Military Illustrated Modeler - Issue 047 (2015-03)

modeller £6.50 - Mar’15 (issue 047)

Iwata Custom Micron B Airbrush • Fly Models Ar 234 • Kitty Hawk Cougar • Wingnut Wings LVG C.VI • Scale Model World Report Pt. 2 • and more…

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9 770268 832071

Revell’s 1:32 Spitfire converted & corrected

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SPITFIRE, IMPROVED

aircraft edition

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NEW FROM ADH PUBLISHING

The Modeller’s Guide

Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering

Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama

Aleksandar Počuč

‘

SCALE MODELLING: A LOVE STORY READY TO ASSEMBLE TOOLS AND MATERIALS TECHNIQUES BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT ■ SPITFIRE MK. IXC ■ P-47D THUNDERBOLT ■ JU-87D ‘STUKA’ MAKING A DIORAMA

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Modeller’s guide to superdetailing, painting and weathering aircraft of WWII’ book is intended for both beginners and advanced modellers as it covers wide variety of modelling tasks ranging from basic detailing, scratch-building, painting, weathering, machining custom parts using resin as well as scratch-building part from brass and aluminium and of course, diorama making. Basics about tools, paints and modelling materials have been covered as well. The book revolves around three subjects, P-47D Razorback, Spitfire Mk.IXc and Junkers Ju-87D Stuka, all in 32nd scale. Step by step concept will provide a good reference and ideas to all WWII aircraft modellers regardless of their experience.

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Contents

modeller deller military y ill illustrated ustratted ted

ISSUE No.047 March 2015

30

42 4 6

NEWS

What’s happening in modelling and aviation

SPITFIRE MK.I CLOSE UP History and Full-Sized Reference

10 PREVIEW

Iwata Custom Micron B

12 SPITFIRE, IMPROVED

Revell Spitfire Mk.IIa converted by Brett Green

28 PREVIEW

RS Models’ 1:48 Fokker D.XXIII

54

29 PREVIEW

Revell 1:144 Airbus A400M

30 FLY’S BIG BLITZ PT. 1

Fly Model 1:32 Arado Ar 234 by James Hatch

40 PREVIEW

GWH 1:144 Victor

42 TWOGAR ON THE PROWL Kitty Hawk’s 1:48 scale two-seat Cougar by Kamil Feliks Sztarbala

54 TRENCH SPOTTER

Wingnut Wings’ 1:32 LVG by Gary Edmundson

60 SHOW REPORT

60

IPMS ScaleModelworld 2014 Pt. 2 by Brett Green

65 NEXT ISSUES

What’s coming up in the next issues of Military Illustrated Modeller

66 TAILPIECE

Wingman Models 1:48 Anniversary Alpha Jets

Aircraft Edition

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03/02/2015 12:53

News ALL-NEW 1:32 FW 190 F-8 FROM REVELL

R

evell is releasing an all-new 1:32 scale FockeWulf Fw 190 F-8, and it should be available on hobby shop shelves around the time you’re reading this. This is a newly tooled kit, Item No. 04869, not a rebox of Hasegawa’s Wurger or any older Revell kit. The new Fw 190 F-8 will feature full engine detail, poseable cowls, separate control surfaces and a range of ordnance. I’ll look forward to building this as soon as I can get my hands on one. In the meantime, Dieter Wiegmann from Revell has sent photos of his built and painted test shot. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell •

NORTH SOMERSET MODEL SHOW 2015

AIRFIX – NEW FOR 2015

A

irfix has revealed more information about several of their new and forthcoming releases for 2015:

1:72 HEINKEL HE 111-P2 - DUE Q3 2015

The Heinkel He 111-P2 was the primary Luftwaffe bomber during the early stages of World War II. Initial research by the Airfix Development team revealed existing drawings to be quite poor, so the team travelled to Norway in January 2014 to LIDAR scan a restored He 111 The plane originally crash-landed on a snow-covered hillside in 1940, where it remained until its discovery by a teenage boy in 1943. It was eventually recovered from the hillside between 1973-76, and its restoration continues today as more parts are recovered from the site. The model is slated for release in Q3 2015 to coincide with the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

1:72 WESTLAND SEA KING HC4 - DUE Q4 2015

The Sea King has always been a popular part of the Airfix range, however the existing model and tooling was beginning to age. As the team wanted to get the complex shape of the Sea King 100% correct, they travelled to HMS Sultan in Gosport in April to painstakingly LIDAR scan a Westland Sea King HC4.

1:72 BOULTON PAUL DEFIANT MK.1 - OUT NOW!

The Defiant was a key interceptor aircraft used by the Royal Air Force in World War II, designed as a “turret fighter” without any forward-firing guns. Following initial vulnerability to the Luftwaffe’s Messerschmitt Bf 109, the Defiant came into its own as a night fighter. The Airfix team took the opportunity of carrying out their research, examining the plane and original drawings, while the only surviving Defiant was under restoration at MAPS, producing this brand new tooling of a very popular aircraft.

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N

orth Somerset Modellers Society Model Show will be held in a New Venue on 12 July, 2015 at:

THE HELICOPTER MUSEUM Weston Heliport Locking Moor Road Weston-Super-Mare North Somerset BS24 8PP from 10am to 5.30pm. See Museum website for a admission charges. Free parking, restaurant, Helicopter Flights, Raffle for a Helicopter Flight. For more information please contact John Annegarn on 01934417742 or [email protected]

Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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REFERENCE: SPITFIRE MK.I CLOSE-UP

SPITFIRE MK.I CLOSE-UP

An early Spitfire Mk.I at the RAF Museum, Cosford.

