Lothar

the Meng Fokker DR. 1 main planes have been sent to my 3D designer and it is hoped that in the latter part of January new wings will be designed with the following changes - 1. ribs starting just in front of the wing spar instead of wrapped around leading edge. 2. Greater scalloping of upper fabric stretched over thinner rib not underneath wider baton. 2.Very gentle scalloping to lower surface instead of perfectly flat. And obviously cast straight instead of the bent ones I have. Will update as and when I have information from designer.

Found in a sale.
 

 

 

 
 

Thanks for the compliment Matt. The South African Postal system I am ashamed to say.
 
The IP and cockpit finished. I used two Airscale instruments and the rest from the Italeri 1/32 Mirage kit. ( Hint for Airscale to produce French instruments in 1/32)
Only piece to scratch build now is the throttle which KH has mysteriously forgotten to add to the kit.
 

 
 
 

 
Cheers
Nick
 
 

I can't remember the last time I started an aircraft model. Sheesh! What's it been now........five years?? Just haven't felt comfortable with my painting and weathering skills until the finish up of my Ar 234 last year. Additionally, automotive modeling has given me a new spin on airbrushing. Well....I guess it's about time to bust out with one huh? 

We'll be going with Tamiya's offering So.....let's dance.

Here's what's in the arsenal for this build:
 

Very well done, looks excellent and one can easily think it's LS! Compliments on a great model 
Lothar

Almost at the point of closing the fuselage. Then things will speed up a bit.
Started the cockpit painting. A bit of a dilemma here as the Dassault cockpit instruments are mostly dark colored. The aftermarket instruments do not reflect this well and are way too expensive for an semi realistic 2-dimensional representation. 
After much thought I decided on dry brushing some dull silver and toned down white. 
Tonight I will do the instruments and knobs which are colored and try and do the instruments on the IP with some instrument decals.
 
 

 

 
Cheers
Nick 

This is blamed on Ron & Chuck - they badgered me to post these LOL - no laughing. 
 
Chuck's superb build a few years back (was it really that long ago?) is the inspiration to do this and my familiarity with the Hornet. Been wanting to do one of these for some time and finally got a kit late last year (I'm known to procrastinate). 
 

 
Cockpit is coming along - many knobs, decals and switches from Anyz in the Avionix tub (was a bit of a bad casting on the one side, so I added a few too many - learned for next time). Airscale instrument & cockpit decals round out the IP.  
 

 
Working on the GT seamless intakes - fairly straightforward. Used the 'latex dip' technique but wasn't deep enough. hit the mark on the outside keeping it level but the paint didn't come up the inside quite as far as it needed to be. I'm still debating if I'm going to redo them. 
 

 
Tail reinforcements were added as found on most all CF-18's. Tried the Flying Leatherneck vinyl ones, I used them as a template instead and made these and adding rivets with a beading tool. Detail on the tails are soft and needed lots of rework - which I suck at but am working on it. 
 

Good example of the disappearing panel lines. It'll be a slow process to redo and clean these up. 
 
In the mean time, working on the 'Fat Pylon' ECM housing, modifying the SAC gear oleo and lots of the fitting and research that goes along with a build of this size. 

Machine_Marty has this little lot on their way to him today
 

 
Happy Christmas!!
 
The HK Lanc Nose gets posted to Blackbetty tomorrow
 
Peter

Thanks Matt!  I know not everyone agrees with my decision to apply rivets to the model but I feel like this surface detail adds to the visual interest and also helps give a better impression of complexity/mass.  Plus it is relatively subtle compared to the molded rivets found on the Trumpeter model, which I elected not to remove.  Just a personal choice and I totally understand the modeler that doesn't add rivets to the Revell Me262 model.
 
The biggest gap in the wing/fuselage fit is the easiest to address.  Some White Milliput forced into the gap at the forward wing root and then cleaned up with a paper towel moistened with water.  No further work will be necessary here.

 
The other areas are being refined with putty work, re-scribing and riveting.  Like the other areas, the brown pastel wash will be scrubbed away after photos.

