Can't say I've seen any unusual 100 schemes Cliff. I do believe that I've seen it in that brownish color that was used earlier on the Dinah.

NeedBeer

 

It is missing the clear parts / windshields - guys, any suggestions on how to scratch build or replace these? I thought I might be able to modify a spare if I can find one?

 

Just other day i need to replace the canopy of my scout for airfix gb

i used balsa pieces to remould the canopy, also insert a pin on the back to fix it on an heavy clamp. The balsa piece was covered with taniya putty. Frames will be draw with a blade, these the result

lots of try was needed. I fixed it with CA glue, as i notice fumes was dissolved with water. You can fix it also with white glue or kristal cleer. I needed the CA for better grip, the canopy work as structure on the scout

Trey this time the plane finally on the gears?   he come great !!

This is impressive!

Thanks for the feedback Bsyamato & Trey - as you might gather I have never done this before

Understand the balsa wood mould but what plastic is used & how to do you get it to set around the mould?

Would like to give it a try

Steve

i was a little lucky on these materials, went from architectural dioramas supplies gifted to me because unused.

Acetate clear sheets and balsa in 10x100 cm planks .Clear sheets also you can find on lots of packages . The best i try till now is from a ram (pc component) package, really strong but hard to heat. just  don't use too tiny sheets.

I put the clear sheet above a candle and waiting till the sheet turn softly and press onto the mold.

Best way is surely a vacuform machine but this way ir really cheaper and not too bad.

I started to use this tecnique on my sci-fi gundams mechs and recent used also on an amodel ka-18 canopy (original canopy was about 2 mm thick ) this the result compared with original piece:

on the ka-18 i used white glue the clear part, as you see the visibility is perfect

Another tip,  the mold must be perfect smooth because even if not perfect as vacuform the final clear result depend from the mold surface

Trey: Another great looking cockpit there! Sorry, most of the photos I've seen of 100s were yeah just plain jane green or brown.

Bsyamato: Very cool, I've tried making parts like that but always ended up with a mess, not sure if it was too hot or cold or what was going on. But your canopies look more professional than some I've seen in limited run kits! 

Lots of try are needed Gamera, is a not perfect tecnique before to get the good one i throw at least 7 canopies

Good news i put the order with Ida & Claude also retry with the breguet () i hope they soon on my hands

Hey All,

Finished the Nell. I wanted to do a little more weathering but kept knocking the fiddlies off so I`m calling her done. Here`s some pics, sorry if they`re a little dark but I don`t have a good lighted area for photography in here so I use my countertop.

So that`s #2 for this GB and I`ve started #3...Finemold`s "Kikka".

Starts like every other kit, with the office...

Made the belts out of masking tape. Sealed it with future and lightly washed it with burnt umber but can`t really see it due to my great photography. I have the fuse` together  and having a heck of a time with the seams...trying to get it as good as possible because the bottom is NMF with IJN green on the top. Does anyone have any tips on making a small photo booth and how to light it ? As you can see, I need a little help with that...lol. Thanks for looking!

Len

Magnific nell Len only you forget bombs out (kidding)  LOL 

and great kikkakockpit 

For wip pics a photo booth is useles imho (reeally break the B. to put on the set every step)

I see someone just used a great box cutted on the sides and top (leaving a sort of frames) and with removed front (the frontal side to take pictures) part. A simply white paper on the 3 frontal sides with a single paper piece to have smooth angles inside and lateral sides with white paper too. put 3 desk lamps on the up and lateral sides. Another way is to set a wood box and include the lamps in the same structure

ps i need me too to build one

bsyamato

Magnific nell Len only you forget bombs out (kidding)  LOL 

and great kikkakockpit 

For wip pics a photo booth is useles imho (reeally break the B. to put on the set every step)

I see someone just used a great box cutted on the sides and top (leaving a sort of frames) and with removed front (the frontal side to take pictures) part. A simply white paper on the 3 frontal sides with a single paper piece to have smooth angles inside and lateral sides with white paper too. put 3 desk lamps on the up and lateral sides. Another way is to set a wood box and include the lamps in the same structure

ps i need me too to build one

I have a home made paint booth with a good light and it may have to start double duty as a photo booth. I`ll get some poster board or an old white sheet to put inside and try it. My problem is more of a lighting thing...so many different ways to do it, I have to do a little experimenting.

