Foxbat Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 29 minutes ago, TonyOD said: Great joy! I have found and ordered a decal sheet with the correct codes from a French manufacturer. Interestingly the colour guide shows the underside as white, whereas the colour photo of OK+ZD clearly shows it as yellow, and (now I think of it) yellow while still in Luftwaffe markings. Which means the Americans just added the white stripe, their roundels and the tricouleurs on the tail, and left the codes on the underwings intact. So finally I know where I'm going with what it will look like. Very late to the party with this thought, but I have seen other captured Allied aircrfat in Luftwaffe use that had a mix of German camo and big chunks painted yellow so this scheme makes sense if this was a captured plane (maybe from when Vichy France was occupied?) rather than one of the many types impressed into German service as the original owners were overrun. Whatever the story, it's going to be a very striking model. Andy 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Wez said: Where did you get those from Tony? French seller "mggm2005" on eBay. I've realised in the meantime that the underwing codes are wrong (there's always something...), should be OK+ZD not ON+ZD but with a sharp knife and some imaginative cutting I may be able to fashion a "K" out of the "N". Edited September 22, 2020 by TonyOD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 22, 2020 Author Share Posted September 22, 2020 (edited) There's some fascinating stuff about the development and history of the Leo 451 here: https://en.topwar.ru/71472-leo-45-udachnyy-samolet-kotoromu-ne-vezlo.html ...including this wonderful picture of the first production aircraft on show in Paris, November 1938. As French bombers go, it must have looked very sleek and modern compared to the clunkers that had come before. I didn't expect to find this such an interesting aircraft. Sorry if this is appearing a bit self-indulgent 😁 but I like finding out about the planes, and I thought with the Heller Classic GB imminent there might be one or two others building Leos so thought a collection of info might be helpful. Edited September 22, 2020 by TonyOD 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Crack on, I’m enjoying the updates no complaints about self indulgence from me. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 On 20/09/2020 at 22:34, TonyOD said: Well, getting to work... first job, a bit of painting bits on sprues (“grappes”, apparently). The instructions are very relaxed about the colours. Humbrol colours are specified for the outside, but for the interior it’s just “dark green grey”, “brown” and a lot of “apple green”. I’ve been rummaging around in by boxes of Humbrol and Revell paints for things that fit these vague descriptions. I mean, I have something that looks like an apple, but wonder if something like good old Humbrol 78 might be more appropriate... Good afternoon Tony On a French forum I asked the question of the color and he answered me "midnight blue" for the interior, with black instrument panels ..he also told me about the release of this book http://leo45.e-monsite.com/blog/le-blog-de-leo/ouverture-du-site-de-prenom.html I'll tell you if I can find more information.. Best Regards Patrice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 1 hour ago, TEMPESTMK5 said: Good afternoon Tony On a French forum I asked the question of the color and he answered me "midnight blue" for the interior, with black instrument panels ..he also told me about the release of this book http://leo45.e-monsite.com/blog/le-blog-de-leo/ouverture-du-site-de-prenom.html I'll tell you if I can find more information.. Best Regards Patrice Thanks Patrice... I’ve seen this midnight blue mentioned in connection to fighters, possibly the same was used with bombers. Rule number one of modelling: “never trust the instructions!” Finally I decided to go with a true “vert pomme”, which is brighter than the Humbrol 78 I was using before. It’s a nice colour and will look ok with a matt coating. I’m not getting too hung up on the interior on this one though 😁. Should I repaint it midnight blue...? 🤔 That book looks like fantastic work from a real enthusiast/expert, but €65... oof! I looked at his website and a familiar LeO features prominently on the home page! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TEMPESTMK5 Posted September 23, 2020 Share Posted September 23, 2020 1 hour ago, TonyOD said: Thanks Patrice... I’ve seen this midnight blue mentioned in connection to fighters, possibly the same was used with bombers. Rule number one of modelling: “never trust the instructions!” Finally I decided to go with a true “vert pomme”, which is brighter than the Humbrol 78 I was using before. It’s a nice colour and will look ok with a matt coating. I’m not getting too hung up on the interior on this one though 😁. Should I repaint it midnight blue...? 🤔 That book looks like fantastic work from a real enthusiast/expert, but €65... oof! I looked at his website and a familiar LeO features prominently on the home page! I must admit that I am not an expert of the french bombers of that period ..your true “vert pomme” looks good to me ... Yes the price of this book is quite impressive but as you mentionned it is the work of a real enthusiast .. I f I can find more infos I will tell you .. Have fun Best Regards Patrice 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 (edited) 36 minutes ago, TEMPESTMK5 said: I f I can find more infos I will tell you .. Much appreciated! Edited September 23, 2020 by TonyOD 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 23, 2020 Author Share Posted September 23, 2020 Lot of this sort of rammel going on, but it’ll be a while before I have anything resembling an aeroplane I reckon 😁 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 With my new-found enthusiasm for l’Hellerisme comes the realisation that raised surface detail is certainly where it’s at with their kits. Bought these. Summoning up the nerve to use them... