MONOGRAM MAFIA II GB

Big_Dog

@troublemaker66 I am really glad to see your pics of the P-38 Night Fighter. Dude that rocks! Gloss black and raised detail! I built that kit as a kid and can't recall if I did the Droop Snoot or the NF. I know seeing you build it has led to me getting one for what should be my 5th build. Not sure which version yet I want to do, I was thinking the NF with all the cutting and stuff, but then there is the droop snoot which is cool, and the decals for Marge in NMF and then MKelly reveals there is the F version stuff in that box and I am thinking of the French camoed birds I have a profile of in a book. Decisions, Decisions. Wait, they are Revellograms, affordable and readily available! I hope what ever I build is as nice as yours or for that matter MK's.

Based on some earlier trips down memory lane I have a P-39 slated as my next build after the H81 A-3 ala P-40 is done. I am thinking about 3 to 4 weeks on that with paint drying times and stuff. There are only a few things left to do before paint and then there is drying times with my weekend schedule. The P-39 I plan on doing a Guadalcanal dio. I picked up one of the little scene deals from Micheals in Columbus, Ga. with the palm trees. That was a bust, as I figured with Ft. Benning close by there may be some model selection, but it was only a few of the Mob oldies but goodies and little else. I plan to pick up a pack of palm trees from Hobby Lobby to make a tree line like on the 'Canal.

I built one of those dio`s from Michael`s for a `canal Wildcat...posted in the "Grumman Iron Works" GB...did it as an after thought and kinda rushed thru it. It came with  palm trees and everything else except a base. It was around $20 and made a nice base for my Wildcat. Good luck with your builds!

Len

Troulbe.. ! nice Lightning !

I'm out of Monograms at the moment that I want built just yet.. so next time?

For the Don's and the Familia's Pleasure I present my Revell BF109G10 as an Me 109K-4.

Sorry for the funky pictures but the sun was starting to set so they are a touch dark and funky with the flash. I am calling this done although I do plan to take some gloss paint and do the lights. I also will add some exhaust staining but any kind of a wash for weathering or picking out the panel lines is a no-go between my hastily brushed paint job that is less than smooth and the fact that I could not get all the paint out of the seams without damaging the plastic. I can see me doing another of these one day as I am not entirely happy with my paint job also the number should be a Blue 7 and the vertical bar on the fuse band should also be blue. I thought about trying to cut out the white outline for these from a larger white decal and putting it over a masked blue, but I did not have time for any of that. I think the blue numbers woul add some more visual interest to the late war 81, 82, "84" camo, which btw I noticed nobody seems to do much of.

ps I need to take a shot down into the cockpit of my whopper seat belts, these were the first I have done out of masking tape and are way to wide, must be the Goering model belts.

Big Dog- Nice job on the 109! I built one for this GB and think it`s in here somewhere...I built the G-10 and did thepaint job like the box art. Have you thought about getting an airbrush?

P38ji thanks fo the kind words!

Big Dog, your Gustav/Karl came out pretty good. Whats next?

Today was seam work on my Hun.... sanding, then gap filling super glue in a few spots, a few hours to let that dry, then more sanding and smoothing work. A few more small items tomorrow and it should almost be ready for initial painting...

Thanks for the kind words yall. I really want an airbrush but am not sure if my girlfriends dad would go for me using it here. I am actually quite comfortable with brushes and CAN do good work when i take my time. The last part of that statement was the conflict here, I was drawing down to the wire time wise on getting a second build done and had to rush things. Hopefully I can redeem myself in a few when the H81-A3 is done.

As far as what is next is finishing my 2nd now 3rd? build which is turning a P-40 B/C into a fairly reasonable Hawk H81-A3 (AVG version). There are quite a few differences here between the kit, the P-40 B/C and what the AVG had, their planes are rather one off as a mater of fact. During the down time stages of the P-40 I plan on starting the P-39 Airacobra. I plan on doing this with all the stuff open and the crew guys on a dio base of the palm tree line at Guadalcanal, markings will be the OOB decals. After that for #5 I plan on a P-38J, but am not sure which version. I am not sure if I am up to building a respectable Night Fighter or not, but ya don't learn by not trying. I had planned on finishing an SBD that I drilled out the flaps the real old school way with a pinvise followed by a twirled X-acto and a marked toothpick gauge. Everybody says navy planes were never chipped and I have some pics from Midway where the exhaust has burned the paint off the wings down to the bare metal. With the fading on these it will be an interesting paint exercise. So I may yet complete that for an additional offering.