 

Almost all the requests here fail to mention any of the Italian planes of WW2, surely a huge hole in the market.  Just glad ICM has given us the Fiat CR42, but I wish they'd do monoplanes too.
 
This pic has both the planes I'd like to see in LSP injection molded kit form.  For my money, the C202 was one of the best looking fighters of WW2 - simple elegant lines as only the Italians can do.  And they flew well too.
 

 
Cheers,
Michael

Oh wow. I am loving ICM.
 
I awoke Boxing day and worked on a model 1/32 Spitfire. I then taught drums. Then went into town to visit the hobby shop. Both these LSM were 20% off.
 
I have never built anything like this. It is HUGE. Subject is St Nazaire raid. Awesome!
 

 
This DAS WERK kit is 100% class A.
 

 
The instructions come in a book.
 

 

 
The plastic is very nice.
 

 
I got a 1/48 Starfighter at 40% off.
 

 
And the following are from my large Eduard order a few days ago.
 

 
And these. The Mustang comes with a plethora of great USAAF markings. I shall ignore them and build it in Swedish colours. This apparently was the only original P-51 in Swedish service.
 

 

Mostly Oldies (60/70/80) but all overtuned by my own cursing about the BS I'm about to create 
Lothar

I use nothing else for clear parts, never encountered the slightest problem. Just my two cents and experience.
Lothar

So in keeping with the GB's theme I've going along with a duel build/s.
 
First up is Revell's Spitfire IXc along with the normal am etc.
 

 
I'm attempting to build it as a little dio as per these photo's
 

 

 
I have a resin pilot thats pretty close to the first photo and should work well?
 

 
Its also a chance to have the flaps down and displayed and I have a set in the stash!
 
It also helps that I wont have to worry about the undercarriage, which is my least liked job of any build 
 

 
For my second build its Hasegawa's Fw 190A-8 again with a bundle of am.
 

 
for this one it will be a scheme I found on an aeromaster sheet in 48th, and found reference (although no actual photos exist) in Luftwaffe's last hope book (along with the Spit).
 

 
Again this was a downed plane so may well do another little dio.
 
Yesterday I started on the pe for the flaps...
 
3 hours work but looking good?
 

 
Aaron

THOR thanks for the encouragement. Hope you can check out my final views here and offer suggestions.
Guys this is ready for a critique  I’ve added alot of details to this cockpit because it will be so open. Used flat, satin, and gloss to change up the different black shades based on what i saw in cockpit photos. I found a shot of the area behind the pilot seat so i was even able to make that look more accurate. I used purple foil wrapping paper for the screens. Used a piece of pe from a ship for the computer connection on each side of the pilot IP. Added the leather armrest in the gunner pit per pics. Then i made a seat shaped screen from a kitchen seive and airbrushed the seats to give them a cloth look. The brown on the headrest and pilot seat sides is to simulate sun fading i saw in lots of pics. Seemed to vary alot which makes sense as it probably depends on how often they were covered and what theatre they were in. I made the ILII decals on the pilot IP, in reality there are 2 one over the other but I couldn’t get them that small. Does what i have look good or should i either do the double ILII or not use this at all? 
 
 
 
 
 
 
gosh i wish i could keep the dust off this black. Crazy how fast it shows up, especially with close ups.

recievd from the mailman
litle present to my self after selling kits fromthe stash to get this

 

One more to pig-pile on from my most recent deal with LSP_Ray; the delightful Tamiya Rhino.
 

 
And also with some ready-to-go AM included, but I'll definitely be adding more. In fact, I already have a nice batch leftover from my never gotten to big Rhino projects from before. (I suspect I could easily spend more on AM for the kit, than the kit itself cost to begin with.)
 

 
 

Along similar lines (hobbies) I recently ordered a high dollar part for my project car.  After not hearing anything back after a few weeks passed, I gave them a call.   Speaking with the owner he was telling me that he thought when the pandemic started he was going to have to shut his doors down for good and find a job when he could.  He said it was the exact opposite.  He’s never been busier.  Come to find out guys are shut in and working on their project cars and his orders shot up.   My order just happened to be coincidence.  I’ve been putting this off for 6 years and finally decided to get it done.  
BTW, part arrived a week later.  

