Dragon 1/72nd Ar 234B-2b Complete

Thanks guys.

John, ye, been on a bit of a role lately.

Well done, Martin.  You are really turning them out lately.

Well Bish you hit a home run with this one. That looks simply awesome. 

Thanks Brandon. I am really pleased with the scheme, and that canopy is a bit different to most aircraft, took a bit of thinking about.

Another one well done. I really like that camo scheme on this one, very nice. The canopy was a lot of work and it turned out well. 

BK

Thanks Clint. I was really pleased with that. Though next time i will sand away the raised lines and try and be a bit neater with the rivets.

Cheers guys.

Smashing camo on that bird Bish! 

Outstanding work there Bish! Great details, and the base just sets it off. Well done sir.

Thanks Est, i do like everything on a nice base.

Nice one again Bish really like the way you display them 

Thanks Greg, very much appreciated.

Really breathtaking result! One can almost hear the whine of the engines spinning up.

Truly glorious!

About a month after my last update, its time to wrap this up. I left of with the painting complete and decals on. Afer that there was some light weathering with some flory washes. The canopy was finished off with rivets applied useing aluminium paint and all the final parts added. I used some rigging rope for the parachute pull cord on the RATO's.

Then the antenna wire was added along with the hatches for the camera bays. It was fitted to the base along with a truck and ladder and then put to one side awaiting for the cameras. This dully arrived from Califonia having been let down by a UK supplier and every thing was finsihed off. The scene is not what i ahd planed, i wanted 2 guys carrying the camera to the plane, but i didn't have any sutable figures for that. So, useing what i had, a couple of modified airfix figures and one from Zvezda, this is what i came up with.

Overall, i am really pleased with this. I do like how the canopy has come out, though i know i will do a couple of things different next time. After a few years of almost getting one of these on the bench, its nice to finally have one finished.

Thanks for looking and foillowing along, all comments welcome as always.

Nice. I've got 5 of the Dragon kits, only one i am missing is the P. They have a nice selection. The box art on the one i am doing, i think thats meant to be Remagen bridge in the back ground, though he seems to have missed by a bit.

Must have been really strange hearing that sound back then, i can only imagine what the guys who saw it must have thought.

I've got the 234C with the double engine pods:

Just like a little kid, I was grabbed by the box art of it making passes over what I presume to be the D-Day beaches.

Always had a special affection for this particular a/c. My dad was at Remagen in the days after the bridge was taken, and described hearing the weird whistling sound of the 234's whizzing in to try to 'pickle' the span before a blistering hail of AA opened up. He regretted that he wasn't in a position to see anything...but he knew they weren't your 'everyday' German bombers.

(I actually think I have the old Frog kit with the V-1 as well, buried away somewhere. I'll have to root that one out as well!)

Thanks Greg, and it does seem to be the one thing that makes sense.

Which kit have you got. I can't believe its been this long and its my first 234, i love the look of the aircraft but its a lot smaller than i had expected.

Bish

I do like this scheme but i haven't been able to figure out why they did this. I don't think it was for over water use, i am learning towards the idea that iot might be to help break up the shape while on the ground.

I think that's the right call, Bish. With Allied a/c ranging far and wide looking for 'targets of opportunity,' any little confusion or distraction might give those few extra seconds that might aid survival.

Really cracking build...and very inspiring! I sense my own 'Blitz' moving closer to the top of the pile.

Cheers guys. I do like this scheme but i haven't been able to figure out why they did this. I don't think it was for over water use, i am learning towards the idea that iot might be to help break up the shape while on the ground.

Drifter, i do like Dragon aircraft kits. Their subjects are often not covered by anyone lse in this scale and while there may be minor accuracy issues and they need some work, i have enjoyed all the ones i have built.

That is some clever camo!

Looking great Bish, I have looked at this kit a few times and have passed it up. I'm sure I will finally cave and pick it up. The paint scheme looks wonderful. Looking forward to the finished product.

For a change, this one was painted the darker top colours first. I used Xtracolur RLM 83 and Colourcoats 81.

Then the blue. Even though this variant did enter service, i am doing a what if build as the unit i am assigning it to never operated the type. So for the scheme i was inspired by the Hasegawa 72nd Ju 188A kit which i happen to be building after this. But then when i got the kagero book on the 234 there was a B-2b in there which had a similar scheme. So while its not to far fetched, its my own pattern and doesn't replicate an exact aircraft.

After masking, the RLM 76 was sprayed underneath as well as partly ove rthe top.

Then the decals. I used the kit decals for the foot and hand holds as well as the work number on the tail though i made up my own. All the rest are from the decal stash.

I just have to get a few bits finished and fitted. Weathering will be minimal, possable just some grime underneath.

Thanks guys, i am rather pleased with it. As Real G said, its a tricky look to get. I think next time i will mask and then lightly sand away those raised lines, it should not take a lot.

looks good and no one will know unless you spill the beans.

Bish

So, after giving the framing some thought i decided to go for plan B. The canopy framing is on the outside on the kit pieces, but fortunatly it just very fine raised lines. So i masked as normal and aplied a coat of black primer and left it at that to avoid a build up of paint. Once dry and with masks removed, i dipped the clear pieces in future 3 times, allowing to dry each time. This was i hoped the framing would have the same shiny look as the clear pieces and it might also level it out. Once that was done, time to get the clear parts fitted.

The 'glass' really looks good, Bish. Looks like you picked the best route!

Onward and upward....

So, after giving the framing some thought i decided to go for plan B. The canopy framing is on the outside on the kit pieces, but fortunatly it just very fine raised lines. So i masked as normal and aplied a coat of black primer and left it at that to avoid a build up of paint. Once dry and with masks removed, i dipped the clear pieces in future 3 times, allowing to dry each time. This was i hoped the framing would have the same shiny look as the clear pieces and it might also level it out. Once that was done, time to get the clear parts fitted.

The front piece was first with the IP in place. The wiring i added did make the fit a bit tricky and it did put the IP, which is only attached by a piece of PE with 2 anchor points on the canopy, out of place slightly, but nothing i am to worried about.

I had to use a bar clamp to keep the front in place while it dried and theres a bit of white glue to clean up. Once that was set, i added the top piece.

In the close up you can see the raised lines of the canopy framing, of clourse to the naked eye they are not that apparent. I do have 4 more Dragon 234's of different variants in the stash. And i have some ideas on how to do things different next tie, especially for the wiring and canopy.

And yes, i have missed off the rear view periscope in my haste to fit the canopy. So i am in the process of fixing that error.