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Patrick Hawkey’s 1/48 scale F-4B Phantom

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SCALE MODELERS PRODUCE GREAT RESULTS! AARON SKINNER

Mastering basic skills is crucial for building realistic scale models. Essential Skills for Scale Modelers, written by FineScale Modeler’s Aaron Skinner, lays the foundation needed to build, paint, weather, and display all types of models. Learn how to airbrush, work with resin, handle photoetched metal parts, get many more modeling techniques as you work through a variety of projects building armor, aircraft, cars, ships and more! #12446 • $21.95 Buy now from hobby shops! To find a store near you, visit www.HobbyRetailer.com P14445

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ARTICLES

Back to basics

Continuing with the turret roof, I added weld seam detail to the edges. I started with a hobby knife, snapping off the end of the blade – now the tool would push the plastic, not cut it. I ran a small amount of Testor liquid cement into the channel I was working on, which softened the plastic. I then pushed the squared tip of the blade into the plastic, keeping the pattern specific, slowly working my way around the turret. The bead looks a little exaggerated at first, but another light application of liquid cement softens the edges and enhances the effect.

Another technique I use for weld seams is adding .020" styrene strip to the area I want the seams to appear in. I lightly glue them down with super glue, then flow Testor liquid cement onto the strips. I then create the bead detail by pressing a flat-tipped hobby

Battle fatigue

knife into the styrene. The blue pencil points to not one, but two PARTweld TWO seams, as was often seen on Tigers. The faint weld was made with the same technique, though I used thinly stretched OFsprue TWO instead of .020" strip.

Story and photos 16 Usher by Matthew

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Practice and patience are your two best assets where photoetched metal details are concerned. A good magnifier, tweezers, and flatfaced pliers (for bending sharp right angles) also help. I use a 6" steel ruler for bending long sections and a No. 11 blade to prod the pieces into place. A small anvil and a candle for annealing (softening brass with heat) also help sometimes. The jack shown here is a Verlinden part with Aber fittings, held in place with a Royal Model jack bracket. The engine screens are steel, not brass, and are from Show Modeling. I dented them up by pushing my finger on them, pressing them into the crevices. 19

1/35 Scale | Armor | How-to

This photo shows my fitting checks on the figure (the S+T Productions/Bill Horan Tank Commander), the Zimmerit, and at this point, all work before adding the delicate side skirts and muffler shrouds. The turret roof has been textured – I coated it with scale bristle mid- brush into the softened liquid cement, then Tamiya’s pressed1/35 a China production is arealism. perplastic. I left one front fenderTiger off Ifor fect subject for practicing 20 weathering techniques, although these methods work well on any modeling subject that looks good with a little dirt and damage.

Add wear and tear to your armor models with pastels and dry-brushing

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n modeling terms, “weathering” covers a lot ing just may be working up the courage to jump of ground so it’s difficult to know where to in and “dirty up” your latest project. That was jump in. Fighting vehicles suffer from many certainly true for me. different kinds of wear, and it’s not always easy In the last issue, I assembled Tamiya’s 1/35 to tell what tools and techniques will best simu- scale mid-production Tiger I Ausf E (kit No. late that damage on a Imodel. camouflaged it, and added I added battle damage to the turret bustle where the metal was use photoetched metal detail35194), parts as often as possible for thean artist’s-oil Like a lot of modeling techniques, to accent recessed and deepen thin and easily torn. To make the Tiger’s damage detail more real“detail density” weatherthey allow mewash to create. Foritsthis modeldetails I primarily ing is an additive process which a number of Tiger the appearance Zimmerit istic (and add an ironic detail), I added a horseshoe “good luck usedinthe items in the Aber set, as well of asits their Tiger I coating. fender This layered steps work together to produce realistic finish things with(hinges, some basic set. Aber’s detailsa often buildtime into I’ll pieces that function for dry- talisman” that is all beat up too, ready to fall off from “bad luck” effect. No one step is particularly or the brushing techniques a little pastel weatherdamage. To create the damage, I thinned the bustle wall from the example). I complicated prefer to place photoetched partsand before I paint, difficult to handle, so then the real to weathersliptrick the finished tools in ing. later. FSM I used the filled holes on the hull inside with a motor tool, right to where I almost broke through. Then a No. 11 hobby knife punched through easily, tearing the as markers for tool retaining pieces, just “following the dots” to “metal” as a shot would. Note the masked periscopes – I’d paint aid placement. them as “glass” when the rest of the finish was done.

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Dry-brushing highlights the model’s raised detail, in this case, worn paint on the Tiger’s most-used parts. Dry-brushing silver paint over these details will create the illusion of the Tiger’s steel showing through worn paint. Dry-brushing involves whisking an almost-dry paintbrush across the model. The raised details pick up traces of paint. Using the right amount of paint is the key. Here I’ve dipped a flat, ¼ “-wide stiff-bristle brush in Floquil old silver. I’ve made several passes on a scrap of cardboard to brush out almost all the paint. When just a trace remains, it’s time to turn to the model.

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Work slowly and let the trace amounts of paint build up gradually on the model. One of the secrets to realistic dry-brushing is adding wear where it appears most often. High-traffic areas such as around hatches and frequently used tools such as ladders and pioneer tools always show wear before the rest of the tank. Here I’ve used the silver paint to simulate wear on the Tiger’s hull-mounted tow cables. The light frosting of silver paint gives the illusion of freshly worn steel and contrasts nicely with the cables’ darker recessed areas.

The exhaust stacks were painted with rust, red brown, and black to make a very dark rusted finish. I wasn’t able to find a good set of photoetched exhaust covers so I decided to use the plastic kit parts. I used a medium-grit drum sanding bit in a battery-powered motor tool to thin the plastic on the exhaust covers. In order to not melt the plastic, it’s important to work at a low speed and work the bit back and forth in the natural channel of the kit exhaust guards. The “damage” was done in the same manner as that on the turret bustle, by poking a hobby knife through the thinned plastic.

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Be careful when you purchase your pastel sets. Buy the chalk pastel set – not oil pastels, which are more like crayons (they don’t “powder” the same way). You can create your pastel powder by scraping a No. 11 blade along the side of the pastel stick. In the palette you can see the various pastel colors I chose. I used a large flat brush to put a base color of pastels on the mufflers and inside of the exhaust guards, then smaller brushes to create weathering effects. I prefer to slowly layer the pastel colors, working from dark to light.

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The Tiger’s all-steel tracks wore quickly. When I built the model, I airbrushed the tracks with dark gunmetal paint, then darkened their recesses with a black wash. Dry-brushing with sliver paint realistically highlights the links’ most-worn high-contact areas. Don’t forget to hit the inside surfaces of the tracks and the drive-sprocket teeth, too.

A silver art pencil (this one is a Sanford Prismacolor) makes it easy to add wear precisely. I used it to highlight the turret’s machine-gun mounting ring and the hatch handles.

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6 5 Editor’s note

24 Improving Tamiya’s

matthew usher

Added detail and beautiful weathering in a stunning tribute

Welcome to our special issue, Build Better Model Aircraft.

Battle damage for a deluxe diorama

6

Recreating and updating a Sheperd Paine masterpiece Phillip Gore



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Improve a Mercury capsule

Simple tips for building a better spacecraft Phillip Gore

Fighter-plane fundamentals 14

Whip up a one-of-a-kind Wildcat. Frank Cuden

Building better biplanes 18

Besting some of the difficulties of multiwing aircraft jeff herne

Lancaster

Chuck Sawyer



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Kitbash a Sukhoi Su-27P “Flanker”

Tips to paint, weather, and superdetail a small-scale fighter

Built from the box

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58 Masking canopies

70 Backdate a Phantom

John Maher

Old and new techniques for a Heinkel He 111

Converting Hasegawa’s F-4J to a Navy F-4B is not that hard.

Making the most of just the kit



43 Easy aircraft weathering

and camo

Aaron Skinner

Add flight-time wear and tear without an airbrush. Patrick Hawkey



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Superdetail Hasegawa’s tiny I-16

Scratchbuilding and photoetched metal, micro style

RogÉrio “Rato” MARCZAK

54 Vertical limit

Build a more-detailed Harrier. Matthew Usher

24 4  Build Better Model Aircraft

58

Yufei Mao



to U.S. Navy service Patrick Hawkey



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Superdetailing Hasegawa’s Dora

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Resin detail parts and expert painting in 1/32 scale Ricardo Dacoba

Really? Submarine-based? Build and weather a Seiran.

Alfonso MartÍnez Berlana

Build a secret Japanese seaplane

Aurora’s Fokker Dr.I

69 Aurora’s Fw 190

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Tom Graham

MATTHEW USHER

That swastika just had to go.

Famous “Red Baron” triplane

Build Better Model Aircraft (ISBN 978-0-89024-847-8) is produced by FineScale Modeler magazine and published by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187.

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Keep ’em flying! Welcome to Build Better Model Aircraft by matthew usher

Editor Matthew W. Usher Associate Editor Mark Hembree Associate Editor Tim Kidwell Associate Editor Aaron Skinner Editorial Associate Monica Freitag Art Director Tom Ford Senior Graphic Designer Patti L. Keipe Illustrator Jay W. Smith Photographers Jim Forbes, William Zuback Production Supervisor Helene Tsigistras Production Coordinator Cindy Barder Group Circulation Manager Catherine Daniels Circulation Specialist Valerie Jensen Circulation Coordinator Brian Qualman Publisher Terry D. Thompson Contact us

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President Gerald B. Boettcher Executive Vice President Charles R. Croft Vice President, Advertising Scott Stollberg Vice President, Editorial Kevin P. Keefe

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love building all kinds of models, but if I had to rank my favorites, I’m sure I’d place aircraft models at the top. The first models I built were from Monogram’s classic series of 1/48 scale World War II fighters. Although I was partial to the aircraft my father worked on while he was in the Navy, other aircraft from other air forces eventually joined the carefully arranged flight line on my bedroom bookshelves. New spaces in the collection opened fairly regularly (often due to my mother’s persistent house-cleaning efforts) and a good portion of my allowance went toward new kits, glue, paint, and hobbyknife blades. Now that I think of it, a good portion of my current allowance goes toward those same things, although I do make sure to take care of a few other expenses (my house payment, and the grocery bill, among others) before heading to the hobby shop. One of the things I love the most about this hobby is that even after all this time, I’m still learning. Almost every time I research a subject I’m about to start building, I stumble on some fact or technical tidbit I hadn’t been aware of,

even when I’m working on a subject that’s familiar to me. No matter how well I think I know a subject, there’s always more to learn. That’s certainly true of the construction side of model aircraft, too. There’s nothing I enjoy more than discovering a new tool, supply, or technique, whether it makes my model-building time more enjoyable or makes my finished models more realistic. Helping you build better model aircraft was the inspiration for this issue. The articles in this edition were written by some of the best modelers in the world, and I hope their step-by-step instructions will help you fine-tune your skills and make your next project better than the last. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts on this edition or suggestions for future ones. You can e-mail me at [email protected] or send a letter to the postal address listed in the column at the left. Enjoy the issue!

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Vice President, Marketing Daniel R. Lance Corporate Art Director Maureen M. Schimmel Managing Art Director Michael Soliday Corporate Circulation Director Michael Barbee Single Copy Sales Director Jerry Burstein Advisory Board John Noack, Paul Boyer, Shep Paine, Bob Collignon, Cookie Sewell, Pat Covert, Rusty White, Pat Hawkey ©2011, Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Title is registered as trademark. This publication may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews. Postmaster: Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha, Wisconsin, and additional offices. Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612.

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1/48 Scale

1975: Gerald Ford is president, George Carlin hosts the first “Saturday Night Live,” oil soars to $13/barrel, and a young Phillip Gore decides Monogram’s 1/48 scale B-17G is the greatest model ever. Recently he realized a lifelong ambition by recreating his inspiration, Sheperd Paine’s famous diorama.

Battle damage for a deluxe diorama Updating Sheperd Paine’s famous Monogram display By Phillip Gore

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s a young boy in 1975, I built Monogram’s 1/48 scale B-17G and thought it was the best model in the world. The kit included a four-page color brochure with a diorama built by Sheperd Paine that depicted a heavily damaged B-17G in a field. Although my model was soon gone, I hung onto that brochure and its pictures of perhaps the most widely recognized aircraft diorama ever made. More than 35 years later, I decided to try to duplicate Shep’s diorama, using every modeling skill and technique I had learned since my first try at the kit. So, this project begins with a young modeler’s dream and ends with this article. 6  Build Better Model Aircraft

Styrene strip

1 First a drill, then a knife as Phillip removes a hatch he’ll replace later with a resin part.

2 Phillip improved poorly fitting windows with strip-styrene sills.

3 Phillip studied pictures of Shep’s diorama and penciled in battle damage …

.010" styrene

4 … then thinned the plastic and punched through to replicate hits on the tail.

5 Phillip worked from the inside to show off a shotup radio room.

6 Torn metal is modeled with scraps of sheet styrene at the edges.

Styrene strip

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More styrene improved the fit of the floor and bulkheads.

Phillip built a ring mount for the machine gun with wire and styrene.

Elevators going down: Phillip cut them loose and filled in with styrene strip.

Fuselage

ing the original diorama and marking locations with a pencil, 3. I used a grinding bit and power drill to thin the plastic, holding the part up to a light to check my progress, and punched through the thin spots with a No. 11 blade, twisting it to break the plastic and produce jagged edges, 4. These hits usually went all the way through the plane, so I was careful to match the damage on both sides. Cutting the plastic from the inside or outside determined whether I was depicting an entry or exit wound. Since the radio room would be visible, I was more precise, 5. Scraps of .010" styrene represent torn metal of the aircraft’s skin, 6.

I corrected the width of the radio room with pieces of styrene on each side to better match the fuselage, and added more styrene to the top of each bulkhead to eliminate gaps, 7. I sanded molded detail from the bulkheads and covered them with thin sheet styrene in preparation for photoetched-metal replacements. I moved the rear bulkhead back .125" so only the front side would be seen from the radio room canopy opening. I scratchbuilt the radio room’s “damaged” .50-caliber gun ring mount with wire and styrene, 8. This type of mount was used on B-17F and early G variants.

Unlike in 1975, there is a tremendous selection of aftermarket items for embellishing a B-17. I removed the left forward and right rear crew hatches, 1, replacing them later with resin parts from Paragon Design to model them open. I also used Paragon resin wing flaps and three different photoetchedmetal interior sets. On the other hand, just like in 1975, the clear parts fit poorly. I added styrene strips to many of the fuselage openings for a better fit, 2. I added flak and machine-gun damage to nine different parts of the plane, study-

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Exposing interior detail requires, well, more detail, made from styrene sheet and strip as well as insulated wire.

Phillip also cut the flaps loose to pose them as he wished.

Brass mesh was installed for intake screens.

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Heavy flak damaged wingtips; so did Phillip.

Phillip used styrene spacers correct the wings, improving their fit.

The No. 2 engine finished the mission much the worse for wear.

Stabilizers and wings

with dark gray pastel powder and drybrushed with Model Master light ghost gray. Then I added prepainted photoetched metal, 16. I painted a scribed, rectangular styrene piece with Model Master wood to represent flooring at the waist-gunner station, 17. Next, I glued all the clear window parts, sealing with 5-minute epoxy to eliminate any gaps. I cut off the barrels of the four window-mounted .50-caliber machine guns to prevent breakage (I reattached the barrels much later), then glued the gun bodies and photoetched-metal ammo. I painted and assembled the nose, cockpit, and radio room, detailing them with photoetched metal and attaching them on the right side of the fuselage, 18 and 19. After joining the fuselage halves, I attached the wings and stabilizers.

sides with “hot-melt” walnut veneer, cutting the veneer slightly oversize, applying a heating iron to attach the strip, then sanding it down to a smooth fit. Then I stained the veneer and finished it with three coats of polyurethane clear. After masking around the concrete runway, I brushed on a thick coat of white glue and sifted a layer of model railroad fine ballast through a strainer and onto the glue, 20, thoroughly covering the surface and blowing off the excess. When it was dry, I painted this area with Floquil concrete. I airbrushed light and dark shades of the base color randomly to make it look worn and weatherbeaten. The groundwork is Sculptamold. I tested it on scrap plywood to learn how fast it set up and how I could work it; it took only a couple of hours to begin to harden. I mixed it to the consistency of thick mud and added brown food coloring to approximate the color of dirt. Then I spooned the Sculptamold onto the base and carefully spread it to the edges, leaving the “soil” about .125" thick. I used the strainer to randomly sprinkle a gray, riverbed soil and rock mix, with larger pieces partially pushed into the Sculptamold. Next, I brushed it with white

I cut off the elevators so I could show them dropped, adding styrene filler along the elevator’s front edge to maintain the thickness and cutting off the molded-in kit hinges and replacing them with scratchbuilt parts, 9. Since it was completely cut in half, the right stabilizer and elevator assembly required internal detail; I installed bits of styrene and insulated wire twisted, bent, and cut to look ripped apart, 10. Wing modifications began with removing the kit flaps, 11. I cut fine-mesh brass into small rectangles and glued them inside the air intakes, 12. Cuts made to the left wingtip show a flak hit that came from below, 13. I detailed here much as I did on the right stabilizer. The fit between the fuselage and wings was greatly improved by spacers at the base of the wings that corrected their thickness, 14. Then I painted the engines and cowling interiors and glued them, with the No. 2 engine and cowling given the same grindand-cut treatment as other damaged areas, 15.

Interior

I painted the fuselage interior Model Master zinc chromate green weathered 8  Build Better Model Aircraft

Plywood and good earth

With most of the plane’s assembly complete, I left it unpainted and turned to building the base. I laid the plane on a sheet of 3⁄4" plywood to determine the 22" x 25" dimensions of the base; the store where I bought the plywood cut it for me. I improved the plywood’s finish by sanding and edging the

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Photoetched-metal detail parts grace the nose of the plane.

