FW-190 Reich Defender III 5/10-2/11

Ahhh, starfighters and F-111s! Them was the days! I remember a team of German Starfighters setting off all the car alarms at Greenham Common one year. I recollect airshows when I was a kid seeing stuff like that, plus SR-71, lightning, Buccaneer, Jaguar, Victor. Where have they all gone? The International AIr Tattoo had the Vulcan this year plus a team of F-5s (not seen any of those for ages), F-22, F-18, F-16, but somehow they dont all cut it in the nostalgia stakes! They had a phantom on the deck but it didn't display.

Never ever seen an F-14 in the air, to my eternal regret.

Thanks for the pics Frank!!!!! Would be so nice to see and hear a Phantom again!!!!! Was such a common thing growing up going to airshows. Had the pleasure of seeing the Starfighters, well one of them but saw both, at the last airshow I went to before going downunder. We got to see the last 111's fly here though.

Mike, if I here anything about what might be at the airshow next year I will let you know. They have a website, but they don't give out much info really.

Awesome pics Frank. Ill bet the Phantom was amazing. Ive never seen one flying, but would love too.

Clebode, those exhaust boxes can be a mare but theres an easy way to save yourself any hassles. Just open out the slots in the firewall that goes around them. Another good tip would be to add the exhaust last. It makes painting the thing so much easier and all you have to do cut the exhaust pieces in 3. There is a recess to allign them in the box so its no biggie. Also dont forget to scratch a deflector to stop gunk going in your supercharger. Its funny as the instructions all show this piece yet Eduard didnt include it in the kit LOL,

...Guy

Frank, I'm dribbling down my bib here -- we don't get those aircraft types at shows here! I'm not sure what's on thew airshow circuit at this moment, it's a few years since I was at one -- five years, in fact -- but a Phantom I've never even seen in the flesh and I'm so glad one is still in the air.

M/TB379

Mike/benzdoc- Great photos, glad you had a wonderful day there!  I have to get myself one of those mono pods for airshows and museums.

Leave it to Guy to not only go for build #3 here, but to wow us with all sorts of special effects- nicely done!  Great idea on the forced-shading there.

stumpjumper- I thank you for the kind words here!  Yes, the men building here are among the finest this hobby has to offer, not only for skill but also for being downright pleasant to build with.  No matter what you are looking for, one or more will always be willing to help with a problem or lend advise when needed.

I went to the annual EAA AirVenture show today, and what an incredible array of aircraft!  The highlight for me was while getting myself some lunch.  I was just walking out of the stand getting food when I was scared almost to death by an F-4E Phantom streaking overhead in full afterburner at treetop level- WOW!  Gave me a chill to see the raw power of that beast.  Mike- bring on Phantomania II!!!

Couple of photos from the show-

Steve and Guy--I followed your advice and the spar on the D-13 seems to have gone in nicely.  Test fit of the upper wing halves appears to be good so far.  Next I'll install the Y24, 25, 27 etc. parts Guy warned about and watch the fit carefully.  I also found a couple of reviews on Aeroscale that alerted me to a potential problem with the fit of the firewall (W1)  around the exhaust boxes.  I am almost finished weathering the engine plug and hope to post some pics of it tomorrow.  Thanks again. 

Guy and Jeremy- Excellent work there my friends, I need to get in gear to catch up with you guys.

Stumpjumper- Welcome aboard!  Already some good advice dispensed here on mottling.  I've found that different techniques are required for different paints and airbrushes to get good results.  I use a much thicker mixture for my paint because I get better control and my airbrush seems to like it.  Use an old model or even a piece of cardboard and practice spraying at different pressures and paint consistencies until you get what you want.  The key is putting out a very small amount of paint and slowly building it up until you get the shape and size you want for your mottle.  Too much paint and/or pressure you wind up with a round blob, of course sometimes that may be the shape you want, but not all the time.  I'm using .2 mm needle which helps as well.  Keep at it, it's a science and one of the harder techniques to master but you'll get there.

Luftwolle - wow, now THAT'S what I'm talking about! That paint job is terrific. I'll post up a pic of my second attempt as long as it's not too hideous!

Thanks to everyone who responded - there were loads of you and this is clearly an ego-free zone where everyone is simply enthusiastic about this hobby. Am gonna learn a lot from you guys, I'm sure.

Just for interest, this little beauty was at the International AIr Tattoo last week mixed in with a bunch of Spitfires, Hurricanes, another 109 and a 108 I think. If anyone wants a few more close-ups from when she was on the ground then let me know

Just a quicky. I was about to future the plane for decals when i thought id try something new on the tail (For me anyhoo) Couple of bits of tape, squirt of Tamiya Smoke, Voila,

Decals tomorrow, maybe,

...Guy

Guy, Jeremy excellent paintslinging fellas!!!! Beautiful work!!!

