DWW

Cheers for that W - you're right to point out the size of the taube, it dwarfs an Albatros for sure! For a wing warper, it's a big 'ole thing! TTFN Steve

Big thanks to all who've kindly dropped by on this one - much appreciated. :-) TTFN Steve

Hi S Wingnut don't do pranks or fail to issue what they announce is moving towards release. The kit's apparently been eight years in development; hardly surprising given their WWI release schedule and devotion to quality and accuracy. TTFN Steve

Hi folks. Ever since gawping open mouthed at Mike Grant's lovely DH-2, in a prior issue of Airfix Model World, I've nursed an ambition to have a go at the trompe l'oeil effect Mike expertly rendered, giving the illusion of a semi translucent wing, revealing some sight of the structures within. The superb taube from Wingnut seemed a perfect foil to try a little French 'slight of airbrush'. First thing that whacks you in the kisser, when you lift the lid is the amazing moulding achievements in the wings. Backlighting here reveals the wafer thin flexing 'aileron' portion and the 'fingers' within. The tank in the forward cockpit was a fair target for abuse; here 'worn effects' liquid, some brush scrubbing and heat from a hairdryer distressed, cracked and flaked the top colour. A little clear varnish was misted over to gently 'fix' the damaged paint. The fully assembled and rigged interior includes a portion of the lower fuselage. As per other WW kits it's a snug fit but correctly aligned, it all slots in. The trompe l'oeil paint, viewed from above the inverted model... ...and then as nature intended. The build guide had a couple of period images that revealed the 'turned' cowling in the way depicted here, so the WW methodology was bypassed for a homespun approach that mimicked the photographs without dependency on the direction of the light. While the taube is a rigging junkie's dream, I recognise it may, at the same time, dissuade others from taking the plunge because of the perceived complexity. No need to fear it though, if you apply a few basic rules - rig the fuselage first, leaving the wings off until that's done / add the wings and rig the lowers first / rig the top sections / do all the rigging from the centre first, working outwards / use wire eyelets, tiny sections of brass tube and elastic rigging thread for safe, dependable lines and anchors. Always a huge buzz to see your latest in print and you'll find the nine page coverage of the taube in the latest (November) issue of Airfix Model World. Wish you all well with your own projects! Till next time. Steve

Hi Collin: Apologies for the tardy reply - a bit of ill health has intervened but all sorted now. Exteriors - Back in 2008 I was finishing up the camo on the (then) current 1/48 incarnation of the Airfix Mk.I that drew much flak from that dedicated bunch of Airfix bashers, after tidying the bits that were the basis of all the furore. Pre-shading of panel lines was all the rage, along with panel line washes and this was often utilised to such a degree that end results were starkly 'geometric'. It clashed with what I was observing in reference images. It was clear that when you looked (when you really looked), weathering followed certain rules (airflow, gravity and so forth) but was also comprised of multitudes of tones, shades, marks, scrapes, scuffs and other surface imperfections that didn't follow panel lines or structural shapes but were random, asymmetric and organic. I was ok with an airbrush but no expert, so I sat at the bench pondering the principles of 'random, asymmetric and organic' and how I could go anyway towards breaking up my Spitfire's factory finish. Then it hit me - I would 'scribble'. Like trying to get a biro working again on a bit of paper, except the airbrush would be loaded with a thin, lightened version of the base paint. This is what I wrote in a forum article - "Now the weird part - I disengaged my conscious brain (my wife questions whether it ever gets into gear at all...so do I some times) and without thinking rapidly traced the thin spray over the Dark Earth only in a random, aimless zig-zag, up, down, side to side, all over the place non-pattern - pulling away from the surface, dodging closer - you get the idea. The key is don't think - just 'do'. Switch off the targeting computer and ‘…use The Force Luke….' Anyway, I'd like to go back to my cell now?" This is what I wrote in Airfix Model World about 'scribbling' in 2014, as I'd applied it to a test shot of the 1/48 Airfix Spitfire Mk.Vb - "‘Scribbling' with the airbrush was a technique I first devised at the bench back in late 2007, early 2008, as a means of disrupting base colours before the application of other methods layered over the top. The approach was simple - load the airbrush with thin colour (no more than 10-15% paint) and run a fine spray continuously and randomly over the surface in sections (i.e. one wing upper surface, then the other, then a portion of the fuselage and so one). The height of the brush was varied during each ‘burst' (lasting five to ten seconds each), from very close to an inch or two. Pauses were made to check progress before continuing on and no mind was paid if it seemed over heavy here and there as this was easily rectified later with the same concentration of raw base colour. It was essential to blank the mind and avoid conscious control and to think of the airbrush as a biro that had stopped working, which was being randomly scribbled on paper to re-start the ink flow. The paint mixes were lightened more and more heavily and the normal number of stages was three or four before swopping to a deliberately darker shade like Tamiya X-19 Smoke, to add darker marks. The essence therefore was not to ‘draw lines' per se but to allow suitably thin paint to intersect where the scribbles criss-crossed each other and create marks and little swirls. Thin paint, a little confidence and some practice would see your finish disrupt into a satisfying base for further weathering." That summarises the principle and it's what I routinely lay down as a disrupted base for oil colour staining and here, not all oil colours are created equal. Winsor & Newton are the common currency here but I've been converted to Michael Harding oils - hand ground pigments are significantly finer and yield washes that are 'creamy' and not granular in comparison. The oil staining process is simple, just damp a section of the model with white spirit (mineral spirit in the US), take a chisel ended brush and damp it with a little wash colour (a lighter version of the base colour - or darker, complimentary or contrasting - you decide). Dab the colour on the model here and there. Let it bleed out and dry (or dry it with a hairdryer from a distance). Keep the surface level as you apply the dabs initially and tilt a little to alter the stain distribution. Seal the first layer of staining with a light coat of Klear (Future in the US). Apply several more layers of staining, each sealed as before from that to come, building one upon the other. I often 'dry sponge' Humbrol enamels over base paint (on lowers as well as top sides) to give thousands of contrasting marks. These can be left hard edged or softened and smeared with a chisel brush damp with clean white spirit dabbed or dragged over the marks. A light spray of base paint over the top will further blend in marks and of course, you can oil stain over the top. So, the broad m/o is base paint / scribble using several or multiple shades / dry sponge shades as desired, softening if desired as you go and perhaps lightly over-spraying / oil staining in layers, sealing between each. Metalwork - Please see my explanation on page 2 for Alclad II plus oil staining to create a metal patina. Cockpits - Not sure why I included this as my m/o is simply to work as neatly as possible but chipping fluid on painted seats is a fun way to depict heavy wear but beyond that all the exterior principles can be utilised inside with dry sponging and oil staining. Best regards Steve

