Kostucha
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Posts posted by Kostucha
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Boy am I jealous! Lovely work so far. And a mustache! Airfix really seemed to think of everything. Can't wait for mine to arrive.
Happy New Year to you too good Sir!
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The cockpit is put together as much as it can be without actually being in the fuselage. All the lines that run from the side consoles forward are going to be glued to the fuselage half and not the 'tub' as I've started to call it. Further to that, the lovely set of Waldron rudder pedals - a real treat - are going to be mounted from the decking above it, rather than to the back of any panel. Sooo, with that, this is as much as this tub is going to get until she's in. Once she's in, the rest of the levers and knobs (throttle, flaps, landing gear, trim, etc) are going to be added. I've learned from my lesson with the Stuka in that these panels have far too much sticking out to risk them being damaged.
Here's some shots of the tub:
If you look forward of the control stick, you'll see the small yellow wire at the bottom on the floor. Every decent reference pic I've found shows three to five wires running across the floor and seen under the raised lip in the floor just forward of the control stick. There are three that were added - orange, yellow and black:
I then started work on the ribbing. Another thing learned from the Stuka... only put in the bloody ribbing where it can be seen...
That's 'er for now. More to come soon I hope! Thanks for looking everyone.
Mark.
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Started the flight control stick tonight. Decided to take the kit one and just modify it. It would be quicker and I'd get the same result anyway, so... here's the stock piece:
There are a number of things that need to be addressed/added/changed:
1. The trigger & trigger guard aren't present
2. There is no link/cable from the command box to the... floor
3. The control column sits on a "box" on the floor that the rubber boot sits on top of, that box isn't there
4. The control link (the tube going right at the base of the stick) is much thicker (it's actually a sleeve shielding the link tube). The molded one in the cockpit floor is far to thin.
5. The biggest one of all, the actual grip portion has a slight angle to the left that was incorporated to help reduce cramping/pain in the pilots arm during flight.
So, first things first. The piece was cut up, and supplies gathered that will be used to remake the stick addressing these 5 points:
The first part worked on was the grip. The metal clips over the command box were added (2 a side), and the single grip locking tab on the back was added as well. The grip was then cut and angled accordingly. The trigger button was also added and the guard overtop of that. The bomb/drop tank release buttom on the left side of the stuck was cut off, and a new piece being made. As this button is silver, I'll leave it off until after the painting, but the guard was put on:
Next was the box. A small amount of the pipe was shaved off too to make sure that the stick didn't become too high. The silver tab on the rod is the screw from the rad clamp that goes on overtop of the sleeve in this point. With that done, the box itself was shaved to allow for the whole stick to angle a little forward, and to the right a bit to allow for a bit of movement in the control surfaces. I wasn't sure if it would be right for the elevators to angle "up" a bit, but I've found a number of pictures showing various 190's with their surfaces left in any which direction... not an excessive amount, but definitely not limited to any direction. Here are the three readied parts:
A small section of brass rod was inserted inbetween the pipe and the grip to give a little more strength on reassembly:
And the finished piece waiting to be painted:
I'll go over the colours and options of various setups I've found, and as well as finishing the wiring, placards, and then that's it! All the parts I need to put together everything that's been scratched so far. That's going to be fun!
Thanks for looking.
Mark.
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A beautiful job Sir! Not a commonly seen version of the Mustang at all, so a nice treat - especially the quality of this treat. Thank you for sharing the build!
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Looking really good my friend. Looking really good. The wheel wells are stunning, and great work with switching around the barrels, they look good. A good choice for sure to enhance the look of the 190 you're building.
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Ron,
I've fallen head over heels for this build. There's something about the Stringbag, and your build is doing 'er justice.
Mark.
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HOLY CRAP!
Absolutely beautiful work with the 109 good Sir! Those last three pictures (outdoors) are simply amazing! The 109 you built can pass as the real thing - I don't know how much more I can say. The work inside is something to marvel at too.
Thank you for sharing this one!
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Marek, no problem at all! Thank you for your comments.
Tony, thank you very much.
When it comes to the engine placards, I used leftover black & white strips of dry transfer decals from HobbyDecal. I used scrap ones all the time on the Stuka and some parts of the 190, but for the most part, it's just black and white strips, with dabs of fine black marker on the white to simulate writing. Once that's done, a quick hit with some chalk pastels and dull coat to give it an old/used look. Hope this helps!
Kevin! Thank you very much good Sir!
