Macchi M-5

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The cockpit has been modified to correct and add components not supplied in the kit.

 

Corrected:
Positioning of both machine guns (rearwards into the cockpit and closer to the cockpit side walls).
Replacement instrument panel support bar (kit part too short).
Control rod for Mixture control and Spark advance levers replaced (too weak).
Tachometer replaced (kit part too large).

 

Added:
Fuel panel switches (0.3 mm tube).
Mixture control and Spark advance control rods (x2) (0.4 mm tube)..
Starter magneto ('Taurus Models').
Starter magneto safety switch ('Taurus Models').
Replacement Tachometer (from sprue).
Half compression operating lever and control rod (spare photo-etch and 0.4 mm tube).
Cockpit front edge padding ('ANYZ' 0.5 mm braided line). 

 

After painting I will add:
The fuel contents and oil pressure pipes to the instrument panel.
Wiring for the starter magneto and safety switch.
Tachometer drive shaft.
Instrument decals (not supplied in the kit).
Transparencies for the two 'windows'.
Flight control cables.

 

The shots below show the primed cockpit components dry fitted (except control column).

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

[Brandy]

Lovely!

 

Ian

[AdrianMF]

That looks fantastic! All the more interesting for being in "primer colour". It will look amazing when painted up.

 

Regards,

Adrian

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The cockpit is now complete.
As I found with the engine, the cockpit required a lot of modifications and additions to bring it up to looking more like the actual aircraft cockpit. 
Basically, the modifications and additions made were as follows:

 

Fuselage inner side walls heavily thinned and both assembled machine guns modified to allow the guns to sit in their correct positions in the cockpit.
Forward bulkhead repositioned as the kit instructions were incorrect.
Support bar for the instrument panel and climb indicator replaced with micro-tube (kit part too short).
Cockpit rear padding created from ‘Milliput’ (kit photo-etch part unusable).
Cockpit forward edge padding bead added (not in the kit).
Pilot’s seat – addition holes in the seat back.
Pilot’s seat – slots created for the seat belts.
Pilot’s seat – seat support frame created (not in the kit).
Pilot’s foot board assembly modified to allow the control column to be positioned further away from the pilot’s seat.
Pilot’s seat top attachment to rear bulkhead added.
Panel switches replaced with micro-tube (kit photo-etch unrealistic).
‘Taurus Models’ starter magneto added (not in kit).
‘Taurus Models’ starter magneto safety switch added (not in the kit).
Tachometer ‘scratch’ replaced (kit part too large).
Engine half compression lever and control rod added (not in the kit).
Fuel contents pipe to gauge added – ‘PlusModels’ lead wire.
Oil pressure pipe to gauge added – ‘PlusModels’ lead wire.
Micro-tube used for control rods (Half compression control, Spark advance control, Fuel mixture control).
Cockpit window ports created using clear acetate sheet and in-filled with ‘Krystal Clear’.
Rudder control cables added (0.4 mm Nickel-Silver tube and 0.12 mm mono-filament).
Hole drilled through right side of fuselage (at engine forward right support strut location) – for cockpit controls to engine.
Control column machine gun triggers replaced with micro-tube (kit photo-etch unrealistic).
Machine gun trigger cables added (‘PlusModels’ lead wire).

 

Other than that, the cockpit was built straight out of the box!!

 

I forgot to take completion shots of the cockpits internals before closing it up.
However, there is the one shot on the cockpit floor assembly finished.

In the following photographs, the two ‘white discs’ are the cockpit window ports – the ‘Krystal Clear’ was still setting when I took the photographs,

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

[Courageous]

Fantastic work. At least in this scale you'll see it.

 

Stuart

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The fuselage has now been prepared for application of the decals, which hopefully will be a combination of wood effect decals and kit decals.
If that doesn't work out I'll revert to creating the wood effects using oil paints.
The actual aircraft had a Latin legend along both sides of the fuselage - ‘FRANGAR NON FLECTAR’.
Some translation for this are:
'I am broken, I am not deflected'
’I’ll break but will not bend’
'I will break, not bow'
'I am broken, I am not deflected'
This is not supplied as a decal in the kit, which is not surprising given it's not even shown on the kit colour illustrations!!
As there is no aftermarket for this I have to resort to creating a mask set, which I've done on my 'Cricut Air 2' cutting machine.
Hopefully the mask won't peel off and decals or paint when I remove them, as airbrushing this legend is literally the last job on the fuselage.

