Hi all,
last Thursday I've started a build for a show that will take place next September in Milan and the model I've chosen has been the new Dora from Eduard.I wanted to build it straight OOB but after a few minutes I thought that it could have used a little "tweaking" here and there other than correcting its little issues.
The fit it's troublesome in places (perhaps it's me! ) and surely enough not Tamiya-like but a little dry-fitting and filing here and there will cure that.
First thing first I've binned the engine "plug" as offered by Eduard and have cast a resin copy of the very nice JUMO as found in the old but beautiful FM detailing set for the Trimaster/Dragon D-9 which in fact is but a somewhat modified Trimaster /Dragon 213.It sure looks better than the kit's parts but I had to trim the bearers and thin the inside of the fuselage a bit.
In the last photo an unsightly gap between the cockpit coaming and the fuselage sides can be seen and that is found on all the in-progress Eduard Doras I've seen.A little bending will reduce it somewhat yet it will still be there.The precisely fitting windscreen will sorta hide it but nonetheless the gap must be filled






Cheers
Manu

Last afternoon I’ve put aside the engine and the wheel wells and started working on the cockpit for a change,whose details can be pusher a little further IMO.While the color etched parts that came with my Antons were extraordinarily well made the ones that came with my Doras (I own six and each and every one comes with this issue) are terrible…I don’t know why Eduard changed the printing method!
Whatever….I much prefer the plastic parts in that they’re tri-dimensional even if their details are too soft too my taste…nothing that cannot be cured though!
Since I want to have this model ready for the next September 23rd I put to good use whatever I have deemed useful to detail the cockpit,limiting scratchbuilding to a minimum….I’ll save it for the engine,the MGs and other smaller bits and bobs..The brass part in front of the control stick comes from an old Teknics set for the Tamiya Antons and it’s the best rendered such part I’ve seen to date (I’ve got another one but I’ll cast resin copies of that next time!)…the armour behind the pilot’s seat comes from the same set,the seat is a resin copy (further thinned) of the white metal seat that came with the Trimaster D-12,the rudder pedals are from the kit as is the maps holder on the left console.
There are quite a few bits that have to be added before I can call it a day but although not perfect/superdetailed by any means the cockpit of my Eduard Dora is at least a bit different.
As a side note I’ll say that a lot can be seen inside the FW190 cockpit,no matter the scale,therefore adding details is well worth it!
Cheers
Manu

Yesterday I’ve decided that the molded-in detail of the Eduard consoles had to go for good since IMO it was too soft,so out I broke the files.It was a matter of minutes before I found a worthy substitute…I made resin copies of the beautiful consoles that come with the set by Extratech intended for the Trimaster/Dragon/Italeri Dora 9,further enhanced with a few added details like the plug and a few other bits on the port side (a couple of knobs must still be added though)….they’re paper thin.I’ll let the pictures do the talking and the ones who are building this beautiful kit will be able to noticed the difference.
An Aires seat has been swapped for the copy I made of the Trimaster white metal one because it looks a little more detailed and more like the original than the latter.
I think that I’ll empty out the “pan” because I don’t like the look of the padding or I can even carve away the molded-in cushion and substitute a “liberated” yellow “USAAF” one for it,just to make things a little more different…and complicated!
Another Extratech part that I’ll consider is the gorgeous PE cover above the upper IP and below the windscreen…I’ll either use the brass part or glue a resin copy of it on the original kit’s part,duly thinned down not to interfere with the beautiful fit of the windscreen.
I like to work on several sub-assemblies at a time,so while the glue was curing I tackled one of the beautifully detailed wing gun bays that come with the Eduard PE set for this kit….apart from a careful bending and glueing/soldering of the inner details a good dose of carving/filing/measuring/sweating/dry fitting/more sweating and more carving is required on the wing(s)but the modeler will be rewarded with the most beautiful 190 gun bay(s) available today in any scale…but that’s another story !
Cheers
Manu