ME-262: Reich Defender II 10/09-7/10

Great looking progress Karl, really like the way the paint came out. I like this stage of a build. That engine loks great and so massive, thats a model in itself. Good work.

Steve

Karl- Now THAT is what I am talking about!  Your paint is looking very sharp indeed!  You have an incredible knack for allowing the preshade to just barely be visible, acting as an accent and not overpowering the scheme.  Lovely work on the engine too!

Frank, slow progress at the moment, as although I've been off this week, I've been doing painting of a different sort, namely decorating.

Anyway some progress pics...

As you can see the big Schwalbe is sharing bench space & time with the lil' 190.

You can just see the pre-shade peeking through in this pic, though I've got some touching up to do.

Done some painting on the exposed engine, which now needs a couple of evenings of detail painting.

I'll probably try and focus on getting the 190 done, before I do much more on the 262, but that at least shouldn't take long.

Karl

How's that big jet coming Karl?  I'm looking forward to the next round of photos!

lol it also might just be a classic case of you'll find it when you aren't looking for it.

Richie- You lucky sod, well done!  Glad you won a battle against the dreaded carpet monster!

Karl that is some fine AB skills mate, and that's just the pre-shading!!!! Really looking forward to seeing her in war paint!!!!

Side note to my lil one. If you were to look back, I mentioned that I had lost the tailcone from the starboard engine. Well, somehow it miraculously dodged the vacuum cleaner, and I found it after running my socked foot over what I thought to be a piece of gravel lol!!!!! So will add that AGAIN soon, and not lose it this time! Sometimes the carpet monster spews up much to our delight!!!

Very nice stuff Karl, I am envious at how well you are able to lay down that preshading.  Great work!

If any of you guys fancy something a little different, I am starting up a new GB October 1st, check it out!

The Hornet's Nest

Thanks for the comments guys.

Jbmax, meant to say I used a punch & die set to make some small discs of plastic card, then just applied them.

Made some more progress over the week.....

Ready for paint on Thursday night with a final test fitting of the ailerons, elevators and flaps.

Started the pre-shading on Saturday which raised the slight issue of where will the pre-shaded panel lines go as you filled them in Karl?

A bit of tape provided the answer.

The underside after pre-shading...

...and the top side.

I painted the flap bays in 02, and the nose in RLM 25 using a mix of Tamiya Park Green and Gunze Dark Green.

The decal sheet shows the tip of the nose in yellow, while Jagdwaffe volume 5/4 shows it as white.

As you can see I'm going with neither as the photos look more like green to me in line with the aircraft's ID code letters.

The nose and the flap bays were masked off this afternoon in preparation for the 76.

The masking on the nose doesn't have to be accurate as there's a decal going over the top.

Karl

simpilot34

Thanks guys!!!!! Dave you are correct. Will get that done at a later date. Yeah, you know the deal lol.

Yeah, I know the deal alright.  Haha! 

Thanks guys!!!!! Dave you are correct. Will get that done at a later date. Yeah, you know the deal lol.

Well done indeed Ritchie.  I think the mottling looks awesome!   

One comment that I think would help with the finished look is a wash in the gun ports in the nose to darken them up.

Karl, that big bird looks awesome.  Like the others I can't wait to see some paint on her.

Looks great Richie!  Great paint job!!

Richie- EXCELLENT WORK MATE!  I knew you would finish her, and that she would look great.  Well done!

Karl- Looks like you are about ready for some paint, I can't wait for it!  Especially on such a large canvas as this.

Well done Richie!   I really like the mottling!

Richie well done on a marvellous job, all looks super to me and a great job on the mottle

Karl, nice idea with the Mr surfacer and the bolts look great, cant wait for you to spray some paint on it.

Cheers....

Well I am going to stick a fork in this one. Not entirely happy with it all but, no sense in beating a dead horse. Weathering is VERY minimal. I'd say enough to make it look used yet still fairly new. Here's some pics.

Tried a bit of fuel staining and grease/fluid streaks with highly thinned Tamiya smoke.

and a few paint chips.

Been a pleasure being a part of this GB and a big to the host!!! Will try and get the 190 done before the deadline Frank!!! lol

Thanks Karl!!  Karl that is some outstanding work!!!! Looking forward to some paint on her!!!!

Almost finished with my lil tyke. A few touchups and  I am going to throw in the towel. Will post pics later tonight after work. Then it's full bore on my 190 and break sprue on the 163, and pull my Corsair out of the hangar(box) and continue on with it.