Painting the plastic with Testors wood depicts plywood flooring for a waist gunner.

More detail painting and photoetched metal complete the cockpit and nose …

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… and fine-tune the radio room.

Fine, sifted railroad ballast textures a concrete runway.

Phillip brushed the groundwork with white glue and sprinkled it with static grass.

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Then he tore up his beautiful turf with a screwdriver to model the track of the crippled plane.

Pastels and dry-brushing replicated the varied shades of churned-up soil.

Making the runway edge slightly irregular made it more realistic.

glue, 21, and sprinkled it with dark green static grass, intentionally making the concentration thinner in certain areas. Again, I blew off the excess. The next step was tearing up the ground where the plane plowed through the grass. Knowing where to locate this damage required the plane as a “gauge.” I tack-glued the left main landing gear and tail wheel to the model so it sat at the correct angle, marked what would have been the course of the wheels, then removed the wheels. I used a screwdriver to churn up the tracks, being careful not to reveal the plywood base, 22.

After this, I again placed the model on the Sculptamold and shaped some torn groundwork around the No. 3 and No. 4 engine cowlings, right wingtip, and left tire. The plane was removed about an hour later as the ground began to cure. After the base had completely hardened, I added final shades of color by rubbing black and light brown powdered pastels into gaps and openings of the torn-up areas of turf, 23. I dry-brushed these features with Model Master dark tan paint to show variety in the soil’s color. I achieved the same effect in the grass by dry-brushing it

with Model Master radome tan and dark yellow. For a final touch, I spread a little fine, light tan earth along the edge of the runway, 24.

Aircraft painting

I wanted to depict a patched-up, worn-out aircraft that had just flown its last mission during the summer of 1944. I applied a standard scheme of olive drab (upper) and neutral gray (lower) and spent a lot of time weathering the model with lighter and darker variations of the base colors, using both airbrush and pastel powder, 25, and www.FineScale.com  9

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By 1944, a veteran B-17 would be heavily weathered; Phillip obliged with dark layers of pastels and washes.

Phillip swept raw artist’s oils back along the airflow to model engine seepage.

Aluminum paint applied with a fine brush replicated freshly bared metal.

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The engines needed an extra-heavy dose of black pastels for a war-weary look.

Colored epoxy replicates navigation lights.

A candle flame helps Phillip model crash-bent prop blades.

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Feather No. 2! A disabled engine (like one hit by flak) would have feathered props; Phillip cut the blades off to pose them.

Phillip removed the bulge from a resin tire and covered it with Sculptamold “soil.”

Cutting the limbs loose from the kit’s figures allowed different poses. Squadron Green Putty smooths over the work.

painted several sections different colors to represent spare parts “borrowed” from different aircraft. Winsor & Newton’s raw umber artist’s oils on the lower engine areas replicated fluid stains and oil leaks; I “dotted” a little paint on the model, then used cotton swabs to sweep the stains from front to back, 26. Buffing with a soft cloth smoothed the paint and eliminated the need for a gloss coat before decals. This plane, like the one in Shep’s original diorama, was not modeled after a specific aircraft, although the

color scheme would be accurate for an aircraft in the 381st Bomb Group. My spares box provided decals; these were also heavily weathered with pastel powder after final placement. Where prop blast, flak, or bullet damage revealed bare metal, I “chipped” the paint using Model Master aluminum on a small brush, 27. A heavy dose of black pastel depicted leaking fuel and fire damage on the No. 2 engine; I applied the powder with a short-bristled brush, then swirled with cotton swabs to blend, 28. Scratchbuilt

details on the lower fuselage include colored-epoxy identification lights and wire antennas, 29. After gluing all the fiddly bits, I epoxied the model to the base at the left main tire and right lower wingtip. I bent the propellers with candle heat and a No. 11 blade, 30. Adding the propellers after the model was fixed to the base allowed me to properly shape and set the blades to match the torn ground. I cut off the No. 2 props and feathered them to portray an engine that had quit working during flight, 31.

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Phillip painted the figures in stages; a) base colors and darker shades; b) dry-brushing and thinned paint; c) pastels and washes to emphasize details; and d) final colors and Dullcote for a flat finish.

REFERENCES

B-17 Flying Fortress Vol. 2: Production Versions, Alwyn T. Lloyd and Terry D. Moore, TAB Books, ISBN 978-0-8306-8512-7 B-17 Flying Fortress In Color, Steve Birdsall, Squadron/Signal, ISBN 978-0-89747-180-0 Flying Fortress: The Boeing B-17, Ernest R. McDowell, Squadron/Signal, ISBN 978-0-89747-189-3 How To Build Dioramas, Sheperd Paine, Kalmbach Publishing, ISBN 978-0-89024-195-0 Great Scale Modeling 2001, Kalmbach Publishing, www.kalmbachstore.com

Wingtip damage

Extra pastel for Engine No. 2

Articulated elevators, rudder

Feathered props

Heat-bent props

Ravaged radio room

SOURCES

Hot-melt wood veneer banding, Rockler, www.rockler.com Model railroad ballast, static grass, Woodland Scenics, www.woodlandscenics.com Photoetched-metal details, Eduard, www.eduard.cz Resin hatches and flaps, Paragon Design (out of production) Sculptamold, Amaco, www.amaco.com

Accessories

Rolled-up bundles and bags representing crew gear came from Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Modern U.S. Military Army Equipment Set (No. 35266); I cut most of the pieces down to fit the diorama’s scale. The parts looked great, and using them was easier than learning how to make these items out of wet tissue paper like Shep did on the original diorama. The tire of the failed landing gear had a flat area I built up to a smooth radius with slow-setting super glue and sanding. I mixed up a little more Sculptamold “mud” to spread over the treads, 32.

Ouch!

Resin replacement hatch

Sculpted wheel

Tracks matched to model

Dropped flaps

It took more than 35 years, but Phillip collected the skills he needed to achieve what he could only dream of as a boy — building a replica of one his all-time favorite dioramas.

Figures

Of the six figures used in the diorama, five were from the B-17G kit. I cut off the hands so I could hollow the ends of the sleeves, and I slightly relocated two figures’ limbs to change their poses, sculpting Squadron Green Putty to fill gaps and slightly refining dried details with a No. 11 blade, 33. A partial crew member in the nose hatch was made from parts of two spare figures. I painted these pieces with enamels, assisted by Shep Paine’s book, How To Build Dioramas. Working in stages, I began with base

colors for the clothes, shoes, and skin, 34, applying darker shades of the base colors in recesses and shadowy areas. Next, drybrushing increases the contrast, with raised areas receiving a thin dusting of lighter shades of the base colors. I detailed the faces, alternating pastel powder and thinned paint. Then came final colors for details and, finally, Dullcote to flatten the finish. When the figures were glued to the base, my project was done. It was a demanding, six-month project for me. It’s incredible that Shep built the original diorama in less than two weeks! FSM www.FineScale.com  11

1/12 Scale

Small additions and a sharp paint job send Atomic City’s 1/12 scale Mercury spacecraft into orbit.

Improve a

Mercury capsule

By Phillip Gore

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he first step in America’s quest to reach the moon was called Project Mercury. The goal of this program was to send a manned spacecraft into orbit, study man’s ability to finction in space, and recover the man and the spacecraft safely. From May 1961 to May 1963, six Mercury capsules were launched into space. Probably the best-known mission was Mercury-Atlas 6. On February 20, 1962, John Glenn was launched into orbit in his capsule Friendship 7. The spacecraft orbited Earth three times, and Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth. Here’s how I built Atomic City’s 1/12 scale Mercury spacecraft (kit No. 62001), making simple improvements along the way.

1 First, Phillip sanded away sprue-attachment marks, mold lines, and other imperfections. Testing the fit of each part eliminated unpleasant surprises during final assembly.

3 The only modification to the kit Phillip made was the addition of breakaway cables and electrical connections between the tower legs and stability wedge. First, holes were located and drilled in the kit pieces. Then .032” soldering wire was measured and cut to length to represent the connections. 12  Build Better Model Aircraft

Simple tips for building a better spacecraft

2 The kit parts were well molded, and fine details were not lost during sanding. The escape rocket was one of the few pieces that needed a seam filled.

4 Painting this model required only a few colors. Phillip used Testors enamels: flat red (No. 1150) for the escape rocket; flat black (No. 1149) for the capsule; Model Master aluminum (No. 1418) for the retro package; and Model Master flat white (No. 1768) for the antenna compartment’s radome band.

5 Before painting the heat shield and retro pack, Phillip stacked and glued 1⁄4”-square styrene blocks inside each of the parts. He drilled a 1⁄16” hole through most of the stacked length so the model could rest upright on a display-base rod.

7 Phillip began assembly with the tower. Once completed, he sprayed several light coats of Pledge Future floor polish at 50psi on the rocket/tower assembly. This technique produced more of a satin sheen. Then he added the soldering wire connections.

9 Phillip applied the black thermal-stripe decals with a toothpick using the same method he used for the capsule decals. Once the decals were done, Phillip standardized the shine by spraying several light coats of Future.

6 Phillip made a 1:2 mix of flat red and Model Master rust for the areas around the heat shield. “I wanted a factory-fresh look, so I decided not to apply any pastel dust or dry-brushing,” he says. After painting, he sealed the parts with a heavy coat of Pledge Future floor polish to protect the paint and provide a gloss finish.

8 Adding the capsule decals was challenging due to the deep corrugations and raised rivet details. Phillip used wet Q-tips to press the decals into place, then brushed on several applications of Micro Sol and Solvaset. Deciding not to detail the interior, Phillip glued the hatch in place and airbrushed the window with a mixture of blue food coloring and Future.

10 Phillip assembled the retro package straps and added them to the main capsule. The final part, the escape rocket aerodynamic spike, was saved until the model stood straight on the display base. FSM www.FineScale.com  13

1/48 Scale

Frank waited years to build a 1/48 scale FM-2 Wildcat until HobbyBoss’ kit and the aftermarket produced what he wanted.

fighter-plane fundamentals Whip up a one-of-a-kind Wildcat

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ears ago, when a 1/48 scale FM-2 Wildcat was released by Sword, I splurged and bought one. Like most modelers, I figured I would build it “someday” — and it was the only FM-2 available in that scale. But when the HobbyBoss kit came out, I had a much better model to build —

1 Frank went with Vector’s cowl (left), which would receive the correct number of four intakes as opposed to Sword’s molding.

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By Frank Cuden

and with Vector’s resin “correction” kit (No. VDS48-022) providing a new engine, firewall/wheel-well area forward of the wing, and a corrected cowling and various bits and pieces inside the wheel well area, plus a set of FM-1/2 block tread/spoked wheels (No. VDS48-030), I knew I was finally ready to begin.

2 Starting with subassemblies, Frank built and painted the cowl, firewall, engine, and cockpit separately, adding wiring to the engine.

3 “I wasn’t sure just how the Vector wing fairing, which was part of the wheel well/fire wall, would match the HobbyBoss fuselage, but it was a great fit,” Frank says.

5 After installing the gunsight, Frank further challenged himself by attaching the dorsal antenna early for painting. “I still managed to break it off a few times,” he says. Wing guns are Minimeca stainless-steel tubing.

4 Frank had to trim the outsides of the cylinders slightly to fit the engine in the cowl. “I sighted from all sides, using the propeller housing as a guide to make sure the prop would align correctly,” Frank says.

6 Frank cut away the elevators and marked them L and R. He used a round file to make the stabilizer and fin edges concave, then rounded the leading edges of the rudder and elevators. Pitot tube Antenna

7 Frank gently scraped mold lines from the landing-gear struts with a No. 11 blade. Here, a couple of filters, the bottom exhaust pipes, and the intricate landing gear are all in place.

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Barely visible tank

From now on, Frank would have to dodge the pitot tube and ventral antenna, too. He canted the tail wheel a bit to port and, if you look closely, there’s a yellow tank inside the wheel well. www.FineScale.com  15

9 Frank modeled a NAMU (Naval Air Modification Unit) mechanics trainer from 1946. “Floquil’s railbox yellow was an exact match,” he says. He painted the gear legs interior green.

10 Vector’s wheels are airbrushed with the Floquil yellow and hand-brushed Vallejo tire black and Tamiya flat aluminum with a black wash from The Detailer. A soft artist’s pencil picked out lug-nut and rim details.

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A light touch with a sharp pencil picked out panel lines on the wings and fuselage. Note the red portion of the pitot tube, “to keep ground crew from ‘boinking’ their heads,” Frank says.

The black rectangle on the belly will house a lower observation window (one per side); the depression underneath the port wing will hold a landing-light lens.

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A rod through a slot on the forward side of the rudder connects the elevators. The control-surface edges are interior green. Frank also opened two cowl flaps; their interiors and the exhausts are painted flat black.

Silver leaf Rub ‘n’ Buff replicates bare metal in the exhausts; wing walks are black decals, cut to fit; and the national insignia are from Techmod. Using 5-minute epoxy for the main wheels allowed time for alignment.

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Frank glued the control surfaces, then sliced sections of styrene tubing to make the semicircular connectors between the stabilizers and elevators. “They appeared in every reference I used,” Frank says.

A strip of tape helped keep I-94 Enterprises’ black lettering decals straight. Twirling a soft pencil deepened each rivet. Exhaust streaks are brushed on with a mixture of black, medium gray and brown pastels.

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Frank also stained the underside of the flaps and behind the bottom exhaust stacks and cowl ring. “A little goes a long way,” he says. “I didn’t want to overdo it.”

Frank used kit parts as masters to vacuum-form the windshield and canopy. He masked the glass and sprayed the frame’s interior color (Floquil engine black), then a thin coat of white before the yellow finish.

Sources

Vector resin upgrade kit (No. VDS48-030), available from NeOmega-Resin.com, www.neomega-resin.com Minimeca stainless-steel tubing, available from Sprue Brothers, www.spruebrothers.com National insignia decals, www.techmod.pl Black lettering decals, I-94 Enterprises, www.i-94enterprises.com

After spraying the blades with Floquil engine black, Frank painted the prop hub Vallejo silver. He highlighted the blade housings with The Detailer black wash, and painted the tips Floquil reefer yellow. Frank says, “It’s certainly a different-looking FM-2 Wildcat!” FSM www.FineScale.com  17

1/32 Scale

Building

With rigging, bare wood, and complex paint schemes, World War I aircraft can be daunting. Jeff mastered these challenges as he built Wingnut Wings’ 1/32 scale Albatros D.Va.

better biplanes Besting some of the difficulties of multiwing models By Jeff Herne

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orld War I aircraft are fascinating subjects featuring an endless array of colorful markings. After a long period when there were only a few large-scale WWI aircraft kits, recent years have seen dozens of new releases, including several from new manufacturers such as Wingnut Wings. One of Wingnut’s first releases was a 1/32 scale Albatros D.Va, and with an enormous variety of paint schemes to choose from, and the stunning quality of the kit, it immediately went to the top of my list of “must-do” projects. I decided to model a black aircraft with five-color lozenge on the wings from Jasta 18  Build Better Model Aircraft

37, flown by Lt. Gerhard Schreiber. The kit doesn’t come with lozenge decals, so I used decals from Wingnut Wings’ LVG. (I’ll build that model as the prototype with painted wings.) Wingnut Wings now offers separate lozenge decals for the D.Va.

Going against the grain

WWI aircraft modelers express two major concerns — rigging and getting plastic to look like wood. Rigging is tedious, but not so difficult that an average builder can’t learn it. Believable wood grain is another story. I cut the interior parts from the sprue and airbrushed them with Gunze Sangyo

sandy yellow (H79), 1. A coat of Pledge Future floor polish followed. Then I let the parts dry overnight. Using a cotton swab, I applied a dab of burnt sienna oil paint and spread it over the area, 2. Then I used a flat, dry brush to remove most of the oil, working the paint in one direction and leaving a streaked appearance to simulate wood grain, 3. I allowed the parts to dry for 24 hours before applying another coat of Future. A burnt umber acrylic wash brought out details.

The inside story

I assembled and painted the fuel tank, a two-part affair mounted to the firewall.

1 Wood base: Jeff sprayed acrylic sand yellow over the interior parts. He considered filling the faint ejector-pin marks but decided they would be invisible in the finished model.

2 Jeff began his faux-wood finish by applying burnt sienna artist’s oils to the wooden areas and smearing it around with a cotton swab.

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Jeff worked the oil paint with a dry brush to create streaks that looked like grain in the wood.

After getting conflicting information about the tank’s color, I went with Wingnut’s recommendation of RLM 02 gray using Tamiya acrylics. I dry-brushed copper paint along edges to simulate wear, then added a touch of pigments and an acrylic wash, 4. I assembled the lower half of the engine, sprayed it with Testors Metalizer steel — the instructions called for aluminum, but I preferred the slightly darker steel — buffed that with a cotton swab, then applied a black pinwash to emphasize bolts and other raised detail. I sprayed the engine cylinders with Tamiya semigloss black, then added a subtle dry-brushing of Testors dark anodonic gray, 5.

After painting the fuel tank RLM 02, Jeff dry-brushed the edges with copper to depict wear.

There’s no mention of ignition wires in the instructions, but they’re noticeable in photos. I drilled out each of the plug openings and ran a small piece of painted monofilament from the conduit on the side of the engine to each of the plugs, 6. Compared to WWII aircraft, the cockpits of early fighters are spartan, with no creature comforts and minimal instrumentation. I painted the seat Tamiya German gray and the cushion Vallejo leather brown. The kit provided photoetched-metal seat belts. To get the belts to lie across the seat realistically requires several bends. I found it best to bend the belts before painting; I used Vallejo off-white for the harness and

Floquil old silver for the buckles, 7. The instrument panel was a snap: I painted the bezels black, then applied the kit instrument decals and sealed them with Future for a glass-like sheen.

