Battle For Germany 45 GB Starts Now - 08 May 06

jboutin wrote:

Blackcat, I see you have two other GB badges, it would be the same way you got those into your sig.  Right click on the badge, save it to your computer then save it onto a photo hosting website like photobucket.com.   Then go into your profile and add the IMG link from photobucket to your sig.  Blackcat, I notice in your profile that for occupation you put 'make maps'. Are you a GIS specialist?

i dont know about that i just make hand drawn maps(freehand)

blackcat

Darren,  Excellent job on the Dora.  looks great .

Regards,  Rick

Rick - I'm trying to let the spot go but it's become an obsession now haha.. no I think it might be from the clear glue I used to tack the canopy down with... it's not a bump but might have changed the texture of the paint there.. you can't see it in real life so I'll try to forget it.. but it's hard... 

Tweets - after doing some reading on this thing it cannot be called anything but amazing for its time.  Even on one engine it could fly at a brisk 378mph, and at 474mph with both.  It really would have made a difference if called into action sooner (or if Heinkel had been forced to switch production from the 219 to the Do335 like Hitler ordered)

Darren - The COE paints are nice if for the plain english name on them alone... I do think the shades a bit nicer as well.  Nice job on the 190!!!  What problems did you have requiring all that filler?  If you decide to do another one the Academy 1/72 went together with no filler at all.  Really a nice kit all in all.  Great job on that mottle!  You use the 100LG correct?

Karl - you may have something there, your comment made me think a bit and from actual photos of the real thing you can tell where paint was started and not completed etc... maybe that's why the kit and decal instructions sho little to no paint on the canopies... I'll look a little more, but might stick with the no paint thing if I can't find anything definitive....

Very nice Darren!

Good work on the tail mottle considering it's in 1/72!

Well I've got the Spit flat coated and should have pics this week. Not my best effort but at least it didn't get run over like my 190.

Thanks for the paint info Tom. I thought it might have been the Color of Eagles range as they are toned down to scale which is something I really like.  As you can see form the pics below the Vallejo RLM 83 is considerably darker than the CoE color.
I have already ordered some from GMW for my Aussie GB P-40 but I have yet to try them out in anger so to speak.

OK all here are the pictures that I promised I would take this weekend of my finished build.  The kit is the Tamiya 1/72 Fw-190D9 and was built completely OOB (except for the half a kilo of filler I had to use under the nose ).  The camo is RLM 75/83 over RLM 76; the kit represents a machine from JG301 from Straubing Baveria in 1945

Nice job Tom

Pity the 335 didn't see much use, one of those 'too late' calls the Germans were so proficient at making in the later part of the war.

Looking good so far Tom.  I see the spot you refer to in the pic  Looks like a small bump on the model.  If you can't see it by eyeball, I wouldn't worry about it.

Regards,  Rick

Darren - actually it is the Colors of Eagles line of Vallejo paints, they are actually labeled RLM 82 and 83... I'll have to check into the Vallejo line and see if I can find their equivalent.. if nothing else if you make an order from Great Models you can get the Color of eagles brand there (usually on sale, I just picked up 8 bottles for 18 dollars US, including RLM 82 and 83)...

I thought the same about the paint on the canopy, but according to the Tamiya instructions the canopies were all 82, but the Cutting Edge decal set shows does show a bit of 83 on one side (a tiny bit) .. I decided I could either remask or hand paint that if need be but I am looking for a better source...

the trouble with fringe is.. well, it gets tattered at the ends when you try to nail down something definite haha... I know on the single seater I see 83 on the canopy but even on the cutting edge set there is very little compared to the one seater version.. 

Thanks for your comments and I should be able to get some better pics should the sun ever come out again.. (it's been raining for the proverbial 40 days and 40 nights here lately)

tho9900 wrote:

well, got the camo on... for all the incredible masking it was almost anticlimactic to spray it... it was quick.  I have a few touch ups but it went down smooth (yay Vallejo!!!) and tomorrow I reverse mask the nost and spray on the Aclad... I wish I had one more day to the weekend because I think I could come close to finishing it... this will have little to almost no weathering as it was flown from the factory (after having to do some final assembly) to the surrender site... not a lot of use, eh? -=Edit=-  There is a spot on the fuselage at the bottom of the middle of the rear canopy that bugs me, trouble is, it shows up in the pictures but not to the naked eye... I've spent the last 10 minutes peering at it with the eye and through the magnifiers and can't figure what is causing this mark to appear only in pictures...