A close-up look at some of the typical features of an early Spitfire Mk.I, and a description of developments in service. SPITFIRE MK.I DEVELOPMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS

E

arly in the Spitfire’s operational life a major problem became apparent. At altitudes above about 15,000 ft (4,572 m), any condensation could freeze in the guns. Because of this, the system of gun heating first fitted to K5054 was introduced on the 61st production Mk I. At the outset of World War II, the flash-hiders on the gun muzzles were removed and the practice of sealing the gun ports with fabric patches was instituted. The patches kept the gun barrels free of dirt and debris and allowed the hot air to heat the guns more efficiently. Early production aircraft were fitted with a ring and bead gunsight, although provision had been made for a reflector sight to be fitted once one had been selected. In July 1938, the Barr and Stroud GM 2 was selected as the standard RAF reflector gunsight and was fitted to the Spitfire from late 1938. These first production Mk Is were able to reach a maximum speed of 362 mph (583 km/h) at 18,500 ft (5,600 m), with a maximum rate of climb of 2,490 ft/min at 10,000 ft (3,000 m). The

6

service ceiling (where the climb rate drops to 100 ft/min) was 31,900 ft (9,700 m). All Merlin I to III series engines relied on external electric power to start; a well known sight on RAF fighter airfields was the “trolley acc” (trolley accumulator) which was a set of powerful batteries which could be wheeled up to aircraft. The lead from the “Trolley Acc” was plugged into a small recess on the starboard side cowling of the Spitfire. On Supermarine-built aircraft a small brass instruction plate was secured to the side cowling, just beneath the starboard exhausts. The early Mk Is were powered by the 1,030 hp (768 kW) Merlin Mk II engine driving an AeroProducts Watts 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m) diameter twoblade wooden fixed-pitch propeller, weighing 83 lb (38 kg). From the 78th production airframe, the Aero Products propeller was replaced by a 350 lb (183 kg) de Havilland 9 ft 8 in (2.97 m) diameter, three-bladed, two-position, metal propeller, which greatly improved take-off performance, maximum

speed and the service ceiling. From the 175th production aircraft, the Merlin Mk III, with a “universal” propeller shaft able to take a de Havilland or Rotol propeller, was fitted.

NEW CANOPY

Following complaints from pilots, a new form of “blown” canopy was manufactured and started replacing the original “flat” version in early 1939. This canopy improved headroom and enabled better vision laterally, and to the rear. At the same time the manual hand-pump for operating the undercarriage was replaced by a hydraulic system driven by a pump mounted in the engine bay. Spitfire Is incorporating these modifications were able to achieve a maximum speed of 367 mph (591 km/h) at 18,600 ft (5,700 m), with a maximum rate of climb of 2,150 ft/min at 10,000 ft (3,000 m). The service ceiling was 34,400 ft (10,500 m). A voltage regulator under a black, cylindrical cover was mounted low on the back of frame 11,

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The famous nose profile, with fasteners on display.

Note the early-style canopy with flat sides and only slightly blown top. The early ring and bead gunsight may be seen here too.

Fabric texture of the port side aileron.

Strengthening strips were sometimes retrofitted.

A close-up view of the antenna anchor point on the rudder, and the in-line isolator.

directly behind the pilot’s seat: starting in the N30xx series this was repositioned higher, appearing low in the rear transparency. From N32xx the regulator was mounted directly behind the pilot’s headrest on frame 11. Other changes were made later in 1939 when a simplified design of pitot tube was introduced and the “rod” aerial mast was replaced by a streamlined, tapered design. To improve protection for the pilot and fuel tanks a thick laminated glass bulletproof plate was fitted to the curved, one piece windscreen and a 3 mm thick cover of light alloy, capable of deflecting small calibre rounds, was fitted over the top of the two fuel tanks. From about mid-1940, 73 pounds (33 kg) of armoured steel plating was provided in the form of head and back protection on the seat bulkhead and covering the forward face of the glycol header tank. In addition, the lower petrol tank was fitted with a fire resistant covering called “Linatex”, which was later replaced with a layer of self-sealing rubber.

The port upper wing.

Propeller Improvements

In June 1940 de Havilland began manufacturing a kit to convert their two pitch propeller unit to a constant speed propeller. Although this propeller was a great deal heavier than the earlier types (500 lb (227 kg) compared with 350 lb (183 kg)) it provided another substantial improvement in take-off distance and climb rate. Starting on 24 June de Havilland engineers began fitting all Spitfires with these units and by 16 August every Spitfire and Hurricane had been modified. “Two step” rudder pedals were fitted to all frontline Spitfires; these allowed the pilot to lift his feet and legs higher during combat, improving his “blackout” threshold and allowing him to pull tighter sustained turns. Another modification was the small rear view mirror which was added to the top of the windscreen: an early “shrouded” style was later replaced by a simplified, rectangular, adjustable type. Starting in September 1940, IFF equipment was

The fuselage hatch provided access to radio equipment and the First Aid kit.

installed. This weighed about 40 lb (18 kg) and could be identified by wire aerials strung between the tailplane tips and rear fuselage. Although the added weight and the aerials reduced maximum speed by about two mph (three km/h), it allowed the aircraft to be identified as “friendly” on radar: lack of such equipment was a factor leading to the Battle of Barking Creek. At about the same time new VHF T/R Type 1133 radios started replacing the HF TR9 sets. These had first been fitted to Spitfires of 54 and 66 Squadrons in May 1940, but ensuing production delays meant the bulk of Spitfires and Hurricanes were not fitted for another five months. The pilots enjoyed a much clearer reception which was a big advantage with the adoption of Wing formations throughout the RAF in 1941. The new installation meant that the wire running between the aerial mast and rudder could be removed, as could the triangular “prong” on the mast. Weight increases and aerodynamic changes led



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Aircraft Edition

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REFERENCE: Spitfire Mk.I Close-Up

The early narrow aerial mast.

