AIRCRAFT - "Prototypes and Paper Projects" Group Build - Still Open.

That sucker is about 3.5-4 inches long. Very tiny!

I have some good news and some bad news. On one hand, I spent about an hour painting the tiny frames around the even tinier windows on of the gondolas- freehand. I about had a heart attack the whole time. The results, though- flawless. That's the good news.

The bad news is that the guns haven't been so nice. I accidentally used the tail gun for the forward gondola gun (not that big of a deal. They're the same gun, different sight.), and ended up breaking both the the guns I need to put in the tail now! Ahh! Oh well. It is fixable. I hope.

That looks like it's coming along nicely, Lucien, what is the size of that little thing ?

As promised, here's a few pictures of the Me 328 parasite:

[image]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/LHprs/Me328-1.jpg[/image]

[image]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/LHprs/Me328-2.jpg[/image]

The two above are shots with the canopy dry fitted. The camera flash made the canopy on the first one look clearer than it really is.

[image]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/LHprs/Me328-3.jpg[/image]

Here is the best interior shot I could get. Not much to see!

I took these pictures before the pitot tube went on, so that's why it's not there.

Last night the parasite got teeth! I was able to get the cockpit of the Me 328 painted enough to allow me to close up the fuselage halves (not the greatest fit in the world, but the worst part's on the bottom. You won't be able to see much of it if I can't get the seam to go away.). The only detail I added there was a rudimentary instrument panel, as there isn't much to see inside anyway.

The outside, on the other hand, is a different story. I added the 20mm cannons to the wings a while ago (actually paper clip ends), and just added a couple smaller paper clips to the fuselage to simulate the 7.92mm MG 17s last night. I have them sticking out possibly a little far, but it really can't be changed now.

Also a stretched-spure pitot tube was added to the tail, something not on the test airframe (the kit offering), but featured on the eventual "production" version. (It never reached operational status, but it was the version between prototype and combat-ready.)

Altogether, the kit looks very different from straight out of the box! I figure I'll paint the exterior of it now, the same way as the eventual Zwilling (70/71 splinter with 65 "scribble", but narrower than the Zwilling's, and black underside), then add the two pulsejets (prepainted) once that's dry.

I'll try and upload some pics of what I've got tonight.

thanks matrix, my plan is to just have the natter sitting on its launch rails and a afrika korps kubelwagen near by maybe a couple guys studying a map. the good thing is it never happen. hope to start soon and have some pics

Dan,

You are right about the size of that Henschel, about as big as a He 162 which is very tiny in 1/72 scale.
Also I think the Henschel is an older Huma kit, looks good but is very basic for the high price of the kit.

ghettochild,
Great looking Natter!
For diorama ideas maybe the guys in the diorama forum could help you, the Natter is such an unusual a/c I can't think of an effective way to use it in a dio.

My group of models are progressing nicely, the Li P13a is ready for paint, the Do 335 fuselage is done, wings are also finished and will be glued on this weekend, the Monogram Me 262 airframe is almost finished, the engine nacelles needed some putty and sanding before I can join them to the wing. For such an old kit it is still good but not nearly as nice as the new Tamiya kit.
Because of working overtime the last two weeks I had no time to do any work on the Tamiya Me 262 or the two Hasegawa Bf 109s.
My next new model might be the new Hasegawa Fw 190A-8 1/32 kit converted to an A-9 using EagleEditions resin parts, I also plan on adding a late war style ''big tail'' from the Revell D-9 kit. No such Fw 190A-9s were actually built, my model will be a pure ''what if'' type. Why do this? Because its fun!


Matrixone

lucien its about 5 in tall, tiny little thing

QUOTE: Originally posted by matrixone Dan, Huma makes a nice 1/72 scale kit of the Henschel, it should still be available from Roll models or Squadron Mail Order. Matrixone

It's a small plane, Matrixone, in 1/72, you would barely see it

But it did give me this idea...http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=34138

Oh, by the way I'll be doing the Henshel 1/35

PS: Ghettochild, I love that Natter.

