100th Anniversary of WWI GB

Thanks 65.  Nice work on that engine.

Engine and cowl has been re-masked

Base coat, tape, and the lighter overspray.

Now I get to do it all over again for the top of the wings. (Oh yeah... yippie)

Oh, yes, Marc, British bipes of the period, eh? I did the same procedure for the DH.2...very time consuming, but, the results are worth it for sure.

Hi All,

I have been away from this GB for a few weeks now while I have been waiting on some parts to arrive from the Wingnut guys.  Well, those parts arrived today, so hopefully I will have my Eindecker build back on track soon.  Given how much great work has been put up in my absence, it would take the better part of the evening to comment on everything I have missed in detail, so I hope you will all forgive my blanket statement of "holy cr*ap, there is some fantastic stuff on display here!"  Honestly... truly... I am blown away by the work you folks have been putting up; not a clunker in the bunch.  

While waiting for my shipment, I did manage to bang out the lovely Taurus resin Oberursel engine:

I followed the detailed instructions found on Taurus' website pretty much to the letter.   I used Mr. Metal Color Stainless Steel, Iron, and Brass, as well Tamiya Smoke, AK Engine Oil and Gunze Off White (for the spark plug bodies).  The bakelite plate in the rear of the engine has a mix of Tamiya Red & Hull Red, and I used a little thinned Tamiya Clear Blue and MIG Black Smoke pigment and a to simulate the burnt oil and discoloration on the outer surfaces of the cylinders.  

My meager abilities don't do this kit justice, as it is really quite amazing.  The level of detail is unbelievable.  That said, the patience and finesse required to assemble it tested the limits of my ability.  I am very glad to be able to include it in my build, but I would not be eager to to build another for a little while!  That said, I can't speak more highly of Lukasz and his products, I would highly recommend this kit to anyone with an appetite for detail work. 

That's all I have for now; hopefully more to come soon.  Once again, congratulations to all those who have been sharing their work.  Really inspiring stuff!

Blue

Holy wha!! Wicked engine Blue..you are freakin' me out with that engine!! Way to go!!

LOL, thanks Rob.  The detail in that kit is unbelievable.

Nice engine Blue!

Marc is that the final finish or do you paint over it.( I've never built any type of aircraft.)

Checkin' in to see what you fellas have been up too - man, first rate stuff!! 

Blue - the detail on that engine is insane!  I thought the kit engine was nice, but wow, that thing takes it up more than a few notches.  Nicely done!

65ss - nice to see more armor on here,  and it looks awesome!  Love what I see so far!

Marc - really liking how the 'Tate is progressing.  Just incredible paint work and attention to detail (those struts are killer man!).

The missus and I have had a lot on our plates lately, so not a whole lot of progress on the Roland, but with Thanksgiving long weekend upon us here, I hope to get in some bench time and produce something pic-worthy. Fingers crossed.

Right on Mike...I am going to Toronto for the weekend, so, no building for me over the holiday.

Thanks guys. Glad your liking it so far.

Yes Rob, tedious to say the least.  But cool when you peel it all off and see it all come together.  And I remember your DH2 quite well and it is a fond memory.

Blue, that engine is simply exquisite.  I went to the site and saw other resin upgrades I will be using on my next Albatros.

Dale, that's pretty much it as is.  I may just go over it with a light filter... some buff with about 90% thinner... to just kinda pull it all together and may is a bit less harsh.

Mike, please do get some bench time soon.  Always like seeing your work.

Thanks guys.

Marc, you will be very happy with any of the Taurus products, they are absolutely of the highest quality.  Additionally, I have nothing but good things to say about the founder, Lucksz.  Great guy, and customer service to match the quality of his products.

Happy Thanksgiving, Mike (and any other Canadians reading this.)

Blu

OK fellas, got a bit of time in at the bench, enough to finish up a few assemblies worthy of some pics.  The 'pit is finished as well as the inner walls of both fuselage halves.  Gotta thank Marc for his excellent tutorial for weathering with the hairspray technique.  Tried it on the fuel tank and have to say it looks pretty good for a first attempt.  Everything is OOB so far except for the RB production belts & buckles and some scratchbuilt control levers on the IP.

Blu I am looking forward to trying them out.