Two views of the Merlin III engine, which powered the Spitfire Mk.I.

The rudder with its wooden gust lock in place.

Note the raised rivets and overlapping panels on the rear fuselage.

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The port side wing navigation light.

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Note the single machine gun muzzle protruding from the wing’s leading edge. The others are recessed behind the holes.

A nice contrast between the metal stabiliser and the fabric covered elevator.

to later Spitfire Is having a lower maximum speed than the early production versions. This was more than offset by the improvements in take-off distance and rate of climb brought about by the constant speed propeller units. During the Battle of Britain Spitfire Is equipped with constant-speed propellers had a maximum speed of 353 mph (568 km/h) at 20,000 ft (6,100 m), with a maximum rate of climb of 2,895 ft/min at 10,000 ft (3,000 m).

Emergency Boost

Although the Merlin III engine of Spitfire Is had a power rating of 1,030 hp (768 kW), supplies of 100 octane fuel from the United States started reaching Britain in early 1940. This meant that an “emergency boost” of +12 pounds per square inch was available for five minutes, with pilots able to call on 1,310 hp (977 kW) at 3,000 rpm at 9,000 feet (2,743 m). This boosted the maximum speed by 25 mph (40 km/h) at sea level and 34 mph (55 km/h) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) and improved the climbing performance between sea level and full throttle height. The extra boost wasn’t damaging as long as the limitations set forth in the pilot’s notes

The Spitfire Mk.I was fitted with five slot main wheels.

were followed. As a precaution if the pilot had resorted to emergency boost, he had to report this on landing and it had to be noted in the engine log book. There was a wire ‘gate’ fitted, which the pilot had to break to set the engine to emergency power, this acted as an indicator that emergency power had been used and would be replaced by mechanics on the ground. The extra boost was also available for the Merlin XII fitted to the Spitfire II. Late in 1940, a Martin-Baker designed quickrelease mechanism began to be retroactively fitted to all Spitfires. The system employed unlocking pins, actuated by cables operated by the pilot pulling a small, red rubber ball mounted on the canopy arch. When freed, the canopy was taken away by the slipstream.

Upgunning

One of the most important modifications to the Spitfire was to replace the machine gun armament with wing mounted Hispano 20 mm cannon. These were known as the Mk IB: Mk Is armed with eight Brownings were retrospectively called the Mk Ia.

With the early cannon installation, jamming was a serious problem. In one engagement, only two of the 12 aircraft had been able to fire off all of their ammunition. Further cannonarmed Spitfires, with improvements to the cannon mounts, were later issued to 92 Squadron, but due to the limited magazine capacity it was eventually decided the best armament mix was two cannon and four machine guns (most of these were later converted to the first Mk VBs).

Metal Ailerons

From November 1940, a decision was taken that Supermarine would start producing light-alloy covered ailerons which would replace the original fabric covered versions. However, seven months after the decision was taken to install them on all marks, Spitfires were still being delivered with the original fabric covered ailerons. From May 1941 metal ailerons were fitted to all Spitfires coming off the production lines.* • * Body text adapted from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Supermarine_ Spitfire_(early_Merlin-powered_variants)



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Aircraft Edition

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EQUIPMENT PREVIEW: IWATA CUSTOM MICRON B

A FINE INSTRUMENT OF MODELLING! Need a professional quality airbrush for your most demanding spraying operations? Look no further than the Custom Micron B! Marcus Nicholls takes one for a test drive.

The water trap is an in-line fitting.

The package includes the airbrush, water trap and accessories.

N

ot all airbrushes are created equal. There are many on the market from very basic models upwards but Iwata’s Custom Micron line stands as the gold standard. They are designed for the professional who requires precise, consistent and accurate control to produce very detailed airbrushing. The CM range has recently been subtly improved, with a taller trigger and a revised finger-pad for a more comfortable feel. There is now also a ‘dock’ for the crown-cap at the rear of the preset handle. This allows the crown (the shield around the tip of the needle at the front of the airbrush) to be safely stored when spraying without it, or cleaning the tip. It’s a tiny component that will want to roll off your workbench and onto the floor, so this feature is an excellent idea.

The rear of the body may be easily removed for access to the needle and other workings.

IN THE BOX

Each Custom Micron airbrush comes in a strong and good looking metal case that includes a moisture filter, which screws directly to the air inlet. This forms a pistol grip when in place which increases spraying comfort. Also in the case is a spray tip spanner and a tube of Iwata’s own ‘Superlube’ airbrush lubricant for the needle-chuck and other components. In the hand, the CM-B feels perfectly balanced. It’s light, but not so light that you can’t feel it. The new height trigger feels perfect under one’s fingertip and the symmetrical design is ideal for left or righthanded users. Surface finish and build quality are perfect. If your modelling budget can stretch to it (it currently retails for £345) and you need an airbrush that is capable is producing extremely fine lines for complex camouflage schemes, extremely subtle and

The Custom Micron feels balanced in the hand and is a pleasure to use.

precise shading, figures and many more tasks, the CM-B represents the best money can buy.

