Eagle Head. Horst Hannig's Fw-190A-4 - Paint job

[MikeMaben]

[MDuv]

Hi Guys

@wingman777 @MikeMaben @MARU5137 Thank you for your interest and encouraging comments.

Time for an update.

 

First I got busy with the ailerons. The internal structure and ribbing is different on A4 an earlier. So once i found the right reference, back at the computer with the drawing software.
The ailerons are sanded smooth (I tought so) and the new structure is applied in negative with masks. The whole mask is set with the help of a transfer panel, to keep the lining and spacing consistent. Then the undesired parts are lifted, and the surroundings are masked.

 

 

 

 

A mix of thick Mr Surfacer is sprayed onto the surface.
And the edges are smoothed with a sponge. 

 

 

 

The result with a coat or Rlm02 to check the blending.

 

Strangely the original ribbing is reappearing with the paint on the unsurfaced areas.  I might have to redo the whole operation. Will see later.
The underwing panels are blended in, adjustment of theses panels is tricky to say the least. Some of the edges must be smoothed  as they are not panel lines, and some need to be kept, references check is a must.

I have read a bit too late that the MG FF were often removed and the gun panel was replaced with an unbulged one. Lets say this bird kept them..

 

I then started to add the last bits to the cockpit: Throttle Handle, Stick, seat and belts. Time to get this part finished and go on with the assembly.
 

 

 

 

Belts are made with HGW PE and Tamiya Tape, the textile fabric on my sample set was looking very odd so it was quickly dismissed.

 

 

 

 

Last bit for this weekend is the propeller assembled, painted. Added light weathering.

 

Comments and critiques are welcome of course.

Cheers.

Mathieu

 

Edited May 7, 2021 by MDuv

[MDuv]

Small update on the BMW factory. Engine ground running in progress. Soon ready for aerial test.

Cheers.

Mathieu

[mywifehatesmodels]

Everything looks spectacular!Nice work on the control surfaces. I may have to look into doing that on my next short-nosed 190.

 

I saw something similar on the HGW 190D-9 belts I just used. While the texture is not nearly as pronounced as your example, I found them to be a little more rough than their sets I've used in the past. 

 

Keep up the great work!

 

John

[IainM]

This is awesome! Just stumbled across this thread.....and when I have time later this evening I'll have to go back and re-read everything again! Especially the portions about your cockpit detailing and using your Silhouette for doing your plastic mods!
Great build!!!

[MDuv]

@mywifehatesmodels, John, they must have been old production, I checked on other sets I have and they looks better than that. Anyway I redid the belts once more, something I do is never 100% ok at the first try.

Hi @IainM, thank you for your encouraging comment. Indeed, I am kinda freak of this machine. more on the next work post. Cheers.

Edited April 15, 2021 by MDuv

[MDuv]

So, more work for the RLM.

In order to glue the lower wing, it was time to get busy on the wheelbay.

The ammo chute was lengthened and the hole in the bay where it protrude was made an actual hole. 
Ejection pins were patiently filled and sanded, needless to say the boredom it brings..
And the plumbing was lenghtened to actually goes somewhere (in the hole of course)

Having skipped to take pics during the assembly phase, lets jump straight to the result.
Should I have to redo this, i would invest in PE sheet to busy up the rear spar. 

 

 

 

With this last inner job done, the airframe is assembled and the preparation for paint can begin.

 

The bird is given a few Tamiya LP70 (Gloss Alu) passes, alterned with filling and sanding where needed. and looking at the pics, i still can spot some areas that needs to be treated.

 

 

Once at this point, the excitement is palpable as the most interesting part of the build is about to begin :

 Rivet and Paint job.

As said earlier, I spent some time in getting dimension on every panel of the bird. Simply by "foiling" the model with oramask, cutting it in the panel lines, and transfering it back to a plain sheet, the sheet is then scanned, and serves as a base for designing cuttable panels. Lot of trials and errors as you have to cut the designed panel, to see if it fits back onto the model.

When the panels are good to go, rivet pattern (lines of spaced 0.25mm circles) is added using references.
In the end I come up with this:

(You will notice the panel scan is of a different kind of focke wulf as I was lasy redoing the job for the Anton, that brought some trouble later on)

After hours (!!) of a creepy noise (The machine puncturing holes in the mask is as enjoyable as a baby crying in your ears..) the vynile is ready for application.

