Fw 190 Butcher Bird 2013 (extended to June 2014) Group Build

Whats a few months between friends. Theres still on-going builds in the D-Day GB as well so don't worry guys, your not alone.

Ok,now I feel better. Thanks Joe, Joe, Bish and Mike.

At my end, been fiddling with the mottling since my last post. I'd post a pic, but at the end of the day it looks about like it did in the last post!!! Yikes.

Hey bubba! I'm tellin ya, grab a spare kit or piece of plastic or something and practice , practice , practice. I did that and it took me a good hours worth of trying but I got it down. Remember: Thinned paint, high pressure and BARELY crack the needle. Once you see some paint (almost any at all) start moving the airbrush to prevent puddling or dotting. You'll get it..........I promise!

Hey guys, I just wanted you to know I'm still here with ya all! I'm gonna be in England untill Friday night but I'll be back at the bench on Saturday and finally get some interior painting done on the gear/gun bays and engines.

I arrived at Duxford today (coming from Bovington) and first thing I saw after I got off the train was a quite low Spitfire flyby. Now thats what I call a nice welcome! If you guys need pictures of a particular aircraft that's on display there, just yell at me and I'll do my best to get em for you.

Anything that's got a 262 in the pic would be great!!

Joe, unless they have updated since I was there a couple of years back, I think you might be out of luck. I was actually disappointed at the range of German aircraft there. There was a Storch, Ju 52, Me 109E and a Spanish He 111 under restoration, and I think that was it.

SS, I wouldn't mind some pics of the B-17 in the USAF hanger if its back in there. It was under restoration and stripped bare the last time I saw it.

Yikes!

Joe, honestly  I'm not sure I'm gonna make mottling work using Vallejo. I hate this cuz I spent a fortune on Vallejo colors. That said, as said before, I still think I don't have the thinning figured out.

And yes, I've spent hours upon hours practicing. Just can't achieve any consistency from one session to the next. All that said, I'm sure it is my lack of airbrushing skills. Making some progress, will post something soon as I can.

Clemens, we'll be glad to have you back.

Joe: Unfortunately they really don't have a 262 at Duxford, mate... ...BUT I got something special for you! I'm sure you'll like it...

Bish: I actually didn't see any German aircraft today except for a lonely Bf 109 fitted with what to appears a Rolls Royce engine (it's not "hanging" either so the nose is really wierdly shaped) I only looked at 3 of the hangars though, so there might be more. I think you have to clarify Re the B-17, cause they got 2 of those beauties. One is inside the USAAF hangar and the other one is standing near it on the airstrip...

There in one 109 in I think the BoB hanger, hanger 4. Its White 4 of Horst Perez, flying with JG 26. It came down in Sussex in Sept 1940. Theres a photo of it being guarded by a British soldier and this scene is replicated at the museum. The other 109 you mention is probably the Buchon HA 1112. these are the Spanish 109's, with hispanio engines and were used during the movie the Battle of Britain, much of which was shoot at Duxford. The He 111 in the restoration hanger was also in the movie.

The B-17 outside I am guessing is the Sally B, the only airworthy B-17 in Europe. She is permantly based at Duxford. She sometimes has a different aircraft's nose art on one side and Sally B on the other. last time I was there, she had the Mempis Belle's nose art on the right. The one in the hanger is the one that was being restored, it was completely stripped of paint and taken apart. I have a nice pic of a partle  B-17 in pure NMF.

You should pop in for a brew, I'm only 45mins away.

Mike, did you get that airbrush back yet?

Ok, proof of progress.....

Nothing special, just proving that I am trying. Whatever that vertical black and white stripe thing is, first time I've had to paint one on. Was interesting. I'll do better next time. :)

Now I'm thinking how to proceed with decals #2 below....

Apparently supposed to fill the inside with RLM 74 or 75 (whatever Gunze 304 is). Best guess; set the decals, wait, seal with a quick clear coat, wait again, mask, paint??

I could chicken out and use one of the supplied decals for the other varaints that is aleady black on the inside, but you picky Luftwaffe experts would catch me!

Greg, I have no idea what your going on about, that mottling is spot on, seriously. It took me a good couple of models to get that look.

The black and white band is a Defence of the reich band. Each unit that was taking part in the Defence of Germany against allied bombers had its own band, this one was use by JG 4.

Greg, why do you have to paint the inside of the fuselage cross, is it in white outline only.