CONCLUSION

The Custom Micron is truly the Mercedes-Benz of airbrushes, with an impeccable reputation that is recognised around the world as one of the finest pieces of airbrush engineering ever created. It needs to be treated like the thoroughbred that it is; some practice is needed in use to get the best out of it, and it needs very careful cleaning so the finely tuned components aren’t knocked out of register. When given the respect it deserves, the Custom Micron will reward you with astonishing results and will last for many years.•

SPECIFICATIONS: Dual-action, internal-mix airbrush Cut-out in airbrush body for easy adjustment of needle packing and lubrication New, taller roll-top trigger Crown cap dock on handle Removable head-assembly for ease of cleaning Gravity-feed with 1.8ml (1/16oz) cup Pre-set adjustment handle Hand-fitted and tested matched spray-head system 0.18mm nozzle as standard for ultra-fine detail from 0.18mm to 20mm (3/4”) spray pattern Option for a 0.23mm head system for greater coverage and higherviscosity paints Available online from The Airbrush Company www.airbrushes.com

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Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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28/01/2015 16:09

FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

The kit is impressive on the sprues with a good level of detail. Surface textures on the wings are crisp and extrremely fine, including rivets where appropriate. Fuselage textures are much heavier though.

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SPITFIRE, IMPROVED The Editor converts, corrects and details Revell’s new 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.IIa, finishing it as a Battle of Britain Mk.I.

T

he Supermarine Spitfire was the only Allied fighter aircraft of the Second World War to see front line service from the beginning of the conflict, in September 1939, through to the end in August 1945. The Spitfire's post-war service career continued into the 1950s. The basic airframe proved to be extremely adaptable, capable of taking far more powerful engines and far greater loads than its original role as a short-range interceptor had anticipated. This would lead to 19 marks of Spitfire and 52 subvariants being produced throughout the Second World War and beyond. The many changes were made in order to fulfil Royal Air Force requirements and to successfully combat ever-improving enemy aircraft. With the death of Reginald J. Mitchell in June 1937, all variants of the Spitfire were designed by his replacement, Joseph Smith, and a team of engineers and draftsmen.*

Aircraft Edition

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03/02/2015 15:43

FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

Revell released a 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.I in the 1960s, but this model has nothing in common with the earlier kit. This is an all-new release, labelled a Mk.IIa, but with a few anomalies. The oil cooler housing is the style of the Mk.V, and the metal ailerons are more typical of a later as well. Revell’s Spitfire Mk.IIa is quite a simple kit with just 122 parts in light grey plastic and 13 in clear. Moulding quality is excellent, and the plastic is a bit on the soft side and pleasant to work with. The overall shapes and dimensions are pretty good, but there are a few problems. In addition to the late-version ailerons and oil cooler, the radiator is simplified (flat against the bottom of the wing with no intake or exit ramp), the pilot’s seat armour and spare gunsight bulbs are missing, and the spinner is very poorly shaped. I don’t like the main wheels very much either. Many modellers won’t be worried about these issues but if you are, most can be addressed by after-market corrections and upgrades. Cockpit detail is nice, and will provide the basis for super detailing if you wish. The pilot’s access door is a separate part, and may be posed either open or closed. The canopy is the early style with flat sides, while the windscreen is supplied with the separate armoured glass panel. The fuselage is moulded with openings for clear fuel tank inspection panels. These were not fitted to all Spitfires, so check your references. Filling and sanding these will be a fast and easy job if required. All control surfaces are separate parts, as are the flaps. Remember, the flaps were either full up or full down; and were normally only down when on landing approach. The radiator exit flap is a separate part too. Parts breakdown is conventional, with full-length fuselage halves, no inserts, full span lower wing and separate port and starboard upper wing halves. The kit features busy surface detail, with recessed panel lines and rivets throughout. Although surface textures are very crisp and fine on the wings, panel lines and rivets on the fuselage are deep and wide. This will be too heavy for some modellers’ tastes (mine included). There are some interesting clues about things to come. For example, the elevators are supplied as the later kinked version, first seen on late batches of the Spitfire Mk.IX. For the Mk.I/II/V, we have to cut along a diagonal line recessed on the inside surfaces of the elevators.

Revell has depicted metal ailerons on this kit, but these are more typically seen on later variants.

The bottomless Spitfire floor is well represented.

The resin pilot’s armour in place. Revell does not supply an equivalent piece.

Barracuda Studios produce a Wing Correction Set that addresses the issues with the ailerons, the oil cooler fairing and the radiator.

The Barracuda Studios resin seat and armour with the kit bulkhead and mount.

A section of the resin oxygen cable was sliced out to allow the bulkhead to fit snugly against the fuselage side.

A comparison between the kit’s plastic control column (left) and the resin Barracuda Studios item.

The angle of the floor compared to the instrument panel appears strange, but this is how it should look.

SLOW BUT STEADY WINS THE RACE

It is always exciting to receive advance samples from manufacturers, but one of the disadvantages of an early build is that I often don’t have access to aftermarket upgrades and corrections. It therefore worked out well that I did not receive Revell’s 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.II until some months after release. As a result, there were a number of essential corrections from Barracuda Studios, as well as upgrades from Eduard and Scale Aircraft Conversions.

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Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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A squa fuselag longer

Barracu lower

nt panel

Raised detail on the kit instrument panel is good, but I wanted to fit the colour photo-etched panel.

A square hole was made in the fuselage floor to accommodate the longer resin control column.

The raised detail was removed with a coarse sanding stick.

Moulded-on wiring was chiselled off the fuselage sidewalls

Barracuda resin quadrants fitted to the lower cockpit sidewalls.

Some minor structural detail has been fitted to the rear of the cockpit.

“Revell released a 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.I in the 1960s, but this model has nothing in common with the earlier kit.”

Aircraft Edition

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03/02/2015 15:44

FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

Sub-assemblies are ready for painting. They have been temporarily attached to a box using Blu-Tack.

