Tewika

Well done Kevin!
 
Like Alan says- it's huges!!
 
I really enjoyed this thread.
 
All the best
 
Ted

I'm Back!

Okay last few - of her zooming around my photo studio uhhhhmmmm…….. the kitchen table covered with a bed sheet! and a couple of reading lights……… uhhhhhmmmmmm!












Last one a bit of low level work



Okay quit a few pictures there. But hopefully you didn't mind. So finally and once again a real massive thanks to all who looked in and helped me get there in the end.
 
Till next time happy modelling to everyone - Taff
 

Okay I'm there, another one done ……. or as done as I'm going to do it.
Got all the bits stuck on that I had made up, aerials, booster rockets and nearly forgot the IFF aerial that I had knocked off earlier.
 
So that left the front screen wiper! Could have sworn I'd seen one in the kit….. but looked couldn't find it checked the sprue's ……. nothing.
 
So after looking at some of the builds on the web I can see there are quite a few without it? So concluded, there isn't one in the kit.
As this is quite prominent decided to scratch one up … bit brass U and some thin plastic, some paint, sorted that out. Stuck in place and she's done.
 
Next thing to sort, is some kind of base to mount her on too. Been trying to find some nice blocks of hard wood but just couldn't find anything in my locality so it was off to Wicks to buy some soft wood timber. After much rubbing and cutting got this sorted too. I had some coloured wood varnish left over from doing the windows ready for winter….. so all done!!!! Ready for the glam RFI shots - COOL

First up a big thanks to all that helped out on the journey with encouragement and advice - always a nice place to hang around and some real nice people to hang with!
BIG MASSIVE Thanks to Jack for his generosity in providing the Fire Streak missiles (my early Christmas present) - My first time of receiving such generous help from a fellow member and very much appreciated and very humbling.
 
Okay the kit - it is, what it is, a bit of a blank canvas. Could be better and would love to see it updated. Some of it just fell together ……. other bits fought me all the way. But in conclusion most of the big issues I had were of my own making.
 
Think I read on LSP somewhere, some one wrote “to do one of the older models is a great way to asses where you skills are atâ€! Well I can tell you this is very true, and I think I still have a long…….long…… and I hope fun filled road to journey yet.

Okay enough prattle lets get my R.F.I. pictures up!
First a look at her on the stand and a walk around - Note to self clean the dust off before you take the pictures - Just seems to be a dust magnet!









 

Bit of a closer look at the Twins in there ever so cosy office - all that work and you can't see much …… Ahhhhhhh well!









Okay quick break back in a mo with some more
 
Taff
 

Back again - The top

And once again she starts to fight me   The top has been a real PIA on this one. This time the MM varnish started to bubble a bit with my Artists Turps! First time this has happened to me - all I can think is perhaps there is still very fine salt crystals caught in the varnish layers? As I am wiping back they break through the seal and allow the Turps to get underneath all very frustrating! So she will be a lot dirtier than I intended as I am really not keen to push my luck so I have left far more paint on than I was intending.

Enough - pictures and the story!



My same theory for dirt colours and cleaner colours

Then smear and blend with chisel brush - things still going fine at this stage!



Started to do the clean off - still seems okay



All the light colours gone - I noticed that one of the red stripes on the trailing wing edge has started to disintegrate - hmmmm



Okay lost my pic of the dark colours going on and as I was taking the colours off that I noticed the wing surfaces starting to look a bit patchy so I have cleaned of what I could and quit whilst I was ahead!
 
Still keeping those posative vibes - but I am loosing a bit of the interest in this one........ BUT I WILL FINISH HER....... I don't have room for a S.O.D so it will get done to some end!

The worst bit was on the wing where the decal just started to disintegrate - I nearly masked these little bits of for painting - wish I had now.

Masked up



after spray retouch



I have given her a couple of sprays of the MM semi this seems to have stabilised the surfaces and looks reasonably uniformed now so I will leave it at that. not what I intended but didn't want to push my luck.

Okay now that is done and sealed I can take the canopy masking off - nearly forgot how the twins looked.

