1/48 Meng ME-410b/U4- The Hornet- let's get this baby finished!!

[Antb]

Good evening folks 

 

Long time since an update, that thing called life and work have got in the way. 

 

Anyway, I have done a bit of work on the cockpit. I apologise for the rubbish pictures, they're taken on my phone. 

 

The PE was added to the front cockpit. This was quite fiddly, particularly the levers, and it appears that some have got in the way of the cockpit sides and have needed removing 🤬

 

 

 

Those foot pedals were nice to build too.... 

 

With both cockpits all PE done I started on the rear gun bracket. The resin part was broken and unfixable so was out with some of the kit parts. 

 

The instructions.in the Aires pit were funny, just look at the image of the kit part and the actual kit part.... 🤔

 

 

 

 

I still haven't completed building this part up fully, it's a challenge to get everything to line up and fit properly so will leave it a while. 

 

With the super glue having set it was time for primer. All that scruffiness soon disappeared and the pit looked lovely. 

 

 

 

 

 

Here's one I made earlier, painted and ready for the sides to be attached which is another challenge in itself. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Painted with Mr Color RLM66 and I did some.proper modelling, used an oil wash. Never done it before but mixed some burnt umber with thinners and slapped it on. 

 

Left to dry a few minutes and the excess wiped off with a cotton bud. Quite happy. 

 

The side walls are on the front pit but can't work out how the rear ones go on, need to give it some thought. Test fit didn't go well into the fuselage either 🤣

 

I did say I didn't want an easy build though didn't I. 

 

Have a great Easter weekend folks 

 

🐜

 

 

[Getting Old]

Excellent work SIr, 

[Antb]

10 hours ago, Getting Old said:

Excellent work SIr, 

Thank you 

[Antb]

Good evening guys 

 

Hope you are all enjoying this wonderful weather were having this bank holiday weekend! 

 

Following my last update the build has changed significantly, and not really in a good way either. 

 

So I completed the resin cockpit tubs, the sides were awful to fit on and then came the fitting inside the cockpit.

I took one image of the fit of the sides and that's it. 

 

 

This was an absolute nightmare and the top piece, originally the missing piece, was far too long to fit and would have meant me removing part of the fuselage thereby making the canopy too short. 

 

So, the Aires cockpit has been abandoned and will not be used for this build. In the future I won't be using an Aires cockpit ever again they're more trouble than they are worth and frankly, for me anyway, an absolute waste of time, effort and money. I'll stick to the kit pit and add an Eduard zoom set or similar. Far easier and you know it's going to fit. 

 

I have scrapped all the resin though, I'm reusing things like the seats, control stick and a couple of the smaller bits but honestly I regret getting the Aires pit. Wish I hadn't bothered and just tarted the kit up with some PE and be done with it. 

 

I'm on with the pits again though and nearly got them ready for primer which I'm hoping can be done in a day or two and then can make some progress with the build. 

 

Sorry for the ramble tonight, just peeved a bit but onwards and upwards..

 

🐜

[Mike]

Good progress initially, then the perennial Aires problem of them not making their cockpits fit well with the host kit.   I'd hoped they would have remedied that sort of thing by now, but if ever I end up using one of their sets, I'll trim it to fit before I put a lick of paint on it, as I got caught out with a Tamiya Mossie when I was fresh back to the hobby.  I think we get a little spoiled by Eduard and the like, and we just expect it to fit.

[Antb]

30 minutes ago, Mike said:

Good progress initially, then the perennial Aires problem of them not making their cockpits fit well with the host kit.   I'd hoped they would have remedied that sort of thing by now, but if ever I end up using one of their sets, I'll trim it to fit before I put a lick of paint on it, as I got caught out with a Tamiya Mossie when I was fresh back to the hobby.  I think we get a little spoiled by Eduard and the like, and we just expect it to fit.

I knew I had some work to do to thin the bits down to get them to fit with the kit but as I was sanding I nearly went through the sidewalls of the tubs they were that thin and the tubs were no where near fitting properly. 

 

Not only that, the top bit (whatever it's called I've no idea but part 7 which was nissing) wasn't wide enough to go over the rear gun mounts and then was far too long to even fit into the fuselage. It would have needed a good inch maybe more cutting off to get it to fit and that was the last straw. 

 

 

[rob85]

That’s gutting, you will no doubt do a cracking job again but I completely understand your frustration!

 

like you said, onwards and upwards.

 

Rob

[Antb]

11 hours ago, rob85 said:

That’s gutting, you will no doubt do a cracking job again but I completely understand your frustration!

 

like you said, onwards and upwards.

 

Rob

Thanks Rob. 

 

You live and learn and to be honest the kit pit isn't too bad. 

 

I'll get some photos later to show the fit it's frankly horrible 🙁

[Antb]

Hi guys 

 

So if anyone is interested here's why I gave up. The fit is horrendous. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It might be a case that my modelling skills aren't up to the task of the Aires pit but from what I can see it wouldn't ever fit. 

[Getting Old]

Wow, that's bad 🤬 That would take a miracle worker to fix. I share your choice. Perhaps keep it in a dark cupboard until you feel your skills are up to the level of such a massive challenge rather than let the bugga win 

[elger]

Somebody on a forum somewhere some time ago made the joke that Aires is the Czech word for "doesn't fit".

 

 

[Antb]

1 hour ago, Getting Old said:

Wow, that's bad 🤬 That would take a miracle worker to fix. I share your choice. Perhaps keep it in a dark cupboard until you feel your skills are up to the level of such a massive challenge rather than let the bugga win 

I've salvaged some parts including some of the side walls for the tubs. Just trimmed them down a bit and lopped s few bits off so they work with the kit parts. 

