Howard - Fantastic work on the P-38! Apologies for the delay, but I've got it up on the front page now!

Scorpiomikey - Was that scheme ever actually employed? I know the Have Blue prototype had a pretty slick blue camo pattern, but that's the only non-black F-117-type-thing I'm aware of.

Casper - Can't wait to see the dio come together! 

[quote user="DoogsATX"]

Howard - Fantastic work on the P-38! Apologies for the delay, but I've got it up on the front page now!

No apology needed. It seems many of us lately have had many distractions resulting in less build and/or forum time. Plus it's easy to get wrapped up in the GroupBuild thing. They're loads of fun and a valuable skill building tool.

 Now to get to my   other GBs ,get them done and start on some more GBs.

Howard

Thought it was time i caught up on the GB's i have my name down for. Some great builds been completed in this one so far. Its really hard to pick any out. Of course i am drawn to the German builds, but i couldn't pick a favorite. Doogs, wasn't that Sherman your first armour build.

Bish

Doogs, wasn't that Sherman your first armour build.

Not exactly. I built probably a half-dozen or so when I was a kid, but none were very good. The Sherman was my first armor build of this new modeling career, though...

I knew it was something like that. Well you certainly done a good job on it.

Ok, I'm finally posting an update.  Just the right-side track left on the PzH-2000, Chieftain is ready for painting, and I have a nice diorama with my Su-122 and some Panzergrenadiers.  That took a very long time to paint, what with all the base cots, build-up layers, rust gradients, ice, snow, and the "other stuff".  I'll post pictures soon so I can finally have my first build for this GB done.

Got some more work on the diorama. Cut the vacform walls and cleaned them up a bit. Started assembling the inside of the building. I have to remember to fix all the doors and window fittings inside out so they are the inside view.

Also cut the base board...with a modelling saw!! it warped a bit and took a longtime but I think I've salvaged it for future use.

Got these goodies as well. A Verlinden Luftwaffe service kit in resin. The engine is the exact match of the Bf 109s Eduard offering. I also like how the shipping crate is also included. Also the Radio set on a bnch in the corner with some maps will add to the story of the dio.

Cheers

Wow I can't believe that its so long since I updated this one. I was in th panzerjager GB so that took up bench time, but I have been working  away on this.I do pop in about once a week yo see how other members are progressing.

 I have scratched the rope bumpers as I was not willing to spend more money on an accessory than I spent on the kit. I used the kit tracks which are awful but I got the sag in place by forward planning and placing pins in the hull early on during the build.

I placed tamiya masking tape all round the hull, reason?  well I wanted to give the impression of a waterline with two different weathering types above and below the line. It will be a while before this is fully realised.

The rope bumper in place, its made from model ship rigging.

The front bumper is made from bandage wrapped around a piece of sponge.

This is just an update, I have a lot of work to do and two weeks to placing it on the competition table.

Terry.

So I took a crash course in brick painting, decided to experiment with a couple of techniques.

First a not too carefully applied spray of gloss black;

Then some patches of white;

...then some random splotches of various greys. I used about 8 in all.

Then with a partially dried brush I very messily applied some Life Colour Rust 2, making sure to slop it everywhere and into the cracks between bricks. I then wiped off the excess with a slightly damp piece of paper towel.

Then using the dot filter techniques I applied some various acrylics, yellow, browns, olive drab and some metallic blue to try and capture that glazed enamel look some bricks get;

Each phase was worked into the texture with a dry brush, last of all was some more Rust to tone down some areas where there might be a bit too much variation.

Finally I used a very heavily thinned oil wash in grays then black. I got this to run into every gap between bricks. The dark colours then applied in random splotches to help simulate areas on the brick work where cracks may be more prominent.

Once the oils dry I'll probably have to apply some more to work up the textures.

Cheers

Ok, the final almost black, runny wash settles into all the cracks and pretty much sells the look;

I painted the window and door fittings. I'll be pretty much using the dot filter technique in oils to weather the windows.

I'm trying to work out how to achieve a chipping effect but since this diorama perspective is from inside then it may not be too necessary to go to town on this.

Cheers

 Terry- That rust/ slime/etc.. look great .

Casper- I think you nailed the look of old brick. Have you thought of giving them a light dusting of pastels for an even dustier look?

Howard

terry, great work there. The chipping looks great. Don't leave us waiting so long for the next update.

casper, ye have to agree, that brick work looks spot on

Terry, awesome work, really admire your ability to apply realistic chips and rust and grime. I'm anxious to see the final product.

Casper, nice work on the brick wall!

As for me, the Hellcat is still in limbo. I'm planning on building a new paint booth for myself in the laundry room. Yup, laundry room. I had been airbrushing in a box on the kitchen table but that may not continue to be the best idea. Hopefully I'll have the my final project for this GB completed soon.