Ghettochild- The Natter looks excellent! How big is it, again? As for dioramas, I really can't help you, as I've never done one before. I think Swanny's got something on his website, though.

I spent most of yesterday brush painting the myraid of tiny detail parts, and getting all that I could finished. The weather is restricting my ability to airbrush (-1 degree F!), and all I need to finish with the airbrush is the fuselage interiors and bulkheads. Then I can close 'em up.

I put together one of the waist guns, and I can tell you they're little gems. This kit is really a top notch offering, and well worth both the price and the space it takes up! I recommend it (again!) highly!

hello there! all the builds are looking great. finally finished up the natter. now all i have to do is build the base. i plan on do the desert setting so any suggestions will be helpful as this is my first mini diorama.

Still looking for another Luft46, kit but at the moment none of the HS is visit seem to have one.
And I see that even Revell don't make them anymore execpt ofcourse the Ju290.

Things are moving along for me. I just put the order in for the underwing ordinance (and some decals for another GB), two German Missile sets #2 from Condor. I should be getting some paint tomorrow, and will probably send the order for the motors in next week. Stuff's going pretty good over here.

(I've never seen the engines for the Ju 287 V2. I'll have to look into that.)

The Ju287 is progressing steadily. I've spent the last 2 evenings masking up the goldfish bowl canopy, so these will get a coat of future at the weekend to seel the masks before I commence spraying the camo.

The biggest headache with this kit is the engines. Some of the detail is a little soft, and the fit is not great, with the engine halves not matching in width . With 4 of them to deal with I was sorely tempted by the CP-Resin convesrion kit for the Huma Ju287V2, ie the one with clusters of 3 engines under each wing. Maybe next time.

I also managed to snap one of the U/C legs off the wheel fairing while cleaning up the seams . Still inline with Mike, the RATO bottles are together and ready for painting.

I've just taken delivery of some of Gunze's new buffable metalic acrylics, and I'll be using these on the RATO packs.

Karl

Chock it up to one of my duh-isms, but I just realized something- The paint I used in my airbrush, the one I cleaned it for, was not an acrylic- it was enamel!!! Apparently somebody put it on the acrylic shelf by mistake, and I just noticed it now! Bah! Hopefully I got the brush cleaned enough, but we shall see. Worst case I ruined a nozzle and needle set.

The RATO racks are glued to the wing and the RATO bottles are all painted up. Pics as soon as I get the internet back at my house.

Sorry for not posting in a while. I haven't forgotten about anyone here! Just been a bit busy during the holiday season & trying to get my F8F Bearcat done. No progress on the XT-2 but since I just got my S/S F7F Tigercat In Action book today from Evilbay I did discover that I have a 1/72 scale kit of the prototype bird!! It's an old Aoshima kit that I picked up at a LHS for like 500 yen ( about $5). It's labled as a F7F-1 but obviously they didn't do their research very well. Great for me!! It's a VERY basic kit but can be made (me thinks) into a very nice representation of one of the prototype birds. Some toning down of rivet detail & some AM cockpit stuff & decal and, voila! Instant model! Wish!!! Really it was a nice surprise! Can't wait to get started. U guys 'n gals are doing fantastic work! Keep it up & Happy Modelling!! - Calvin

Mike don't you hate kits where you have to attach sticky out bits before painting! The Revell Ar555 is the same. I ended up sticking a large masking tape to the front U/C leg so I didn't snap it off. Worked as well

I know what you mean about cost. Even a small 1/72 Huma kit costs much the same as a Hasegawa kit in 1/48. It's not as if you get a lot in the box either! Still I can't see anyone else, bar perhaps another low volume manufacturer, making any of the subjects in their catalogue. Still mine was an Xmas present, so cost no option!!!!!