Hi Guys,
 
Slowly but surely progressing.
 
The Aires MK10 tornado seats have been "pimped" to better match the Hawk version. Plastic card, wires, and the sides from the kit seats and I called it a day.
 

 
 
 
With a coat of Mr Hobby black surfacer

I spare you the struggle to get a smooth intake duct. I decided to close the fuselage before painting the cockpit - It is wide enough to allow it. I have added parts form the eduard interior set and a few plastic bits.
 

 
I made masks with the Silhouette for the instrument panels...
 

 
And sprayed some Tamiya ocean grey - a good match for the "admiralty grey" of the real one (considering the scale effect).


 
Wing fences - specific to the Mk60 series. Those are paper prototypes cut with the Silhouette. Each is unique as the wing profile is slightly different..


 
Most of the work was required for the mid and aft section of the fuselage. All 3 small sircular windows we re-made - the original inserts are terrible. Duct were added for every openings, some panel lines filled,  etc.
Rivets were added individually using a beading tool. I know that the originals are raised on the aft section but I find the Archers out of scale. Mine are discrete enough to make illusion.
Flaps were also cut out. Brake parachute box reshaped.
And all suraces were sanded smooth as the platic is grainy...
 


 
Fit of the nav lights was bad. I filled the gap with streatched sprue and re-scribed.


 
Overall fit is quite good.
 

 

 
CMK flaps are pretty bad- being copies of the original parts they don't fit when dropped. I had to cut and shorten the 3 pieces holding the thing.


 

Grabbed from another site, just a really nice shot of a P-38 in flight.  Nice details shown for weathering, turbo details, etc.   Now if only Tamiya-san would provide us with a decent Large Scale P-38 kit!
 

My first WIP on here for while. I often go too far into a kit before taking photos but I'll try to keep this one up to date as we go.
 
I have a Kitty Hawk Kingfisher nearly at the finish line, so I use this to keep me going whilst waiting for final details to dry. The Kingfisher should be in RFI later this month.
 

 
A good friend of mine is from Bavaria, my F104G is in Bavarian colours so I thought I would do the same with this little beauty.
 

 
I am fairly comfortable using acrylics and clear yellow or orange for wood grain interior effect and this one is no different. Undercoat with Dark Yellow, streak with some Browns and then overcoat, with a brush, clear orange in place for darker wood and clear yellow for the lighter woods.
 
Adding the details is fairly straight forward modelling.
 

 
HGW seat belts and I used some micro tape on the seat bulkhead to simulate linen. I'll add some better photos of that next time.
 
The engine is straight forward but I added spark plugs from Taurus, plug leads using EZY line and painted yellow for new leads and made some valve springs from fuse wire. I decided not to add the red line and engine number. Apparently it wore off pretty quickly or came off with all the oil that was spread. The carby and inlet manifolds are kit parts with the manifold covered with thin tamiya masking tape and stained with some flat clear with some light brown added.
 

 
I am using the Pheon Decals sheet, Master LMGs, Gaspatch and Bob's Buckles turnbuckles, Gaspatch Airspeed Indicator and Ezy line for the rigging. Still waiting on a Proper Plane prop and metal exhaust - when the mail sorts itself out, whether I use them or not is not determined. See what they look like.
 

 
It's interesting the WnW paint scheme, as shown in the Jasta 5 Trio that I also have, is different to the Pheon scheme. The Nauve and Green are reversed and Pheon has gold striping on the fuselage as opposed to WnW with yellow. 
 
I have undercoated the wings with Tamiya White Primer and added left over rib tapes from my Roland C.II built years ago. Hopefully I can manage the painting with a bit of the darker rib tapes showing through in place, especially the undersides.
 

 
 
 
 
 

Mostly Oldies (60/70/80) but all overtuned by my own cursing about the BS I'm about to create 
Lothar

Scored this for about the same price as the block 50 version...
 

Hello !
We did another sitted mordern US Navy fighter pilot (post 2000), but hands on sticks this time.
A bit more difficult to do, as the hands must be at the right place. Some had a sight at my "F-18 cockpit" in my mans cave...

 

cheers
Norbert