On its way.... HB 1/18 Me 262
Yes, Finally it will be with me in a couple of days.
Yup! The 1/18 Me 262.
I have not made any building plans as yet apart from the decision to do a Luft '46 2 tone Afrika Korps splinter pattern aircraft just as something different.
Really this is very much a basic build and it will be the paint job and physical size that needs to impress. I will be going with custom paint masks, but need to measure the decals in the kit first before going to Maketar to order. I have also aproached HGW to see if they will upscale their 1/32 ME 262 water transfer set for me and I think that I will just go with 1/24 Luftwaffe seatbelts from them. Might be a bit undersized, but better than nothing.
Last night I had a bit of madness with some spoons, paints and my airbrush.
Here's my paint results, thinking about what is available from the Luftwaffe paint list and also the Afrika Korps RAL paints.
My first choice is on the left. RLM 79 Sand RLM 81 Brown Violet RLM 78 Blue. The other paints are the Afrika Korps Vehicle paint.
RLM 78/79 are the Luftwaffe desert paints so those are the base ones and RLM 81 Brown-Violet used on late war Luftwaffe European Theatre. This is I personally think the right one for the two tone splinter scheme for the upper surface as it will give a definite shade divide.
However, using the Afrika Korps would be a bit more subtle with the splinter pattern, so I am throwing it open to reasoned arguments and discussion so readers, pile in with what you think. Nobody will be Chastised, laughed at or anything else. It is always good to get other peoples take.
I am also open to imprevements and seatbelts are a sticking point with this. Ideas or alternative products are welcome as well as other forms of detailing. Usually Eduard and HGW are my go to places, but there's nothing for this scale out there. So, Come on, guys and gals, lets have some flashes of inspiration!
James