CANicoll

Hi everybody,
after my Focke Wulf Fw 190 F-8 based in Piacenza, Italy in June1944, I wanted to replicate a bird still based in Italy during WW2, but fighting for the Allies and remembering the nice movie dedicated to Red Tails, I choosed Creamer's Dream, one plane belonging to 332nd AAFFG based in Ramitelli in March 1945
 

 
So firstly I dedicated my attention to the cockpit, here some pictures:
 

 
Then I worked on wings and landing gear bays.
 


 
I hope you like the above.
More to follow soon.
Alberto
 
 
 

Final air frame panting finished tonight with the black undersides finishes, I ended up using a heavy black pre-shade followed by lots of very diluted thin coats of Tamiya Nato Black and this is my results's.......
 

 

 

 
Really happy with how the paint shop went after the trials of the build at times.........next up the best part for me........decals........
 
Regards. Andy

Thank you for your support Peter, Ron,........Anthony I am definitely sticking with this build after all the trials and tribulations.......some self inflicted ( note to self to follow destruction booklet a little more closely) and some caused by of the shelf modelling materials but as always we live and learn in this hobby.
 
Anyway after some very careful repair work this afternoon including re-attaching thr whole starboard U/C strut's followed by all of the loose damaged cross members I have ended up with this
 

 
And the U/C feels pretty sturdy now thank goodness and I think will bear the kits weight very nicely which is surprising after all my issue's.....
 

 
 I have a little "tow in" going on which is not evident on these pics but to be honest I don't really care as I now have a nice solid set of legs for her to stand on which at times I thought wouldn't happen and end the build so all in all very, very happy with today's work and a great save......even better my airbrush had a full strip and ultra-sonic bath clean as it was fully s@*t up to the eye balls in readiness for some major spray work for the build.....very happy indeed with today's bench time.
 
Regards. Andy

Hi Andy,
 
No, it's definitely *not* you!
 
Try putting some white spirit/thinners in a plastic cup and see what happens! 
 
And beautiful recovery - have had so many similar things go wrong that have had me put the project to one side and not get back to 
 
I'm quite converted to using acrylics for detail washes like these - and I find the Xtracrylix thins and 'collects' beautifully - this 'pit was done that way:
 

 

 
On with the Mozzie - we like Mozzies! 
 
Iain

With a bit of trepidation it was time to slide the assembled cockpit into the forward fuselage moulding and I have to say it was a pretty tight squeeze, with some trimming required of the outer cockpit side walls to get it to fit and even then I needed to apply some fairly heavy force to get it in but with a few nasty sounding creaks/ cracking sounds it was in...........luckily with no damage.........Now I don't know if I got something wrong getting the side walls into place but I wasn't expecting such a tight squeeze.
 

 
I moved away from the instructions a little by fitting the cockpit rear deck now rather than adding it to the top of the wing as I have seen on other builds a nasty gap with the bulkhead seems to appear
 

 
Very happy with the overall look of the cockpit but for me personally I much prefer the age old tried and tested method of separate fuselage halves.
 
Regards. Andy

Not had very much time at the bench over the last couple of weeks but managed to get all the cockpit sub assemblies finished ready for fitting together.
 

 

 

 

 
As ever your comments/ criticism are always welcome.
 
Regards. Andy

Well here's the final piece of the Profi set which is the canopy frame details
 

 
And here is a shot of what you get for your money at around £24.oo GBP........not cheap at all but its a great set and I really like the resin parts in particular
 

 
 
Thanks for looking guys. Regards. Andy

Nearly there with the Profi update set now, rear upper deck detailed this afternoon
 

 
Also squeezed what I cold into the forward fuse and this for me no matter how beautiful the moulding is is where HK fall down with this concept........adding detail to this is very difficult and then painting it properly.......well lets see. The time honored fuselage halves are definitely the way forward still after all these years it would seem.
 

 
Thanks for looking and as always both your comments and criticism are always very welcome.
 
Regards. Andy

I take this a graphite stick
 
same treatment
 

 
by against this coup will not peinceau c is the doigth intervenes
 

 
I rub the exhaust with the said finger
 

 
I will return with the same instrument prescision to give final reflection
 

 
remains only as luster quickly with a soft cloth
 
 here is
 

 

 
b 17 on there as it gives more detail this
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
I hope you'll help

I show you my way of life has done to give the patina of my exhaust
 
for that you need
 
 
graphite batonnet
 
ocher pastel battonnet also
 
the same powder are also very well
 
everything is in the shop of art easily
 
 

 
 
must be an old paintbrush
 
ca and a finger that easily in the hand (personally I 10 is constantly on me)
 
 
and 10 minutes in front of you
 
 
 
to start I painted the exhaust with black MATT
 

 
I sand the stick to make ocher powder coats the ponpon I rest my brush
 

 
I apply the powder in the corner to the manner of rubbing a juice
 
matt paint takes on the important fact be slightly grainy what allows good grip pigments
 

This is why Archer Transfers guarantees their products. If they don't work, you can return them for "fresh" ones.