Couple of shots of where I am - a lot more dirty than I intended but okay-isn! God that is a tight cockpit!







Okay - onward next will be putting all the bits on that hang off of her - then just need to find a block of wood to make the mount from?

Till next time have fun - Taff     
 

Cheers Brian - Just been looking at the Bronco can't add any more to that - and can't wait for the next one. Oh and don't forget the Walrus still need her all finished and ship-shape
 
 
okely dokely - moved her on to the next stage - apply some grime

Got my pallet ready. Also have my sacrifice on the alter!


 
 
I am always nervous at this stage. So I tend to do an area fist - to get me back in the swing. This usually involves the bottom in someway.
 

 
This is after the first layer of light colours have been applied and wiped off. I do love that big shark grin! 

So happy with this I then went on and dotted the rest of her belly. I know it looks like random splats - but I am trying to think where the dirt would be (more browns and greys) and which parts would be cleaner…… honest
 

 
After the first part of smear and blend. I do clean the brush regularly on a slightly Turps dampend clean bit of kitchen towel. All part of removing as much of the oil paint before the big smear.
 

 
This shows up a bit clearer my thoughts on which bits would be dirtier! Always makes me nervous how many weeks work to splat paint muck all over her.

So next up lots of kitchen towel - once again ever so slightly damp with Turps. After lots of gentle wiping off the light colours are done.
 

 
I gave here a days rest then it was out with the dark colours. Usually I follow lines and stuff - but as there aren't many on her just made it up!
 

 
With the dark paint I am usually a bit more careful with the smear and wipe. The brush has a bit more Turps on it but is cleaned off more often. Then a wipe with the airflow with kitchen towel till i'm happy with what is left,

Pic of one wing done - just the rest to do
 

 
All done - might come back to add a bit more detail in areas but other wise time to give it a day or so to R&R then the top
 

 
Okay folks back in a mo with part two
 
Taff
 

Brian, Peter, Matt Kai and Loic cheers for looking in and posting. It all helps me drive this over the finishing line! Fingers Crossed

Right-e-o Up date - Some Good - Some Bad - Some ugly - Followed with I hope some advice!

First the Good - its time for some gloss ready for stickers. I was going to get masks made, I did the artwork but didn't follow it up because of the expense - need to earn it before you spend it! So this lady will get stickers.

Loaded up my airbrush with my floor polish of choice and gave her a coat. It's great with the tube up the jet pipe so easy to move around and spray. like a giant plastic lolly-pop! This first coat went down great and is the floor polishes want dried very quickly.





So I thinking, just to be safe with the gloss I would give here another coat.

The Bad - This coat was going on fine then as it dried started to go dull in patches?

The Ugly - Okay what happened? The second coat of the same gloss I had put on earlier seemed to have gone all patchy with dull bits, semi-gloss bits and - the the real ugly like crystalline effect.

here is a shot of the upper wing - it is far worse to the eye than this shot makes it look!



So I have no idea what is going on here - okay I am new to all this glossing and floor products. But all my other times of using it has been great - no hassle at all and has been pretty much bullet proof.

Okay I will try and rescue it so whilst I was rubbing back what I could, with my fine car finishing cloths, it accured to me where this my be coming from. When you look at the crystal pattern it looks like dried very fine salt! Ahhhhhhhh!!!!    So yes I did give her a scrub after, but i forgot that once all the masking was off I was going to give her a real soak. So I think there must be some salt left in the panel lines and crevices……. bugger ……… and I had got the paint just where I wanted it too! Well got to experiment all part of the learning process!

So through what I think is my own c ock-up. Unless you guys know any more? I am back to what I was trying to avoid a large monotone area of Dark Grey! Doh!

So after some rubbing and a re-spray of the bits I could - really didn't want to re-mask her it was a PIA first time. To reinforce my salt theory the underside is perfect. It has only effected the top Grey  - this is the wing areas after a lightish respray



I also went back over her with lots of water and scrubbed and scrubbed with an old tooth brush. Bit late, I think the damage is done - So Warning To Those That Want To Try Salt - Don't Forget WASHY! WASHY! and then do it again more WASHY! WASHY!!