The whole idea here, is to (try to..) recreate the flush head rivets the Focke wulf sported.
When spraying a well dilluted paint on the holes, the paint will tend to concentrate on the "outer ring" of the hole and create the illusion of a flus head. The process relying on the manual application of paint, it could also be emphasized on high wear areas, and softened on others.

Enough to apply on a half rear fuselage.

 

 

 

 

The area is then sprayed with Tamiya LP38 (Flat Alu)

 

 
The yellow mask is then lifted, this pic is just to enjoy the symetry of the silouhette cutting.

 

 

Then the vynile is removed straight away. I dont like to wait too much with the masks on as this could lead to drama's, like paint lifting or glue and solvant melting.

 

 

Some macro shots: 
(the damn fuel filling port is ghosting me on this one, hope it will disapear with the paint..)

 

 

 

This process is quite new to me, I just started experimenting with it on this build and the previous one,
It's clear in my head, but maybe I messed up the explanation, so dont hesitate if it's unclear after you read it..

Next step is getting the whole airframe treated, then the paint could start.

Cheers.

Mathieu

Edited May 7, 2021 by MDuv

[MikeMaben]

Hi Mathieu, what are you using to punch the holes in the vinyl film ?

They have adapters for the Cameo 4 that can hold different size pens

and pencils / markers so I was thinking about making a wooden pencil

shaped tool holder that would hold a beading tool and then punch

holes in the vinyl that way. Your method looks quite nice.

[MDuv]

3 hours ago, MikeMaben said:

Hi Mathieu, what are you using to punch the holes in the vinyl film ?

They have adapters for the Cameo 4 that can hold different size pens

and pencils / markers so I was thinking about making a wooden pencil

shaped tool holder that would hold a beading tool and then punch

holes in the vinyl that way. Your method looks quite nice.

Hi Mike, at the moment I use the stock auto blade.
I was using the Cameo3 until a few days ago, when the machine simply stopped turning on. 
So I instant ordered the Cameo4 bur am still discovering the new possibilities it offer.

I think like you there is a possibility to create some modeling adapted tools.

Cheers.
Mathieu

[scvrobeson]

Now that is something that I never would have thought of doing with a plotter.  You really are taking the silhouette machine to new heights with this build.

 

 

 

Matt 

[airscale]

now that is special - what a brilliant idea!

 

looks very subtle too

 

Peter

[MikeMaben]

I'm truly suprised at how round those holes are with a standard blade .

I figured it would take a punch to get round holes like that.

 

                                 

 

 

[fab]

Hello Mathieu

 

Pretty good job here...

 

'Love your jig!

 

Amities

 

Fab

[MDuv]

@scvrobeson Hi Matt, Thank you. I like to squeeze my oranges to the max before releasing them, guess it does apply to other topics
Cheers.

@airscale Thanks you Peter, Like a lot of ideas, it came by accident..
On the subtle subject, it will pass by a pretty rough aspect, to refine just after, more in the next topic.

@MikeMaben Indeed i was the first surprised. Some are more squared than other, but in the global picture it all gets blended.

@fab Hi Fab ! Merci
I begin to own a large collection of theses. one adapted to each model I build...
Cheers.

Mathieu

[MDuv]

Hi guys, Some updates from the Anton front.

I had left the last time with the rivet sheets application. 
The upper wings were rivet treated as well.
They were elected to receive some paint in first as I prefer to work on flat surfaces to warm up with the paint.

Mr Color H68 and 69 were used. Then darkened and lightened mixes were sprayed on the points of interest to get an uneven pattern.
As you can notice, the surface is pretty rough, with rivets protruding badly over. That will be adressed after.

 

 

 

 

Even with that rough surface texture, the rivets are not very noticable when you distance yourself from the model.

 

 

 

The torture session can now begin. For this I "soften" the fresh paint with mineral spirits (work small areas or it goes quickly out of control) and strike it with the edge of a scalpel to create weak points in the paint surface.
Then the surface is rubbed with q tips, towel and sanding sponge. If you goes slowly the effect is quite controllable.
the rubbing treatement is already softening the surface and the hard edges of the rivets are leveling themselves with the rest, leaving just a metalic spot were the edge was.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then the model is back at the spraybooth and an heavilly thinned paint is layered over the scratches and the rivets to blend them in.
Again if you work small and heavilly diluted, you have total control of the effect.

 

 

 

 

Again, more distanced view :  the surface texture is quite softened and the rivets less noticable

 

 

 

 

 

And i tried a macro shot, but the cell phone is not at its best in this area..

 

Cheers.

Mathieu

 

 

 

Edited June 3, 2021 by MDuv