nearsightedjohn Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 This is my fifth Wingnut Wings build and the most challenging for me so far. The majority of the kit fell together like a typical WNW but two areas gave me some trying moments: the wing struts to wing socket bond joints and the decals. Wing Struts: the eight longer/ outer struts all had very thin delicate bosses that mate into either round sockets on the upper wing or “D” shaped sockets on the lower wings. I used Tamiya extra thin solvent cement to make these bond joints on painted parts (with the bonding areas scraped down to the plastic). In three of eight joints, the male pins broke from the struts and stayed in the wing sockets. I was careful to handle the wings + fuselage by the fuselage to avoid over stressing these wing/ strut joints but still managed to encounter these failures. I previously built the WNW DH.9a Ninak with similar struts and wings and that kit seemed to be much sturdier. I ended up repairing the fractured joints using CA which so far has held pretty well. Decals: WNW decals even when new are known to be fairly fragile (and excellent!) but on this DH.9 kit (being close to ten years old), some of the larger decals such as the roundels proved to be super brittle. I managed to pretty much destroy two of the four wing roundels. Luckily, I had some somewhat similar rounded decals left over from my Ninak kit which ended up being positioned more inboard on the DH.9 wings due to the decal slot locations for the aelion slots being in a different location on the DH.9a vs. the DH.9. The other error I made was using a white glue + SoluSet solution between the number decals on the rudder and the red/white/blue base decal to prevent ghosting. I usually have good luck with this mix beneath other clear decals but in this case I think it actually caused ghosting. Next time I'll just apply any clear decals directly over base decals without any extra juice. After spraying Tamiya Fine Light Grey Primer and some XF-1 flat black panel highlighting, I used Tamiya acrylics on everything except for some Alclad metallics on the engine and in some of the other aluminum and brass components in the cockpit. I airbrushed Vallejo Satin onto the exterior and then applied Flory "Dark Dirt" water-based to add some grim. Aftermarket items added were HGW seat belts and GasPatch resin turnbuckles with fine EZ lines. This build has encouraged me to get going on the remaining WNW kits in my stash before the decals become totally unusable or I become too feeble to assemble scale models (its a slow race to the finish!) As with previous WNW kits, this one was a total blast. Cheers, John PS - forgot to mention that I lost the two small fuel pump props and replaced them with 1/350 scale USN fighter props left over from an old carrier build! 42 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpha Delta 210 Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 That looks sensational! The details are incredible. Well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick b Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 That’s how a WNW kit should look when finished…superb Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ColinChipmunkfan Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Magnificent job, well done sir!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mahavelona Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Stunning Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nanond Posted March 30, 2023 Share Posted March 30, 2023 Superb quality work. You bring the best out of this WNW kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invidia Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 looks fantastic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Epeeman Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Echo what others have already said - brilliant work! Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircooled Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 That looks awesome! I'm really curious how you terminated the rigging. The black ferrules (?). Not sure what you call them, but they look great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nearsightedjohn Posted March 31, 2023 Author Share Posted March 31, 2023 Thank you gents for the positive feedback! Aircooled: I used Bob’sBuckles brass sleeves and blackened them using photoetch burnishing fluid (Ammo brand I think) that I had left over from treating AFV metal tank tracks. I only needed to soak the brass parts for an about 20 -30 second then immediately rinsed them in water. I pushed two .005” copper wires through each tube and rotated the tube relative to the wires to clear out any debris left from the treatment before using them. I never liked the look of bare brass parts on my previous rig jobs and did not want to paint them before or after rigging. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spitfire31 Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Any serious museum would be proud to display this model. Kind regards, Joachim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichieW Posted March 31, 2023 Share Posted March 31, 2023 Beautiful job! Wingnut Wings are so much fun to build but some of the parts are quite fragile. I look forward to seeing your next one, this one is lovely! Is it my imagination/natural bias or has there been increased interest in WW1 types recently? Builds like this can only help motivate others to have a bash at a biplane. Richie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanfrandragon Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 That’s a beauty! Some really nice skills and touches; the wood finish looks perfect, just right weathering and I like how the upper wing colour colour curls over the edge (the curved masking around the end of the wing must have been a challenge), blackened rigging sleeves, and did you just dry brush the gun ring with silver? And did you use a silver pencil for the scrapes on the nose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonners Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Everything about that is simply stunning - paintwork, delicate chipping effects, weathering, wood finish, the lot. Love it! Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mig88 Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Absolutely spectacular!!! Miguel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aircooled Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 20 hours ago, nearsightedjohn said: Thank you gents for the positive feedback! Aircooled: I used Bob’sBuckles brass sleeves and blackened them using photoetch burnishing fluid (Ammo brand I think) that I had left over from treating AFV metal tank tracks. I only needed to soak the brass parts for an about 20 -30 second then immediately rinsed them in water. I pushed two .005” copper wires through each tube and rotated the tube relative to the wires to clear out any debris left from the treatment before using them. I never liked the look of bare brass parts on my previous rig jobs and did not want to paint them before or after rigging. Thanks for the info! Your model is a masterclass in rigging, it's super clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Johnny Tip Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Spectacular! Looks like it's built for A Splendid Little War... That cockpit is absolutely stunning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdrianMF Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 Terrific build. I've loved the type ever since Alan Hall did a DH4 conversion article in Airfix Magazine in the late 1960s, and seeing it built in such an excellent way makes me very happy! Regards, Adrian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Winded Penguin Posted April 1, 2023 Share Posted April 1, 2023 A feast for the eyes. Fantastic work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
obdl3945 Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 Lovely work... I like it all, but the rib detail and painting on the undersides of the wings is first class... well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duncan B Posted April 3, 2023 Share Posted April 3, 2023 First Class, really lovely work all round. Duncan B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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