Battle of Britain GB 2008 - 21 June to 31 Oct 08

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the advice re badges. I tried about three times and am positive I wasn't adding spaces or returns... I have a feeling it's the number of characters. There's a 500 character limit in the signature, and loading the badges from Photobucket incurs very long links... I'm wondering if two together exceed 500! I was considering combining badges into single files to beat that...

Great, we can have a post-BoB auxilliary build!

Mike

Thanks for your encouragment guys, I hope to get to it this weekend.

Mike, to get badges to go across the bottom do not put a space between the links.  If you put a space or hit return it will move down below the first badge.  Also, you are limited in the number of pixels in your signature so if you have two tall bages or images the second one will get cut off. 

I won't be able to finish my second build by the deadline either so I'll keep you company.

Hi all,

My first visit back in a while and the builds are as great as ever!

Steve -- to see the Condor finished, decals and all, up on her gear, is a visual treat! The deployed control surfaces, exhaust staining, weathered rivet lines -- the whole thing is a quality build. You can be justly proud of this bird, and double so for reaching this result from a vintage kit.

Mark -- the Stuka is looking great, I can't wait to see her move into the detail phase. There's something so convincing about crisply applied spraypaint, just like the real thing!

Razor -- the BR-20 is an unusual and ambitious subject! I half expected it to be a locomotive (BR-52...), but couldn't get my head around a train as a combatant in the BoB! It'll be quite a feat to pull off that hard-edge mottle, I look forward to seeing your techniques.

It's quite obvious I won't get the Do 17 done inside the time limit, but I hope the board will remain active as we finish off projects still in play when the deadline comes around. For myself I've been working on a new SF scratchbuild for publication in the new year, researching and blueprinting, plus adding the last few parts for my IDF build before I need to shoot some color. Maybe in the next round of kit-time I can get back to the Dornier and maybe get the wings mounted and the canopy masked (on the vacform base).

Steve and SC, how do you get all your badges to display in your signature lines? I can't get a second one to show up and I'm a bit peeved!

Cheers all, and great work,

Mike

That is one hell of an adventurous paint job for sure. Im not too certain about the red-brown though. I dont think its a primary colour in the mix. Maybe a lite mottling of the stuff between some of the green spots. Im no expert on Italian paint schemes though LOL.

...Guy

Wow Dave, thats an adventurious paint job on your hands. Seeing some of the jobs you have done in the past I am sure you can handle it.

Steve

This is what I'm shooting for...

Most Italian models that you see have a really high contrast between the sand and the red-brown but this photo really doesn't show it.  You can deffinitely see that there is a darker colour (other than the green) but I don't know if it is just the colour photographs of the time that don't show the red or if the red-brown should be more muted.  Any experts out there that care to elaborate...

Dave, that bird is looking good. I cant say that I have seen this one before but I cant wait to see the motteling on it. Should be cool.

Steve

I see there is a time limit here for this group. What happens when it passes?

I'm new around here so don't want to be to forward. I'm building my models to 1/48. So I was wondering once this group build finishes if another Group could start for 2009 Battle of Britain in 1/48.

If you guys would like to see what I have been doing the last 10 year this is my site address. "http://www.regshanger.com"   This old hobby of mine has a lot of simularities to real modeling. It takes a much research and time to make these planes.

Luftwoller wrote:

Dave, What is that thing? Dont think ive ever heard of it before? And it was in the BoB. See, you learn something new everyday. What paint scheme are you going with? ...Guy

Guy, it is the Fiat BR 20M and was one of Italy's best bomber designs and as stated earlier was exported to Japan as well.  There is a really nice website that goes into detail on Italy's involvement in the BOB.  I haven't got it here at work but basically they sent up three (I need to confirm that) bomber goups and some fighter squadrons (Fiat Cr 42's).  Their first foray into Britain was intercepted by a squadron of Hurricanes and got ripped to shreads.  They never actually acheived much of significance and was basically a PR opportunity for Mussolini's Fascist regime.

As for the paint scheme it will be a mottle of red-brown and olive green over Italian Sand.  All Model Master enamels.  I'll try to post a pic of it later today.

razordws wrote:

Superb work on the Stuka Mark.  The yellow came out great (what brand did you use) and the shading on the underside looks fantastic.  Looking forward to seeing it done.

I used model master on this...seems to always work well for me...all airbrushed on

Mark

Wow guys, This GB is seriously taking shape. So many quality builds. One after the other. I was at a model show this weekend and was looking for a Condor after seeing Steve's work.

Mark, the Stuka is looking sharp. Did you put an interior in the thing as its looking great.

Dave, What is that thing? Dont think ive ever heard of it before? And it was in the BoB. See, you learn something new everyday. What paint scheme are you going with?

