Fvdm

Terrific! You don't to change to s smaller scale, you just need a bigger house.

Terrific! You don't to change to s smaller scale, you just need a bigger house.

Result of a preview photo session...
 

 

 

 

 

 
Thanks for looking in!
 
Kent
 
 
 
 

Hello folks,
 
Now that the camouflage's done, it's time to reveal the true identity of our P.11.
 
It's a plane of the 1st Royal Brigade of the Syldavian Air Force based in Sbrodj at the time of the Kropow incident in October 1938.
 
As every fan of the Tintin series of comic books would tell you,  Syldavia, nicknamed the Kingdom of the Black Pelican, is a country in the Balkan peninsula region. Syldavia has always had an uneasy relationship with neighbouring country Borduria.
For a fictional country created by the Belgian Hergé, author of the Tintin books, the kingdom of Syldavia has struck the imagination of millions readers and has been the object of numerous expertises concerning its geography, politics and even linguistics. You can find them HERE and HERE. And it's only the tip of the iceberg.
 
So I started working on the Syldavian markings. The national emblem was no problem: a black pelikan on a yellow ground. I added a numeral 5 in a vague cyrillic style to soften up the Germanic camouflage and give the plane a Balkanic vibe. The gold painted crown denotes the Royal Brigade, an elite force of 6 aircraft devoted to the protection of King Muskar VIII. The white stripes on the tail are victory markers against Bordurian Heinkel 51s.
 
The sketches

 

 
The model

 

 

 

 

 
I'd like to thank Andrew from the What-If Modelers forum whom I met while searching the subject and who sent me his vector files for the Syldavian markings,
My ever resourceful friend Max/Mozart which provided me with the masks – no, not those –
And Marc my old IPMS buddy who offers his assistance.
 
The model is not finished yet. Still have some small details and slight weathering to add.
 
See you next time,
Until then,
Cheers,
Quang
 

So Butchie is done and on the shelf.  Although a good amount of $ was sunk into this project, if you factor in the months of enjoyment (most of the time) that I got out of this project, it was very cost-effective (again, this is what I keep telling my wife)!   I have to say, I think I was spoiled by the Tamiya Corsair I built before this.  It was a much more straightforward build.  The Mustang has too many toy-like features (retractable landing gear, movable flaps and control surfaces, etc.). that make the build unnecessarily involved.   That being said, the quality and detailing of the kit are indisputably some of the best in the modeling world.   I was also very happy with the Barracuda cockpit decals, I wish they would offer these for every 32nd scale kit!  Also, props to Fundekals and Print to Scale for their very nice decal sheets.  Lastly, a major thank you to Dennis7423 for graciously supply the HVAR's.  I wouldn't have been able to complete this build without these.  Here are some final pictures and when I get around to it, I'll do a RFI.  
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
Last note - a sincere thank you to 2nd LT John Irwin who, during his assignment to the 2nd ID for two years as a Forward Observer, would have probably have been calling in Butchie for close air support.   You are not forgotten! 
 
Thanks for looking! 

Thanks everyone for reading and watching progress. It's done! RFI below the image.

 
 
 

So we've got the basic camo on. It's clear from the reference photos that the mottling was painted around existing insignia, so they're the next thing to go on in the painting sequence. I'm using Montex masks which I transfer in their entirety from the backing sheet to the model using Cricut Transfer Tape. As it's easy to stretch or distort vinyl masks during handling, I find this method helps keep everything in proper shape and register. Here's the sequence for a balkenkreuz on the lower wing. The entire mask is positioned on the airframe using marker lines as guides.
 

 
The mask elements for the white parts are weeded and placed on the backing sheet. The same white mix used for the nose and wing tips is then sprayed,




 
The mask elements are retrieved from the backing sheet and carefully replaced and burnished down.


 
The mask elements for the black parts are then weeded and a scale black mix sprayed.




 
The entire mask is then removed to reveal the finished balkenkreuz. 


 
I find this is the quickest and most efficient method, but it still takes a couple of hours to complete the airframe - well worth the effort though. Balkenkreuz on the upper wings and fuselage were scrubbed with a damp stiff brush shortly after painting to introduce some initial fading and reveal the rivet lines.




 

 
The airframe is now resembling something like its original scheme. So next I get to be a luftwaffe black man and throw mottle all over it!

A little bit more work on the cockpit. I gave the instrument panel and center console a good dusting of North Africa dust to make it look like a dusty helo flying in Somalia. 

Tim

So a little more dine adding Spandau's and other small bits and pieces in readiness for fitting the upper wing.
 

 

 
Needs some touch ups here and there but getting there now.
 
Regards. Andy 

Wow, that's a lot of AM. Have fun with it

Beautiful progress. 

Fantastic result!

Thanks guys!  The G-6/AS is wrapping up.  I've added some additional weathering to the drop tank, which you won't be able to see since it will be on the top side.  Experimenting with intentional pastel wash staining on a matt surface...

 
The drop tank is the last significant hardware to be added to the G-6.  The pitot tube, which was built out of brass tubing, is added and the aerial, using Uschi's elastic thread is the final touch.


 
The Bf109G-6/AS is complete!  The clouds started gathering again here in SoCal so I rushed some outdoor shots with the DSLR before the rain comes again.  I'll probably re-do the final shots when there is some ambient sunlight but here are some pics with the good camera...

