Reich Defenders V: Hunters of the Dark

Thanks panzer. I am the same when it comes to masking. I can't recall why i didn't get them for these, but i am glad i did now.

I have decided to go for the overall blue. But i must stress thats not normal for the 219. This is a pre production aircraft.

That Museum He 219 is not in not over here, its belongs to the Smithsonian and is on display at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles airport. Its the only 219 on display anywhere in the world, though one was found in the sea off Denmark a few years back and is being restored.

The offical colours for 219's was over all RLM 76 with RLM 75 mottling. On a few occasions they had black undersides. I have never read of them useing 84, but i guess nothing is impossable.

Looking good, Bish.

What would we ever do without Eduard Mask? For me, it's practically a necessity and I chicken out when it comes to homemade masking.

I may have missed it, but what scheme are you going for? I found pics of the last 219, from a museum over on your side of the pond. It looks like it has that elusive late war RLM 84 on it. I've been trying to isolate that color and have come up with a lot of options. It seems to be a various of duck egg green, with a slight khaki tone.

http://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=489

I got all the construction finished tonight so my 219 is now ready for painting. For some reason i neglected geting an Eduard mask. So i did it with masking tape but was not to confidant in the result. So i ordered an Eduard set Wed and it arrived today. Once that was done, i got the antenna's added and she was ready.

I filled the groove for the ladder with some strip styrene.

And i really like the look of this aircraf from head on. There isjust somthing about the shapeof that canopy.

As soon as i took this, it was off to the spray booth for a coat of RLM 66 on the canopy. Tomorrow it should be ready for primer and then paint.

Thanks Mike.

Just a quick update. Got the cockpit fitted and the fuselage and wings all attached. Still have a littlebit of sanding to do and a few small bits to add before priming.

I also got the 2 crew painted and fitted. I used the shoulder parts of the PE belts. they look a bit big here but they are not quite as bad in the flesh, though i thnik the figures are a little on the small side.

One slight problem with the kit is this grove on the lef under the pit.

This is were the access ladder folds up into. Its a really nice idea by Dragon, but it would have been nicer if they had actually included the ladder. So i either have to scratchbuld one or put some styrene in here for a closed ladder. In this kit, i am going for the latter.

Thats all for now, should have the primer on in a day or two.

We were probably looking at the same site, but I couldn't tell you which one it was.  

I'm making slow progress.  I added some soot for the guns and some exhaust streaking.  With any luck I'll be finished by the end of the month.

Looks like you're off to a great start Bish!  The PE really makes the cockpit pop.  Looking at the photos you have there and the other sources I wouldn't worry about trying to do any mottling.  I don't see anything in the pictures.  If it really is there and is too light to see in the photos, would you still be able to see it in 1/72?  Of course, I might just be saying that to help keep you from ripping your hair out trying to paint it that small .

I was able to assemble and paint the landing gear.  I gave them a light wash and drybrushing to help bring out the details.

I also finished the exhaust shrouds.  I stole a technique I saw online somewhere when I was doing my research.  I painted them with Model Master acrylic rust to start.  Then I scribbled on some sandpaper with a pencil and rubbed my finger in the pile of graphite dust then smeared it on the shroud.

I attached them all to the plane and added the props.  Here's how she sits now, hopefully I'll be able to get this finished within a week (if life stops getting in the way).

I guess its about time i dived in here. I started my build last Thurs and this is my progress up to Monday night. have done a little more since then but will add that in my next update.

So, for this i am doing the Dragon 72nd he 219A-0 V9. I have all the Dragon 219 kits in the stash, but have not built any of this tyoe before and decided to start at the begining. I am building the aircrfat flwn by Werner Streib on the night of 11/12 June 1943 when he shot down 5 lancatsers in one sortie.

Of course, i started with the pit. But most of the detail tehre is pre coloured PE, so i painted it before adding anything. Blackprimer follwed by Xtracolour RLM 66.

Undercarrage was also assemebeled, quite a bit of PE in this, and then painted.

Next up for the pit, the PE and some dtailed painting. Also did somelight weathering by useing a dry brush and flory black wash.

And the undercarrage also got the same, still need to clean the wash up here.

