1945 GB

Dare I ask what's tough on the poor people running GBs on the new format?

Eric

If you're co hosting like this one as I am with Bish, you can not access it by simply hitting your discussions/latest post for the thread. The new site navigation is far clunkier and time consuming, especially wireless with a weak connection. Lots of searching involved. Some days when I have plenty of free time, that's no big deal... Others... I keep falling behind here due to it when coupled with real life stuff. 

EBergerud

Was told by a guru on Aeroscale that Kamikazes had no aerial or antenna. I knew they had the radios and guns removed to help the little engine drag around a 250kg bomb, but couldn't find a photo to verify it. Anyway, that's the way it should be. Bish, if you don't mind use the pic below for the final submission.

Thankee

Eric

 

 

Eric, sweet job on the Zero, really captured the knackered look.

regards,

Jack

Eric, I am immensely impressed with your Zero. I feel that you have captured the concept extremely well. The chipping is quite realistic. I have to say that that is quite an involved process yet, it yields excellent results. Well done.

stikpusher

EB, that is one worn looking bird. Nice work! Now that I have my desktop working again, I will try to get the latest builds added here when I can.

Bish, I think that I am gonna have to bow out of co hosting the 1946 GB unless things around here regarding the new format get fixed. I can't keep on top of updates due the current site format and that is not fair to the participants. I am gonna wind up my current GBs, then lay low here. I'll still be around, just not running anything.

 

stikpusher

EB, that is one worn looking bird. Nice work! Now that I have my desktop working again, I will try to get the latest builds added here when I can.

Bish, I think that I am gonna have to bow out of co hosting the 1946 GB unless things around here regarding the new format get fixed. I can't keep on top of updates due the current site format and that is not fair to the participants. I am gonna wind up my current GBs, then lay low here. I'll still be around, just not running anything.

 

Stick, no worries, i completly understand. I have more time and am not on a mobile device and the whole thing is getting me down as well. I'll drop you a PM later.

Well, I am making some progress. I am really starting to get busy with work and my builds will slow greatly in a few days so I pushing to get this one done soon.

I managed to get it fully assembled, primed and sanded to a baby smooth finish. I sat and pre-shaded it today and I hope to get the Sky belly painted this afternoon.

BK

BrandonK - Thanks for the tutorial. I may have to try that out on my nxt plane without separate nav lights. I also like the looks of your Hellcat - it's coming along nicely.

Eric - Wow! That paint job is amazing. It looks like a real aircraft. Excellent work, sir!

-BD-

Hi Plan B did not work. I'm not doing the drywall & patching paster again. Scratch that idea for good.

More pics to come

Here is Plan C

I've been watching this guy

Here is part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAyxveNfnsE

and part 2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S97QMXtMp7o

I found these at Wal Mart There are 4 12 inch square sheets

And the new Jeep kit

I managed to get all the white bands painted and masked off. Today I sprayed the Sky on the belly using Tamiya XF-21 and X-2 in a 5:1 ratio to fade the color a bit. I then reduced the XF-21 further with more X-2 and faded the fabric control surfaces just a bit more.

I don't know how long you guys spend painting, but I think I finally found my method. It took me 2.5 hours to spray the Sky on the belly. I filled each panel seperately and reduced the pre-shading until I was happy with the panel and moved on. Once I had it all covered I painted it overall, faster and from a greater distance to further reduce the pre-shading. I am finally pleased with my results. It takes me quite a while, but if that's what it take, then that's what it takes. 

BK

[quote user="Bish"]Ken, is that cork board. If so, it will be interesting to see how that works. I would have thought it would crumble.

[/quote

Bish - Yes. I've watched guys do it on You Tube. You cut the cork into individual Cobble stones

Here is A new base. Its the same frame And I'm laying polystyrene sheets. I think that will be a lot better base for the cork

Brandon: Your paint and preshading came out extremely well. The investment in time certainly paid off. I like your application over the pre shade in that the black pre shade is not so stark but, rather subtlely enhances the panel lines. I'm in Bish's camp in that I'm not much into the pre shading technique. I find the fading of the center of panels to be unrealistic. In the hundreds of reference photos I've studied I rarely see that effect on weathered planes. But, that is simply my opinion and my personal interpretation and is by no means a knock on those who use it.

Ken: I took the time to check out the videos on the corkboard cobblestone construction. Quite an excellent result. Very cool. I wish you well on your endeavors with this as it should turn out just to your liking.

JOE RIX

 

Ken: I took the time to check out the videos on the corkboard cobblestone construction. Quite an excellent result. Very cool. I wish you well on your endeavors with this as it should turn out just to your liking.

 

Thanks Joe, as long as I am careful and don't get in a rush, It should work out fine. I didn't get to the cobblestones tonight, I am working on the new jeep. It turns that both jeeps are Italeri. they're the same Jeep. So, I have spare parts.  So, it's getting close to being done.

