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

Thanks vetteman42, Krow 113 - I think i'll try a few streaks of lichtblau and try and moderate the effect rather than undertake major repainting.

There is no post shading on the underside other than the oil streaks described earlier using oil paint applied to the cotton bud first and then dragged along the plane's surface. I was really pleased with the pre-shade though which was Nato Black over a silver primer (NB - I originally intended to try and rub off some off the camouflage and expose the silver to try and simulate scuffing but I made a crap job of it. I'll try again next time and use Alclad rather than Tamiya acrylic) and then covered in thinned coats of lichtblau in the usual prescribed manner.

Someone did give me a great tip on post shading though which was 'dont'. Or rather, achieve the same effect by sanding. I tried this on the upper surfaces and it works a treat, especially if you have a pale base coat. The paint in the middle of the panels gets thinner as you rub and appears paler as the base coat comes through. Use a fine cloth/sanding paper though. And you get a nice smooth surface for decaling to boot...

Krow113 - I guess it's just my style to paint a number of things off the model and assemble at the end. I would definitely have snapped the aileron off by now otherwise!

Stumpjumper, Man thats a great looking build, vey cool

I'll have some pics of my progress shortly...Mike thanks for the heads up on the wingspar, i got it to fit with no filler

If RD IV is Schlachtgeschwader then i'm ready.  I scored a Hasegawa 1/48 JU-87G-2 today for $30.

Frank just want to let you know that I am still in on this.  Finally got my bench up and running.  Have gotten some of the smaller bits in the cockpit done.  Won't be done by the 31st but will be soon after.  Thanks.  Can't wait for RD IV    JOHN

Hiya John, good to see you!

Glad the bench is up and running, now get to it and cut some sprue man LOL!

These 11 and 12 hour work days are not helping my modeling speed any.  Will try to make some progress and post pics this weekend.

Sorry for my tardiness gentlemen!  Have been scrambling lately at work, and trying to finish up as couple of other builds as well. 

We're almost down to the wire!  Just over two days left here!

Daywalker

 

We're almost down to the wire!  Just over two days left here!

Ahhh i'm not going to make it in time for my second build I'm building another Tamiya A-8 in No Aftermarket GB so i'll finish the Eduard A-5 over there and i'll make sure that i post up the finished pics in the aircraft forum...

Frank, thanks a bunch for hosting this GB, i've seen some awesome builds and learned a few more tricks for future builds....

Will see you all in RD IV, bring on the Stuka

OK I have gotten all the Eduard goodies in the cockpit.  Will be puting it all together tonight I hope.  New England has had a rough winter so far.  It is already 8th on the list of snowiest winters and its only Feb. 2nd.  I am a mail carrier I can't do my route in the same amount of time because of all the snow on the ground.  I get home between 7 and 8 every night eat dinner and crash.  BRING ON SPRING.  John

Frank -- I never did manage to get back to the other three 190s I started for this GB, but I'm sure I will at some point during this year. I'm experimenting with new paint ranges, such as the MM Acryls, I'm hoping to receive my first batch soon, and if they behave well I'll probably mostly retire enamels. The MM range purports to have solid matches for historic colours and if they're even close that'll be better than messing around with solvent-based paints without a proper spray bay settup.

A batch of RLMs will be ordered in the near future if the paints due to arrive are as friendly to use as others have said, and I'm hopeful I can get back to some Luft builds soon. I have some Stukas in hand or arriving shortly, and look forward to my first crank-wing mud-mover for RD IV! I'll set you know which asap.

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Julez- Thank you very much for that, it has been a lot of fun here!  You are correct, there have been some spectacular builds here and I can't wait for RDIV coming later this year!

John- I know what you mean, the storm last night has EVERYTHING shut down here.  Sounds like you guys there in the NE are really getting clobbered this year again too.

Mike- No worries mate!  I'm the last one who could complain about unfinished builds for the GB's.

Your very welcome Frank, looking forward to RD IV

Hey all.....better late than never, right?

Anyway, I'm making some progress on my Dora.  Cockpit is done, fuselage is together and primed.

Hope to get a coat of 76 on it Friday evening (tomorrow evening is committed), maybe completely painted by close of business on Sunday.

