miamiangler

The top drawing book only gives exterior drawings nothing interior except dashboard . Has some nice decals The book you want is Ar 196 #45 3045 from the same company Kagrero. gives the interior truss layout which Revell got all wrong and float layout s of the different variants. The compartment on top in the rear is for the main Compass (mother compass). Willi

What I saw in both kits and I went back and forth a couple of times looking at both kits . Since both vendors were in the same room . It was the detail in the ZM kit . To me there`s more bang for the buck ! the engines alone are a model by itself . all the panels open up and the interior detail is very nice .I did pre oder the ZM kit at the show . Willi

Hi Brian , I agree with you , Most wont spend the 100 dollars more and I normally would go with the cheaper version but after seeing both side by side I was not impressed by the Revell kit .As side note If Eduard does come out with a Big Ed PE set for the 219 it probably cost around 100 bucks ! Willi

I have seen both 219`s Revell and ZM at the Orlando IPMS Nationals , The ZM is the way to go ! I was talking with the rep and the price will be around $160 US for the ZM. Are there going to be any other decal sheets made with G9+TH WorkNr.290123 Willi

Hi Shawn Thanks for your comment . The pressure pot did the trick I finally got a few sets of canopies without the tiny bubbles in them .It`s been about 15y ears since I did any mold making and pouring resin .I`m kind of rusty at doing that sort of stuff! It`s going to be next week till I do anything with the canopies the resin has to cure for a few days . Shawn PM Sent Willi

Hi guy`s , Still working on the canopies . The clear resin is not as easy to work with ! I made a two piece mold which seems to work much better I am using an RTV rubber sold in Perl`s Art supply that is much easier to use and is cheaper by volume . Smooth-On OOMOO30 Tin-Cure Silicone Rubber www.smooth-on.com . I am hoping to have parts done by this week .I am using a pressure pot to cure the small bubble problem ! Willi

Wow I like those covers ,Fantastic ! Would be cool to make resin copies ! Willi

Thanks Maarten, This project is on hold for now .I want to finish the Ar196 first and a WW1 project on Swanny`s .com . then I will resume work on the engine ! Willi

I used Testors decal paper and decal bonder spray for making the Unit badges . This is one of the Ar 196`s I am thinking of doing . There are 9 Ar196 that where with the 2.SAGr/125 In the fall 1943 7R+AK,7R+BK,7R+CK,7R+IK,7R+GK,7R+HK,7R+MK. I might not get much done this weekend it all depends on which way Issac is heading . Thanks Willi

Vaughn , Like the cool subject ! Nice work . Willi

Thanks for all of your comments guy`s . Well Apreciated So far the canopies I have casted seem to be O.K. Next Time A better way is to make a two part mold ! I have a hard time getting the pieces out of the mold . I wont get to many copies this way .So far I have 4 fronts and 0 backs . I also found out that the very thin resin parts are very heat sensative ! even with just holding it in your hands! I am hoping that when the resin fully cures in a week I wont have that problem . I made decals of the Unit badges and I am in the process of putting the decals on the Ar196 hatches tonite .Thanks to Florin13 for his Info on how he printed his decals I gave it a try . Photos will follow soon . Thanks again for everyones comments , Willi

Hi Peter , The canopies from HpH where not to my liking . There were some blemishes on them . I figured I might just try casting a few rather having HpH sent new ones . this way I kill two birds with one stone . I`ll have canopies for the Revell and HpH .BTW the HpH canopies are much better then the Revell.Especally the rear canopy! After the resin cures for a week I would dip them in future for clearer glass:) . I`m just having a hell of a time With the Alumilite resin.It has to be right on for the mixture or else it does not harden correctly:( .4 tries so far ! Willi

