CANicoll

Chuck,
 
This is such and amazing build and it was fun to follow along with, in the WIP thread. One of the most "off the cool charts" models I've seen in a long time!
 
John

After 14 months and hundreds of hours, this replica of “Marge†is finally finished.  For information on how I assembled this project, I have a build thread here:

1/32 Trumpeter P-38L, "Kicked Up A Notch"


I have always wanted to build the iconic twin boom “Fork Tailed Devil†P-38 Lightning fighter of WW-II.  I prefer the larger 1/32 scale for all my builds and there are currently only two choices of this aircraft at this scale from both Revell and Trumpeter.  I heard that the 2011 Trumpeter kit was better than the much older Revell offering, but having recently built the 2001 release of the Trumpeter A-10A kit in 1/32 scale,  I was very apprehensive to use this kit due to the many difficulties encountered in that project.  Thankfully, I found that Trumpeter has come a long way in improving their products during these 10 years, but this kit still has a number of big challenges to overcome if you want the model to look both well-constructed and fairly accurate.
 
The other thing I have always wanted to try is to build a “restored bird†with a clean Bare Metal Finish (BMF).  My aircraft builds are usually fairly weathered, to replicate how they looked in the field or runway during a war or heavy use.  Besides making the aircraft look more realistic, weathering can also hide small flaws in the paint finish or construction.  A BMF hides nothing!  As a matter of fact, on a very smooth and shiny metallic surface, every tiny flaw will be magnified, so extra care must be given to both the model construction and the painting to eliminate as many flaws as possible.
The subject for this build brings the two wishes together in Major Richard Bong's “Margeâ€, as it appears at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh Wisconsin.  Major Bong was a member of the Army Air Forces in World War II, a Medal of Honor recipient and was referred to as the “Ace of Acesâ€, having shot down at least 40 confirmed Japanese aircraft, all while flying a Lockheed Lightning P-38J fighter.  This P-38 is actually Serial # 44-53087, which is a later P-38L, although it has the markings of one of the P38J's that Major Bong flew during the war, Serial # 42-103993, which has 25 of his kills recognized.  At the nearby Richard Bong Veterans Historical Center in Superior Wisconsin, there is another P-38L, Serial # 44-53236, which has the same markings as #42-10993, but the entire fuselage is painted aluminum which I find much less interesting to look at – or model.  The nose art on both of these aircraft has the image of Major Bong's girlfriend at the time and later wife, Marjorie Vattendahl, hence the name “Marge†beside her image.

I like to use a lot of aftermarket products in my builds to improve the quality of the finished model and this build was no exception.  Besides the Trumpeter P-38L kit (#02227), I used the following products to “kick it up a notchâ€:

1. Cutting Edge resin cockpit set (CEC32159)
2. HGW Webgarden P-51D cloth seatbelts (which are the same for the P-38)
3. Scale Aircraft Conversions metal landing gear (scissor links only)
4. Masterdetails resin supercharger
5. Grey Matters corrected props (GMAJR3217)
6. Aires resin wheels and vinyl masks (2105)
7. Eduard Exterior photoetch brass (32126)
8. Eduard undercarriage photoetch brass (32134)
9. Profimodeler brass gun set (32138)
10. Pyn-Up decals (PYN32001)
11. StencilPal vinyl canopy paint masks (SP 32031)
12. Airscale instrument panel decal
 
 
Now the pics......

Thanks for the comments guys!
 
So I got to thinking....I want to take this to Seattle for a show in a couple weeks. This thing is very fragile with lots of things (13 gun barrels!!) sticking out that break off very easily (ask me how I know   ) How do I transport something like this? Well, laying awake pondering this, a custom box is what came to mind. So, when I created the display base, I made it so that it was the bottom of a box. I made 4 walls that could be removed and a lid that slides into place. The box measures 33x33x12 and fits perfectly in the trunk of my wife's car.
 
Have a look and let me know what you think:
 
I made a cradle to keep her off her legs during transit.

 
The sides are held on with 8-32 thumb screws

 

 

 
She fits perfectly!