BARRACUDA IN THE COCKPIT

Construction commenced with the instrument panel. I wanted to use the Eduard colour photo-etched sandwich, which meant that I had to remove the raised bezel and switch detail moulded to the plastic kit part. I masked off the bulkhead below the panel to avoid damaging the raised detail there, then removed the instrument panel detail by brisk rubbing against a coarse sanding stick. The fuselage sidewalls required a little surgery in preparation for later improvements, including removal of some moulded-on wiring, and adding horizontal ribs to the bare area behind the cockpit. I had to open a square hole in the fuselage “floor” for the Barracuda control column too. I used resin details from Barracuda Studios’ Item No. BR32003 and BR32011 – Spitfire Cockpit Upgrade Sets Part I and Part II. These include a gorgeous control column, quadrants, oxygen hose and gun sight. Although Part I was designed for the Tamiya Spitfire Mk.I, there were enough relevant parts to make it worthwhile for the Revell Mk.II too. For those who waited even longer than me, however, Barracuda Studios has now released a cockpit upgrade set specifically for the Revell kit that incorporates elements from Parts I and II, as well as specific details for the earlier Marks. This is Item No. BR32174. I replaced the kit seat with the Barracuda Studios resin part as well. This features a backrest with beautiful leather texture. It also provides the missing pilot’s armour plate behind the seat.

The basic cockpit green colour sprayed, using Tamiya acrylic XF-71.

The metal parts are glued to the cockpit sidewalls, which were partially weathered beforehand.

A wealth of pre-coloured detail courtesy of Eduard’s photo-etched set.

A flat coat blends the plastic and metal parts quite effectively.

FRONT OFFICE COLOURS

The fuselage interior was painted while the elements were still separate sub-assemblies. I used Tamiya acrylic XF-71 Cockpit Green for the RAF Interior Green parts. Weathering was applied using a mix of Tamiya X-18 Semi-Gloss Black, tap water and Future floor polish as a wash. This mixture settles in the recesses and edges, leaving a subtle impression of shadows and perhaps just a little grime. Eduard colour photo-etched parts were now added to the painted sidewalls and instrument panel. I hit the entire cockpit with a flat coat, then added some chipping with a sharp brown artist’s pencil. The resin seat was painted a brownish-red Bakelite shade with a very dark brown backrest. This was polished with a fingertip to obtain a leather-like sheen. Eduard has started packaging HGW fabric harness straps under their own brand, which is great on two counts. First, I think that they are the most authentic harness straps for 1:32 scale

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The assembled instrument panel attached to the kit’s plastic parts.

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The two rear bulkheads including the pilot’s armour, painted and weathered.

Eduard’s range now includes fabric belts with metal hardware.

The beautifully detailed control column loves a bit of painting attention.

The Barracuda Studios resin seat, carefully painted.

models and secondly, it is much easier to find Eduard products than HGW! The Sutton Harness includes separate metal rings for the lap and shoulder harnesses as well as the usual buckles and associated hardware. The fabric straps were stained with a wash of heavily thinned brown acrylic paint. The harness drapes naturally when attached to the seat – just fantastic. At this stage the cockpit sub-assemblies were glued into place and the fuselage halves brought together. Tape and clamps were used while the glue set, and fit was good.

WING SURGERY The Eduard fabric harness assembled and stained.

The harness looks great in place on the seat.

Barracuda Studios supplies a three-part wing radiator replacement in their Spitfire Mk I/II Wing Correction Set. This comprises a single insert for the wing with the correct depth intake and outlet ramps and full radiator faces cast in place, plus a fairing and a separate radiator flap. A new oil cooler fairing is included too. This provides the correct semi-circular intake profile. The new resin parts deliver a completely authentic radiator and oil cooler, but they do require a bit of scary surgery. Although I was a little apprehensive about the amount of cutting required, in practice the job was not too difficult. I started with the oil cooler. I simply scribed along the borders of the recessed oil cooler mount on the bottom wing until the blade broke through the plastic. The recessed mount was then removed from the wing. Preparing the wing for the radiator was a slightly bigger job. The front and rear cuts did not coincide with any guide lines, so more care and planning was required. The first step was to scribe in cutting lines at the front and rear using a new blade and self-adhesive Dymo tape as a guide. Next, the plastic was prepared for removal by three cuts – one horizontal and two diagonal – using a cutting wheel in my Dremel motor tool. This allowed me to wiggle the fore and aft triangles, which then simply snapped off. After a little extra scribing along the curved edges, the four remaining triangles were wiggled and snapped off too. The final step was to clean up the edges of the cut with a hobby knife and sanding sticks. To my great relief, the resin oil cooler and

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

The control column and master compass have been fitted here.

The seat and bulkheads have been added to the floor.

radiator parts fitted in the modified lower wing without fuss and only a little filler. The radiator insert was fixed with super glue and held in place with plastic clamps. Test fitting showed that the new resin radiator insert would interfere with the fit at the wing root. A long, deep curve was cut out of the plastic below the fuselage wing root on the starboard side. With this final modification, the upper wing halves were glued to the full-span lower wing.

FINAL ASSEMBLY

The balance of assembly was fast and straightforward. Tail planes were glued in place, as were the flaps in the closed position. The openings for the fuel tank inspection panels in the fuselage forward of the windscreen were filled with Milliput White two-part epoxy putty. I also filled the recessed mount for the Coffman starter on the upper starboard side of the engine cowling, as this was a feature of the Mk.II and I was building mine as a Mk.I. In fact, this was the only conversion task required to make this model a Mk.I. The kit’s metal ailerons were replaced with Barracuda Studios’ resin fabric ailerons. I had an MDC de Havilland spinner in my accessory drawers, but the diameter of the cap was slightly too narrow where it met the base plate. Instead, I “borrowed” the spinner from Hasegawa’s 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.I, which is a pretty good shape and fits the Revell base plate without major modification. The odd-looking kit wheels were replaced with Barracuda resin parts too.