 

I've added the 'dome' in front of the windscreen and what appears to be a rudimentary gun sight. The purpose of this 'dome' is unclear.
I've primed the fuselage in white as the decals are somewhat 'see through', so need a white base under the roundels.
Also the wood effect decals need a white background.
I've added pre-shading along the wood panel nail lines, which I created with a 'Rosie the Riveter' tool.

 

Mike
 

 

 

 

Edited February 27, 2020 by Sandbagger

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
An example below of the 'translucent' decals supplied in the kit.
When applied over other decals or paint, the colour below shows through.
This means a white base colour needs to be applied, both under individual decals as well as for the wood effect decals.

 

I had thought of various way to get around these translucent decals.

Applying the wood decals, then white paint or white decal over the wood decals where the kit decals are to go, then applying the kit decals.
Applying the wood decals then using masks to airbrush on the various kit markings.
Applying the wood effect by oil brushing then airbrushing the kit markings.

Although all of the above are feasible, they all involve either two or more layers, which might leave a 'ridge' around the finished markings.
That would be tricky to eliminate without damaging the markings and surrounding area.

 

Applying the wood and kit decals separately onto a white base coat is not going to be easy and will be time consuming, but hopefully there won't be any noticeable ridges and it'll all look uniform.
We'll see

 

Mike

 

Edited February 28, 2020 by Sandbagger

[DMC]

Everything very nice. Liking this thread.

 

Dennis

 

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've removed the wood effect decals from the fuselage as they proved to be extremely easily damaged, even after being sealed.
Maybe a bad set of decals, but I've never know decals to chip, tear or lift off the surface after being sealed!!
It's as though the have no adhesion at all.

Anyway I'm reverting back to using oil paint to represent the fuselage wood panels.

 

Mike

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
As I wasn't happy using wood effect decals I stripped off all of the previously applied roundels, stripes and the wood effect decals.
I then sanded the fuselage and re-primed with 'AK Interactive' white (AK759).
Then I applied 'Tamiya' Dark Yellow (XF60).
I masked off the white areas then sponged on 'DecoArt Crafters Acrylic' paint along the fuselage.

 

Next is to Airbrush 'Tamiya' Chear Orange (XF26) or Yellow (XF24) mixed with a semi-matte sealer ('Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311). 
Then add the roundels and fuselage stripes (white decal first).
Add back the nail lines with a 'Rosie the Riveter' (1:32nd - 1 mm).
Apply the final decals.
Finally a weathering wash of 'Flory Models' Dark Dirt or Grime followed by a light sheen sealing coat.

 

So still a bit to do,

 

Mike

 

[Courageous]

Looking good Mike.

I can see the appeal of wood decals but never tried them myself. I'm happy with with burnt umber oil over linen/ buff/ sand.

 

Stuart

[Sandbagger]

Yes same as me - I've tried these particular make of wood decals on two models now - don't think I'll be using them again.

 

Hi all,
The fuselage decal are now on.
As the kit supplied decals are translucent and darker colours underneath show through, I had to cut out white decals for the roundels and skulls.
Not easy but at least the darker wood colour doesn't show through,

 

Mike

 

Edited March 6, 2020 by Sandbagger

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
I still have weathering, nail lines and the green fuselage stripes (waiting for paint to arrive) to do.

 

However I have:
Painted the gun ports and rigging panels ('Mr. Colour' Stainless Steel).
Painted the engine support strut mountings ('Mr. Colour' Aluminium).
Fitted gun barrels (0.7 mm diameter tube) painted with 'Mr. Colour' Iron.
Gun Sight (0.3mm and 0.5 mm diameter tube) painted with 'Tamiya' Rubber Black (XF85)..
Compass binnacle (modified sprue with a compass decal and clear 'window').
Windscreen ('Alclad' Duralumin) - clear area treated with 'Pledge' Floor care.   