Okay back to it. Stickers - now I have done what I can on the paint. I gave her a coat of MM Gloss this time - As Brain says lovely stuff but it did take quite a few coats to get the gloss to cover but we are there now and ready. Will have to see if I can get some of the rattle cans this side of the pond -  Brian's Bronko looked amazing all glossed up!

I had bought some Xtradecal's for the Fury, before I went all Cuban on her. So thought I would use the roundels from these as I hate trying to line up the red dots as you get in the kit decals!
Love these decals and they went on like a dream. The kit ones on the other hand……. in comparison are quite industrial! Plus the registration on the Red is not good. I did try and find some AM once but had no joy. So enough chatter pics after some hours of fight and Set and Sol got this.....







Love that toothy smile looks like the shark from Nemo - “We love fffffiiiiissshhhh!†   The top paint doesn't look to bad! Just a bit patchy in places. Have to see what I can hide with the oil's and washes.

I could do with some sage advice - The Xtradecal's are nice and shiny where's the Revel ones have a matt-ish finish to them. Just wondering how to try and blend them in - I'm thinking that you all have had far more experience with Revel decals than me. - Would you go Semi-Gloss finish or a Matt first with a Semi over the top? Any advice welcome.

Just to keep me in the positive vibes, hers a couple with the Sol finished doing its work and the tip tanks pushed on to look see!
 
You can see how far out the reg is on the red with the text on the nose!!! The don't walk aren't as bad, but looks like a bad attempt at 3D. Have to live with the wings but am tempted to just take off the nose ones - what do you think? leave on or bin them?





So apart from my paint issue starting to look pretty good to my eye. What do you think?
 
Thanks for looking in and any help or advice would be welcome - Have Fun Taff
 

Hi back with more!

This was left for a couple of days to really dry off. Then a knock back with a car finishing cloth to smooth out the surface. Next job is to mask up the nose and give it it's puppy dog nose - all black and shiny! Bit of Humbrol 85 - considering this is a Satin finish looks pretty darn glossy to me



Okay moved this to the side to dry and though I would get on with some of the little bits - The Hook, sprayed the white primer. Masked off for an undercoat of aluminium moved it over to dry and snap - bugger it caught an edge as i moved to dry. Doh!



Darn! Do I fix it now or the other choice is as I stick on the plane as it will have more support less chance of a droop out of line - but then it will be harder for me to get at it to make sure it is a clean join. It is now very early in the morning and I think I will give up for tonight and have another look at the weekend - So leave on a positive note - I'll give you a couple of pics with the masks off. Couple of little clean ups but not many!

The bottom



and a couple from the side


 


Nice and I do like the big black snoopy schnoz look and at last it's not so white!!!

Till next time Happy Days - Taff
 

Hi folk's
 
  uhmmmm can see why I thought to check this before I committed to glue. Sure I would get that bloke “That's wrong, that is!†when I put it on the club table at shows. So thanks for the info.
 
Okay see if I can explain it better – I'm with Brian I always try to think of Lifts (Elevators) up and down but I still manage to get confused. Nowt new there I here some cry!
 
Right “Timmy the twin†pilot facing forward I am trying to show a slow port role – so port wing going down, starboard wing going up. So Think I have got these ailerons the wrong way around. Easier with a pic – looks like an X-wing that's ate all the pie's!
 

 
So is it from pilots view port ailerons would be up and the starboard ailerons down? which is the opposite to how I have at the moment - so confusing this avionics thing! 
 
Cheers for all the help
 
Happy Days - Taff

Hi Folkes - Back with a bit of an update
 
 
Thanks for looking in Loic - Not sure about excellent but this sure does make you and the room dusty! can't wait till the final bit of filling and sanding is done.
 
 
Cheers Kai - Yep still fighting me - but I will ‘ave it!!!!! just been looking at the progress on the A-10!!!!! You really kicking that and I do love a Tank Buster.
Update
 
So after the canopy had a good couple of days to set. The next task was to try and blend it into the fuselage. Because the fuselage didn't meet this left a ridge along the bottom edge of the canopy.
 
