Hi all,

A little progress to report. I've done the rear cockpit scratchbuilding required for the Hasegawa K-4: removing the battery cover (done a while back), building the hatch from .010" sheet, then installing the locking bar and ends from .020" stock. In the same round I installed the armor glass in the headrest unit and the next job up will be to paint the rear cockpit area and paint and install the gunsight, before attaching the canopy sections and applying the Express Masks.

A bit rough, but 1:48th is not all that big. One of the end pieces went on at the first go, the other needed making twice and took five goes to attach, including falling into the carpet twice.

It's raining here for the next few days so the likelyhood of getting any enamel spraying done is remote. I may concentrate on the StuG for 1000 Roadwheels after I get the latest round of jobs on the 109 done, then hopefully get this bird into the paintshop before too much longer.

That poses the eternal question: if the camo was no longer straight-edged, was that because the masking process had been deleted to save time and materials in the later stages of the war? So should the camo be hard-edged, or soft???

Cheers,

Mike

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http://worldinminiature.blogspot.com/

The battery cover and canopy lock look great Mike. They should really stand out with the canopy open.

                                                                                     Soulcrusher 

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Frank, SC and Karl -- thanks for the thumbs-up on the scratched detail, I put it off for a long time but in the end it was easy.

Frank, I'm doing Yellow 4, which is supplied on the kit sheet, and is one of the few K-4s which doesn't need surgery to the extended tailwheel. I've been thinking about trying soft masking to get regular but feathered-edge camo, but I'm not sure, some of it looks awful tight, especially trying for an effect like that around the supercharger intake. I'll make a decision when I get closer to painting, in fact about the time the first topside color goes on!

Cheers,

Mike

EDIT: I sprayed the rear cockpit area today, and have painted the gunsight. Tomorrow I expect to weather the rear area, fit the gunsight and mount the canopy. I may leave it overnight to harden up before I apply the masks. The only detail I'm not attempting is a harness, though for the amount visible some masking tape might be possible. No buckle hardware to be had, unfortunately.

PS: It'll be closed canopy, I'm not ready to mask an open one yet!

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http://worldinminiature.blogspot.com/

Hi all,

I tried posting about 12 hours ago but the forum seemed to be down.

Quick update, the masks are on. here they're getting underway:

And here complete:

The weather is clearing for the next few days, if I can get the final small parts and masking done I'll be aiming to get the 76 on. Then I'll decide how I'm going to do the camo. I'm leaning toward masked at this time.

Cheers,

Mike

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http://worldinminiature.blogspot.com/

Mike- You're posting WIP pics faster than I can look at them, I LOVE IT!!!  Keep it up, she's really looking the part now.

Know what you mean about the forums this morning, couldn't even get to it myself.

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Frank

Most of the tidy up is now complete, and a second application of primer has been applied.

I've spotted a couple of areas which I missed first time around, but I'll tidy these up tomorrow, then start with the pre-shading and the wheel wells.

Karl

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Currently on the bench:

Tamiya 1/48 Fw 190D-9

Hi Karl,

This is the Hase K-4 (or late G), right? We seem to be at about the same stage -- she's looking good under some primer!

What's your impression of this point... Am I seeing things or did Hasegawa flip the left wing camo pattern light-to-dark in the instructions??? I.e., the grey areas should be green, and vice versa???

Cheers,

Mike

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http://worldinminiature.blogspot.com/

Hey all....a lot of great work being posted here.  Sorry I haven't taken the time to comment-life has been getting in the way of late.

My Monogram/Revell G-10 is DOA.  Decals are on, but I'm not really happy with the color scheme and the quality of the kit decals....along with some seams that are giving me fits.  Not sure what I'm going to do with it at this point....so needless to say I won't be finishing this one before the end date.  Maybe next time....

Hi Karl,

That's the RM? Well, I'm impressed! Detail for detail (I held the Hase to the screen!), it compares very well to Hase, and looks proportionally excellent. Recessed or raised panel lines?

Your mention of decals set me thinking and I hunted out a sheet of Eagle Cals for K-4s from my stash and compared their camo instructions. The pattern essentially matches Hasegawa's, but the light and dark colors on the left wing are definitely switched in the kit plans! I'll un-switch them when I paint this beast. Speaking of which, it looks like being a masked job, which will be a new experience, as it's all wavy-edged. Hmm, I might keep all the bits, stuck lightly to something, for the next time I do a K-4.

I just found a small locator hole under the nose of the plane, just back from the base of the prop, but nothing is indicated as fitting into it (the hole is juuust visible in the plans). Was there a structure under the nose of any mark of the G series that would require a hole there? A lick of filler will take care of it. Next I need some masking in a few more places, mount the aileron balance horns and the loop antenna, use some rubber solution to mask the locator points for the underwing probe (pitot?) and the planned dorsal antenna wire, and she's ready for some paint.

Cheers, looking forward to seeing your G-10 finished,

Mike

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http://worldinminiature.blogspot.com/

Managed to get the pre-shade on this evening...

I don't bother pre-shading the upper surfaces unless they are particularly light, hence ending the pre-shade on the fuselage sides.

The underside on the other hand.....

After the pre-shade was applied I polished everything with a piece of kitchen towel to give a smooth surface for the top coats.

Since the photos were taken I've painted the wheel wells 02 and drybrushed them.

On to the 76 tomorrow.

Karl

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Currently on the bench:

Tamiya 1/48 Fw 190D-9