Looking for closure

Before gluing the fuselage halves together, I installed the engine, fuel tank, and a few smaller components, such as the throttle assembly and compass. I drilled small holes in the fuselage where the lower wings would attach, and rigged the control stick and rudder pedals with monofilament. I used long pieces of line, as I needed to insert the lines into the holes I drilled in www.FineScale.com  19

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Several metallic paints, washes, and dry-brushing work together to bring the detailed engine to life.

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Jeff tested and bent the photoetched-metal harness to fit the seat, then painted the belts before gluing them in place.

the wing root before I closed the fuselage halves. I ran the rudder pedal and elevator control cables under the seat and through the rear bulkhead, then glued them into place. Although it seemed like unnecessary work, an inspection of the cockpit reveals the cables are visible once the halves are closed. When you are joining the fuselage halves, recessed slots in the parts guide proper alignment of the bulkheads. But gentle coaxing is required to get everything into position. I pressed each bulkhead into the opposite half of the fuselage to ensure a snug fit, then applied Tamiya thin cement to the insides of the bulkheads using a Touch-n-Flow applicator. I used my trusted method of fusing the fuselage halves together: I hold the parts slightly apart with a spark-plug gap gauge, then apply Tamiya liquid cement along the join. The thin metal of the gap gauge prevents the cement from marring the surface of the model. Once I applied the cement, I 20  Build Better Model Aircraft

We have ignition! Jeff drilled holes in the cylinders and conduit, then attached monofilament fishing line to wire the engine.

Although all the parts of the detailed cockpit and engine compartment fit the fuselage, Jeff cautions you to take your time and be sure each structural component hits its locator before adding glue.

removed the gauge and repeated the process along the length of the fuselage, 8. The fuselage required only a few spots of putty; I wet-sanded the fuselage seam with 600-grit paper once it hardened. I gently pulled the aileron control cables taut and glued them inside the wing root attachment point, then trimmed them flush with the outside surface. Once the wings are attached, it appears that the control lines disappear into the wing. I checked panel lines on the fuselage top and bottom for uniformity and rescribed lines that were damaged or lost during sanding. After scribing, I lightly sanded the lines and applied Tamiya thin liquid cement with a fine brush. The cement levels the rescribed lines and softens the edges, blending them in with the molded lines.

Paint it black

I attached the landing gear struts before painting so the model would have something to sit on while the paint dried. After

masking the cockpit and engine bay with Tamiya tape, I primed the plane with Mr. Surfacer 1200 and checked the seams for problems. I sprayed white on the horizontal stabilizer, around the fuselage, and on each side of the nose, 9. To replicate the black-andwhite checkered band on the fuselage, and the large “11” on each side of the nose, I masked the white with pieces of tape, 10. For the diagonal stripes on the tail, I scaled up a drawing to match the size of the model to determine the width of the stripes. I laid strips of tape across the tail in the correct alignment, then removed every other strip to reveal parallel lines, 11. I repeated the process under the tail using the same technique. I applied Gunze Sangyo semigloss black to the fuselage using a Harder-Steenbeck Infinity airbrush at 12psi. Whenever I use Gunze Sangyo acrylics, I mix the paint with DuPont Centari mid-temp reducer, an automotive acrylic-enamel thinner. It seems

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After priming with Mr. Surfacer 1200, Jeff airbrushed the nose, rear fuselage, and horizontal stabilizer white in preparation for painting markings.

Jeff cut squares of tape and placed them over the white, corner to corner along a panel line, to create a checkerboard stripe around the fuselage.

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Based on a photocopied enlargement of the aircraft he was modeling, Jeff cut strips of tape to width, laid them side by side on the tail, then removed every other one to paint the black-andwhite diagonal stripes.

Jeff applied lozenge decals from another kit to the Albatros’ wings, checking the alignment of each piece to mimic the way the full-size aircraft was covered with printed fabric.

After aligning strips of blue rib tape decal to the molded ribs, Jeff applied Micro Sol to settle the decals over the details.

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The kit decals supplied Jeff with the crosses for the upper wing. He trimmed them around the aileron opening and touched up mistakes with paint.

With the fuselage painted and the masking removed, Jeff hand-painted details (such as the tail skid) and added decals for national markings.

to make the paint do everything better — spray, cover, level, and dry to a harder finish — than does Gunze’s thinner. I also sprayed the other loose parts, including the engine covers, wing struts, spinner, and wheel hubs.

On a wing and a prayer

One of the great things about WWI aircraft is that the wings are thin and usually one piece — no pesky leading-edge wing seams! I cut the wings from the sprue with a razor saw and lightly sanded the attachment points. I primed the wings with Mr. Surfacer

1200 and lightly sanded with 2000-grit paper. This gives the lozenge decals something to grab; bare plastic is too smooth for good adhesion. These beautiful lozenge decals are printed in strips. Lozenge fabric was preprinted and delivered on spools — so you have to check your references to determine which way the pattern was applied to the wings. Most aircraft had the fabric applied chord-wise (front-to-back) while others were applied along the lines of the span (left-to-right) — and in the case of some two-seaters, the lozenge was applied at 45 degrees from the centerline! Fortunately,

the Albatros I was modeling had chordwise lozenge. I cut six strips of decal. Working from the outermost wing rib, I laid each strip on the upper wing so it was aligned with an inboard wing rib. By working from the outside edges of the wings, I was able to trim as I went, leaving the middle section, which had to be cut to accommodate the upper wing radiator, for last, 12. Once the decals were aligned, I applied Micro Sol to the decals to soften them to conform to the curves of the wing and leading edges. After several applications, I trimmed excess decal film from the wings with a www.FineScale.com  21

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When modeling biplanes, alignment is everything. Jeff attached the lower wings and checked and rechecked their alignment relative to each other and the fuselage.

Jeff anchored monofilament (fine fishing line) to the underside of the upper wing with super glue and accelerator.

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It fits! All of Jeff’s careful work paid off at the moment of truth: the mating of the upper wing to the rest of the airplane.

Once the top wing was in place and the glue set, Jeff ran the rigging wires from the top wing through holes in the lower wing and applied super glue while holding them taut.

brand-new single-edge razor blade. Then, I applied the blue rib tape to the upper surface along each molded rib on the wing. I brushed on some Micro Sol and allowed the decals to settle, 13, before I trimmed the rib tapes with a No. 11 blade. I decaled the lower wings the same way using three lozenge panels per wing. I applied the crosses to the upper wings and trimmed the area around the ailerons touching up mistakes with black paint, 14. A coat of clear flat protected the decals. The underside lozenge was easier to fit; I repeated the process I used on the upper surfaces. I cut strips of rib tape and placed them over the seams on the lower wings, matching alignment to the rib tape on the upper surface before applying a light coat of Micro Sol. I waited to apply the lower wing’s underside lozenge because I planned to use through-the-wing rigging. 22  Build Better Model Aircraft

Taking wing

After removing masking tape, I applied the fuselage and tail decals, and hand-painted the cockpit coaming, tail skid, and other miscellaneous details, 15. I glued the lower wings in place, carefully checking alignment and level as I went, 16. Before adding the upper wing, I allowed the lower wings to dry completely. One of the hardest parts of modeling biplanes is the alignment, and I wanted to be sure I got it right on the first try.

Rigging and jiggling

I’ve used all sorts of materials for rigging: Stretched sprue is nice, but is often too fragile; sewing thread is out of the question; and surgical silk, my preferred method, is hard to obtain in the lengths I needed for the Albatros. I settled on .013mm monofilament (fishing line) darkened with a black marker.

First, I drilled holes through the lower wings guided by molded rigging attachment points on the upper surface. Moving to the upper wing, I anchored monofilament to the underside with super glue and accelerator, 17. These connections need to be strong, because the rigging is integral to aligning the wings. I drilled two holes under the fuselage and glued rigging lines for the landing gear struts. Before I installed these lines, the model’s gait was unsteady, but these lines braced the gear and made it rock solid. After tensioning both lines, I placed the model onto its wheels and noticed one wing was a ¼" higher than the other. Figuring one line was tighter than the other, I tightened the slacker by holding a burned-out match under it. Nylon monofilament works a lot like stretched sprue, and can be tightened using a blown-out (but still hot) match.

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To paint a laminated propeller, Jeff painted a layer of sandy yellow, masked with thin strips, then sprayed a darker layer of sand brown to create the look of laminated wood.

Next, Jeff dabbed the prop with artist’s oils. This reduced the contrast between the layers.

Finally, Jeff dragged a dry brush through the wet oils along the blade’s length to create grain.

I lined up the struts with their locators on the upper wing and discovered everything was spot-on, 18. I attribute this to the kit’s design and my working slowly and deliberately. I applied Ambroid Pro-Weld to join the struts to the upper wing, then placed a bottle of paint on each wingtip to maintain slight but constant pressure for a few hours while the glue set. Here’s a tip I picked up building flying models that applies to rigging biplanes: Always do to the right wing what you do to the left. This guarantees each step is equal on each side, ensuring alignment. I pulled each monofilament line attached to the upper wing through the appropriate hole in the lower wing. After applying a little accelerator, I held the line taut and secured it with a touch of super glue, 19. I tightened the monofilament with a burned-out match and ended up with a strong model. I trimmed the excess line from under the lower wings and lightly sanded each point smooth. Lozenge decals covered the rigging holes. I applied rib tape, crosses and numbers to the undersides, then treated the wing with Micro Sol to settle the decals.

Whether or not to weather

I kept the weathering to a minimum, but I wanted the aircraft to look used, not factory-new. I applied Warpigs gray wash to the panel lines, then scrubbed faded panzer gray pigments along the panels to vary the tones slightly. A burnt umber or black wash would disappear over the black, so I chose a lighter shade to create contrast.

Parked on a grass-airstrip display base, Jeff’s Albatros makes a colorful addition to his collection — and proves biplanes don’t have to be impossible.

Pigments virtually disappear under clear, but that’s what I wanted — just enough contrast to break up the black. I sprayed the entire model with Future mixed with Tamiya flat base (X-21) to produce a finish that was slightly less lustrous than a semigloss but wasn’t dead flat.

Prop painting

The props on WWI aircraft were carved from laminated wood and rarely painted. I sprayed the prop sandy yellow (the same color used inside the fuselage), then masked laminate shapes on the prop and airbrushed Gunze Sangyo RLM 79 sand brown, 20. I mixed equal parts raw sienna and burnt sienna oil paints and dabbed it over the prop, 21, then dragged a clean, dry brush along the blade to simulate wood grain. This blended the laminations and gave the prop a nice tone, 22. A few days later, I

clear-coated the prop and attached it to the hub plate. Using a small brush, I touched up areas around the aileron hinges and added minor paint chips on the metal cowl. Then I attached the windshield and other small parts to the model.

A grassy base

I replaced the glass in an inexpensive picture frame with thin plywood, then layered Aves Apoxie Sculpt over the wood for groundwork, sprayed it dark brown, and applied Woodland Scenics grass and ground foam. I’ve built several WWI aircraft, and most have been frustrating for one reason or another. This project was a milestone for me. I’ve built many models that I was happy with, but very few that I’d consider to be the best that I could do at the time. This is one of those. FSM www.FineScale.com  23

Chuck built Tamiya’s big Lancaster for his uncle, an RAF bomb aimer in WWII, adding aftermarket detail and war-weary camouflage.

Improving Tamiya’s

LANCASTER Added detail and beautiful weathering create a stunning tribute By Chuck Sawyer 24  Build Better Model Aircraft

1/48 Scale

1 I painted the interior medium green and highlighted details by dry-brushing black and silver. I would have filled the larger ejector-pin marks, but you’re lucky to see half the interior detail after the installing the canopy.

Chuck’s uncle requested the Lancaster model wear the nose art seen in this beat-up wartime photo.

2 The excellent Eduard prepainted photoetched-metal parts improve the austere interior, including a large instrument panel on the flight deck.

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y uncle, a Canadian, served as a bomb aimer with the Royal Air Force’s 101 Squadron in World War II. His crew flew 29 missions, or ops, without being killed or captured — quite a feat, considering the 55 percent mortality rate among Bomber Command aircrews during the war. I built this model for him. He requested that the model have the nose art seen in an old scratched-up photo he had of Virgin Vickie. (It may have adorned the aircraft he flew.) Lancasters came in many configurations. As poor as the quality of my uncle’s photo is, it reveals that Vickie had paddle-bladed props, no bubble on the pilot’s side window, a small pitot tube on the side instead of a

large one on the chin, a window chute protruding from the lower starboard side, and, of course, the letter V to identify the aircraft. Research indicated that 101 Squadron used SR as an identifier. So, I knew this Lanc must have the letters SR-V on the side. I found that many Lancasters wore SR-V. But only one, Serial No. ME419, flew during the period my uncle’s crew was flying. From that, I knew the aircraft had to be a Lancaster Mk.I, powered by RollsRoyce Merlin engines. I started with Tamiya’s recent 1/48 scale Lancaster (No. 61105) and added Eduard photoetched-metal detail sets for the interior, seat belts, and bomb bay. I upgraded

the engines using Belcher Bits resin nacelles (No. 15). Decals proved more difficult. I settled on a combination of the kit markings and items from Aeromaster. I wanted the battle-weary look of a bomber that had flown at least 29 missions through enemy flak and landed on the muddy fields of RAF Ludford Magna in Lincolnshire, England, where 101 Squadron was based. Keeping aircraft clean wasn’t much of a priority during the war. I relied on photographs of restored Lancasters for the camouflage schemes, and wartime black-and-white photographs to replicate the effects of flying and weather on the aircraft’s paint. www.FineScale.com  25

Posts moved aft ½"

3 The two posts supporting the radio and navigator’s table are ½" too far forward, with one blocking the navigator’s instruments. I cut off and filled the locators in the floor and moved the posts back.

4 Eduard’s photoetched-metal harnesses really improve the look of the kit’s seats.

Rescribed panel lines

Added rivets

5 Many of the kit’s raised panel lines were mismatched across seams or incorrect according to photos and drawings. The full-size Lancaster is covered with rivets, some of which are quite large.

7 To mask all of the panes on the cockpit and turrets, I framed each with thin strips of Tamiya tape. Then I filled the panes with liquid mask before painting the clear parts separately.

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6 I scribed some of the missing or damaged panel lines, then punched most of the rivets on the airframe with a needle in a pin vise. It’s tedious work, but the results are worth the effort.

8 I cemented the painted canopy to the fuselage and applied putty to the join to improve the ragged fit. I wanted to repair the problems and add rivets before painting the join, because correcting unsightly gaps is more difficult at the end of the build when everything has been painted.

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Belcher Bits instructs you attach the kit nacelles to the wings, then trim them to fit the resin replacements. I found it easier to cut, trim, and sand the parts before assembling the wings. Otherwise, it’s easy to break the landing gear, which must be installed before the wings are assembled.

There’s a lot of give in resin engines, so it’s easy to misalign the parts; don’t glue the engines until you establish the correct angle. I glued the nacelles to the bottom wing halves, dry-fitted the upper halves with rubber bands, and slipped the wings into their locators. Then I marked the correct angle of each individual engine/nacelle pair with a marker.

Scribed aileron tabs

Sand off aileron ribs and add rivets

Remove “railroad tracks”

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The ailerons have inaccurately fat ribs on the kit parts that need to be sanded off, then riveted, with some panel lines needing to be replaced. Here you can see the unaltered kit part (bottom) and the improved part.

On top of the wings there are two parallel raised lines that are not on the full-size Lancaster. I sanded them off.

Apply super glue from behind

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Attaching the heavy resin engines requires lots of super glue, which I flowed in from the inside of the join. Then I puttied and rescribed surface detail under the nacelle.

Seams and ejector-pin marks abound on the landing gear, so I needed to do a lot of cleanup. I painted the metal areas with Alclad II aluminum and used gloss black for the rest, then sealed everything with clear flat lacquer. I dry-brushed silver on the black parts to highlight details.

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Contradicting the instructions, I attached the gear assembly to the lower wing/nacelle assembly rather than the upper wing to avoid difficult fit and alignment issues. I protected the painted legs against scratches with tape during this step.

It took a lot of putty and sanding to fit the upper and lower wings, especially along the leading edge and on top of each engine.

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After scribing panel lines and rivets, I added cable cutters to the leading edge. I drilled small holes and inserted short pieces of .025" styrene rod, notched on the sides and positioned per diagrams and photos.

The escape hatches on the spine are different in the kit, but they should be identical. They are also flush with the fuselage, but I wanted them to sit slightly proud as on many wartime Lancasters.

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I punched holes in squares of thin sheet styrene to match the kit’s windows, then glued them in place. After adding rivets, I applied a few drops of Pledge Future floor polish to each opening to replicate glass and bring the window flush with the hatch.

I installed Eduard photoetched metal in the bomb bay — including replacement fins for all 18 bombs!

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Gravity aligns the wings as the glue dries. I filled a gap at the port wing root with sheet styrene, but the starboard wing fit perfectly. I spread a thin bead of putty over the joins and sanded it smooth to eliminate the seams.

I spent hours rescribing and riveting the surface after sanding and handling had destroyed about 75 percent of the surface detail.

Rivets

Clips

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Using white glue, I secured tiny strips of aluminum foil to the inside edge of the bomb aimer’s bubble to replicate metal clips. Then, I dipped the part in Future to help hold the clips and add clarity to the bubble.

After filling and sanding the blemishes revealed by a coat of Testors Model Master enamel primer, I airbrushed the entire model with Alclad dark aluminum.

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I did a lot of black pre-shading along panel lines. This may look like overkill, but I’ve found that it’s better to do this than wish you had added more later. Note that most of the side windows are painted over, just as they would have been for night bombing.

