Hi all!

This is a duel between me and Phil (Almonkey)!

So where are you Phil! I'm searching the sky for you since a while now! I found nothing, only empty space! Come on, stop hidding behind the clouds! Do your fear my "Rata" will blow the engine of your "Messer" off!

Here are some progress pictures of my 1/48 Academy Polikarpov I-16 type 10.







It seems to be a nice little "Kitty" if you don't want to make it into superdetail! The cockpit is basic and reminds me of old Matchbox or Airfix kits! But that's not important because nothing is visible once the fuselage halves are glued together. I managed to assemble the entire plane in a day and will probably start painting tomorrow! This kit can really be a week-end build!

Ok! I'm running out of fuel! I must return to the base. Hopefully some Messerchmitt 109D will show up next time!

Jean-Luc

i hear you, jean-luc! you dont mess about do you, ive made a little progress on my rata eating machine, but i was stuck in traffic for two hours tonight, then my missus phoned me to say she had a flat tyre, and i had to rescue her...... i know, sounds like excuses! hope fully ill get the cockpit together tomorrow night in anticipation of bouncing you from out of the sun!

Hey! Do I hear some bullets flying around? I better try to go the hell out of here! Tomorrow I'll try to get on you six! Beware!

Jean-Luc

PS and don't come with the "Chica" excuse again! :-)

Another mission without a single enemy plane in sight! Where is the famous "Condor Legion"? Where are those famous Messerchmitts! I'm waiting!

Well, after a busy day, I managed to go to the paint hangar! I said to the squadron painter he should add some RED on my plane so the German pilots would see me easier! Below is the result so far!



Tomorrow I'll be finished with the paint scheme I guess...

I hope to see some grey birds soon!

Jean-Luc

hello ivan! grey bird one here, i should tell you i now have an instrument panel in my plane, if only i had an engine to connect it to! im off to play combat flight simulater to practice shooting down lots of russkies

Hi Fritz!

The paint job is almost done! look at all this red color! Just some nice stripes on the fine and I'm ready!



Your cockpit looks busy Fritz! There is a lot more in your Messerschmitt than in my poor Rata! But it doesn't matter! All I need is a control stick and a button to fire my four 7,92 ShKAS Machine Guns at you! :-)

See you soon!

Ivan-Lukaski Formerov

guten tag ivan! if you have finished sipping your sangria, then grey bird one is coming to buzz your airfield, now i have wings, a propellor and four machine guns (but no landing gear, which makes life a little difficult) on a serious note your rata is looking very nice
yours sincerely
Baron freiherr von almonkenstein II

Grrrrr!

Nothing new on the front! The painter is a slow worker! But he's talented! Look at this cool Popeyski on my fin!



No mission today! Only some ground work at our airfield and some exercice! Can't wait to take off and go fighting those brand new German planes!

Ivan Rebrov

guten tag ivan! due to popping down to benidorm with my deutchelander shorts and getting drunk with hans and rudi there was no flying yesterday, and over the next couple of days i have to fill, prime and sand grey bird one, due to the fact that she is a limited run airframe. i also need to get some paints in as spanish sabateurs have tuned my RLM63 into a lump at the bottom of the tin
Baron freiherr von almonkenstein II

Good work guys !
Oh this just reminds me that I should finish my 1/32 I-16 !

Tovaritch comrads!

My Rata has got legs! He! He! Maybe I can take off tomorrow!



Hey Penpensky! Maybe you should join me! With two Polikarpovs against the Baron's Messer, we could have an advantage! What? This is not fair? Who said we have to be fair to shoot down an enemy aircraft! Huh! Huh! :-)

Vitaly Sherbo

Beautiful job !
What color did you choose for the green ?

I'll try to bring the small touches necessary to my polikarpov !

And against the messerschmit, remember the lesson : keep it low, keep it slow !

Tovaritch Penpensky!

I used Staline's famous "Tractor green!" :-)

More seriously, I sprayed one coat of dark green, then olive green and finally some lightened olive green to finish. I used Tamiya acrylics as usual. After the paint was finished, I "futured" the model with a mix of Klir (Klear) and dark yellow.

Did you choose your markings for your rata?

Gary Kasparov

two against one eh, (and 1/48 against 1/72) i think ive got you ivans worried!
Baron freiherr von almonkenstein II
p.s. is that yours finished now jean-luc? ive got at least another two days to get mine done

Hi Baron!

It's 1/32 + 1/48 against 1/72! Huh! Huh! :-) I'm not good in math but I think the reds have more firepower!

Don't worry about the time! I'm not finished neither! Still have the panel lines to do as well as some weathering. And maybe I can add one or two bullet holes if you can catch me! #:-)

Yuri Andropov

Thanks for the info.
I haven't chose the markings yet.
And anyway I still have to work on a few details (like the guns) before I can start painting !

Hi Baron!

My Rata is ready for the fight! I now have my four machine guns fitted and started the engine for a test! It made my plane a little bit dirty!





The build was overall troublefree! It's the perfect kit for a relaxing fast build. Something to try after or before a bigger project. I build it OOB with the only addition of the guns (brass tube) and the headrest (spare box). The paintschemes for the I-16 are numerous! I'll probably build another one with these cool soviet markings (see kit box below)



Ok! I jump in the cockpit right away and take off to find the Baron!

Jean-Luc