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 24, 2020 Author Share Posted September 24, 2020 @Wez I’ve just learned from Scalemates that those decals I’ve ordered date from 1975! So I was lucky to find them... but how usable will they be? 😂 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 My 45-year-old decals have arrived from France. Slightly yellowed but I don’t think this will be an issue, they look in good shape. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted September 25, 2020 Share Posted September 25, 2020 OK, so you’re building a French plane captured by the Americans off the Germans in Italy on the Britmodeller forum. You’re sure you can’t get the Russians and Japanese involved somehow in the build? 😜 Seriously, great off the wall choice! Looking forward to it. Regards, Adrian 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 25, 2020 Author Share Posted September 25, 2020 52 minutes ago, AdrianMF said: OK, so you’re building a French plane captured by the Americans off the Germans in Italy on the Britmodeller forum. It had occurred to me 😁 Thanks for looking in. I'm enjoying this one, although it isn't coming together very quickly! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 26, 2020 Author Share Posted September 26, 2020 (Mid)adventures in scribing. I’d better get the hang of this if Heller is going to be my thing... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 26, 2020 Author Share Posted September 26, 2020 Well, I think I’m still some distance from Having anything remotely interesting to look at. I’ve scribed the wings and half the fuselage with the aid of Dymo tape and quite a bit of CA glue touching up and sanding back, for first time out I’m reasonably pleased with the result but we’ll see what it looks out further down the line. For some reason the bomb door and the retractable ventral turret position are moulded off centre, I checked against some drawings and no it wasn’t that way on the actual plane! So I’m rescribing them in the right positions, it’s funny what you decide you can’t possibly live with. There is the option to build the kit with the turret down but there aren’t any pictures I can find of this aircraft with it down; in any case the transport conversion had room for 17 passengers, it’s my bet that the turret was taken out to make room for the seats though some outside evidence of where it had been would probably remain... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 Done as much scribing as I could, though there will be more when the fuselage halves are joined. I thought I might have a go at some rivetting, so I went in search of inspration and found this. First thought: yikes, that's a lot of rivets. Second thought: nicely moulded as they were, the raised panel lines that I used as a guide for my scribing were't a very accurate representation. I think I'll have to live with that though. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 ...and on this drawing the bombs doors and turret are off centre. Aaaargh! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyGair Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 2 hours ago, TonyOD said: ...and on this drawing the bombs doors and turret are off centre. Aaaargh! The joys of modelling! You're doing a lot more than I would do, no rivets and very few panel lines for me! Davey 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 1 hour ago, DaveyGair said: You're doing a lot more than I would do, no rivets and very few panel lines for me! After careful consideration I've decided to forego the rivets on this one. I've never done riveting before (or scribed panel lines for that matter) and I don't think a plane this complex is the right place to start! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightersweep Posted September 27, 2020 Share Posted September 27, 2020 8 minutes ago, TonyOD said: After careful consideration I've decided to forego the rivets on this one. I've never done riveting before (or scribed panel lines for that matter) and I don't think a plane this complex is the right place to start! I don't blame you! Scribing panel lines and riveting all of those curves would be a task that would give me the screaming ab dabs. She'll look good enough as is. Nice find on the decals. If you do have any issues, I've got a good stash of black and white numbers and letters that might help. Steve 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 2 minutes ago, fightersweep said: I don't blame you! Scribing panel lines and riveting all of those curves would be a task that would give me the screaming ab dabs. She'll look good enough as is. Nice find on the decals. If you do have any issues, I've got a good stash of black and white numbers and letters that might help. Steve Yeah, I've been going blind doing the lines so the rivets would be a step too far, I'll save that for a safer bet of a build! Good to know re. the letters, many thanks. The letter "O" appears to be narrower than the Luftwaffe standard on decal sheets I've seen. Like I said I hope to be able to make a "K" from the duff "N" but if I mess it up I'll bother you! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 27, 2020 Author Share Posted September 27, 2020 Who doesn’t love this bit? 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyOD Posted September 28, 2020 Author Share Posted September 28, 2020 Tonight’s shift had been finishing the masking on the canopy. Pretty much every build I’ve ever done has been reasonably straightforward in this regard but this is eye-watering. The see through bits are very clear but also quite thick so refract light impressively. On to the nose bit.... 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozzy Posted September 29, 2020 Share Posted September 29, 2020 Nice job Tony 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now