I brushed warm water over the areas where I wanted the paint to be chipped, such as the wings’ tops, leading edges, and the forward fuselage. Then I sprinkled salt and let everything dry. After the following coat of paint, removing the salt will result in metallic chips.

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I enlarged the painting instructions 300 percent and cut out the camouflage pattern, attaching the masks to the surface with poster putty.

I used Model Master enamels for the camo — first RAF dark green (No. 2060), then dark earth (No. 2054), and, finally, flat black (No. 1749), lightening each color with a few drops of flat white to mimic fading. I kept the coats light so the pre-shading would show. After the paint dried, I washed off the salt to reveal the metallic undercoat.

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I thinned the flat black for the undersides more than the other colors to let more of the pre-shading show.

The bombs as well as the bay doors and propellers received the same paint-chipping salt process.

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After light sanding with 2000-grit sandpaper, I applied Future to prepare for decaling and soften some of the paint ridges created by the salt weathering. I applied decals, using Micro Set and Micro Sol solutions to make them settle into surfaces.

I had a relative design the nose art, which I shrank to 1/48 scale on an inkjet printer. I had assumed the lettering was red, but I found it didn’t show up well. So, I switched to white lettering trimmed in red for better contrast with the black background of the fuselage side. It isn’t perfect, but I think I captured the essence of Virgin Vickie.

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REFERENCES

Avro Lancaster Owner’s Workshop Manual, Jarrod Cutter and Paul Blakah, J.H. Haynes, ISBN 978-1-84425-463-7 The Avro Lancaster (Modeller’s Data File No. 4), Richard Franks, SAM Publications, ISBN 978-0-9533465-3-0 Lancaster Squadrons 1942–43, Jon Lake, Osprey, ISBN 978-1-84176-313-2 Lancaster Squadrons 1944–45, Jon Lake, Osprey, ISBN 978-1-84176-433-7 SOURCES

33 After applying ProModeller wash to enhance panel lines and rivets, I sprayed thin camouflage colors in areas where I thought the paint chips looked too heavy. Then I airbrushed exhaust stains across the wings.

Avro Lancaster B Mk.I/III kit, Tamiya (No. 61105), www.tamiyausa.com, 949-362-2240 Resin engines, Belcher Bits (No. BB15), www.belcherbits.com, 33 Norway Spruce St., Stittsville, Ontario, Canada, K2S 1P3 Photoetched-metal interior details, bomb bay, and seat belts, Eduard (nos. 49371, 48553, and 49034), www.eduard.com

Final assembly included antenna wires, exhaust shrouds, carburetor covers. Then I sealed everything with clear flat lacquer. After over 250 hours of work over a span of six months, Virgin Vickie was finished. The Tamiya kit has good form and mostly correct details, even if some fits are a little off (especially around the wings). It’s nothing the average modeler can’t overcome, and the result is certainly impressive. My uncle was absolutely thrilled — this model is now spotlighted over his fireplace — and the smile on his face confirmed that every hour of this build was well worth the effort. FSM www.FineScale.com  31

1/72 Scale

Kitbash a

Sukhoi Su-27P “Flanker” Tips to paint, weather, and superdetail a small-scale fighter By Yufei Mao

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love building 1/72 scale jets. Regardless of the aircraft, they’re always small enough to display. I also enjoy tackling new, challenging projects. For over 18 months, I kitbashed a Sukhoi Su-27P “Flanker” – the Soviet Union’s answer to late-1970s American fighters. I replicated an aircraft stationed at Kilpyavr air base in Murmansk Oblast, Russia, using Airfix and Hasegawa kits, a lot of aftermarket parts, and scratchbuilt details, as well as ample weathering.

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1 After sanding the Airfix nose cone sharp, Yufei attached PVD’s metal pitot tube (No. 72005).

2 Yufei felt Airfix’s canopy was short and inaccurately shaped, so he made a master and vacuum-formed a new one. He cut out part of the cockpit to fit the profile of the new canopy.

Yufei couldn’t resist adding a slew of details to a kitbashed 1/72 scale Sukhoi Su-27P “Flanker.”

Tips for kitbashing

3 To make it fit into Airfix’s fuselage, Yufei sanded NeOmega’s resin cockpit (made for Italeri’s kit). Studying pictures and an Aires 1/32 scale Su-27 resin set, he loaded the cockpit with details.

4 Yufei sanded the sill on the fuselage to improve the fit of the windshield, then tinted it with a thin layer of clear orange lacquer.

1. C  hoose a subject: Here’s your chance to create a previously unkitted variant or improve a poorly molded existing kit. 2. Study references: To properly analyze available kits and make a new model, it’s essential to know the facts. 3. Compare kits: Examine kits on the market – identify a kit’s rights and wrongs. Sometimes, you can find usable parts in unlikely sources. 4. Combine kits: Make a game plan before you start – it’s worth measuring twice if it means cutting once! www.FineScale.com  33

5 With the canopy in place, Yufei attached a scratchbuilt infrared search and track (IRST) system made from plastic rod and a stainless-steel ball bearing.

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6 Yufei’s references revealed all the panel lines needed correcting. He filled them with super glue and sanded them smooth, then used thin blades and tiny needles to rescribe and add rivets.

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With 1500- and 2000-grit sandpaper and a little water, Yufei smoothed the surface. A fine toothbrush helped him clean sediment from the panel lines and rivets.

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Yufei modified Airfix’s horizontal stabilizers with a copper-rod shaft and improved their profile with plastic card.

Yufei went to town on the vertical stabilizers, rescribing panel lines as well as adding rivets and scratchbuilt avionics.

Yufei heated a piece of clear sprue, then pushed the softened plastic through a metal template ...

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... and cut it to shape.

Yufei cut the rear off Hasegawa’s intakes, combining them with Airfix parts to make new ones.

Photoetched metal provided the intakes’ screen and brass-net vent.

References

Lock On No. 17: Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker, Francois Verlinden, Verlinden Publications Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker Story, Air Fleet Publications Su-27 Flanker, Sergey Skrynnikov, Concord Publications “Su-27 Flanker,” DVD from www.aircraftphoto.ru 34  Build Better Model Aircraft

sources

Eduard photoetched-metal set, No. 72349 for Hasegawa kit, 420-47-6118668, www.eduard.cz Equipage wheel set, Linden Hill Imports, 914-734-9616, www.lindenhillimports.com

Extratech photoetched-metal set, No. 72063 for Airfix kit, available from www. modelsforsale.com NeOmega resin cockpit, Linden Hill Imports, 914-734-9616, www.lindenhillimports.com PVD pitot tube, Linden Hill Imports, 914-734-9616, www.lindenhillimports.com

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Yufei grafted Hasegawa’s intakes onto Airfix’s fuselage. He patched gaps with styrene and super glue …

… filed and sanded smooth, then rescribed panel lines.

After adding louvers, Yufei was satisfied with his detailed air intakes.

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Referencing an Aires 1/32 scale resin set, Yufei enhanced the wheel bays with copper lines, electric wire, plastic card, and photoetched-metal parts from his spares box.

Equipage supplied excellent tires. Using a rotary tool, Yufei removed the molding lines by spinning the tires against sandpaper.

Yufei improved the nose landing gear by combining a resin copy of Hasegawa’s gear with Airfix’s lower-wheel fork. He added a lot of detail, such as lenses and copper brake lines.

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Similar details brought realism to Hasegawa’s white-metal main landing gear.

Yufei painted the main gear with GSI Creos Mr. Color: the nose gear light blue-gray (lightened C73 aircraft gray), and the main gear greengray (a mix of C26 egg green, C1 white, and aircraft gray). Here is the main gear after he weathered with pastels.

Yufei made masters of exhaust nozzles, pylons, and R-27 missiles (his friend cast resin copies). He painted the nozzles with Mr. Color Super Metallic SM03 iron, black, and brown, then hand-brushed clear orange/blue. A fine brush shaded between fins, while a little thinner highlighted the natural metal. To finish, he applied a coat of gloss overall and a flat coat to the edges. www.FineScale.com  35

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The wheel bays are masked before painting.

To check for flaws, Yufei applied GSI Mr. Color No. 8 silver gloss.

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Yufei applied a layer of Mr. Color SM03 super iron and SM05 super titanium, hand-painting clear blue to simulate surface irregularities.

Yufei preshaded panel lines with Mr. Color C14 Navy blue.

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After studying photos, Yufei captured the Flanker’s three-tone camouflage. He composed light blue-gray (color A) by mixing three parts Mr. Color C323 light sky blue, two parts aircraft gray, and eight parts GX1 cool white.

Yufei then painted medium gray by mixing four parts light blue-gray (color A), one part C14 Navy blue, three parts aircraft gray, and five parts cool white.

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To complete the camouflage, Yufei added a layer of dark blue (color B), mixing four parts light blue-gray (color A), three parts medium blue, and five parts cool white.

Yufei misted with a very thin mix of light blue-gray (color A) and white to soften the camouflage.

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After airbrushing the gun barrel Mr. Color SM06 chrome silver, Yufei applied SM04 super stainless.

Yufei’s aircraft changed squadrons, so he duplicated painted-over tactical numbers by applying dark blue to the nose and vertical stabilizers with a mix of three parts dark blue (color B), three parts C72 medium blue, and five parts cool white.

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The air intakes’ interiors received a mix of two parts C41 red brown, two parts light blue-gray (color A), and five parts cool white.

Linden Hill’s stencils (No. 72011) and markings (No. 72007), which Yufei calls “stunning,” ushered his Flanker close to completion.

Yufei finished his Su-27P Flanker with a wash of Tamiya enamels. He positioned it on an airfield made from Verlinden tarmac paper and added a refueling truck and Flightpath’s photoetched-metal ladders. FSM

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1/48 Scale

Built from the box Making the most of what’s at hand

By John Maher

Photos by Andy Cline, Garfield Ingram, Tony Bell, Bill Coffman, and FSM staff

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enjoy out-of-the-box modeling for contests. The inherent limitations of the kit help you make the most of your assembly and painting skills – and the competition of a contest keeps you on your toes, too. In building Tamiya’s Shiden (Violet Lightning, Allied designation “George”), my goal was to make an eyecatching model and pose it on a base that would add interest. This can count for a lot in a contest where tables are full of everyone’s best works. The displays that draw crowds also seem to attract trophies. The International Plastic Modelers Society’s rules for out-of-the-box contestants do allow you to add aftermarket decals and simple masking-tape seat belts, fill seams, modify or improve kit parts (for example, sanding trailing edges of wings to thin them to scale), and to paint and weather for greater realism. So, here are some simple ways to do just that to maximize the visual impact of a straightforward model – and then enhance it with an effective display.

Meet John Maher John, 45, of Toronto, began serious modeling back in the 1970s when Shep Paine was building dioramas for Monogram. “I was interested in airplanes more than anything else,” says John, “but I always wanted to bring them to life with figures and a setting, just like Shep.” An interest in figures meant learning how to paint them – and that made John want to build more airplanes to apply what he was learning about light and shadow. John also enjoys the subject research. “In addition to books, I like to look at real airplanes to see how they weather,” he says. He is inspired by model shows. “Most of the techniques I use come from other modelers.”

AIRPLANE toothpick

seam

1 John improved cockpit detail by knocking out instrument decals with a Waldron punch-anddie set. Micro Set and Micro Sol solutions settled the decals onto the molded dials. A drop of Pledge Future floor polish replicated glass; careful painting created metal bezels.

◀ The only things not found in the

box with Jaguar’s resin Japanese pilot (No. GD48003) and Tamiya’s injection-molded 1/48 scale Kawanishi N1K1-J (kit No. 61038) were a few little decals, a display base, and John’s award-winning modeling skills.

clods

2 Joining the wings left a hard-to-reach seam in the wheel wells ­— a contest bugaboo. John applied Mr. Surfacer, smoothed it with Golden West Super Solvent (for dissolving super glue), then took a trick from armor modelers and hid the seam with clumps of sod — actually, a mix of Mig pigments and acrylic gel medium. John inserted short chunks of toothpicks in underside openings so he could safely set the plane down without marring the finish, negating the need for a building jig.

3 John airbrushed yellow on the wings’ leading edges. Then, using a fine tip on the airbrush, he pre-shaded with black around the engine and dark tints of the finish colors elsewhere. “I followed panel lines haphazardly,” he says, “then followed with several lighter shades of the original color out of the bottle, mixing with white but also 10 percent thinner.” Each panel was treated this way, but overlap made the effect look more random, he says.

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4 Underneath, the demarcation between green and gray is a soft, scalloped edge. John copied scale drawings from Maru Mechanic No. 1, then cut out scalloped masks and attached them with rolled tape to leave the edges raised for soft borders when sprayed.

6 Underside weathering includes fluid streaks drawn around high spots with artist’s oils, and exhaust streams of Mig pigments. John “dry-sponged” Humbrol paint to show splattered dirt acquired on grass landing strips: As with dry-brushing, John dips a small sponge in paint, dabs most of it off on a paper towel, then lightly dabs the surface for various stains.

5 John base-coated the engine with Alclad aluminum, then applied a wash of Winsor & Newton acrylics to deepen the details. Pushrods were painted semigloss black. On the exhausts, John airbrushed Model Master exhaust buffing Metalizer, buffed it lightly, then followed with a thin coat of Model Master burnt iron Metalizer. He finished with a flat clear overall.

7 Subtlety is John’s watchword for all weathering. He “stippled” with a silver Prismacolor pencil to show chipped paint, but not all at once, alternating chips and coats of flat clear so the brightness of “metal” varies like old and newer chips. Note how John’s pre-shading (photos 2 and 8) lent a dimension of depth to the finish color.

DISPLAY BASE

8 John cut a 1⁄2" particle-board base in a shape that would tightly fit the model. “This eliminates dead space and the need to fill it with additional equipment,” he says, noting how the shape of the base and the composition that fills it will direct the eye to the display’s subject.

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9 For a concrete-slab hardstand, John laid down styrene-strip forms and poured in CGC drywall joint compound, leveling it with a straightedge and curing it with a hair dryer (which also produced realistic cracks). Soil is a mix of sifted garden dirt colored with Woodland Scenics earth pigment. “Using raw plaster would have soaked up gallons of pigments,” he says.

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John used a syringe to flow flat black acrylic paint into deep cracks and joints in the concrete. Real concrete dust, sifted through a J Cloth towel, added color and convincingly crumbled cracks. Then, he coated the soil with a white glue/water mix …

… to receive a mix of Noch rayon-fiber static grass, a model railroad standby. John mixed three colors of the grass for naturally varied shades, then blew on it to make the blades stand up. Static electricity will do the same, which is how static grass got its name.

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To depict a recent rain, John airbrushes a mix of Humbrol panzer grey and dark brown through irregular paper masks to create damp spots. He works slowly at this, spraying a thin mix at 10-12 psi. Wet spots are outlined with hand-brushed Future.

For puddles, John used Woodland Scenics Realistic Water. It levels and settles like, well, water, and is best built up in layers, John says. It’s water soluble and can be easily cleaned up with alcohol or Windex.

FIGURE

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Nothing defines scale so well as a human figure. After an acrylic base coat of Gunze Sangyo flesh, John hand-paints the face with Winsor & Newton artist’s oils. “This allows you to work the oils with thinners, or even remove them, without affecting the base coat,” he says. “Here, the highlights on the face are too bright, but the slow-drying oils can be touched up for days.”

So, what colors do you use for faces? Hard to say: John squeezes bits of burnt sienna, white with a touch of cadmium red, and yellow ochre onto an index card. “Spread it out and look at it,” he advises. “Blend colors and experiment.” He applies colors with a fine brush and blends them with a broader brush, using a stippling motion.

John’s Waldron punch-and-die set produced a Hinomaru decal for the pilot’s hachimaki, a headband worn as a mark of perseverance or determination and often donned by World War II kamikaze pilots.

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John repositioned the arms of the figure, smoothing the joints with a thick coat of Humbrol matte brown paint (No. 186), the same color used for the flight suit. A final coat of flat clear will correct the glossiness of the face.

Left: Using Humbrol paints, John paints the parachute matte light green (No. 120); on the right, a precise coat of a darker shade, matte army green (102) and dry-brushing high spots with a lighter shade of the base color brings out the quilted detail. “Avoid using white for highlight shades,” John says, “as it makes the base color look chalky.”

▲ No scratchbuilding or photoetched-

metal detail sets, but great results: John’s Japanese pilot alone has won several awards, including a gold medal at the prestigious Military Miniatures Society of Illinois show in 2007, and silver at the 2008 IPMS Nationals. FSM

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REFERENCE

SOURCES

Maru Mechanic No. 1: Shiden, Shiden-kai, and Kawanishi E7K, Ushio Shobo, ISBN 978-4-76980631-8

N1K1-J Shiden, Tamiya, Tamiya America, 800-8264922, www.tamiyausa.com Static grass, Noch Gmbh & Co., www.noch.de/en

Japanese pilot, Jaguar Models, 626-965-2292, www.jaguarmodels.com Realistic Water, Woodland Scenics, 573-346-5555, www.woodlandscenics.com

1/48 Scale

These easy-to-learn techniques can produce varying degrees of war-weary results for your aircraft, whether it’s a hangar queen or an everyday hero.

Easy aircraft

weathering

Add flight-time wear and tear to your models without using an airbrush By Patrick Hawkey

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’m impressed by a model that looks real. Realism in finish comes with the correct mix of smooth paint, accurate colors, and decals that look like they’re part of the paint job. And what truly makes a model look real is when it looks used. Squeakyclean models have their merits, but the one that’s sure to generate attention and comment is the one that looks like it might smell of hot glycol or burnt kerosene. So, how does a hightime airplane come to look the way it does?

