Kushan_Farsight Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 (edited) So it is time to embark on my attempt at a Christmas blitzenbuild this year! Unfortunately may have forgot to set an alarm and so lounged out of bed a few hours later than i planned, so will be starting at 11:30 rather than 9.30....anyone would think i am on holiday! After a lot of indecision over what kit to do, i got them down to 2 possibles. Both are 1/72 scale, but one is a very old bagged ZTS IL-2 kit, and the other is a little newer P-51B Revell kit. All wil be decided by a coin flip in about 10 mins, after which i will start clearing sprues ready for a 11.30am start! To make things more interesting, social commitments mean i wont be able to do 2 sets of 12 hour stints, so this is probably going to be done over 2 7 hour blasts (with any luck!). Ive seen some clever tricks by people of painting "on the sprue" which i definitely will try to speed up assembly! Just have to put that multitasking hat on! Right! off to get a brew and a mince pie and will flip a coin and decide which is which! Heads - IL2, Tails - P51B See you all soon! Edited December 29, 2019 by Kushan_Farsight Coin Flip Determined Kit Choice. - Kit complete so title changed. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 27, 2019 Author Share Posted December 27, 2019 We Have A Winner! ................ Now to open up the box and inspect the goodies, see whats missing etc (should i have done this before ☺️) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 27, 2019 Author Share Posted December 27, 2019 Ok......... so this might be an interesting challenge. Parts are for the most part there, i think some bits got bent in places but should be able to get them twisted back into shape. the Instructions are nice and detailed too. However, there does not seem to be any decals with this kit! So i may have to get creative tomorrow and use some leftovers from another kit - is this allowed as part of the BlitzBuild Rules @Enzo Matrix? Im a little concerned about the plastic thats been used in this mold - at first i thought there was slight mildew on the parts but it looks to actually be darker plastic 'grains' within the model itself. I was going to give the whole lot a soap wash but not sure thats going to do anything other than eat into my construction time! Will get the room setup for a 12.30 Start (im great at starting on time ) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 I doth my cap to you Sir, I built the same kit years ago moulded in a fetching blue green plastic, see below I made the schoolboy error of cementing the airscoop upside down and the canopy fit was a nightmare. Looking back at it now the paint I was using needed thinning down, it wasn't white emulsion honest ! Fingers crossed your kit is a much better one, Cheers Pat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo the Magnificent Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 1 hour ago, Kushan_Farsight said: However, there does not seem to be any decals with this kit! So i may have to get creative tomorrow and use some leftovers from another kit - is this allowed as part of the BlitzBuild Rules @Enzo Matrix? Absolutely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 27, 2019 Author Share Posted December 27, 2019 Right, 3.5 Hours into my build! will add some pics in a few mins. can definitely see a headache coming with one of the wings, and there seems to be a bit of asymmetry with the fuselage halves! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 27, 2019 Author Share Posted December 27, 2019 Ok, just over 4 hours into the build so far! So...... started off at 12:40 First step was to get these bits primed and ready to paint didnt prime the fuselage at this stage as i figured i would do it later this afternoon. I did however notice some very funky alignment of the halves! May have to tweak the upper side to match the wider gap of the lower later! After a couple of hours..... Then i started to stick the cockpit together! ( @JOCKNEY i may have used your il-2 as a rough guide for interior colors ), the rear MG, and the propeller hub. Caught a stuff-up when doing the hub, i had inadvertently put all the blades 90 degrees out of alignment. luckily glue wasn't set and could rejig. Im just eyeballing paint colors, and appreciate they arent a correct match to the real vehicle. And thats pretty much where i am after 4hours! Issues so far? well like an idiot i cut off something on the left wing near the root and have only just realized that wasnt a part of the sprue! May have to do some diy to re-replicate. Also it seems like the tabs for my left wing to hold it to the body have been sheared off. so how i will stick this to the fuselage without sag i will have to figure out. Not sure what kit i may raid for decals.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnson Posted December 27, 2019 Share Posted December 27, 2019 5 hours ago, Kushan_Farsight said: i cut off something on the left wing near the root and have only just realized that wasnt a part of the sprue! Done that! Easily done. Good progress. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 The rest of the afternoons work! only got another hour or so in and then quick half hour at around 10pm whilst food was cooking. Big old wing gap that needs filling Fuselage was sanded down, and i tried equaling out the sides of the rear gunners position. other wing on as well. All while this thing is giving me hassle for snacks anyway, got to the pc to take the obligatory "end of 12 hours" pic. So, thats it for now! to pick back up at lunch tomorrow! Hopefully the gear wont take too much time, and i can crack on with the external finish. Quite enjoying pushing myself on this one 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogsbody Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 Got one of those in the stash, but as I've got both Academy kits and an Eduard kit, it will never see glue. Chris 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 10 hours ago, dogsbody said: Got one of those in the stash, but as I've got both Academy kits and an Eduard kit, it will never see glue. Chris Its not too bad a kit! Sure its not got loads of detail but could be good if your doing some kind of diorama. I think i have another IL-2 in the stash somewhere, boxed, which i plan on doing as the single seat version without rear gunner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 And off we go! So im going to try and get all this done in the next 5.5 hours, as im expected at a bar by 7! Ok, so breaking down my next steps - -Prime and fit tail -filler on lhs wing and new tail elements -add hood scoop -add rear mg -fix joystick i broke off -fit undercarrage -contemplate adding back in oil cooler that i cut off -paint -decals -light wash. So just a few tasks to do in <6hrs! 