Fw190D-9 - Hasegawa 1/32

[AngoMango]

Well without wanting to create a full scale blowup, I think Steve's comments are overly harsh and frankly, quite nit picky. In my opinion, BlackDog has done a stunningly beautiful build and has taken the time to explain his techniques, etc, and so I don't see how he deserved to get an "oh dear" from Steve Gallacci, as if it's a poor job or something. Clearly BlackDogs rendition is as far from poor as you can get. If modelling of this quality is getting critisized, then modellers of my sort of standard will be very stand-offish about posting anything in the works, ever. Constructive advice is fine, esecially if it's been asked for, but I just think this has overstepped the mark a bit.

 

Just my 2 bobs worth though.

Ango.

[Guest steve gallacci]

I'm not trying to be pissy or anything like that, but the points are really modeling 101 kind of issues that are disproportionatly glaring in a model that is otherwise wonderfully done.

It isn't like he simply pooted out a superficial job with some aftermarket flash then expect uncritical prase (which I have seen done by others).

I'm mentioning the points with the intention of being a helpful suggestion. Giving him the benefit of the doubt that, having focused on all the other details, the basics were missed.

And, unfortunetly, having taken these closer looks, he kind of pooched the replacement engine cowl hinge too. Right idea, but the hinge rod is a bit oversize (minor nit) and ends short of the rear edge of the cowl (another nit). What really hurts the job is the step in the kit joint line is still visible, another modeling 101 oversight.

[BlackDog]

Hi all,

 

ok, let me try to answer those points, and mostly Steve comments :

 

- I really welcome constructive criticims and advices. I am not posting only to show my work and get cheers and greetings. What is interesting for me is to compare views and to receive advices, hints, info about some method or historical feature, etc... So even if I did not specifically ask for critics, I am ready to hear them. Else I will not post my work.

 

- I also feel that Steve way of writing those advices and comments is slightly harsh (I hope I am explaining myself correctly here, english is not my native language). Words like 'Oh dear' or 'totally kills the job' seems a bit too much. However, reread point #1 above : a do not feel those comments are inappropriate. Maybe I would have worded it differently myself. Not a big problem.

 

- About the many problems 'uncovered' by Steve : Basically they are all true. I have nothing to hide here, I must even say that being able to discover the joint gap at the wing leading edge to fuselage fillet on the pictures posted is quite a feat, not because I was trying to hide it, but because it seems quite hard to spot on those pictures (it is far more obvious when looking the real model from close distance). And yes, it is pure 'modeling 101' kind of issues, which I feel a bit ashamed of This Dora is my 6th model since I started modeling (not counting modeling hobby while teen, some 20 years ago), and clearly, I still need to focus on some basic work, even while still adding more details and scratch parts etc... Filling gaps is really not my best skill, and yes I often forgot a few here and there :

 

- wing leading edge to fuselage fillet : true. I often make the mistake of leaving those seams untouched (just glued together and not filled with putty and sanded...) Mostly with Hase / Tamiya kits which are quite nice about joints. Unfortunately it could show under the paint job. That is true on this Dora on a few spots (not everywhere). I would be interested, just for the fun, to know which picture is showing that (not really visible on what I can see here). Not that I want to hide it (I can even post some more obvious pic of that ) but you have a sharp eyesight. I am not sure I will try to correct it, I am a bit afraid to spoil other parts of the model. I will check it this evening.

 

- gap between blower intake and fuselage joint : yes, this is the most obvious one I am quite stupid about this. I did not check if this was a real joint line or something to fill & smooth until too late, as I only discovered that it was something to fill after the start of the paint job. Too late to correct, it is a bit tricky to fill and sand without hurting details all around I guess

 

- engine cowl hinges : if you read a previous post, you will notice that I found there was a problem on this area a bit late too : after applying silver base layer and preshading, someone warned me on another forum that this seam was wrong (meaning : the shape and size of the joint line between top gun/engine cowling and lateral cowlings is wrong, both on hasegawa parts and on Eagle Parts, which has exactly the same shape as Hasegawa part). After checking some doc about real size Doras, I discovered (I am not a Dora expert, this is my first one) that this joint line was in fact a hinge allowing the lateral cowls to open upwards. The best 'quick fix' I found was to overlay a small rod over this seam, simulating the tubular hinge on the real plane. So, yes the joint line underneath is still more or less visible, and yes the hinge is a bit oversized (but if smaller, the joint line would be still more visible). Now I am not saying it is a minor problem, but most 1/32 Doras I have seen have some problem here, and mine too

 

I am not sure I can fix those problems now, as told, I am a bit afraid to spoil the overall paint job already done. However I will check what is possible.

