- The Airfix Tribute Forum -

Digs · Posted: Tue 29 Jul 2008 21:27 pm Post subject:

Thanks for taking a stab Ratch - here's the answers:

dancho · Posted: Tue 29 Jul 2008 21:52 pm Post subject:

"Exact colors" of warplanes are very difficult to obtain (if not impossible). It's a fascinating subject, but ultimately a bit pointless. On the other hand...

Never mind. I have found an excellent guide to interpreting black and white photos to be good quality color photos. What I mean is this: the late Jeffrey Ethell collected a whole slew of outstanding color photos of WWII aircraft (90% U.S., but still). I highly recommend his books. They are without peer.

These books teach this lesson: if you don't have a color photo, you're guessing. So many planes in his books just have the WILDEST paint jobs and you'd never guess it from the B&W photos. Ya gotta see the color to KNOW.

That's my humble opinion, anyway.

P.S.-- G.I.'s did NOT know that warplanes should have "matte" finishes. About 50% of the planes shown in Ethell's books are so shiny that they indicate that the ground crew polished and waxed them!
_________________
“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

Digs · Posted: Thu 31 Jul 2008 17:48 pm Post subject:

Dancho - re polishing aircraft - I just read in a history of the RAF Bomber command that a nice shiny NMF finish had the advantage of increasing airspeed a few mph. Presumably polishing the camo finish would have a similar effect?

Anyway - more progress:

Floats in place now - still need some wire rigging though. Getting them installed wasn't as bad a job as I feared. Of course as soon as it was together I tried it for size on the catapult. Cue an unexpected problem - it's a nose sitter. I may have to glue it on the catapult after all, something I'd hoped to avoid.

The major decals are also on now, courtesy of good old Klear. The were the replacement decals, not the still rather yellowed Airfix originals:

the

Richard M · Posted: Thu 31 Jul 2008 18:47 pm Post subject:

That's coming on really well, can't wait to see it glued to the catapult!
Best
Rich
_________________
Best
Rich
---------------------------

"I've seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate. All those moments will be lost in time... like tears in rain... Time to die."

Visit my PORTFOLIO

morgandude1 · Posted: Thu 31 Jul 2008 20:41 pm Post subject:

That's looking rather good isn't it?

Well done so far!

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sun 03 Aug 2008 21:06 pm Post subject:

Lovely!

thomasweir · Posted: Mon 04 Aug 2008 12:52 pm Post subject:

Looks superb

Digs · Posted: Mon 04 Aug 2008 19:18 pm Post subject:

Thanks again for the comments!

With luck this will be the last update before the thing is finished. But for the record, here's the weekend's progress.

Now that final assembly of the catapult is nearing, how to attach the turntable to the base? My cutting of the spray can lid that provided the barrel wasn't that accurate and simply gluing the two together looked like a poor option. The solution as shown below was to use some old bits and bobs of Meccano - a common as muck 1" pulley and a damaged 50t gear providing the bearings. Somehow it tickles me to think that the pulley is about the same age as the Hipper class cruisers (whose catapult is modelled here) and the gear is 10 years older.

The base for the model is going to be a lid from a Jack Daniels presentation box but I've been mulling over prettying it up somewhat for a while. Yesterday I decided to go for it - the aim was to model a generic section of warship deck. Aimed for by planking a section of the lid with beechwood strips, edged with plasticard and some whitemetal three bar railing stanchions and bollards:

And here's a couple of shots of the two together. The deck still needs some weathering to match the catapult.

And onto the aircraft - I finished off the decals with some stencils, settled everything down with a coat of Klear and then a thin coat of matt varnish. Most of the cockpit was put in after this. I also added the red noses to the spinner and floats, and the rudders to the back of the floats:

And then my first go at rigging - I used some very fine gauge surgical steel wire acquired along the way - I've left it in its natural shiny finish as by this point, every time I pick the thing up I run the risk of breaking or bending something...

