Steve.
Looking very nice
I hope you manage to find a decal for the dog!
Jean.
Great progress, and Im really interested in seeing how the preshading works out.
Nige

La-5fn progress report

Hi guys,

camo is done.
@ Nigel: Well...the result of my preshading is not very satisfying. With the naked eye is a bit more apparent but I'm not sure I'll try it again :-(

Colours are White Ensign AMT-11 for the light grey and WE AMT-12 with a drop of red to "kill" the green in it, leaving only a hint of green. Not visible on the pics.





Jean

Hi Jean like the Lagg. I tried pre-shading on my Yak-3 (Battle for Europe Campaign) with similar results to yours. I think I was too heavy handed with the colour coats and I need to paint in lighter coats. I intend to start a Halifax next and I may try again using Black preshading and Anthracite top coat

Nice progress on the 109, Steve. I am looking forward to see it in full colours with markings.

Andrew and Jean, I have also tried preshading a number of times, but every time it is almost impossible to see the preshading. Maybe the colour should only be carefully misted not sprayed on to make a solid coat as I normally do.

None the less a very nice La-5 so far, Jean.

One thing regarding the pre-shading mentioned above is that many people have told me it doesn't work as well if you spray with enamels. It's supposedly because acrylics are more transparent and tend to be sprayed in lighter mist coats to build them up, whilst enamels tend to naturally cover better in one or two passes.

Though i don't use enamels, i sometimes use laquers and have found pre-shading with them is a waste of time! They cover way to well for it to work. So it makes me think there could be at least some truth to the enamel thing too, at least some brands possibly.

Anyway, i'm leaning more towards post shading these days anyway- especially for darker top colours. Post shading is faster as well, just add white (or maybe light tan for greens) to your base colour after spraying. Thin it a bit more, reduce the spray pattern and build up the shading that way- it's actually easier than preshading anyway (for me at least), plus you do it all in one spray session since you have the base colour already prepared and in use.

Andrew

Hi Andrew, I used acrylics for the Yak. I think I need to see a little more of your technique before trying anything. There is more to the airbrushing lark than I thought. This sometimes feels closer to art than modelling and I am not sure I have the skill/eye/colour appreciation to become really good. I will still try as long as I enjoy it anyway.

Molders 109 slowly progresses. All the control surfaces freed, an a quick coat of thin primer to show up the imperfections.




Advice, critique welcome.

La-5FN progress report.

Thanks guys for the preshading explanations.
I think I won't bother with it in the future.



Things are going well. Decals are done, Futuring is done too. Weathering is next.

Summer holidays are over,kids back at school and the nights are starting to draw in here in the UK.
Still 12 weeks to go in Aces High though. Plenty of time to get your entries in and join the rest of the Aces in the Officers Club bar
Nige

Hi All

very good entries so far. I especially like the La-5FN ... wish I had not ruined the paint job of mine ....

Yes, I am really building on my entry .. slowly, but I think I can finish it in time.

Here are a few pix of the Eduard F6F-3 Hellcat. I will build it in the markings of Alex Vraciu (white 19 -oob) .. if anyone has a pic of that .. the Kagero only has "white 99" (though on the pic you can only see the last "9"). The cockpit is surely not as good as e.g. Rowans, but it will do in a closed up canopy. I shortened the main gear legs as advised at HS forum .. I do not know if this is really necassary, but I like the "sit" of my model. I also added the rim around the belly tank. The legs will get Ultracast wheels ... as soon as I have them.











more to come later this year

cheers

Steffen

Looking good Steffen!
As we move into the Autumn of The Aces High Campaign the potential number of Aces has crept up to 53!
Im poised to start logging Aces in the Official Aces Combat Record.(My "word" document )
Great work so far everybody, theres lots of room in the Officers Club. Some of the earlier Aces are looking decidedly the worse for wear now
Nige

Hi fellas (and ladies),

My build is the Eduard 1/72 Albatros D.V of Jasta 15 (1917) Oliver Freiherr von Beaulieu-Marconnay.

I hope I will not get bounced out of the GB, as I am unable to find a wartime photo of this plane... he had 25 confirmed victories at the time of his death, and was, I believe, the youngest recipient of the Blue Max at age 20.