Spent last night filling and polishing the seams, then rescribing all the panel lines. I'm quite good at that after the Do217!!!!

Karl

Karl- That Ju 287 looks like it's coming along great. If the kit were a little less pricey, I might want one!

Who am I kidding? I still want one! Good luck with it!

As for me, the Zwilling has legs! Last night I was able to attach the landing gear (painted with my own blend of light olive. Wasn't sure about the actual color, so I just mixed up some as per the kit instructions.). I just have to touch up a few joints with super glue, and then be careful not to break them off while pianting! (You had to attach them before closing the wing up.)

Karl,
Out of all the models I have just started the Do 335B-2 has been the most fun to work on so this model may end up being finished before the others.
That Hasegawa 1/32 scale Bf 109K-4 is a good kit and I might wait and take my time building that one! I will finish the Do 335, Li P13, and the two Me 262s before I do any more work on the Bf 109s, the 1/48 scale Bf 109 G-14 will be finished as an a/c that survived the war and was surrendered to U.S. forces, it will have a ''well worn'' look to it when it is finished.
Not sure which markings I will do on the K-4, I will try and do a K-4 that has not been done too many times by other modelers.
Your Ju 287 is looking very good, a very interesting aircraft. I would like to see Huma do a kit of the planned production version of that a/c.

wooverstone8,
Your Bf 109Z turned out great, hope you get another model for this GB.


Matrixone

Thanks Matrix and KJ2000 for your comments

QUOTE: Your Bf 109Z is looking good, after its done whats your next project going to be?

My next project is just a regular P-51 I started awhile back but never finish. After I finish P-51 I'm going to start another Bf 109 for the Battle of Britain group build.


KJ2000: Your 287 looks like it’s coming together very nicely. Can’t wait to see how it turns out.

As for progress I’ve finally finished my 109Z and is now posted in the Aircraft section.

Matrix I look forward to seeing all of those builds, the 1/32 109 especially!

Wooverstone Your Z looks great, Iove the winter camo.

I've done some more on the 287, see pics below:







I've added some detail to the cockpit, but won't be adding seats, control column and rudder pedals until I've sorted out all the seams.

The wheels and engines are only a temporary fitment while I worked out how much weight to add to the forward compartmentto stop bird tail sitting.

Karl

wooverstone8,
Your Bf 109Z is looking good, after its done whats your next project going to be?

Lucien,
If you are getting spatters when trying to spray lines or mottles you might need to thin your paints more.
When I paint small mottled or scribble camouflage patterns I always have had success when I thin my paint more than usual and use low air pressure.

My models are turning out very well so far, the Tamiya Do 335B-2 is a great kit and I am spending more time than usual painting the cockpit area, with the amount of detail included in this kit it would be a shame not to do so.
The Monogram Me 262 cockpit is painted and finished and I just finished painting the instrument panel on a Tamiya Me 262 A1a.
The Lippisch P-13 cockpit is painted and the airframe is nearly finished, there was a couple sink marks on the framework of the take off dolly that needed filling but that is the only problem with this kit so far.
My two Bf 109s I started (1/48 scale G-14 and 1/32 scale K-4) are going very well cockpits, spinners, prop blades, and wheels are painted. These Hasegawa kits are very good and most parts that I had the chance to dry fit so far have been a good clean fit.

Matrixone

Mike good to see things are progressing.

I get that spatter thing with my Omni 4000 when spraying mirror wave type patterns. I've just received my new Pasche R75 air reg from Hobbylinc.com in the US,and I'm, hoping that a little playing with the paint mix and and air pressure should put a stop to the splatter.

As for the Ju287, it was a real bitsa plane. The tail was from a 388, while the main wheels came from a Ju52, with the rest as you mentioned. So far the fuselage is together, as are the wings and the very fine undercarriage. I'm trying to work out how much weight is required to stop this bird tail sitting before I pass judgement on the strength of the under cart!

