it has nothing to do with the tamiya kit - all new molds, and much better in my opinion

I've not built the Tamiya kit, but this is a superb kit so far, i think there may be a couple of fit issues with the fuselage, but nothing a bit of green can't sort.

I will be building more of these, Wildcats are fast becoming a favourite.

Andy

Excellent cockpit for your Spitfire, Stefan. It looks great.

Looking forward to see more

Great start on the Spit Stefan!
Ive been working with the "star and bar" masks that Mal ( Holdfast) sent me to trial for him before they go on general sale. Does that mean Im donating my P-47 to medical science?
Apart from the intercooler doors Ive finished painting on all the national insignia and squadron codes.Serial numbers and all the smaller details will be the kit decals.


Another tour is looming and that will take me through to about July 17th, so its going to be the end of next month before get to the bar at the Officers Club.
A few more days left before I hit the road again though!
Nige

not much special to report on, but after a long delay, I do have a little something to show at least. At least the plane finally looks like a Corsair!



I'm having some issues where the underwing meets the bottom of the engine cowling. shouldn't take me too much longer.


As soon as I get home this weekend, I'm gonna start spraying! got everything prepped and packed to keep it clean on the ride home.


Should see some color and an INTERESTING update soon.

Nice to see so many beautiful builds going on and finished. I'm liking the blue beauty Nige.

That Corsairs looking excellent Eric!
I dont know how you manage building in two places and moving between them.
Ive considered taking a kit on the road with me a few times. I did take a 120mm pilot figure away with me on one tour but for what I actually got done it wasnt worth it. I find I look forward to getting home and carrying on where I left the present build.
Looking forward to the INTERESTING update!
Nige

Some more progress from me.

I got the landing gear almost done. The left one is being glued in the photo, the white-tac holds the gear door in place.
That's Academy's gear legs, Eduard PE oleo scissors, gear doors from AML's K4 kit, and the brake lines made from wire (PE is just too flat, even in 1:72 scale, IMO)
But of course I had to make the mistake of getting the gear door on the other leg glued at a slight angle... Now there's no way to get the parts loose without damading either, so I'll have to see if that's something not very visible, what I can live with, or if I have to alter the position of the gear leg in the wheel well and the mounting angle of the wheel to get the gear door sitting straight.


In case I mess up with the PE headrest / armor plate, I've already sanded down the original plastic part. The styrene strips glued to the PE part fit to the notches on the inside of the canopy.


And last for this update, I added a small missing detail to the chin radiator (or is an intake?) with copper wire glued into holes drilled through into the fuselage. In this case, I didn't even have to fill the hole, as it was there in the real thing.

Here is my entry for campaign.
This is Tamiya Fw-190A3 in 1/48 scale.

I will try to complete the model as the A3 with Wr. No 0552, belonging to Josef Priller under III/JG26 in June 1942. After an uneventful assembly, I painted the camouflage using Gunze acyrlics. It's currently waiting for the decals.

Another German Ace on the way Ayhan, this campaign needs some "Little Friends"
Looking very good though, as is your 109 Eetu.
Ive heard that freezing CA will allow you to separate the parts. Can anyone confirm this?
Nige

I heard the same thing Nige, and I tried it with the stuff that we get in the purple bottle here stateside (some kind of thick CYA). It didn't work, but I wanted to be sure and I tried it with a glue you can buy normally at the store (it starts with a K but for some reason I can't remember it for the life of me right now) and it worked. Don't know if that helps!

Me too. Heard of the trick, but I've never tried.
I got the impression that the trick working or not depends on the superglue used and the materials glued. Styrene contracts when put in the freezer, but CA doesn't (at least as much), which causes the parts to separate.

Thanks Nigel.

After the gloss varnish, i applied decals and colored PE harness. It is almost done.

Looks very nice!
Another MOM winner coming up?

Before closing the canopy, don't forget to fold the seatbelt buckles over the belts, I think they're still how they come out of the fret.
I see you've painted over the gunsight. I presume it was molded in and not clear styrene in the first place?

Here is my entry for the group build AML's 1:72 bf109d of werner molders during the spanish civil war.
It comes with lots of goodies in the box. A resin cockpit and control surfaces, vacformed canopies, photo etch.
Nice box art too. Not bad for 8 quid.




Looking forward putting this one together

Back from my wanders and after a few more sessions the Nieuport is complete - although the sharp eyed will notice that the windscreen is missing. Confession time, I lost it. Looking through the Osprey book the windscreen is not always fitted, and my picture does not show it so I say this aircraft did not have it! Someone will no doubt have a picture proving it did. Enjoyed this build and am learning lots, the standard of work is excellent and all I can do is practice until I get it right. Next build - an Eduard Weekend Yak -3, but here or European War campaign, I can't make up my mind.
More images and the photo of the original if I can ever get the stupid things to upload.