With a little luck & a good tailwind I hope to have this one wrapped up by the end of the month.....

Again, the builds that have been posted have been outstanding and are serving as an inspiration....and I'm looking forward to RD IV.....I may even start it on time....no promises on finishing on time though....

Looking good, Bob, it makes me want to get back to that A-8 of mine and do it justice... Maybe in a few months!

Frank -- what is the official start date for RD VI, again???

Cheers, Mike/TB379

Frank, we are already almost 4 feet over normal.  Tuesday night had 7 inches of the fluffy stuff.  And Wednesday got 6 more inches of snow sleet and freezing rain.  ANother one coming Sat and again next Tues.  It is not so much the storms but that nothing is melting.  We have buildings that are collapsing under the weight of the snow and ice I am physically spent. 

Paint is on.  Not my best work, but it'll do.  I'm not a big fan of the hard edged mottle but a very thinned over spray of RLM 76 should help.  Future goes on tomorrow, decals Monday pm, Future Tue, oil wash Wed or Fri.....unless something pops up....

Sorry about the one pic-a little out of focus....

Looking great Bob.  Nice to see the mega block stand is still in action too. 

Stukas for RD IV eh?  Darn, none in the stash but that has never stopped me before! 

Thanks Dave.  Yeah, the Mega Block fixture is still being used....however, my son should be heading off to college next year so I can raid his stash of Legos and perform an upgrade! 

Excellent work Bob!  You are really zipping along with this one, great looking progress there!

Dave- No Stuka in your stash?

Daywalker

Dave- No Stuka in your stash?

There are two in the display case already but don't worry, I'll find room for another one somewhere! 

GRRRRRRR......Went to decal this evening.  I planned to build the easiest camo/decal scheme when I started this project and that meant using the kit provided Tamiya decals.  Put the first decal into the warm water, pulled it out, attempted to slide it off of the paper.....and then the one decal was in multiple pieces.....deep breath...go upstairs and find an aftermarket set....crosses match up....only constraining/unique decal is the number...12...put it in water...same thing......  Now I get to choose a scheme off of the AeroMaster sheet that I have, which means repainting, which means stopping tomorrow and hoping that one of my LHS's has a can of Tamiya primer to cover the yellow cowling & rudder....deep breath....it's all good....hopefully I should have the Dora repainted by the end of the weekend.

Bob -- Superscale and others produced sheets of code numbers in appropriate typestyles and colours for Luft, RAF and others -- with a bit of scouring on eBay or wherever you might find just the sheet you need to go with the scheme you chose. Balkankreutzer are also an easy sourceing from AM sheets -- don't give up just yet!

Cheers, M/TB379

Good idea....hadn't thought about that.  However, I really want to get this one done and I think it will be quicker....and cheaper....to just use the AeroMaster sheet that I have and repaint.....that and the fact that I just went over the plane with some 320 grit sandpaper to knock off the Future......  With a bit of luck and a good tail wind, I should be ready to decal next Monday.

Bob- OH NO!!!  Sorry to hear about the troubles, hate when that happens.  I fear this may be too late, but I have a set of the Tamiya kit black 12 markings here I would be happy to send to you. 

Thanks Frank-not too late, but I kinda want to go with a different scheme anyway.  I'm going to over spray the yellow areas with some Tamiya flat gray (no spray primer to be found locally0, then some 76 tomorrow evening and then 75/83 on Friday....Future Saturday, decals Sunday...should be good.

Good luck with the respray Bob, real bummer when things go pear shaped but it looks like your in command.

Cheers..

Thanks Mike.  I wouldn't say that I'm in command....just old enough to know that in modeling, most mistakes can be corrected and not to take it too seriously.

A little Tamiya gray has covered the yellow so I should be able to put some 76 on it tomorrow evening.  Actually, the Tamiya, XF-19 Sky Gray looks very close to the Model Master Acryl RLM 76.  But the 76 is going on anyway.

I pulled the 190 off the sidelines today and resumed the painting work on the engine and cockpit. Both are ready now for a wash and drybrush highlights, and the IP for instrument decals. I dressed up the original  kit cockpit with unused parts from an Eduard Profipack 190 and a True Details seat.

Now we're talkin!  Nice work, should be ready for paint in no time!