Ju 388- Planet Models 1/48 Resin

Nice save on the wheel wells! I was half expecting Pfennig to drag you to the dungeons, never to be seen again!

Thanks, Jim!

Thanks, guys!

Just time for a quick update- all has been kinds crazy at Chez ChukkenMarc.  We're cool, though- and I've even done some modeling!  Let Hannah be your guide...

Great update ,this just keeps getting better. Nice new solder tool ,and you've put it to great use already! The wiring job on the instruments and the scratch detail on the rudder pedals are truly inspiring,makes me want to start all over on my 188 build! Not that my skill level will yield you're type results lol. Keep up the great work ,really enjoying this build Chuk! Cheers Trey

all the way around

Looking good Chuck!

Interesting little tool there.  Have not seen that one before.  Have done soldering the hard way so long it is almost a no-brainer for me to figure out how to solder something. (thus it isn't that hard)

The cockpit is looking quite good!  How do the instrument decals work out?  They seem to be quite crisp as far as detail.  Any color to them or are they just black & white?

Chuk, that is some great work on the instrument clusters, Pfennig must be thrilled happy amused less annoyed than before...

Chuck,

Looking great! Thanks for the update...can't wait to see her finished up!

Great solderind work too!! 

The cockpit seems really... real!

Thanks, guys!  Next up will be the bomb sight, it's rack and the modified belly window to allow it to poke outwards.  Any info on the Ju88/188 or any other aircraft mountings will be a big help- cheers!

Paul, those Airscale decals are so easy to use- the instruments are, I'm fairly sure B&W, but the placards have red as well.  Quite handy! 

Thanks again, fellas- I'll be back soon with more incremental progress!  ;)

chuk

Mini-Update time!   For some reason this was all I got done this weekend, but It's one more step in this long, long journey.  Fritzi's still got plenty of pep- take it away, Fraulein! 

Chuk,nice little pile of misc goodies! Like what you've done with the bomb site,coming along nicely! Looking forward to the next update,cheers Trey

Looking great Chuck!

Fantastic work there Chuck.

I like keeping those leftover tiny little disks, squares and so forth myself. I use one of those pill counters to keep them in, so they won't get lost in the regular spares box, and also, the different shapes can be kept in separate compartments. 

Jim Barton

I like keeping those leftover tiny little disks, squares and so forth myself. I use one of those pill counters to keep them in, so they won't get lost in the regular spares box, and also, the different shapes can be kept in separate compartments. 

Out of the mouths of... modelers. 

 Gives me another of my now all too often,  "well Duh"    moments

Hey, thanks, guys!   I've since gotten that sight painted and installed- on to revising the window.  

Great idea, Jim- I'll have to try it.  On a sad note, be advised that The Military Shop is closing its doors at the end of the month.

That is terrible news, indeed. The highest point of my frequent two week travel to CA is a visit to the Military Shop on Sunday after Planes of Fame. 

I'll be out there the first and second week of April; so close but so far. The hobby is losing a great resource.

Sad news indeed, benzdoc- a new era for me.   :(

In the midst of the vortex of life I've gotten in a little modeling- Fritzi will be be your guide.

Great update Chuk,the bomb site detail is awesome and nice fix with the force mold,looking forward to more!

Very nice work on the bomb sight Chuck!  

The dreaded separate prop blades is next eh?  I just did the prop blades on my Trimaster Fw 190 thought it would be OK if I just glued them in place since it was a fairly straight forward attachment of the blades to the hub.  It was a no go!  Glued them (luckily with a slower dry liquid solvent) and the blades were not even close to flat.  Quickly got out my jig plate and clamped them down in good alignment and it worked out great.  Almost found out the hard way, separate blades NEED a jig and need to be clamped till dry.

Guy from the local club popped up with some tools from a site UMM.  They just happen to have aluminum prop jigs and they are on sale now.  Here is the link:  UMM PROP JIGS

Mine worked well with the tools I made, just had to be picky with how they clamped in place. Can post a photo of the prop clamped if anyone is interested.

Again your build is going great Chuck!

Chuck

Your work is just amazing!! The attention to detail is just mind blowing!

chukw

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OK, now I just want to go home & smash-mold something, anything!!!

Thanks, guys! 

I used packing tape to hold the clear plastic tape down over the "mold" - but the heat gun melted it away!  It didn't matter- the plastic was soft enough to cling to the board as I did the plunging.   You could use metal paper clamps to good effect here.   Live and learn! 

Paul, I certainly will build a simple jig- a hole drilled in a block and a simple wedge at the prop tip should do it.  Cheers!

The real deal here is with these bolt-on prop regulator weights- take a look at this pic.   Maxitrone tells me that some late FW190A's used something similar- anyone got pics?  

Great variation about heat forming!!! next time i need a canopy will try your way

Hey Chuck!

The only photos I found of the weights like in the photo were on the German Air Force Pictures site.  There were I think 3 other photos that showed some detail on the weights.  As to the Fw 190 A's using the weights, none were such that they could be seen on any photos I found.  All of the planes with the radial engine BMW 108 were either hidden under the spinner or not used.

I did find a couple of items from the Ta 152's though.  It used a Jumo inline engine and of course the 3 bladed prop.

This photo is from a restoration shop (sorry don't remember where)  I collect photos off the web and save them for possible reference.

This drawing is from another book on Fw 190 D and the Ta 152.  It shows the weights as well.

I looked over a number of other photos.  Even some from the He 219 UHU and the Ju 288.  They had some 4 bladed propellers as well and unfortunately found no weights mounted on them.  Also not all of the Ju 388 photos I have show weights either.  Just nothing that gives a real clear idea of what we are seeing here.

Thanks, Yammie- you won't be disappointed.  Just don't burn your pinkies! 

Wow, Paul- great stuff!  The 388 remains riddled with mysteries, I guess- but I'll keep searching for an answer.  Cheers, my friend!

HEY CHUCK !

I did a little more thinking on where I might find some photos and WHA-LA!  Page 127 in the old OFFICIAL MONOGRAM PAINTING GUIDE TO GERMAN AIRCRAFT has a great photo that shows the prop weights quite well.

Here it is.  If you want a higher resolution photo feel free to PM me and I will send it.  Photo bucket has things set to 1280 x 960 and I don't know how to change that for one pic.  I also tweaked the scan to enhance it a little for the detail you were looking for.

Hope this helps.

My thanks, Paul- I think I can work from this!  Now, off to make eight of the little buggers... ;)

Heaven's Eagle - I'm reading your post and say, Hey I have that book too! So I go get it, and what do you know it opens to this page! 

Too cool. Isn't it a great book? 

Sorry for crashing the thread, I just couldn't help mentioning how cool it is to hear about other people that have this same book.

I have found a pic with the help of some friends- and I just happened to pick up a copy of this nifty mag a week ago.  Now- make a master and cast copies of the modified blade or set up an assembly line?  We'll see....