This is looking really good Jean-Luc.
i like the various "stories within the story" that youve got going on. Nice and busy without looking cluttered.
What do you think of the Eduard figures? I have the ICM figures,(for when I eventually build a diorama), and I looked at the Eduard RAF figures at a show the other day. I feel the poses are a bit more animated than the ICM ones,but thats just from the box art.
No 24hr speed build for the Hurricane then?
Nige

Hi Nigel

I also like the boxart of the eduard RAF 1940 set ... would be nice to combine it with the miniamali outhouse



hope Jean-Luc will do the review of the sets (including VVS) soon ... IMO the ICM stuff is the best (in plastic) at the moment.

cheers

Steffen

Hi Steffen!

Do you mean the pilots are not running to their planes?

I just build the RAF figures for the review to come. They are not to the level of the ICM set... by far! They do look a little like "fat robots"...
I didn't built the VVS ones but they look better in the box.

Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

I have read more than one report where the pilots ran faster after the mission than before .. sometimes they did not make it ......

It is really sad that eduard does not improve the figures as fast as their aircraft models ...

I am curious about your article(s) anyway

cheers

Steffen

Hi Nigel!

No, no 24hr speed build this time. I think Vincent wouldn't agree!

I made a start on the kit though and it seems my little boy is rather pleased with it... for the moment.



Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

Great diorama - very good job on the figures! Looking forward to see what you can make with the Hurricane.

Off topic: What a handsome little boy you have. You must be proud

What a cute little model ... did you make it yourself or had you have some help

cheers

Steffen

Hi Jesper and Steffen!

Thanks for the kind words about my little model! Yes I'm rather proud of this one, but Steffen, please understand that I won't tell you the secret of manufacture!

Despite little Vincent, I managed to make some progress on the Hurricane. Cockpit is complete and the wing to fuselage assembly is done to...





So far I can say that this is a typical Hasegawa kit (although it's a Revell boxing): good detail, very nice surface finish with delicate panel lines and relief surface structures and... modular assembly! Fortunately the fit is good and only a little amount of filler is needed here and there.

Let's see how far I can go tomorrow...

Jean-Luc

You do great work Jean Luc... on the dio, aircraft and the 1:1 scale figures! He is such a cute kid!

This is coming along very nicely. I have to agree that the grass does look rather "lush" for a military installation. Perhaps "yellowing" some patches might help. (Maybe I'm just not used to seeing grren grass anymore, here in the states, it seems it's all dead due to this drought.) Either way, you are going to have one hell of a dio when you're done.

Hi all!




Obviously not very far! After weeks of bad weather here in France the sun returned so I was a bit lazy during the week-end...

I applied the two tone upper camouflage today using the BluTack method...





Next time I will apply the black underside color since I opted to do the night fighter scheme. If you build the Revell kit one day you must be carefull with the painting instructions as the upper views have been exchanged between option A and B. The night fighter didn't carried a sky tail band and yellow wing leading edge markings.

Justen, thanks for the kind words about my models!

Jean-Luc

Hi all!

I applied the "black" underside color this morning...



Next I'll apply some coats of Future and the decals...

Jean-Luc

Looks good, Jean-Luc.

I am always impressed how you make the pre-shading show through on the finished model. I have tried this (although only a few times) but I always end up covering all the pre-shading.

Looking forward to see it with some decals on.

Hi Jesper!

I was in Tibet a few years ago. One day, while we were climbing a snow covered mountain to go on a Yeti hunt, an old Monk (he must have been 250 years old, now he's probably 300) told me how to achieve such effects! the receipt was hidden in a golden chest which was hidden in a deep and dark cave...

More seriously, I think only practice can help here. By the way I pre-shade (black in this case), apply the basic color and then post-shade with a slightly lighter color.

I applied the decals this afternoon. They are a bit thick but I've already seen worse made by Revell...



Next I will apply a matt coat and then glue the detail parts in place before final weathering.

Jean-Luc

Lookin good. That Hurricane sure built up into a beauty. It should into the sheep pen diorama quite nicely.

