An RAF He-219 Uhu ++++ FINISHED ++++

[mark.au]

The next instalment of my Luftwaffe camouflage exploration is this He-219 exhibited at Farnborough in late 1945.

 

 

 

The attraction is the challenge of the RLM76 squiggle camouflage.  Painted over a base of RLM75 this scheme is sometimes represented as dark mottling on a lighter base.  This is incorrect however (unfortunately, as it would be a lot easier that way!).  I’ve found an excellent source of 219 camouflage info which I’ll link later when we get to painting.

 

I have had the Tamiya 1/48 scale kit in the stash for a while so that will be the canvas for this one.  The kit has a good reputation and I’m expecting a relatively trouble-free assembly.  There’s a few builds of this kit on BM of which an excellent example is @reini‘s and who’s WIP from 2020 will suffice to show the contents of the box and general kit info for anyone interested in a preview.

 

 

That’ll do for now, treat this as a placeholder until there’s something specific to show.  I hope that will be a Sunday update showing some form of progress on the cockpit.

 

Cheers.

 

 

 

Edited August 31, 2023 by mark.au
FINISHED

[Keeff]

This sounds like an interesting project . .... I'll get a chair!  

 

Keith 😁 

[bigbadbadge]

Sounds interesting especially without crosses on .  Good luck with your build Mark.

Chris

[Winded Penguin]

OK, really looking forward to this one 👍

[opus999]

Hey I'm on page one for once!   The Uhu is an aircraft I really admire, having read about it a few years ago in one of my dad's Aircraft history magazines.  I think its a really neat looking aircraft and I can't wait to see what you do with it!

[Samuraiwarrior]

Hi Mark, 

That is something I am really interested in, and I have one in the stash. 

So, I am booking my seat in the Mark.au theatre to be enthralled and educated on this build. 

Thanks for sharing 

Kevin 

[reini]

@mark.au Thanks for the mention!

 

Interesting choice of colours you have chosen for this beautiful bird   Will be following!

 

Night fighters are interesting subjects for sure, lately I've been collecting quite a few for my stash. I'm hoping to get Uhu in 1:72 too but I have not yet been able to acquire one.

 

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Nice choice, I like the 219 as a design so will follow along. 

[mahavelona]

If I ever build my kit it'll be in these markings so following with interest.

[Dunny]

Mark,

 

Will follow this worh great interest. If I ever choose to build a Luftwaffe aircraft this would be high on the list,

 

Cheers

 

Roger

[Werdna]

It's a great kit - a lot of fun to put together and the fit is ridiculously good.  I built one last year as G9+TH, the RFI is on here somewhere..

[heloman1]

Hi Mark, was thinking, I hadn't been on here for a while. A nice(!) looking subject. I'll follow with interest.

 

I think we might have had one of these parked near to the Military Museum in Johannesburg post WWII. The a certain section of the community wasn't happy with them being parked there and pressured the authorities to scrap them. Thankfully the Me 109 and Me 262 (night fighter version) survived!

 

Colin

 

PS. I'm over on the FAA GB with an Eduard Hellcat. I might need some assistance re Sea Blue (mix) using artists acrylics. Going to take the plunge

Edited July 29, 2023 by heloman1
Extra text added.

[mark.au]

Thank you all for the interest in this build.  No pressure then 😊

 

10 hours ago, Dunny said:

If I ever choose to build a Luftwaffe aircraft this would be high on the list,

 

Technically, this is an RAF aircraft.  I’ll keep an eye out for your upcoming WIP 😉

 

I had some time this afternoon to make a start on the Uhu so I knuckled down to what is, as everyone who reads my WIPs knows, my least favourite task of cockpit building.  It’s not that I don’t like cockpits actually, it’s more that it’s a picky task sitting between me and assembly and airframe painting.  Not the least favourite task then, just the least anticipated.

 

I begin, as usual, with a black base, then a base coat of RLM66 dark grey followed by a dark goop wash.  
 

 

One of the more clever elements of the kit is the cockpit base being cast metal thereby including the weight necessary to prevent a tail sit.  I fitted the plastic to the metal with a simple press-fit which was sufficiently tight to not need glue.  I set the main cockpit assembly aside to set up and worked on the instrument panel.  
 

The process was the same to start and then I applied the decal.  With them well settled I carefully painted a few of the bezels with a rust colour based on photos from the NASM preserved Uhu.  After a dry brush I finished it with a drop of Future in each of the instruments to represent the glass.

 

 

Super close-up doesn’t do it any favours but I’m happy enough with it, especially as the canopy will be closed.  Next, the radar operator’s instrument panel.  Same process with the additional exercise of using a needle to scratch through the paint in some of the instruments to represent the numbers/needles/relevant info.  
 