...Guy

Again on all the Good stuff about that Bird Mark! Nothing quite says Blitzkrieg quite like a Stuka! I am glad you represented it so well here where it lost much of it's prowness.

Dave that is a cool looking old bomber! Just like the Italian fascist to squeeze in at the end! Is it the same type that the Japanese used. I read somewhere that they imported an Italian Bomber and it was used against the Prince of Wales and Repulse. (Force Z) On 10 Dec 1941?

Superb work on the Stuka Mark.  The yellow came out great (what brand did you use) and the shading on the underside looks fantastic.  Looking forward to seeing it done.

Update on the BR 20M.  Managed to get some time this weekend to paint the underside and top coat which means that crazy brown and green mottle is up next (shudder )  wish me luck. 

I doubt I'll have it finished by the deadline but I want to get it done anyway.  For those of you that don't remember this is the Italeri 1/72 kit that I started for the BOB GB in 2006.  It was a nice looking kit in the box but I messed up on some stuff and made a lot of work for myself so it got shelved for awhile.

Mark, great job on the Stuka. It looks really sharp, the yellow is top notch and the camo is very well done. Keep it up and I cant wait to see it finished.

Steve

Hey guys...OK...here's the latest on my Stuka...yellow nose and wing tips done...belly shading turned out good....next step...to get her legs on...

Mark

Steve, stunning job on the Condor, especially considering the age of the kit.

Karl

Thans for all the kind comments. I also like the Condor with the fixed stremlined canopy but figured you could not get one for such an old kit. I enjoy building different aircraft so I thought there would be enough Spits and 109's and thats why I chose the Condor. Needed a reason to build it.

Steve

Is that really the old Condor kit. If so you have made a more than excellent job of it. I built one in the 80's and it had really heavy rivets on it. Still it was my favorite model at the time. I think it was the first I built since I was a kid. I have since made a computer model of it for CFS3 which the boys still fly. I'm currently making a defiant for the boys. Gives me something to do while the paint is drying. :-)

Has anyone seen a conversion to a early Battle of Britain period Condor with the fixed to gun canopy. I dream of doing one in the near future in 1/48.

Well today I started my Hs123 test model. First real paint I have put on a model in at least 15 years. :-)

Steve that Fw200 Condor is looking great! Nce job on a not so easy subject. It was nice to see you had the guts to take it on for this group build. Your a braver man than I!

                                                                             Soulcrusher

Steve, WOW!!!  You did a fantastic job with that old Revell Kit. 

I realize now that I'm going to have to plan ahead for display space when I build mine.

I've almost finished sanding and filling seams on the BR 20.  I hope to start painting this weekend.  I don't know if I'll have it finished by the deadline but will do my best.

 Steve , That turned out really REALLY sharp!  It is huge for 1/72 scale! your perserverance paid off and it is an outstanding addition to this GB! I bet Soul Crusher is building 2 or 3 more Hurricanes now with that beauty popping up in the home stretch! Great work!

 Thunderbolts 109 is no slouch either and Rick has one in the wings as well. I think we have the history well covered. Wasn't the odds like 4 to 1 or something in the real BOB?

Wow, Steve. Ive been waiting for this bird to be finished for a while now and you sure didnt fail to produce the goods. Shes gorgeous mate. Very well done. I love it.

...Guy

Chalk up another one for the Luftwaffe. This is my FW 200 finally completed and ready for service in the battle. For such an old kit it was not too bad in the fit department but it had it's troubles. The biggest dissapointment was of course the decals that despite gloss coat and setting soloution they still silvered. Painted in MM enamels and a little weathering with pastels. The kit was missing two parts, the large antenna and a prop. Thanks to Aaron for making a prop for me. The antenna I made from a toothpick. So here are some photos. The aircraft would not fit in my little photo studio.

Could not help myself to one more shot of the two builds together for comparison.

Thanks for looking guy's and I really enjoyed this GB a lot. A lot of fun and encouragement and some good data and history lessons.

Steve

Yes Mark the wing camo pattern is correct. I had all of my masking problems on the fuselage also. Somehow it was difficult to transfer the pattern from the wing to the fuselage.

                                                                          Soulcrusher

soulcrusher wrote:

The only reason I probally noticed it Mark is because I just build three Hurricanes so it is all still very fresh in my memory. I actually masked two of my fuselages incorrectly but I picked up on it when I sat back and compaired the making to the pics. it was very difficult to get the masks correct and it took about three hours to get it to where I was happy with it. I was building specific models of certain pilots planes so thats why I did so much research. Usally I am not super fussy about things being exact. As long as you are having fun that is all that matters!

You know, the more I was looking at it, I realized I only masked it half wrong! The wings are more or less correct.....its the fuse thats all wrong. Oh, well...

 Mark, Looking good .

Regards,  Rick