at http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/18399

 

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I need to trim down that fin extension. To my eyes it looks like that rear fuselage top olive drab is for painting over the invasion stripes, but have the upper wing stripes been toned down too, or are stripes just worn out? I must say this looks rather interesting example for my first NMF kit! Best regards, V-P

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7 hours ago, vppelt68 said:

but have the upper wing stripes been toned down too, or are stripes just worn out?

No to my eyes the top of the wing was painted. The paint goes onto the fuselage/wing fillet and possibly out to the tip past the Star & bar.  

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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19 hours ago, vppelt68 said:

Thanks Steve! I first bought the decals, only then did a search for "Fool´s Paradise IV" and found out how this scheme links up with Airfix history. I only built Matchbox and Revell Mustangs back in my childhood :rolleyes:. Thanks to Imperial War Museums, these pics are readily available at http://www.americanairmuseum.com/aircraft/18399

 

media-6581

 

I need to trim down that fin extension. To my eyes it looks like that rear fuselage top olive drab is for painting over the invasion stripes, but have the upper wing stripes been toned down too, or are stripes just worn out? I must say this looks rather interesting example for my first NMF kit! Best regards, V-P

Good morning VP 

 You can also represent this aircraft just after having received the invasion stripes and not as on the photo after several days of operating from A 7 Azeville ...

 

Patrice

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2 minutes ago, vppelt68 said:

Thanks Patrice, I could and may even do that. On the other hand... Doesn´t she look rather delicious in that picture? V-P

Yes the paint looks rather weathered ..

By the way may be you would like to know that unfortunately the real Fool Paradise IV was shot down by Flak while attacking a german horsedrawn column on 9 august 1944 near the town of Plouigneau in Brittany..

 

http://www.absa3945.com/Pertes Bretagne/Finistere/9 aout 1944/44-13309.htm

 

Cheers

Patrice

 

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15 minutes ago, TEMPESTMK5 said:

You can also represent this aircraft just after having received the invasion stripes

That is how it is on the Xtradecal sheet I believe. Of course another way would be as the original Airfix kitting, before it got its stripes, that is the way I'd be tempted to do it, for old times sake.

Steve.

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Merci Patrice, thanks Steve, looks like I got my hands full of options then! That link you provided, Patrice, is a treasure and adds depth to my build. C'est plus de trente ans, depuis j'ai appris Francais dans l'ecole, mais je pense je comprend encore quelque chose :thumbsup:. Last night I took a first good look at the kit. There seems to be very little in the way before it´s time to button the fuselage up and get ready for painting. Except removing that fin extension and re-scribing some panels back there... That and the kit being my first natural metal finish and add to that the invasion stripes, I guess I´m off to an adventure :coolio:. Best regards, V-P

EDIT: Now there seems to be another cause for confusion. If the Xtradecal instructions would represent her as just having received her stripes, why would the rear fuselage wraparound be already painted over? At the rear quarter view of the original plane, one can see the "do not shoot me down as a Messerschmitt 109"- recognizion stripe, black, on the port horizontal stabilizer. Does that look like it´s painted over on the rudder, though? On the Xtradecal instructions (that I don´t yet have in print but as I view them online) the horizontal stab stripes are nowhere to be seen. I´m growing to like this plane more and more!

 

FPIV top

 

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You are doing very well in french 👏

Be careful  when you will remove the control stick and antenna mast from the sprue I managed to breake these parts on my last 3 builds  ...

I am looking forward to watch your build ..

Cheers

Patrice

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I had to scratch both parts for my build too! the aerial is not only tiny but it was encrusted in all manner of heavy duty extra plastic 'barnacles' and wasn't even recognizable, it seemed unfair to flash to call it flash!

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13 minutes ago, MarkSH said:

I had to scratch both parts for my build too! the aerial is not only tiny but it was encrusted in all manner of heavy duty extra plastic 'barnacles' and wasn't even recognizable, it seemed unfair to flash to call it flash!

