On Heather's Workbench - a Luftwaffe Workhorse

[adey m]

The bombs are going to have a fabulous view through those windows .................

Edited January 18, 2021 by adey m

[Brandy]

Followed by a coat of klear and you'd never know the windows had been sanded. As mentioned previously the same will he needed for the main and central transparencies.

 

Nice job!

 

Ian

[Heather Kay]

Last thing before I spent the evening slobbed out on the sofa watching the goggle box (I treated myself to the Star Trek: The Next Generation DVD box set for Christmas, and I’ve just finished the first season) I joined the fuselage halves together.

 

 

This is how things look this morning. There’s a slight ridge along the top seam which I can deal with by scraping and sanding. It looks like some filler might be needed at the front, but that’s an optical illusion caused by splodged cement.

 

 

Underneath is a slightly different story. I spent ages and ages dry fitting the fuselage together, but whatever I did the bit just aft of the gondola simply would not join without excessive force. Knowing there’s a transparency to fit over this area, I wanted it to be as neat as I could get it to avoid sanding clear parts if I could. I figured out the poor fit was probably due to the way the rear bulkhead had been fitted. I managed to lever the bulkhead and floor out without breaking anything (that soft Airfix styrene is good for something after all ) and sanded mating surfaces, dry fitted, sanded some more, until I was happy the halves would meet without more than a clothes peg to hold them. The floor can now be reinserted and I’m back where I wanted to be.

 

So, some scraping and sanding before I get on to the next stage, which is fitting the centre section underneath.

[Heather Kay]

The fuselage seams succumbed to my tender mercies eventually. The floor has been reinstated. Time for more building.

 

 

This is the centre section. Since I’m not using the open bomb bay doors, I’ve not bothered to install the bomb racks. They’ve found a home in the Bits Box. The closed doors, though, are slightly smaller all round. You’d have thought, with the reputation of Airfix's new tools, they’d be a snap fit. I centred them in the openings by eye and applied some liquid cement from behind to hold them. We are looking forward to the cockpit, in case you’re as confused as I am.

 

 

Being aware of the slight issue Ian found with the wing root fairings, I ensured the centre section was a good fit all round before applying clamps and liquid cement. 
 

While that’s drying, time for the rest of the cockpit assemblies. I’m not going to finish this build today, in case anyone was wondering. 

[Heather Kay]

 

Cockpit fittings mostly put together and daubed. Detail paint and masking tape belts to follow.

[VT Red Sox Fan]

I had a heart attack for sanding around the fuselage's windows, but stuck with your work and was inspired to leverage this technique in the future.  Following with interest!  Best, Erwin

[Heather Kay]

2 minutes ago, VT Red Sox Fan said:

I had a heart attack for sanding around the fuselage's windows, but stuck with your work and was inspired to leverage this technique in the future.  Following with interest!  Best, Erwin

It's not for the faint-hearted, for certain. However, with the right tools it’s a good technique to have in the armoury. I’m thankful this kit isn’t like the olden days when it would be like a cheese grater, covered in overscale rivets! It would come down to having bald patches or removing all raised detailing.

[Hamden]

 

Nice progress Heather

 

 Stay safe       Roger

[Heather Kay]

 

Well, it’s not to the same standard as Ian's amazing job of fitting the PE details, but I think it’ll be adequate enough once the glazing goes on.

 

It is tradition to get a gluey thumbprint in a model. Well, I managed a gluey digit - and just missed smudging it across one of my nicely polished windows. 

 

I think I’ll call a halt at this point. The next stages cover the wheel wells and the wings. I think I shall need a clearer head for that.

[adey m]

Superb progress Heather, good job it isn't an Airfix Belvedere build ............ page 10 plus  🤔

 

regards, adey

[Heather Kay]

Thanks Adey! 
 

For the record, I have straightened the left rudder pedal. I also intend to add a little scuffing and wear.

[Pete in Lincs]

Coming along very nicely indeed, Heather. And at speed too.

I watched an excerpt from Battle of Britain the other day, and it looks like the bomb racks on inbound He111's were empty! Tsk.

 

[CedB]

Nice internals Heather  

[stevehnz]

Nice progress on this Heather, one/another I'll be happy to follow.  

Steve. 

[Heather Kay]

3 hours ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Coming along very nicely indeed, Heather. And at speed too.

I watched an excerpt from Battle of Britain the other day, and it looks like the bomb racks on inbound He111's were empty! Tsk.

 

I must keep an eye out for that film next time it’s on the TV. It’s been some time since I last watched it all the way through. As to speed, it looks a complex kit, but it goes together quite quickly.

 

2 hours ago, CedB said:

Nice internals Heather  

They’re not too bad, considering they came in the box. Things could be finer, but they’re at the limits of moulding and scale.

 

18 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

Nice progress on this Heather, one/another I'll be happy to follow.  

Always good to have you along, Steve.

[Heather Kay]

A bit of time away from this build. I have been desperately trying to get back to paying work seriously, but that "life" thing keeps sticking its monkey wrench in the works.

 

 

This blighter is so close to being completed, but like Xeno's Dichotomy Paradox, the end never seems to arrive. Builds are like that. I’ve made a snagging list so I don’t forget something blindingly obvious! Currently, I’m waiting on airbrush spares so I can complete the paintwork and make a start on weathering.

