Battle For Germany 45 GB Starts Now - 08 May 06

Smokin:  That's an awesome looking build!   I take it those a real metal barrels on that thing?

Sean:  Don't even mention the word cat around me right now.  Just got a "hefty" vet bill and now I have to give the fat tubby insulin shots twice a day to boot!   Hope you have better luck with your Fw 190.

Very nice work Smokinguns.  Looks great so far.

Regards,  Rick

"CONFIDENSE IS HIGH... REPEAT... CONFIDENSE IS HIGH"

As in I no longer fear putting down some paint on this monster bird.  The Rust-oleum went down smooth as a sheet of glass.  Sprayed it through a straw, let it "de-fizz" and put it down with the AB.

Sean - tough luck there... luckily my 3 dogs are cordoned off from the modeling room.  My worst enemy is myself (re: lost canopy, even swept the floor well and went through the stuff and couldn't find it.  My thought is when I went to put the photo cube over the gate I use to keep my dogs out, I tilted it too far somehow and it fell on the carpet.  I might get under the bed with a flashlight before I give up and order a new one.  I was surprised how well the Iwata put down the mottle on 1/72 scale especially since it was the first time to paint at ALL in that scale and only the 1.5th time I have tried mottle!  (got a little on the sides of the 1/32 FW190 before I lost the cowling, now I found it but I am in the middle of a few GB's so can't finish it)  That hurricane really messed things up around here.. I moved all the half finished models to a closet and lost a few pieces.  Sounds like you have a hurricane of your own over there. 

Mark - great news!  hope the rest goes well also!!!  That rustoleum and Krylon really eat through any grease and stick well.  I swear by the stuff especially with acrylics...

Smoking - looks good!  Are the metal parts AM or did they come with the kit?  Dragon is getting to do that with some of their latest models.. the Tiger II I am doing had the metal barrel and PE in it and still cost less than some of the comparable Tamiya's...

darson wrote:

Thanks a heap Tom that's certainly put a smile on my dial for the day.  The only other piece of information that I use and find very handy is the generic or common name.   I know the spreadsheet is a little nerdy but I find it really helps, especially when you start building up a large number of paints. Cheers Darren

I just hit on an idea Darren... let's divvy up the chart half and half and look up the FS numbers and see if we can get a chart with as many of the real life names we can find vs vallejo names??  it would help us two immensely as well as we could offer it to any of the modeling sites who might want it...

if you already have a spreadsheet going you could forward it, and we could figure out a division line to work with!

smokinguns3 wrote:

tho9900  and others above not AM parts this is the kit that has all the bells and whistles aluminum barrels and all Photo etched parts and brass ammunition and casings.

ahhh thanks!  I can see one of these in my future then!  a lotta detail in that gun!!!  Let me recommend the Dragon Tiger II Ardennes as well if you do armor.  Plenty of PE, indie tracks and metal gun tube...

ok... here's what I have been working on since the demise of the FW190 windscreen. a 1/72 Fi-156...

It's tiny as you can see compared to the Xacto knife..  almost the same diameter in places.. but it is so much FUN!!!  especially the little kubelwagen included with it.  I'll post a pic later of it.  Looks plenty detailed in that scale because it's so small...

here she is while I am masking and installing the canopy:

This build is going to be odd as I HAVE to add everything but the front tires before I can spray it.. including the windscreens.. They are the attachment point for the wings.. it's no wonder this thing was so STOL ready... the forward wing slats that extend to provide more surface area of the wing, airfoil shaped slats under the horizontal stabilizers.

I don't think I will leave the detail of the 1/48 kits.. but the 1/72 provides a little joy ride now and then I have found... and actually I have found both the 1/72 kits I am working on a joy to mask.. the little canopies are a challenge but at the same time relaxing!  (okokokok... I know.. I am the freak who loves masking canopies but this is different!  hahah)

-=edit=-

ok....  so it's not different.. but cutting those tiny lines is relaxing to me!!! especially once I take off the visor and see the little 3mm triangles I managed to mask!!! 

<note to self:  Denial is not a river in Egypt.. must come to grips with wierd obsession!>

Ok i know iam movin alittle fast on this but i think its coming out pretty good for my first time. These DML kits go together so nice havent had to modify anything so far.

Good progress Smokinguns.  Looking great.

Regards,  Rick

Airframe ready for primer.  Prop, spinner and canopy are just dry fit for the camera.  Won't get to it tonight... steaks and beers with the boys

Looks fab Marc, It is giving me inspiriation to get on my dora's this weekend, I promise! 