Indeed, I had to check the part number to verify that blob really should be the aerial 😠. V-P

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When the topside invasion stripes were ordered removed in July 1944, some where painted over like on the rear fuselage, while others used oilsoaked rags to "wash" off the stripes elsewhere. That is why the wing stripes are so dirty in comparison. 

 

Irritates me that we don't have these decals in 1/48 🤬

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Takk Boman! I started my build this afternoon :yahoo: . As the starter set painting instructions were edited for using only the four colours it was supplied with, they were of little use to me. I printed the "regular" Airfix kit instructions, and searched the interweb too. I got very confused :huh:. In the end I decided to go with the flow and follow the more advanced builds here at the GB :thanks:. And as I started doing some assembly (the control stick got broken, but also glued back together; the aerial otoh was wasted) and painting, I forgot to take all the official start pics :sorry:(end of emoticons, now). Here's where my build stands now:

2018-09-06_08-38-45

I'm not sure I dare to try removing the dorsal fin fillet. It appears to affect rather large area that extends even below the horizontal stabilizers. That'd require quite a lot of sanding and rescribing, and I'm not sure if I'm up to that task. Painting this plane gets more and more complicated - and I can hardly wait to get to that phase!

V-P

EDIT: that fin fillet is now gone... I made a rough cut with a knife, just to get to a point of no return. I realized it's easier for me to accept a somewhat incorrect attempt to backdate her to a D-5 , than have a correct model of an incorrect type.

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On 9/6/2018 at 1:12 PM, vppelt68 said:

'm not sure I dare to try removing the dorsal fin fillet. It appears to affect rather large area that extends even below the horizontal stabilizers

A good number of Mustangs were retrofitted with the fillet ? Its entirely possible after your photo was taken this may have been done. 

Edited by Corsairfoxfouruncle
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41 minutes ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

A good number of Mustangs were retrofitted with the fillet ? Its entirely possible after your photo was taken this may have done. 

Thanks Dennis, Fool's Paradise IV was destroyed early August -44, as Patrice shared a link earlier in this thread. I don't recall the exact dates but I believe the retrofits became later... And I want to model her as she looked in that rear quarter pic. Bedders has made a rather stunning D-5, just take a look: 

 

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Sunday night, time to wrap up what´s happened since last update! First, some replenishing of basic modelling supplies, including three tins of Olive Drab (there´s a B-17 build on the way) and an economy size matt black (there´ll be lots of invasion stripes and night fighters on the way too!). That third #155 has a different shade from the other two. I picked that on purpose.

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The FPIV is progressing too. Here are some build pics:

2018-09-09_12-20-43

A general view of the fuselage halves. Yes, that´s satin black. I hadn´t bought that economy tin of Hu 33 yet when I painted that.

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Another dark pic.

2018-09-09_12-22-54

Now buttoned up, scoops etc. added (including the Bf 109 aerial) and masked for painting the invasion stripes and anti-glare panel. 

2018-09-09_07-35-27

Actually I have already painted the first layer of white on the fuselage. I hate painting white. The tail has lost the fin extension, and I´ve filled all the panel lines but not sanded them yet. In the rear quarter pic of the real plane, I can´t see a single panel line in the fin, so I´m leaving it smooth. Nice kit, nice build! Best regards, V-P

Edit: Now the anti-glare panel is painted too. Then maybe the second layer of white before I go to sleep... (It's 23:02 in this time zone already).

 

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My build is coming along fine. In the end I decided to do a bit whiffy warbird-like look to her and not go all the worn out-way in the pic. I don't think painting invasion stripes is very difficult...

2018-09-12_07-05-42

...but masking for them is tedious! On the other hand the result looks decent although there's a lot of cleaning to do.

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I do have to paint the metal finish again and pick another pot of paint for that. This one was a failure.

Best regards, V-P

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