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Major Walter Sigel's R-2 mount from I./St.G 3 as a 2 in 1 build


Basilisk

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I did replace the control stick with the one from the Aires cockpit set as the Airfix one looks just too anorexic. The Aires stick is maybe a bit on the "heavy" side, but the Stuka control stick was of a substantial nature!

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Here is the comparison of the two sticks. I also scratch build the chute of the drag areal.

 

All the bits are now fitted to the cockpit.

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I also used the Aires real of the drag Areal as the Airfix representation looks a bit flat.

 

And surprise, it does all fit.

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Note that I moved the two MP cartridges on the fuselage further back as Airfix has them at the wrong location.

 

And the other side.

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With the instrument panel, Airfix did another boo boo as it represents the feature from the B-2, but has the shape of the B-1 IP.

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I guess they thought that way we can make two in one:wacko:

 

So I decided to modify the Yahu B-1 IP to a B-2 as for whatever reason Yahu makes only the B-1 IP.

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Should look ok when painted.

 

And all together results in a busy looking cockpit.

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Now the pit is ready for a coat of black primer :thumbsup:

Cheers, Peter

 

Edited by Basilisk
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On 1/12/2020 at 10:30 PM, Basilisk said:

 

And there is no shortage of them.

 

I decided to add the cockpit side panels not to the floor as per the instructions, but glue them to the fuselage sides instead as this will make the detail painting much easier. And I noticed an odd thing. The port fuselage half has no integrated ribs on the fuselage side, making the insert sitting flush. But that is not the case with the starboard fuselage! There are several ribs interfering with the insert resulting that the insert isn't sitting flash :(

 

So I removed the interfering ribs from the starboard fuselage half with a gouge.

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As a bonus, I could glue some of the removed ribs into the port fuselage which has no ribs at all in parts where they are visible after the insert is in place.

 

And at the end the inserts fitted nicely and don't look too bad.

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Hi Peter,

I'm just starting my Airfix R-2 build and saw that you have done what I was hoping was possible by first gluing the side wall detail to the fuselage. I see your later posts buttoned up and suspect there were no problems other than the starboard ribs you mentioned. Anything else you discovered necessary with this method?

Ray  

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Thanks chaps.

 

2 hours ago, Ray_W said:

Hi Peter,

I'm just starting my Airfix R-2 build and saw that you have done what I was hoping was possible by first gluing the side wall detail to the fuselage. I see your later posts buttoned up and suspect there were no problems other than the starboard ribs you mentioned. Anything else you discovered necessary with this method?

Ray  

With the side panels attached to the fuselage half, they still lock nicely into the floor part without too much drama. Fit wise there are no nasty surprises, just a lot of inaccuracies as mentioned.

 

Finally got some paint to plastic with some black primer first.

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RLM 02 was next.

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I did paint the seats in RLM 66 just to get a bit of colour variety.

 

Then I had the joy of fitting over 20 pre-painted PE parts.

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Detail painting is next, followed by a wash and weathering after a coat of flat varnish.

 

So still a bit to do.

Cheers, Peter

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Thanks Ray. I needed a bit of a brake painting the cockpit so I started building the engine compartment.

 

I don't like how part of the last exhaust is but-joint to the cowling instead the cowling covering the exhaust. So I decided to use the complete exhaust which is used if the engine is shown instead and changed the cowling to make it fit.

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Left is the modified part. Not this obvious now, but it will be when the exhaust is painted - and I will use resin replacements after all fits.

 

And  then there is the oil cooler air intake which Airfix managed to get totally wrong :( Here the comparison with the Hasegawa part.

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Now the Hasegawa part does have some issues too, but has the correct curvature compared to Airfix.

 

Strangely the enclosed oil cooler for use with the Airfix engine assembly is correct :wacko:

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Fortunately the Airfix plastick is thick enough to do some drastic re-shaping.

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Looks much better now, but rather disappointing that Airfix got is so badly wrong. Unfortunately it means that the radiator insert has to be enlarged and reworked, so still more work to be done.

