AMT A-20 done(dio)

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.

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)

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

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!!!

Looking great Fermis!!!!

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. 

 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!!!

 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.

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

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!

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

Thanks Butz!    

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

 I am really liking what I am seeing here my friend!! I especially like the office and the engines. A question on your pastel weathering, did you gloss coat it first or go straight over the finish?

 Looking forward to seeing her finished!!

Flaps up,

Mike

Rangers Lead The Way

Looks like it got fixed...

Hey... How about we we ALL report him?  Maby that'll shake things up at the Headshed... Besides, abuse works two ways..

EDIT: Done.. I wrote, "Turn off the nanny-bot, guys... It's gone insane and thinks the letter, 'a' is a bad word... Frankly, It's *Report me*-ing everybody off...

HAHA, I'll have to keep that in mind and find a substitute!!!

The nanny program went berserk and decided "a" was a bad, bad word.

Re: RE:AMT s s *report me*-20 wip

What the hell's *report me* all about????????

Started the finishing process.

Here's the reason for my method. s s *report me* cheapo testors s s *report me*/B from Wal-Mart. It only offers s s *report me* little more control than s s *report me* rattlecan. Smallest spray that I can get out of it is about 1/2 inch diameter. You can use this method with s s *report me* rattlecan or even if you use s s *report me* brush.

First, I s s *report me*/Bed MM neutral grey straight(just thinned for s s *report me*/B)

I use s s *report me* piece of sandpaper as s s *report me* palette for pastel powder, just gring it down.

I then work the powder into the panel lines, lightly.

For s s *report me* model of this size, I use s s *report me* 5/0 brush, for drybrushing.

I drybrush randomly, mostly just over the powder, using the same paint as the s s *report me*/B. Left side had had first D/B, right has not.

For the second D/B, I add s s *report me* fair amount of white to the grey. With this, I try to brush mostly with the airflow to get s s *report me* bit of streaking, then randomly over the panels. Left wing and fuse have second D/B, right wing and nacelle just the first.

Once the senond D/Bing is done, I leave it alone til green is done and decals, clearcoats.

More to come.

Just make sure you have plenty of ammo for all the guns though!!!!!!

 I have no idea about the bomb rack. Never bothered with one on an A-20.

Hey fermis, got another question for you. I'm planning on making mine with bomb bay doors open, but the instructions dont do a good job of showing exactly how high up to mount the bomb rack. any idea?

That's the way I like em!!!! And I live by that!!!(KISS)

Simple OD and grey.

Ah... Nothing wrong with a KISS-finish either, heh...

Thank Hans, the finish is goona be US, Swanny is sending me some pyn-up decals, so I'll do an actual bird. Simple OD and grey.

Psycho, that big hunk of plastic is burried bihind the IP. If it's supposed to be there or not, I have no idea. Iy's burried behind the IP and won't be seen, and does not get in the way at all.

Outstanding work so far, mein Freund..  I love that kit.  Still have one (way back) in the pipeline, although I don't know when I'll get into it, since I usually have to get a case of "Multi-engine fever" to start building those birds... THEN, I'll likely have a two or three twins going on at once (I got another Monogram B-25, B-26 Marauder, and A-26 starin' at me from the shelf) ... 

Haven't had a touch of it since Tiny's B-17 GB... Hopefully, I'll come down with a bout of it before summer..

As for finishing it, you said earlier you might do the boxart or may make something up..  Would the "Made-up" version (if you choose that) be a USAAF Havoc or (hint) perhaps an RAF or RAAF Boston ( I always liked the RAF camo for these aircraft) instead?

Hey Fermis, on the nose bulkhead, was there an chunk of plastic on that back thats not suppose to be there?

 I had gotten a few a while back, from radio shack. They were pretty big though, about an inch diameter. You could probably find smaller ones that would fit the center of those radials. Like a cell phone vibrator motor. Radio Shack may have em, if not, try a cell phone shop.

Very nice work, I cant wait to start working on mine.

Does anyone know of some small electric motors I can get to make the props spin? I'm planning on doing mine on a base with a rod attacked to it to make it looks like its flying.

I like what  you did to fix the gap at the nacelle.  That idea can come in handy alot.