I've experienced the same thing many times! My solution is to "thin" Microsol with distilled water to lessen its potency on decals that might react severely to undiluted Microsol. I "thin" it in 1:1, 1:2, & 1:3 ratios (Microsol:distilled water).
I then do a test run on decals from the exact same sheet (one's you won't be using!) utilizing each of the three ratios. I then go with the strongest ratio that does not cause permanent wrinkling and still gets the decal down. You'd be amazed at how much variation there is in sensitivity to Microsol there is on decals, even from the same brand! So you need to test each specific sheet. Since I started using this method, I have not had any decal disasters!

This 'hot compress' approach actually does work, and I've used it before a few times. Before trying that, though, try a hairdryer set to a low setting, Nicolas. As long as they're not resin wheels, it shouldn't affect the part itself. You can also use it in conjunction with a cotton bud to help smooth out the wrinkles. Use a rolling motion, rather than a rubbing or dabbing one.
 
Kev

Part II:
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
It's also BIG - the He 111 is considerably larger than I had anticipated (span of just over 74ft) and not much smaller than a B-17. Make sure you leave plenty of shelf space!
 
Tom

I'd really like to do a 361st ship in 1:32 - I've already done a couple in 1:48.  Not least because Bottisham is not that far from me.  Trouble is, everyone does that ship and I usually like to do something a little different.  The two I've done were "Queen Jean" (a C) and "Ferocious Frankie" (early filletless D).
 
Couldn't find suitable decals (showing jaywalkers, mad cyclists, ... )

Too funny and wayy too cool too!  This just means you have to do a P-51D in the same colors just as a joke.  Thanks for sharing!

I don't think I've posted this here before, if I have my apologies.
 
I don't usually build cars, but I couldn't resist the price in this in my local Hobbycraft a few years ago.  I've never owned a classic car, but if I had the money and inclination, I'd be very tempted by a Ford Mustang.  And of course, in my fantasy world, I'd also have the money to have a custom paint job and a bespoke registration.  Here's Revell's 64 1/2 Mustang in a scheme you may have seen elsewhere ...
 

 

 

 
Thanks for looking.
 
[Edit for typo]

Excellent job!  Paint looks flawless and the colors are excellent.  Beautiful work!

Mosquito IV
P-51B/C

If new tool: P-51B/C
If re-tool: F4U-4

Let's go out on a limb (since I've not browsed all 17 pages of comments here!) and say that Tamiya is going to put HKM to shame and put out an super-accurate and detailed 1/32 B-17G with staggered waist windows.  It will have a mid-section swap and nose option to create a B-17F from the same kit.  Cheyenne turrets too.  
I can dream, right?

Long overdue posting here, apologies, but finally took a few final pictures.  Also put BBD up on the stand as well.  This is my first large-scale build having built almost exclusively in 1/48 and starting with the Tamiya P-51D was quite a treat.
 
This is not quite an OOB build, using some Photoetch from Eduard in the engine compartment (and conveniently covered up, UGH!) and the cockpit (ditto - using the pilot figure was probably not my brightest idea ever).  The HGW Seatbelts were not easy to get together - for me anyway - but really look good in this scale compared to the nightmare they were in 1/48!.  The decals are a combination of Zotz checkers for the nose, Big Beautiful Doll and the wingtips checkers are from Eagle Cal and the rest from the kit itself.
 
The paints are mostly acrylics - Tamiya TS-12 on the fuselage for example and Model Master, and the exhaust area is Model Master Metalizer.  I have a lot of bottles of it from a long time ago, but it seems to keep well and I recently figured out a new venting system for my paint booth so I can actually paint with the aromatic metalizers and enamels now without smelling up the house.
 
If you followed along the build thread you know about the issues with the nose checkers and other fun I had with this terrific kit.  
http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=56418&hl=
 

 

 
Apologies - I am totally off on the white balance - I'll have to reshoot.

 
 
The nose is two decals - the Zotz decals fit the Tamiya nose nearly perfectly.  The nose cone/prop assembly is not overly tight so does pull away some from the fuselage.
 

 

 
The Zotz decals require a white band to be painted around the first row of checkers, careful matching the white.
 
 

 
I don't usually have the plane mounted on the stand, and I'm not entirely thrilled with the fit of the panel that replaces the landing gear, but BBD does look good in flight.  

