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

Karl,

Really nice job on your Arado!
Of all the Luft 46 bombers the Arado 555 is the coolest looking design the Germans came up with.
It would be great if Revell of Germany would produce a kit of the Ju 287 A-1.

BTW, is that Kubelwagon the Tamiya kit? Whatever kit it is made from it looks great also.

Matrixone

matrixone:
i think i'll have 2 have the canopy closed...
the clear part is very thickly molded, so i don't want
2 show the edge at all. looks like PM Models didn't
make any improvements between the day fighter &
this one... doesn't mean we can't, tho' !
can't wait 2 see that FW190 !

norite:
i actually did use thin strips of masking tape 4 the
seat harnesses, w/ a dab of dimensional fabric
paint 4 the buckles... i thought they came out
pretty well 4 the first time trying, glad u like 'em !

KJ200:
thanx 4 sharing the pix of ur Ar555, it is a fantastic looking
build of a fantastic looking plane. nice work in 1/72...
now i want one myself... except i get the feeling it's
a lot bigger than the Ho 229 !
how's the DFS coming ?

Lucien:
re: R/C flying, someone once said "it's not IF u crash, it's WHEN u crash..."
hope ur having a good time wherever u may b,
hope u find the kit(s) u need 4 ur build
& good luck figuring out ur circuitry dilemma...
i'm sure u r busy working out schematics even now...NOT !

thanx 4 checking out my work., folks ...

frosty

frosty,

Instead of using the kit canopy on your Ho 229 have you considered making your own canopy by heating a clear plastic sheet and draping the heated clear sheet over the stock canopy until it cools enough to retain the desired form?
This way you will still have the option of having the canopy open so all the extra detailing you did can still be seen after the model is finished.
I looked at my kit of the Ho 229 V7 nightfighter and there is some improvement in the quality of the parts over the day fighter version, the intakes on the engines are more rounded and the canopy is much better. I think the day fighter version was one of the first kits produced by PM, they have improved some of their kits since that time.
The worst kit I ever built was the Ta 154 made by PM, avoid that one for sure!

The late war Fw 190 D prototype and Do 335 are turning out just fine so far, but the Fw 190 is an ex-Dragon mold so there are some slight fit problems at times. Dry fitting is a must.

Matrixone

Matrixone & Frosty thanks for your comments.

Frosty the Ar isn't too big in 1/72, as the base it's sitting on is only a foot square, which gives you some idea.

Matrixone, the Kubelwage is Academy's in 1/72, it's only about an inch long!!!!

Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures later this weekend, as the fusalage halves are together, I just need to clean up the joints. Then it's on with the wings, which I've dry fitted, so I know know filler is required.

Must say, I'm quite surprised at the fit on this little PM kit. I'ts gone together really well.

Karl

As promised, some progress pics.

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v351/KT200/DFS1942.jpg

http://img78.photobucket.com/albums/v351/KT200/DFS1947.jpg

The seams still need a little work, and some rescribing is required as well.

The squares on the cutting mat are 1 inch, which gives some impression of how small this kit is.

All the parts left to fit are shown in the picture!!!!! So, at the rate at which I work, that's about another 2 months work.

Frosty, Huma make a Ju287 in 1/72. This is a nice kit but quite expensive. There's a review on www.modelingmadness.com, which shows how little you get in the box!

Karl

Karl,

Your DFS is looking good!
These kits that PM produces are sometimes rather basic but at least PM has interesting subjects that the mainstream kit makers will probably never produce. I have a few kits produced by PM and if they do another production run of the Ta 183 I will buy several more of them since they are low priced and with some putty work and sanding they look good when finished.
Below is a pic of a PM Ta 183 in front of my new hanger.

My plan is to have several of the PM 1/72 scale Ta 183s in the background or inside the hanger while the larger better detailed Amtech Ta 183 will be placed nearest the camera for some of my new pictures.

I don't have any good pictures of the Academy 1/72 scale Kubelwagon left, they were all deleted. Below on the extreme left hand side of the picture is a blurry picture of my Kublwagon from the Academy kit, the one that is in focus is the Tamiya 1/48 scale kit.

When my new planes for the group build are done I will have a couple pics taken that will include the Academy Kubelwagon.

Matrixone

Matrixone, I know what you mean about the PM kits.

What is the Ta183 like? I've been looking at building one for a while, but don't fancy the Dragon kit due to the fit problems you always seem to get with kits from this manufacturer.

