75th Anniversary of 1944 Group Build (World at War)

Alright, I'm finally no longer "TBA," having decided on THIS for my entry:

 

Tamiya 1/35 scale M8 Greyhound

Nice that it served with the DEA. :)

Nope - I never flew in the Cub - not sure I'd have fit in it, very small. He rented it to the DEA working in the lower Mississippi Delta near New Orleans (the plane had floats) - it had such a low stall speed that they could fly very slowly and look for small traces of bad guys. DEA couldn't get the funds to buy the plane. That was okay - it was painted yellow with a red stripe - sort of 1950s classic Cub - and he sold it a fat profit a couple of years later.

Thanks, EB! Did you get to fly the real deal before your brother sold it? :)

Check: No problem, and thank you! 

Nice-looking plane, Eric.  Certainly has sleek line.  It'll be instructive watching the painting and weathering!

Great job, KJV!  Quite an eye-catcher with the invasion stripes.  I'll pick a photo that shows them off to good advantage.  And the tile looks like it might be sitting in a sandy environment--maybe the invasion beach?

Thanks for taking part in the GB.  It was a pleasure having your involvement!

Very cute Cub. I helped my brother repaint one that he restored and almost died of the fumes. Bro made good money on that deal. Almost the perfect plane for its time - almost a pity they aren't still in production - more air worthy than one of these powered hang gliders.

The Ki-61 was based on the engine and plans for the BF-109E. Instead of simply copying the 109 the Japanese completed work on their own airframe. The plane was deployed in late 42 but was always hampered by it's dicey build quality, especially of the engine. The IJAAF wanted to build a much more powerful version (the Ki-61-II) but it was a design debacle. Ironically the best of the breed were a small number of Ki-61s that were fitted with a functional radial engine and redesignated the Ki-100. BTW: Japan's obsession with build quality in all things after WWII was very much a "lesson learned" from being taught the problems of a second rate manufacturing base during WWII: in 1945 Oscars were fighting Mustangs - ouch.

Speaking of Japanese quality, I've finished the basic assembly of the Tamiya Ki-61-Id. If anyone doubts the superiority of Tamiya in the plastic modeling world, they have to build this kit. It's not simple - the part count is too high. But the fit is simply excellent. You install the cockpit by pushing it up through the bottom of the fuselage: sounds like trouble but "click" and it's in perfectly. The entire wing assembly is one piece and it is also kind of maneuvered into the right angle for - another click and zero gaps anywhere. I've only used a tiny bit of filler on one small error on the wing, and a couple of really small seams underneath. I think I'll be able to have a very clean model to apply NMF on.

Assembled by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

Obviously there are some pieces missing - not sure what I'll leave off during priming and painting. Also, as this is the first crack at Vallejo's newish Metal Color paints, I'm going to be assaulting a paint mule (get this - an ancient 1/72 model of the A7M - a neat plane not modeled today at all) with primers, clear coats and the paints. I don't want a bright and shinny fighter - I doubt those existed in WWII. So figuring out how to paint and weather this project will take some time.

Eric

 

So, I’ve decided to not give the Piper a display base for right now. However, here are the photos I’ll have be my finish-line pictures for this GB. (A piece of tile was my photo shoot base.)

Thank you for entering me into this GB, check; and here is my Smer 1/48 Piper L4 Cub! You can choose whichever picture you prefer for the completed model photos list.

But first,

...and model:

 

 

Yeah, that's a great photo showing the ship to major advantage.  I'll swap out the front page.

Thanks, Nuckss, for taking part in the build.  

Hi Guys,

Here is a better photo of my final Trumpeter 1/700 HMCS Huron as she was in 1944.

Cheers,

Nuckss

Looking good, Scott.  I use coffee cups filled with water to weight down flightdecks while the glue dries.  

I've had Iowa unmasked for a while.  It's the touch-up-by-hand-with-a-paint-brush that's taking so long.

