Hi all!

I made a start on Tamiya's new Fieseler Storch kit. So far I've prepared the sub-assemblies and sprayed them in their basic colors. The clear parts were protected both on the inside and the outside using the kit's supplied masks and Tamiya masking tape...



I've followed the kit's instructions and painted the interior in Tamiya XF-22 (RLM Grey) and the parts of the engine in grey, silver and black...



While waiting for the paint to dry, I've assembled both wings. Both leading edge slats will be added later to make the camouflage painting easier...



Next step will be to drybrush and wash the interior...

Jean-Luc

Jean-Luc it all looks just amazing! Especially those wing ribs - they're so subtle - looking very realistic!

One, must be stupid, question from me - what is that interior colour? I just thought almost all Luftwaffe planes had RLM02 for the interior (of course excluding later period with more prominent RLM66).

Thanx for sharing those inspiring pics with us!

Well, which one was my latest in-process build?...

Hi Arseny

I think Jean-Luc has used Tamiya's suggestion for RLM 02, but I must admit I also did a double-take when I saw the first picture because it looks so green on my monitor!

This should be a wonderful build! I can't wait to see the next installment!

All the best

Rowan

Hi all!

Thanks for the explanation Rowan!
Yes Tamiya's XF-22 is their equivalent of RLM 02. The color matches the paint chip in Merrick's "Luftwaffe Colors" book pretty close even if it looks indeed a bit dark and greenish on the picture. I'll post pictures of the finished interior later (I'm at work at the moment...)

Jean-Luc

I'll have to second the two previous opinions, it indeed looks quite greenish on my monitor as well. It may be the lighting, but that really looks almost like US interior green.
But as they say, you shouldn't jugde an in-progress build. Anyway, looks very nice so far.

You have an interesting way of building kits, painting many parts while still on the sprues, spraying fuselage interiors.
I seem to have an almost opposite method, I try to avoid touching-up as much as possible, building sub-assemblies that can be put together with minimum hazzle. I even mask up all gluing surfaces with either masking fluid or tape...

Actually I had two options in mind when seeing those pictures:

1. That is RLM02 but looks different because of the shading or light

2. That is Interior Green or even may be some shade of Soviet interior colour - I thought that Jean-Luc have chosen different way and building some rare Storch modification (knowing that Jean-Luc loves those rare airplanes)

Anyway, whilst my compressor is kaput and I can't airbrush my in-process builds I do enjoy viewing painted parts

Ahhh RLM02! I almost saw two people get into a full on brawl at a Model Expo once, over the exact shade of that colour! Some people take their modelling pretty serious.

I've noticed the Tamiya version is much greener than Gunze or Pollyscale. I've never checked out any other brands. The reality is that it probably varied in shade anyway.

The Storch is looking good so far. Do you know which markings option you will do yet?

Andrew

Hi all!

I've completed the cockpit. I hope the pictures are better and the interior color closer to reality. I take my in progress photos in my basement and the light conditions are not very good... especially when it's dark outside.



I think the interior color can be seen best on the instrument panel. I've punched each dial out of the decal sheet to eliminate the carrier film and then placed it on the instrument panel. Then I've sealed them with Tamiya gloss.



The engine is lovely. Unfortunately not much will be visible in the end unless you choose to do option C or D since the engine's side panels have been removed on these Storchs. The engine received a heavy coat of mat varnish to simulate the dusty conditions in the desert...



Below is a (bad) picture of all the sub assemblies ready to be glued together. Again, the interior color appears dark and greenish...



Andrew, I will do a desert Storch (option A). It's the one with the vermicelli camouflage. Wish me luck!

Jean-Luc

By the time Ive pulled up my chair got comfortable to watch this build its going to be finished!
Looking stunning Jean-Luc!
Is this yours or a magazine build?
Nige

cant wait to see all those parts together!!
nice work man!!

Hi Jean - Luc;

I think - can't say for sure - that the vermicelli bird may have been 70/71/65 with the overspray done in a light sand - exact shade unknown. Never seen one done like Tamiya's instructions.

Here's a link to a Hyperscale thread:

http://www.network54.com/Forum/149674/thread/1199411190/

Hi all!

Thanks for your kind words.




Huh! I think it's to late to do a 70/71/65 camouflage for my Storch. I already sprayed the basic colors.
Here are two more pictures I found in my refs of desert vermicelli Storchs...





I'm not sure it was a RLM 70/71 with with light sand overspray. But I'm not sure it was a RLM65 over light sand overspray neither. On the second picture it looks more like the second alternative to me. Note also the dark color of the interior when compared to the external camouflage. Both aircraft are not the SF+RL Storch though. I will do as per instruction and blame Tamiya if it's wrong!

I glued both wings together. Fit is so good that almost no glue is needed for this operation. I only applied some on the clear roof part. I didn't used any on the metal spars. I think Tamiya's found an "idiot proof" solution to glue the wings to the fuselage on this kit...



Before painting the camouflage colors, I sprayed a coat of RLM02 over the glazings. Then I sprayed the underside blue (Tamiya XF23). I first pre shaded the model, then applied a coat of light blue and finally blended evertything together with another, lighter coat...