Karl

Karl,

The Ta 183 kit produced by PM is very good value for the money, next time I have a chance to buy a couple more of those kits I will snap them up quickly!
This kit is very easy to build, my only complaint was the wing to fuselage join was not very good, putty and sanding required there.
If you wanted to detail the cockpit area it would be easy to use Fw 190 cockpit parts, they could be made to fit without too much trouble.
I can't remember how the kits decals were since I don't like using decals from any kit if I have other options, it would be a wise decision to have other decals available if you are thinking of building any of the PM or Huma kits.

That late war Fw 190 D that I am building is from a Dragon mold, and there are many small fit problems with it so far. The worst is the wing root area near the trailing edge of wing, there is a BIG gap where it is supposed match up with the fuselage. I added a spreader bar inside the fuselage to cure this problem but there is still a small gap to fill and sand.
These Dragon kits are a hassle to make but they do look good when finished, I have read that many of the expert modelers think that Dragon kits are actually better detailed than Tamiya and Hasegawa kits of the same aircraft. I think I would rather build a good fitting model than one that is slightly more accurate, that way I can get to my favorite part of modeling which happens to be painting.

Matrixone

Matrixone, think I might give that PM Ta183 a go from what you've said. I've got a spare 190 cockpit from my current project, and I'm sure I can spare £4.25 for a kit.

Decals shouldn't be a problem as I'm steadily building up a supply of 1/72 decals, both as spares, and AM sheets.

If that's a 1/48 190D, then I bought the same model, reboxed by Revell, a while back. So far it's been the only kit I have binned. I've heard a few people say that Dragon kits are more detailed as well, but like you say the fit is awful. I think I'll just get myself Academy's 190D in 1/72, and junk the decals.

Karl

Karl,

When I said Fw 190 cockpit parts could be used in the PM Ta 183 I should mention that I never tried to do that on the one that I built, it looked like Fw 190 parts could be made to fit with some changes made to them.
Yes the 1/48 190 D that I am trying to build is the Revell kit, it looked great in the box but is not going together as well as I wanted. Because of the putty and sanding that is needed some of the fine detail on the parts will be erased.

Matrixone

QUOTE: Originally posted by KJ200 All the parts left to fit are shown in the picture!!!!! So, at the rate at which I work, that's about another 2 months work. Frosty, Huma make a Ju287 in 1/72. This is a nice kit but quite expensive. There's a review on www.modelingmadness.com, which shows how little you get in the box! Karl

Karl:
DFS is looking good so far !
LOL re: ur modeling timeframe, sounds a lot like mine...
the modelingmadness link didn't work 4 me, but i've seen a couple of Huma kits in my LHS, kinda pricey 4 what u get in the box, 4 sure !
i'll stick w/ PM Models 4 the weird stuff
& Academy & Hasegawa 4 the more mainstream items, i think.

matrixone:
this is an improved kit ? that dayfighter must have been a real bear 2 build !
the canopy trick sounds like it's worth a try...
how thin does the plastic have 2 b, & do u heat the sheet in hot water or what ?
thanx in advance,

frosty

frosty,
If you have ever worked with vac-form canopys you have an idea of the thickness of the clear plastic sheet needed, the first step would be to mount the kit canopy on a wooden dowel by adding silly putty or some other clay like that to the inside of the canopy and pushing the dowel into the putty. Then cut the clear plastic sheet into large squares and use a heat gun to heat up the area where the plastic make will contact with the kit canopy, when the clear plastic begins to droop in the middle it is warm enough to try and pull over the kit canopy to form your new canopy. It may take a few attempts to get one that you like but is worth the trouble.

That PM Ho 229 dayfighter kit was worse than the V7 kit you are working on, the canopy was very thick and not very clear, while the intakes for the jet engines are clunky looking.
The V7 nightfighter version has more graceful smooth looking intakes and slightly better canopy.

For my third model for this group build I might build the Huma Me 309 or Ta 283, will decide later this week.


Matrixone

QUOTE: Originally posted by matrixone frosty, That PM Ho 229 dayfighter kit was worse than the V7 kit you are working on, the canopy was very thick and not very clear, while the intakes for the jet engines are clunky looking. The V7 nightfighter version has more graceful smooth looking intakes and slightly better canopy. Matrixone

I'll second that. I bought the Matchbox boxing of the 229 dayfighter, and it was truly awful. The enginine intakes looked nothing like the real thing.

Best of luck with that 190, you're going to need it.