The cockpit floor sub-assembly tested for fit against the starboard fuselage side…

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A view of the completed instrument panel.

…and the other side.

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The floor sub-assembly is glued to one side and the fuselage halves checked for fit.

The fuselage halves were joined starting at the fin, which was clamped before moving forward with brushed lines of Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement, taped when drying.

REDUCING SURFACE DETAIL

The fuselage fit is generally very good. The tape is just for insurance!

Care is required when removing the radiator body and fairing from their casting strips.

I used Tamiya Grey Primer as an aerosol filler to reduce the emphasis of the panel lines and rivets on the rear fuselage. I sprayed the entire model with a thin coat as usual, then returned to the rear fuselage with two additional thick coats, sprayed straight from the can. Once the primer had completely dried and hardened, I sanded the rear fuselage with 1000 grit Tamiya Abrasive Paper, followed by progressively finer grades of Micro Mesh polishing cloths. A further regular coat of Tamiya primer showed that the filling and sanding had worked a little too well in places, as the panel lines were a bit soft and inconsistent. I rescribed these lines using self-adhesive Dymo tape as a guide, followed by another round of polishing with Micro Mesh to knock any raised edges from the newly scribed lines. The model was now ready for paint.

The oil cooler base was cut out of the lower wing with repeated scoring from a new hobby blade.

The cutting wheel in my Dremel motor tool made short work of creating The front and rear triangles were wiggled and snapped off. three rough cuts to speed up the job.

Dymo tape was used as a guide to define the front and rear cut lines.

The completed surgery after cleanup.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

The radiator base was clamped in place and secured with super glue.

The view from beneath the wing.

The brown line indicates the position of the wing root. This inboard section was heavily thinned to avoid fouling against the fuselage wing root area.

A crescent was cut from the plastic under the fuselage wing root to clear the resin radiator part.

The radiator fairing was added and clamped while the super glue set.

The upper wing halves have been added here.

The wing root area of the upper wing half was also trimmed to accommodate the resin radiator. The wings attached to the fuselage – no gaps or steps at the wing root thanks to the earlier preparation.

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Horizontal tail planes are assembled.

Tail planes and rudder fitted to the fuselage.

The aerial post and isolator are precariously moulded to the rudder. The isolator was drilled out with a pin vise.

The panels around the fuel tank were masked with Tamiya tape.

The hole for the fuel tank inspection port and the recessed mount for the Coffman starter have been filled with Milliput two-part epoxy putty.

The putty has been sanded and polished here.

Check out that wing root join! The cockpit has been masked with Tamiya tape, and the entry door temporarily closed with tape and Blu-Tack.

The fit of the closed flaps may be improved by trimming and sanding the interior surfaces, especially near the trailing edge.

The basic airframe is complete.

The first pass of Tamiya Grey Primer, straight from the spray can. I have already sanded back a small imperfection around the filled fuel tank inspection port.

The lower port side was sprayed with a 50/50 mix of Tamiya acrylic XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.

The fuselage was heavily sanded after another coat of Tamiya Primer, effectively reducing the deep and wide panel lines and rivets.

The bottom of the starboard wing, fuselage and tail planes were sprayed with Tamiya White Primer.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

Control surfaces were masked off in preparation for a faded shade.

Some panel line detail was lost, so it was rescribed using Dymo tape as a guide.

BATTLE OF BRITAIN CAMOUFLAGE

This particular aircraft featured the high-visibility black and white undersides used for identification by friendly anti-aircraft units. The first painting task was therefore a quick coat of Tamiya White Primer on the starboard under surfaces, straight from the spray can. Next, the fuselage centreline was masked with Tamiya tape and a 50/50 mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and Red Brown was sprayed on the port side of the lower surfaces. This blend is less stark than 100% black, and delivers the impression of black in scales from 1:72 to 1:24. I have always liked Gunze’s Mr Color lacquer range for its smooth coverage, fast drying properties and tough finish. However, I find the Mr Color usually left a trail of dried paint that looks like spiderwebs, especially when the paint has been heavily thinned or when it comes into contact with masking tape adhesive. I recently read about Gunze’s Mr Hobby Mr Color Leveling Thinner 400, which was supposed to retard the drying time of the lacquer paint. This thinner has greatly reduced the spiderwebbing problem. The lower surfaces were masked with Tamiya tape, and the fuselage, wings and tailplanes received a base coat of Mr Color 369 Dark Earth, mixed with 50% Mr Color Leveling Thinner 400. The camouflage plans included in Revell’s painting instructions were scanned, scaled to 1:32 in Photoshop before being printed onto A4 self-adhesive label paper and cut into masks. These were then peeled from their backing and attached directly to the model in preparation for the disruptive camouflage colour of Dark Green. Gunze-Sangyo H73 RAF Dark Green was used for this colour. When all the masking tape was removed, the overall picture was revealed. Panel lines were then airbrushed with lines of very thin black/brown paint. Two coats of Future were now sprayed, providing a nice glossy coat for the decals.

DECALS

Variation has been added to the base lacquer Dark Earth colour.

The kit painting guide was copied and scaled up to 1:32, then printed onto self-adhesive label paper.

The copier labels were purchased from a local office supply shop.

The impromptu masks were cut out and applied directly to the wings and fuselage.

