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A pair of butcher birds - Eduard Fw109D-9 and H2k Ta152H-1


jackroadkill

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Okay, things are moving; I have managed to bully the Eduard kit into something resembling a useful shape (well, we'll see once the black base coat goes on, really, but it looks like I might have gotten away with it so far) with a lot of beating and thrashing.

 

On 16/02/2023 at 22:45, Retired Bob said:

Next problem you will have, will be fitting the gun covers.

 

Yes, this part was fun, and considering they're only small pieces they gave me some challenges, most of which I solved with a scalpel,filler, pressure or litres of TET - sometimes all four - and did the job in small stages.  They're not going to look amazing but they'll do.  The black base should show up any horrors, so I'll deal with any that arise when that's been done.

 

The canopy/headrest gubbins, undercarriage legs, actuators etc, cowling parts etc are ready for their coats of 66 and 02, and there's a few odds and sods that will need some of that lovely silver lacquer on them (gun cover, prop centre etc).  Then there's the black base to do on the main airframe, so I'm hoping to get some favourable conditions for airbrushing soon.

 

So far it looks like this:

 

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I'm not too upset by the progress I've made this week.  As always, I could have made more, but so far so good.  Getting some base coat on will make it feel like things are really coming along, I reckon.

 

I do have a question, though; on both of the colour calls, the unpainted sections of the under-wing surface are ruler-straight and the edges of them ignore the inspection panels etc - is this correct or should the unpainted areas correspond to the panel lines?  If anyone can help with this I'd be really grateful.  In my mind the latter would make sense, but I've been wrong before....

 

Cheers,

 

JRK

 

 

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8 minutes ago, jackroadkill said:

So far it looks like this:

Looks pretty good to me.

 

9 minutes ago, jackroadkill said:

I do have a question, though; on both of he colour calls, the unpainted sections of the under-wing surface are ruler-straight and the edges of them ignore the inspection panels etc - is this correct or should the unpainted areas correspond to the panel lines?  If anyone can help with this I'd be really grateful.  In my mind the latter would make sense, but I've been wrong before....

The wings were made as sub-assemblies, much like how the kit is made.  At this construction phase the wings were painted in various ways, originally the whole underside was painted RLM 76, as paint became scarce they only painted the front section, flaps, ailerons and u/c wheel doors were made and painted by separate contractors.  So the demarcation line when they only painted the front section was in a straight line regardless of panel lines, later they other colours like RLM75 or RLM 81 were used.  My D-9's undersurface leading edge was painted in RLM 81 and some other panels were also painted or partially painted, so, as usual with late Luftwaffe aircraft there isn't a simple answer.

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6 minutes ago, Retired Bob said:

the demarcation line when they only painted the front section was in a straight line regardless of panel lines

 

Superb - thanks very much, Bob.  I wasn't sure whether each part would have arrived painted (meaning that the inspection panels that intersect both leading edge and centre chord panels would be wholly painted or un-painted) or whether the whole lot was painted afterwards, giving the continuous line that meant some panels would be partially painted.  Thanks very much for clearing that up for me an sharing your knowledge - it's much appreciated, sir.

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18 minutes ago, jackroadkill said:

 Thanks very much for clearing that up for me an sharing your knowledge 

Always happy to help.  As Manuel in Fawlty Towers said "I learned it from a book"  Or in this case, several books. :penguin:

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So, whilst progress on the builds has been slow, I've finally got permission form my landlord to move into the workshop, so this afternoon was spent packing up all my modelling stuff (well, except for the stash, which can stay in the loft!) and moving it into its new place.  It's great to have my old bench back - it's four times bigger than the one I've been using since the move, and whilst that has had its upsides - for example, it has made me up my game in the tidy working stakes, not that I was bad at that before, but I'm even better at it now - I'll be glad to be able to have more than one process on the go at once.

 

Anyway, I did manage to get the pre-shading done on the builds, as well as some RLM66 bits on the cockpits, and the undercarriage stuff that needed RLM02:

 

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I'm beginning to dare to think I may get these two over the line before the bell!

 

Cheers,

 

JRK

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Having gone on (and on and on andonandonandonandon) about this workshop, I suppose I should show you all what I was getting excited about:

 

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This is my modelling bench, which occupies a tiny fraction of the total area (approx. 40 square metres).  There's also a metalworking bench and room for me to put a gas forge in, so I'm well happy.  As my practise amp is in there I can additionally use the space to practise my guitar and bass without upsetting anybody.  'Er Indoors reckons I should put a 1990's Pirelli calendar on the wall above the desk, but I'm not so sure - your suggestions are gratefully received!

 

Cheers,

 

JRK

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21 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

Some posters or I like box top artwork on the walls. :thumbsup:

 

Ooh, box art.....  Now, you could well be onto something there. 

 

Looks like the Pirelli calendar is out, at any rate - she's informed me that she's going to use the workshop to do leatherwork in now!

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11 hours ago, jackroadkill said:

Looks like the Pirelli calendar is out, at any rate - she's informed me that she's going to use the workshop to do leatherwork in now!

Leatherwork?   That almost calls for a phnarr!

If you need a calendar, there are nice ones of Setters (other dogs are available) :thumbsup:

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5 hours ago, Retired Bob said:

If you need a calendar, there are nice ones of Setters (other dogs are available)

 

Don't tell her that, for goodness sake, phnarr or not!

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Things are moving along now; the last couple of days have seen a deal of RLM76 making an appearance.  When black-basing I tend to first apply a very light, slightly patchy initial colour coat, leave it to dry and then put a heavier topcoat on after that.  I find this stops me from horsing on so much paint that the black-base effect is negated.  So far we have this:

 

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Again, sorry for the cruddy picture - fluorescent tubes and iPhone cameras do not Lord Snowdon make, it seems.  Oddly the Dora has 76 on the upper sides of the wings as well as the lower, and it will have 81/82/83 added soon, as well as the aluminium on the undersides of the wings (a bit of a cocktail of paints were used on this one, apparently!).  The Ta152 will be largely similar, but I'll also spray the RV bands in red and yellow too.  The temperatures in the workshop are still quite low, so I'll leave today's paint for a couple of days before I do the next steps.  I think these will be the silver underwing panels first because I'm desperate to try out my new lacquers properly.

 

Right, that's it for today, so take care and don't do anything I wouldn't do, eh?

 

JRK

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On 06/03/2023 at 20:05, jackroadkill said:

The temperatures in the workshop are still quite low, so I'll leave today's paint for a couple of days before I do the next steps.  I think these will be the silver underwing panels first because I'm desperate to try out my new lacquers properly.

Same problem I've been having, pretty damn cold and damp, I've also been helping my son with his Warhammer figures, not my thing but family comes first.

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In between resisting throwing the perennial Bf110 build across the workshop and weeping with unmitigated frustration I have managed to get some spraying done.  This time it was with the lovely HR Hobbies (nee Alclad) lacquers, which I've not really used in anger before.  They sprayed really well (even though my airbrush was so manky I had to dig what looked like miniature hairballs out of it afterwards) and gave exactly the effect I wanted on the "unpainted" undersides of the wings.

 

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In this picture the effect is a little overstated, but you get the idea.

 

Next stop, the upper surfaces.  I'm conscious that time is running short, so I'll get cracking ASAP.

 

Cheers,

 

JRK

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27 minutes ago, jackroadkill said:

Yeah, but the Great Pyramid got built faster than some of my kits.

I know the feeling, where I am the snow is just going so hopefully I can get on with some spraying soon.

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