The whole kit looks excellent Tom great job , now for the questions:
Is that RLM 82 & 83 used in the cam scheme and what Vallejo colors and numbers are you using to match them.  Sorry to pry but it looks great and I want to know so that I can make use of those colors in the future.
Shouldn't at least part of the upper canopy frame be in RLM 83?  From the pics it looks as if the whole thing is RLM 82.

Cheers

well, got the camo on... for all the incredible masking it was almost anticlimactic to spray it... it was quick.  I have a few touch ups but it went down smooth (yay Vallejo!!!) and tomorrow I reverse mask the nose and spray on the Aclad... I wish I had one more day to the weekend because I think I could come close to finishing it... this will have little to almost no weathering as it was flown from the factory (after having to do some final assembly) to the surrender site... not a lot of use, eh?

-=Edit=-  There is a spot on the fuselage at the bottom of the middle of the rear canopy that bugs me, trouble is, it shows up in the pictures but not to the naked eye... I've spent the last 10 minutes peering at it with the eye and through the magnifiers and can't figure what is causing this mark to appear only in pictures...

some more quickie progress shots...  canopies are just tacked in place to mask the interior (and get their paint at the same time), I'm doing them open as they have a little trouble with the fit, and this bird will look nice with them open... the nose is sprayed black, futured and mask.  One the colored paintes go on I'll reverse the masking and Alclad the nose, the actual engine cowl will be dark aluminum, the nose either duraluminium or just plain aluminum.  I noticed in the shot on the reference website the cowl was much darker and dull than the nose..

this will dry till tonight probably then mask and shoot the camo and Alclad tomorrow probably...

Tom, Sean, Thanks for the comments on the P-47.

Tanky, You're right.  Red Paper does not compare to the magnificence of your Mom's table cloth .

Regards,  Rick

Tom, Sean, Thanks for the comments on the P-47.

Tanky, You're right.  Red Paper does not compare to the magnificence of your Mom's table cloth .

Regards,  Rick

rjkplasticmod wrote:

Tom, love the red paper background.  Right up there with Tanky's tablecloth . Oh yeah, the pit looks pretty good also . Regards,  Rick

Scott (Viper07), In order to be part of a group build you nominate a kit that you are going to do and then build and post your progress along with everyone else, I'm sorry but completed models don't count.
Also, this build focuses on the battle for Germany in 1945 (as stated and explained on page 1), a Bf-109E would not be eligible as it flew in 1940-41.
As to your Bf-109 G and He-111 I would need to know what marks they are to see if they fit the bill.  Post the info on the Gustav and the Heinkel her and we'll take it from there OK .

Sean sorry to hear you had trouble with those decals, I've used a few sets of them now and I've always found that they snuggled down brilliantly with a little application of Microset and Microsol.

Scott (espins1) I know exactly what you mean about mottling freehand, it's certainly a skill.  I am still a learner by anyone’s standards but I find a combo of a fine tip in your a/b, highly thinned paint, a low air pressure and an unbelievably steady hand are what’s needed.  I am seriously thinking of getting the pre-set handle that's available for the Iwata just to help with mottling.

Cheers

Tom I agree the Fringe GB should definately happen!!

I stepped away from Fringing after the Sabre effort, but I feel the bug  still needs to come to the surface every now and then.

If the Fringe GB ever comes to fruition I have picked the perfect candidate, picture a bath tub with wings and a gun..............and a couple of Frenchies inside.

Rick that is a really a different paint scheme you have there. Personally I think it looks better than the other camo schemes I've seen on a 47. Well done

Rick - I reserved a separate reply just for you... I love the paint job on that P-47!!!  It reminds me of that Pink T-34 near London I posted awhile back...  in fact it almost looks like it could be from an obscure episode of Scooby Doo or one of the 70's cartoons... I still think a Fringe GB is in order, I have to finish the other 543 first! 

Actually we're all starting to show a little fringe here.. ::worried look::

tweety1 wrote:

You should wash your mouth out with soap Tanky!! Geez, I don't know whats happened to the younger generation, suggesting 'tape' of all things. The shame

Sean - it's all these video games and wild music these kids are listening to nowadays... it does something to their heads..