 

Got primer on tonight and have had s coat of RLM66 which is drying as I type this. 

 

Hopefully things will work out Ok and I'll share some progress once paint is on. 

5 minutes ago, elger said:

Somebody on a forum somewhere some time ago made the joke that Aires is the Czech word for "doesn't fit".

 

 

Honestly, if I had known I just wouldn't have bothered. Huge shame and it's not a cheap add on either! 

[Getting Old]

Nicely done, looking forward to seeing the results 

[elger]

3 minutes ago, Antb said:

I've salvaged some parts including some of the side walls for the tubs. Just trimmed them down a bit and lopped s few bits off so they work with the kit parts. 

 

Got primer on tonight and have had s coat of RLM66 which is drying as I type this. 

 

Hopefully things will work out Ok and I'll share some progress once paint is on. 

Honestly, if I had known I just wouldn't have bothered. Huge shame and it's not a cheap add on either! 

It does look like you've had a particularly bad set. I've had good and bad experiences with Aires - but nothing as bad as this.

[Antb]

Thanks @elger. I would have expected some work but not on this scale. Its interesting that you say it's a particularly bad set, that's quite worrying to be honest. 

 

Why would they make something that just doesn't fit? Makes no sense. 

 

Anyway, the kit pits are painted up and just need an oil wash which I'm hoping to get on tonight and dried overnight. 

[Niknak]

Hi all I am on building mengs 1/48 me 410 b-2/r2/u4 kit with the Aires cockpit. I might be able to help with this build.

I took all of the detail of the cockpit floor of the kit part and thinned the bottom of the aires resin front cockpit and glued the two together.

The kit cockpit sides need a lot of thinning aswell as thinning the airies sidewalls.(the plastic is soft so I used a scalple blade I found a dremel just melted the kits plastic). To get the fuselage to close up enough for the nose glazing to fit. 

The Aires cockpit coming goes to the second panel line behind the cockpit. Not sure if this is correct or if the kit is correct with the bulkhead at the rear of the cockpit. Therefore there is two options. Cut the rear of the Aires coming off to match the kit part,or as I did and remove the bulk head and thin the rear fuselarge so the coming fits. It takes a lot of fettling but the Aires cockpit will fit. 

The photos may explain it better. 

 

 

 

Here is a picture from the rear cockpit looking to the rear  firing mg 131 controls

 

Also the oil coolers and props and spinners are wrong in the meng kit. But vector do two correction sets 1 for the oil coolers and 1 for the props. (available from ultra cast). Quickboost also do the props and spinners. Hope this has been helpful. Nick

Edited April 23, 2019 by Niknak

[Antb]

11 hours ago, Niknak said:

Hope this has been helpful. Nick

Thanks nick it has but i dont understand why the "top" part of mine seemed so much longer than yours. 

 

Also, it's interesting you used part of the kit tubs and the Aires rather than all the Aires pits. So it's a case of blending the 2 together rather than going pure Aires. Shame that's the way it has to work. 

 

Appreciate the input 

[Nikolay Polyakov]

On 22/04/2019 at 20:04, Antb said:

It might be a case that my modelling skills aren't up to the task of the Aires pit but from what I can see it wouldn't ever fit.

Your modelling skills is superb. You just need to accept the fact that the some manufacturers did their job with some «disadvantages».

 

The painting job on the cockpit is perfect! 👍

 

Cheers! 🙂

[Duncan B]

Aires do have a reputation for being evil fitting things. They usually can be made to fit but only after a nerve wracking session of thinning every bit of plastic in sight. Personally I gave up on buying them and just use Eduard sets if I need to spice up the interiors now.

 

Duncan B

[Antb]

20 hours ago, Nikolay Polyakov said:

Your modelling skills is superb. You just need to accept the fact that the some manufacturers did their job with some «disadvantages».

 

The painting job on the cockpit is perfect! 👍

 

Cheers! 🙂

That's really nice of you to say, you flatter me too much 😊

 

@Duncan B putting this one down to experience (just hope the wife dorsnt know what it cost and not being used 🤨)

 

I see my future being eduard PE all the way. Atleast you know what you're getting... 

[Antb]

Bit of an update as managed a bit of time over the past few days. 

 

Now, I won't for one moment pretend that it's historical accurate but the details in the front cockpit weren't that sharp and I wanted them to stand out. So be gentle 🙄

 

There have been some donor parts from the resin pit but not many. Just a few to make things stand out a little more. 

 

Stop rambling I hear you cry, here are the pictures. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Getting Old]

Lots of detail to look at, very nice 

[Duncan B]

That'll look great through the canopy.

 

Duncan B

[Niknak]

On 23/04/2019 at 18:28, Antb said:

Thanks nick it has but i dont understand why the "top" part of mine seemed so much longer than yours. 

 

Also, it's interesting you used part of the kit tubs and the Aires rather than all the Aires pits. So it's a case of blending the 2 together rather than going pure Aires. Shame that's the way it has to work. 

 

Appreciate the input 

Hi antb, the top part of mine is the same length as yours I just modified the fuselarge of the kit.  So it goes fits further back and lines up with the front cockpit. It was the easiest way of having the resin cockpit and the detail in the bomb bay. 

 

You are starting to make progress with your build. It's looking good. Nick

Edited April 25, 2019 by Niknak

[Antb]

3 hours ago, Niknak said:

Hi antb, the top part of mine is the same length as yours I just modified the fuselarge of the kit.  So it goes fits further back and lines up with the front cockpit. It was the easiest way of having the resin cockpit and the detail in the bomb bay. 

Ah, makes sense. Thanks for the picture Nick.