A basic fact: Airplanes are machines. As such, they don’t work without fuel and lubricants. For the most part, these items stay in their respective tanks and plumbing until they arrive at their destinations. But they don’t always stay where they’re supposed to, and when they escape there are visual cues. If they escape while the airplane is on the ground, gravity will pull them down to the lower extremities. They will flow down until they find an escape route, like a seam between two fuselage panels. There they will seep (or pour) out of the airplane, leaving a dark or discoloring mark. If these items leak while the airplane is flying, gravity will again pull them toward the ground (except when the airplane is pulling Gs). But once they find their way outside the fuselage, the slipstream will force them across the surface in the opposite direction the airplane is flying. Again, oil, coolant, and hydraulic fluid will leave marks. The undersides of airplanes often look streaky as a result of loose fittings, blown gaskets, or just careless handling of the fluids that make them work. The tops of airplanes are subject to both the people who work on them and the elements. This will eventually be reflected in a less-than-pristine finish. Of course, there will be a significant difference in the look of an airplane that spends its downtime in a hangar as opposed to one that sits in the open with a tarp over its engine. The harsher the climate and the harder the airplane is worked, the more used it will look.

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1 The first step is the paint job, which I tackle without any pre- and/or post-shading. The thing I see over and over in studying photos of tired-looking warplanes is the unevenness of their finishes. To simulate a patchy, uneven look on the Thunderbolt, I put on a base coat of both the brown and the green. Then I’ll alter both colors — lighten or darken them somehow — and mottle their base coats. I go a little heavy here and a little lighter there. The idea is just to break up the evenness of the paint job. The model at this point has been painted this way, and a dark gray “sludge wash” has been applied to the control-surface separations and the cowl and forward fuselage. It has also been given a good coat of clear flat to kill any semblance of shine.

The top surfaces are exposed to a much wider variety of abuses than the underside. Therefore, a wider variety of visual markers will result. To illustrate, let’s consider a typical World War II fighter. Crewmen climbing over it will put wear on the paint and leave dirty footprints. The two most fussed-over areas of this fighter are the engine and the guns. If the guns are in the wings, significant activity will take place around their access panels. But there wouldn’t be much reason for the ground crew to go beyond that point. It’s likely that gun lubricants would get on the armorers working there and possibly on the airplane itself, but this is much more likely around the engine. And with radial engines in particular, spewing oil is normal. If you work on your own car, you know what your hands look like after just a little

engine work. Imagine the hands (and overalls) of the guys changing plugs on a fighter. Some of that grime will be transferred to the cowling panels. If these panels are a bit stubborn about being reinstalled, “persuasion” likely will result in chipped paint. And, of course, the airplane will need to be fueled. Most of the fuel will end up in the tanks, but there may be overflow and spillage on the surrounding surfaces. While your car’s work is measured in miles, an airplane’s life is measured in hours. So, let me demonstrate my typical weathering approach for a multi-hour aircraft on a 1/48 scale Royal Air Force Thunderbolt Mk.II based in Burma. This well-used combat machine would have spent most of its time out in the open and in tropical latitudes, neither of which would have been conducive to a pristine finish.

2 My next palette consists of black and dark brown artist’s oil paint (Winsor & Newton ivory black and burnt umber), artist’s turpentine, real used motor oil, and black, gray, and brown Grumbacher pastels. It’s a limited palette — you can certainly add to it, but first see what it can do. (Retired CDs make pretty good palettes for this stuff.)

4 Next, with a wider brush, I pull the pastel back in the direction of the slipstream. If you don’t like the effect of the pastel, you can remove it with a damp cotton swab; when the area is dry, you can have another go. I examine the model and look for indentations (like around the turbocharger vents) and use the pastel to force shadows into those corners.

3 Pastel shaved from the stick clings to the bristles of a fine paintbrush. Here, I brush some black pastel under the cowl flaps. Actually, it’s a combination of dab and brush, as I want to leave a band of the dust behind.

5 To produce a more-pronounced forced shadow and some bonus streaking, I thin the black oil paint with some used motor oil (5W-30, for the record) and draw a line at the flap separation on the bottom of the wing. With a wider brush I pull back, again, directly in line with the slipstream. This draws some of the oil/paint mix out of the groove and across the flap, leaving a convincing stain. I start subtly and build it up as I go, keeping in mind that what I’m doing may never truly dry. As long as I’m careful of where I put my fingers, there shouldn’t be a problem. My ultimate aim is to stain the paint.

6 Think about where you’d see the kind of streaking that suggests some sort of leakage. If it’s grease or lubricant, what better medium to suggest that than real, dirty oil? Here, I’ve pulled the motor oil/paint mix back in the direction of the airflow, letting it catch on raised detail as oil or grease would. In photos, you will often see oil streaking from under various side panels of the cowling and forward fuselage, too. If you want to really darken the effect, dab a heavier mix of paint thinned with turpentine. Since dirty oil and grease is basically black, black is what I use. A little brown streaking can add visual interest. And who’s to say the crew chief didn’t spill his cup of coffee in the cockpit?

7 Here, the underside is nearly done. Gray chalk pastel was also used for some of the streaking. Black would be too stark on the light gray paint job. The bulk of the work has been done behind the engine and on the wings between the landing-gear struts. Outboard of them, there are no liquids that would logically leak and appear as streaks on the undersides. It’s largely open structure to the wingtips. www.FineScale.com  45

8 The tops of the wings aren’t so prone to leakage, but they are wide open to the effects of people walking and working on them. Here, pastel is applied with a wider brush to the area behind the ammunition door, where armorers would likely walk and work, leaving evidence of their having been there. Keep in mind these areas would see more traffic than on the doors themselves, which would be open or removed entirely.

9 With pastel dust randomly left behind, a cotton swab is used to blend it into the flat coat. Up and down, back and forth, and in swirls. Again, I’m looking for a subtle effect. If it needs more pastel dust, I’ll add it.

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As always, when painted metal is exposed to the real world there’s likely to be chipped paint. Yes, there are documented cases of some airplanes (Japanese in particular) with yards of paint missing, but this isn’t usually the case. Except for the most heavily traveled areas, you usually have to look hard to see shiny metal exposed in most airplane paint jobs. Here I’m dabbing damp silver paint (Model Master chrome silver) on the leading edge of the wing, which would be exposed to objects thrown back from the propeller. The leading edges of propeller blades naturally are often smooth, but the backsides of the blades extending down from the tips sometimes look sandblasted.

Where the flat brush works well for some applications, a silver Prismacolor pencil cannot be beat for fine-tuning. Sharpen that baby to a needle point and you can simulate tiny chips anyplace. One likely and logical place you may consider treating would be the Dzus fasteners on engine and cowling panels that are regularly removed. Many times I’ve seen these as measured lines of silver dots in photos; they’re the shiny fastener heads. Also note the “step here” kick panels in the fuselage side that receive the toe of a flying boot each time the pilot comes or goes.

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Prismacolor pencils come in all colors. A black one can be effective for making fine oil streaks. As with the silver pencil, I sharpen it to a needle point and lightly draw streaks.

I rub the waxy pigment with a cotton swab to blend and soften the effect. I use black pencil on both the lower cowl area and mark sparingly around the gun and ammo doors. At this point, thinking I was done, I took some digital images of the model. Looking at them on my computer monitor, I decided the model still looked a little flat. I mixed up some of my black and brown pastel dust, producing a dark brown, and applied it.

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I smudged this mix randomly on both the brown and the green camo. This may suggest fresh paint touch-ups, oily-rag action, or … who knows? It’s not important. I’ve seen many things in photos of worn airplanes that make no sense to me, but they’re there nonetheless. I simply want the uneven look to be slightly more pronounced.

I do have a little-used set of twelve premixed “weathering powders” from long, long ago. “Prof. Weathers” put these out. I don’t know if he’s related to Doc O’Brien, who offers these similar powders through Micro-Mark. These work fine, but I usually end up using pastel sticks. The sticks cost a little more than a dollar each, they last forever, and come in all the colors of the rainbow. Combine colors until you find exactly the shade you need.

When it all comes together, it may look something like this. One thing you don’t see are black streaks trailing back from the gun barrels. And don’t those white bands nearly scream “Streak me!” I searched my references and couldn’t find a single clear shot that showed those white stripes on RAF Thunderbolts with even a hint of “gunpowder stains.” Did they never fire their guns, or are the streaks you see on other models unrealistic? What do

photos of the real airplanes show? I never really have a preconceived image of the finished job, but watch and switch from pastel to oil paint to pastel as it comes together before my eyes. When is it overdone? That’s in the eye of the beholder, I guess. What I don’t want to do is let a beat-up finish dominate the model, unless the model is representing a longneglected wreck in an airplane boneyard someplace in the desert. FSM www.FineScale.com  47

1/72 Scale

To depict a Soviet Polikarpov I-16 Type 28 as part of the 45th Fighter Division near Odessa in 1941, Rogério added a slew of scratchbuilt detail to Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Type 24 model. He says the website http://vvs.hobbyvista.com/modeling was an invaluable source.

Superdetail Hasegawa’s tiny

Polikarpov I-16 Scratchbuilt and photoetched-metal parts improve a World War II fighter

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ntroduced in the mid-1930s, the Soviet Union’s Polikarpov I-16 was the first cantilever-winged monoplane fighter with retractable landing gear. In the Spanish Civil War, the diminutive fighter acquired several nicknames, including Rata (“Rat”) and Mosca (“Fly”). At the start of 48  Build Better Model Aircraft

by Rogério “Rato” Marczak World War II, it made up nearly two-thirds of the Soviet air force. However, poor performance against Germany’s Bf 109 sealed its fate, and the I-16 was gradually phased out by more-modern fighters. When I popped open the box of Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Polikarpov I-16

Type 24 (kit No. AP28), I’d imagined a fast, fun, and mostly out-of-the-box build. A little research, though, revealed just how much detail I could add. Hasegawa’s tiny model proved to have plenty of room for scratchbuilt parts and photoetched-metal details.

DETAILING Drilled holes

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The cockpit contains many scratchbuilt components, including a throttle quadrant, various handles, and a landing-gear retraction crank made from styrene, brass, and photoetched metal.

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I drilled two holes atop the fuselage (which provided the instrument panel’s only light). Later, I’ll remove the port-side pilot’s door to make room for a scratchbuilt one.

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Other than the kit’s control column and instrument panel, and Eduard photoetched-metal seat belts, I scratchbuilt the cockpit: The bulkhead and floor are sheet and strip styrene; the pilot’s seat is thermoformed sheet styrene. I created glass for the dials with a drop of Pledge Future floor polish, weathered the cockpit with a wash of artist’s oils, and chipped with a 4B pencil.

I painted the cockpit in Soviet IMUP blue-gray primer, a mix of Vallejo acrylic blue, white, and a little green. After removing molded-on structural details from the fuselage, I glued in the cockpit bulkhead and floor and made miscellaneous details from plastic card as well as fine copper wiring painted various colors.

Oil cap

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Bezels from stretched sprue

With the fuselage halves glued together, I attached the cowling panels, added surface details (such as bezels made from stretch sprue), and installed an oil cap. Test-fitting revealed a mismatch at the wing-root seam. A sprue spacer attached to the bottom of the fuselage took care of it.

6 Copying parts from an ICM I-16 kit, I cast resin engine panels with perforations for the exhaust stacks as well as a vent around the firewall. I made the stacks from brass tubing.

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Plastic cowling belt

Drilled gun openings

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After sanding the molded cowling belt from the fuselage halves, I made a new belt by inserting a plastic ring between the fuselage and front cowling. I painted the belt, engine, and front cowling separately, gluing them on after major painting. I also drilled gun ports in the cowling.

8 Before installing the exhaust stacks in the engine, I made exhaust-stack supports from solder.

Resin main landing-gear door

New spinner Canvas boot from epoxy putty

Styrene attachment rod

Stretched-sprue details Hasegawa landing-gear doors

9 Using ICM parts as masters, I cast a resin spinner, landing-gear doors, and wheels. I detailed the spinner with panel lines, rivets, and a back plate to enclose the propeller blades. I used Hasegawa’s secondary landing-gear doors, thinning them with sandpaper, and sculpted a canvas boot from epoxy putty for the tail wheel.

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Styrene door-closing mechanism

To replicate the I-16’s main landing gear, I made an attaching rod and a door-closing mechanism from styrene, adding various stretched-sprue details.

PAINTING & WEATHERING

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After priming selected areas and pre-shading with acrylics, I attached the landing-gear doors to the struts with slow-setting super glue, which allowed plenty of time to test-fit the airframe’s stance. The pitot tube is made from a hypodermic needle.

Finally, I wiped the model clean and was ready to paint. To replicate the I-16’s blue underside, I tested various colors but settled on Revell 49 (Model Master 1108).

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I captured the top side’s green with RLM 82 automotive lacquer mixed with a little yellow.

A coat of Future prepared the plane for decals. Because most of Hasegawa’s markings were inaccurate, I turned to my spares box, modifying the number 4 and cutting lightning bolts from a solid white decal sheet. I used the kit’s stars, even though they were very thick.

Darker wash on control surfaces

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In preparation for a series of oil washes, I post-shaded targeted areas light green and applied Future. After thinning paints with Testors Brush Cleaner, I washed the access panels with burnt umber, the cowling panels with burnt sienna, and the control surfaces with dark brown.

Using a flat brush, I added oil and fuel leaks to the underside by dragging small amounts of oil paint in the direction of the airflow.

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To replicate gloss panel fading, I applied Dullcote on top of the wing roots, which received the most crew traffic, as well as behind the engine, around the landing gear, and on the underside of the horizontal stabilizers and fuselage.

I added a gloss finish with Testors Model Master Metalizer sealer, as well as a semigloss finish with a mix of Metalizer sealer and Dullcote to targeted areas.

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To post-shade the underside and the hinge lines of control surfaces, I airbrushed equal parts of Tamiya black and brown thinned with 95 percent isopropyl alcohol. To simulate exhaust stains, I airbrushed Gunze Sangyo Aqueous soot (No. H343) on the underside and main landing-gear doors.

On the underside, I replicated the effects of small rocks hitting the airframe on takeoffs and landings by chipping with Faber Castell and Prismacolor metallic pencils. Topside, I chipped the borders of the engine and cannon panels, as well as the stabilizers’ metal fairings, rivets, and edges. I didn’t chip everywhere, though, because the I-16 had a lot of wood parts.

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For heavier chipping on the cowling panels, I dipped pieces of coarse and fine-grade sponge in Vallejo Model Air No. 62 (aluminum), Acrilex silver Indian ink, and thinned Gunze Sangyo No. 211 lacquer. After removing excess paint, I dabbed the sponge on the cowling panels.

After painting the faces of the propeller blades with Gunze Sangyo chrome silver, and the back sides flat black, I sponge-chipped the spinner, nose, and blades.

FINISHING UP Windows made from Humbrol Clearfix

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Humbrol Clearfix created windows for the control panel’s illumination holes; spare plastic bits and a photoetched-metal ring produced a gunsight.

I added rivets along the inside of the windscreen bracing, masking it with Tamiya tape and using a .13mm technical pen to apply dotted lines along the unmasked bracing. I airbrushed IMUP blue-gray primer (a mix of blue, white, and green) over the clear part, then a mix of Testors Metalizer aluminum and Metalizer sealer to prevent paint from lifting when the masks were removed.

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I scratchbuilt a pilot’s door from plastic sheet, using a beading tool to add embossed grommets to the cushion.

Landing-gear retraction cables are stretched vinyl sprue.

Pitot tube from hypodermic needle

Plastic cowling belt

Homemade bulge Rivets added

Scratchbuilt gunsight

Guns weathered

Gunsight cushion from stretched sprue

Pilot’s door made from plastic sheet

To complete Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Polikarpov I-16, Rogério attached a gunsight cushion made from curved sprue, then painted the wing cannons gunmetal and weathered them with a Tamiya silver set. FSM

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1/48 Scale

The Harrier is a mainstay of the Royal Air Force. Matthew’s model wears the green-and-yellow markings of a No. 3 Squadron aircraft.

Harrier help Adding pre-painted cockpit details to Hasegawa’s Royal Air Force Harrier GR.7 By Matthew Usher

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think it’s completely appropriate that the Harrier and James Bond are both products of Great Britain. Sure, the Harrier’s a real-life fighting machine and not a work of fiction, but with its amazing vertical take-off and landing capabilities, it would be right at home among the top-secret gadgets in MI5’s Q Branch. A jet fighter that doesn’t need a runway is a lot like a sports car that turns into a submarine or a helicopter that folds out of a suitcase – amazing-but-true.

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Look closely: Eduard’s photoetched set has parts with printed-on color and detail.

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Mission Models’ Etch-Mate makes folding photoetched parts a lot easier. A good pair of fine-point tweezers is essential, too.

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Before removing any of the photoetched parts, Matthew stuck three strips of low-tack masking tape to the back of the fret. The tape kept the tiny parts from flying across the room when he cut them loose with a sharp hobby-knife blade.

After painting the seat cushions, Matthew carefully bent the harnesses to shape over them and attached them with Microscale Micro Krystal Klear.

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Here’s the finished Martin Baker ejection seat ready for installation in the cockpit tub.

Some of the raised detail on the kit instrument panel needs to be removed to make way for the photoetched parts. Eduard’s instructions show what to take off.

Matthew used a jeweler’s diamond file to remove the molded-in displays from the kit’s instrument panel.

Hasegawa Harrier

tunity to try out one of Eduard’s new “Zoom” photoetched detail sets. The Harrier set (No. FE291) is not only full of cockpit parts, 1, but many of them (like the instrument panels and seat belts) have printed-on color and are ready to use. Before I got started, I placed three strips of low-tack masking tape across the back of the photoetched fret, 2, to keep the cut parts from flying across the room and disappearing into the carpet. A piece of white cardboard underneath helped protect the point of the hobby knife blade.