Hi J - For sure, thanks for that! Thanks Bob - My long time threat to visit Castle Buckles, within its acres of neatly kept greenery, will finally get sorted Jan '17...

Cheers Brandon! Hi Ed - I understand the apprehension that sometimes arises before tackling a 'natural metal finish'. I believe this is partly fuelled by a gently bewildering choice of products, all of which have their advocates. I favour Alclad II. Durability and ease of application are second to none. Just drop that compressor pressure to 12-15psi and mist on a couple of inches from the surface. Don't go for full coverage straight off the bat - run a hairdryer over for 15-20 seconds and resume. I find four to six cycles sort it. You don't need to prime with Alclad II per se (you do need a black undercoat for their chrome), despite what you might read round and about, so only priming when there is a tangible benefit is in scope. Don't get fazed by nmf, just work neatly and get past that first time, it's much easier than you might imagine. TTFN Steve

Hi Dennis - sincere thanks for that. My m/o is uniformly simple methods...executed simply (insufficient intellectual capacity for 'complex' or 'multi-tasking'). At least, that's what I try to communicate through AMW. I wish you well with your own modelling Dennis and look forward to enjoying it here, out on the flight line. :-) C.H.E.E.R.S! Thanks M! TTFN Steve :-)

Cheers Chuck - that's way kind of you. The small boy in me still can't believe his good fortune with the two Tiffies. Thanks Kev...much appreciated mate. Thanks Tom - I'm totally made up. TTFN Steve

Thanks for that R! Hi S: Guilty as charged...and as you've since discovered on the Tiffie thread... TTFN Steve

Hi J: The 1/32 plea has gone out lots of times as I've witnessed. Airfix obviously don't do 1/32 and in an ideal world I'd like to see Tamiya do both versions to the standard of their current kits. I'd raid the penny jar for those and no mistake! Thanks Shan. Hey Rich: I remember...then a kind soul held the brolly while I rang Chris to discover he'd wangled me a trader's wrist band to get in! Did you enjoy the show? Buy any goodies? There, that's two superfluous questions! Master of the absolutely flippin' obvious me...

Hi Colin: Thanks for that - are you referring to cockpits, metal work or exterior camo - or all three? Cheers Steve PS - Thanks Jack ;-)

Hi: Apologies. 'Slider' refers to the bubble top (as in the hood slid back to open). It's an alternate term to 'bubble top'. Can I slip in a collective thanks to all the kind folks who've already dropped by on this one. :-) TTFN Steve :-)

Hi R: In truth, it was various bits of card, bound with masking tape - I can see why it looks like foam though. Now you mention it, foam would have worked too. :-) TTFN Steve

Hi Brian: I regret I can't oblige - once the guns were 'blackened', the detail was largely obscured (visible to the naked eye but less so to the camera), hence the pre-painted image. Cheers Steve