Now,i have a bit of a problem and i want to see what you guys think. The Dragon instructions call for over all RLM 76 with no mottling. A colour plate in an Osprey book supports this. But two others in different books show very light mottling. One of these books is the Kagero Monograph 49. But in the same book it has some pics of the aircrfat after in crashed returning from that sortie. To me,it looks like tehr eis no mottling. But i just wanted to see what you guys think.

From looking at tehse, i can only conclude that the mottling is so light it does not show on B&W pics and so Dragon and Osprey have assumed there isn't any.Or Kagero and otehr sources have assumed that seeing as other 219's had motling this must have had but its very light.

Would live to hear what you guys think.

Thats all for now.

Well, that was a longer break between updates than I would have liked.  Between a sinus infection and getting things ready to start teaching again my time at the bench was pretty limited.  I got the decals on, which didn't take too long as there aren't that many markings.  It took me a little while, but I finally finished the panel line wash.  I used acrylic craft paints, and combined burnt umber with black.

Next is the landing gear and then the fiddly bits.  I seem to have accidentally thrown my B sprue away which had a couple of small antennae on it, but I don't think it will be too hard to scratchbuild a couple of replacements.

Thanks Mike, i will be able to start in a couple of weeks.

Thanks guys.  I'll take your advice Mike and sleep on it. We'll see how I think it looks in the morning.  Will be good to see you back here Bish

Mike, i am going to be a real pain in the butt here. Could you put me back on the roster. I have been able to get on really well with my other GB's, i really wnated to get in on this and now i will be able to. I'd like to jump in with a Dragon 1/72nd He 219A-0. I have been itching to add one of these to the built collection and now i finally can.

Thanks.

Bob -- I can understand your frustration chasing a scheme in circles as you have to fix one problem after another, I've encountered it myself on occasion and it's the pits. The finish you've developed here may not b eperfect t oyour eye but, wherever the problems are, they are gidden safely amongst the complexity of the pattern. If I were you, I would not feel obliged to pursue the paintwork any further, unless after sleeping on it you feel you can make any further progress, such as the freehand method bvallot suggests. To my eye, it looks pretty darn good as it stands, and, under a clearcoat to help draw the scheme together, it should be impressive as it stands.

Cheers, M/TB379

I know I haven't been in here much, but I may have a solution for you Silentbob.  =] Come back with the original color that's underneath your camo and thin it down considerably.  When you back off the pressure for your airbrush, you can get in real close and work the edges down slightly a little bit at a time. It will no doubt be quite tedious, but not impossible.  Just don't feel rushed.

With that said...I've been watching along in my emails all the posts that have been going on since the beginning of the GB and it's been real nice seeing all of your builds. I learn a little something new with each one.  =]

This has been the most frustrating paint job I've ever done.  I'd spray, have some type of problem, try something else only to run into another problem.  I finally went back to my original idea of using the paper masks and not caring too much about getting soft edges to the camo.  It isn't perfect and may not be too accurate, but it's as good as I'm going to get it.  There are a few mistakes, but you'll only see them if you get real close and know where to look.  I'm going to let the paint dry and tomorrow I'll shoot a glosscoat on it and start getting ready for decals.

Well, I was able to shoot the RLM 76 Lichtblau and it looked great.  I spent some time cutting masks for the camo out of a full-size sheet Tamiya included in the box to make all those splotches look good.  I started spraying the 75 Grauviolett on the wing, left side of the cockpit and vertical stabilizer, only to realize I have some major overspray and coverage issues that were not repairable.  So I'm going to respray the 75 and try a different way to mask the camo pattern.  If that doesn't work I think I may switch schemes to an overall 75 top with squiggles in 76.  I'll let you know after I get a chance to paint it again this weekend.  Argh.

Thanks guys!  I know I've been quiet for awhile, but things are moving along.  I preshaded all the panel lines, and then looked for my cockpit masks to start painting only to realize I never ordered them.  So I had to wait for them to show up.  Then I realized I somehow lost the spring for my airbrush, so I had to wait for a replacement.  I was able to get the RLM 76 sprayed down as a base coat once I had everything.  I spent yesterday and today cutting out stencils for the camo from the large reference sheet Tamiya included in the box.  I'm hoping to have the painting finished by the end of the week.

Nice work Bob!! When the paint goes on it starts to take on it's own personality!! Then when the decals go on itm has identity! :)