Here's a quick go-over of what I've done so far. I know my first plane kit should be as basic as possible, but I really can't help but want to add a few bits to make it look better.
First of all, this is supposed to be a D-3 kit, still a dive bomber version of the Stuka. Here is a list of the mix-ups/inaccuracies/mistakes that I've found on this particular kit:
- The kit's wings are the long ones, which are found on either a D-5 or G-2.
- The kit comes with the 20mm wing cannons, which are found on a D-5.
- The kit comes with the 37 mm underwing cannons, which are unique to the G-1 or G-2.
- The kit comes with a centerline bomb but lacks the wing-mounted bombs.
- The kit has no dive brakes which were still seen on the D series of Stukas.
The kit is actually closest to the G-2 variant considering the appearance of the airframe and the included armament. It is also possible to do a D-5 if you have spares of dive brakes and bomb racks+bombs for the wings.
So my main goal here is to somewhat convert this into a G-2 variant, which should be easy since it only lacks a pitot tube. The cockpit lacks a lot including a rear gunner's seat, but I might have to pass on fixing that since the canopy is closed and it won't be that visible.
Here's my progress on the build so far:
So far here's what I've done:
- Sealed the holes where the D-5 wing guns should be.
- Bored holes on the 37m cannon (those things are so DAMN THIN)
- Scribed panel lines underneath the wings (took me hours, not sure if that was normal)
- Drilled a hole on the starboard wing and inserted a pitot tube that I made from a hypodermic needle and twist wire.
Masking that canopy!
The included 37mm cannons don't have their magazines. I was lucky to find some styrene strips from a hobby shop, so I scribed the heck out of those cannons until I could insert them.
I finally applied cement to the fuselage. The unique approach of Hobby Boss to the fuselage gives you a seam running along the side of the fuselage instead of the usual ones on top and bottom. I had a little problem on the seam on the port side, but nothing that a little Tamiya Putty couldn't fix.
Then I applied cement to the ailerons and flaps and then applied Tamiya Putty on the wing root seams, something which I should done in reverse order. The flaps popped of twice and I was relieved that nothing broke. The nice thing about Tamiya Putty is that it can easily be cleaned off with lacquer thinner, so you don't have to sand a lot and risk sanding off the nearby details like the wing walk strips.
Added some very tiny trips of plastic for the crew step. Sadly Hobby Boss didn't have such pieces on this kit and instead placed some worthless-looking nubs underneath the fuselage. Good thing I've got my diecast Stukas here for a quick 3D reference.
And my most recent progress:
I got a bit ticked off at how half the cockpit is pretty much empty space. And since I've already used plastic strips on some of the other pieces, might as well use some on the cockpit too. I did a very basic gunner's seat and some radio equipment.