 

I returned to the main tub and started the detailing.  Again, working from photos I added colour to various knobs and dials.  A dry brush and detailing with silver pencil brought it to a satisfactory level of busyness.

 

 

 

I carefully painted the head rest leather with earth brown and gave it a dry brush with a generic beige.  When that was dry, I finished it with a diluted Future coat to give it a little leathery sheen.  I then brought the main components together (though not yet glued, nor is the control column, because I still have to do my - literally, this time - least favourite task, seatbelts) to asses the collective impression.

 

 

 

 

I’m quite pleased with this one.  German cockpits are pretty easy because the RLM66 is a great canvas to work with.  Next, I need to go through the same process with the cockpit sides in the fuselage halves.  And the seatbelts.  Then, I can close up the fuselage and start work on the wing assemblies.  I’m hoping to be able to get to that happy place by close of play on Sunday.  A bit like the Ashes.

 

Cheers.

[AliGauld]

And what a start.

I'll be watching this with great interest, not only for the superb work on show, but to nick as many techniques as possible. 

 

Cheers,

Alistair

[Samuraiwarrior]

Hi Mark, 

It looks brilliant work so far. Nice to see and hear your approach in the cockpit. 

It will look even better when it's fully dressed with the seat belts. 

What paints are you using? 

Thanks for sharing 

Kevin 

[marvinneko]

19 hours ago, reini said:

@mark.au Thanks for the mention!

 

Interesting choice of colours you have chosen for this beautiful bird   Will be following!

 

Night fighters are interesting subjects for sure, lately I've been collecting quite a few for my stash. I'm hoping to get Uhu in 1:72 too but I have not yet been able to acquire one.

 

There's a very reasonably priced used Revell in 1/72 at my LHS. PM me if you want details. They ship I believe. 

[reini]

34 minutes ago, marvinneko said:

There's a very reasonably priced used Revell in 1/72 at my LHS. PM me if you want details. They ship I believe. 

 

Thanks - but I think my first choice is the Dragon one. And I did peek at Scalemates and noticed that Hobby 2000 has just re-released the Dragon kit

 

Thank you anyways, very kind of you 👍

[bigbadbadge]

Nice work on the cockpit so far Mark. Looking good.

Chris

[mark.au]

9 hours ago, Samuraiwarrior said:

What paints are you using? 

Hi Kevin, I use artist acrylic paint which I mix to get the colour I want.  I thin at around 3:2 ratio of thinner to paint and I use a 50/50 mix of Windex and Future (Klear) as the thinning medium.  Here in Aus I use this paint, relatively high quality.

 

 

Cheers.

[SaminCam]

12 hours ago, mark.au said:

I’m hoping to be able to get to that happy place by close of play on Sunday.  A bit like the Ashes.

Fingers crossed (for 2-2 that is...)!

 

Cockpit looks great, top paint work 👍

[Alan P]

Excellent choice of subject, and quite right about the application of the 75/76. Looking forward to the paint stage and seeing what you can do (and I'll be taking notes!)

[Dunny]

13 hours ago, mark.au said:

Technically, this is an RAF aircraft.  I’ll keep an eye out for your upcoming WIP 😉

Was that the sound of a gauntlet slapping the concrete?? 🤣

 

Maybe soon, but I couldn't possibly build the same scheme. There are a couple of interesting Ju288s there though (I think?)

[mick]

great work on the pit

[mark.au]

12 hours ago, SaminCam said:

Fingers crossed (for 2-2 that is...)!

I like your odds better than mine!

 

11 hours ago, Dunny said:

Was that the sound of a gauntlet slapping the concrete?? 🤣

If the gauntlet fits…? 😉

 

I finished off the cockpit sides, same process.

 

Next, seatbelts…. I dug around in the spares box and found some PE that looked like it would make a reasonable facsimile - better than the kit decals, anyway - and jury rigged them in place.  With that, the cockpit was done.

 

 

 

These seatbelts aren’t exactly accurate but will suffice for my purposes.  I may tone them down a little with some dark goop but the contrast in these pics is making them

look a little more stark than they appear in life.

 

Main airframe assembly begins next with a gradual closing of the fuselage.  I took it in stages trying to make sure the alignment was as good as possible.  When the fuselage was closed up I worked on the subassemblies.  This kit goes together very well indeed, and I was soon at a point where I needed to stop and wait for some glue to set.

 

 

I have an upcoming challenge on the fuselage, that being the large panel on the fuselage spine just aft of the wing root.  I acquired this kit second hand and was aware that this part was missing when I bought it.  I have an idea as to how I’ll make the missing piece, and that will be the subject of the next update.

 

Thanks for following, cheers.

[AliGauld]

Well, that didn't take long.

How you manage to maintain such quality at speed is awe inspiring.

Looking forward to seeing your plan for the missing bit.

 

Cheers,

Alistair