Hi all,
i would like to share my current project, the "Volksjaeger".
The kit is well known and another example of Tamiya´s high
standards of quality.
The aircraft it self, is well known too, so no reason for hughe
explanations.
Lets get right in the topic.
I found a picture of an abandoned 162, taken at Bernburg Luftwaffe airbase early 1945.
Its shows partially bare metal panels, decorated with filler over rivets and panel lines.
Some panels are painted in RLM colors and the plane shows german markings.
The sources explain the damages at the cockpit and engine as made by
retreating german personel.
Mr Thierry Decker from France has made a great color profile of this particular plane.
I have deep trust in Mr Decker´s research regarding the colors, so i decided to
follow his interpretation very closely.
So, here ist my approach to the topic.
Typical for many projects, it all starts with interior.
Her we go:
There is some interior in the landing gear bay as well.
Sources say, these bays came along often in bare metal,
coated with clear lacquer.
A perfect job for my beloved Alclad II matalizers.
Eleminating ejection marks.
Polishing and priming.
Engraving a panel line and ad some archer transfers to render rivets.
Gloss black base coat.
Attached to the model.
As you might have seen on the original, there are many rivets on the fuselage.
I had to punch all these rivets at the appropriate place.
Ready to be primed for polishing.
The engine cowling. Filling, sanding, polishing....
....until all imperfections are gone.
Because a have a propensity for detailing ( i never have built a plane without showing the engine, except a Fiesler V-1)
i decided to break up the outlines of the model and show the engine in a opened cowling.
So again there was many preparation needed before matalize the plastic.
Each and every imperfection or scratch will telegraph straight through the color.
Ready for painting
On it´s way....
So the engine was ready, the fuselage and wing assembly was ready for painting and it all went
straight forward to the paintjobs.
The funniest part in modeling if you ask me...
Lets go:
The quality of the kit allows to paint the wings first, and attach it later.
This makes things very comfortable, especialy when it´s about masking.
Ready for the gloss black base.
At this stage i had all really important things ready for painting as well and i concidered long about it.
I mean if you screw the underside of a wing, as long as the upper side is´nt painted yet, one
can restart easy. But now we come to the point where all things become to be integrated into each other.
Not a good time for mistakes. I decided to practice a little more metalizing first.
Gave my self all the time it takes to gain a clear vision and a plan how to achive it.
Again, polishing.....
....priming....
...and metalizing.
Pretty glossy, he? And it looks more like steel instead of aluminium.
So it was time to dull things down and weather it.
Nuff for today.
The next update is about the wings and it´s markings.
At the fuselage things has changed dramatically too.
I hope you find this sbs entertaining.
Feel free to share your thoughts.
See you later, guys
Best
Alex
