Model Kits that you remember

[73north]

There is no specific schedule - probably the Ki.44 first

I am currently (due to caring for my Alzheimers Father in the evenings ) a bit limited in my spare time -
and a 4 day NHS week ( 10 hour days ) plus an hour commute back and forth ..



This is the Stash , the 1/350 Ark Royal would take a few months of building
as I show the aftermarket accrued for it , with the Pontos Brass Pedestals and Tetra
Full Detail Up - extensive Etch Set

the Model 1/48 Kits are seen here , one box contains my 1/48 Figures inside
which is the Hasegawa MC.205 Folgore - the rest are laden with aftermarket
- you ideally have the aftermarket purchased well in advance , as it can take weeks to wait for a shipment of one item from overseas ( especially after Brexit )

to answer your specific question - usually one project at a time ( its easier )

[vo1v0d]

Reading your schedule: what spare time.

[73north]

1/48 Eduard Focke-Wulf 190 A-8 Gallery Article

( This model was made in 2011 )

re-posted for the benefit of the Forum
Model is still live on Aircraft Resource Center from original post





Red 19 was the regular aircraft of Unteroffizier Ernst Schroeder.
Configured as an A-8, it was fitted with the nose machine guns but not the extra armour of the Sturm-Jagers . This made it a lot more lively in the handling department than many of the aircraft in the Jagdgeschwader 300 Gruppe .

This Red 19 FW190 machine was 'lost' on 27 November 1944 when Schröeder was forced to belly land after a dogfight at low altitude with a P-51. The aircraft was eventually repaired and returned to service with JG 301. The machine was probably scrapped post-war "

Red 19 had been in my mind to do a model of this aircraft for quite some time.

This was due to the fact when I was a teenager I loved the centrefold illustration used in Illustrated Encyclopaedia of Aircraft Volume 3 Issue Number 27 where there is a picture of the left side and upper plan view of this aircraft which clearly has both Kolle Alaaf markings on both sides of the fuselage - This is the markings and camouflage pattern that I went for my model

( see scan of the actual page I used as a reference...last photo at bottom of this webpage )

This shows a rather unique style of mottling that I thought might make an interesting challenge. Rather than the usual "spot" style of mottling, this is more like "strings". This picture also shows the early JG300 RVD band (in rust/primer red) and II Gruppe bar, with bilateral ‘ Kolle Alaaf ‘ inscriptions and Cologne city coat of arms shield.

It seems that Red 19 started off with a fairly standard mid war paint scheme, the previous tactical number had been painted out (possibly with RLM 75) and the "19" applied. This scheme also carried the II Gruppe bar but no RVD band. Sometime in November 1944, the aircraft was partially repainted and the "string" mottling was applied. The RVD band was also applied at this time as was the bilateral inscription "Kolle Alaaf ! "

The inscription "Kolle Alaaf!" has been identified in several sources, including Bernd Barbas' book, as carnival shout and it is a carnival cry meaning "Cologne is Alive!" in a local dialect. This seems to make sense. It also seems an appropriate inscription for a young fighter pilot defending the skies over his home.

This aircraft was lost while trying to evade several Mustangs during a bomber raid. Ernest Schroeder luckily survived the war.

I used the Eduard 1/48 8175 version of the Focke-Wulf 190 A8/R2 but used the fuselage parts which didn’t have the added cockpit armour and used the canopy with no added side armour glass.

The other aftermarket additions I used were the out-of-production Moskit hollow metal exhausts ( specially designed for the Focke-Wulf 190 ) and the excellent Air Master brass barrels by the Polish company Master Model ( order ref AM-48-019 ). These made a huge improvement to the look of the model, and I highly recommend them to any modeller.

Markings for this aircraft were covered on the aftermarket Aeromaster decal sheet, 48-696 " RammJager part 4 " which I specially purchased.

The decal instructions show the left side of this aircraft with the earlier, simpler paint scheme and the II Gruppe bar.

The instructions were followed for the wing and tail, as these appear to have been similar even after the repaint.

The squiggle mottling on the fuselage is essential, as I wanted to get it right and look the way I wanted it.

Before you paint it check it against the references.

Some of the mottling is so unique and distinctive that, in the end, I ended up cutting masks for it (around the 19 on the starboard side). The problem is that the mottling has a very soft edge that requires that the paint be applied very thinly, almost transparently. This means repeated applications to get the right colour density. The first shot isn't so bad; it's trying to make the follow-on squiggles go exactly the same place that gets tricky.

The Attention to detail in the best seller FW190 Model by Eduard is very impressive. For example, in every Focke-Wulf Fw 190 kit produced to date, the access hatch for the inboard wing cannon has a big seam line running in line with the wing root. This is usually tricky to eliminate. Eduard's kit addresses this challenge with separate hatches. Not only does this avoid the seam line, but Eduard also provides gun bay interior detail to permit the hatch to be posed open. The cowl gun bay is comprehensively detailed.

This was a superbly detailed kit which is nevertheless a bit hung up on its BMW engine and weapons. It's designed to have everything on show via appropriate panels and an open cowling.

