Stew Dapple Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 This is my fourth completion of 2019, the venerable but still respectable (at least in the absence of much in the way of competition) Matchbox Heinkel He115B floatplane, wearing the markings from the later Revell reissue of the kit for an aircraft of the first staffel of Küstenfliegergruppe 506 based in Norway as part of Luftflotte 5 in 1941: I got the model quite cheaply off the well-known auction site and built it quickly (or as quickly as I could at least) partly as a trip down memory lane (which seems to have been redeveloped in the meantime as a cul-de-sac full of 4-bed Executive Homes) and partly just to try out the Luftwaffe Maritime colour scheme. It was built OOB with a couple of exceptions; the seated crew figures were replaced with Airfix pilots due to the loss of a leg on one of the original candidates, and the pitot tube was replaced with Albion Alloys micro-tubing so it looked less like the pitot salami provided in the kit. The R/T antenna wire was Infini White Rigging Thread, the 70 Denier size, anchored with a couple of tiny eyelets from Bob's Buckles which were intended for rigging 1/48 scale aircraft but have practical application in a less perverted scale as well I used the Eduard canopy mask set which is still available though the kit itself is, I believe, not currently in Revell's range. The paints used were Colourcoats ACLW12 RLM02 for the interior, ACLW03 RLM65 Hellblau for the underside and the uppersurface camouflage was ACLW04 RLM72 Grun and RLM05 RLM73 Grun. The Propellers and spinners were ACLW02 Schwarzgrun which is subtly different from the RLM73 but too subtly different for my camera to pick up, however I do want you to know that I made the effort The transfers were from the Revell re-issue of the kit which I had acquired at some distant point in the past, a remarkable act of foresight by Past Me. Generally they worked very well but the fuselage codes silvered quite badly, particularly on the port side, and no amount of Micro Sol completely eradicated this. So it goes. The final coat was Xtraflat varnish. Build thread is here. Thanks for your indulgence Cheers, Stew 56 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevej60 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Look's great Stew,I remember having a goat this kit when it was new to the Matchbox range,you've donethe old girl proud! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GREG DESTEC Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Excellent work Stew 👍 It's a big bird, even in the gentleman scale! Cheers Greg 🍺 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob85 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 (edited) You have done your usual fantastic work on this stew! i don’t know what you mean about the German colours, I don’t understand them. But I appreciate the lengths you have gone to to explain them and get it right, just for us 😃. great work mate 👍🏻 Rob Edited May 8, 2019 by rob85 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Greg Law Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 One of cleanest and best He 115s I have seen. Well done. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeR Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Excellent! Mike. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 It's pure joy to see a Matchbox kit built up and finished so well. Shows what potential is hidden in these multicolour, deceptively simple kits, in competent hands. Kind regards, Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Getting Old Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Looks very good, well done 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antti_K Posted May 8, 2019 Share Posted May 8, 2019 Beautiful work Stew! Especially with the clear parts. I like it a lot and started to look for my un-built Revell boxing... Kind Regards, Antti 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stew Dapple Posted May 9, 2019 Author Share Posted May 9, 2019 Thanks very much gentlemen Cheers, Stew 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephenCJ Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Fantastic model Stew. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winenut Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 I love Matchbox Stew You've done a great job. I got inspired to do one myself and then saw the extensive canopy which gives me frightful anxiety and then you mention there's a mask set ....yeah!!!! Might try and find one of these old birds.....built most Matchbox when I was a wee lad but never built this fine floatplane Cheers Bruce 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanC Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 Nice one. I remember building this. Matchbox did some really interesting subjects. Your paintwork is excellent and the traditional silvering of the fuselage codes just adds to the charm! Ian 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silenoz Posted May 9, 2019 Share Posted May 9, 2019 looking good. When the decals aren't sealed, apply the sol a few times and dap it with a flat brush "into" the model... I'd suggest Daco extra strong or strong, when familiar with these products, you don't want anything else... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
glatisant Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 Great build of a classic old kit. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
planecrazee Posted May 12, 2019 Share Posted May 12, 2019 Great build Stew - I built the Revell boxing of this and really loved putting it together. It may be basic compared to kits these days but it looks great once it's together. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opus999 Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 Very nice job on a really neat looking aircraft! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabbit Leader Posted May 13, 2019 Share Posted May 13, 2019 That’s an excellent build Stew and just emphasises the fact that great kits can still be built from these classic models. I don’t have one of these, although do have an urge to tackle some of Matchbox’s lovely coloured plastic quite soon. Cheers and well modelled.. Dave 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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