Ejection seat

The Harrier is one of my all-time favorite aircraft, and I’ve been building kits of it for a long time. When Hasegawa released its newest 1/48 scale Harrier kits a year or so ago, I picked up the Royal Air Force GR.7 (No. PT36) and started looking for ways to improve the already great kit. I soon decided the best course of action would be to add some detail to the cockpit – with its large rear-sliding canopy, it’s easy to get a good look inside. The project would give me the oppor-

Some of the photoetched parts need to be folded to shape. Mission Models’ Etch Mate is really handy for this kind of work; it’s a clamping stand that enables you to hold delicate parts securely and fold them accurately, 3. The kit’s Martin Baker ejection seat has separate cushions. I airbrushed them then bent the photoetched seat harnesses over them. When I was satisfied with their appearance, I attached the belts using Microscale Micro Krystal Klear, 4. It’s a www.FineScale.com  55

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Using a fine-point paintbrush, Matthew flowed thinned Micro Krystal Klear onto the displays and instrument faces.

After installing the seat and instrument panel in the cockpit tub, Matthew picked out the console switches with a little silver paint.

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Matthew gave the Harrier an overall coat of Testor Model Master AMC gray (FS 36173) using an airbrush.

After sanding away the canopy’s mold-separation line, Matthew shined it up with a three-grit polishing stick, then dipped it in Future to inprove clarity.

water-based glue, so I was able to remove excess glue with a cotton swab and some warm water. The finished seat looked fantastic, 5.

Instrument panel

The kit’s instrument panel has raised details that will need to be removed to make way for the photoetched parts, 6. Eduard’s instructions do a nice job of showing you what should go and what should stay. I used a jeweler’s diamond file to remove the detail, 7. By using a file instead of a padded sanding stick, I was able to keep the modified panel dead-flat so the photoetched instruments would drop into place without gaps. Layers of photoetched parts “stack up” on the kit panel; I attached them with Micro Krystal Klear. When they were securely attached, I flowed water-thinned Krystal Klear into the instrument and display faces, 8. When it dries and turns clear, it does a great job of simulating glass 56  Build Better Model Aircraft

over the instrument faces. When the instrument panel was dry, I glued it into the cockpit tub along with the ejection seat. A little silver paint helped detail the switches on the side consoles, 9.

Fuselage

With the cockpit out of the way, I could turn my attention to the rest of the model. The Harrier has an unusual fuselage, and Hasegawa does a nice job of capturing its unique shape, but the parts breakdown is a little unorthodox. After talking to modelers who had built the kit, I decided to add the lower wing halves to the fuselage before adding the large, one-piece upper wing, 10. This seemed to improve the fit all the way around. Despite the multiple fuselage parts, I only had a few minor gaps to fill with super glue. The intakes for the Harrier’s massive Rolls-Royce Pegasus turbofan are white on the inside. To prevent a masking night-

mare, I airbrushed them white before I installed them on the model, 11. Then I masked the cockpit, stuffed the intake with tissue paper, and painted the entire model with the underside color. Testor Model Master AMC gray (FS 36173), 12; is a close match to RAF dark camouflage gray (BS318C:629).

Canopy

Since I was making the cockpit a focal point of the model, I needed to do some work on the two-piece canopy. Both of the kit parts have a mold-separation line down their centers. I sanded these away with a three-grit polishing stick, but to improve the clarity of the parts even more, I dipped them in Future floor polish, 13. I use an old salsa jar to hold the Future when I do this; the wide mouth is great for larger parts. After letting the Future dry for several days, I masked the windscreen and glued it to the fuselage. I masked the lower fuse-

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Adding the lower wing halves to the fuselage before installing the onepiece upper wing improves the fit and keeps the wing aligned correctly.

Matthew painted the Harrier’s intakes white before gluing them in place. The separation line was easier to mask while the parts were separate.

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The Harrier’s sliding rear canopy is easy to remove to view the completed interior.

Matthew gave the model’s landing gear a gray artist’s-oil wash to accentuate their recessed details. The oleo struts are covered with chrome BareMetal Foil.

lage and added the upper camouflage color, Model Master gunship gray (FS 36118), 14. It’s close to RAF dark sea gray (BS318C:638).

Finishing up

With two shades of gray already in its paint scheme, I wanted to add a little color to my Harrier. So, I chose the green-and-yellow markings of the RAF’s No. 3 Squadron. (I’m a Formula 1 fan, and the scheme reminded me of the original Team Lotus cars). After decaling the model, I added the smaller final details, like the landing gear, gear doors, antennas, and position lights, 15. Carefully aligning the wings earlier paid off here – all five of the landing-gear wheels touched the ground without adjustment on the model’s first landing. With Eduard’s photoetched set, I was able to vastly improve the Hasegawa kit’s cockpit without a lot of extra tedious work. Maybe now I should build a Marine AV-8B to park next to it! FSM

The bright squadron markings bring a lot of color to the GR.7 Harrier’s gray-on-gray scheme. www.FineScale.com  57

1/72 Scale

Complex canopies and multicolored schemes can scare modelers away from kits like the He 111. But new products and old standbys can produce eye-catching results.

Masking canopies & camo

Old and new techniques combine to produce a sharper-looking He 111 by Aaron Skinner

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orro’s mask helped hide his identity. In modeling, the opposite holds true; masks help the builder achieve something closer to a subject’s real identity. Complex color schemes and clear parts can be masked in several ways, and effective masking can greatly enhance the model. Hasegawa’s 1/72 scale Heinkel He 111H-6 (No. E21) is a nice kit and a perfect candidate for masking. The German twin-engine bomber’s “greenhouse” nose features dozens of individual panes of glass, 1, which benefit from being neatly finished to look like part of the airplane’s structure. Also, World War II Luftwaffe bombers wore a splinter camouflage scheme that featured hard edges and sharp angles.

1 Hasegawa’s He 111 features a large sprue of well-molded clear parts that require careful masking to look right.

Something to look at

With all the glass up front, it’s nice to have something to look at when you peer inside. This kit included nicely molded seats for the pilot and bombardier, as well as instrument panels, a control stick, details molded on the walls, and a small fret of photoetched-metal parts from Dragon USA, including seat belts. I took my time painting and constructing the cockpit, 2. Because black and RLM 66 schwarzgrau dominate the interior decor, I washed and dry-brushed so the detail would pop when viewed through the glass. To make the glass as clear as possible, I dipped the clear parts in Pledge Future floor polish, 3.

Using Eduard’s masks

Several companies produce flexible, vinyl masks designed to fit a specific kit. I chose Eduard’s set for the Hasegawa kit, 4. After the Future was dry, I set out the clear parts and began applying the masks. I did this with the parts loose, figuring they would be easier to work with off the model. First, I peeled away the extra vinyl around the pieces to make it easier to remove the masks. Then, using a No. 11 blade in a hobby knife, I peeled up the corner of a mask, 5. Once it was started, I held the mask between the knife blade and my thumb and slowly pulled it from the backing. The masks are flexible and stretchy, so I was careful not to pull too hard while handling them. With the mask ready, I lined it up against the corresponding frame on the canopy, 6, using a toothpick to steady it while I maneuvered it into position. After it was in place, I ran a burnishing tool around the edges of the mask to seal it against the plastic, 7. The vinyl is strong enough to be pushed around a little if the mask is not quite right the first time, but I minimized adjustments to avoid misshaping the material. It took about an hour and a half to finish masking all the glass. Eduard includes masks for every window on the He 111, but different versions of the plane had some windows painted over (or none there at all), so it’s a good idea to check references. There are a couple of places, in particular the canopy over the dorsal gun position, where liquid mask is needed to fill gaps between the masks. Eduard designed them this way, and the

2 Aaron’s washes and dry-brushing help bring out the detail included in the cockpit; a lot of it will be visible on the completed model.

3 Aaron dipped clear parts in Future, dragged each part across a paper towel to wick away excess, and set them aside to dry.

instructions specify where liquid mask should be applied. I used super glue to attach the front canopy and the ventral gondola. (The Future prevents super glue fumes from clouding the clear parts.) Getting the three-piece front end together took some work. Additionally, a separate hemispherical shape for the www.FineScale.com  59

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The Eduard mask set (No. CX003) is a 3½" x 5½" sheet with precut vinyl masks for all the kit’s windows as well as the wheels. Aaron checked references carefully to be sure he used only the necessary masks.

6 Using a knife, Aaron transfers a mask to the Heinkel’s upper canopy. Getting the masks lined up the first time prevents stretching the vinyl.

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I sprayed RLM 66 schwarzgrau over the nose and ventral gondola, 9. Once it’s painted with the exterior color, the first layer 60  Build Better Model Aircraft

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Running a burnishing tool around the edges of the mask ensures a good seal and prevents paint from bleeding onto the window.

nose-gun blister gets glued to the front of that structure. I could have used a couple of extra hands here, but I eventually got the cockpit glass together. I blended the framework into the fuselage with super glue, 8. I painted the nose and gondola machine guns and installed them before attaching the glass for those positions because they wouldn’t be accessible after being glued into position. The breakdown of the parts meant I could have left them off until after painting. But I wanted nice, clean joins painted with the rest of the airframe, so I chose to do it this way and repaint the gun barrels after the model was painted. I left the carapace for the dorsal gun position off, applying masking tape to its underside to protect it from spray when it was painted. I also left the rearmost cabin windows off. There were machine guns mounted through them making it hard to mask, but they were easy to place after painting was finished. The kit comes with an extra pair of windows, apparently for a version of the He 111 which did not have guns mounted there. I pressed the extras into position to protect the interior of the plane, in particular the nearby windows, during painting.

From the inside out

Aaron uses a fresh No. 11 blade to begin peeling the corner of a mask from the backing sheet. Once he started, he held the mask between his thumb and the blade to pull it away entirely and transfer it to the model.

After masking the cockpit windows, Aaron super glued them into position and used more super glue to blend them into the fuselage.

becomes the interior color, so the canopy frame interior matches the interior components already installed. Next, I primed the entire model with a lighter gray. The primer evened out the colors of the airframe, covering the dark gray of the canopies and providing a uniform surface for the camouflage to follow. Luftwaffe aircraft on the Eastern Front carried bright yellow theater markings under the wingtips and in a band around the rear fuselage. Hasegawa supplies decals for the fuselage stripes, but I painted this band to be sure it matched the wingtips. Because yellow doesn’t always cover darker colors well, I painted the theater markings first. I sprayed the wingtips and fuselage band white, then RLM 4 yellow, 10. After the paint dried, I masked off the wingtips and the fuselage band. There are many types of masking tape available, including some made specifically for modeling. I’ve used several over the years, with mixed results. For this project, I chose ScotchMark Paper Tape from 3M. Used by graphic designers and the publishing industry, it sticks well without being too tacky. On the finished He 111, the paint only pulled up in a couple of spots. However, I suspect that had more to do with the quality of my paint job than the tape. Referring to the kit’s marking diagrams, I placed the edge of

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Aaron painted unmasked portions of the clear parts with schwarzgrau, the 111’s interior color. When the cockpit is viewed from outside, the inside of the canopy frame will match the interior walls and details.

Aaron started the yellow theater marking on the wingtips and fuselage by airbrushing white, then overcoating with RLM 04 yellow. The white undercoat makes the yellow brighter and improves its coverage.

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Aaron adds a strip of tape along the line to begin masking the yellow for the theater markings. Additional tape will cover the rest.

Aaron removes a mask, folding the tape back on itself and working slowly to avoid pulling up the paint underneath.

Using a hobby knife, Aaron trims paper tape for the wingtips where the upper surface camouflage overlaps the leading edge.

a piece of tape where I wanted the demarcation line between yellow and blue under the wings, 11. Using my fingernail, I burnished the tape along the edge to prevent the blue from bleeding under the mask. I covered the remainder of the wingtip with additional tape. To produce the fuselage band, I laid the kit decal for the stripe over a piece of tape, then cut around it with a hobby knife. I used a light touch, preferring to make several passes rather than risk roughing up the edge of the tape. Then, I stuck the tape in position over the yellow paint on the fuselage and burnished it down.

From the bottom up

I airbrushed the undersides of the Heinkel with Testors Model Master Acryl RLM 65 hellblau, the lightest of the three camouflage colors, making sure to cover all areas of the plane that would be blue on the final model — the undersides of the wings and horizontal stabilizers and the full length of the fuselage. Once the paint was dry to the touch, I removed the masks from the wingtips. The upper camouflage wraps around the wings’ leading edges, so I wanted to remask the entire wing, including the tips. When removing masking tape, I worked slowly, almost folding the tape back on itself as I went, 12. I left the mask for the fuselage band in place.

After letting the paint cure overnight, I used the paper tape to mask off areas that would remain blue, 13. I worked slowly, ensuring the tape was burnished well and that there were no gaps paint could sneak into, 14. I paid particular attention to areas where the tape had gone across the vinyl canopy masks, making sure it covered properly. Where the color demarcation line curved around the tail planes and wing roots, I cut thin strips of tape for the front edge of the mask and backfilled with larger pieces of tape, 15. Under the rear fuselage and tail planes, I filled gaps between the masks with more tape. For large areas, like the wings, I cut paper to fit and taped it into position, 16. Go easy when painting over masks, especially around the tape lines. Too much paint not only increases the chance of bleeding but can form a ridge along the edge of the tape, requiring careful sanding to remove. After airbrushing RLM 71 dunkelgrun, the lighter of the two greens, and letting it dry for 24 hours, I masked the splinter camouflage, 17. Where the scheme requires sharp points, such as the top of the fuselage, I precut the angles with scissors, then placed the masks on the model, 18. Now that my Heinkel looked as if it had just come from the emergency room after a skiing accident, it was back to the spray booth for the last color — RLM 70 schwarzgrun. www.FineScale.com  61

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Aaron uses his thumbnail to burnish the tape along the leading edge, tightly sealing the mask to reduce the amount of touch-up necessary after painting.

A thin strip of tape forms the curve for a mask. Aaron filled the area behind the edge with larger pieces of tape.

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More tape cut to shape, as well as whole sections of paper for larger areas, fill gaps between the edges of the masking.

Aaron enlarged the kit’s marking diagrams to on a photocopier to reference while masking the splinter scheme on the upper surfaces.

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Using scissors, Aaron cut the sharp points and odd angles necessary for the Luftwaffe splinter-scheme camouflage.

Paint lifted off the model around the wing-fuselage root when the masks were removed.

The big reveal

When the tape and paper was all off, I had a properly dressed He 111. There were only a couple of problem areas: One or two spots where the painted lifted with the tape, 19, and one line with a little bleeding from the top coat, 20. I touched these up with a small brush and sanded down a couple of ridges left by paint buildup at the edge of the tape. Keeping the masks in place on the clear parts, I sprayed the

After an hour, the black-green was dry to the touch, and the moment of truth had arrived. I began removing the masking tape, starting with the top layers and gradually revealing more of the paint job. Resisting the urge to rush through the unwrapping like a young child on a birthday, I went slowly, taking care to avoid damaging the paint. 62  Build Better Model Aircraft

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Aaron didn’t get one piece of tape burnished down quite right, so he had to touch up an area where paint bled under the mask.

The point of a new No. 11 blade run around the edge of a vinyl mask helps break the surface of the paint, minimizing damage to the surrounding color.

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Using the point of the knife, Aaron pries up the corner of a mask, taking care not to scratch the plastic underneath.

The mask is carefully and slowly pulled away from the window. The slight ridge of paint around the window is easily cleaned up with a knife.

aircraft with Future to prepare for decals. After the markings were applied, I airbrushed clear flat to give the airframe a more realistic sheen and even out all the coats.

damage to the surrounding paint. I lifted the corner of each mask with the point of a knife, taking care not to scratch the clear plastic underneath, 22. Then, using tweezers, I slowly pulled back the mask, 23. Most of the masks on the complex greenhouse peeled away cleanly. I touched up small mistakes with a brush. Cleanup and the addition of the last parts and the dorsal gun position completed my Heinkel. The results showed that the time invested in masking had really paid off. FSM

I can see clearly now

Before removing the vinyl masks, I ran the point of a sharp hobby knife (use a new blade) around the edges, 21. Doing this scores the paint, making the mask easier to remove and limiting SOURCES

Canopy masks, CX003, Eduard, 420-47-611-8259, www.eduard.cz Paper tape, 3M ScotchMark 256, 3M, www. 3m.com, available at office supply stores REFERENCES

Bombers of World War II, Vol. 1, Philip Moyes, Squadron/Signal, ISBN 978-0-89747-109-1 Heinkel He 111, Vol. 2, Krzysztof Janowicz, Kagero, ISBN 978-8389088-43-7 Heinkel He 111, Karl-Heinz Regnat, Midland, ISBN 978-1-85780-184-2

1/32 Scale

For master modeler Ricardo, Hasegawa’s big Focke Wulf was the perfect superdetailing canvas.

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superdetailing

Hasegawa’s Dora Resin parts and an expert paint job finish a 1/32 scale Fw 190D-9 By Ricardo Dacoba

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earching for a way to give Focke Wulf ’s Fw 190 better high-altitude performance, designer Kurt Tank changed the fighter’s power plant from a radial to a water-cooled in-line engine. Designated the Fw 190D, the new airplane was considered an interim aircraft while work continued on the Ta 152, the ultimate high-altitude version of the fighter. Known as the Dora, the aircraft entered service in August 1944, and is arguably the best piston-engine fighter used by the Luftwaffe during World War II. Nearly 1,500 were built, with

some defending the Third Reich against Allied bombers. A great many more never entered squadron service because of fuel and pilot shortages. Hasegawa’s kit (No. 08143) possesses very good detail and excellent fit. It comes with markings for Hans Ulrich-Rudel’s aircraft, but I acquired EagleCals’ decal sheet No. EC 58-32 which included markings for a D-9 flown by ace Gerhard Michalski, an aircraft found by Allied troops in Frankfurt, Germany in May 1945.

