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Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 - Part 2

AFT OF COCKPIT: WORKING WITH VERLINDEN PHOTO ETCHED

After I finished painting the basic colors with Humbrol enamels in the cockpit and the radio compartment, I used Super Glue to attach the Verlinden PE pieces in both the port and starboard interior aft of the cockpit. This would include the various interior PE longerons, bulkheads, framing, electirical wiring, Verlinden resin auxiliery 115 liter fuel tank, resin remote compass and resin remote starter crank. Photo 2-K shows the port side interior aft of the cockpit, where the access hatch area had been cut out of the kit fuselage half. I added wire, and at letter "a", the Verlinden resin 115 liter fuel tank and some white styrene pieces around the inside of the access hatch to give the look from the outside, of a lip on which the hatch door would close over. Photo 2-L shows the port side interior after I've airbrushed the interior color. At this point in my aircraft modeling, I used oil washes over the sprayed on Humbrol enamel. Since the mineral spirits in the oil wash would attack the base enamel painted surfaces, it was necessary to put a barrier layer over the Humbrol enamel to protect it. At that point in time, I made the barrier layer using 3 parts mineral spirits to 2 parts clear flat varnish. This mixture was applied with an air brush in several thin layers and allowed to fully dry for 48 hours. After two days I used Winsor Newton tube oil paints to make the washes that were applied with a brush by hand. I mixed the washes in a plastic palette with dimpled recesses. Raw Umber, Flake White, Paynes Gray (just small amounts of Paynes as it is almost black in color) straight out of the tube were mixed with mineral spirits. (I don't use turpentine or turpenoid with oils) Mixing the washes I wanted to keep in mind that it should not be too dark, more of a brownish-gray then a dull black. Photo 2-M shows the starboard side interior aft of the cockpit. Letter "a" shows the Verlinden resin remote starter crank and letter "b" shows the remote compass. The PE interior framing pieces are part of the Verlinden detail set. Also, various diameter thicknesses of copper wire were used. The white styrene electrical box was scratch built with copper wire. (Again, the copper wire was attached long before I got Ed Boll's suggestion of the solder wire.) And the horizontal gray rods were stretched sprue. After cutting out the starboard access hatch, the interior wall of that area on the kit fuselage half was sanded a great deal to thin the plastic for scale. Photo 2-N shows this same area after it was painted and weathered with the oil washes, previously mentioned.

This Dora model was done some years ago. However, in reference to barrier layers and oil washes, I now use acrylic washes instead, as the acrylic washes do not attack what ever kind of paint you use as the base coat, as long as the base coat is allowed to get completely dry, cured, hard. Thus you do not need a barrier layer to protect the painted model.

YO BARTENDER, TWO SHOTS WILL DO IT!

Here are the last two photo shots for Part II. In Photos 2-O and 2-P you see the Verlinden resin cockpit installed in the interior. The fuselage halves had been glued together. I like to paint/weather my larger scale models in an attempt to create the illusion that they've actually been flown, a great deal. To show wear and tear in the cockpit and the radio platform area behind the pilot's seat, I used the same type of oil washes as mentioned in the previous section of this article. I tried to keep in mind how the play of sunlight would have affected the highlights and shadows in the real aircraft. So at the bottom of cockpit, floor and side wall which I considered as being further from the light souce above, I made those areas darker. And in the areas closer to the top edges of the cockpit I made those areas lighter. I realize that some modelers would not agree with this "style" of painting a model, but I use this approach in an attempt to add more realism and contrasts in those recessed areas. In Photo 2-O you see letter "a". That cream colored resin piece is also a part of the Verlinden detail set. It is a fairly accurate scale representation of the firewall aft of the engine and the twin magazines for the two MG 131, 13mm machine guns that are placed atop and aft of the engine. I'll have more to say about the difficulty with aligning the resin 13mm machine guns over the top of the resin magazines later. Letter "b" indicates the seat belts. These belts were made from wine bottle foil. I usually sand the printed side of that foil to accept paint easier. The foil is easy to super glue or bend into casual, more candid positions. Personally, I don't care for the decal printed seat belts or seat belts molded into the pilot's seat. IMO, those kinds of belts aren't as realistic. In the picture, you only see the lap area seat belts with PE buckles. The shoulder harness belts with attachment hardware were added much later. Photo 2-P shows the same area photographed from the starboard side. You can also see the pieces of low tack blue masking tape on the fuselage. I kept tape over the cutout openings of both port and starboard access panels to keep sanded particles out of those areas.

In Part III of this article, I intend to cover the fabricating of the engine and the engine compartment. And will hopefully, have a few more surprises.

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