Construction completed but still some weathering and general touch-ups to add a bit more character.
 
Its a lovely little model that is well engineered but you still have to think about the order to do things.

 
I am really pleased with the over-painted French roundels on the top wing. As per the early deliveries to the Italians.
 

 
 

 
I am also pleased with the appearance of the ribs. Achieved just by adding a heavier coat of paint over them and patchy spray work between them.
 

 
The prop is done with a coat of Tamiya Acrylic Dark Yellow with some mottled Tamiya Acrylic Red Brown followed by clear orange coat sprayed.
 

 
Still to add some brass paint for fittings.

So, jumping forward a little, I think I can call the cockpit finished. Adding the hydraulic undercarriage lines was a little tricky, but with some time and patience, managed to get all four in place. Also added control lines using Modelkasten rigging thread and the pilot, Rupert, was pinched from a Wingnut Wings kit. I did, somehow, manage to lose the Barracuda resin oxygen hose, so had to fashion a replacement from lead wire. 
 

Folks, Thank-you so very much for your postings and I apologize for my lack of response buy I can assure you they're all very much appreciated!
 
I've been bouncing around a bit on my build and made an interesting (to me anyways) observation regarding some details. Tamiya's instructions indicate using certain parts for the -1A build but from references I've found I should be using alternate parts supplied in the kit but not mentioned in the instructions.
 
From my research, based on it's build number and photo evidence, my specific Corsair was an early F4U-1A and wasn't set up to use the Brewster bomb rack. Tamiya's instructions and parts call out are given so the rack can be used. When the bomb rack was installed the centre cooling flap on the underside of the fuselage, part R20, was notched out on the trailing edge to clear the rack. I used part B25 instead without the cut out. It also meant that there was no small arming panel on the right side of the IP coaming. The applicable hole needed to be filled. Instead of using parts R24 and R14 below the centre of the main wing spar, which accommodates the rear mounting for the bomb rack I should have used part B18. Unfortunately, I'm a great gluer, (that's a real word Isn't it?) and I'd already used R24 and R14 so corrective surgery was needed. Then there was the bomb rack's forward mounting point. Tamiya, thankfully, supply part B23 to fill the hole! 
 
Hopefully the photos below will show what I've been yammering about.
 
Cheers,
Wolf
 

 

 

 

Today i bought this kit. when I first saw this kit I immediately fell in love.
 

 

Thanks for all the encouragement
I've passed another milestone today, clear parts are in, paint touched up, details added...nearly there.
I need to add the shredded fabric to the rudder and the rudder trim tab pushrod and that's about it...So while neither model seen here is technically finished or complete, you'll get the idea of where Iv'e been going with this from these images.
In this picture I'm testing my ability to get a damged (destroyed) nose cone glazing;

The (nearly) final result. Both models still need detail work but these pictures give the feeling I was looking for;




The bomber has a fine thread nut CA'd and epoxied to the bottom of the floor with a steel rod threaded in to that and a press fit into the timber as the support. The 109 has a flat bar inserted into the belly with an aluminum rod placed over top to offer it continuity to the bomber  
Thanks for looking.

Sure, that's the spirit
 
some more advices:
 
- you won't see the effect until you wash the salt. You will always tempted to do more and that will result in overdone effects.
Be moderate, even if you find it is not enough after salt removal do another run, it will be even better.
 
-  the white pass is very light and usually gives subtle effect, the black pass is very easily overdone,
 
- Keep the salt fine, Don't use coarse salt. if you grind it, it's even better but make sure you grind it to acceptable fineness, Don't let big chunks of salt on your model covering a too great surface. Apply salt where it matters. over large area I move the grinder on top, on specific areas I usually grind on a piece of paper and apply the salt with a finger pinch
 
- Don't use an hairdryer to remove the water or speed up the drying process, you may remove the salt too
Some apply water with a brush, I made a small bottle spray and mist the model from that spraycan
Wait till it is totally dry to start painting
 
- paint at very low pressure, put thinner in your airbrush, dip a brush in white paint and mix the cup. One dip is more than enough. No need to fill that cup fully. Same for black, dip once, mix, paint.
 
- toroughly wash your model when the paint is dry (no need to wait a day, 1h seems to be more than enough with acrylics, but it dépends on the paint you use obviously.
 
- if the effect is overdone, no big deal, spray the base colour again to tone it down. Work from inside the panel to the outside.
In the process above I heavily overdid the flaps, I painted Inside the ribs and came out with an even better effect to my eyes.
 

The salt applied to the iner flaps was too coarse. The result wasn't satisfactory after the black pass.
the combination of too coarse salt and painting a dark mist over a light colour destroyed the subtility I wanted. I had to repaint the flaps in grey. But by misting it overall and painting more Inside the ribs I could salvage the issue and get the effect I wanted.
 
Have fun and post your progress,
Oh, and work in a big box, it's a messy process  
 
 
 
 

As requested
 

The seat was from rhe Lynx,i needed to check for scale.

 

 

 

 

Good luck.

After a month of no painting because of a broken airbrush, a new patriot 105 body came in and now I can paint again. I painted the tank and the fittings and now I'm ready for the straps to be put on tomorrow night.

 
Tim

Amazing build Peter!