 

Cheers, Peter

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It's a small mod but improves the look of that part immensely.  Airfix's sacrifice for trying to package as much B1 and B2/R2 on the same frets. At least you get the correct oil cooler. There was a recent discussion on the subject of the shape of the oil cooler entry in the WW2 forum. I don't know how to correctly reference it but it was started by @Merlin titled "Which is best Airfix or Italeri Ju87 B2 1/48 ?". Possibly you have seen it already.

 

A little crash damage in this image that follows but shows that radiused entry to accommodate the increase in B2 oil cooler size.

 

 

 

Stuka_R2_Top Cowl

 

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16 hours ago, Ray_W said:

It's a small mod but improves the look of that part immensely.  Airfix's sacrifice for trying to package as much B1 and B2/R2 on the same frets. At least you get the correct oil cooler. There was a recent discussion on the subject of the shape of the oil cooler entry in the WW2 forum. I don't know how to correctly reference it but it was started by @Merlin titled "Which is best Airfix or Italeri Ju87 B2 1/48 ?". Possibly you have seen it already.

I didn't know this post but I found it here. Interesting topic.

 

This is the comparison picture in above post.

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Personally I am uncertain how valid this comparison is as the pictures are shown from different angles and are taken with different size lenses.

 

To my eye,  the B-1 oil cooler is of the same size as the B-2 oil cooler.

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Left B-2, right B-1

 

I did see your picture showing the intake, but found the detail a bit soft, specially the port side. I did find another picture a bit more clear.

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Looks like to be a B-1. And even if the intake height is less than the B-2, it still has a much larger curvature than what Airfix provides.

 

And here a side view of a B-2 showing the curvature.

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And another comparison of B-1 and B-2

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So maybe there is a difference in shape? But again not exactly the same angle and therefore not a valid comparison. One thing is sure, the intake is made up of some very complex curves.

 

And when looking for above pictures, I came across this.

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Not the same aircraft I am building, but proof that during a transition period the yellow radiator did exist - and definitely not a picture taken during the Battle of Britain which the caption indicated :wacko:

 

Cheers, Peter

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That cockpit interior is very impressive, even for 1/48. Amazing detail.

 

Interesting info on the different cowlings too. I thought there were different types, but wasn't quite sure.

 

Very nice work.

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13 hours ago, Smudge said:

That cockpit interior is very impressive, even for 1/48. Amazing detail.

 

Interesting info on the different cowlings too. I thought there were different types, but wasn't quite sure.

 

Very nice work.

Thanks, but I am still not convinced that there was a difference between the B-1 and B-2 shape. Maybe there had been some manufacturing variation as it was a rather complex shape. but  these complex curves can look very diffrent with the change of the camera angle. Whatever it may be, one thing is sure - Airfix got it wrong :(

 

Spent some evenings fitting the harnesses. It was the first time I used an Eduard Steel harness and it doesn't look too bad, but not the easiest to fit.

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As they are made from very soft metal, they can be shaped nicely, but I still prefer the HGW fabric harnesses.

 

Now I should be able to get the pit together over the weekend.

 

Another task I wish I didn't had to do was to eliminate all the bullet holes Airfix used to represent rivets :wacko:

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I used melted sprue in plastic glue as suggested by Retired Bob and it seams to work well. I will let it dry for a few days before sanding it all flat.

 

Cheers, Peter

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1 hour ago, Basilisk said:

I used melted sprue in plastic glue as suggested by Retired Bob and it seams to work well. I will let it dry for a few days before sanding it all flat.

 

Peter,

Great work. Very neat. I'm interested in the outcome of this as you know. I've just started the pit on my Airfix R-2 so following behind. 

Ray

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On 2/6/2020 at 12:26 AM, Ray_W said:

Peter,

Great work. Very neat. I'm interested in the outcome of this as you know. I've just started the pit on my Airfix R-2 so following behind. 

Ray

Thanks, so am I !

 

Got finally the cockpit finished.

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I think I achieved my goal in having a busy looking pit.

 

Now lets hope it fits all together...

Cheers, Peter

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Thanks Ray. I finally got the Stuka "rivet free"

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Not much to see, but it was a lot of work and several panel lines needed re-scribing where the Airfix rivet flowed into them. I also used this opportunity to reduce the height of the trailing edges as they are "typical" Airfix very thick - Specially so on the rudder.