I got the two lap belts done up using those Eduard seat belts. I looked at how I did mine in the Stuka, and realized one thing... they're too neat. I know whenever I was getting out of aircraft, I didn't bother folding the straps nice and neat, it was more of "get them out of my way without breaking something", so I decided to give it a different look than the usual folded. I flipped one over, have one leaning up on the edge of the seat, and the small buckle and strap from the RH belt folded forward and out of place a bit. Figured this would look a bit more natural:
What do you guys think? Look right/natural?
I wont bother with the shoulder belts until the seat is in the cockpit as they were mounted to the bulkhead wall behind the seat. All in all though, things are going well. With this portion of the seat finished, there's 6/7 needed pieces to glue the cockpit tub together. Last bit is the control stick, and I'll hopefully get to tackling that one tonight, and then put the cockpit together. It's only going up to the first panel made, as I still don't have the waldron rudder pedals yet, so I'll wait out until then. It's all good though - a big test to see if I indeed did test-fit right and measure correctly (see if it all fits into the fuselage.
Thanks for looking,
Mark.
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Marek,
That's not my surname, it's my hometown. Way up North.
JR's seat just kept me smiling the whole time. So, working with it was a blast! Here's the shot after RLM 66 (Yeah, all night/morning I've kept refering to it as RLM 02... it isn't, it's 66. Sorry for any confusion):
Starting with the seat, a base of Testors "rust" was applied:
Then it was adding a little darker colours, Testors Brown, and Rubber:
Once dried, I used a combination of 80% gray chalk pastels, along with brown. Lightly applying it, then "rubbing it in" with a Q-tip gave me this:
From there it was dull coat, dull coat, dull coat:
And the seat proper sitting, waiting for the seat belts, after some paint chips:
Next up were the Eduards seat belts. They are awesome to work with - very easy instructions to follow, very accurately made belts... but they're too clean:
So, after a quick and rough application of dark chalk pastels and dull coat, they were "dirtied" up a little bit:
Well, with everything drying, I'm going to take a break. Thanks for looking. Tell me what you think.
Mark.
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Thank you Marek - it's an old nickname I got some time ago from my 'old' job while working with the Polish. Kinda stuck.
A few quick shots of the rear piece. The rails were put in for the seat (for appearance sake), and the seat itself will be sitting on a post underneath it, as well as the three triangular pieces in the lower center as you can see. These are well hidden from view, but will ensure that the seat itself sits snug as well as secure. The two holes in the top are going to be loops of wire that will hold the upper seat harness parts. So, here's the first shot after the RLM 02 is sprayed on:
The first bit of pastels:
The seat rails painted silver:
The hole on the left is for the oxygen regulator. I'll make one up (as the side compartment is open so you'll be able to see it) and slide it through from the back.
And... the jewel of this cockpit, Jerry Rutmans seat, with a few modifications:
I have to say, this resin is AMAZING. I haven't worked with resit that is as soft and workable as this. Not too soft mind you. But as thin as the seat back is, it's still strong, very strong. I accidently slipped my finger and was pushing on it and felt it give. I thought for sure I was going to snap the resin, but low and behold, it didn't break, just went back to shape. WOW! And the quality of it! Beautifully molded seat.
More to come soon!
Mark.
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Same here! Elblang!
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Thank you very much Marek. I really should start signing my name the same way - the right way... Mark is the 'english' version... I see your name and I think I'm talking to myself.
Anywho, I added the writing, and the rest of the smaller details:
Next up was the final touches. Added a few maps and a small book (just scribbled on and folded papers) to the map holder and a strap from a left over lap belt from Eduards seat belt sets:
And threw in a marker for good measure. Here's a little bit of a close up:
Now, onto the rear piece of the cockpit and hopefully we can have a "tub" fairly soon!
Thanks for looking,
Mark.
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Starting this piece out, I'll just show the kit piece for comparison. It wasn't too bad at all really:
The first step was the top piece. Following the same dimensions as the other side, the piece was cut, then marked out where the sections would be cut out:
The rough cut made, it was then sanded out a bit more square after this picture:
Then glued to a slightly smaller rectangular piece underneath. This is going to be the base for the other panels put on, as well as the fuel pump circuit breakers:
The first "L" shaped panel put on:
And a detail shot showing roughly what the "screw" effect looks like:
The side panel was then made with provisions for the map holder. It doesn't have the outter piece yet, as I am going to leave that off until after the base of the panel has been painted:
And the two joined together. This panel has a lip on the side. Unlike the other console, the top piece comes overtop and the edge is smooth and a bit round - except where the "L" shape panel is:
And the piece shot with the first bit of RLM 02:
I'll have another update later on tonight. I'm hoping to finish this piece tonight, and have it, along with the other console and first panel that was made glued into the floor. We'll see how that goes though. Thanks for looking!