 
I used velcro to hold down the wings and rear fuse.

 

 

 
All closed up! I hope she's nice and protected in there.

 
 

Hello! Thanks for looking! This model has been an epic build. I don't think that I am a slow builder, yet I figure I have well over 400 hours in this amazing model. Every Eduard photo etch set was used in the build except for the flaps. I used the Profimodeller landing gear as well as Brassin wheels. KitsWorld stencils and Zotz decals were used for markings. Both are excellent products and laid down very nicely. 
 
The Alclad paint went on very nicely and, to my eye, it looks very much like an aluminum aircraft.

 

 

 

 

 

 
 

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local/World-War-II-Era-P-51-Mustang-Makes-Belly-Landing-at-Dallas-Executive-Airport-367529111.html

Looks amazing and the photography work, esp the outside pics, really make it stand out.  Nice job and thanks for sharing!!

*** UPDATE ***
 
... And one last update, before the final fotos for the gallery could be made  
 
The stairways are finished, painted and mounted. Also some further add-on parts on the maindeck. The flaggs (fabric) are formed with white-glue and water mix, then glued to the masts with super glue.
 
The display was painted in palisander and clear coat.... then the name plates follow on both sides.
 
Generally speaking - that's it..... most of the work is done, just some reworks to be done, which I will note during the next days I think ..  
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Cheers
Micha
 

I had no idea one could do what you have done to a ship model.  What you have done here, and elsewhere, is spectacular in the extreme.  Masterful.
 
Sincerely,
Mark

What a beautiful model mate!
Amazing!
Cheers
Alan

Apologies to Anders as it was brought up that his beautiful 190 was missed in the GB gallery.
 
Hasegawa 190D-9 big tail as a swedish J 26 
Its Anders and his beautiful Swedish J26 Fw-190 - Great work Anders!
 
 

And in case any of us who didn't finish one build don't feel bad enough already... Russ has finished another entry. In four days.
 
This one being a Bf-109K with a fictional scheme that looks fantastic!
 

Russ has recently finished his early Mustang from the Hobbycraft kit with the fictitious name of "Flung Dung". (snicker..)
 
Great work as always!
 
In progress here.
 

Kev (LSP_Kevin) has just completed his 21st Century Macchi complete with smoke rings and it looks awesome! He knocked it out with almost Russ-like speed as well.
 
In progress here!
 

Don't know how I missed this, but here is my completed build. The Hobby Boss IL2-M3. The WIP thread can be found, here: http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=52444
 

 







 
 
 

Looks good. It's definitely fun to take these less than ideal kits that are languishing in our stashes and have some fun with them.
 
I turned my Dragon P-51 into a CHP pursuit special.
 
Carl

Having the Dragon P-51D kit in my stash for quite a while and I wanted to build something fun so bought a set of KitsWorld Flying Tigers decals for a 1/32 P-40 to see if I could put the two together.  Decided on Chuck Older's aircraft as it had a distinctive blue mouth that I liked.
 

 
The building didn't quite go as planned, and I ended up with a lot of fit issues, but all in all, it was still something fun to try.  The decals, especially the sharksmouth, actually fit very well on the P-51.  The Camo was done using blue-tac, with Model Master Acrylics providing the colors.  MM gloss to seal the decals, then clear flat.
 

 

 
The decals went on fine, and especially around the nose which only needed a bit of paint touch up on the blue in the mouth.
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
This was very much a quick build, so was not as concerned  with various details as much as just getting it together to see how it would look in the AVG colors.  Something fun to do!
 
 

I've discovered a new technique I've used a couple of time with great success.
Get yourself some 1/64th chart/graph tape.  Outline the edge of the glass with it.  Lay Tamiya tape over the panel and burnish down over the chart tape.  Trim the Tamiya tape with a new #11 blade and peel off the excess. 
When I tried just using Tamiya tape direct I was having troubles finding the edge on softer details and it seems to trim much easier being held up off the surface of the canopy with the chart tape.
 