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And now I can add the rivets again - and lots of them :wacko:

Cheers, Peter

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16 hours ago, Basilisk said:

Not much to see, but it was a lot of work and several panel lines needed re-scribing where the Airfix rivet flowed into them. I also used this opportunity to reduce the height of the trailing edges as they are "typical" Airfix very thick - Specially so on the rudder.

 

And now I can add the rivets again - and lots of them :wacko:

Peter, looking good. I think you have most of the hard work out of the way. I always find the riveting part is not that difficult for a good result. Do you use a dual wheel riveter? It will make the job easy on those wing rivets.

 

Stuka_Italeri_Contruction_8

 

Re-scribing for me is a different story. Now that is something I find tedious.

 

Enjoying your build.

 

Ray 

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Looking good Peter. The cockpit looks amazing.  Even with the magnifying head gear I struggle with fine work like you have done there. 

I masked the Airfix open canopy last night. It was a nightmare getting those interior masks in place. The Eduard instructions didn't help with arrows pointing to the wrong place. I had half the interior masks on before I realized how it worked.  I might have to make my own and redo it. 

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21 hours ago, Ray_W said:

Peter, looking good. I think you have most of the hard work out of the way. I always find the riveting part is not that difficult for a good result. Do you use a dual wheel riveter? It will make the job easy on those wing rivets.

Yes I do use a dual Rosie. I used them on several of my builds as on this 1/48 Airfix Curtiss P-40B - and all done free hand as it takes for ever otherwise.

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But the dual wheel riveter are a bit tricky to use. If not held straight, one of the two wheels makes larger holes than the other wheel :(

 

21 hours ago, Ray_W said:

Re-scribing for me is a different story. Now that is something I find tedious.

I did too until I came across this scriber

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Most of the panel lines on the P-40B have been re-scribed with above scriber. They come in different thicknesses and I use the 0.15 and 0.2mm. They aren't cheep but worth every penny!

 

I have to say that I am not totally happy with the filled rivets. It is the first time I had to fill rivets in quantity and the problem is that air gets trapped under the filler and the rivet is still open after sanding.

 

Also I used molten sprue in liquid cement. But the stuff doesn't dry as hard as the plastic and scribing can be tricky. I still find CA with talkum powder better when it has to be scribed through.

 

12 hours ago, Greg Law said:

Looking good Peter. The cockpit looks amazing.  Even with the magnifying head gear I struggle with fine work like you have done there. 

I masked the Airfix open canopy last night. It was a nightmare getting those interior masks in place. The Eduard instructions didn't help with arrows pointing to the wrong place. I had half the interior masks on before I realized how it worked.  I might have to make my own and redo it. 

Thanks Greg. I guess the secret is a steady hand and a good quality brush and they aren't cheep. But sometimes a toothpick works well too to paint small dots.

 

Cheers, Peter

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2 hours ago, Basilisk said:

But the dual wheel riveter are a bit tricky to use. If not held straight, one of the two wheels makes larger holes than the other wheel

Totally agree.

 

Your P-40 looks superb.

 

2 hours ago, Basilisk said:

Most of the panel lines on the P-40B have been re-scribed with above scriber. They come in different thicknesses and I use the 0.15 and 0.2mm. They aren't cheep but worth every penny!

This is of great interest as I am always on the hunt for the scribing "wonder weapon". I have the old Hasegawa Trytools and do like the current Tamiya scribing range but what you show seems really good. Might have to source them to give them a go.

 

2 hours ago, Basilisk said:

Also I used molten sprue in liquid cement. But the stuff doesn't dry as hard as the plastic and scribing can be tricky. I still find CA with talkum powder better when it has to be scribed through.

I have had a similar experience with sprue and liquid cement but, to be fair, I have not made a commitment with this technique to a whole aircraft so I really have not had the experience or level of experimentation necessary to make a reasonable comment.

 

I am still deciding for my build. CA and talc is one of my popular fillers although usually only for the smaller jobs such as join lines or where adhesion is important or to build up small areas and or where it will be thinned to a fine edge. Maybe time for a bit of experimentation.

 

Your build is very enjoyable to follow and is going to be something quite special.

