AMT A-20 done(dio)

Thanks Butz!    

 The pastels have to be done on a flat surface, as they don't stick to gloss well.

Fermis she is looking great mate!!!!! Love your technique with the pastels!!!

Amen Brother! The carcass of my 1st A-20 attempt stills rests atop my paint booth and is used for testing new paint techniques, etc. because of exactly what you stated...screwed it up beyond repair trying to fix the afore mentioned step in the nose. The good news...I have another one in the stash!

Hi Fermis, What kind of brush or instrument do you use to paint all the detail in your cockpit?  Or do you do it the way I try to do it...the old Pro Modeler painting tip way...paint the instrument panel gloss white or gloss yellow then flat black. Then use a # 11 blade and scrape the black off of the dials? I really like the way yours came out and any tips or tricks you could throw my way would be appreciated!  Thanks...Len

 Thanks Sim and Len.

 Len, I sprayed the IP flat black(rattlecan), then just painted all the details with a little brush. No real "tips or tricks", just a steady hand  and a tiny brush. Testors clear glue for the instrument faces.

 Time for some green.

All the grey is masked over and ready to go.(masking tape and poster tack for the edges)

And, she's green!

black pastel powder.

First drybrushing (half and half)

Really looks like hell!!!!

Second drybrushing(again half and half) Still really looks like poop, but the clearcoats will take care of that later!!!

Fermis,

Great work so far.  Your pastel technique is very convincing and the engines and cockpit are simply supurb!

Oh, one more thing - I saw your "Man Cave" posted on another thread.....dude, that's sweet!!!

Peace, out. 

Looking great Fermis!!!!

Thanks FE1 & SP!!!

 Thanks to Swanny(for sending some mkgs) this bird has a name and a face,(Dinah-Mite was actually a "B" model not a "G", but that don't bother me none!!!) Also note the turned nosewheel.

 The tail #s(17) was large enough to be easily painted, so I masked it off and painted it by drybrushing several times.

I also masked and painted the wing walkways and non-slip surface.

You can see how the dullcote(Testors rattlecan) blends in all the drybrushing.

One thing that always bugs me (just a little) is to see an offset rudder with a straight nosewheel(or tail wheel for that matter). So, I cut out the oleo, drilled some holes and replaced it with a finish nail, cut to size.

And a few other details. Props are weathered and ready to go. I drilled out all the holes in the rear canopy part and painted the inside framework  and liferaft(True Details) In hindsight, There really is no need for the resin wheels and liferaft, the kit wheels are decent, already "weighted", just need to sand down the tread a touch, and a rolled up liferaft would be a very simple scratch. I got the kit for $5, what's another $2.50 for some resin?!!!

 Cheers!!!

Fermis that is some great work!!!! Loving everything about this build!!!

Thank again Sim!!!

 Haven't made much progress on the plane. Been focusing on the figs.(If I finish the plane, it'll go straight to the shelf and on to the next). Planning a little dio, simple base with a bit of ground work(grass and some weeds just), ground crew getting her openned up, ready to go.

 Here's the basic layout. Figs are a mix of Monogram and Eduard.

This guy up front openning the canopy.

This guy lifting the turret cover(coming later) so the two guys on the ground can pull it off.

Any tips or suggestions are welcome. I haven't done much dio work at all!

Here's the final pic of the nose gear with new oleo.

Scratched the antenna(sheet styrene) and loop(wire wrapped around a brush handle)

Thats some really good work there. I'll have to try some of your tricks sometimes.

Unfortunatly my A-20 is put on hold as I have adopted a 1 year old pug, so she will be getting most of my attention for a bit.

Fermis, That ,again, is looking AWESOME!!! Just looks "RIGHT"!!! Mate of mine built a 1/32 F-14 and used cut off drill bits for his oleos. I must say, after seeing it in person, was just speechless!!! IT ACTUALLY HAD THE MOST REALISTIC HYDRAULIC RAM EFFECT I HAVE EVER SEEN!!!!!!!! When you use real metal to achieve the metal look......need I say more? You r nose oleo is spot on!!!!

 Awe, come on Psycho, put the dog in the kennel and get building!!!!!

Sim, believe it or not, I first tried to cut off the end of my drill bit ti use for the oleo, couldn't find my hacksaw and the steel bit I had in a skillsaw didn't even scuff the drill bit. The nail is a touch undersized, but close enough for me!!!

 Got the figs all done and painted up, using Testors enamels.

I wanted the pilot figs to have wool lined flight jackets(I love them things!!!). So, Monograms pilot figs needed altering. I used testors clear glue around the cuffs and collar and skrinkled on some model RR turf.

