quang

Even the top-two contenders (T and ZM) will find it hard to compete prize-wise.

Er… if Border release a 1/35 Kate (or any other plane) and if they keep the same quality and value they’re bringing us with their new FW190, the other 1/32 manufacturers will have it VERY hard to keep up.

I knew it all along

Lemon indeed. I didn’t have any issue with the Revell kit nor did Tolga.

I remember buying the two-seater from Frank Brown just when it was released. I was young and a bit of a daredevil. These days the vision of mating the pot metal LG to the flimsy wafer-thin plastic still haunts my nights.

“Remember ..never trust a profile without a photo.. “ sic. Troy Smith

Yet it’s harder to convert a D.501 into a D.510 (and vice-versa) than you think. Don’t ask me, I tried

When I once asked waroff about the Azur/SH offerings and the resin conversions… he rolled his eyes. Now that it’s W. himself who made the announcement some weeks ago, we must be into something good!

The Dora Wings D.510 has its pitfalls. I started one, didn’t finished it. On the other hand, this new D.520 has Waroff’s stamp of approval. That says it all

I just retrieved these 2 pics which I hope will be helpful. Note the extent of the coroguard on the wing L.E. Here’s an undistorted view of the phoenix unit emblem. Note the red shadow underlining the yellow V. I used to have loads of VNAF Skyraiders on my hard drive. Unfortunately I put my computer on retirement years ago and cannot get access to them anymore. Kind regards, Quang

The first three gray AD belonged to the 1st Sqn (Phoenix) VNAF. They came from the original ex-U.S.Navy batch delivered to the VNAF and therefore wore the coroguard as per the Navy practice. I’m not so sure about the other two and will have to check photographic evidence. Here’s an authentic BUILD by excellent modeller Triet Cam which you can use as a reference for your project. HTH Cheers, Quang

Which exact plane/scheme are you planning to do?

I’ve been in aviation museums and seen airplanes up close in my own time. I’ve also seen light reflecting on the panels and rivets gleaming under an adequate lighting. That is why I find it unfit to represent the subtle reflection effect with rows of black dots.

@dutik your pics are as close as one can be in front of an airplane. Still I can barely pick a few rivets My impression from looking at your close-up photos is that the aircraft skin is generally rather smooth. Of course you can discern a few rivets lurking here and there but nowhere like the rows of dimples which are painfully and no doubt lovingly applied on some models. Hey but that’s only me.

Thank you for the super, super SHARP photos, @dutik. The first thing that hits me is how smooth the skin on these airplanes is. Even at extremely close range, can one barely discern the rivets especially when they’re under a coat of paint. So I’m asking myself this: do all those trendy modellers wielding their Rosie-the Riveter tools see something that I don’t? Just wanna know

THIS is FW-190A6 white7 of Erwin Bacsila, second-in-command of Sturmstaffel 1. Could be the one I’m doing.

Like Andy, for a few years since I use lacquer paints over Mr Surfacer 1200 primer, I’ve no issue about paint adhesion. I never polish the plastic and even stopped washing it before painting. I only use thrift store tape for masking (never used Tamiya tape) and now don’t even bother to detack it. I have no issue with Oramask, frisket, blue tack, silly putty, liquid mask or whatever. I’d give the sprue a fine coat of primer just after I remove them from the plastic bag and off we go. HTH Quang

Indeed Matt. They give the engine mounting and a couple of pipes, not that there is much room between the engine rear and the firewall. I’d leave them off until the final assembly, or at least when the camouflage painting is finished. Most important is that the engine is securely and correctly located. Which is not often the case when you decide to show off the engine.

I’ve got this on my desk for years. Son of Regulus?

Thank you Tolga and Michael for your comments. Now comes the crucial moment of every build. How the covers fit onto the engine? This quick dry test fitting says it all: Somewhat reassured , I removed the engine and temporarily fit all the removable panels to get the model ready for the camouflage painting. Since the plane I’m modelling is one of the Sturmstaffel 1 A6 used to test the tactics against the Allied bombers, a simple modification is required, namely the 5mm (approx 10 thou. in 1/35 scale) armour plates around the cockpit. Note that these earlier fittings were made from 4 parts instead of the 3 which became standard on the A8/R8. A peculiarity of the Fw190 was that none of the panels protecting the power egg was attached to the fuselage main frame. Instead they were attached to the engine itself. It’s not a small feat for a model manufacturer to reproduce this feature. Apparently Border Models did it In the following pics, all the cowling parts are temporarily assembled using PVA glue. The engine is removed. The nine parts stick only by their flange! That’s it folks. I’m back to pot stirring because next time is painting time. Thank you for looking on and for all your comments, Cheers, Quang

Aaah

Aah, the reverse wooden clothespins. An endangered species indeed. You can still find them over here in our version of the dime store. I feel that the Border decals are their weakest link. Not as crisp and high resolution as we’ve grown to be accustomed to. They are so-so on the IP. Of course you cannot see much once the cockpit is buttoned up. Back to the build. The wings are assembled and mated to the fuselage. Rather tricky design but the fit is impressive. No need for putty except a touch on the port wing leading edge. Joins at the wing root… Note the difference between the ejection slots… The engine continues to impress me. It’s alone worth the price of admission. Here it’s being dry-fitted for testing … Thank you all for looking and your comments, Hasta la vista! Quang

Crisp and super clean as always

…especially on the parts with the corrugated skin

Perhaps not exactly a mystery but assuredly a misery