Seriously though, I think you have achieved a great balance between the aircraft and the setting. In most dioramas, one will tend to overpower the other and cause the viewer to lose interest, and concentrate on only a small part of the whole. On this, my eye will go back and forth finding details, interest, and a skillful build in both areas. The only thing that would make it better is a Sergeant Major scrapping his boots. Great build Rottenfuhrer.

Hi Carl!

Thanks for the kind words. I'm afraid there was no Sergeant Major scrapping his boots in the latest Eduard RAF fighter crew set. they should have included one as it would have made the kir a lot better!

I'm almost done with the Hurricane: I made some detail work such as hollowing the exhausts, doing the panel lines, applying a matt coat etc...





All what is left to do is assemble the small parts such as the landing gear, the formation and landing lights, antenna with aerial, exhausts, canopy etc...

Jean-Luc

Hi Jean-Luc

Amazingly quick work! - and a wonderful job on the exhausts - it makes a huge difference!

All the best

Rowan

Hi Rowan!

Not quite the 24 hours P-40C Marathon build I did last year but one week is not too bad! I must say that I work with handicap: I must feed little Vincent! It may seem easy for some people (especially women) but for a guy like me it is not...





Fortunately I'm doing a cleaner job when I build plastic models...





There are still some things to do (exhaust stains, aerial wire, paint chipping etc...) but I think I'll be finished tomorrow on schedule.

Jean-Luc

A pointer from an OLD Dad, now Grandpa -- don't microwave Vincent's food -- warm it in a pan of hot water -- trick taught to me by, you guest it SWMBO

The look on Vincent's face says it all !!!

Excellent work on the build though

Very nice looking Hurricane, Jean Luc. The gub barrels look very realistic. Did you dry-brush or use graphite?

BTW: I have to agree with Chuck. If you nuke baby food, it's really easy to get "hot-spots" that can burn the little guy, even if you stir it really well. I learned that the hard way...... and felt AWFUL about it.

Lol....too cute!! Nice job dad.

Cheers,
Jim

I often have the same exact look about half way through a build.

Well, your son is just adorable, and it has that "I am next generation modeller-to-be" look on his face. Kinda curious, kinda thoughtful of details

My second one is incoming so I guess a very tough round of negotiation w/ my wife will follow, regarding osupational space in our house

Sorry for being

BTW, your HH Mk II looks smashing !!! Can you please describe the techniques you are using in pre and post shading? Are the colors that you use for camouflage afterwards prepared in any special way? Are you using acrilics or enamel?

Thank you!

Jean-Luc,

You do an amazing job of not only building, but sharing your builds with others. Your threads are always informative, and I tend to learn many things from reading them. Thanks for that.

BTW, Vincent is very cute.

Allen

Hi all!

First let me say that no baby was injured during the making of this diorama!

Thanks for your kind words about the diorama and Vincent...

I consider the project to be finished. They are probably a couple of things to modify here and there but I will visit Mark Toillié (owner of Mark58 who made the dispersal pen brick structure) next week and I'll see with him if there is something that can be improved.











About the pre/post shading method I use I can only repeat what I've said previously: first I spray dark color (in this case black) on every panel line. Then I spray the basic color. It is important not to apply too much paint otherwise the pre-shading will disapear. Then I use the color which is left in my airbrush and add some lighter paint (white, yellow, grey... it depends on the basic color) and post shade in the middle of each panel. If the effect is overdone, you can attenuate it by spraying a light coat of the basic color again. Since I use Future on my models I must also say that this product attenuates the contrast between colors and darkens them. I always use Tamiya acrylic colors and they dry very fast. This is why a complete camouflage like this, including futuring, can be easily done in one day. That's why I can work fast.







The barrels were painted in silver color then received a heavy wash of tinted future. This gives a nice "greasy metallic" look to the guns. Of course I hollowed the muzzles.

Thanks again for showing interest and for you constructive comments during the build. This sure was great motivation for me to actually finish this project.

Jean-Luc

The last photo of the Dio is a great "candid" shot. What a great job, thanks for sharing.