I thinned some white(half n half, paint/thinner) and touched it to the "wool", allowing capilary action to pull it through the wool.

This worked so well, I just left it as is for final painting. I copied a couple ref pics that I took a few years ago at a local airshow.

I added the rest of the straps for the May West using thin strips of Tamiya tape.

And the rest of the guys all painted up.

  Now, I'm under the gun, there is a local(ish) contest comming up on Saturday. The last three shows I've gone to have seen a build finished late the night before or in the wee hours the morning of. Three days!!! I aint scared!!!

Gonna need a step-ladder or workstand for those ground-guys up on the aircraft...  

I forgot to mention a ladder, and figured you'd be the first to catch that Hans!!!

 It's in the plans, I'm also gonna scratch a couple ammo crates. Maybe a couple fuel/oil drums off in the corner somewhere also.

Heh, just keepin' ya honest, my friend...  

I did something similar, posing the armorers transferring 20mm linked from the crate to the mags for my Tigercat while a couple more were hand-pumping fuel into the left wing tank from drums.... Used the Tamiya 1/48th fuel drums an' a scratch-buit pump & hose assy with solder fuel hose...  Didn't get to finish it though...  My housecat knocked out my Tigercat...

Hey Fermis, I'm hoping to get the fusalage together this weekend. Did you cut off the machine gun barrels before masking the turret?

ww2psycho

Hey Fermis, I'm hoping to get the fusalage together this weekend. Did you cut off the machine gun barrels before masking the turret?

I never installed the guns. Then I lost them. I just used some wire for the barrels. With a cover on it, you wouldn't see the guns anyway. I'll have more pics up in the A.M.

Hans? The cat still kicking? lol

Technically... I made a pair of slippers out of him...

Hans von Hammer

Technically... I made a pair of slippers out of him...

 Awesome!!!!! One of the many reasons I won't ever have a cat. Evil little bastards!!!!

 Got a bunch of work done last night.

  As promised, details on how I make a turret cover.

 I started by thermo-forming the top piece.

I cut it off around the edges of the fuselage and up high, where the crewman will be lifting it up. I cut an eye shape out of alum foil.

I cut the foil in half, to make it easier to work with. It's a real PITA because everything is so flimsy. I then cut out the middle portion, about  1/8" inside the ring, and cut little tabs to glue inside the top(thermoform)piece.

After doing the other side, I stuck in my wire gun barrels(lost the real guns, bent wire to a "U"shape. I used small rectangle pieces of foil to make the gun sleeves, and built up glue where they meet the main part of the cover. I painted the inside, and added some fibric "ripples" with testors clear glue.

After painting, some more riplles were needed.

Installed!

For the rest of the dio work, I'm gonna start a new thread over in the dio section. Hope to see you there!!!

    FERMIS

WOW Fermis.  WOW....  You are a master.  Wish I would have seen this from the beginning.

Cheers

One of the many reasons I won't ever have a cat. Evil little bastards!!!!

Actually, I like cats better'n dogs... Low maintenance, much quieter, practically born housebroken, vermin-killers, and EVIL little bastards...

It's just THIS particullar evil one I don't like much...  He's too high-strung and gets wound up at the drop of a hat.. But that'll change soon enough when he goes to the vet and I gets his marble-sack emptied...  Then he'll get fat & lazy like the th' other one I made a slipper out of..

 But they still poop in your house!!!! If anybody poops in my house, it's gonna be me!!!!! My dogs go off into the woods, I don't even have to clean up the yard!!!! If you like cats, that's OK, I aint mad atchya!!! I just haven't met one that I liked yet.

Heh... Druther have the cats poopin' in m' house than the dog or the wife passin' gas... (I got one each of them, too... An audibly flatulent pug with digestive problems and a wife that doesn't react well to my chili...)

If I was so inclined, I could buy a self-cleaning litter box...  Can't even get the wife to shut the bathroom door anymore..

 Oh, that makes me laugh!!!! I'm pretty immature and find farts to be about the funniest thing on earth!!! All my friends have changed "Fermis" to "Furnace" on account of all the hot air being blown out!!!!!

   SICK!!!!!!

     Furnace!!!

Furnace that is some great work Mate!!!!! Sorry couldn't resist!!

Much thanks again SIM and Rob!!!

 I got her all done last night, all the dio work is over in the dio section, but since her came into life over here, I'll finish her off over here as well. A couple things could have been a bit better, mainly with the base, but whatever, I learned a thing or two......baby steps!!!!

Added a touch of smoke to the "Brass" and pilots cigs with a bit of stuffing from an old comforter.

B'DEE B'DEE B'DEE....That's all folks!!!

Pretty awesome baby steps-I would be OVERJOYED if anything I ever built turned out this well...