Karl

Hey, everybody! I'm back. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year and all that. After a very nice winter vacation, it's back to business.

Karl- I've never seen that picture of the Ju 287 before. You can really tell where it came from (He 177 fuselage, Ju 188 or 388 tail, can't remember which, and, though you can't see it, captured B-24 Liberator main wheels for landing gear. Try and kitbash that). One word of warning- I hear the kit's landing gear is realisically thin. Unfortunatly, that means it's very weak. Just something I've heard, and thought I'd let you know.

I was able to pick up some paint at Hobby Lobby (some generic ones- leather, aluminum, gloss black...), and fired up the airbrush for the first time to get the base coat of aluminum to the inside. (The cockpit and gunner areas are going to be masked and sprayed RLM 66 later.) The only problem I see is some unsightly spatters when I try to paint lines. It doesn't become a problem when I just do flat areas of color (like now), but I need to get it fixed by the time I do the 65 'wave mirror' pattern on the outside.

Other stuff has hit the paintshop, too. All four armor-plated pilot and co-pilot seats are finished, and as soon as I can run down to Ohio (from Michigan) to pick up some RLM 66 almost 98% of the interior will be finished. I can get the fuselages closed up, in any case.

I'm happy to say money is no longer a problem. Knock on wood, this bird (s?) should be finised at most in two months.

Hi all

Here’s a picture of my almost completed model.

The only thing I have to do is add the decals—then the weathering and I’m done.

Matrixone, I thought about the Horst Lemmel book when I received this kit, but at $80 in the UK I'm not sure it's worth springing for at the moment.

The kit itself is pretty complete, and I was able to detail the cockpit based upon interior pictures of an He177, and some shots of the 287 that I found online. The big question is around camo, as the kit states an all over RLM71, whereas photos distinctly show a darker green, probably 70, with patches of a pale colour, almost certainly 02 on the engine nacelles and tail fin. Looks like I'll be doing some work with Photoshop to come up with a definitive picture of the camo.

Karl

Karl,

There is a new book about the Ju 287 that may be of interest to you, titled ''Junkers Ju 287'' by Horst Lommel. This is by far the best book ever on this a/c, not only is everything possible covered about the Ju 287 but other type of a/c are covered such as the DFS 346, Ho XIII, DM 1, Lippisch P13, Me P1101, Ju 322, and others.
Russian testing of the Ju 287 is very well covered and some new pictures I have not seen before are included.
Many new books I buy are repeats of books I already have with the same pictures and same stories re-told again, not this book on the Ju 287! There is even a Chapter about models of the Ju 287, mostly dealing with the Huma kit.

Matrixone

......and speaking of Huma, Here's my latest entry to this GB.

Huma's 1/72 ju287, and just in case your not familiar with this bird, here's a photo;



.......and no the wings are not on backwards!

It was a development machine built to test forward swept wing configurations, and the best placement of jet engines. It flew on numerous occasions over a 2 year period before it was captured by the Russians, and shipped off to Moscow for further testing.

I'm currently detailing the cockpit with framing, cabling and a few bits of PE, and should start painting today.

And no I haven't forgotten that I still have to finish the Ta183!

Karl

Dan,

Huma makes a nice 1/72 scale kit of the Henschel, it should still be available from Roll models or Squadron Mail Order.

Matrixone

Hey guys, I'm here again.

Do you know this little plane...



It's the Henschel Hs132, or it would have been, if it had ever reached production faze.
As far as I know, there is no kit available for it, but I'm playing with the idea of scratch-building it ; now that would be my first scratch-build-project.

Hm. Good point made about the A-10 / Luft '46 project. You think the designers (of the A-10) were history buffs? Makes ya think...

I hooked the regulator up to the compressor and airbrush to give it a "dry" (I used water) run. The verdict- encouraging. I can't wait until I get some paint through that thing! (Until I have to clean it, that is.)