I carefully scraped this back with a curved blade till it was back flush. Then with some small bits of wet & dry smoothed and blended the curve back in. Right next thing to tackle was the gaps. Shame I couldn't get the top to join as the fit of the canopy was spot on……… but anyway back to what I have! I wanted to use super glue here as my filler? But rather than the talk mix - which is white - I thought I would try an experiment and used some dark grey and black ground chalk.  



Uhmmmmm nice tar effect

I have also done some work on the wings. I cut and rubbed back the - I think they are sone kind of anti vortex thing on the ends of the wings - The kit has them as solid shapes. So I measured, using my eyeball measuring kit, cut in two thin strips then removed the rest. My thinking was by doing this I will then get a constant gap to the wing edge. Then using some of my beer can left over from the Meteor intakes cut out the shapes - forgot I traced the shape onto some tape before I started the butchery - Using the curve that was in the can. I then added two thin strips of plastic sheet to make it look connected to the wings. Next I started to cut the wing strakes out of thin brass which was fine and the shape was spot on……. but I bottled it and whent back to the kit parts!!!!! easier to glue! These are very thick so I gave them some rubbing treatment to thin them down. Then stuck then in place.
 
The gap left from my thinning was filled with glue and talk mix and rubbed back. Bit of MrS 500 to get rid of any blemishes and marks.



Bit more of a closer look - also I have rubbed off and re-scribed the raised lines that where on the wing tops.



Back to the blending in of the canopy. After yet more sanding - bit of MrS - more sanding etc    I finally got this bended in!



After what seems like ages of looking at just white plastic and my efforts to fill and sand back everything I fancied a change of colour - Wing Tip Tanks. Yeahhhhh now I get to spray paint some white paint on to white plastic!!!! Primed with white car primer, then some pre shading and a couple of coats of White - White Ensign, Doh so sad to see them not trading anymore and I missed the boat to get some of their excellent paint.

OHHHHHHH Boy after much experimenting and redrawing the checker shapes in Illustrator - Then more sticking little bits of paper to try and mask these PIA's off……. anyway you get the picture it was a little bit troublesome!

These are a masking nightmare, firstly I did the red areas left for a good couple of days to harden then started the battle to mask of the black checkers.
After much bad language…… at an inanimate object ………. but always satisfying anyway! I worked out that if I used a thin strip of tape for the top centre line. Then I stuck the black checker paper guides on one at a time, used the edges of theses to tape against……. hope that makes senses - I got this!



You can see the red paint gut a bit scuffed - so I will be getting back to that.

So sprayed my black and dark grey mix. Removed the tape - uhhhhmmmmm more damage to the red and some paint bleed.



So after a days drying re-masked the black and sprayed some more red. Not ideal as the red took a bit to cover the black edges.

Not brilliant but okay to the eyeball and if you don't look to closely!



I will let this all settle before I attempt to mask off for the Grey!

Okay colour bits over for now. Its back to the big albino bat.   Its time to put the tail feathers on her. Firstly need to address the rubber bumper issue. The kit once are the RAF shape not the Navy. With some drawings from the net scaled to 1/32 and reference pics I draw a template out in Illustrator. Cut them out and stuck them to some thick plastic sheet. Then it was a case of cutting and rubbing them to shape.

Stuck in place on the boom. Also note the glue mark on the rudder - don't you love close up photog! Well at least I found it know so I can do something about it? Can't believe I missed that - put down to being snow blind looking at all this white!



With these bits done plus added the actuators on the rudder tabs, which are missing off of the kit. Its time to put the booms and tail plane on.



At last she starts to look like a hairy-plane. Other bits added is the top intake - this got the front cut off and sone thin aluminium strip wrapped around it and then blended in with MrS 500. Not a full hollow look but I am hoping that if I put some black in it, it should give the impression of hollow - fingers crossed! The canopy got a final light coat of black and grey mix to check everything is smooth.

Last one for this update -
 
Here she is in what I propose for her final look. Most probably a steeper pose, as then I won't need so much counter weight.
  Question too you fine people here who know far more about avionics than me! I want to check that I have the wing ailerons correct to roll the aircraft this way. As you look at her Right up, Left down? Thanks for any help in this!