Good news is I have found enough BMF still staying together to finish the caopies... I don't think I could get in close enough with thin strips of tape.. the framework on these things are 1mm or sp, a little variation over the line and BAM!!!  no more straight frame, just empty glass where it should be.... this has been one of the more difficult canopies I've had to mask (even more difficult than the AM SBD)  lots of little square windows and as said, small frame size.. on my side, big hands, failing eyes and a fused left wrist... but I'm up to it!!!  I'd forgot just how much I liked masking canopies until this...

I do have to say this thing looks wierd... when I glue the canopies on temporarily to paint I'll snap a shot.. I think the site of one of these would have distracted an allied pilot just enough to make him hesitate and give the Do335 two seater a chance to get in close...

Tankmaster7 wrote:

I daresay master Tom would not consider the traditional method- thin strips of Tamiya tape...

You should wash your mouth out with soap Tanky!!

Geez, I don't know whats happened to the younger generation, suggesting 'tape' of all things.

The shame

I got the Johnnie Johnson decals on the Spit, and they are pretty chunky to say the least. Didn't like conforming to panel lines, and when I removed the masking for the yellow stripes on the leading edge some of them came up, including a nice fat chunk from the roundel on the top of the wing.

Thankfully Hasegawa was kind enough to make their decal namesake in the same colour as the roundel blue my saviours!

Tonight will be some postshading and shadows with Tamiya smoke, then a flat coat. Not long now.

Karl, Marc,  Thanks guys.  Finished the decals today, so it's in the home stretch.

Regards,  Rick

Speak, and I appear!!!  I got the paints for the Do335 yesterday and spent the evening painting the Lichtblau... today I go for the livhtgun on the uppers then I guess Sat will be masking (and pics)  I am having trouble masking the canopy as the frames are extremely small even for such a large canopy.  I had no idea BMF goes bad with time... mine just kinda crumbles when I try to peel it from the backing paper... so I am on to step two.  (I haven't thought up step two yet but I will!)  I was SURE I ordered the black majic mask with my order but went back and looked and saw it wasn't on the original order.

I don't think I can wait another week for them to arrive if I order them tonight but if after one more try on the framing I have trouble I might...

wing_nut wrote:

Fringe? ahhh... how about more than a Spanish hat!

Man, mottling on 1/48 aircraft is not easy to do freehand.  Maybe I need a different tip on my airbrush?  Anyway, I'm sure that trick with punching odd shaped holes in some card stock should do the trick.  The key now is going to be getting the lichtblau on the sides fixed.  I still can't get over how good the wings turned out though, that kept me from totally losing my sanity last night.  LOL

Well, I still can't find the cord to my camera, but something just hit me..... I think I have a slot on my printer that I can put the memory card into from my camera, I'll check that as soon as I get home, and if so, I'll post some pics... finally.... lol

espins1 wrote:

blackcat wrote: how can i get the badge on here? thanks blackcat Dude, I already answered you two days ago, here it is.... again...... There are also a billion posts with more detailed instructions on how to do it.  You can use the search feature on these posts to find them.  But, here are my basic instructions... again.  espins1 wrote:  blackcat wrote: how do u get the badge on here? blackcat Here are the basics.  Right click on the badge and save it on your computer.  Go to a picture hosting site, such as photobucket.com.  Upload the picture.  Copy the link they provide to your uploaded picture (the one with IMG in it).  Then go to your profile in this website (link near the top of your screen) and past it next to the other two group badge links you have in your signature.  You already have 2 badges in your sig, WWII Aircraft GB 2005 and My own flying circus GB 2005. If you want more detailed instructions, do a search on the boards, there are many posts on how to do it.

Scott, I was thinking of doing the same for the side mottling on my Dora.  I saw that artilcle last fall (FSM October I think) about using holes cut in cardstock to put camo blotches on a Fw-190. 

I think it will work nicely for the sides,  For the fuselage on my Doras, I masked the Lichtblau on the sides and peeled away the top edge so I got a tight but feathered edge.  I still have to spray on the RLM 83 though so I won't know how it really looks till them.  (In my minds eye it looks fabulous!)