Battle For Germany 45 GB Starts Now - 08 May 06

Thanks Jay.  Just a momentary relapse, I'm returning to my beloved props.  Course if you look close, the Komet has a tiny little prop on the nose, used to power an internal generator.

Regards,  Rick

Really nice Rick, I like your komet.  It almost makes me want to build one... almost.  So what is this, a gas passer and a solid fuel feeder, are you going over to the other dark side on us? (the first dark side being targets, er armour).  I guess you wouldn't classifiy the Komet as a jet would you as it is technically a manned rocket.  But still, two non-propellers! I liked the Mig-21 btw, my favouritest soviet jetskie.

wing_nut, if you can figure it out, kudos to you! but if you're into mapping, and can't find it then shame shame!

I had a dream that I finished my Me163B-1 Komet... No, wait that wasn't a dream, I really did finish it .  And here she is.

Decals are from an old Aeromaster sheet.  The kit pitot tube was badly molded, so I replaced it with some stainless steel tubing.  Now, back to the P-47M !

Regards,  Rick

jboutin wrote:

...I make maps for a living (digital cartographer, GIS specialist what ever you want to call it.) for a big Environmental Engineering firm and I love it!

I am guessing that explains the  - 288921 E, 5659868 N UTMz12, NAD83 - under snoopy.  Don't you know your not supposed to put your address on the internet

jboutin wrote:

Blackcat - No I didn't see that, Hand drawn maps huh?  How old are you? Are you a teenager?  I make maps for a living (digital cartographer, GIS specialist what ever you want to call it.) for a big Environmental Engineering firm and I love it!  Darren, the greenish tinge you see is... masking tape!  I added masking tape to the sides to cover the lightblue and the top edge I cut it in a wavy pattern and peeled back the edge to make a 1-2mm gap.  I worked perfect!  I'll take pics of the dark green tonight and post them later.  I still have to add some mottling to the sides and the aircraft I am doing is Gerhard Michalski's which had some additional lighter grey (RLM02?) mottling on the cowling and nose guns.

Blackcat - No I didn't see that, Hand drawn maps huh?  How old are you? Are you a teenager?  I make maps for a living (digital cartographer, GIS specialist what ever you want to call it.) for a big Environmental Engineering firm and I love it! 

Darren, the greenish tinge you see is... masking tape!  I added masking tape to the sides to cover the lightblue and the top edge I cut it in a wavy pattern and peeled back the edge to make a 1-2mm gap.  I worked perfect!  I'll take pics of the dark green tonight and post them later.  I still have to add some mottling to the sides and the aircraft I am doing is Gerhard Michalski's which had some additional lighter grey (RLM02?) mottling on the cowling and nose guns.

<< edit >> (see pic in sig for Michalski's ac)

jboutin wrote:

Darren and Karl - Fantabulous!  Darren, I hope my dora will look as nice.  And to prove I am making headway on it, have a look! I still have to add the dark green, that's going to go on tonight.

Chris with dreams like that I would be definitely be laying off something if I were you, that medication of yours wasn't the sort that the police would take an interest in was it?

JB your Dora is looking mighty fine, but what is that greenish tinge I can see is it primer?

Marc the Tamiya 1/72 Fw-190D9 is a great little kit overall.  For the most part the fit is excellent and the level of detail is just fine OOB, but there's plenty of room to go nuts with AM if you wish.  The only areas that I had trouble with were the part where the lower wing half joins the fuselage (see photo below) which required a triple fill of putty and this was definitely a prob with the kit.  The only other prob was the decal I used for the Reich Defense band.  This creased badly and required scraping flat with a sharp blade and re-painting the scraped areas by hand, this one was my fault.



Karl, boy you're not mucking around with the He162, it looks great so far.

Tom the 335 is looking excellent.  Tell me what color are you going to do the front engine cowl because it doesn't look bare metal from your photo.  Hang on I just followed Chris's link in another browser tab and the color plate shows the engine cowl as RLM 82 or 83, is that what your other photo research shows?
Also, if you want to grimy up the BMF just give it a flat coat.  Try it out first on a scrap, but I think it's a good technique for grimy and worn bare metal.

OK GUYS BEFORE KREMPS GRABS ME AND LOCKES ME UP. I just awoke from a dream or was it a NIGHTMARE????? My friend Michael and I arrive at a campground /trailer park??and wait, shortly all the "USUAL SUSPECTS" arrive. we all have a picnic with each other and talk about our latest projects we each have one of our most recently completed projects with us.After a time goes by KREMPS in a thick russian accent yells at us to stop talking and to build our model. we all go to our vehicles and pull out HUGE modeling tools and get to work we build a gigantic 2/1 scale PanzerThingamabobKampfWagon( it sorta looks like a Tiger I ) we chat and build until the sun begins to fade with kremps doing the heavy lifting ( and a few swift kicks to any Derrierre caught lagging ) . In the end we all step back with arms thrown over each others shoulders and proudly compliment one another on a job well done,we then pack our things and drive off into the evening calling to one another "good seeing you""Take it easy" "see you again Mate" into the darkness. The end

I hope you all enjoy my moment of oddity and take this advice DON'T eat BBQ beans with Franks before bed even if your medication (which i have to take just before bed ) says to TAKE WITH FOOD. "Thats it I'm Sticking to COOKIES & MILK !!!!!!!"

hey tom i found a pic of the aircraft youre modeling on flightline

http://www.kotfsc.com/aviation/germany-fighter.htm

http://www.kotfsc.com/aviation/graphics/do335-plate2.jpg

just thought it might be helpful

Looking good Tom.  The NMF looks great in the pics.