Okay more detail to be added on the nose but not far from fist paint…….. COOL can't wait to get away from all the white plastic and sanding!

Till next time enjoy and Happy Crimbo to all - Taff


 

Okay Back
 
So whilst this is drying ready for fill and rubbing back I moved on to some of the other bits –
 
The tail plane
 
As this is going to be an in flight pose. The pose is a climb banking roll kind of thing….. As if he is climbing away from a launch off of the carrier……. I hope that makes sense. I'm sure it will come clear as this project goes on.
 
So the tail plane needs some work to articulate it – so first up was the cut it up stage. A thin strip of plastic was stuck to the front edge and rubbed into shape. I also stuck some plastic strip inside the main wing part. As this was now sinking in the middle as there was nothing left to support it. This also allowed me to put a recessed arc shape in it to receive the tails planes flappy bit.
 
But by moving this into the up position, means that I now need to do some thing with the actuators that sit underneath. I couldn't find any pictures of this in the up pose so I had to second-guess what it looks like. So as the kit part is….. well some kind of vague static shape. So out with knives and file. A bit of chopping and sticking and eventually I got this. A bit fatter than the kit part but I can live with that!
 
 

 
 
Okay just need to do another one.
 
The next bit that I need to take a look at is the tail bit of the fuselage That goes over the jet pipe. The kit just gives you a hollow area that you can see up to the insides. This is not what you see in reality! Plus not pretty in there with lots of glue and bits to try and secure the engine – which will be taking the weight when it's mounted. Okay after some thinking and trail and error, bending and heating etc I finally got this
 
 

 
 
But I did give it some paint and weathering, as it will be a PIA to paint once it's stuck in place. Still need to do some filling, faring and faffing in before its finished. This will be done with it in stuck in place on the fuselage.  
 
 

 
 
Next bit to get the make over was the deck that is behind the Twins.
 
This is left blank by the kit – apart from what I think is some kind of oil tank. So of coarse when you look at the actual aircraft there is loads of stuff going on in this area. I am not going to do it 100% accurate, way out of my league, but I will do some thing, wire, plastic bits and the excellent Airscale brass bits to add a bit of texture and interest.
 
This is my efforts after quite a few hours of trail and error.
 
The Starboard side
 
 

 
 
The Port side
 
 

 
 
After some paint, will be to add some pin wash and a bit of weathering but looks okay to me! Also added a gun sight. Couldn't find any in the kit so nicked one from my Hunter as I am going to use a resin set for that plane. Seemed a bit big for the cockpit but it will do!
 
You also can see where I am starting to repair the gaps in the wing joints. Once again I couldn't get them to seal up any better than this….. Me or is it the kit I don't know. Others seemed to get them to fit okay, from the bits I have seen around the web – so must be just my ham-fisted skills. Or lack of skills! You can see my painting of the back deck area….. ooohhhhh nearly scary time to put the canopy on. But then you look at the amount of filling, rubbing back and repeat – and repeat, that my be a bit off yet.
 
 

 
 
Side view plus another look at the wing joint – more Superglue and talc needed! I seem to be using a ton of these on this project.
 
 

 
Well that was a bit of a bigun update!
 
Have started to fill and smooth in the wing joints and they have some Mr Surface 1000 on them to blend them in. But no pics at the moment I will try to put some up in the next couple of days.
 
Talking Mr Surface – I see a lot of folks around here spraying this on with their airbrushes. I have tried this with not much success – what are you guys using to thin it down……. Please tell me your secrets?
 

 
Also does anyone out there have any 1/32 Firestreak missiles, from most probably the Trump lighting, that you are not going to use? If you do and you would like to give them a new home please give me a shout! A friend at our club gave me some but they turned out to be Red Tops Doh!!!! Any help in this quest would be much appreciated!
 