 

 

 

I have finished fitting out the cab detail, so it is ready for the crew to take up residence. Mechanical models often need a gentle running-in period, so I shall have to dig out my rolling road so it can trundle along at a steady pace to bed in the various bearing surfaces.

 

I should be getting on with another stalled commission - yes, even at the weekend - but the lure of the styrene cement was too much.

 

 

The undercarriage bays were assembled. I took care to sand and file the tiny raised seams where the moulds joined. Even the teensy amount of plastic involved can cause slight mismatches in joints, so time taken over this menial task pays dividends later. I really ought to have painted the interiors before sticking them in the wing centre section, but you know how we can get carried away with such things! 

 

 

After a short period of grace while the cement set, the upper wings were installed. Again, time spent cleaning edges and mating surfaces of tiny raised seams pays dividends. 
 

 

After a series of elderly kits (Heller) and some smaller manufacturers where fit and finish can sometimes be variable, the overall fit of parts in this kit is admirable. The tiniest smear of PPP may be required on the wing roots.

 

While joints set, I put the horizontal stabilisers and elevators together. Again, a remarkable fit. It is a joy to put together.

 

 

The lower outer wing halves went on, followed by the control surfaces. I’m not playing around with the latter being deflected or lowered on this build. The classic Heinkel planform is now evident.

 

Despite my best efforts, there is the tiniest gap on the lower wings outboard of the nacelles. Nothing a little filler won’t fix. I need to install the rudder next, and then consult the destructions on the next stages.

 

I may even get the entire thing assembled this weekend. I’ll have to paint it then. While the Iwata is still out of action, pending parts, I may have to resort to the hairy stick. Horrors! 

 

 

[adey m]

On 03/01/2021 at 19:48, CedB said:

Nice internals Heather

 

said the doctor ............

 

[Brandy]

Nice to see more progress on this, and what on earth is still to do on the train? It looks finished to me! 

 

Ian

[Heather Kay]

20 minutes ago, Brandy said:

what on earth is still to do on the train? It looks finished to me! 

I know. Annoying, isn’t it? It’s about 98 per cent there. But I am a black belt in procrastination, and I just seem to prefer stringing completion out as long as possible. I can use the excuse of paint and/or glue drying only so far. 
 

The holdup at the moment is actually paint finishing. The loco might look finished, but trust me when I say the varnish needs another coat, and then I want to weather the model. My airbrush croaked - air inlet valve O-ring - on Christmas Eve. I couldn’t order spares until everyone staggered back to work after new year. Then we here in Blighty were hit with a further Covid lockdown, and when the parts eventually arrived I had ordered the wrong O-rings. So, the airbrush is inoperative until the replacement O-rings arrive, and fingers crossed it will then work. If not, further holdups will ensue.

 

I plan on another airbrush anyway. I really need a backup for just this kind of situation. 

[CedB]

Nice update Heather - both jobs looking excellent!  

[Pete in Lincs]

Lovely Pannier tank? Heather. Great detail in the cab. Please be sure to post a picture when it's weathered.

Lovely Heinkel too. It seems to be falling together. So I can see why you were distracted. 

I found that I had to watch that bit from BoB again, once I'd clicked onto this thread.

[AdrianMF]

Super locomotive, and GWR too

 

the Heinkel is looking good. Your tutorial-ette on window sanding has been noted down and I will try to raise my game accordingly on such matters the next time the need arises!

 

Regards,

Adrian

 

 

[Heather Kay]

23 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said:

Lovely Pannier tank? Heather. Great detail in the cab. Please be sure to post a picture when it's weathered.

Will do. This one's a Small Prairie, 2-6-2T.

 

8 minutes ago, AdrianMF said:

Your tutorial-ette on window sanding has been noted down and I will try to raise my game accordingly on such matters the next time the need arises!

 

I am but standing on the shoulders of giants. I’m not perfect, as witnessed by the mess I made trying to clear gloss the windows today in preparation for masking them! 

[Heather Kay]

A bit more for this evening. I set about making up the engines.

 

 

I have to say, this part of the kit isn’t quite as satisfactory as the other parts as far as fit is concerned. The radiator cowling has huge steps, for example.

 

 

On the left, I’ve scraped, filed and sanded the radiator cowling to fit the rest of the engine pod. On the right, where I have yet to do the graft, you can see extra plastic inside the radiator opening, as well as the poor fit. This is quite disappointing, and needed quite a bit of work to fix.

 

It is important to note which engine pod fits which wing. I scribbled an S and P (starboard and port) inside each assembly so I didn’t muddle them during construction. It is actually possible to fit the pods into the wrong wing, though it’s obvious they don’t fit as neatly as they should. Even the correct way round, there’s still quite the gap on the top. Filler required, I think, once the glue has set. The engines also sit at a slightly rotated angle to align with the wing angle, which is quite correct even though it looks wrong.

 

I think that’ll do for today, I’ll look at the undercarriage and think about all that glazing tomorrow.

 

[adey m]

35 minutes ago, Heather Kay said:

I scribbled an S and P (starboard and port)

 

that would be me knackered then, I can never be sure which is port and starboard, L and R usually works for me