When the blue paint was dry, I masked the underside and applied the sand color. I didn't pre shaded the model this time because the vermicelli camouflage will hide everything anyway. I will rather post shade the model once the camouflage is done...



Nigel, yes, the model will probably appear in the french Tamiya Mag. But the article will focus on the diorama aspect since I'm building Rommel's SdKfz Greif as well.

Ok, now on to the vermicellis...

Jean-Luc

Hi all!

The vermicellis are done...



I wasn't easy and I had to respray the model several times at the beginning before finding a good way to do them...

Jean-Luc

Stunning!!!!

Hi Jean-Luc

I think you just made a biiiiiig mistake.....

AFAIK (and I am wrong more often that I like to confess) but AFAIK this Storch had the standard 70/71 Splinter with Sand squiggles and Tamiya just gut that wrong! ..... really, I am not kidding here. It was discussed in length at HS (IIRC).

hope I did not "make you day" ...

viele Grüße

Steffen
(P.S hab noch ein Bild in meine Antwort zur Pe-8 eingefügt)

Looks very good! I've been looking forward to someone strating this kit. Dan

....the best Fi 156 refs for modellers are the two vols in the Polish 'Militaria' series authored & illustrated by Pawel Przymusiala- ....this is certainly how he has chosen to depict this one.....

this is not to take anything away from J-L's superb handiwork as ever...the 'squiggles' are beautifully rendered...

I was the one that started the HS Thread - and 70/71/65 is only my guess / opinion. In the end, the precise shades are a matter of some guesswork. I could as well argue for the Tamiya choice.

Jean-Luc does us all a great service by quickly "diving in" to new releases, and doing beautiful builds - I learn from his builds, which is the idea !

Hi all!




Don't worry Steffen, as I said above, when I'm not 100% sure about the camouflage, I do as per instructions and blame the manufacturer if it's wrong. To add fuel to the debat I post a B&W picture of the model to compare with pictures of the real ones.



I know it proves nothing but it looks pretty close. If I'm wrong with my camouflage, I'll shoot only B&W pictures of my model!
A 70/71/65 Storch with sand vermicellis would sure look good too, maybe even better...

Thank you all for your constructive comments. This is very interesting and instructive...

Jean-Luc

I dont suppose you have any photos of the failed attempts at spraying the camouflage?
If only to make me feel better about my attempts at freehand airbrushing,,
Nige

Blast!!! That thing looks indeed awesome Jean-Luc!!!

Like I said!!! A god has descended among the mortals

Your work is incredible. I'm going to the stash right now and going to pick something out. Thanks for lighting a fire in me again!!!

Hi Jean-Luc

I was not really referring to b/w Storch pictures, but the very nice colour shots of Hs 126 in the recent "Recon for Rommel" book. In my opinion light sqiggles on a sand surface do not make much sense, but I do not want to argue about that, If you are happy, I am too!

So, happy modelling

Steffen

Hi all

The colour of the "squiggles" on MTO Luftwaffe aircraft is a constant area of debate. It's not just in this forum - if I remember rightly, Ken Merrick picked out a couple of aircraft (a Fw 58 and Fw 189) in his Luftwaffe painting guides that seem to show RLM 78 squiggles applied over RLM 79 at the factory or a major servicing centre prior to delivery, but Michael Ullmann chose the same photo of the Fw 58 to demonstrate sand-coloured squiggles over a standard RLM 70/71 scheme... I tend to go with Ken Merrick's analysis, because I can't see any evidence of a splinter pattern under the disruptive camouflage.

Interestingly, the squiggles in Jean-Luc's second reference photo clearly extend over the canopy framing - something that might indicate a factory-applied scheme, as it would require careful and extensive masking that would be very unpopular with painters at an operational unit.

With regards to the logic of the scheme, while it might seem stange to apply blue over a colour already designed for a desert environment, the use of blue over a sand base isn't without precedent - the 8th Army used it on some of their ground vehicles too.

Great looking model, by the way!

All the best

Rowan

Hi all!

Interesting debat as I said. Steffen you are right, light blue over sand don't makes sense if the aircraft is operating over the desert only. But since the Storchs also operated over the sea like someone pointed out in falcon04's Hyperscale thread ("Fi 156C-3/Trop WNr.5591 Hptm. Heinz KROSEBERG (pilot)/ Uffz. Walter Büchner (Bordschütze) of the 1. Wüstennotstaffel (Desert Rescue Flight), coded SF+RL - Both MIA 12.May 1942 during a rescue mission over the sea, 70 km N of Derna. Soldiers struggling in the water saw Kroseberg throw out his own lifejacket. KROSEBERG was awarded a posthumous Ritterkreuz), maybe it was a way to tone down the sand color over the water. I think Ju 88 also received some "arabesken" because of this exact same reason while operating over the Mediterranean sea.
Maybe the first Storchs received sand (or light blue?) vermicellis over their 70/71 European camouflage and the later ones received a factory applied (like Rowan said) RLM79 with light blue vermicellis.

I'm not an expert at all so these are only speculations! And please Gabriel, let's be serious, don't call me God again! I wonder what word we could use for the real talented modelers out there!

Jean-Luc