So till next time happy plastic bashing and thanks for looking in
 
 
Cheers all – And happy days Taff    

Hi folks little bit more done - just trying to push it along

The kit IP got all the moulded bits rubbed off. Then I built up the co pilots station. Looking at pictures these seem to be at a bit more of an angle as Revel has them nearly vertical. They are also the wrong sizes, shape….. etc and so on! But I am adapting whats their rather than a complete rebuild. So I stuck some plastic sheet on to the fronts and rubbed these back to give it a bit more angle, then shaped the edges. Slapped on some Surface 500 to cover any scratches.

Then started the fun bit with some of the Airscale brass, some plastic sheet and my punch set. Not a jot near accurate to the real thing but I hope it will look a bit more realistic than OOB!

So after several hours ……. and a few curse words at the fiddly bits ……… and how comes it will stick to me but not where I want it to stick ……. We'v all been there! I got this


 
 
Close up pictures god it looks a mess and also I can see I have left the leaver of DOH!

Then a test with the twins just to check it still fits with the additions


 
 
Okay guys only a quick-un. Next will be moving on to the side walls and foot well Uhhhhmmm the seat!s   - Then with some luck I might be able to splash some paint on to these bits. I don't know from one extreme to another all white to all black!

Till next time Happy Days - Taff

Well, I was not too sure I was going to get a Fw189 but after having seen this, I think I'm not going to resist...

Nearly ready for painting the camo!
 


 
I didn't know what to do with the kits wing lamps... so i replaced them with self build ones.
Its a thin copper wire as filament and Micro Crystal Clear in layers for the bulb. Looks much better to me than the original ones.

 
Wheelbays and undercarriage is painted, too. It needs some finishing touches with some pigments and streaks.





 
cheers Chris

Hi folks,
 
Well, with the recent news of the forthcoming release of Tamiya's Birdcage Corsair wunderkit, I thought I'd better pull the covers off this project and declare it a going concern before it comes to seem completely redundant. But first, the pretext.
 
This package was sent to me as a 'challenge build' by someone who prefers to remain anonymous for the purposes of this build thread, and who will from now on be referred to, where necessary, as my Anonymous Benefactor (AB). So a big Thank You to AB up front!
 
The idea is that I get a Trumpeter F4U-1D kit, complete with Montex Birdcage Conversion and just about every other aftermarket item you could think of, and in exchange I'm obliged to build the thing in public and return all unused parts at the finish. Sounds like a challenge to me!
 
So, here's what we're dealing with:
 
The Kit:

 
Eduard PE sets:

 
Markings:

 
Left-to-right: Montex mask set included in the Birdcage Conversion, Archer prop logo dry transfers, Pyn-Up decals.
 

 
Left-to-right: Stock decals from Revell kit, Trumpeter kit decals.
 
Upgrade Parts:

 
Left-to-right: Quickboost pitot tube, Aires wheel bays, Montex birdcage parts (including Moskit exhausts), LSP cowling (I think!).
 

 
Left-to-right: Waldron oxygen hose, Waldron cockpit placards, G-Factor gear legs with (I think) Obscureco wheels.
 

 
Verlinden cockpit set for the Revell kit (just in case). Does anybody know if it will fit?
 
Instructions:

 
AB bundled all the instructions for the kit and aftermarket items into a single re-sealable plastic sleeve. It also houses a copy of the instructions from the Revell kit, the Tamiya 1/48 kit and a bunch of reference photo print-outs. There's also the instructions for the Obscureco Hamilton Standard prop blade set, but I haven't been able to locate those yet. I'm pretty sure they're in there somewhere!
 
References:

 
I know bugger-all about Corsairs, so I'll definitely have to do some reading for this project. Apart from the stuff in the photo above that AB sent me, I have very little else on the F4U, so I'll be seeking liberal advice from you fine chaps as things progress.
 
Having said that, I'm just putting my flag up here and making this build official while it doesn't have any competition. But I want to finish my Hughes racer at least before I begin tackling this one, as it will be a difficult and long-term build that will require me to step it up notch. As I said at the top, a real 'challenge build'. But many of you will have already finished multiple Tamiya Corsairs long before this one graces my display shelves.
 
Let the games begin!
 
Kev

WOOOHOOOOOO       
Peter, i cant wait to see you get started on her
This is a kit i have been salivating over since it came out, and with your skills it will turn out a MASTERPIECE...so with all the extras, good Lord lol
I'll be following every step along with you im sure as usual there is going to be ALOT for me to learn my friend...
 