Mark.
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Thank you very much Matt.
Alright, some clarification was needed this afternoon, and I'm a bit cheesed at the "after market companies" out there... I wanted to find what the heck the RH cockpit panel, console, looks like. HOLY CRAP there's a lot of different ones out there... ummm... I need to back track a bit.
Given the want to scratch build my own cockpit on this one, a search for an accurate bit of information was in order. The LH side (with the throttle quadrant) is easy enough to find. It's almost as though the LH one is thrown out there likes it going out of style, and the RH one is taboo. Well, nuts. If the books don't have it, then I try online - both actual aircraft, and other kits that have been built or aftermarket parts. Two of the books have pictures of the A-6/7/8 RH console. ALL ARE IDENTICAL. In that, it's different aircraft, but all the setups are identical. A number of resources I've found online, also have the same setup. Dare I say Identical, except that the clocks are different. (These are from actual 190's, restored or yet to be restored, that have the original setup, not a museum mock-up of what it "should" be... (like the Ju-87 B/G used in a movie that has a G frame with B features...) So, I stumbled on a couple main stream aftermarket companies products. WHAT THE HELL?! A lot of added... junk! In searching for almost an hour, I haven't found a single 1/48 or 1/32 setup that show's what the actual aircraft show. Before it sounds like I'm going off the deep end or making a mountain out of a mole hill... the RH setup is very straigh forward and clean. There is nothing more added or taken away if you will. It really is surprisingly bare compared to the rest of the cockpit.
So, I sat down over a smoke, and made this sketch (The idea here is not to bash companies. I'd love to, but I'm not aiming at that. Here's a rough setup of what I found consistant in the aircraft. The hope being is that this will help shed some light on what's on this side. If you're working on a 1/24 like me right now, or any other scale Fw 190 A-6/7/8 (and possibly A-5), this is basically what it is):
The break down works like this... the dimensions are not to scale, but a rough outline of what the layout actually containted. I'll try to give better dimension when I make this piece:
1 - it's a hinged, spring loaded cover that has circuit breakers underneath it. The cover was there to prevent the pilots arms or other things from accidentally messing with them
3 - Clock
4 - Screwed down panel in a rough "L" shape
5 - Black strip in between 1 and 3/4 that listed what the circuit breakers were underneath the cover.
6 - a press switch or lift tab with the rear portion in red. Part of the starter system. No writing on this.
7 - Rectangular frame to slip paper in/out of this part.
2 - it is a seperate piece of panel that is "sunk" in below the main piece of console. There is a very defined break/space between the two pieces of console. In this area:
A - A raised and protected switch (starter?) with a rectangular shaped piece of metal. On top of this piece of metal is a black placard and white writing.
B - A small placard (black with white writing) beside it, 2 rivets (one on top and one on bottom)
C - 5 circuit breakers for the fuel pumps. Underneath them are 5 sections of black placards with white writing, all side by side without a gap, above them one large placard with a single word "Kraftstoffpumpen"(black with white writing), which means basically "Fuel Pumps".
D - White writing above the circuit breakers to identify the system?, only 4 circuit breakers have them. From front to back: "C1 E14 E13 E16" (and nothing for the last one)
E - A poor way of showing it, but this is the larger panel for the rest of the console that is overtop of everything shown for "2"
Hope this helps someone out there. I really do hope it'll cut down on the search time for the RH side. It was a bit frustrating to get all this, especially when looking at what some parts show. I'm not saying that this is the "end all be all" for this cockpit, but once I found the same setup for the A-6, A-7, A-8 190's, it began to look like this is indeed what I was looking for. I couldn't find a decent picture for the A-5, and though it should be the same, I'm not going to assume.
Thanks for looking,
Mark.
Just want to add a quick note here as to the A-8, it's an early one. Looking at it more, the image reads A-8, however the description of the aircraft also lends itself to an A-7 as it shows the older style canopy (not the bulged one of the A-8's. I do apologize if this has caused any confusion. Further, I do hope that JR (or anyone else) can shed any aditional light on this, or add a little more information on the difference between the A's and F's. Thanks again.
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The kit in its own seems great. The attention to detail and ability to bring out the textures, details and features of this kit make it so much better. Amazing work so far good Sir! She's turning into a real beauty.
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Thank you very much guys. Your comments are greatly appreciated.
Mark.
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Simply stunning! Very, very nice work.
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AWESOME!
Thanks for putting that up. Cheers to you good Sir!
Mark.
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It most certainly does!