Wings went on the DFS on Sunday, however checking them last night I noticed that they weren't straight. I had similar problems with my Me163. Still, I tried pouring near boiling water over both wing roots and bending gently. Appears to have worked, as checking the wings this morning before leaving for work, they were straight.

Karl

Hello folks. Good news: the holiday's over so I can get back to some serious modeling. As you may recall I had some ambitious plans to build a NMF Hustler while sitting in the garden drinking beer...... Well, the Dutch Mother Of All Summers happened, so it only occasionally was dry long enough to model outside. I therefore chickened out on the project and decided to build the pretty simple Revell (Testors?) 1/32 F-117A I had lying around. Let's just say I now consider myself something of an expert in filling, sanding, spraying, filling again, sanding, spraying etc etc! The fit on the thing is pretty awful, you see. Anyway, not quitting while I was ahead, I decided to try hy hands at some serious rescribing of a few prominent raised panel lines that were on the kit. Against all expectations, this went really well. I even went as far as scribing an entire engine intake screen (located above and behind the main ones). That was a bit tedious but it worked out pretty well. By the way, I used an Olfa P-cutter which removes a very thing thread of plastic as it cuts, almost eliminating the raised 'v-grooves' you get when using a needle. Highly recommended if you're not in a hurry. True to my usual fashion, the F-117 isn't quite finished yet. I still have to make a small (well.....smallish..) base to display it in flight, and will have to get some replacement decals as mine have yellowed over time.
The remainder of the holiday was spent doing regular holiday stuff together with my girlfriend (which mainly meant doing as little as possible while enjoying a change from our regular urban suroundings), but I also worked on some landscaping for the model railroad my girlfriend's father, brother and I share. Very therapeutic to plant fields off grass one bundle at a time. Kinda reminded me that shortcuts rarely work in modeling. Anyway, it's good to see that you guys haven't exactly been letting the grass grow under your feet, so I guess I better get crackin' to catch up!

Filibert glad to have you back.

The weather on the other side of the North Sea was no better last week either.

I keep thinking about getting one of those Olfa Pcutters, how good are they?

Matrixone, what have you done? I was looking to do Revell's 109 G10 in 1/72 as my next build, with AM decals from Eaglestrike, but you just had to mention the Ta 183 from PM.

It's no good, I'm just going to have to build one. That can be my second entry to this GB, unless you include the Hagelkorn glide bomb, as my second!!!!!

I figure I can make that 190 cockpit fit with a little help.

Karl

Karl,
I have only built three of the PM kits so far and the Ta 183 was the best of the three, I have one more Ta 183 from PM to build yet as well as their Me P1111 kit.
Good luck with that kit and post some pics of it!

Matrixone

Matrixone, I've been looking at a few reviews of the kit, and it looks pretty respectable from what I can see. With a replacement cockpit, a little extra detail added to the wheel wells and landing gear, I think it should make a pretty respectable model

The scary thing is, I also saw reviews of a Marsh Models kit in 1/72, which retailed at £30, or $54!!!!! It didn't look any better than the PM kit, which sells for £3.65 in my LHS.

Now I just need to sort the filler out on the DFS, the cockpit opening is too deep compared to the canopy, so I had to add some plastic strip to bring it up to height, and then tha painting can begin.

Just the 190 and the I-16 to finish after that!!!!!

Karl

Karl,
If you want a really good Ta 183, get that 1/48 scale Amtech kit.
It can be built OOB with very good results and best of all it is much lower priced than the Marsh Models kit. I have four of them now and may buy another in the near future.
One of them might be built for the group build, much depends on my Fw 190 D project, if it goes well I might feel brave enough start building my favorite Luft 46 aircraft.

Matrixone

Matrixone, I was looking at a couple of reviews of that kit yesterday. Looks good, but I'm not sure if it's much cheaper than the Tamiya kit in the UK at around £45.

I'm trying to focus on 1/72 fighters at the moment, mainly due to the fact that I don't have any shelf space big enough for a 1/48 fighter, or 1/72 bomber at the moment. Having said that the I -16 is 1/48, but takes up barely any more shelf space than the 190 in 1/72.

Karl

QUOTE: Originally posted by KJ200 Matrixone, I was looking at a couple of reviews of that kit yesterday. Looks good, but I'm not sure if it's much cheaper than the Tamiya kit in the UK at around £45.

[:0] 45 quid? You got to be kidding me! For such a small model that's just way too much dosh. You'll be happy to know that the Olfa P-cutter is not that expensive (I forgot what it cost, which is usually a good sign), and works very well. You just have to remember to apply only light pressure, making several passes.