If you use yellow chart tape, it stands out real good behind the yellow Tamiya tape, and you can use it later as the yellow sealant you see on some canopies.
 
EDIT:  I just watched Paul's video on canopy masking.  I see one very big error I have been making.  I've been using the #11 blade and could not trim correctly because I could not see where I was going.  I'll have to get me some of the curved blades he demonstrated and use the push method.
I have tried the Bare-Metal Foil trick and had the issues of the wrong blade, and getting the foil back off the plastic.  I'll have to play around with this method some more now that I see proper techniques. 

You can use GOO GONE it won't harm the plastic or the paint enamel or arcyic use a Q-tip to clean up the gunk.
 
Paul

Hi,
 
My name is Richie and I love the smell of burnt kerosene.
 
Having spent many hours viewing the absolute masterpieces on this site and trying to hoover up as much inspiration as I can, I've decided to take the plunge and commit my effort to the wider community in an attempt to improve my game. As way of background I suffer from:
 
    a -  an over-ambitious build programme that would require the invention of time travel to complete my collection.
    b -  a lack of resistance to nice new shiny decals (that adds to the first issue).
    c -  an inability to recognise that OOB is just fine in most cases.
    d -  the view that 50 Shades of Grey is the epitome of panel weathering.
    e -  a lack of sufficient minutes in the day to fit everything in (work, family, plastic fettling etc)
 
I am also an Optimistic 80%er. By that I mean I will endeavour to add detail/changes when it makes a noticeable difference but lack of skills / patience may ultimately limit my AMS ambition to a level of ‘Good Enough'.
 
And so to the challenge, a 1/32 Revell F-4E.
 

 
This is going to be only my 2nd 1/32 effort, the first being a Revell Hawk T1, but my first on-line build. Not entirely sure of the markings yet but it will probably be an early USAFE bird in Vietnam c/s. True to form I have acquired more aftermarket stuff than I really need including:
 
-          GT Resin Intakes and Exhausts
-          SH replacement nose
-          CE Aim 9J/P
-          Legend F-4E Cockpit
-          Eduard PE
-          Master Details Pilot figure
-          Master Pitot Probes
 
As if first night nerves wasn't enough, it will also be the first time I have used a lot of this stuff and just to make it more interesting I'm going to put her in flight and light her up. This may get ugly. For those who like their builds quick and dirty, sorry but this is going to be a slow burn (but probably dirty!). Very happy for comments, suggestions, advice etc but don't be offended if I do something different or not quite true to life, as they say art is in the eye of the beholder. Oh, and as a cautionary tale to others I will also be keeping an catalogue of errors of all the mistakes I make. Lets hope it stays in double figures!
 
Game on.

I think longevity depends a lot on how you use your abrasives. I use needle files and rifflers to remove heavy stuff. They're very easy to clean - just use a wire brush. Next, I use cheap nail sanders. You can find those in the beauty section just about anywhere.
 
For large areas, I always start with 400 grit wet/dry sand paper. A pack of five sheets will last a long time. I also have a set of foam sanding sticks that I bought off LSP about 12 years ago. (I want to think they were from MasterCasters, but I don't see them on their website. MDC sells a set that looks very similar.) I remove very little material with them, and they don't go anywhere near white metal. They're great for near-final finishing of large airframe/wing surfaces. I think I rinsed a couple of them out about 5 years ago. I finish with polishing cloths. 
 
Something I learned as a toolmaker's apprentice years ago:
 
Saw, mill, file, grind, polish. Don't try to remove too much material with something designed to remove only a little. If you keep to that, your abrasives should last a long time.

Feeling invincible (COMPLETELY tongue in cheek!) on the heels of finally completing my Tamiya Big Beautiful Doll I thought I'd drag out an old Dragon 1/32 P-51D kit, and what better than to do a 'what if' Claire Chennault had P-51Ds available for the Flying Tigers?    I have the KitsWorld decal set for the Flying Tigers so am going to do Chuck Older's plane.  Unfortunately, could not get my act together fast enough to finish before the end of the year.
 