 

And I must admit that another sentence of Steve 'having focused on all the other details, the basics were missed' is quite true on these.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[alaninaustria]

Gentlemen, I am happy to see that we have stayed as professional as we can be.... thankyou all! This is now time for my one bit throw - in... I am a little too poor to have two bits like others!!! This is a beautiful build and it reminds me of my first Dora... I think the main points are that Chris has enjoyed his build so far and has enjoyed the sharing of his talents in the hopes of improvement and bonding amongst fellow modellers, there are alot of points to learn from his work, I know that I have learned alot from him and others here at LSP. Keep up the great work guys, and keep the critique coming for those who request it!!

Cheers and happy modelling

Alan (cooking some Irish stew for dinner tonight!! and I think I have had too much Merlot right now... shhhh it is a bit early in the day for that, but the wife isn't at home yet!!)

[Dave Pratt]

-Chris-I still think you did a good job on the Dora and added some cool aftermerket/scratch built parts.You see something you don't like yourself you can work on that with the next build.

 

-Steve-good points by you but maybe drop a fella an email with all the info.If this were HS everyone would be diving for their bunkers.This was handled like men and good for everyone.

 

Now I'm off to fix everything I missed on my 190A-8...cheers

[Guest steve gallacci]

I'm truely sorry if anything I said was taken badly. Such is the hazard of poor choice of expression, especially to an international audiance.

My concern was only with the success of Blackdog's model, which is a wonderful job on a favorite subject. It is a shame that there isn't a good way to fix the little bugs without breaking the integrety of the finish (which I suspect is better in its subtle effects than the photos show).

I truely admire his efforts and will use them as a benchmark for my own efforts.

[BlackDog]

Steve,

 

no problem about what you said, as told above, except maybe the choosing of words. Again, if your warning could help others (or me on another build), it is nice...

 

I think it is a bit late to fix that without great risks to the overall paint... I do not want to spoil other parts of this plane

 

But you do not need to use my work as a benchmark, again, there are flaws, I can perhaps give some examples, but also get some advices myself.

 

Regards,

 

Chris

[Guest steve gallacci]

S'alright. I liked your attention to details in the wheel wells and stuff like that. I'll eventually have several '190Ds done and availalbe for show and tell, though nothing as ambitious as yours yet.

A little addition to yours, however. I've done up a replacement propellor for the kit (the blade plan form, especially towards the root, is off) and would be happy to offer you a set. They would be drop in replacements for the kit parts.

[BlackDog]

Thanks for your offer, Steve, that's kind of you

 

But... I already glued the 3 prop blades to the spinner... I guess I will live with the kit blades

thanks anyway, I am interested by seeing your work on some Doras...

 

Chris

[Viper Enforcer]

Nice! looking good on the preshading.

 

Like the Wolf, brings me back to my days in the Wolf-Pack. Wrong color eyes though, as I was in the 35th FS - Blue!

 

Mike V

[BlackDog]

No new picture of the model today, not enough new stuff to show...

 

However I am thinking about personal markings worn by this aircraft, following additional info given by Jerry Crandall a few weeks ago. This could be interesting for other modelers wanting to build this plane.

 

Summary of info about operational life of this aircraft :

 

Focke-Wulf 190D-9 werknummer 210003 was build in August, 1944 and delivered at start of September, 44 to 12./JG54, pilot Hans Dortenmann (StaffelKapitan).

 

The first individual marking was 'Red 1' wearing classical grey/green camo scheme, RLM 76 belly and undersurfaces and RLM04 (Dark Yellow) markings on the engine belly cowls and whole tail (see decal sheet EC#21 : http://www.eagle-editions.com/decal21.htm first profile).