The last few days I have not worked on the model but have been making molds for the canopy . I took some photos of the process : Here I built a box using LEGO blocks and covered some sheet plastic with modeling clay You center the part you want to mold to the center. the block on the bottom of the canopy is going to be the top of the mold and the block which will be cut away after is also the area for pouring the resin . This is how it will look before adding the RTV rubber.Leave a 1/4 inch around the part .More then that you will be wasting the RTV rubber .It`s not cheap ! This is with the RTV rubber poured in to the mold. The top in the photo is the bottom of the mold . Also important is to press down on the Legos into the modeling clay and seal the base of the mold with the clay or you will spring some leaks ! To get rid of air bubbles I used a pressure pot. Here`s the mold with the Lego`s removed and also removed the pattern and tried a few casts. Here is the first part from the mold:) PART ON THE RIGHT Tonight I`ll be working on the unit shield decal. Thanks for looking, Willi

Over the weekend I added the colors to the bottom of the wings and most of the other parts . All in all I think it came out O.K . all that is left is washes and decals . the next half of the week I will work on the top wing colors . Sunday I went to one of the local hobby shops and picked up Alumilite WATER CLEAR and Quick set RTV .I still dont like how the Revell clear parts look .So as an Experiment I will cast the clear parts from the HpH Arado 196 and if all come out as expected the parts that I cast will go onto the Revell Arado . I have cast regular parts before but this will be my first try with the clear stuff.I`m keeping my fingers crossed on this part forsure ! Thanks , Willi

Peter Awesome A/C nice paint job ! Willi

Today I started with adding color to the bottom of the wing . First I preshaded with black omn the panel lines and dark gray on the areas where there are rivets . Using narrow strips of tape covered all the areas and sprayed the area white where the yello will be and different shades of blue where RLM 65 will be . It looks ugly now but after a few light coats of paint it should look fine .I`m keeping my fingers crossed . Thanks Peter and Jim for your kind remarks. Cheers, Willi

Florin This is one of my favorate American A/C . Great job so far . I`ll be watching this one . How do you make your home made decals ? I need to do a unit badge for my Ar196 . Willi

I got most of the work done on both wings by adding some rivet and screw holes . I added some dark grey oil wash and getting ready to start pre-shading the wings . Here`s the after shot of the flaps and alerons : This is the Unit Emblem I would like to use on My A/C The two A/C that wore that Emblem where 7R+BK & 7R+CK. If anyone knows who can print decals for this Emblem in 1/32 scale it would be great to know Thanks in advance . Thanks more to come soon Willi

Hi Alan , I agree with you .The photo is the before shot . Hope tonight I`ll get a photo of the after shot . Thanks . Willi

I think is looks nice , I would take a break from it for a few days and then try fixing it again . Might have to make a jig to set the wings then put the struts in place . I would start with the centers first . HtH Willi

Thanks Jeroen, I t`s too late to fix mine but check the tail on the Revell. If you have the Topdrawings #14 you will see the Revell tail is a little short in the width. Willi

Kevin , Is your A/C the Roden Fokker DVII ? I just cant wait to get the wings on my Lloyd time will tell . WIlli

Hi Alan , With the clear parts . Before you sand the tabs down it is better to cover all the parts with masking tape .That way you dont put more dlemishes on the clear areas . Then you very carefully sand the tabs down as far as you can and replace any tape that gets damaged. When you are satisfied with the way the clear parts look I would then use lots of water and a polishing stick. You may have to do it a few times ! Before you use the CA to fill the holes the parts have to be dipped in future . Then be careful with the CA . I did mess up one set already . I would order a set from Revell just to be on the safe side !Gluing the parts with future works but it is not too strong .HTH Willi Well I got some work done on the flaps and alerons by putting the lightining holes on the parts. Tonight I will add some rivet holes to the wings in some places since I didn not rivet the whole plane I`ll just do the hatchs and things . Thanks , Willi

Hi Tomek, Very nice .Well done ! Willi

I got all the glass on the Ar 196 . Glad thats over . The only tab that still shows alittle is the one on the rear windscreen .If I can get another set I might try fixing it again . I will be using the decals from the HPH kit and do 7R+BK from the 2./SAGr 125 Crete ,1941 the shield that comes with the kit is a double seahorse.There is one photo I found in the Kagero book #45 page 40 with the A/C in which the seahorse shield was used .Then there is a shield with an Albatros and lion on the same A/C in 1942 Athens ,Greece. I like that shield the best but there`s no decals for that scheme .If anyone knows away I can get that shield made it would be much appreciated. Thanks , Willi