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1 Ricardo added two Aires resin sets to the model, one for the gun bays (No. 2025) and another for the engine (No. 2019).

3 Using strip styrene and tin sheet, Ricardo recreated the internal fuselage structure. Note: The lower wing is in place to allow for placement of the resin gun bays.

5 After completing the cockpit, Ricardo glued the fuselage and wings together and inserted the Aires resin fire wall. 66  Build Better Model Aircraft

2 The first step: Ricardo made all the necessary cuts and openings in the kit parts to accommodate the resin details.

4 With a Verlinden resin radio as a starting point, Ricardo scratchbuilt the radio compartment with wire, sheet styrene, and tin.

6 Ricardo cut the elevators away from the horizontal stabilizers so he could position them in a more natural pose.

7 After masking off the cockpit, Ricardo airbrushed camouflage with Xtracolor grauviolet (RLM 75), dunkelgrün (RLM 83), and lichtblau (RLM 76). The paints’ natural glossy finish is perfect for decaling.

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8 Although the EagleCals decals were nice, Ricardo opted to paint almost all of the insignia, using decals only for those markings that he found impossible to paint.

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Ricardo peels away a mask of low-tack frisket film from Badger after painting the Balkenkreuz on top of the port wing.

Two masks were used to create the fuselage markings. Ricardo paid careful attention to the alignment of the masks.

11

12

After painting the landing gear bays aluminum, Ricardo increased the contrast by airbrushing Tamiya smoke (X-19).

Ricardo “washes” his Dora with a mixture of black and brown watercolors blended with thinner. www.FineScale.com  67

13

14

With the wash dry, Ricardo removes the excess with a damp cloth, wiping in the direction air would flow over the surface of the full size aircraft.

With the parts taped together, Ricardo airbrushes splotches of RLM 02 gray over the engine cowling.

15

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17

The inside of the engine and armament covers were painted aluminum, with steel applied to high-temperature areas.

Ricardo painted and detailed the Jumo 213A engine from the Aires detail set, adding hoses and wires for extra realism before installing it.

Fuselage access covers were made from sheet styrene, then painted to resemble the wood used as supplies of strategic materials ran low.

With the details in place, Ricardo applied a light coat of semi-gloss clear. For weathering, he scratched the paint with steel wool, then airbrushed thin flat black for exhaust staining. Final details include antennas and engine cover latches. FSM

68  Build Better Model Aircraft

Kit Classics By Tom Graham

The original box art on Aurora’s Focke Wulf Fw 190 shows the swastikas that were removed from subsequent releases of the model to avoid controversy in European markets. The built model above is a later molding which bore Balkan crosses within modified decal locator lines.

Aurora’s Focke Wulf Fw 190

A

urora released its 1/48 scale Focke Wulf Fw 190 in 1954 when model kits were primarily marketed as a toy for young boys. To appeal to its younger customers, Aurora molded its model airplanes in brightly colored plastic, such as red, yellow, sky blue, green – or, in the case of the Focke Wulf, black. Black must have worked, because this simple kit remained in Aurora’s catalog until 1974. It was molded in the black plastic for all 20 years except for one issue released in conjunction with the mid-1960s TV series “Twelve O’Clock High,” when it was cast in olive plastic. The original kit contained only 17 parts. But, in the late-1950s, the wings were split into upper and lower halves to speed the molding process and eliminate the sink marks that tend to form on thick plastic parts. The pilot was molded into the fuse-

lage halves and the engine and cowl as one piece. The same generic bombs used on most of Aurora’s planes, Allied or Axis, appeared with the Fw 190. Building the kit was easy - except for the landing gear, which fit poorly into its locator holes. The typically used tube cement made this part of the assembly even more clumsy. Aurora based its Fw 190 on William Wylam’s scale drawings, published in Model Airplane News. The manufacturer likely referenced photos of a captured Focke Wulf, because the kit included the ID inscription “T2-116” that Allies stenciled on the fuselage after capture. Typical of 1950s Aurora kits, the molding featured raised locator lines for decal placement. One glitch surfaced with Aurora’s choice of decals. The swastika on the tail caused an uproar in European countries when the

model was displayed in store windows. Police were even called to protect the hobby shops. The controversy sparked an ongoing dispute regarding the placement of authentic Nazi markings on model kits sold in Europe. In this case, Aurora willingly forwent historical accuracy and changed the swastika mold parts and decals to a Balkan cross. Aurora’s vintage 1/48 scale Focke Wulf 190 with the original swastika could be worth more than $125, according to John W. Burns’ The Collectors Value Guide for Scale Model Plastic Kits. The version without the swastika is valued between $30 and $80, depending on the box. FSM Tom Graham is the author of Schiffer Publishing’s Remembering Revell Model Kits, Aurora Model Kits, and Monogram Models. www.FineScale.com  69

1/48 Scale

The colorful U.S. Navy F-4B Phantom II is a classic that belongs in every modern jet collection.

Backdate a Phantom II How to make Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale F-4J an F-4B Navy jet By PatRICK Hawkey

W

hen the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps began equipping squadrons with the F-4B Phantom in 1962, the new jet was without a doubt the best performing fighter in the world. The B version never wore a subdued tactical camouflage scheme, so when it comes to colorful Phantoms, the B model is a natural. I wanted to model a colorful Navy Phantom model, so my first thought was to build the Hasegawa F-4B kit. When Hasegawa started its Phantom “phamily” in the early 1980s, the first few kits had raised panel lines; later kits featured recessed panel lines. The company never modified its original B/N kit, which also had the rear cockpit of a U.S. Air Force F-4C, not

70  Build Better Model Aircraft

correct for the Navy F-4B. However, Hasegawa did modify its Navy F-4J kit with recessed panel lines and a better rear cockpit. I don’t like raised panel lines, so I had a choice to make: Either rescribe the B kit, or make a few detail changes to the J kit. I decided to backdate the J. The main visual differences between the B and J Phantoms are the afterburner cans (short on the B, long on the J), main landing-gear wheels (narrow on the B, wide on the J), main-gear wells (shallow on the B, deep on the J), and the infrared seeker fairing (present on the B, absent on the J). Change burners, swap wheels, sand down bulged main-gear wells, add sensor: It all seemed pretty simple to me.

1 Before and after: Removing the main-gear wheel-well bulge from the top of the wing was the first order of business.

3

2 Pat supported the wing with modeling clay as he wet-sanded the top surface with a sanding block.

4

Panel lines that were lost to sanding were restored with a scriber guided by a styrene template.

Pat removed an overdone bump on the wing (top) and replaced it with an oval of sheet styrene.

Wings first

underneath the wing kept it from caving under the pressure, and the sanding block kept the surface even. A coat of primer revealed a few scratches to deal with (I really left some deep ones). I repeated the process a couple of times. When the piece was truly smooth, I rescribed the main panel line lost in sanding. I fashioned a piece of .040" sheet styrene to match the line I wanted, marked its correct placement with a pencil line, and pulled a scribing tool along the template, 3. I replaced the lumps over the gear attachment points with long ovals cut from .010" sheet stock, blending them in with super glue and primer, 4. This took more time than any other modification in this project.

Deeper (bulged) main-gear wells were needed to house the wider wheels of the J model. So, I had to sand away the bulges to make the wings correct for the B model, 1. I started with a grinding bit in my motor tool, then followed with a coarse sanding stick, frequently checking the thickness of the plastic by holding the wing to the light. The plastic was plenty thick, so I never came close to breaking through. I removed the overly prominent lump on the top surface of each wing that sits over the main-gear strut attachment point. Once the wing looked reasonably smooth, I wet-sanded further, 2, eliminating most of the scratches I’d inflicted. Modeling clay

www.FineScale.com  71

5 The bulges on the underside were simply sanded away.

7

6 After removing the outboard flaperon, Pat shaved the edge of the cut with a No. 10 blade …

8

… then sharpened the edge with a sanding stick.

The reinstalled flaperon looks just right when it’s drooped.

Removing the bulge from the bottom of the wing was easy. I simply sanded down the raised areas with a sanding stick, 5, and wet-sanded the area smooth. Parked Phantoms almost always have their outboard “flaperons” drooped, so I cut them from their raised positions on the wings with repeated scoring along the recessed panel lines. After they were removed, I shaved the cut edge of the wing with a curved No. 10 blade, 6, then fine-tuned with a medium-grit sanding stick, 7. You want a knife edge here to eliminate any step between the trailing edge of the wing and the leading edge of the flap, 8. The main landing-gear doors and speed boards on the J are bulged to match the wings. To flatten them to B standards, I simply took stout tweezers and bent the bulges out of them as much

as I could, 9. I then wet-sanded the outer surfaces smooth on fine-grit sandpaper the same way as smoothing mating surfaces of a part from a vacuum-formed kit. A rolled-up piece of masking tape makes a good handle, 10. A coat of primer revealed low spots; I filled them with gap-filling super glue and sanded it smooth. The J kit comes with both the narrow B wheels and the wide J wheels — no conversion needed there.

72  Build Better Model Aircraft

Fuselage work

Low-level strip lights were the first thing to be eliminated. These were found on most Air Force Phantoms in the 1980s; the only Navy Phantom to have them was the F-4S (rebuilt F-4J). They were easy to remove with the No. 10 blade, 11. I also removed the triangular reinforcement plates from the stabilizers. If you’re

9 Using finger force and robust tweezers, Pat was able to straighten the bulged speed board.

10 Final flattening was done by wet-sanding.

11

12

Those low-level strip lights have to go; they were not on F-4B Phantoms.

Modifications of the rear cockpit were necessary. New resin seats also are an improvement.

building an early F-4B, you’ll also have to fill in the slatted leading edges of the stabilizers. Hasegawa’s retooled F-4J kit has a better Navy rear cockpit than the original raised-line B/N kit, but it still isn’t right. I had an old Missing Link F-4B/N cockpit update set that had a goodlooking rear instrument panel and left sidewall consoles, so I used them along with the rest of the kit interior and True Details seats (No. 48405), 12. I used the photoetched- and white-metal canopy/cockpit parts that Hasegawa included in its “High Grade” release of the British FGR.1 Phantom; they fit the J kit without a problem. Adding metal parts to clear parts is nerve-racking, but the final results look good, 13. If you want to use the Aires resin afterburner cans (No. 4128), you’ll need to remove an inch or so of the rear bottom fuselage

decking to allow the extended tubes to fit, 14. Aires didn’t mention this in its instructions, and the tubes stopping halfway into the airplane came as a rude shock near the end of my project. The J kit didn’t provide an infrared sensor for the bottom of the radome. I found one from a scrapped F-4B kit, and figuring that I might make more of these conversions, I made an RTV rubber mold and cast copies in resin, 15. A modification I make to every 1/48 scale Hasegawa Phantom I build is to beef up the stabilizer mounts. Hasegawa gives you stubby pins to insert into corresponding holes. I replaced the plastic pins with longer aluminum tubes that telescoped into an aluminum tube installed in the rear fuselage, 16. With the aluminum replacements, it’s easy to remove or position the stabilizers any way I wish.

www.FineScale.com  73

13

14

Photoetched-metal rearview mirrors on the canopy frames are among the several details added to this jet.

To fit the resin afterburners, Pat had to cut away a portion of the rear fuselage.

15

16

The infrared sensor housing from another Hasegawa Phantom kit was cast in resin using an RTV-rubber mold.

The kit’s elevator attachment is inadequate, so Pat replaced it with aluminum tubing.

Nearing the paint stage, I dry-fitted all the detail parts to avoid unpleasant surprises when the model would be harder to handle. I found all the gear-retraction struts were just a little short of where they should end up, so I elongated their holes to give them a bit more reach. A glitch with all the Hasegawa Navy F-4 kits is the size and location of the lights on the front nose-gear door. They’re too big, they are situated too low, and they don’t leave enough room for the number one always sees painted on the door. I filled the existing lens holes with styrene rod and super glue, sanded those spots smooth, then drilled new holes in the piece. I drilled all the way through to insert a clear landing light, but I only drilled partway through the approach lights’ locations so they could hold dabs of paint, 17.

Standard Navy colors

74  Build Better Model Aircraft

I airbrushed the Phantom with Model Master insignia white for the undersides and light gull gray with a little white added topside. The dark natural-metal areas behind the engines were Model Master chrome silver with a bit of gloss black added. The decals came from Eagle Strike’s Phantoms Phorever Pt. 1 (sheet No. 48001) and the Hasegawa kit sheet. VF-301 “Devil’s Disciples” was a reserve unit flying F-4Bs and Ns out of NAS Miramar in the mid-1970s. All the photos I’ve seen of its airplanes show well-maintained glossy finishes, so I weathered lightly. I brushed a medium-gray “sludge” wash on the panel lines and resprayed randomly with straight light gull gray for a slightly uneven look. The white bottom of any airplane is going to show streaks

17 (Above) The kit’s representation of the lights in the front nose-gear door isn’t correct. Pat’s fix is on the right. (Right) Tiny beads of burnt umber artist’s oil paint is the first step to create fluid streaks.

18

19

20

Dragging the artist’s oil paint to the rear creates a realistic fluid streak.

The smoky J79 engine exhaust stains were airbrushed on with flat black paint.

from leaking fluids, and most belly shots show that F-4s leaked pretty well. To represent this, I dabbed raw umber artist’s oil paint along various panel lines, 18, then pulled it straight back with a wide, soft brush, 19. I did the same with small amounts of ivory black for a little variation. (On white, a little of this goes a long way.) I sprayed flat black behind the engines and on the bottom of the stabilizers to represent the characteristic soot seen behind the J79s, 20. Reserve airplanes are rarely seen with extensive weapons loads; to keep the jet’s clean lines, I added only pylons and a pair of Sidewinders. The net result was a satisfying model of an airplane that was truly a legend in its time. That jet is almost gone, but we still have plenty of kits. Phantoms phorever! FSM

REFERENCES

F-4 Phantom II, Part 3: USN and USMC versions; Detail & Scale Vol. 12, Bert Kinzey, Squadron, ISBN 978-0-89024-167-7 Famous Airplanes of the World No. 99: F-4 Phantom Navy Version (Part II), July 1978, Bunrin-Do Publishing, Tokyo, Japan SOURCES

Cockpit corrections, Missing Link Models, 5716 Brook Drive, Edina, Minn. 55435 Burner cans, No. 4128, Aires, available from Eagle Strike Productions, 786-293-6859, www.eaglestrikeproductions.com Seats, True Details TD48405, available from Squadron Mail Order, 972-242-8663, www.squadron.com Decals, Sheet No. 48001, Eagle Strike Productions (above)

www.FineScale.com  75

1/48 Scale

Build a secret

Japanese seaplane The submarine-based Seiran was serious business By Alfonso Martínez Berlana

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he interesting history of the Aichi M6A1 Seiran and its streamlined, purposeful design make it a “must have” in collections of World War II aircraft. Tamiya’s 1/48 scale Seiran is terrific. But, as with any kit, you can find ways to improve it with added detail and realistic paint work. I wanted to dress up the interior a bit with aftermarket goodies. I used Eduard’s photoetched-metal set (No. 48-219); the pieces fit perfectly, 1. I also added scratchbuilt detail, including lateral stringers from strip styrene and cable runs and instrument feeds from copper wire on the cockpit floor and sidewalls, 2. I extended the cockpit floor to cover the bottom fuselage seams, 3. The cockpit was brush painted with Vallejo acrylics, followed by a touch of airbrushing to enhance shadows and highlights, 4 and 5. The greenhouse canopy is molded in two parts, but there’s no effective way to pose it open. After attaching it to the assembled fuselage, I carefully masked the panes before painting the exterior. All the masking was done with pieces of Tamiya tape and Maskol liquid masking agent. The prop and the floats were painted

76  Build Better Model Aircraft

1 Eduard’s photoetched-metal details enhance the kit parts and fit the Tamiya plastic parts perfectly.

and left off until the end of the assembly. I replaced the navigation lights with green and red lenses from CMK (No. 4060). After sanding the model with 1000-grit sandpaper, I wiped it down with an alcohol-dampened cloth to clean off oils and fingerprints, 6.

For the exterior, I wanted to simulate the appearance of the original poor-quality paint job. Paint on late-war Japanese aircraft faded rapidly and was prone to peeling and chipping. My first step was to airbrush the model with an undercoat of silver to represent the aluminum skin.

The Aichi Seiran was a submarine-based attack plane — that’s right, submarine-based. It never saw combat, but it’s a fascinating story.

2

3

Bits of sheet styrene and wire grace the inner walls of the fuselage halves.

Next came Tamiya flat gray (XF-12) for the undersurfaces. I didn’t want to use decals for the Hinomarus ( Japanese national insignia), but I did use them as templates for masks I cut out of wide

Sheet styrene extended the floor aft of the cockpit.

Tamiya tape. After painting the red discs, I post-shaded panel lines with dark gray (XF-24) to accentuate worn areas, then applied a wash of thinned flat gray to blend everything.