Really, im looking forward to the start of your build     
Karim

Fantastic build!     
Weathering and finish is just superb!  There is this class of modelers, whose builds invite a viewer's eye to get closer and closer to reveal more and more incredible details. Close-ups only enhance the experience not ruin them. You one of such masters, Tristan!     

It seems that the ARR ordered 50 Arado Ar 196s, along with some attrition-replacement He 114s, and the first of these were delivered by mid-summer 1944.  "All but two of these aircraft were reportedly still in their crates ... on 8th September 1944." Source: Rumanian Air Force: The Prime Decade, 1938-1947, Denes Bernad, Squadron/Signal 1999.  I have to confess that the lack of photos of any machines in this book (recommended btw, full of inspiration) did give me slight pause, but I do have a weakness for German aircraft in non-German colours.
 
So let's say that it may have entered service and may have looked like this.  I've seen other profiles which show a scheme of overall dark green uppers, but I decided splinter camo on balance of probability, given that other German a/c operated by the ARR (eg Ju 87) retained this.
 
No joy missing, but thanks for your concern; I'm always ready to learn.

Many thanks for the comments Gentlemen, and for being too polite to mention all the niggling little issues I can see.  It's my first 1:32nd-scale model in a few years, and I had a great time with it.  I will certainly do more in this scale, and have a couple of WNWs (Triplane and RE.8) and a Spitfire PR XI conversion bubbling to the top of the to-do pile.
 
@BradG and anyone else thinking of getting one, go for it: the kit can be a bit tricky in places but given the relatively low price (here in the UK at least) it's excellent value, it gives a lot of modelling "bang for your buck".

Looks great!  Always nice to see something in Romanian markings!
 
Doug

Beautiful Arado- Stellar work!!
 
Happy new year
 
Ted

I finished this kit yesterday evening just before new year eve,
 

 
It is an hight quality kit, one of the best made by Hasegawa, assembly is simple and precise, no putty required, several parts can stay in position without glue
 

 
the pilot is the best I have ever seen in plastic, it comes with 3 heads to choose from, decals for the uniform and 2 right hands to choose from, I opted for rhands on stick and trottle since I wanted to pose it in take off attitude
 
 
 

 
the engine is a pieace of art but unfortunately nothing will be visible once you add the cowling
 

 
The only problem with this kit are the decals: these are printed to a very flat film and silvering is assured for the tail codes, so I choose to use only hinomarus by Hasegawa and used Kagero decals for the tail codes painting the yellow band across the fuselage. 
Kagero decals are very thin and invisible but also very fragile, you must be careull.
 
Will try to shot some better photos today since it will be sunny, all the above ones were taken with artifical light
 

Here's my Ar 196 finally completed.  You may recall the WIP thread here.  http://forum.largescaleplanes.com/index.php?showtopic=53170&hl=
 
I finished the acual aircraft a little while ago, and then set abut looking for a base.  I found a picture frame minus its glass in the "reduced" section of one of our local DIY stores, and used a product from Woodland Scenics called "Realistic Water".  This takes time as if you pour anything other than a thin layer at a time it takes forever to dry!  I've also yet to work out how to make realistic waves, so I opted for a flat calm day in Odessa! 
 
Why Odessa?  It's where the actual subject may have been based - had it actually entered service - with Escadrila 102 of the Royal Romanian Air Force.  In fact, Romania ordered 50 of these, but most were still in their delivery crates by the time Romania changed sides; however, I do like the scheme, as it may have looked.  Kit by Revell, decals by Kora, seat belts by HGW and float rigging with EZ Line, all in 1:32 scale.
 

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for looking, feedback welcome, and Happy New Year.

Well done , the paint work is excellent
So far, I can only share pics of my daughters destroying completed models but one day maybe... I'd love that !

Hi 
 
the continuity is assured , nice airbrush control !!!!!!! you can sleep soundly 
Alain

How sweet is that! She's got the "old mans" talent I think, well done!
 
Cheers
 
Ted