Twin Boom Group Build 2013

Thanks TREY. The kit part is a thick piece of plastic that curves round and is supposed to be the seat. There's a bit or Eduard PE that's supposed to fit onto that. So I just cut the plastic off and replaced it with the frame.

Theuns looks like some serious gaps to fill in and the Trump kit is worse!? Wow. Sounds like you've got it figured looking forward to seeing the update pics!

Bish I hope you're buying that tape by the case! That's a masking session I'm not looking forward to! The Zwil is looking awesome ,you did an excellent job on the masking and its really looking sweet! Those seat frames look amazing as well,very nicely done!

So here's the results of all that masking.

I have also been working on some of the smaller bit, like painting the wheels and getting the two engines together. And doing the gun mounts for the top position. I have used some brass wire for the frame that supports the gunners seat.

I can now get on to my favourite bit, decaling. But most of this week I will be concentrating on the ground equipment and vehicles.   

Most of the sanding completed on the Vamp's joints (superglue only) and the primes shows an OK look to them. As soon as it cures I will do re-scribing and sanding for paint.

Theuns

vance, I was nearly tempted after that, and I don't even drink.

I got it painted yesterday but decided to leave in the shed. Its just to be to be lumping around with a still wet paint job, and there's less dust out there. Going to bring it in later and get some pics.

Thuens, defiantly a bit of work needed on those wing joins, but she is looking good.

Tony, we must not loose sight of the fact that I might not be able to actually build these things and just stuffed it up LOL!

I have been able to fill all the joints with thin superglue, just need to sand it now, hopefully it will be OK, otherwize the kit is not all that bad really. I understand from an IPMS guy that the 3 times more expensive Trump 1/48 Vamp it even worse!  

Theuns

I nearly changed my build to the Airfix Vampire, Theuns, but given that you've got it covered I'll stay with my Sea Vixen. It's looking good, but more work than I expected.

Cheers

Tony

The wing and boom fit will defenately need work to get it right.

I attended my local IPMS "build day" yesterday and there were 2 floks aosl also building the Vamp. Interesting how they to had a "hard time" getting the inlets to seat nicely and all of us had to trim the internal seats of the booms to get them to sit right.

I wonder then if this is a slight problem with the kit's engineering?? Nothing major though, just nice to know about it.

In the meantime I got the booms in, tail on and wings completed. It will be an interesting exersize in filling and sanding and not loose any of the detail.................stay tuned!

Theuns

lol, yessir bish, that is a pile of masking. Time to take a break with a cool one!

I wasn't planning on posting my next update until I had completed the paint job. I was hoping this would be today, with pics following tomorrow.

However, the masking took slightly long than expected. In fact its taken the best part of the day in small sessions, well as long as my nerves could handle.

So I just had to share the results of my efforts.

By the way, I HATE masking.

Well, I do now.

More pics tomorrow.

Theuns the Vamp is looking great ! Good call on the dark grey for the office!

Bish ca'nt wait to see the update pics!

lol, but if YOU DO forget the lead until after... I, uhh, I know how to put it in afterwards. Just don't ask me how I know. 

Since the SA weather is all screwed up (wet and cold) and I am not able to spray the dopes I need to on the projects I have been droening my sorrows in tamiya cement! LOL

The intakes on the Vamp in my view (for what it is worth) has been designed overly complex. They give full inlet trunking and turbine face , but behind the seperate intakes I can't see how much would be visalbe anyway. (but I am not complaining Airfix.....keep the new stuff comming!)

I can see some filler will be needed on the intake to wing seams.

That Vampire is shaping up nicely Theuns!!

Thanks guys. It has its first coat of green on now and its looking much better. Tomorrow will be the mammouth masking session and then the second green.

Theuns, that's looking really nice. Airfix certainly have come a long way.

The Vamp sofar.....

Tamiya belts

I used dark grey instead of black to avoid a "black hole" cockpit.

TREYZX10R

Bish that is great to see it along side the B-17 really puts the scale size in perspective. Build is looking awesome!

Clemens Happy Birthday!!!

Vance hope you can make a start on it, no pressure tho!

Me too!

Bish that is great to see it along side the B-17 really puts the scale size in perspective. Build is looking awesome!

Clemens Happy Birthday!!!

Vance hope you can make a start on it, no pressure tho!

Thanks guys!