Regards,  Rick

Karl - can't wait to see it progress!!!

Well a little more headway tonight, I think this model is the one that has brought me out of my slump.  Got the nose done in aluminum, the engine cowl in dull aluminum and it appears to give enough contrast between the two to look like two different metals or one is more oxidized etc...   I've included a shot of the original for comparison.  I'll have to thnk of a way to darken it.  I might even use pastels to give it a grimy look which is kind of what it looks like in the photo..

-=edit=-  the cowl and side intake are just stuck on for reference... so that's why it looks like the nose is too short etc...

In retrospect, although I am glad to have tried the black under Future for my Alclad.. I wish I had done it on a cheaper model the first time   It looks good but the non black's parts look shinier.  In the photo it's the intake cowl on the side that is not with black underneath.  It just had future on it.

Sorry in advance about the quality of the pic, just wanted to grab a quick shot to show yall what I'm up to...  I've included a shot of the original for comparison.  I'll have to thnk of a way to darken it.  I might even use pastels to give it a grimy look which is kind of what it looks like in the photo..

Karl, the Salamander should be a sweet model.  Looks like your making great progress.

Regards,  Rick

Darren

I was just admiring your D-9 again.  How was the Tamiya kit overall?  You mentioned rather copious amounts (my big word for the day) of putty.  Problem with the kit?  Gotta start planning for the 1/72 and 1/32 version of the big tail.

Wow, I don't check in over the weekend and I see all the little elves have been very busy indeed. 

Karl: In a word Awesome! looking forward to seeing more of the He 162

Darren:  and in my favorite scale too. 

Tom and Jay:  Coming along great guys.

darson wrote:

Scott I really feel for you , there is nothing worse (well almost) than spraying away happily and then realising you have left great overspray marks down both sides of the fuselage.  Been there done that I'm afraid.   Cheers

The beauty of the deal is that I learned a valuable lesson, and then I turned my frustration into a problem solving exercise.  It also gave me a chance to figure some things out using masks, which will pay off huge for the rest of my model building days.     I looked at it again this morning and am really please with the way it turned out.  Now, as long as I don't botch the mottling tonight, I could have this FW190 finished in a week! 

Looking good so far Jay.

Regards,  Rick

Darren and Karl - Fantabulous!  Darren, I hope my dora will look as nice.  And to prove I am making headway on it, have a look!

I still have to add the dark green, that's going to go on tonight. 

Thanks for the kind words on the Dora everybody, I appreciate it.

Karl, Stunning build on the Panther , it looks worth every second of time you put in to it.

Yes I'm doing the Tamiya Panther G but it is the 1/48th kit not the 1/35 and I needed all the filler for the large gap and step between the lower engine cowl and the leading edge of the wing assembly.  It was unusual for a Tamiya kit.

Oh by the way I have added both of our builds to the brag page.

http://photobucket.com/albums/c392/Finescale/BattleForGermany/

Tom I think when it comes to paint colors/shades you need to find something that is pleasing to your own eye as well as trying to be accurate.  From what I can see of our respective pics I much prefer the toned down RLM 83 from COE.  Also I was using my recently repaired Iwata HP-CS with the .35mm needle/nozzle for the mottle.

Scott I really feel for you , there is nothing worse (well almost) than spraying away happily and then realising you have left great overspray marks down both sides of the fuselage.  Been there done that I'm afraid.

Cheers

Progress report Tamiya 1/48 FW190A8

The word of the day is damage control....  

Here is what I did to fix the overspray problem I had on the sides of the fuselage (note to self.... always mask off EVERYTHING ).  I masked off the wings, nose cowling and elevators with masking tape.  I then masked off the top portions of the fuselage and front edge of the rudder with some masks I made with 3x5 index card.  I used little loops of Tamiya masking tape placed on the underside of the masks which I then placed on the top of the fuselage.  I cut wavy/irreglar edges on the masks.  Once placed on the model there was a 1 to 2 millimeter gap... perfect, gave me some fairly soft edges.    The Lichtblau went on very nicely. 

I'm still having some issues with my compressor and the regulator, but that's another story. 

Tomorrow I should be able to carefully spray the gray, and gray green mottling on the sides.  I feel reasonably confident now as I practiced with some scrap with the leftover lichblau. 

KARL only 1 word can describe BEAUTIFUL!!! I mean WOW that came out gorgeous I'm showing it to my lil Katzchen so it can see what it may someday grow up to be LOL awesome job

Great looking Panther Karl.  Excellent build .

Regards,  Rick

Scott, Sean – Looking forward to seeing some pics.

Tom – Very nice work on the 335 so far.  I have to do one of those.

Darren - Really great job on the D-9.  I have a soft spot for the a/c.  You camo looks great… very nicely done on the tail mottles.

Progress - Progress?? I thought I was done with this thing.  Managed to fix the gaping hole in the spinner… without talking the hub off the prop of having to repaint the spiral.  I will never touch it again. Oh yeah... and added some wiring to the drag link on the LG... now I won't touch it.  Oh yeah... putting on the drop tank later today...then I swear I will never touch it again