Thanks Joe Rix: Sorry to hear about your water heater. Those tracks links can be overwhelming at time, but then there put together it is well worth it. The Silly Putty at times can be frustrating, as I apply it to the model it likes to stick to my fingers and not the model. But it is excellent at masking for airbrushing.

Thanks Bish.

Ebergerud: Great job on your A6M2 Zero, the paint chip effect looks great. Your Zero looks like its been in surface for many years. I have one of those Tamiya Zeros on my wish list.

BrandonK: Nice work on your F6F Mk. II, it's always rewarding when you get a model into the primer stage.

Greentracker98: Looking forward to see your Willys Jeep build.

I'm calling the Olive Drab painting done for my Easy Eight, first over all coat was Tamiya XF-62 Olive Drab, second was a post shading with Model Master Olive Drab 2050 to lighten it up in places. On the Hetzer I've been airbrushing dark yellow and red brown to fill in areas, and masking with silly putty. The light's and light guard's have been airbrushed separately, and they should be going on shortly along with the wheels and tracks.

I've been thinking about pre-shading lately. I do it, but not with precision because I'm not sure how much order the human eye really puts into an image of aircraft considering scale effect. Here is a 1/32 Tamiya A6M2 with very ornate preshading - it was done with an airbrush and I couldn't possibly do anything that elaborate - I think most modelers would consider this a very impressive build (I recommend enlarging this photo to see the lovely detail):

Here is a recently restored Zero which was done in North Dakota and can now be seen at an aircraft museum in Fargo. It does get the complex paint job of the early Zero - but I don't think it shows the kind of detail the model does on the panel lines: neither model or replica are supposed to show fading -

These observations leave aside the question of whether some kind of photo-realism should be the aim of the modeler. Mig Jimenez often says that no model is "realistic" and that artistic license is not only okay, but maybe even necessary to add visual interest to a model. I think there's truth in that. It certainly argues for the broadest possible range of choices when planning a build.

Eric

Well the paint is down. I am not happy with the camo, but it's on and it'll have to do. I think I'm grumpy, better put the kit away before I turn green and mangle it.

BK

Dan: Your paint work on the Sherman is very well done. I believe you achieved an excellent effect with your fading. The Hetzer camo is turning out outstanding also. Sweet work.

Eric: Nice pics. The pre-shading on the Zero model is extremely well done and I really like the effect he made. Much like Brandon's Hellcat, it does a nice job of enhancing the panel lines rather creating the effect of fading the center of the individual panels. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about artistic license. My study of reference photos is more along the lines of how something weathers as opposed to creating what is actually in the photo. Once I have a general idea of the weathering process of a subject then I leave it up to my creativity. I like to consider the dynamics of weathering in that a subject will not remain static over time. But, rather the weathering process is constantly at work and thus, the appearance will always be a little different at any given moment in time. This in turn leaves much leway to the imagination.

Brandon: Ok, I'll bite. What exactly is so unpleasing about your paint job? Even enlarged it appears to be beatifully done. I don't see any glaring flaws. Man, you have to go easy on yourself and turn that frown upside down. That is some excellent work pal. Chug it out! LOL!

Joe, the overlap of the colors doesn't overlap in all places like it should. I was intending to paint the grey overall then the green over it, but changed my mind and patterned both and missed the edges in spots. My own fault, I've done it before and I know better. Next time I won't second guess myself and I'll go with plan A only.

I did use a tip BrandonD suggested and it helped in the worst spots, I'll just live with the rest. Weathering will help some, but the decals are small and few so no help from them.

Thanks for the kind words.

BK

BrandonK: I think your paint job turned out great, nice soft edge effect.

Thanks Joe Rix. I think the fading effect has turned out great also, for my next olive drab model think I'll try Model Master Faded Olive Drab, then MM Olive Drab, then finish it off with Tamiya XF-62.

Finally glued on the wheel assembly’s, and dry fitted the tracks on one side. The Instructions call for 77 links but when I first fit them on and adjusted the idler wheel, it came up one link short. The added link stands out from the painted set. Also took a picture with two Tamiya bottles for scale. I'll also be adding some jerry cans to the rear rack.

Most excellent Dan. That is looking great. Did you paint the tools first prior to mounting them?

Dan, that thing is looking utterly fantastic. Great paint work.

BK

Dan, your E8 is coming along great. I like the faded paint appearance so far.

BK, Your Hellcat is looking just fine. But I completely understand about putting things aside when they are not quite going how you intend.

EB, your Zero has been added to the front page roster. Bish you can take it off of temporary hold  Thank you so much for the assist.

Thanks again Bish. 

Hello There Gents. Finally have some progress worthy of sharing. Painting and detailing complete on fuselage interior prior to closing it up.

And now ready for cementing together.

I have to say that after just finishing the Eduard 1/72 F6F Hellcat and now working on this Tamiya P-47, I am becoming quite spoiled by excellent engineering in a kit. I might have some frustration issues when I tackle some of my other kits that are not quite up to par with these beauties. LOL!