Looks great, Ayhan. A really nice aircraft for the post WWII pub owner

It has kill markings on the rudder, right?

Thanks for tricks Eetu.

Yes Jesper, kill marks on the rudder.

Model is done. Few pictures.

I said if I could upload the photos I would post them. After a huge struggle I have succeeded and here they are.
Adjutant Maxime Albert Lenoir learned to fly before the war in 1913 and so was accepted into the Air service without passing through the Army as was usual at that time. He started his service flying Caudron two seaters and before the end of 1915 had shot down two German aircraft. Selected to fly single seta scouts he join Escadrille N23 flying Nieuports in March 1916, the aircraft shown being one of his early aircraft. By August 1916 he had raised his score to 11 but was shot down himself and hospitalized. In September he was given a SPAD 7 as his new aircraft but was shot down and killed in that month. He was 27 years old at his death.
Adjutant appears to be a non-commissioned rank equivalent to Lieutenant.
The Nieuport 16 was a version of the trendsetting 11 but with the 80hp Le Rhone engine replaced by a 110hp Le Rhone and a headrest added behind the pilot. It was not liked by it's pilots as the heavier engine upset the machine's balance. Nieuport redesigned it and it was replaced by the ubiquitous and much loved 17.





Once again, thanks for giving some direction to my rather aimless modelling and for providing a great resource for improving my models

Well I finally finished my F6F-3 Hellcat which was flown by Alexander Vraciu, VF-6, USS Intrepid, Feb 1944.
This is the Eduard kit built OOB and apart from a couple of seams to fill, goes together very well.
The main markings were sprayed using Miracle Masks. Paint used was a mix of WEM U.S enamels and Tamiya acrylics.
A little about the man himself.
Alexander Vraciu (born November 2, 1918) was a leading United States Navy fighter ace during World War II.
Vraciu entered combat in October 1943, flying from USS Independence (CVL-22) with Butch O'Hare as commander of Fighting Six. Vraciu scored his first victory during a strike against Wake Island on October 10, 1943.
The squadron later embarked aboard USS Intrepid (CV-11). Flying from "Evil I", Vraciu began scoring in multiples: three Mitsubishi G4M Bettys on January 29, 1944 and four fighters downed at Truk Atoll on February 17. With nine victories, he remained VF-6's leading ace throughout the war.
Rather than rotate home, Vraciu requested additional combat duty and joined VF-16 in USS Lexington (CV-16). By mid June he had run his score to 12 "kills", a record for carrier aviators at the time.
Vraciu's greatest day in combat occurred during the First Battle of the Philippine Sea, the "Great Marianas Turkey Shoot" on June 19. Despite a malfunctioning supercharger, he intercepted a formation of Japanese dive bombers and "splashed" six in a period of eight minutes. When he landed, the Lexington's ordnance men discovered that he had used a total of only 360 rounds of ammunition, which works out to less than a five-second burst per "kill." The next day, escorting bombers in an attack on the Japanese Mobile Fleet, he downed his 19th victim.

From Wikipedia.
Andy

Another three aces to hang out with in the bar.

Ayhan, Andy, Andrew, Very interesting builds and done very well!

See you in the Aces Bar

Almost but not quite
Andy and Andrew. excellent builds!. How did you find the Miracle Masks Andy?
Take your seats at the Officers Club bar
Ayhan, gorgeous 190, well done. Almost at the bar, but first you need to post your pictures in the Aces High Gallery along with a photo of the real plane
Welcome onboard Jaypee. Im looking forward to seeing the Spanish Civil War featured in the campaign.
Still waiting for our first Ace of the Jet Age
Nige

Whoops! I totaly forgot about the Photo buisness. I couldn't find any. Will a drawing do? Anyways, here is my first starter and last finiher the G-14 Karaya...

..great work in this thread.. Andy's Hellcat looks superb....and a very nice model of Hartmann's JG 53 machine Yalým ! I have a nice print of this machine (actually a G-6 according to Hartmann's log-book) which I've scanned for you. Photo taken 04 February 1945, Wezsprem, Hungary following a sortie. Note the wicked over-spray on the prop blades...

Hi guys,

time and postal service permitting I might join up and do a Hartmann G-6 as well... Although Hartmann pictures with plane seem hard to find.

BTW nice picture Neil! And nice planes so far!

Cheers,

Harm

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I was searching for a picture like this for the last couple of months!!! Thank you very very much Neil!!! It may be a G-6 late version, they look pretty same and he was flying similar G-6s at the time as far as I know. Can I use this one? I saw the oversprays on the pals and prety surprised along with a few other details. I may need to retouch it a little.