Recognizing right away the big difference between the two kits, my invincibility cloak fast hit the floor.  Doing a 'quick build' I did the bare minimum engine build since I have no plans to open up the front and ignored the ammo bins for the wings.  SOOOO closed up the fuselage, and nothing fit right.  The cockpit is skewed about 2mm to one side (not sitting centered), and I had to work the engine/framing to close up the nose.  No idea what was going on there.  Finally got it closed.
 
While distracted on the fuselage, I closed up the wings and was getting ready to dry fit the wings to the fuselage when I noticed the wheel well sitting in the box.   Yep: closed up the wings and didn't get the wheel wells in there.  Wings were dry.  Sigh.  So now its 'in flight'.  Side note, the undercarriage parts do not fit the wing openings very well anyway.  Dragon vs Tamiya I guess.
 
Using the Model Master Acrylics, on top using Dark Earth applied irregularly with camo provided RAF Dark Green again in a mottled application as would befit and AVG aircraft.  Underneath, went with a Luftwaffe sky blue. Why not? 
 

 
 
Would love to tell you that I did pre-shading underneath, but actually just worked the airbrush to darker and lighter shades.  Worked really well on the Dragon plastic.
 

 
I'm sure it was me, but the fit of the wings to the fuselage was terrible  HUGE wing root gaps and under the nose is a gap as well.
 
So thought I would try a technique I've seen a lot of people use, but I have never tried.  Using modelers clay to outline the camo.  I used to use masks, but this promised to be a lot easier.  It was, but still had some problems.
 

 
Worked pretty well, and the patterns were pretty easy to apply.
 

 
Added bonus is they are so easy to take off the minute I'm done painting.  
 

 
The only problem I ran into is what looks like a residue is left over.  After I'm sure everything is dry, I'll give it a wash and see what's up.  Any suggestions or thoughts?
 
After it is all dry, then a clear coat and ready for the decals.  Can't wait!
 

I did a fairly extensive review of the new Xtreme Metal from AK Interactive a little while back:
 
http://www.largescaleplanes.com/reviews/review.php?rid=1510
 
To summarise my experiences, it's a great product, and if you leave it to dry/cure for 24 hours, will take masking without a problem. You must use it over a primer though, if you intend to mask it. Underlying colours have no effect on the resultant hue.
 
Having said all that, my favourite metallic paints for robustness and utility are still Tamiya's AS and TS ranges of rattle can silvers.
 
Kev

I have tried 3 aluminum paint types to date - Testors Metalizers, SnJ Spray Metal (which is not made anymore), and now Alclad II. Both the Testors and the SNJ were "buffing" style metallics, and both yielded extremely nice finishes whether left matte or polished. However, clearcoating over with gloss on the polished finishes tended to mess up the shine some, which led me to use them only for matte finishes. If left unpolished, and coated with matte clear, they both looked awesome. And yes, clearcoating over them is critical before you mask, as tape and will completely mess it up. Once you've done that, they perform very well.
 
I recently used alclad II for the first time, and am impressed so far. I used the duraluminum color over Tamiya Fine Gray primer for the areas of my Hellcat I would be chipping, covered directly (no clearcoat between) with Testors MM non-spec sea blue. I was able to chip the blue enamel paint off the alclad by scrubbing it with a toothbrush and window cleaner without harming the alclad in any way. I also experimented with using tape to pull off some of the blue, which also worked without harming the alclad. So, in a nutshell, I have had no adhesion problems at all so far, though I will grant that my experience is very limited.
 
I would very much like to try the Gunze or AK paints.
 
So, if you can't get Alclad up there, I'd take a crack at Gunze or AK if you can find them, which is unlikely in the retail setting. If the Testors Metalizers are the only thing available, give them a shot, especially if you are doing a matte finish or using them as base to chip over, but make sure to clearcoat over them before doing anything else. Good luck!!
 
Tim

Hmm, yeah forgot to mention that in the posting.
 
The oil lines were made of 0.5mm soldering tin.
 
Markus