Hi all

I have not much time for modelling yet, but I try to get some stuff started (at least) and also finished (hopefully) ... besides a dozen projects that have to be finished, I also have enlisted into sevral campaigns. This model is for the Red Stars campaign.

Not much to report yet .. as always, it is wise to start with the interior. Until now all does fit and only a little clean up is required ... I am a fan of this model and I hope Zvezda will keep this quality and there is only a small gap to the top manufacturers .... but the leaders Eduard and Tamiya are raising the bar constantly

now some pix of my progress so far:







comments welcome

best wishes

Steffen

That looks like a really interesting kit. I kinda like the way it goes together. Is it a good kit?

Hello Carl

As I already wrote .. I really like the kit and until now everything fits well and only a little clean up is required (there is a small ridge where the mold halfs come together) so for me this is a super model and definitely a candidate for the model of the year award ... remember all for about 15 €!!! (the Eduard 190s go for about 35 at the moment .. though the comparison is not totally fair) and this is Zvezdas first 1/48 kit!

HTH

cheers

Steffen

Hi Steffen

My kit was badly delayed by the UK postal strike and only arrived today - but, WOW! was it worth the wait! What a beautifully detailed kit! As you point out, this Zvezda's first 1/48 scale kit - I can hardly wait to see what they bring out next if it's up to the same quality! Outstanding!

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan and Steffen

I agree - mine arrived in the mail down here in Australia yesterday - looks awesome!! But unfortunately no decals, even though it was still factory sealed....

Do you know of anyone else who's had problems like this? I assume both your decal sets arrived??? Not a real problem - Hannants have a couple of good looking aftermarket sets (including some interesting Czech options) but I would've liked to the kit options as well....

cheers Brad

Hi Brad

Yes, my kit arrived complete with decals. But, just by coincidence, I bought a set of Avalon decals for the La-5F/FN to review along with it from Modelimex. I'll be using these for my eventual build, so you're welcome to my set of kit decals if you'd like them - just PM me your address.

All the best

Rowan

Hi all

mine has the decals but if I get the new AML decals in time I will rather use them (Popkov is also included there).

here are some more interior progress pictures. the fuselage was painted WUP and the framing WUP for what I thouight would be wood and IMUP for the metal (WEM colours)... I do not know if it is correct, but I also do not care too much as it will be hidden inside .. (a wheathering will follow and will make it look less toylike)









best wishes

Steffen

Hi Steffen!

Very nice progress! It seems to be a very interesting kit indeed!

Errr, just a question: what is WUP and IMUP?

Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

This is Eric Pilawskis nomenclature from his very good book .. furthermore WEM named the colours after this:

WUP is primer for wooden surfaces and

IMUP primer for metal surfaces (IIRC I is for interior .. forgot what the U stands for ... under coat??)

cheers

Steffen

Sooooo, this is a really old thread and the model is alike. The latest Eduard reboxings made me aware of my old Hangar queen ...

so here is what happened. I used WEMs pretty good paint (though we know now that AKAN has better shades) and was quite happy with the result. AML decals were on and I wanted to proceed. As I wanted to try acrylic washes I had to use an enamel gloss coat and here my stupid brain fooled me. Having made good results with citadel rattlecan primers I thought their gloss coat might be a good idea (forgetting that I used WEM which are enamels and not my preferred acrylics)

to make a very frustrating time short: the whole model was covered with wrinckles, yikes.



Having sat the model aside for a few days I decided to strip it and start over. Well this process was annoying and went not well in every place so teh stripped model sat on the shelf of doom for some time. The tail wheel broke off during my move in 2011 and I still need to find a replacement - I'll probably go with müparts from another kit and use SACs tailwheel mount for that kit.

so last week I decided to give it another chance and if it is just for trying out AKAN paints. These work very good and I was quite happy with the result so I decided to put on the box stock decals of Vitaly Popkov.



all the best

Steffen

Nice one Steffen

Those new AKAN colours definitely look good. I ordered some a while back, but nothing ever arrived. I must try again.

I always admire the way you manage to resurrect old builds to complete them - I'm afraid in my rather chaotic workshop, especially with so much new stuff piling in constantly, things become dead and gone all too easily...

All the best

Rowan

I love this kit. If you have the AML two-seat conversion, the forward canopy is a little bit more accurate, and the AML conversion has two of them.

Fit is gorgeous and this kit made me a fan of Zvezda.

Gaston

P.S. Why an unfair comparison? Eduard's FW-190As are vastly inferior to this kit imho...

G.

Just finished this kit in time for our annual show at Berlin-Gatow past weekend. Here are some pictures of it. I know it is faar from perfect, but all in all I am quite happy how it turned out after the big desaster:



















all the best

Steffen

Nice build Steffen, looks good,

Steffen,
Well, for me this is a new thread since your original post was back 10/07, almost 7 years ago, and I'm a relative newcomer with a join date of 2011.

I must commend you for actually finishing such a old build, honestly, I never would have gotten around to it, and you had to strip it down to bare plastic.

The completed model really looks quite good. You should receive an award for the longest build time at the show.

Joel

Thank you Julian and Joel!

@ Joel .. this is not my longest build. I had an Albatros D.V build/restauration that was equally long and I still have not refinished the Aviatik D.I (both here on Aeroscale). And then there is the Ta 154 A-2/U4 conversion and that dreaded Fw 200 project.

Maybe I'll finish them one day or something better hits the market (esp. a good Fw 200 would be nice). Anyway this one is done.

BTW the new Ta 154 conversion from AlleyCat lacks the long wingspan elevators .. scratching these myself keeps me from finishing my project as that conversion set does not have it either.

all the best

Steffen

At the pace 4 engine 1/48th WWII types are coming out, you can rest easy there will never be a replacement 1/48th FW-200. The 1/32 scale one will have to come first...

One possible improvement on the Trumpeter FW-200 kit is to make the windshield leading edge more sharply triangular in plan view: Revell got this right on theirs, and so their 1/72 kit makes a fine canopy reference.

Great save on the Zvezda La-5FN. One of my favourite kits ever.

Gaston