I still don't get why people diss these kits. If I can turn one into a fairly decent looking model, the right hands can make a masterpiece. Sure some of the real old ones like the SBD have some major areas to address, but are we model builders or kit assemblers?

Big_Dog

I still don't get why people diss these kits. If I can turn one into a fairly decent looking model, the right hands can make a masterpiece. Sure some of the real old ones like the SBD have some major areas to address, but are we model builders or kit assemblers?

Yeah, the SBD has areas to address. But if addressed properly, will give you THE MOST accurate SBD in 1/48. Why/How? Surface detail-the real SBD was covered with raised rivets, just like the old kit. I have one that I have slowly been working on for many years now nearing the finish line that I have gutted and improved in almost every area that needs it.

Well here is today's update on my Hun:

First off I rescribed some of the detail/panel lines lost during seam clean up.  Next I did a bit of gap preventive work on the vertical stabilizer. There was a slight gap in the rear, so I added a shim of very thin sheet plastic filed to shaped before gluing in in and boom, no gap once glued in place.

wing fences added

emergency landing hook and tail skid added

APR-38 (whatever system that is) antenna added to the fuselage spine

 I had to create the bomb adaptors for the inboard pylons, those pylons are set up for the Bullpups that I am not going to use- I scratched some out of sheet plastic, filed to match the shape of those on the outboard pylons- test fitted here with some M117s

and after sanding the seams on the drop tanks, I rescribed lost detail and test fitted the M117s on the outboard pylons as well

And finally a shot of the overall Hun as she is now. Just needs the slats, landing gear, pitot tube and the refueling probe.

Hey Stik...looking good! I started building mine a few months ago but boxed it...had too much going at once. You`re making me want to start up again with it!

Still cleaning up some started builds...been working on a F-9-F Recon Panther that I was having trouble with, I guess..?...can`t remember what the problem was...lol. Also hve an SR-71 with 2" of dust on it and can`t remember why I stopped work on that either,maybe a loss of interest, I can`t remember. I`ll post pics of the Panther tomorrow...time to hit the sack.

Len

Thanks Len. I have several in progress builds to complete here too. But this one is ging very smoothly and should be finished quickly enough. Once this Hun is knocked out, then I will take care of more of those.

She is a bueaty stikpusher, lookin good ;)

Not a beauty yet... but getting there. But thank you

One last bit of work tonite. I glued on the slats and dipped the remaining clear parts in Future.

More work completed this morning- I masked off the canopy parts, gonna try something new painting the interior Flat Black. Then I glued on the refueling probe, inboard pylons, and fuel tanks. I had to leave off the outboard pylons because they will interfere with the underwing decals.

an overall view of the lower surfaces

a close up of the pylons/fuel tanks/IFR probe

and finally a top view with the canopy placed in postion for the photo

Now it looks like a Hun

Thats A nice lookin Hun, I can't wait to see her painted up with the pilot tube

Thank you sir. I am leaving the pitot tube until last because it is so dang long and I am afraid of breaking it off.

Great progress on your Hun, Stick.  Going camo or natural metal with the finish??  Got one on the shelf as well.....you guys are motivating me to finish a project!!! :)

Aluminum lacquer actually. In the early 60s NMF was replaced by aluminum lacquer as a corrosion control measure. At least on Century Series types such as the Hun, Thud, and Starfighter. These are the markings that I will be using.

This really is an easy building kit.

Nice choice for the markings. I was reading your post about the pitot tube. Are you going to model it folded like the real one?  

Afternoon progress-

interior and exterior of canopy framing airbrushed Tamiya Flat Black

instrument panel hood area also airbrushed Tamiya Flat Black

and the canopy in place for a photo...

Took a break to build a Trumpeter AVGP, then picked up a P-40.  Not nearly as good as Owl's, but I enjoyed the build.  Got a lot of practice with filling around the carb inlet.

i47.photobucket.com/.../DSCF1119.jpg

i47.photobucket.com/.../DSCF1117.jpg

If I find another kit I want to buld over the summer, I'll pick it up.