 

Mike

 

 

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The fuselage is progressing with the stripes and Latin legend 'Frangar Non Flectar'.
Just the three metal hatch covers to add and final weathering and finish, including the fuselage nail lines.
Then onto the wings,

 

Mike

 

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
I'm calling the fuselage finished.
I've scuffed the underside roundel to represent water wear.
The fuselage was given a weathering coat of Dark Dirt clay wash 'Flory Models' to represent general grime, especially as crew and mechanics had to walk on the cockpit decking.
It was then sealed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311) lacquer.
A second light wash of White was applied to give an indication of salt spray and to highlight the fuselage panel nail lines, then sealed again.

 

Now onto the wings,

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Courageous]

Nice work.

 

Stuart

[shortCummins]

looking really good, the wood finish is first class

 

rgds

John(shortCummins)

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The propeller is finished.
Hand made wood laminate special from 'ProperPlane'.
Airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen (ALC-311) with a few drops'Tamiya' Hull Red (XF9).
Erosion protection stripes (either Copper, Tin or Mondel (Copper-Nickel Alloy) brush painted.
Propeller bosses brush painted with 'Mr. Colour' Stainless Steel (213).
Final sealing coat of 'Tamiya' Clear Orange (X26).
Propeller bosses coated with 'AK Interactive' Kersosene (AK2039).

 

Mike

 

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
I've started working on the wings.
The wings were covered in Clear Doped Linen (CDL), but of a much lighter, almost white' finish.
Photographs of the aircraft show darker ribs tapes over the lighter covering, which I'm assuming was because the rib tapes were effectively double thickness linen.

 

 

The wing were primed with 'AK interactive' white AK-759.
The wing spars were masked off and airbrushed with thinned 'Tamiya' Smoke (X19).
The masking was removed and the internal cross bracing wires drawn on with a pencil.
Pre-shading was then airbrushed with thinned 'Tamiya' Smoke (X19).

 

 

The wing was lightly airbrushed with the white primer to tone down the pre-shading and spars.

 

 

 

The raised detail was then lightly sanded to highlight the wing ribs and outer edges.
The whole wing was then sealed with 'Alclad' Aqua Gloss (ALC-600).

 

 

'Aviattic' clear Bleached CDL (ATT32044) was used to cover the wing.
The same decal, cut into 2 mm strips was used to cover the rib tapes.

 

 

This is a long tedious job as both sides of the upper and lower wing need to be treated this way, but hopefully it'll have the desired effect.
I still have the roundels and markings to apply, plus any final weathering and a sealing coat of semi-matte to finish.

 

Mike 

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
Out of interest here's a shot of the various parts that are WIP.
I've yet to add the rib tapes,

Mike

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
I think that's as far as I can take the top roundels.
The inner white ring was replaced with the same 'Aviattic' CDL decal used to cover the wing.
The reason being that photographs show what appears to be CDL inner roundel rings, not painted white.
Moving on now to the undersides of both wings.
That means red and green outer areas with CDL centre sections and 'ghost' roundels' under the upper wing.

Mike

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The wings and tail plane/elevators are finished.
The underside of the upper wing has 'ghost' roundels visible from the roundels on the top surface - created with masks and airbrushed..
The heat deflector panel (for engine exhausts) on the inboard left wing painted with 'Alclad' Steel on black primer.
Final weathering applied using 'Flory' fine clay wash.
Surface finish airbrushed with 'Alclad' Light Sheen,

 

Mike

 

 

 

 

 

 

[DMC]

Some very tidy workmanship.

 

Dennis

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
The fin and rudder are now finished.
The kit decals were not used, but instead airbrushed.
The CDL covering and rib tapes were applied as for the wings.
'Flory Models' fine clay wash (Dark Dirt) applied for weathering.

 

Mike

 

[Sandbagger]

Hi all,
And the lower wing floats.
The kit supplies the earlier 'hull' shaped wing floats. which were attached directly to the underside of the lower wing.
Also supplied are the later 'ski' type wing floats, which were attached to the underside of the lower wing with support struts.
Once again no surprise that the kit does not supply the support struts, just the floats!!

I made the support struts from soldered micro-tube and chiselled recesses into the underside of the lower wing so the floats are correctly positioned, taking into account the 3 degrees of wing dihedral angle.
Some Macchi M.5 aircraft had wing floats of just varnished wood, others had markings such as Italian roundels, white discs etc.
This particular Macchi M.5 had the Italian tricolours applied, similar to that of the fin.  

 

Mike