Thanks again for the kind words...back to sanding the Kikka!

Len

Great looking Nell Len. I can't say I've seen one built up.

Len: The Nell looks terrific! Congrads! Btw I found the bombs a little odd too, I think the plane started out as a civilian airliner and hence no bomb bay. Still seems to me they'd have hung the bombs from the wings though.

And love the FineMolds Kikka, some definate fit issues with that one. I started one years ago, gave up and then finished it about a year ago,

/forums/p/132161/1345768.aspx#1345768

Overall I liked the kit beyond this. The other big problem I had was that somehow I pushed the front of one of the two jet engines back into the engine nacelle itself and had to fish it out. Lucky I was able to hook it with a small wire and glue it back without ripping the whole engine apart.

I'm not totally sure on the underside of the plane but I've seen some references that claim from looking at b&W photos that show some burnt metal and chipping on the engines that look like the underside was painted instead of NM. As usual please take that with a grain of salt.

Edit: Going back noticed that you had commented on my Kikka- sorry I can't remember last week much less a year ago.

waiting for customer reply ... as i fear ida&claude not in stock aargh!!! but the breguet 693 is on .. that strange things in Italy

Bsyamato: Good luck! Still the Breguet 693 is a pretty cool aircraft. I really like the lines of the plane, I built a Potez 631 some years ago and it sorta reminds me of the 693.

I have been looking forward to this Hasegawa 1/72 Tojo for years. While I complete dig the NASCAR like amount of markings, I dreaded the large decals. The NMF has presented some challenges as it came off like dust until i ssealed it. Then I did the IJA Grey flaps and washed the panel lines the too fine lines on the fuselage and wings didnt hold well. The fit of the kit has been great and I speeded through the major assemblies. Then I decided to start decaling. Well the Large white wing bands weren't as solid as I had hoped, and then the fuselage band ruined itself (Its wasnt me I promise). So I masked off the areas and out comes the white rattle can. The hino's were likewise brittle and the starboard tore in half. I think I got to sit right. By this time I'm real nervous about that loooong red stripe. I have both sides of the fuselage done except for the nose. Coming along well (No jinx).

first attempt at the white id marks:

insert patience here:

Trusty ol painters tape left some psychedelic marks on the NMF:

Noah, that Tojo looks great. What did you spray for the NMF?

MM Aluminum metalizer spray. First time with the product, It was the buffing kind so I cut a tag end off of my son's thick flannel blanket (with his permission of course) and buffed it up and then sealed it with the metalizer sealer which is kinda glossy. Good pressure in both cans, hope they coat that well for a few more kits..

Gamera

Bsyamato: Good luck! Still the Breguet 693 is a pretty cool aircraft. I really like the lines of the plane, I built a Potez 631 some years ago and it sorta reminds me of the 693.

Lots of intresting pieces between these subjects but really the number used give lots of confusion   631 also a good subject

Noah best way to reproduce large stripes on planes are this, just ignore decals as you did great work.

Noah: She looks good to me! I started painting the white stripes some time back, I can never get the decals to go on without problems.

And nice work with the Metalizer, I think it is some of the best looking NM out there but it's so fragile I gave up using it, everything I masked ripped it up.

BTW guys, I'm headed out of town on vacation/holiday this weekend. Will be back in about two weeks.

Hi guys, I realized I had no German Interior Buff paint, so I'm taking a break on the Pz IVC.  I thought I would try my hand at Japanese aircraft.  Can I enter with the Tamiya A6M5c #61027?  It's been in my stash for a while and it's outside my "box".  I'll be doing Takeo Tanimizu's 03-09.

Thanks,

Satch

Satch: Sure, glad to have you! Is the Zero 1/48th, 1/72, 1/32nd?