Really like your subject - sure, I'm completely biased right now, I'll admit it - but I really am looking forward to seeing this one as it progresses. Lovely work so far. Looking at yours, I'm curious to know, what markings for Black 13 are you using in particular?
Mark.
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Work moved quickly here with the last bits of "Step 5" finished. Added the front 7's spark plug wires (the back 7's will get theirs once they are ready to be mounted to the front 7). I opted to leave the fuel injection lines out for now, no need to leave wires hanging. I also added a couple of ID plates to the front, as well as the number '128' to the case. I saw a lot of pictures with a lot of different numbers both "chalked on" and sprayed on. I found a number of A-7's undergoing maintenance, and wherever I could find that same area, there were usually 3-5 digit numbers. The numbers put on are a bit worn, as the whole goal is to get a worn look. The spark plug wires themselves are just 4 thin strands out of some extra speaker wire, tightly twisted to give the look of the silver braided lines found on the BMW 801.
Well, less chatting, more pictures:
With step 5 complteted, there are only a couple of small things left on this piece - the BMW logo on the bottom, and the wiring going back. All that though, and the rest of the engine will be done up once things in the rest of the build are complete. I'm starting to feel the pinch of the clock...
Next up will hopefully be continuing with the cockpit build. The RH console, rest of the floor parts, etc., etc., etc... but the RH console first.
Thanks for looking!
Mark.
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Hey guys! Thank you very much! Glad you like what you see. And Marek, well, you wanted a few more pictures, here we go:
Work continued to plug away. Uknown at the time but discovered when I - dare I say it... - looked at the instructions, this portion of the engine assembly is all just "Step 5". Good I thought. I'll finish this step in the instructions, cross it off, and move back to the cockpit as I've now unpacked everything. Made for a long night, but, I'll be back at the cockpit soon enough. I want to get that fuselage finished ASAP. But, back to the build.
Here's what the pieces were after the first shot of paint:
I mixed in Euro Gray (RLM 02) with a little flat black and dark green/grey to get this colour. I looked on a number of reference pictures and sure, most of the museum pieces are all a lovely silver and gloss black. Boy oh boy, this was definitely not the case. Not a single used, or war time colour photo - or even a good B&W - consistantly showed this on the BMW 801's used on the Fw 190 A-6 through A-7's. So, I tried to match the colour as best as possible.
Key components were then painted the flat black (as per the pictures) and the ignition wire "butts" were added:
A little bit of dry brushing and some light pastel work overtop of the ring:
I added missing connectors to the front end that were quite evident in a number of pictures, as well as provisions for the two hoses that connect up near the bottom:
Those two hoses were then added:
Right now the front end received a bit of a dark wash to add depth around the ring. Once dried, I'll add the front 14 spark plug wires, and then the rear 7 fuel injection lines. After that, it's back to the cockpit.
Thanks for looking!
Mark.
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Excellent work in the office. Definitely making that one outstanding cockpit good Sir!
Airfix 1/24 Fw 190
in Works in Progress
Posted
Tonight the upper instrument panel was done. It started by making a new back piece for the instruments in order to take full advantage of the Eduard instruments.
Here you see a shot showing the kit panel - very dull due to what I'm assuming is years of using the same mold. It has A LOT less definition than the kit Stuka panel, or the 1/24 Hurricane as well. Shown is the stock piece (cut from the upper half), the clear piece, and a piece of evergreen plastic that will be used to make a new panel:
Needing to make it the same shape and size, I used a piece of masking tape on the flat back of the piece to cut into a template:
This was then applied to the piece of evergreen, and cut:
And here is the new piece with the old piece above it:
Once it was painted with Euro Gray for the right look, it was hit with a light "brushing" of 80% pastel chalk, and dull coated:
This is the piece after all 20 parts from the Eduard instrument bezels compared to the stock piece with the clear inserted piece:
The same thing was repeated with the upper portion, and a bit of modified waldrons ammo counters added as well:
These two parts were then joined together using a piece of scrap evergreen plastic, and glued into place into the upper hood where it should go:
Then the upper two portions of the engine bay where the nose guns will go were glued in:
What's next is building in the wiring, electrical and other parts from the LH and RH consoles, the rudder pedals, and the Revi gunsight. Add in the throttle control and the foot control before that, and the cockpit is completely done. That hopefully can be done tomorrow and Tuesday night. Wednesday and Thursday if everything goes according to plan will have the flat deck behind the pilots seat (under the canopy) finished, as well as any other items from the inside. Only time will tell, but I really do think that this one can be finished for the 31st of March.
Thanks for looking!
Mark.