However, I think I finished yesterday, and will apply a clear coat of semi-matte as soon as I get some time freed up

Hi Check,

I cannot wait to see your Iowa with all the masks off it.  I do admire your 1/700 work.  My 5N seemed to went on thick and uneven.  I thought I had the ratio correct.  Coulorcoats are a fine paint, but like other fine brands, seem to be finiky with the type of thinner or reducer and the ratio to use.  I think much of my problem is humidity.  It has been over 80% at night.

I did manage to get the flighdeck secured.  Now to start the detailing.

Strictly speaking acrylic/lacquer and lacquer paints are not (necessarily) the same. They are both solvent based - but a true lacquer may have a different solvent than an acrylic lacquer. The best example of acrylic lacquer is regular Tamiya. Check on the bottle - it's flammable and poisonous - sure sign of a solvent base. However Tamiya is just now bringing in a line of "lacquer" paints. These could have a more aggressive solvent of the kind you'd run into with Alclad. Lacquers have a big advantage - they slightly bond to the plastic which makes them extremely durable. (Metallic paints are different birds because of their odd pigments - no metallic paint can be masked roughly without paint loss. You must get some sticky off the tape and apply it very carefully and remove it slowly. That might work, but metallics are their own world.) I haven't received any of the AK Real Color paints yet, so I don't know if they will be closer to standard Tamiya (pretty easy on the odor) or Alclad (very pungent stuff). On almost all aircraft I use a rattlecan of Duplicolor 1698 Black Hot Rod lacquer primer - and I do it outside. It's sandable and covers scratches like no other - it's great stuff. However, it's not gloss so I won't be using it on the Natural Metal Finish I intend here - although I probably could. This stuff means nothing to some people, a lot to others like yours truly - I will never use an enamel product and acrylic lacquers only very rarely. Luckily good water based acrylics are available and have advantages beyond not having any odor. BTW: I do not consider any modeling paint unsafe - unless you drink it. Eric

I've added your Tony to the build roster, Eric.

Sleek looking craft!  

Great job on the cockpit.

Thanks for the information about AK paint.  I hadn't known about acrylic lacquer paint.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As threatened I'm building the new Tamiya 1/48 Ki-61d. This is a 1944 rendition of the Tony with twin canon - one of the few planes that had some success against B-29s (until Mustangs started flying from Iwo anyway). It's new Tamiya - Tamiya makes the world's best models - I like it. It's not a simple build though and I've found you have to watch what you're doing and not expect everything to build itself. (Andy at Andy's Hobby Shop on YouTube got his mits on the spanking new Tamiya 1/48 P-38F/G: he says he often wouldn't need glue. About time someone made a good P-38 - a real challenge for a model maker.)

 

This proves that I bought the kit - doubt that's needed although I've been on GBs that required it.

 

kit by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

 

I've spent a week or so building the cockpit - it wouldn't take that long but there's a lot of small parts and a lot of painting to do. Should note that I obsessed over the interior color and leaned on uber-meister Japanese color guru Nick Millman who runs the terrific web site "Aviation of Japan." Tamiya calls for an interior of "Desert Yellow" - Millman say that's out. He forwarded color chips of the three candidates (all would have been used in 1944). One looks a lot like Olive Drab. A second is kind of a dark green/yellow: I'm sure this was the color Tamiya hinted at. I had what Millman thought was a perfect match - Vallejo Dark Yellow: okay, but it's a dorky color. The third choice is a kind of light green gray with just a hint of blue. Nick was an adviser to the AK Real Color project and claims their paint Hairyokushoku (Grey-Green) Real Color RC238 is "spot on." (Look up this color or any of the other AK Real Color line on Scale Hobbyist - the best online site in the US. The colors are very good) The problem is that AK Real Color are lacquers and I don't use lacquers. However I was able to use the online color samples as a guide to my brew. I used Vallejo's rendition (they call it Interior Grey Green) and cut it with Vallejo Model Color Green Gray (much darker and less blue/green) and some Golden High Flow White. My brew will do just nicely, and I do like the color.