Jeremy That dora is looking great nice paint job. Hey I also had the silvering problem/gremlin that you are having and Coach Crushers advice worked great. I painted with a brush a heavy coat of future poked some holes and no more silvering.

Guy Love that RLM 84 that paint job looking great!

stumpjumper nice to have you along.

Hey everyone thank you for the comments on the TA152. She looks good in my late war collection. I would love to build something else but overcomitted on other GB. I will be watching you guys great work and keep it up.

jmabx

Paint looks good Guy... you're on the home stretch!

I finally managed to put the decals on my Dora.

I'm using Aero Master decals and as they dry, they start to silver.   I re-wet them, push the water out and they look nice but as I watch, they start silvering at the edges until the entire decal is that way. All of them! Yikes!  Has anyone ever ran into this before? I've had decals silver a little but nothing like this. Any suggestions? I usually use Micro Sol on thick, stubborn decals but these aren't thick. I appreciate any help!

Jeremy I have used the Aeromasters before and had them silver a bit. Wait for the decals to dry completely. Then pop a nice new sharp blade in the knife. Make some very light slices in the decal right over the spots that are silvered. Then take a slightly stiff paint brush and dip in in some Future. Then kind of stab at the sliced areas gentely with the paint brush. It should lift the decal up just a tiny bit and the Future should wick right unfer the decal and eliminate the silver spots. Works like a charm for me.

Steve the RAF Sky is a spot on match for RLM 84 in my eyes.

Soulcrusher

Hi All,

I have been missing out on some awesome work in this last week! However, I was thinking of the group build and my new friends when I was able to get to the Air Force Museum after all! What a great experience!

Here's the first pic I took, maybe it will whet your appetite:

I did take your advice Frank and, well instead of a tripod I picked up a mono pod which worked really well. This place is amazing!!! I took as many as I thought possible of the Dora; to the point that my brother was a bit exasperated with waiting...even after he went and had something to eat I was still snapping away. Some pics aren't really great, but some are pretty good. Be the judge for yourself:

National Museum of the USAF

Here's one more of my favorite shots:

And one last:

Unfortunately, I've got no progress to report on the model itself, but being next to this great bird (and so many others) has really gotten me fired up to build!

Best regards,

Mike

Stumpjumper---A welcome from me too.  Everything related by Soulcrusher and Luftwoller is very good advice for successful mottling.  I will add two other points.  I thin Tamiya acrylics with lacquer thinner for control ( at least 6 to 1 thinner to paint).  I believe Luftwoller does also.  Guy, if I am out of line here let SJ know.  I also test and practice a bit with a new AB load on styrene card stock.  If you use cardboard or paper the absorbent qualities of those materials may not let you know your mix is too thin.  Go very easy when you pull back the trigger on a double action AB.  You can always add paint to an area.  Removing paint is a pain. 

Stumpjumper-   Too bad you just finished your 190, but if you have another one handy, why not join in the fun and try again?  Sounds like the other fellows have got you on the right track with the mottled finish.  Once you get the hang of it, you'll want to paint mottles on everything!  Seriously, it's addictive.  I also thin to about 60/40 thinner/paint, and spray around 15 psi.  Good thin paint and the right psi is the key.  Also, keep your nozzle moving!  If you hold it in one place too long, you'll get spider webs.  Believe it or not, I also have a good, strong cup of coffee before I attempt a mottle finish.  The shaky hands seems to help!

Guy- Love that paint job, you're a machine!  Promise I won't tell the RAF guys that you're using their paint on a Luftwaffe plane LOL. 

Jeremy- Yellow 4 is comping along very well, looks like the primer grey worked out well.

Paint looks good Guy... you're on the home stretch!

I finally managed to put the decals on my Dora.

I'm using Aero Master decals and as they dry, they start to silver.   I re-wet them, push the water out and they look nice but as I watch, they start silvering at the edges until the entire decal is that way. All of them! Yikes!  Has anyone ever ran into this before? I've had decals silver a little but nothing like this. Any suggestions? I usually use Micro Sol on thick, stubborn decals but these aren't thick. I appreciate any help!

Damon well done on a magnificent job !!

arki you look like your almost done, great job so far.

Guy, that paint work looks fantastic, no over spray, very clean and tidy. Nice job joining that new tail on the fuselage looks like it was an excellent fit?

Stumpjumper good to have you on the GB, you'll get loads of great advice from the chaps here, they are a very talented bunch. Post up some pictures of your progress, we'd love to see it.

Cheers...

Guy I like they way thoses colors look on your 190. The RLM 84 makes for a nice change in appearance as oppossed to teh RLM 76 that was used on almost everything. I loved the way it looked on my Dora.