It no doubt looks great displayed in this way as Eduard intended for the kit.

However with my model , I wanted to keep the panels closed.

It was not too problematic; I just needed to sand the interior detail off the wing root gun panels or the panels won‘t close properly otherwise ( test fit it yourself to see what I mean ).

But the fuselage gun cowling was different; The gun tray and bulkhead needed to be eliminated. The over-wide fuselage then needed to be braced around the gun cover and carefully super glued into place. Finally, the instrument bezel had to be secured to something as the gun bulkhead was gone.

Once this little procedure had been performed, I was able to proceed with the rest of the build.
(I had previously added the brass nose machine guns from the inside of the gun cowling for them to just protrude as in the real aircraft )

As a result of building this model I have found some areas requiring special attention during assembly .

These include the following:

Check the position of the completed cockpit interior to the fuselage halves. Especially the back (upper) part of the cockpit tub must be aligned exactly with line on the fuselage halves. Also the weapon bay must be carefully positioned.

Another important point is the wing spar (part I16) installation. In this step (page 5 of the instructions), first glue part K20 into the wing, and then add part I16. This sequence will guarantee that the wing spar will be exactly vertical to the wing bottom. This is crucial for wheel well assembly and the whole wing geometry.

Another sensitive point is the engine mount installation. In this point, find the exact position of the part K18 on the reverse (inside of the fuselage) side of the part H12 (wheel well). K18 fits exactly to the notch in the H12. If you glue K18 carefully to the given position, the engine block will easily assume the correct position when it is glued to the engine mount.

The locating holes for the main wheels are quite large. This is because the wheel fits to the axle at an angle. Use the instruction picture (page 10) to determine the exact angle of the wheel to the undercarriage leg.

While we are talking about the undercarriage, when you will assembly the K7 (u/c leg) to the H1 (u/c cover), the location pins on the leg will give you exact position of the hatch (H1) to the leg. This is similar to the assembly of the u/c to the wing – glue the leg to the fine locating position in the wheel well, and immediately add J30/J37 to the position in the wheel well and on the u/c leg (there is a fine location pin on the leg which fits to the small hole on the end of the tow bar). It will give you exact position of the undercarriage to the wing. This is a different system compared to other manufacturers' kits, but it delivers surprisingly good result.

Peter Rodeike's " Focke Wulf Jagdflugzeug, Fw 190 A, Fw 190 Dora, Ta 152 H " and Alfred Price's

"Focke Wulf Fw 190 in Combat " also indicate that Red 19 was a straight A-8 rather than an A-8/R2

It was a positive experience, and I was left with a model to be proud of and a feeling of accomplishment.
The base and accessories are from the Verlinden resin
Luftwaffe Service Platform , and I think they set off the model beautifully.

[vo1v0d]

73N, by now you know I am not scared to ask stupid questions. Is there anything (s) you would love to model but no manufacturer makes one? I am not putting this in a pm because I feel I am not alone in this.

[73north]

easy - the 1/350 Scale Shinano WW2 Carrier
how I wish that carrier was found by RV Petrel


there are only a few photos of her ( this is the only one from the surface taken
secretly from a Tug Boat in Tokyo Bay - and published post-war )



except it doesn't exist - for now , there is a 3D Print Firm making it called 3D Wild
but its very expensive - another one would be a decent 1/48 new tool Boeing P-12E
( Biplane ) that Matchbox made - the Classic Airframes 1/48 kit was horrid

another sure fire gap in the market would the the 1/350 Scale JKN Class Destroyers
you have them in resin - but a plastic injection kit would be ideal

[vo1v0d]

Only Meee. I remember watching the Antiques roadshow where a little old lady had a pilots logbook. Over a hundred different types of aircraft. It turns out she was in the air Transport Auxiliary. We were so short of pilots during the war that aircraft had to be delivered by women pilots. Less than 5 1/2 foot tall, she climbed out of a Lancaster (seven man crew, normally) she delivered and the ground crew searched the whole aircraft loooking for a hidden pilot.
Question? Do any manufacturers make female pilots convincing enough for a diorama?

[73north]

1/48 Scale Model French Pilots ( Ww2 ) from Hecker and Goros arrived from Spain

very impressed with the quality of the casting.

[Dr Cro]

[QUOTE=vo1v0d;7089025]I just watched a doc on the SR71 Blackbird. Has any member seen a decent model and how was it finished? Gloss is obviously out of the question but matt black also seems too dead for want of a better term to describe the stealth coating.[/QU
SR71 were actually a very dark blue so using a black mixed with a dark blue would probably work better

[73north]

This took more than 2 weeks to arrive from Poland ( not hit with a Tax import demand )
ordered 20th March 2024

1/35 scale Model Figures for insertion into existing Diorama
( the Master Models MG 42 is far more detailed and has a hollow metal barrel - and etch ) - aster GM-35-024 MG-42 - German Machine Gun (7.92mm) - complete gun incl. brass, resin and PE parts (1pc) )
Alpine Miniatures 35256 WSS MG Gunner at Kharkov
Alpine Miniatures 35148 Otto Carius sPzAbt 502
Total Cost including tracked shipping £ 61