Last night before bed I glued on the gunsight, then glued down the windscreen and tacked down the canopy. A short while ago I masked off the speed brake and wheel wells with damp tissue. Once that dries up a bit I will commence to painting the overall aluminum.

Anybody heard from the Don HVH lately?

MKelley

Anybody heard from the Don HVH lately?

Len

I was wondering where the old buzzard has been...

Well today I airbrushed on an overall coat of Tamiya Flat Aluminum. It looks ok I suppose. Plus I airbrushed all the little fiddly bits needing Flat Aluminum as well. I gotta say that this is the quickest build that I have had for awhile. In just under one week, from first bits glued to gether to basic overall painting done. Not quite "Weekend Madness", but...

fiddly bits...

top side

underside

After the paint has dried and cured overnite, tomorrow I will begin work on the rear fuselage where the real effort is needed...

Hello.... Hello... Hello.... anybody here????

two bits of small progress today- the main bit, a coat of gold titanium on the rear fuselage around the engine.... I will be doing more airbrush work there over the next few days to give it that heat discolored look...

and I painted the boarding ladder yellow...

I completely forgot that my H-13 was my second build (actually my first) for here, and that I had not posted any updates of progress since mid May... so without further delay...

firstly, I was not happy with the shade of OD that I originally used, so a week or so ago I airbrushed on a different shade. Polly Scale's US Olive Drab, which is darker and browner in tone

before

after

the i realized that it would be easier to attach the stretcher shelves and skid wheels and then paint them, so I did

then it was time to paint those...

then today I airbrushed the main rotor tips, tail rotor guard, and rudder rear yellow

and how it looks with most everything in place

I still have a couple weeks to my 6 month cutoff for this insect...

Thank you professor. I think that theHun is underappreciated these days.

I didn't get a chance to take some better pics of the 109K today and tomorrow it is supposed to rain so it may be a bit on these. The Hawk H81-A3 is almost done with all the sanding type stuff. I think the .50s will need one more pass with a file after the primer/check coat dries. I still have some stuff to do where the nose attaches, but I needed to fit stuff better here so it may be a bit sub-par. The cockpit and gun bay pieces are painted for the P-400 and I should have that stuff together tomorrow for a pic or two.

@ stikpusher  A couple of questions: 1. If the Hun is Aluminum Lacquer, why not paint it with some  with some rattle can Aluminum Lacquer? Seems to me nothing would look like A.L. as well as A.L. Rustoleum has some that is nice in my opinion. I like the Platinum for the start of the burned area, that Hun will look neat when done shiny and funky. 2. What is that green you are using for a primer on your helo? That looks like it would make a nice Bronze Green. I didn't catch that you didn't finish it either, I was thinking how nice the engine and stuff looked way back.

Big Dog, to answer your questions: 1) I went with Tamiya Flat Aluminum because I had lots (just in case- always nice to have extra for a fudge factor), and once it is gloss coated, decalled, and top coated, the final result will look like the Aluminum Lacquer that I have seen at places such as McClellan AFB and March AFB museums. Besides, I am not much of a rattle can guy. I never quite mastered them back in the day, and I feel that I am quite proficient with my various airbrushes in the 25 years that I have been using them. But when completed, my Hun should have a nice weather worn finish like photos show of those birds from 1965 being in the tropical monsoon weather 24/7. I still have a bit more airbrush work to do with the aft end .                                                                                                                                                       2) The green originally used was Polly Scale AAF Olive Drab. It was not intended as a primer, but as a top coat. If you look inside the cockpit bubble, you can see that it does not have too much contrast with Polly Scales Interior Green (rather light when applied, but once sealed, washed and weathered looks just right- most other Interior greens get too dark).Once applied it turned out too light and too green for what I wanted. The second shade that I used, Polly Scale US Olive Drab with its' browner hue was what I wanted based off of old stuff that I had seen in various museums. Or even occasional items that I ran across in my military career.

Thanks about the engine. Last night I finally did the detail painting such as the fan belt and exhaust manifold & pipes. I just need to do some touch ups today and then a wash and it will be ready for installation.