 

 
As much detail as went into the engine bay, unless you take off all the panels much of it is hidden.  I didn't super detail the topside of the engine and now regretting it.  Also seeing that I'll need to be doing some weathering around the exhaust stacks.

 
But one of my favorite items in the kit really are the figures.  I love the pilot, and hope to do a mini-diorama sometime.
 

Let's go out on a limb (since I've not browsed all 17 pages of comments here!) and say that Tamiya is going to put HKM to shame and put out an super-accurate and detailed 1/32 B-17G with staggered waist windows.  It will have a mid-section swap and nose option to create a B-17F from the same kit.  Cheyenne turrets too.  
I can dream, right?

Long overdue posting here, apologies, but finally took a few final pictures.  Also put BBD up on the stand as well.  This is my first large-scale build having built almost exclusively in 1/48 and starting with the Tamiya P-51D was quite a treat.
 
This is not quite an OOB build, using some Photoetch from Eduard in the engine compartment (and conveniently covered up, UGH!) and the cockpit (ditto - using the pilot figure was probably not my brightest idea ever).  The HGW Seatbelts were not easy to get together - for me anyway - but really look good in this scale compared to the nightmare they were in 1/48!.  The decals are a combination of Zotz checkers for the nose, Big Beautiful Doll and the wingtips checkers are from Eagle Cal and the rest from the kit itself.
 
The paints are mostly acrylics - Tamiya TS-12 on the fuselage for example and Model Master, and the exhaust area is Model Master Metalizer.  I have a lot of bottles of it from a long time ago, but it seems to keep well and I recently figured out a new venting system for my paint booth so I can actually paint with the aromatic metalizers and enamels now without smelling up the house.
 
If you followed along the build thread you know about the issues with the nose checkers and other fun I had with this terrific kit.  
http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=56418&hl=
 

 

 
Apologies - I am totally off on the white balance - I'll have to reshoot.

 
 
The nose is two decals - the Zotz decals fit the Tamiya nose nearly perfectly.  The nose cone/prop assembly is not overly tight so does pull away some from the fuselage.
 

 

 
The Zotz decals require a white band to be painted around the first row of checkers, careful matching the white.
 
 

 
I don't usually have the plane mounted on the stand, and I'm not entirely thrilled with the fit of the panel that replaces the landing gear, but BBD does look good in flight.  

 

 
As much detail as went into the engine bay, unless you take off all the panels much of it is hidden.  I didn't super detail the topside of the engine and now regretting it.  Also seeing that I'll need to be doing some weathering around the exhaust stacks.

 
But one of my favorite items in the kit really are the figures.  I love the pilot, and hope to do a mini-diorama sometime.
 

Long overdue posting here, apologies, but finally took a few final pictures.  Also put BBD up on the stand as well.  This is my first large-scale build having built almost exclusively in 1/48 and starting with the Tamiya P-51D was quite a treat.
 
This is not quite an OOB build, using some Photoetch from Eduard in the engine compartment (and conveniently covered up, UGH!) and the cockpit (ditto - using the pilot figure was probably not my brightest idea ever).  The HGW Seatbelts were not easy to get together - for me anyway - but really look good in this scale compared to the nightmare they were in 1/48!.  The decals are a combination of Zotz checkers for the nose, Big Beautiful Doll and the wingtips checkers are from Eagle Cal and the rest from the kit itself.
 
The paints are mostly acrylics - Tamiya TS-12 on the fuselage for example and Model Master, and the exhaust area is Model Master Metalizer.  I have a lot of bottles of it from a long time ago, but it seems to keep well and I recently figured out a new venting system for my paint booth so I can actually paint with the aromatic metalizers and enamels now without smelling up the house.
 
If you followed along the build thread you know about the issues with the nose checkers and other fun I had with this terrific kit.  
http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=56418&hl=
 

 

 
Apologies - I am totally off on the white balance - I'll have to reshoot.

 
 
The nose is two decals - the Zotz decals fit the Tamiya nose nearly perfectly.  The nose cone/prop assembly is not overly tight so does pull away some from the fuselage.
 

 

 
The Zotz decals require a white band to be painted around the first row of checkers, careful matching the white.
 
 

 
I don't usually have the plane mounted on the stand, and I'm not entirely thrilled with the fit of the panel that replaces the landing gear, but BBD does look good in flight.  

 

 
As much detail as went into the engine bay, unless you take off all the panels much of it is hidden.  I didn't super detail the topside of the engine and now regretting it.  Also seeing that I'll need to be doing some weathering around the exhaust stacks.

 
But one of my favorite items in the kit really are the figures.  I love the pilot, and hope to do a mini-diorama sometime.