 

Interiors bore me: this pic is the done deal (minus a wash) under strong light.

 

cockpit by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

 

I took another couple of pics under a lesser but cool light and got a much better rendition of the color - although not perfect. I'll do better when the kit nears completion. The other pic shows the interior color sprayed onto the fuselage halves:

 

cockpit2 by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

 

color by Eric Bergerud, on Flickr

 

More later

 

Eric

 

 

 

scottrc

Speaking from experience about aircraft carriers, they are the most challenging in this scale. Many small caliber guns, multiple radars, and all the details to put on the planes.

 

Good point!

Est.1961

Thanks Guys, I've traditionally been an oob modeler. Seeing the effort and results of members on this Forum has been an inspiration to try different methods and I did enjoy the PE that comes with this kit.

Joe

 

No problem, Joe! It is good to expand one’s skills!  

Thank you, check!

 

 

Good looking effect with the prop, KJV.  Glad to hear the tailskid is working out, too.

Joe:  That is indeed a great look to the engine.  Nicely done, along with the cockpit.

Thanks Guys, I've traditionally been an oob modeler. Seeing the effort and results of members on this Forum has been an inspiration to try different methods and I did enjoy the PE that comes with this kit.

Joe

Hello again, everybody!

So, the gear is now back on (thank goodness for super glue); and I’ve prepared the prop and tail supports.

For the tail supports, I got K&S .025 Music Wire from HL. Some cutting later, I have two pieces (around 2cm each) for the tail supports. I painted them OD.

The prop I had painted Testors Flat Brown in the past; however I have only recently worked more on it. I used Testors Flat Rust to give it ”grain”. I also put clear gloss on it.

Est.1961 - Good engine!

  Tal Afar Dave!

Great, Dave.  Glad to have you join the GB.  I've added your Lanc to the build roster.

That's a great choice.  Looks like a pretty thoroughly equipped kit.  I'll be very interested in seeing things come together.  It's been a while since I built a four-engine bomber, and the Lancaster is a good-looking aircraft.

Nice work on the cockpit, est.  Great level of detail.  Good job!

Made a start over a couple of weekends on the Finnish Brewster buffalo. Special Hobby include a PE set and a small resin peace for the engine. Instructions can be a bit vague regarding placement, coming together nicely but will have to use a little filler here and there. Overall a nice kit.

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Hi there, Checkmate, I haven't been in a group build in quite some time and would love to join your build with an Airfix 1/72nd scale Avro Lancaster B.II. I will most likely finish it OOB to include kit decals, unless I find something else to dress it up with. Many thanks, TAD

Thanks, check! I didn’t think one of the stripes decals would fit nicely between the supports under the wing; so, I trimmed all the wing-bound invasion stripes decals.

Congrats on getting through the masking of the Iowa, too! :)

Very nice results, KJV.  Invasion stripes are kind of tricky.  You got them down admirably.

Great shade of OD.  Everything looks smooth and neat.  Good work!

scottrc

 checkmateking02

Excellent work, Scott.  She was one of the shorter hull Essex class?

Love the colors!  Maybe I've asked before, but what paint do you use?

Yes, the Lex was the first run of short hulls. for paint on this build, I have been using WEM Colorcoats enamels.   

 

Ok! Decaling done for now. The first decal got messed up and then disappeared; but, all the other ones needed have been applied. 

There is, though, more to do even yet.

First photo is clearly not the MOST recent one; the landing gear is still off...

checkmateking02

Excellent work, Scott.  She was one of the shorter hull Essex class?

Love the colors!  Maybe I've asked before, but what paint do you use?

 

Yes, the Lex was the first run of short hulls. for paint on this build, I have been using WEM Colorcoats enamels.   

I hope it works out well.  I've often had difficulties with that type of landing gear.