Theuns: I know I want to. I just had no proper reason for buying such an expensive kit untill now

Now I just need to find some nice decals. How about this set?

http://www.themodellingnews.com/2013/08/zots-drop-bombs-with-their-new-b-17.html

I just can't decide which one to choose. I kinda like "D-Day Doll", but I think she's a bit too colorful... All the other fortresses look great as well...

I recently saw a review where a guys posted pics of parts of the 32nd B-17 alongside 1/48th and 72nd parts. That 32nd one is indeed rather large. But its not the sort of kit I would go for, but I will certainly watch your build of it Clemens.

Happy birthday for tomorrow.

Hey SS, happy birthday for tomorrow :-)........................go on treat yourself , get the model, you know you want to !

Theuns

Yep, I kinda have an idea how big the 1/32 B-17 is (friggin' HUGE!). I had a look at the sprues when another customer picked his fortress up at my LHS. I really wanted to have that kit since I saw what's inside the box! And guess what: I'll order myself one for my birthday tomorrow!!!!

Thanks guys. SS, one day I might be tempted to do the 32nd version. Who knows.

Mustang had asked if I could do a comparison pics to get a real idea of the size of this. So, heres a couple of pics of the 111Z with a B-17. The 17 is the only built aircraft I have that's not yet on a base, but I think it makes a good comparison.

I think the Z seems bigger than it really is. It should be remembered that the He 111 wasn't in itself that big, not when compared to the 4 engine heavies. As you can see, the Z is only slightly bigger in wingspan than a B-17.

Having built a B-17 and a couple of B-24's, the size isn't really a problem. But the odd design does make it awkward to handle and to get to certain areas. There was a couple of times when I was holding one wing I thought the whole thing might fall apart. I had hoped to paint it in sections, as I did with the B-24, but the way the wings attach doesn't really suit that, I am not keen on gluing, filling and sanding after its painted. 

These were taking just after I masked off the blue undersides. I have now added the mast and pitot and just need to check there nothing else to fit and make sure all the seams are filled and sanded properly, then it will get its coat of Dark Green.

So, Clemens, if you have seen the 32nd B-17, you have a good idea on the size of a 32nd 111Z.

Excellent work, Bish! I really have to try building one of those in 32nd scale at some point! You are doing some great magic in that tiny scale!

TREYZX10R

Wow Bish its really coming along nicely!  I'm dreading masking mine even with the precut a/m! Nice catch with the yellow woulda been a real pita to have to come back for a fix on that.

Theuns looking forward to seeing the Vampire get underway!

Vance you've got time and if the intrest is still going strong I would'nt see any reason not to extend the G/B so that started builds would have time to finish up!

I may just get in on this then! (as intended in the first place!  )

Bish!!! Buddy!!! WOW!!! That is a beast of a kit, isn't it!!!

The instructions on the Vamp call for 33 black to be used inside the cockpit, I did however go for a dark grey otherwize it will be a black hole on the inside!

Cockpit detail is OK for the scale, I will just add belts from tape.

Theuns

Thanks. The thing about the masking was that I did everything for one fuselage. Just when that was done and I would normally breath a big si of relief, I realised I had to do the whole thing all over again.

After my mishap with the B-24, I am glad I caught this just in time.

While its drying, I can now make a start on the engines, ground equipment and figures, of which there will be lots.

Wow Bish its really coming along nicely!  I'm dreading masking mine even with the precut a/m! Nice catch with the yellow woulda been a real pita to have to come back for a fix on that.

Theuns looking forward to seeing the Vampire get underway!

Vance you've got time and if the intrest is still going strong I would'nt see any reason not to extend the G/B so that started builds would have time to finish up!

Time for a small update. After getting the wings on, most of this week has been spent filling sanding and masking. Masking all the clear parts took the best part of 2 evenings. On Fri I got the clear parts painted the interior colours, RLM 66 for the cockpit and 02 for the rest. Then today I got the yellow wing tips and wheel bays covered. Just after I took these, it got its blue undersides painted. But only after I remembered to mask the yellow band, I nearly made that mistake again.

After painting I usually leave 2 days before masking. Masking off the blue shouldn't be to bad. But masking the first green before doing the second is going to be another major masking operation. The biggest thing I have had to mask for this scheme so far is a Ju 87.

But all being well, all the painting should be done by the end of the week.