Decals were sourced from EagleCals Item No. EC#157 – Spitfire Mk.Ia. They performed perfectly in application. A coat of Alclad Klear Kote Flat sealed the decals. The Alclad Flat leaves the hint of an eggshell sheen – just what I was looking for on the upper surfaces.

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The first pass of Gunze acrylic RAF Dark Green, revealed after the masks are removed.

EagleCals decals were applied over the top of several coats of Future Floor Polish.

I wasn’t entirely happy with the camouflage pattern, so I made up some supplementary masks to respray a few key areas.

EagleCals has released two excellent 1:32 scale decal sheets fir Spitfire Mk.Ia and Mk.II just in time for Revell’s kit. They are printed by Cartograf, and are a great way to customise your model.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

Revell’s spinner cap (left) compared to Hasegawa’s. Hasegawa’s looks good!

The Aclad flat coat blends the decals with the paint job perfectly.

The propeller blades have been painted with white primer, then Camel Yellow before the tips were masked off.

Panel lines were highlighted with very thinly sprayed lines of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown. The exhaust and wing root areas received heavier treatment.

The canopy was masked and the frames painted Interior Green, along with the inside of the main undercarriage and pilot’s door.

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The canopy rides high in the open position unless it is glued and taped firmly.

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The model with undercarriage and propeller added.

FINISHING TOUCHES

Panel lines were highlighted with very thinly sprayed lines of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown. The exhaust and wing root areas received heavier treatment. The undercarriage, wheels and aerial mast were painted at this stage. The sides of the tyres were treated to Tamiya’s “Mud” coloured weathering pastel. The same shade was applied to the sides of the tail wheel. The propeller assembly was sprayed with Tamiya White Primer straight from the can, before receiving a coat of TS-34 Camel Yellow. The tips were masked off with Tamiya tape and the blades were sprayed black.

CREWING UP

Wings Cockpit Figures offers a growing range of beautiful 1:32 scale WWI and WWII pilots and aircrew. With this kit, I finally had a really good excuse to assemble and paint a couple of these gorgeous resin castings. I decided to use Item Nos. RAF 02 A - "RAF Fighter Pilot Standing in Cockpit 1939-42"; and RAF 02 B - "RAF Sergeant (Pilot or Groundcrew) Leaning on Aircraft 1939-45". Sculpting and casting are excellent. The poses and facial expressions are full of character too. The two figures are designed to be displayed together, and they really lend a sense of context to the model. I found that the pilot was a little too tall for the Revell cockpit with the replacement seat and harness, so I shortened him slightly by cutting a section from the legs at the top of the boots. Otherwise, cleanup and assembly was fast. I spent an enjoyable day painting these figures. The sculpting and fabric draping really make finishing a pleasure. Wings Cockpit Figures are available online from MDC http://www.modeldesignconstruction.co.uk/ , or direct by email from Wings Cockpit david. [email protected]

Two fabulous figures from Wings Cockpit were used to lend some context to the model.

A thin glaze of Burnt Sienna was brushed onto the acrylic flesh coat to lend some variation to the faces.

The bodies were sprayed with grey primer followed by a mixture of Tamiya blue acrylic paints. Highlights have been dry-brushed in a paler shade mixed from Vallejo acrylics.

Details were picked out with Vallejo acrylics too.

I shortened the pilot’s legs by cutting above the boots to allow him to stand at the correct height in the cockpit.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa • Kit No. 03986

CONCLUSION

Revel has delivered a 1:32 scale Spitfire Mk.IIa that can easily be converted to a Mk.I at a bargain price. Detail is quite good and shapes are generally accurate. The simple parts breakdown also ensures that the kit will be suitable even to less experienced modellers. The handful of errors and omissions are baffling, as there is no shortage of research and museum specimens, but at least the after market has these problems covered for those who want a totally accurate early Spitfire. •

MODELSPEC Revell 1:32 Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa.

An overall view of the model from above.

Kit No. 03986

Accessories Used: Barracuda Studios: - Spitfire Cockpit Upgrade Set (BR32003) - Spitfire Cockpit Upgrade Set Part II (BR32011) - Spitfire Mk.I-V Resin Seat W Backpad (BR32172) - Spitfire Mk I-V Cockpit Door - No Crowbar (BR32173) - Spitfire Mk I/II Wing Correction Set (BR32175) Spitfire Mk I-V Five Slot Mainwheels (BR32176) Eduard: - Spitfire Mk.II Interior Self Adhesive (33 138) - Seatbelts RAF WWII Fabric (32 772) Scale Aircraft Conversions: - Spitfire Mk.II Landing Gear (white metal) (32086) de Havilland propeller spinner from Hasegawa 1:32 Spitfire Mk.I EagleCals Spitfire Mk.Ia (decals) (EC#157) Wings Cockpit Figures: - Fighter Pilot Standing in Cockpit 1939-42 (RAF 02 A - RAF) - Sergeant Leaning on Aircraft 1939-45 (RAF 02 B - RAF)

Some chipping has been added to the propeller blades with the tip of a silver pencil.

“Detail is quite good and shapes are generally accurate. The simple parts breakdown also ensures that the kit will be suitable even to less experienced modellers...”

Tools and Modelling Products Used: Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, Revell Contacta Cement, Selley’s Super Glue, Zip Kicker (super glue accelerator), Tamiya Masking Tape, Irwin Clamps, A4 Self-Adhesive Laser/Inkjet Copier Labels Paints and Finishing Products Used: Tamiya (acrylic): X-18 Semi-Gloss Black; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-71 Cockpit Green. Tamiya Spray Cans: Grey Primer; TS-34 Camel Yellow; AS-12 Bare Metal Silver Tamiya Weathering Master: Weathering Pastels Parts A. Mr Color lacquer paints: H369 Dark Earth Gunze-Sangyo Acrylic: H73 – RAF Dark Green Mr Hobby: Mr Color Leveling Thinner 400 Vallejo Model Color (acrylic): 847 Dark Sand; 919 Foundation White; 70953 Flat Yellow; 70957 Flat Red Vallejo Panzer Aces (acrylic): 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) Alclad Klear Kote Flat Solvaset decal setting solution Future Floor Polish

This should be an enjoyable project, whether you want to make corrections or build the model straight from the box.