Rob

At long last I've got things moving with molders 109 dora, the stumbling block was the vac formed canopy. It was too small in all dimensions, I got the canopy for a tamiya 109e and tried crash molding a new one. The tamiya canopy is too small too. At a last resort I cut out the spare vac formed canopy provided with the kit and what do you know it fits. I guess that is why two are supplied.
Spent two hours masking it with tiny strips of tape, threw some rlm 02 at it, and will follow that up with the exterior light grey.

Three steps back. Wasn't happy with the paint finish so scrubbed the whole fuselage with oven cleaner which took off all the enamel and acrylic paint no problem, and spent the evening re scribing the rather faint panel lines, first time i've done this, will sand it all smooth tomorrow, and do any fixups, but so far so good.
I've also ordered a Rivet-R from radub, I'll practice on some stock first but I think I'll add some rivet detail too, I'll see how it goes. The thought of a cool one at the aces bar spurs me on.

JP:
Sorry to here about the paint redo. I hate when that happens, and I hate oven cleaner. I can't wait to see it finished. I love a good tough build gone good story At least you are at the painting stage. I'm not even close.

Nice choice Tuomas!

If you have questions about that Sturmbock ..just ask ..Neil is on this board too .... I am not sure if you find Fotos to support your choice ... See rules:




Maybe rather chose Hans Weiks "white 7" .. there is a pic and it has kill markings on the tail (rather seldom for late war and Sturmjaeger) .. decals are available from Eagle cals ... Also Willi Maximowitz' "black 8" is very well known .. also 27 victories, but no KC for him .. also possible is Wilhelm Moritz (no tally but some pix) ... and many more

all the best

Steffen

Crap. I must have missed that part of the rules. I will check for some other plane, maybe one of those you mentioned.

Okey, now found one that will even match the rules;

"White 7" Hauptmann Hans Weik, 36 kills (Marked on tail! ) 10./JG3.
I'm afraid I have to paint those sevens by hand, because I'm not gonna buy a expensive decal sheet for few such easy numbers.

And thanks for Neil for these awesome pictures!

Hi Tuomas

....blimey, that's some ancient artwork you've found there !

Here's the original photo I used - which was published in the Rodeike Jagdflugzeug book ....Rodeike said it was 'White 1' but in correspondence Hans said he never flew 'white 1', always 'white 7'....I'm assuming this was the a/c he was flying on 18 July 1944 when he led his 10. Staffel against a force of 15th USAAF Flying Forts and Liberators raiding targets in southern Germany from Italy. He claimed a B-17 at 10:50 hrs for his 36th victory but was hit and wounded by return fire from the bombers as he was going through the formation..he managed to land safely but didn't return from convalescence until March 45....sadly passed away a few years ago..

Hi Neil

Tuomas originally chose "black 13" of Werner Gerth .. I do not know why he removed that post ... I cannot remember seeing a photo of that one and thats why I suggesting another a/c. The nice part on black 13 is, that it is included in eduards Sturmbock


click img

cheers

Steffen

Yes, I chose first the Werner Gerths plane, But it didnt have any kills marked to plane so it was against the rules. I deleted those posts as they were useless and misleading.



Yea but it kinda sucks because I got tamiyas focke already coming. What you say about this painting scheme: basic rlm 74/75 upper side with "blueblack" nose and rlm 76 belly?

Hi Tuomas

The tamiya kit is o.k. too .. you get Wilhelm Moritz and Klaus Bretschreider with the kit and so you can do an ace OOB .. both aircraft are well documented ... read the rules again: either it should have kill markings or it should show the a/c with pilot

Bretschneider can be found in Rodecke "Fw 190 Jagdflugzeug" pg.363 and Moritz pg. 345 (Weiks mount is on 343). Of course the two vol. JG 300 history from Lorant/Goyat has also a bunch of pix.

I built the Moritz markings from the Tamiya kit .. BTW get replacement wheels for the tamiya model .. they are much too small



all the best

Steffen

Hey,
Thanks for this all info, but I would really like to build one of JG Udet planes.(yep i like their insignia ^^). I also like this Hans Weiks's black nose aircraft, so I think I'll stay in my line and trying to replicate White 7 + ~ as it is in Neils nice pictures. I will think about wheels, once my model arrives here in North

P.S What is that wierd mark on your planes tail? Your cencored swastika? :?