Hi all,

well, this is a project that started early this year when I got the kit. I immediately started and progressed quite well in the pit. But then all the little knobs and levers were too much (remember how much I like doing cockpits). So it was sitting around for several months collecting dust.





At the moment I am ill and cannont concentrate for longer than ten minutes or so, but thats enough to do a few bits set a model aside and rest for some time. This way I got that darn pit done and the fuselage closed up





all the best

Steffen

Stephen, looking good. Your cockpit certainly looks busy enough.

Being a -5, are you going to be doing a over all Glossy Sea Blue paint scheme.

Looking forward to your next update. And feel better.

Joel

Thanks Joel,

and yes it will be dark blue.

So here is the next update. I put on the u/c parts (I shortened the legs by about 1-2mm) and gave it some paint. I did some preshading but the blue is covering this. Pre shading is no technique that works well for me, but as I used Tamiya black it gave the following JPS ANA 623 kind of a base.






In the last picture you see the new gun barrels. I am not 100½ sure, but some picture checks persuaded me that these have no cooling jackets but "over tubes". Thus I used a Master set for a P-47. The 2 outboard guns were done with small pieces of hypodermic needle as these were easier to handle and I did not want to waste the Master barrels for a mm.

all the best

Steffen

Stephen, The Big Cat is looking real good. Your gun barrels and the wing area right around them really came out nice.

As for pre-shading, I have my own ideas on when to use it, and when not to. I don't with dark colors, just gets covered right up. With light bottom colors it works well, but I tend to go with a darker compatible color, not black, which for me always comes out looking phony. I much prefer to post shade, fade, stain, & weather.

We tend to look at our models up close and personal, way too close, and detail, especially with weathering way too much. A 1/48 scale model would be for us looking at the real deal from 48 ft. away. The vast majority of what we do would never be seen, especially all that pre-shading.

Joel

Hi all,

@ Joel: well of course it will be repainted. I just checked for imperfections in the leading edge before I put in the barrels.

I am too hamfisted for preshading but as I wrote the black paint also served as a base for the blue.

Meanwhile I went on with decaling. First I had to airbrush the white stripe on the rudder. I left off the elevators as I thought this would be easier for decaling the model .. when I searched for the decals I noticed that only the blue numbers are included. Not a nice move from Eduard as it took me half a meter of masking tape.

I then proceeded with the larger decals. I prefer this way as you see kind of a result very fast and the tedious work of applying stencils is no good motivation. Still working on it...





all the best

Steffen

Steffen, looking really good with the decals. You're certainly a fast worker.

Joel

I am certainly not, but my illness fits the requirements for this task. I can work for 5 minutes and the rest for 20 minutes or half an hour. And I cannot work on articles and the like for my website right now as this requires longer working stints,,,

Steffen, Sorry to hear about your illness. Feel better my friend.
Joel

Thanks Joel, I am back at work since yesterday .. still hard but luckily now it is weekend.

After I have added all stencils the kit got a good layer of Klear. When this was dry I did a sludge wash on the kit using a mid grey oil colour. I know it looks bright, but on the white parts it is dark. Again after some drying time I wiped away the excess paint.





Now it is time to cope with the engine...(the cowl is just glued on with Maskol)

all the best

Steffen

That looks great Steffen- cheers! You're absolutely right about the blast tubes- your look just fine. That second-to-last pic scared me, but then I scrolled down to see perfection. ;D

Many thanks Chuck!

Well, you are like Jean-Luc you can work hours and hours on the model adding effects gradually until your satisfied. I have not enough patience for this approach. I want to see the effect and work on it "backwards" (so to say).
Also I like to see the structure of an aircraft. So panel line wash is my preferred method (even if it is not always true to the real thing). BTW I'm not able use preshading properly (though I try from time to time).

all the best

Steffen

Steffen, Your weathering looks really good. The effects of the light wash on the dark Gloss Sea Blue, especially on the wings, really brings out the panel lines nicely.

Joel

Arrggh, disaster struck (again) .. seems I can get no build through without it.

When working on my Gripen I lost the grip (no joke) and that crated dived onto my Hellcat (which had some u/c parts newly attached). Of course the u/c leg broke (no big deal) but in the curse the oleo scissors disappeared (really - no sound and nowhere to find)

Any idea where I can get a new (AM) set of those?

Were the missing parts AM parts? You could always contact the manufacture and see if he's willing to sell you just the missing parts. Worse case scenario is buying the complete AM parts package again.

The other route, which I personally would take, is to try to make them out of plastic strip.

Joel

Scale Aircraft Conversions does make a white metal set for the Eduard kit (-link-), but if that product photo shows full content of the set, it doesn't have the oleo scissors... : |
Edit: yep, seems the set only includes the gear legs: http://www.cybermodeler.com/hobby/details/sac/detail_sac_48044.shtml

Thanks Eetu and Joel.

@Eetu: Too bad there are no scissors included.

@Joel: these are small parts and they are 3D (i.e. not flat) so doing these myself is out of question.

I have taken the parts from another kit I have in the stash but that really is no solution but a stop gap trick to get it finished for Telford. Still busy with the engine and Quickboost belly tank.

all the best

Steffen

Hi Steffen,

This looks great so far! Quick question about the oil wash: did you just paint over the whole plane before wiping it off?

I have Eduard's F6F-5 Late version on my to-do list, so I'll be following your build with interest!

Hi Kervin,

yes, whole kit. thats, why Chuk was "scared".

all the best

Steffen

P.S. I forgot to add two pictures, progress is slow as I am back at work but still suffering from the illness I got




Still hope to get it done on the weekend and keep working on another project...

all the best

Steffen

Stephen, The wiring harness really looks good. It's not PE since the wires are actually round, at least they look that way to me. If they're resin, how do you bend them so that you can attach them to the cylinder heads? One wire goes in the top front, and the other goes in the top of the head.

I've always made my own wiring harness out of soft, solid, enamel coated wire.
Joel

Hi Joel,

well, it is the PE provided in the kit! I just primed it (alclad grey primer with a brush) and painted it light brown -- it is dark inside the cowl and thus won't be seen if painted dark brown/black...

cheers

Steffen

Some more pictures of the progress. I attached the drop tank, the engine and then the cowling...






all the best

Steffen

It definitely looks happy to be nearly finished

You might be right

still a few bits missing but it is on the home stretch



all the best

Steffen

Nice work Steffen, I'm looking forward to seeing it in the flesh err plastic at Telford