 I have the whole day to play with the plastic and if I can paint my boly first off, I should be able to get the Dora's CP's together and who knows?  maybe the fuselages and wings too?  We'll see.

pingtang wrote:

Sean - Bad luck on the cat thing mate. Hope the 190 goes a bit better. If it's the Dragon 1/48 190 you're building, there are a few tips that can make the whole thing go alot smoother. I've built a couple now, and I'll let you in on a few secrets. Can't be bothered typing them at the moment though. I'll get back when I find out if it's the same kit you're building.

Yeah Pingy, it's the Dragon 190G-3 kit.

Looks ok in the wrapping, but if there are any tricks I'd love the heads up

Going great there wing-nut!

Wonder if that thing would be any good for duck season??

-:edit:- BTW Pingy, are you still after those Red Star decals??? Got em sitting on my hobby bench ready to go as soon as you give me your postal address.

Tom-nice work in small scale.  Might have to give it a try someday. Looking forward toward more updates on the Tiger.

Marc-very nice work on the 190-look forward to seeing the finished product.

Smokinguns3-very nice piece of work.  You are making it look easy.

Finished masking the canopy this evening.  Used the Eduard mask, which is the new type (Tamiya tape).  Much better than the vinyl type, at least in my opinion.  Still had to mask the centers of the canopy, used liquid masking.  The RLM 76 has already been applied.  Now I have to figure out whose plane I'm going to build (leaning towards Bar's Red 13) and whether to go grey or green (leaning toward RLM 81/83).  Then I need to decide how to mask it off.  Been thinking about rolling out some Silly Putty and applying that.  Might go with the old standby of 3M Low Tack Painters tape (the blue stuff-still plenty left over from last years house painting party.)

Marc, the Dora is looking really good.  Shoud be a winner.

Bob, great work on the Me262.  I did Bar's red 13 a couple of years ago & it does make an attractive model.  I did mine in RLM 81/83/76 after a bit of research.

Regards,  Rick

Bob - as ever, your lego's look wonderful!!! 

As far as the Tiger II I am still waiting on the paint.. I'm going to send an email by Fri if I haven't heard anything more.  They said they were out of the set but could send individual bottles.  I told them no, don't bother... but now I worry it might get later in the build and I don't get anything..

Glued on the top greenhouse in the Fi-156... I plan to get the 1/32 version of this kit for the next applicable GB.. it really is an interesting plane and I can see how it was so capable now.

Should have paint on it by this weekend...

BTW: Darren - add this as one of my builds for this GB if you will, kind sir!  I'm doing it in an eastern front splinter camo scheme which is what I would expect for an early end of the Reich Storch...

Tom no probs on the spreadsheet, I'll do some work on it tonight to update it a bit and then send it off to you.  Btw, has your email address changed since the last time I sent you a note?

Marc that kit of yours is massive and magnificent, although I've got to ask where are you going to store it when it's done?

Bob the 262 is looking excellent; tell me how do you identify the newer Eduard masks from their old vinyl ones?  Also, which bit of red 13 are you wondering about masking the number, the nose, the camo or all of the above?

:::Progress Update:::

The FW-190 is assembled, the seams filled and primed (almost).  Although I must admit that for a Tamiya kit I'm a bit disappointed with the fit of some of the components.  The wing just doesn't fit very well to the lower fuselage, it leaves large gaps at both ends where it fits into the fuselage section of the kit.  I've filled all the gaps and then re-primed last night but I'm still not happy the nose section yet, there is still a large lip between the cowling and the front edge of the wing section which I'll have to fill again tonight.  Pictures at 11:00.

Cheers

darson wrote:

Marc that kit of yours is massive and magnificent, although I've got to ask where are you going to store it when it's done?

Absolutely...positively...

no idea

darson wrote:

Bob the 262 is looking excellent; tell me how do you identify the newer Eduard masks from their old vinyl ones?  Also, which bit of red 13 are you wondering about masking the number, the nose, the camo or all of the above?

Darren-the new Eduard masks are made from Tamiya tape (or at least what would appear to be).  The last set I used on the Accurate Minatures P-51a was the vinyl type which would not stick to the curvature of the canopy.  As far as masking, I'm pondering the best way to mask off the camo.  Played with the Silly Putty last night-if I can get it rolled thin enough, it might just work.

btw-thanks all for the encouragment.

OK...So I have recovered from eating half a cow and attempting, with the help of my friends, drying up a brewery.  Ah yes... a good time was had by all.  Then we moved on to the Port... and a better time was had by all.

Bob-Great look 262.  Those masks are the best.  I used one on P-40 recently and what a pleasure that was... perfect fit.

Here's my first completed build for this GB.  Hasegawa 1/32 Fw190A-8, finished as an aircraft from JG54 as photographed in March 1945.

Regards,  Rick

Thanks Marc & Bob.  Glad you like her.

Regards,  Rick