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 (edited) Cracking away through this, tail is on, filler is applied, just added the under radiator. Added some touch up interior green paint around the edge of the canopy. Canopy has been hand painted at just the right time post coffee to avoid the caffeine shakes! I considered using some masking tape here but the Il2 has a number of small and odd shaped/located windows, so decided to go by hand instead following the raised contours of the plastic. - not too bad for me! I noticed the canopy wasnt going to fit comfy in a month of sundays, until i accidentally broke the rear plate that divides the pilot/rear gunner. once that was loose and i was able to fit it to the lower deck (rather than upper as indicated) the canopy sat down just right in the correct location, so tried that, but it didnt look quite right (ends up putting the dividing plate too far back) so decided to sand a couple of mm off the bottom to get the part to sit lower. Fit of the front curved plate that directs air into the engine was actually surprisingly good and needed little filler. Then it was time for the landing gear. I was terrified this was going to be really awkward but it didn't turn out to be as horrendous as i first thought. getting the X shaped parts to sit right was a bit stressful, but we got there. Just had to be very careful to not overstress the already weak parts. Talk about a great reference, this article on a modernized IL-2 is awesome for up close HD pics! https://vintageaviationecho.com/flying-the-il-2/ I used this for some good up close pics of the oil cooler (i think thats what it is - the sticky out bit off the left wing that i cut off) that i needed to reproduce. I started by drilling a hole into the wing with a 0.2mm drill bit and boring out to 1.5mm. then used a scalpel to cone that out to a 2-3mm cone shaped hole. Then i got me some leftover sprue from the kit, and cut that down roughly to shape and carved a 'pin' out the other end. stuck that into the hole, added some filler, and we are done! After looking at a few other shots, i think its too far away from the main fuselage than on the WW2 variants, using the postwar pics i am sure thats a more modern addition that sits outboard more than the original wartime component. But hey, its a blitzenbuild, and its good enough for now! Then i cracked on like crazy, added the paint, some cannons made from leftover bendable wire from some Christmas wrapping, blue underside and drab top! Then i went a bit overboard with a dark wash, but i was trying to get the worn and well used look im used to seeing these planes in. Then it was time to raid the decals from another kit! I dont actually have very much WW2 soviet aircraft at all, and it turned out the best decal i could find that looked similar to those used by the IL2 were from an old ZTS 1/72 Su-22. So i guess im still using the same manufacturers decals! Edited December 29, 2019 by Kushan_Farsight Added Photos of work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 (edited) Completed as of 6pm! It was a bit of a race to get this done as there was a big group meal going on at 7pm...... with a half hour drive included. Some speed changing was required! but happy with how it is in the time given. Has certainly spurred me on to get modelling more, procrastinating less! so thanks @Enzo Matrix for hosting this build Edited December 29, 2019 by Kushan_Farsight Added Photos of completed model. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted December 29, 2019 Author Share Posted December 29, 2019 So..... i woke up today with a little of a sore head from many shots, mojitos, and spirits last night. But thought it would be nice to add some final pics of the build with a bit of daylight. And next to the little La-5 that re-ignited off my modelling bug this year Ill call this kit complete for the purposes of the BlitzBuild, but may go back to the kit later down the line to add some little details and extra decals when i get them, just to add a little more depth to the model. but for now. its done. 🥳 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JOCKNEY Posted December 29, 2019 Share Posted December 29, 2019 Outstanding, that must be a record for this kit, congratulations Cheers Pat 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Valkyrie Posted January 2, 2020 Share Posted January 2, 2020 Looks great and good 1st model back next to it, great set. There is a STGB in the offing that might interest you in the GB chat.. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevehnz Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) Hi Kushan, what I can see of it is looking very promising, however, I got impatient waiting for your images to load, the one I saved & looked at its size was about 4600 x 3500 pixels & 4.17 MB, far too big for a forum like this imho. Could you please resize them so everyone can enjoy them regardless of connection speed. Cheers, Steve. Edited January 3, 2020 by stevehnz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julien Posted January 3, 2020 Share Posted January 3, 2020 @Kushan_Farsight please can you read the thread about picture sizes. Pics this big take to time to load, and can also kill peoples data allowances if on mobile devices Quote Picture size... Posting too big a picture in a thread is a pain, as it breaks the format of the thread window, forcing people to scroll horizontally... it makes the threads difficult to read, especially if you've only got a smallish screen resolution. Out of courtesy for other users, could people keep their pics to 1280 pixels wide by a maximum of 850 px please? If people want higher resolution pics, they could ask the OP for copies 1280 px will allow space for the borders and the poster's details column, without making it difficult to use on a 1080p screen. That might change as we start to see the UHD screens appear, but it's fair cater to the (by now) lowest common denominator. My screen res is 1080p across in the house, and 1280 px pic works nicely, without being too small on any larger screens. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kushan_Farsight Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 (edited) sorry guys, i thought that Imgbox was auto resizing these to 1080p but that is not the case. i will look to resolve how my images get uploaded in future. Of note to you Mobile users, there is a setting in Chrome called 'Lite Mode' - this will automatically download reduced size images that get converted through the google servers. So it takes that 3mb image, converts it to a 300kb one, and uploads onto the google servers, which is the image you then see versus the original hosted one. It may be VERY handy for users on this site! - EDIT Ok so doing some looking, i found an application called Photo Compress & Resize by a developer called Lit Photo. It seems very easy to use and i compressed down most of my images from 4000+ pixesl and 4MB size to 1080pixels and 290kb. I have included the link below, but it may be worth adding into the tutorial or 'helpful links' sections? Link to Google App Store for Photo Compress & Resize Edited January 3, 2020 by Kushan_Farsight Answered my own question. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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