Mike...My toot helped you make the tank look like THAT?  That really looks smoking"  I really like the effect you've achieved on the interior of the fuselage.  Wouldn't mind and SBS on that.

Got most of the painting finished.  I spilled some alcohol and had to touch up some big spot on the upper wing.  A little touch up to do on the underside.

The 9   steps involved:

1-Lightened base coat

2-Tape... lots of freakin' tape

3-Straight wing color, 2 Light coats

4-Lightened base- uneven fading between the ribs

5-Buff filter thinned about 90-95%

6-Darkened wing color- paper held at each rib for shadow on one side. Went around edges of fuselage and did some streaking then too.

7-Straight or lightened wing color touching up as needed to even things up

8-Filter again to tone it down and pull it together.

9-Pull all that tape and get that first gander

Peter Jackson, himself, would be proud of what you guys are doing with his products!! Well done Gents!!

Mike Wow is about all I got! The pit looks great!

Marc That finish is really cool!

Mike and Marc:  Your builds are looking fantastic.  Well done.

Blue

To all you guys and your fantastic flyin' machines,      = 

Had to get this thread off page 2.

So... all the decals are done, sealed and flat coated then a final dusty filter to tone the decals down a bit.  Just a little fading for the roundels and that will be that about that.  In the bottom pic the wing is just placed on top without any struts so it looks weird but you get the idea.

Awesome work everyone! I've had some catching up to do due to a family emergency, but rest assured I'm gonna keep tabs on this GB!

Looks great Marc...say, what's a 'dusty filter'??

Hey rocker hope what ever it is isn't too serious and works itself out for you

Thanks Rob.  The filter is several coats of very diluted paint, about95% thinner. It builds up a little hazy color that can be left as is or used a the start to some fading.  I used buff since it gives a "dusty"look.

Perfect, Marc, thanks!

The decals look fantastic, Marc!  I really like the scheme you've chosen.  

I finally have a bit of progress to share after basically being on hold for a month (Taurus engine aside.)  As a reminder, the seam along the top of the fuselage had re-appeared after I had finished painting, applying decals and weathering, and I nervously decided to repair it.  I sent for some replacement decals (which took 3-4 weeks to make their way to me), and set about covering up the seam with a combination of clear coats and paint (on the gray-green section around the fuel cap), and putty and primer (on the section which would be covered by the new decal).   

Well, I finally finished the repair:

Despite being somewhat nerve wracking to strip down a section of completely finished model, and a couple of bumps along the way, the repair turned out fine, and I'm glad I decided to attempt it.  I did wind up damaging the blue decal along the upper edge of the starboard side (the photo above), which I touched up with a careful spray of Tamiya XF-18, Medium Blue.  Its not a perfect match for the Bavarian blue of the fuselage stripe, but its close, and looks like a smokier version of the correct color.  It blends in fine with with the overall weathering.

Additionally, I have attached the wings, and after the glue dries over night, I will start to build and rig the undercarriage.  Really not too much left prior to the massive rigging job that awaits me.

Blue

I have been following along guys, just after a while, its hard to know what to say. The builds are just what I think many of us have come to expect, totally stunning. Blue, great job on repairing the seam.

marc, that's a nice marking choice, I like the white zig zag's along the fuselage.

Looks fantastic Blue. As for that rigging job, it's actually quite a fun one!! I normally dread rigging bipes, but, that monoplane rigs just fine (especially if you are using ez line and turnbuckles).

Thanks Bish.

Blue that really looks great. If you had not said anything about the repair I don't think I would have noticed.  It will look sweet all rigged up.

Thanks for the positive comments guys; they are lways appreciated.

It was good to get some forward momentum on this build, and I am excited to bring it to the end.  I am certainly hoping you are right about the rigging, Rob!  

I hope to have some more progress to share over the next few days.

Blue

Marc - the 'Tate is lookin' mighty sweet!  Looking forward to seeing it all rigged up. 

Blue - Rob's right on about the rigging for the Eindecker.  A little planning ahead made the job a snap and nowhere near as daunting as it appeared.  Great work so far! 

You guys are putting out way too much fantastic work for me to reply to each post individually without running out of superlatives after the 2nd or 3rd one... Let me just say everything in this GB is a truly inspiring work of art!

Marc, can't say enough, other than you are the 'Master'...can you elude on how you get your lettering on the tires so perfect?