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Unfortunately my hands tremble so much I can drop the  model.  Makes fine work a challenge.  Even if I support my hand on the bench my fingers take up the temor. 

It makes fine work very stressful. It is the main reason I take a long time to make a model.

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On 2/18/2020 at 5:56 AM, Greg Law said:

Unfortunately my hands tremble so much I can drop the  model.  Makes fine work a challenge.  Even if I support my hand on the bench my fingers take up the temor. 

It makes fine work very stressful. It is the main reason I take a long time to make a model.

That is indeed a bit of a handicap and a challenge to overcome.

 

On 2/18/2020 at 1:24 AM, Ray_W said:

I have had a similar experience with sprue and liquid cement but, to be fair, I have not made a commitment with this technique to a whole aircraft so I really have not had the experience or level of experimentation necessary to make a reasonable comment.

 

I am still deciding for my build. CA and talc is one of my popular fillers although usually only for the smaller jobs such as join lines or where adhesion is important or to build up small areas and or where it will be thinned to a fine edge. Maybe time for a bit of experimentation.

I will be able to tell you how I went after I am done. But like you, I love to use CA and talk for most of my filling tasks.

 

To rivet a model needs a bit of research utilizing drawings and pictures. I started with the easiest part, the horizontal stabilizer. But I soon found out that there is a lot of inconsistent information.

 

This to start with.

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The drawing are the Kagero drawings and the MMP drawings contain the same information but either the Kagero drawings are over scale or the MMP drawings are underscale as there is a difference of 5mm in the wingspan between the two drawings. But anyway, I use the drawings only for the rivet details.

 

Now there are noticeable differences to the Airfix kit!

1. Double row riveting

2. 9 vertical rows in the drawing and 10 on the kit

3. 1 horizontal row on the drawing and none on the kit

4. Starboard underside has a rectangular maintenance hatch and Airfix doesn't as it has identical hatches on both sides.

 

Now the big question - what is correct. And this is where can be pictures of help.

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Here we have two pictures from the G-2 at Hendon. A period picture of a B-1 and a picture of a R-2 wreck at the Technical museum in Berlin.

Now I assume that the horizontal controls of the G-2 are identical to the Berta. Unfortunately all the pictures I found of the R-2 at the Chicago Museum of Science aren't clear enough to show much details.

 

So what do the pictures show us.

1. There is no double row riveting.

2. 9 vertical rows are correct, but they go all the way to the leading edge.

3. Rectangular maintenance hatch on the Starboard side is correct

 

Now the horizontal double row of rivets is interesting. The wreck picture shows them, but it looks that there is a second sheet of metal which hides these rivet as it is only riveted along the vertical lines.

 

Also of interest is the direction of the top two maintenance hatches which are vertical on the Hendon aircraft but horizontal on the drawings. And I do have another drawing showing them vertical as well.

 

So here we are and it is now obvious that Airfix got it badly wrong.

- 1 extra rows of rivets and not extending to the leading edge.

- rectangular maintenance hatch missing

- orientation of maintenance hatch on top of horizontal stabilizer wrong.

In other words, NOTHING is correct which is rather disappointing.

 

So I got my CA and talk mix out and filled all the panel lines, followed by a brushed on coat of Mr Surfacer 500.

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And after sanding the Mr Surfacer down, I have now a smooth surface like a baby bottom :winkgrin:

 

It will be fun scribing all the maintenance hatches at the correct location :shrug: I realize that many may see this all a bit pointless, but I enjoy the challenge and the journey is for me more enjoyable than reaching the finish line.

 

Cheers, Peter

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Great work again Peter and terrific research.

 

I don't have the tag line "every rivet counts" 😀  so I rivet for effect rather than ultra accuracy. I still like double row where required and will work to the best information available but, as you point out, you tend to see conflicting information. Sadly I don't have a Stuka in the back yard.

 

I am not planning to re-scribe access hatches, that is if I can avoid it. I have the finish line firmly in mind with my double build and more challenges ahead with the Italeri D-5 in getting those wings right. You will see more on that after I complete the cockpit.

 

What CA are you using for this job? I vary CA and amount of talc depending on the job, thin CA for quick and brushable for more working time and then everything in between. With such a large job do you have any pointers?

 

 

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