Looking forward to seeing some paint on her Karl!  Maybe I missed it but what did you use to make the bolts?

Mike, great job on White Y.

That paintwork looks stunning.

Ritchie, nice save on the masking problem.

The build looks spot on.

Despite my absence, work has been a bit full on for the last month or 4, I have made some progress on the big 262.

Looking like the real deal, a patchwork of primer and filler.

The cannon bay doors didn't fit too well. Not surprising really as they are intended to be left open, and took a bit of filler.

As did the radio hatch panel. Still nothing a few coats of Mr Surfacer won't sort out.

Having spent some time looking at photos of a number of real 262s I came to the conclusion that there should be a raised area in front of the cockpit where the panel is lapped on to the panels beneath, and the same on the nose over the central gun ports.

I therefore masked each area off with Tamiya tape, and then applied a couple of coats of Mr Surfacer.

Did the same on the underside for the front and rear wing fillet panels.

Meant to take some photos of the effect after, but completely forgot, but here's a photo of the underside after I added some of the bolts which had been sanded off.

And that is it, I'm almost ready to apply some paint!

Karl

eptingmike she looks great, very nice looking paint

Richie top save on the little masking tape incident, your almost done and I cant wait to see her all finished up.

Cheers...

Thanks, Frank -- means a lot. I never want to miss out on an RD GB!

I have 17 inched of resin nuclear bomber loosely tacked together on my photo stand right now, which reminds me I have to buy the materials and build a display case as well if I'm going to have anywhere to put it -- it never ends!

A clear shot at some painting would be nice...

Cheers, Mike

You got it Mike!  You get the badge for being a part of it all, no matter when you finish.  Just be sure to post more pics when you get back to her.  I understand about the elbow room, right now my bench is chock full of 1/32 F-16!  That baby sure takes up a lot more room than a 1/48 ME-109. 

Hi Frank -- I'm still technically going, my 262 is at the paint stage and I just need elbow room to get to her. Too much real life lately, and too many projects on the bench. I have a 17" long resin what-if bomber on an end-of-month deadline for a mag feature, it just never ends... I'd love to finish and get that badge for my collection, if at all possible!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Mike- across the finish line!  Your Schwalbe is an incredible rendition, truly a remarkable build.  The finish is spot on, well done!

Richie- You're almost there buddy!  I shall wait for yours before I post all of the completed builds over in Aircraft. 

I know Karl is still working on his, is there anyone else still building here as the deadline has passed?

eptingmike - Very nice work!!!   Sucks you had to fix the paint but I think she looks great!

Richie - You're on the home stretch now! Looks good with the flat coat on. Now I can't wait to see her unmasked and finished!

Thanks guys for the kudos!!!

Mike, she's looking good mate!!! Nice save on the paint!!!

Got a bit more done today. Got the gear built up and ready to install.

.... and got her flat coated.

Almost there!!

Mike -- for all your problems and uncertainties, let me assure you, you have a VERY good build here. The finish is superb and looks extremely convincing!

Cheers, Mike/TB379

OK so my clock reads 11:50 PM so I figure I just made it in by the 7/10 deadline.  Honestly I can't say it is 100% done as I still need to seal the decals with some Future and then Dullcoat, but c'mon, done enough, right?

Fun build overall, though once again I tried to decal over Future and wasn't totally happy.  I experimented with this build as only the upper body and sides of the fuselage were Future'd;  I just left the underside untreated.  I do think the gloss-side was a bit easier but not by much.  I think I am just not getting a good enough coat on.  I have to admit I have a bit of trouble seeing it go on, Future being clear and all.  I am constantly worried about layering it on too thick.  As I paint with acrylics, trying to strip off a bad patch of Future will more than likely damage the paint job.  I'll have ta keep on truckin' I s'pose!

As for damaging the paint job, I did have a h#ll of a time using Mr Mark Softer.  This is the first time and I managed to eat off some of the paint job today. 

Here is a pick of the damage.  Now seeing as I was rushing to get this done I was very bummed at having to fix the paint job.  Fortunately it came out OK.

Getting the decals on was a bit of a marathon today.  I had a bit more fun than usual which is odd as I find this stage to be my least favorite.  I went the 'extra mile' and did a lot of trimming and separating of the sections of the decals like the number on the tail fin and the fuselage/upper wing crosses.  All in all I am pretty happy.  I haven't decided weather to try and do any more shading or weathering.  For now I am calling it done!

Thanks for looking!

Mike

Nice one Ritchie. The before picture really made me smile...been there many a time! Well done on the fix.