Topside, I airbrushed the upper fuselage with green (XF-70) first, then sprayed the Hinomaru insignias through cutout masks, 7. I sprayed the panel lines on the green areas of the fuselage with flat gray. www.FineScale.com  77

Air attack – by submarine! As World War II progressed, the Imperial Japanese Navy was greatly reduced in size and effectiveness. Eventually, it sought actions that would have sufficient psychological effect and strategic impact to somehow alter the course of the war. To this end, it launched a number of new weapons including the massive I-400-class submarines and a seaplane called Seiran. (Among various translations, the Smithsonian Institution’s Air and Space Museum offers ”Clear Sky Storm.”) The plan was to send a pack of seaplane-carrying submarines to attack high-profile Allied targets. Travelling submerged and undetected, the submarine would launch aircraft against unsuspecting targets. After a mission, the airplanes and their pilots would be recovered by the submarine and make a stealthy escape. The damage would be mostly psychological as the attacks would be on targets Americans considered out of Japan’s reach. The Panama Canal was the primary objective for Japanese strategists, as damage to the locks could hinder the flow of provisions from the Atlantic seaboard to the Pacific. The Imperial Navy felt that destroying the canal would do more damage to the Allies than the attack on Pearl Harbor. Pilots trained

on a life-size mock-up of the Panama Canal in the Bay of Toyama. The I-400 submarines were far and away the largest of their time: 400' long and displacing 6,670 tons. They had a range of 41,575 nautical miles, sufficient to circumnavigate the globe one and a half times — more than enough to reach the American West Coast. Among the sub’s unique characteristics was the ability to carry three specially designed attack planes. Upon recovery, a hydraulic crane would lift the planes back on board. Design of the Seiran was begun by the Aichi company in early 1942 and was accelerated by the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in mid-April. The prototype flew for the first time in November of 1943, powered by Aichi’s Atsuta 12-cylinder inverted-V engine, built under license from Daimler-Benz. The aircraft had an elaborate system to fold the wings, tail fin, and stabilizers to allow it to be stored in a large watertight hangar on the submarine’s deck, but trained hands could ready the plane for flight in about seven minutes. The other two airplanes, packed farther inside, could fly in less than 30 minutes after the first. The aircraft carried the latest radios and navigation equipment.

4

5

Here are the fuselage sidewalls after painting. Alfonso selectively airbrushed dark paint to enhance depth and deepen shadows.

Moving to the wings, I painted the Hinomarus first, allowed them to dry, then masked over them before applying the green. This time, I applied the green gradually so it would be translucent, showing the silver (aluminum) undercoat, 8. I painted panel lines on the wing mark78  Build Better Model Aircraft

Production of the I-400 submarines was cut back in favor of more conventional vessels as the order was reduced from 18 to five subs. Accordingly, production of the Seiran slowed during 1944 as other designs took priority. Earthquakes, as well as air raids by USAAF B-29s, further hindered manufacturing. The last of 28 Seirans was built in July 1945. At the time the Panama Canal attack was scheduled, only six aircraft were serviceable. Fuel shortages for boats and airplanes made the mission even less likely. As the situation in Japan grew more desperate, the attack on Panama was postponed and the mission redirected to Ulithi Atoll, where U.S. carriers and Allied ships were preparing for the invasion of Japan. Code-named “Hikari” (light), the attack was scheduled for Aug. 25, 1945. But on Aug. 15, while the force was en route to Ulithi, Emperor Hirohito ordered Japan’s surrender. One Seiran was surrendered to occupation forces. After restoration, the aircraft was put on display at the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center, near Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C. – Alfonso Martínez Berlana

The finished cockpit tub is ready to install in the fuselage.

ings with diluted flat gray, and the leading edges of the wings yellow-orange, 9. Even more weathering was achieved by taking paint off. I used denatured alcohol on a brush to loosen the acrylic Tamiya paint on heavily worn areas, especially on the floats and around the engine, 10. This

exposes the silver enamel beneath it, like paint chipping or peeling to reveal bare metal — just like the real thing. Japanese aircraft can push your weathering talents to the limits. Collect as many photographic references as you can, then go ahead and have at it.

6

7

Assembling the rest of the kit was a breeze. After masking the canopy, Alfonso cleaned the plastic with alcohol.

8

Alfonso airbrushed green over silver to simulate weathered paint, then applied cutout masks and sprayed the Hinomaru insignias.

9

The wings received light coats of the top color to simulate sun-faded paint.

10

Crews commonly touched up the Hinomaru symbols, so they look comparatively fresh.

By applying denatured alcohol to the acrylic color coats, Alfonso was able to “chip” away paint.

11 The kit provides a beaching cart that Alfonso weathered, too.

The Seiran could make 295 mph and carry a 1,874pound bomb.

The Hinomarus were continuously touched up by Japanese ground crews, so the unweathered insignias are accurate. I used diluted brown and black paints to apply exhaust stains. When I was satisfied with the panel lines and weathering, I airbrushed a coat of Microscale Micro Gloss over the model, then applied the few remaining

decals. When the decals were dry, I gave the plane a dark black-and-brown artist’s oil wash. To simulate fluid leaks, tiny dabs of thinned oil paint were streaked away from selected panel lines with a brush. When everything was dry, I installed the floats, bomb, and propeller. A coat of clear flat was the overall finish before removing the canopy masks and adding the antenna.

The final touch was painting a beaching dolly with Vallejo acrylics. I simulated dirt and dust with pastels and coated the dolly with clear flat, 11. And with that I had completed another addition to my collection. The graceful floatplane is sure to raise questions among viewers, and the story of the Seiran gives you a great tale to tell. FSM www.FineScale.com  79

Kit Classics By Matthew Usher

Molded in black and candy-apple-red plastic, Aurora’s 1/48 scale Fokker Dr.I kit included a pilot and a mechanic figure.

Aurora’s Fokker Dr.I triplane

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hink “triplane” and Fokker’s iconic Dr.I will probably be the first aircraft you think of. And the one you imagine will probably be red, as flown by the craft’s most-famous pilot, Manfred Von Richtofen, Germany’s “Red Baron.” Designed by Reinhold Platz and built by Fokker-Flugzeugwerke, the distinctive aircraft entered World War I combat in the spring of 1918 to squadrons in Richtofen’s Jagdgeschwader 1. Compared to Pfalz and Albatos fighters, the Dreidecker (triplane) was wonderfully maneuverable, especially in an experienced pilot’s hands. It was in a Dr. I that Richtofen scored the last 20 (of his 80) aerial-combat victories. It was also the aircraft in which he was killed on April 21, 1918 while pursuing a Sopwith Camel over Morlancourt Ridge, near the Somme River. While Fokker only produced a little more than 300 Dr.Is, Aurora Plastics Corp. produced hundreds and hundreds from its West Hempstead factory starting in the 80  Build Better Model Aircraft

mid-1950s. A mainstay in the company’s “Famous Fighters” series, the 1/48 scale kit included a seated pilot figure as well as a standing ground-crew figure and a tiny patch of groundwork with molded-in-place wheel chocks – the extra parts let modelers display the finished aircraft in a mini diorama. Builders are guided through construction by a detailed instruction sheet with written instructions and an explodedview drawing. A single sheet of black-andwhite marking decals is included, and molded-in versions on the model helped with their placement, even if that meant scale fidelity suffered a little. Like the rest of the company’s expanding line of WWI fighters, Aurora molded the kit in multiple colors to help younger modelers who might not be up to painting. While the Dr.I’s fuselage is molded in Aurora’s distinctive metallic-burgundy plastic, the engine, prop, and wheels were molded in black. FSM

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CALIFORNIA • Garden Grove

Military kits from around the world, 20% OFF ALL PLASTIC MODEL KITS. Aircraft, armor, ships, cars, decals, books, paints, tools, diecast. Mon - Fri 11-8, Sat 10-7, Sun 11-5. www.brookhursthobbies.com

BROOKHURST HOBBIES

12188 Brookhurst St.

714-636-3580

CALIFORNIA • Lakeside (San Diego)

San Diego County’s best choice for plastic models. Aircraft, armor, cars, ships. New/used mil. books, magazines, tools, paint, specialty items. We buy collections! Tue-Fri 12-5:30ish, Sat 11-5. www.phillipshobbies.com

PHILLIP'S SCALE MODELS

9939 Maine Ave.

619-562-1790

CALIFORNIA • San Mateo

650-931-8110

CALIFORNIA • Santa Barbara

Great select of plastic kits; aircraft, armor, cars & ships. Rare & collector kits. Outstanding stock of paint, tools, books, scratch bldg supplies & airbrushes. Rockets, R/C planes & cars. 7 days/wk. www.daveshobbycentral.com

DAVE’S HOBBY CENTRAL

805-965-2972

CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob

ANN’S HOBBY CENTER

203-869-0969

CONNECTICUT • Manchester

Largest hobby shop in NE. Military, cars, trucks, plastic models, diecast cars, trucks. Planes, RC planes, cars, trucks, slot cars, rockets, Breyer, Detailing supplies, games! Mon - Sat 10-8, Sun 10-6

TIME MACHINE HOBBY

71 Hilliard St.

GEORGIA • Blue Ridge

Huge selection of model kits & accessories. Ships, Armor, Aircraft, Figures, Cars and more. Visit: www.freetimehobbies.com for complete listing. Monday to Friday 10-6, Saturday 10-2

FREE TIME HOBBIES

4167 East First St. (by KFC)

706-946-1120

HAWAII • Kailua, Oahu

Wide selection of domestic & foreign kits, paint, books, tools & craft supplies. Located on the beautiful windward side, 20 minutes from Honolulu. Mon-Fri 10-6, Sat 10-5, Sun 11-2

WELLER'S HOBBY CRAFT

808-262-0211

767 Kailua Road

For over 60 years largest hobby shop in the Chicago area at 6,800 sq. ft. Plastic models, paint; RC: cars, planes, helis, boats; Slot cars: HO, 1/32; Rockets. We ship world-wide, Email: [email protected]

AL'S HOBBY SHOP

121 N. Addison Ave.

630-832-4908

MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston) Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, figure kits, games, etc. Shipping available. Info: hobbybunker.com

HOBBY BUNKER, INC.

781-321-8855

33 Exchange St.

MASSACHUSETTS • Marlboro

Stop in ONCE! A customer for LIFE! We have 10,000+ models, tools, supplies, 23 paint lines, 50 model mags, 5,000+ books. Est. in 1973, open 7 days, Th & Fr 'til 8. Visit us @ www.sparetimeshop.com

THE SPARE TIME SHOP

Rt 20E Main, Post Rd. Plaza

508-481-5786

TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES

231-947-1353

210 East Front St.

MINNESOTA • Waite Park (St. Cloud)

Central Minnesota’s full line hobby shop. Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-7pm, Sat 10am-6pm, Sun Noon -5pm www.bakershobby.com

BAKER’S HOBBY EMPORIUM

320-252-0460

51 3rd Street NE

860-646-0610

Car, Plane, Military, Models, Trains, Paints, Tools, Diecast. Art Supplies, Wood & Wood Models Open Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. 11:00 to 6:30.

RUDY'S HOBBY & ART

718-545-8280

35-16 30th Avenue

NEW YORK • Sugar Loaf

Model kits: Sci-fi, Monster, Gundam, cars, aircraft, armor & boats. Sci-fi collectibles & toys. Paint, glues and tools. Flying rockets, pinewood derby, science & more. Call for hours.

NEXT GENERATION HOBBIES

1388 Kings Hwy.

NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan

VIRGINIA • Midlothian (Richmond)

Plastic and wood model kits. Tamiya, Hasegawa, Fujimi, Ertl, Lindberg, Monogram, Revell, Artesania, Midwest. E-mail: [email protected] Hours: Mon, Wed, Thur 10-6, Tue, Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5:30, Sun 12:30-5

Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum. Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits. Open 7 days.

JAN'S HOBBY SHOP, INC.

1435 Lexington Ave.

CHESTERFIELD HOBBIES

212-987-4765

OHIO • Lancaster

WASHINGTON • Seattle

Hobbies in a hardware store? YOU BET! Central Ohio's most complete hobby shop. Plastic kits, detail parts, decals, books, paints & supplies. Open Mon-Sat [email protected]

Plastic Model Specialists. Large selection of rare & out-of-production models. Large selection of detail parts. Largest selection of plastic models in South Seattle! www.skywaymodel.com

SLATERS, INC.

1141 N. Memorial Dr.

SKYWAY MODEL SHOP

740-654-2204

WASHINGTON • Tacoma

Plastic, Wood, Diecast kits & collectibles Armor, Aircraft, Cars, Ships, Balsa Planes Huge selection Paints & Tools, OOP & Current issues. Open: Mon-Sat; closed Sundays www.ubhobbies.com

Complete full line hobby shop. Z, N, HO, O, Lionel, and LGB. Open Mon-Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.

TAMMIE’S HOBBIES

DISCOUNT MODELS

503-644-4535

CANADA–AB • Calgary

Now located in the Turkey Creek shopping area. Knoxville’s most diverse hobby store with a large selection of plastic model kits and modeling supplies. Also a large selection of military reference books. Open daily.

Specializing in R/C models and accessories, helicopters, planes, cars, trucks, boats, plastic, die-cast & model rockets. [email protected] www.modelland.com

HOBBYTOWN USA

MODEL LAND LTD

865-675-1975

CANADA–ON • Toronto

Rutherford Co.’s largest selection of hobby items. Carrying a wide variety of plastic & wood models, paints, tools & supplies. Located just off I-24 on Medical Center Pkwy (exit 76). Open M-F 10-7; Sat 10-5.

Large selection of new & out-of-production kits. Accessories & finishing products. Servicing the hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections. www.wheelswingshobbies.com

HOBBYTOWN USA

WHEELS AND WINGS

615-890-6777

CANADA–QC • Dorval

HO & N, Lionel trains. Complete line of plastic kits, military and architecture supplies. Open 11am-6pm, Thur. to 7pm; Sat. 10am-5pm

We take care of special orders. Specializing in out of the ordinary kits, military, armour, figurines, planes, detail parts, decals, resin, photoetched conversions, books, mags. Many special discount prices.

G & G MODEL SHOP

HOBBY JUNCTION EXPRESS

713-529-7752

845-610-5177

SINGAPORE • Singapore

Old kits & latest releases. Good selection of unusual model kits & accessories. We stock electric trains & slot cars. Open 7 days, 1pm-8pm. In the Katong Shopping Centre. www.hobbybounties.com

LARRY’S HOBBIES

HOBBY BOUNTIES & MORGAN HOBBYCRAFT

281-443-7373

Scale modeling from beginner to expert. A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos, figures, ships, & sci-fi. Lots of reference material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10-6pm.

Run your Retail Directory ad in the next issue of

DIBBLE'S HOBBIES

FineScale Modeler!

210-735-7721

TEXAS • San Antonio

Plastic kits/references/paints/tools from around the world. Special orders welcome. Discounts to IPMS, military, firefighters, police, etc. Open Tues-Wed 12-7, Thur-Sat 10-7, Sun 1-5. www.hillcountryhobby.com

Call 1-888-558-1544, ext. 815 for more information.

HILL COUNTRY HOBBY

9355 Bandera Rd., Ste. 109

210-681-2007

VIRGINIA • Chantilly

Minutes from Dulles Airport & New Dulles Air & Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center. PLASTIC! PLASTIC! PLASTIC! Kits for aircraft - armor - ships - cars Daily 12-8; Sun 12-5. www.piperhobby.com

PIPER HOBBY

13892 Metrotech Dr.

703-803-3103

KPC ADVERTISING ACCOUNT FSI • 11/01/2011 • BW • 1/9 V

Ad Index

YOUR

We believe that our readers are as important as our advertisers. If you do not receive your merchandise or a reply from an advertiser within a reasonable period, please contact us. Provide details about what you ordered and the amount you paid. If no action is obtained after we forward your complaint to the advertiser, we will not accept further advertising from them. FineScale Modeler magazine, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187

MODELING SKILLS

The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to FineScale Modeler magazine readers. The magazine is not responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.

Dean’s Hobby Shop_ ____________ 81 Dragon Models_________________ 84 FineScale.com___________________ 2 FineScale Modeler Book_ _________ 3 FineScale Modeler Downloadable___ 3 FineScale Modeler magazine______ 83 HobbyLink Japan_______________ 81 JAC Hobbies___________________ 81 Maus Werx____________________ 81 82  FineScale Modeler

November 2011

65-6440-1890

865 Mountbatten Rd #02-91/92

TEXAS • San Antonio

1029 Donaldson Ave.

514-631-3504

1761 Cardinal

Scale model cars, armor, aircraft, diecast. All kinds of plastic and wooden ships. Mon-Thurs 10-6, Fri & Sat 10-7, Sun 12-5. www.larryshobbies-houston.com 156-F FM 1960 East

416-752-0071

1880 Danforth Ave.

TEXAS • Houston

2522 Times Blvd.

403-249-1661

3409A 26 Ave. SW

TENNESSEE • Murfreesboro

536-J N.Thompson Ln.

253-460-6781

8216-C 27th St. W.

TENNESSEE • Knoxville

11364 Parkside Dr.

206-772-1211

12615 Renton Ave. South

OREGON • Beaverton

12024 SW Canyon Rd.

804-379-9091

13154 Midlothian Tnpk.

TEXAS • Houston

NEW YORK • Astoria L.I.C.

Planes, tanks, cars, ships, rockets, plastic and wood kits. Trains. Authorized Lionel dealer & repair. Die-cast, RC, slot cars, structural and diorama supplier. Special orders welcome. 405 E. Putnam Avenue

203-882-1979

Let your imagination run wild! Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders, diecast cars, dollhouse miniatures, model railroading Z to G and more...

TALBOT’S HOBBIES

14 West Anapamu

HQ HOBBIES

394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1

MICHIGAN • Traverse City

Lionel, Märklin, HO scale. Domestic and imported trains. Mon-Sat 9:30-6, Sun 11-5. www.talbotstoyland.com 445 South “B” Street

Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train sets. Open Tue-Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. www.hqhobbiesonline.com

ILLINOIS • Elmhurst

Central Arkansas’ headquarters for Scale Hobbies. Models; trains; tools; scratchbuilding. Open 10-6, Closed Sun. and Wed. 1200 John Harden Dr.

CONNECTICUT • Milford

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Bill Plunk uses aftermarket add-ons, straightforwa rd corrections, and careful construction to upgrade Dragon’s PzKpfw III Ausf G. – p.26

Perfect base coats: Mr. Surfacer explained Finishing techniques for a high-tech warship Model the Army’s top rocket launcher

Larry Schramm reviews the 1/32 scale HobbyBoss F-84E Thunderjet — page 76

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