Soulcrusher

Stumpjumper70 these guys here really do give very good advise I'll tell ya, they got me going too. The talant in this group is just mind boggeling. If I may I might make a small suggestion my self, posting a picture or two of your mistakes will go a long way getting you help with the motteling paint schemes. As a side note once you do learn to mottle the control you have over your air brush will surprise you. I think my painting improved 10 fold.

Good man, Stumpy. Thats the spirit. Best of British to you and post a pic up so we can see where your going.

Right, taster of the day. All top colours on with barely a misshap. Just a couple of small touch ups but ill do them when it isnt so bloody humid here,

...Guy

Hi Simpilot34 - thanks for taking the time to reply, it's all very encouraging! Will whip the tip off and get up close! For every disaster there is also a victory, right?!

Cheers

Thanks Luftwoller. It is indeed a double action AB (gravity fed). I've cut my losses and sprayed the whole thing light blue again, so now I have a blank canvas! The project was designed for exactly this kind of thing - get it wrong and try again etc. I've even used different techniques on each half of the plane to see what looks best etc. Knowing you've made a mistake is one thing though. Knowing how to fix it is really what matters!

Moving quickly to the next blob sounds like a good tip. Will break out the A4 as you suggest.

Cheers

aboard Stumpjumper!!!! You seem to have the right recipe for getting the mottles on the fuse. I have to ask the question though, is you AB single or double action, and siphon or gravity feed. 5-10psi is about  the right setting. Don't be afraid to get up close and personal with the AB as well. Getting REALLY close with a minimum amount of spray is key to fine fine work. A tip I can pass on is to remove the end cap that sort of guards the tip in a way. It will let you get even finer spray patterns. That end cap creates more turbulance around the tip which makes for a slightly wider pattern. Maybe even thinning a bit more to help the flow. Practice practice practice till you find what's right for you. And sometimes everything I have just said gets tossed out the window when you use an unfamiliar brand of paint and it fights back lol. Anyways, like Guy said we are here to have fun building models and to help others excel.

The soft spots you refer to is called mottling and as you say, almost every Luftwaffe plane has them to some degree. I find thew best method (For me anyhoo) is to do them freehand. I personally mix my paint as normal, maybe 60/40 thinner to paint, and freehand them. Keep the pressure low (Around 15psi). I take it your using a Dual action AB? If so, apply the air first and slowly bring in the paint, making sure that the AB is moving when it comes. Look at your references to ensure your getting the right shape. Make sure the paint is coming out very slowly and build up the shape of the mottle you want. If theyre separate blobs, dont shut off the paint but move the gun quickly to the next. This gives a subtler mottle between the blobs. With me? Probably not LOL.

The big thing is getting your paint mix correct and practise. Use a sheet of A4 paper as this will tell you if your pressure is too high (Spiders webs)

Good luck and let us know how you get on,

...Guy

Cheers Luftwoller. In that case, here's my first question!

Those soft spots on the fuselage and tail plane are so synonymous with Luftwaffe planes so getting them right is, I think, essential. My problem was too much overspray and after some investigation I think I might have a slight bend on the AB needle tip (but it's micro-small). Anyway, I'll get that sorted so the question remains - what is the best technique for painting the soft camo spots? Free hand, or mask with soft edges (painful to do, surely)? Am using a 0.5mm airbrush and try and keep the pressure to 5-10psi and probably about 50% thinners.

Have just got back into modelling after 30 odd years and the standard is just simply amazing. Am hoping to revisit some of my boyhood models and do them 'properly'.

Thanks guys - you can really help me here! Good luck with your own builds.

Your right boys, it is Tamiya Sky. I saw a completed build on hyperscale i think and liked the way it looked. It will probably change a touch when i add the matt coat and wethering. But im liking it all the same.

Stumpjumper, welcome aboard. It would be great to see your build. Just post it up. As for GB's. On this site. The subject is chosen (By the venerable Daywaster) and we all just build at our own speed and post up pics when weve completed something worth showing. If you have any queries about anything in the posters build, just ask the question. I dont think theres anyone in this build whos cagey with information. I love modelling and seeing great models, and if ive done something that you like the look of, im only happy to point out how i did it. Im sure all the others are the same,

...Guy

Daywalker - how does this GB work? Do you all compare finished projects at the end?

I've just about completed my first FW-190 and made a horrible job of the soft camo pattern and it occurred to me that what would be great is if one of you experienced guys were to engage in a group build whereby you did a certain part week by week and posted how you did it so us beginners can follow and ask questions etc. Magazines miss out so much detail (e.g. "I toned that down with filters") and never explained HOW they did something.

Would have loved to track the progress of my 190 against yours, so possibly something for the future?

Enjoy the GB - I will at least see what a PROPER 190 model looks like!

Guy I just painted my 190 with the Testors acrylic RLM 84 for the underside and fuselage  and Frank is right. It is a dead match for the RAF sky in my opinion.

Soulcrusher