Hey, so some progress now on the Hellcat...just a quick pic.

I added the lighter blue shade along the fuselage and the exhaust streaks coming off the engine. I'll have to touch up some white on the under carriage because I wasn't paying attention, but its not too bad.

Thanks,

I've fitted the timber frames, doors and windows. Tomorrow I'm going to apply so more weathering on the blue windows, doors etc. to tie it in with the brickwork. Stress the metal on the piping and tap (by the back door in the far right corner)

Then I can start populating the space with props and finally the Bf109. I'm trying to represent one corner of the building, the hangar doors are somewhere unseen from this corner.

Cheers

Got the building finished, starting to populate the interior with stuff.

There must be dozens and dozens of tiny elements in this diorama and they all have to be painted and detailed. I'm now waiting for the furniture to dry so I can start setting up work benches and the communications bench with radio and telex.

The bird is going to be facing forward on an angle with the port side of the engine lined up along side the two drums with the plank across.

Cheers

Casper, amazing work there. And you are giving me a great idea for a dio. I have struggeled to come up with new things to do for aircrfat Dioramas. I have ideas for aircraft being maintained out in the open. It had never occured to me to build the inside of a hanger/workshop. Going to have to study your build closely and pince some ideas.

Again, great work

Looking very good ,Casper.

I have finally started on my second entry into the GB, the Spitfire Mk. IX. This will be in an American scheme of olive drab over light gray. It will also have full invasion stripes. The Airfix kit had no interior, so I added basic sidewall details with plastic strip, an IP from the scrap bin and cut out the entry door too. That door is tiny and took a while to detail! I also painted up the pilot figure and drilled out the exhaust. I didn't go crazy with the interior details because I will be focusing more on the outside weathering effects.

OWL

DoogsATX: Please withdraw me from the group build. I am in the process of moving and am not sure when I will get back to building my Revell 1:125 U-99 submarine. However, I will keep monitoring this forum. The tips are wonderful. Now to pack up my paint booth...

NiceFit

DoogsATX: Please withdraw me from the group build. I am in the process of moving and am not sure when I will get back to building my Revell 1:125 U-99 submarine. However, I will keep monitoring this forum. The tips are wonderful. Now to pack up my paint booth...

No worries! I know how moving can turn one's life upside down for awhile. Best of luck with the move!

the Wings on this spitfire ore one piece affairs that slide into slots in the fuselage, but don't really align all that well. The dihedral is hard to get right as a result, and there are considerable gaps at the wing roots. To top it all off, the model is festooned with hundreds of rivets that I don't want to sand off!

and here is a closeup of the pilot figure:

OWL

Finally started the weathering on my Tamiya SdKfz 222. These pictures are after the first overall dust wash using

oil paints thinned with mineral spirits. The fiddly bits (i.e. screens and tools) are left off and weathered separately 

so I don't break them.

Hope you like them....

Scott

Nice spitfire OWL!!!!

Thanks RRB! 

I've gotten a lot more work finished on the Spit. The kit was a gift from MrSquid2U (thanks again!) but was missing the canopy and decals. No problem, it gave me an excuse to raid my spares box. The extra (open) canopy was left over from the old FROG kit i built last year (Spitfire chasing a Buzz bomb on a stand) and fits nearly perfectly. I only sawed off a little area behind the pilot seat. The decals will also be from the spares box.

The landing gear in this kit were super skinny and attached to the gear doors, and lacked any detail. I sanded them off and, again raiding spares from the FROG kit, fit different gear to the doors. A thin wire was added for the brake line.

the (radiator?) intakes on the underside of the wings were a see-through affair, so I boxed them in with a bit of plastic card.

I added a bit of plastic strip to the otherwise bare wheel wells to spruce them up a bit and went to work on the painting. I was experimenting to see if a pre-shade would be able to be seen through a coat of paint from a rattle can. It didn't, really! But I achieved a splotchy look to the base color by blotting and swiping the Olive Drab with a napkin dipped in a bit of thinner.  I'll be painting the undersides in a similar matter, then fading the panels by hand.

More soon!

OWL

The pre-shading looks good.

once agian nice spitfire owl , im eager to see the finished product

my dads favourite plane is the spitfire MK XI VE, the 5 bladed one but unfortunatly he doesnt have the time to build it.

Ok, I'm calling this Bf-109E3 diorama completed. I'm pretty happy with the way this turned out but not sure I'll be racing out to build another diorama anytime soon!

Cheers

Stunning attention to detail, beautiful work.

Casper, that is amazing. deffinatly inspired me, i have got to do a dio like that. And please reconsider, we need more dio builders, especially of your standard. Love this build.