Bsyamato thanks yes gear down on this one for a change ;)That is a great scratch job on the Ka-18 canopy,just for future info odorless ca(foam safe) wo'nt fog clear parts

Cliff thanks the office is pretty stark but its gonna be a cxlosed canopy build,and still have'nt decided on a scheme,not much out there that draws me in.

Len The Nell looks awesome! Great job on that build very nicely done Sir! Good luck with the Nikka I've heard the fit issues are a nightmare,sure you tackle it tho!

Noah Outsatnding NMF on the Tojo its really looking sharp!!!

I got some Tenax and welded the seams all around and filled the gaps with some Green Sqaudron putty

The Tenax did a decent job so I finish sanded the seams with some 400 grit followed by wet 1000 and then added the bottom scoops and hollowed out the front intake

I would like too join.

My first 1:48 scale model, Tamiya 1:48 A6M2 Zero.

Its a crossover, are crossovers alowed? It's crossed over with the Pearl Harbour 70th anniversary GB -- hosted by me.

Made some more progress on the RS Models Ki-94-II, not quite finished yet but here are a few more photos.

Applied Tamiya IJN Green, a coat of Future, then kit decals, and finally Testors Semi-gloss.

I'm quite happy with the way the canopy turned out. Dipped it in Future then masked  along the frames with thin stripes of Tamiya tape and then filled in the rest of the glass area with Micro-Mask (liquid mask).

I broke one of the kit gun barrels while trying to drill it out.  Glued it up, sanded it smooth and promptly broke it again trying to drill it out.  So out went the kit gun barrels and in came the hypodemic needle barrels.  So it's no longer entirely out of the box.

The kit decals worked very well.

Next up a little highlighting of panel lines, radio antenna and radio wire - then maybe call if finished.

I'll try and get some clearer pictures as well.

Kevin

Trey: Nice, more of your usual superlative work. To be honest Tenex is so 'hot' I'm a little afraid of using the stuff after melting some areas on a model with it years ago. 

Baron: No problem at all, several people have cross-overs going on here. Noah is posting his Tojo over on the Natural Metal III GB as well. I'll put you down on the roster.

Kevin: She looks fantastic! Love the gigantic six-bladed prop.

Kevin perfect finished 94 really nice the propeller!

Trey good updates there ka-18 canopy was glued with white glue, the scout one was glued with CA the tip is that you can use CA if you have the opportunity to reach the inner fog parts to clear after

no news about my next jap aargh!!

Kevin, that's cool. Never seen one of those before. It's refreshing seeing odd-ball planes like that.

Nice work Kevin! How `bout a couple pics of the underside...I`m diggin` the color...

Thank you everyone for the comments!  This has been an enjoyable if somewhat frustrating build.  AND last night I found a resin kit of the Ki-94-I.  So I might just add this one to my list - as soon as I can afford the kit + shipping!  I have not built an all resin kit yet (however I do have a few), so this might just be the ticket to try something new.

In the meantime, here are a few shots of the underside of the Ki-94-II for troublemaker66 and others!

A few things look like they might be out of line, but I think that it is the angle of my camera and some shadows (I hope).  Anyway I will post more pictures when I get the panel line highlighting done and add some exhaust stains, etc.

Great looking KI-94 Kevin ,super clean build nicely done! The supercharger is uniquely placed never noticed that before very cool!

Thanks Cliff ,still scratch'n my head on a scheme tho and yes the Tenax is hot so I use a real fine brush and do little areas at a time

Bsyamato you do'nt need to be able to reach inside the canopy as foam safe(odorless) ca does'nt fog clear at all! Give it a try works great for me and it comes in thick and thin.

Almost forgot - When it's further along I'll post a photo or two of the Ki-94-II alongside the Ki-78 'Ken'.  The Ki-94-II was a huge! airplane - maybe comparable to the P-47.

Span: 46 feet (14m), Length 39.3 feet (12m), Height 15.25 feet (4.65m)  Don't know the diameter of the prop