So what's left? Canopy and machine gun. I think the latter will be the rate limiting step as everything I've read says the kit is wrong in supplying a double MG - it should be a single. More to the point, the kit one isn't great and as I've spent I don't like to thnk how much on the model so far, I went the last extra and ordered a replacement resin MG. No word on delivery date for that though...

JackJ · Posted: Mon 04 Aug 2008 20:39 pm Post subject:

looking fantastic
_________________
ACHTUNG-MOSQUITO

Tomcat by choice / Hornet by mandate

Official Airfix Club Member 2008 2009

aircraft carrier build GL

XN923 · Bronze Star Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 1175

The whole thing is just astounding. Not only that beautiful catapult and mount but the superlative weathering. The aircraft itself is very nicely done too. I really must get over my fear of PE brass in this quantity, it looks like the results you can get are unbelievable. Maybe I'll break out that Dragon Bachem Natter with launch tower...

What did you use to prime the PE?

Digs · Posted: Wed 06 Aug 2008 07:45 am Post subject:

thanks XN923!

The PE was wiped down with meths and then primed (and indeed then left as done) with a couple of coats of some bare metal primer from a rattle can - I forget the brand, but it came from a DIY store, Focus I think. It's pretty close to Hu64, especially after a couple of washes with diluted oil paint!

Paul

dancho · Posted: Wed 06 Aug 2008 11:55 am Post subject:

Wow.

Great stuff!
_________________
“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

Sgt.Squarehead · Posted: Wed 06 Aug 2008 11:58 am Post subject:

Awesome!

All the best

Ratch · Posted: Wed 06 Aug 2008 12:51 pm Post subject:

That's looking really superb

I'm not sure about the brown-ness of the camo - but that's just a personal thing

You've really done a top-grade job so far

_________________
and was Jerusalem, builded here
The new No. 2
Airfix Club 500287
IPMS 10983

dancho · Posted: Wed 06 Aug 2008 14:34 pm Post subject:

It would be interesting to know how the "brown" tint came to replace the "bluer" shades as correct Luftwaffe colors. There must be a book that established these correct shades. I wonder which one? I still believe in the colors that were probably Humbrol or Pactra shades from the sixties. Very blue compared to now. I spent hours mixing my Luftwaffe colors to shift them back to the blue end of the spectrum. Now I know how the Pope feels! If it was good enough back then, it's good enough NOW.
_________________
“Build what YOU want, the way YOU want to, and above all, have fun.”
- Al Superczynski (1947 - 2007)

XN923 · Bronze Star Joined: 16 May 2008 Posts: 1175

Heinkel51 · Posted: Sun 10 Aug 2008 13:54 pm Post subject:

Lovely Digs, I'm left speechless.

Digs · Posted: Sat 16 Aug 2008 19:13 pm Post subject:

Finished! And only a day over schedule - blame the Olympics!

Canopies framed with painted decal strip and a handle for the sliding section added before they were glued in place with clearfix and gap filled with PVA.

The resin machine gun turned up in the post, was assembled, painted and superglued in place.

And finally - aerial mast added and rigged with fine monofilament.

Pictures to follow tomorrow if there's sunshine - I've spent enough time, money & effort on this I want the pics to look as good as I can manage. At the very least, taken away from the backdrop of the crudpile that is my workbench!

Paul

Digs · Posted: Sun 24 Aug 2008 15:34 pm Post subject:

A week later and I've finally go to photograph it:

I'm very pleased with how this has turned out. Things I don't like however - the rubbish painting of the grab handles, the canopy framing and some of the gunmetal drybrushing.

More photos of it on its catapult will arrive in the GB Gallery shortly. Thanks to everyone who commented on the build!

Paul

Brews · Posted: Sun 24 Aug 2008 16:43 pm Post subject:

Thanks for sharing. Did you use the WEM RLM 65? It doesn't look as bright on the underside as the colour swatch you painted for us.
_________________
“The farther backward you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see.” Winston Churchill