BlackCanopy

It's all so perfect... I sincerely hope, that you've been caught by the FW190-A-Bug by now, John, so that we'll see many, many magnificent Antons in the future out of your very, very capable hands. You never got tired of those Doras, after all ... ;-)) Cheers, Joerg (I can't wait for the final reveal, with the engine covers removed...)

Just a quick question to this otherwise brilliantly painted section (if that's all right with you, John): I was under the impression, that the gun mounts plus the ammo feeds (adjacent to the guns) were actually painted black? Anybody in the know about this? https://acesflyinghigh.wordpress.com/2016/05/13/under-the-cowl-of-the-flying-heritage-collection-fw-190a-5/ (My guess was, that the people who painstakingly restored the A-5 in the link were not doing this randomly, but who knows with this Luftwaffe stuff) Cheers, Joerg

I'm always flabberghasted, how you can make these little subassemblies look like 3D-renderings. Precise and pristine work, perfect photography, never, ever any dust particles in sight. Incredible! (My worst fears have, of course, come true: THIS, your engine, is flawless! Thanks for sharing!) Cheers Joerg

Dear John I don't wanna flog dead horses here (;-), just mentioning that my previous comment referred to the specific picture quoted there (with the engine mount dryfitted upside down). At the time, I was still ignorant of your further updates, where everything is indeed correctly placed.... I also think, all of this is only worth mentioning for the benefit of other modelers, because the construction of the kit allows the wrong placement of the engine mount in the first place... Cheers, Joerg

;-)

... Just noticed: The hexagon engine mount seems to be upside down, with the exhaust fairings pointing downward instead of upward. So the kit engineering obviously allows for this mistake to happen ...

I foresee "The Most Beautifully, Accurately Painted BMW 801 Scale Model, Ever", (Thunnus style), in this theatre, very soon, just to be completely hidden from sight under closed cowlings forever. You still prefer your models with clean, unbroken lines, don't you, John? You wouldn't stray from that principle, wouldn't you, just for once? Ooohh, It's going to be a tragedy... ;-) Cheers, Joerg

Well, I'm gonna say this: It's a bit disappointing, that them hands in these gauges won't move even a fly's hair width, when the appropriate buttons and switches are toggled... ;o)

That was not a "bad fit", but an intentional overlapping. The 190A "power egg" came as a completed assembly, where all the (8) parts of the cowling would be attached to the engine itself. There was no connection whatsoever to any part of the fuselage, other than overlapping flanges secured by the clamps. No model company could ever replicate this in a "functionally" faithful way and the wingroot area remains a challenge, because the "panel line" there was actually a gap of quiet a few milimeters. Cheers Joerg

Oh yes please! My favourite obsolete aircraft design! I always thought they should've left this Bearcat alone just like that, it looks soooooo good, much more interesting than with the paint job completed. Also: Pete finally having his fun at least with the frontend of a radial engine, or perhaps even the whole affair, pipes'n'all, can't wait to see that...! Cheers, Joerg

I just love what you're doing with this Revell kit and especially your application of patina ;-) Just one humble question: Weren't the 'cuffs' of the prop actually made from rubber, meaning there wouldn't be any bare metal scratches in this area? greetings, Joerg

Yes. The quality of your primed assembly looks impossibly pristine, just like those 3D-renderings used by manufacturers to market their products. I wouldn't paint that either. It's already perfect. > You might buy another one, build it to a lesser standard and hide the shortcomings by way of your masterful paint techniques ... ;-)

Hah! That's what I'm waiting for, too: Moving intrument hands, real screws and bolts instead of just some fake "PE-blobs" and of course all those switches and toggles actually totally switch- and toggleable... ! Come on, Peter ...!

Holy C*w! This tug is in dire need for a fresh paint job!

No way. What you do, cannot be called "scratchbuilding" really. Do you mean "building from scratch" perhaps...? Cheers & congratulations for the completion of another gorgeous Masterpiece. Joerg

Dear Chuck Considering the casting of votes so far, at least it's crystal clear which path you would have to follow, if you wanted to "get off the beaten track" a little... ;-) I can't wait to see further progress on this bird, anyway. Cheers, Joerg

Go for the restored one, Chuck! You are one of the few modelers who can pull that off without getting a toylike result. Warbird models built to a pristine condition are rare enough...

Fantastic! Possibly the most realistic paint job on such a model, that I've ever seen: No overly accentuated panel lines, no hollywoodesque shading effects, and the subtle, uneven shine on your beautiful bird makes the appearance very credible. Here's hoping that this lifelike surface does not need to be buried under a unifying "flat coat" in the end? Cheers, Joerg

You will never need some prefabricated plastic core for one of your models anymore, Peter. To correct and modify one of these is probably more time consuming than building your subject completely from scratch, as you have demonstrated here; and considering the pace of your progress with the Fury. You are the perfect model whiz now, anything you want to build within your grasp ... Congrats ;-))

Oh yes pleeeeease! You gotta make one from the dark side, at some point!

Dear Chuck, are you absolutely sure about that? ;-)))

Whoa! More models should be finished like that, the combination of selectively applied 'stressed skin' and this semi-gloss surface strikes me as much more convincing than the usual flat coates ... Thank you for sharing this!

I'll be da***ed. In twenty years time, with approx. 600 hours of flight under its wings, the restored LOPE'S HOPE can perhaps aspire to look as realistic as your model, Pete...

... Which then leads us to the Emir of Khemed, of course. I seem to remember that he posessed a Spitfire (MKI with a flat canopy?) in a quite striking yellow livery which he used for 'information warfare' against some unruly (and analphabetic) desert tribes ... Perhaps a diorama with stacks of those nice rosy leaflets beside the aircraft...? Enough of this. ;-)

It's almost a shame that there never was a "Battle of the Laughing Cow"... Cheers, Joerg P.S. Now perhaps, you could tackle the air forces of the two infamous banana republics of "San Theodorus" and "Nuevo Rico"?...