Greg -- mate, I blush to say I haven't even sent it yet. I've had a load of work drop on me this week, we've had a sick pet to look after, and it's tax time, and I couldn't get my head round anything to do with the hobby -- but I'm starting to pull around! Promise! The courier should have it there in a day or two, I'm sending the spare parts with it, so hopefully a fairly quick turnaround, then a couple of days back. Just gotta commit to packaging it up and sending it!

M/TB379

PS: Thanks for keeping the build open, Mustang!

Bish, thank you for you kind words, mate. And for explaining the 'defence of the Reich' band. This mottling business is really something else. I wonder if I'll ever have the courage to try it in 1/72nd??? Haha.

Re the fuselage cross, this kit has 5 schemes and decals. A couple of them call out the cross filled with black on the decal, but this one seems to indicate it is to be the dark grey RLM (sorry, too lazy to run down and cross check). The line pointing to the inside of the cross is a paint number (see Eduard scheme shot above), why I assume I gotta figure out how to paint it.

I have no clue what I'm doing, just trying to match the Eduard scheme and the pics Clemens sent me close as I can. This accuracy stuff is all new to me!

Mike, you have no reason to explain yourself. Due to life, I didn't visit my bench for most of the first 6 months of this year, my friend. Gentleman Joe will wait on us, I'm sure of it.

Oh, and my one and only hobby purchase so far this year was replacement parts for my Iwata last week. Egads!

Greg, the inside of the cross is rlm 74 gray green. I usually mask and paint that color first then lay the decal on top when the paint is dry. Not sure why Eduard calls out gunze 304.

Greg, Your mottling is seriously very good.Nice job. As far as the Balkenkreuz goes that's a first for me. never seen the center painted an RLM color. Interesting. I'm curious as to what route you take there.

Clemens, I apologize for neglecting to recognize your ongoing efforts. Are you just focusing on one single 190 now?

I had not seen the centre of the fuselage cross painted grey before either. So I checked a few books and one of the Osprey ones has a few colour plates which shows the centre of the cross in grey. I can only think they were short of black paint or something.

I had not seen the centre of the fuselage cross painted grey before either. So I checked a few books and one of the Osprey ones has a few colour plates which shows the centre of the cross in grey. I can only think they were short of black paint or something.

SchattenSpartan

BUT I got something special for you! I'm sure you'll like it...

 

Greg

Nothing special, just proving that I am trying.

Greg the paint looks fantastic !!

It does indeed! That mottle will look great with the bird finished around it!

M/TB379

Nathan, thanks for the tip. I wanted to paint first then lay decal over as you said, For whatever reason I decided to do it backwards and lay the decal down first. We shall see what happens.

Handi, thank you! It's kind of you to be sticking around watching and commenting on us two late guys!

Joe, Joe, Bish and Mike, thanks for the nice comments on my mottling. If I have it close, that can only mean that you guys (and many others) have somehow managed to get into my thick skull over the past year or so how to do it and what it's supposed to look like. That's for sure!

Bish: Thanks for the offer, mate! Unfortunately I didn't have time to stop by. I had 3 hours at Duxford today and then had to go back to London again This sure as hell won't be my only visit there though and I'd be more tha  happy to meet you next time (hopefully next year)! I got you some pics of the B-17 BTW as well as a few of Sally B!

Greg: Holy smokes! Now thats one hell of a paint job!

Joe: I'm sorry, but it looks like you gotta wait a few more days for it. I'll need at least untill Saturday evening to get all the pics on my computer and sorted...

Bish

I had not seen the centre of the fuselage cross painted grey before either. So I checked a few books and one of the Osprey ones has a few colour plates which shows the centre of the cross in grey. I can only think they were short of black paint or something.

Not sure that the crosses were meant to be black. They were simple white outline only. Seems that on RLM 74/75 aircraft the 74 camo color was extended to fill in the cross, and aircraft wearing the green camos the 81 or 83 was in the center, as in these photos:

Same applies to late war 190s. I have seen some pics where it looks like the cross center is more of a lighter black, which may indicate RLM 70, black green. You can also tell that sometimes the inside of the cross was haphazardly filled in, while sometimes it was masked perfectly.

Right, got it. Seems more common than I had realised.

Nathan, thanks for those photos. Looks like I got a bit too accurate. Ah, well.

Clemens, thank you sir.

Nice info on those fuselage crosses, guys!

I'm officially back in Vienna now (arrived about an hour ago) and I'm getting all the pics uploaded to my PC right now. I'll make sure to deal with the pics for you guys first (B-17 and Joe's surprise that is).

Welcome home, mate!