 

At end of February, 1945, remnants of JG54 are moved to JG26 (Hans Dortenmann and its plane goes to 4./JG26). At this time, 210003 is partly repainted : Reich Defense bands of JG26 (black/white), individual marking becoming 'Black 1', camouflage becoming Light Green (RLM82) / Dark Green (RLM 83). It is believed first that the non-moving part of tail (fin) is painted again in RLM82/83, leaving only the moving rudder in Yellow RLM 04 : http://www.eagle-editions.com/decal60.htm first profile.

 

On 29 March, 1945, Dortenmann and its plane takes the lead of 3./JG26, and plane individual number is now 'Yellow 1' (http://www.eagle-editions.com/decal21.htm second profile), all other markings staying untouched.

 

Plane will be volontarily destroyed on ground by Dortenmann on May 5, 1945 to avoid capture by enemy (english) troops.

 

I am building the plane as it was in March 45, during 4./JG26 era. Its profile is then theorically the one shown on first profile of decal sheet EC#60.

However, Jerry Crandall (author of those decal sheets and of several others add-ons and docs about Doras) wrote to me a few weeks ago to warn me about one thing :

 

After studying new data about JG26 planes and pilots, he is now thinking that 210003 tail was never repainted, so stayed yellow as a whole until end of war. As the tail was left as it was in end of 1944, the HackenKreuz is also an 'old style', being a 480mm cross with white outline, linke those on 190A-8 tails.

Moreover, Jerry thinks that the space between each Hackenkreuz 'arm' is left unpainted (not yellow), so the initial camo (RLM76/83...) should be visible between HackenKreuz arms, the mechanics did probably use a square mask to protect the cross from yellow paint...

 

Those proposals have NO final proof, as there is no known picture of whole 210003 plane at any date. The profile described above fits with the many datas gathered by Jerry about JG54/JG26 and planes...

 

I played a bit with PaintShop and tried to slightly modify pictures of wonderful model of D9 210003 'Black 1' done by Chris Wauchop on HyperScale ( http://hsfeatures.com/fw190d932cw_2.htm ), so to get a fully yellow tail. Here is the result, and I will paint my own Dora like this :

 

Dora build by Chris Wauchop, modified HyperScale picture :

 

Dora build by Chris Wauchop, modified HyperScale picture :

 

While I am here : did I say already that I think that Chris Wauchop is a modeler GOD and its Dora a museum quality masterpiece ? Done !

[BlackDog]

I did choose to paint the whole tail yellow, following Jerry Crandall advice, choosing a paint method similar to what I can interpret from Dortenmann previous 190A (pic from http://www.rlm.at : http://www.rlm.at/galerie/23/gal23_016.jpg) : edges very smooth (no masking) around Hackenkreuz and almost hard edges at lower edge near horizontal stab.

 

Here is the result, not yet weathered and still needing a few enhancements. You can also notice that I started working on propeller blades and spinner :

 

 

 

On the above pic, you can notice a slightly too strong yellow overspray on hackenkreuz on left side of tail : I will correct that. I want some overspray as if mechanics did paint yellow by hand, but not too much however.

 

Propeller blades have benn first painted in medium brown (wood color), then coated in Future to protect the color, then totally painted in RLM70 Black-Green. Once fully cured, each blade has been slightly sanded/rubbed with smooth MicroMesh (grit 8000), until base wood color did appear ith very tiny streak under the RLM70. I still need some work on these blades and spinner.

[Rato]

Very good indeed, Black Dog.

I liked the yellow overspray. Seems very subtle to me from here. Unless photographic evidences show the contrary, I´d leave it that way. I mean, I´m wondering a ´black man´ wouldn´t do it much cleaner with a spray gun.

[BlackDog]

Hi Rato,

 

thanks for your input !

 

Here is my own view of the 210003 yellow tail - this time after some added weathering work (and before wash in lines and rivets) :

 

 

The stencils (werknummer and red warning) slightly shows under yellow paint, and this same yellow is more or less weathered or very lightly painted on some spots.

 

It seems quite close to picture displaying yellow tail from Dortenmann own 190A.

[ChrisS]

I agree with Rato, the overspray looks fine. Once you weather over it it'll naturaly get more subtle, I would not change it.