Good level of detail; high quality moulding; good fit; generally accurate outline and profiles; excellent value for money. Metal ailerons depicted; incorrect style of oil cooler fairing; simplified radiator; heavy surface detail, especially on rear fuselage some missing details including pilot’s armour; poorly shaped spinner. Rating: 7.5 out of 10 straight from the box. Possible to built it up to a 9 standard with corrections and improvements. Airfix kits are available online and from hobby shops worldwide.

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* Historical summary courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bristol_Blenheim

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The Barracuda Studios main wheels are a big improvement over the kit parts.

The two figures are designed to be displayed together.

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KIT PREVIEW: RS MODELS 1:48 FOKKER D.XXIII. • Kit No. 48001

DUTCH PUSH-ME PULL-YOU The Editor checks out a new limited run injection moulded kit of an unusual subject – the Fokker D.XXIII in 1:48 scale.

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he Fokker D.XXIII was a Dutch single-seat fighter designed and built by Fokker. Only one aircraft was flown before the country was invaded by the Germans in May 1940. The Fokker D.XXIII was designed as a twinengine single-seat aircraft. To overcome the problems of asymmetric flight it had a tractor engine at the front and a pusher engine at the rear. The D.XXIII was a cantilever monoplane with the twin tail units on booms. The pilot had an enclosed cockpit in between the tractor and pusher engines and it had a retractable tricycle landing gear. The prototype first flew on 30 May 1939 powered by two Walter Sagitta I-SR air cooled vee piston engines. The trial flights identified problems with the cooling of the rear engine and general engine performance. It was proposed to use Rolls-Royce or Daimler-Benz engines in the production aircraft. Concerns were also raised about the pilot clearing the rear propeller if he had to bail out and an ejector seat was studied. As a provisional solution, rails were put on both sides of the forward fuselage for the Fokker test pilot, Gerben Sonderman, to use to bail out in an emergency. The aircraft was flown 11 times for a total flight time of less than four hours. The rear fuselage panelling was modified significantly before the last few flights in an attempt to address chronic rear engine cooling problems. On the 11th flight in April, the undercarriage was damaged, and the programme was abandoned in May 1940 when the German forces invaded the Netherlands. *

IN THE BOX

RS Models has branched out into 1:48 scale, and their first subject is the push-me-pull-you Fokker D.XXIII. The kit comprises 83 parts in medium grey plastic, seven parts in clear plastic, one photoetched fret and one decal sheet covering two schemes on the prototype. The plastic is typical of Czech limited run kits today - a nice smooth satin finish. The sprue connectors are not particularly big but there are quite a few of them, and flash is present on some of the smaller parts, so careful cleanup will be necessary before assembly. Surface detail is very restrained, with extremely fine recessed panel lines and truly tiny rivets (which I only saw on screen after I had viewed my photos) on the fuselage and smooth wings. The fabric control surfaces echo this understated approach with subtle raised strips representing fabric ribs. A basic cockpit is supplied with sidewalls, a floor, rear bulkhead and seat with photo-etched

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The full-span lower wing half will help with dihedral and alignment. The booms incorporate the fabric-covered rudders.

High quality markings are supplied for the prototype at two stages of its development.

The one-piece canopy - any position you want as long as it is closed!

harness straps. Behind the pilot, parts are included for the top of the fuel tank and (I assume) the radio. As you would expect in a limited run kit, there are no locating pins or tabs. With this aircraft featuring twin booms, you’ll need to take extra time and care with test-fitting to assure perfect alignment before committing to glue. All control surfaces are moulded to the wing and tail parts in neutral positions, and the basic landing gear bays are moulded as part of the lower wing halves. Clear parts are a one-piece canopy moulded in the closed position, and six navigation lights for the vertical tails. The decal sheet is well printed, offering markings for the sole prototype at two stages of its flight testing. Markings are supplied for the wing stripes and propeller logos as well s Dutch national markings and serial numbers.

Photo-etched parts are included.

CONCLUSION

There is still a place in the world for limited run injection moulded kits, especially where they allow fascinating one-off subjects like the Fokker D.XXIII to see the light of day in 1:48 scale. Surface detail is very fine and detail quite respectable. Don’t let the relatively small number of parts and classy sprues mislead you though. You’ll have to live without little luxuries like locating pins and tabs, and take a bit more time preparing and test-fitting parts so experience will be helpful, but at the end of the day you’ll have a 1:48 scale Fokker D.XXIII. Recommended to modellers with limited run kit experience and Dutch aircraft fans. • * background information courtesy of Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fokker_D.XXIII Thanks to RS Models for the sample www.rsmodels.cz

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FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:144 AIRBUS A400M “ATLAS”. • Kit No. 04859

MIGHTY ATLAS The Editor examines the newest generation of turboprop military transport in 1:144 scale – Revell’s Airbus A400M Atlas.

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he Airbus A400M Atlas is a multi-national fourengine turboprop military transport aircraft. It was designed by Airbus Military as a tactical airlifter with strategic capabilities to replace older transport aircraft, such as the Transall C-160 and the Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules. The A400M can perform mission roles other than transportation, including electronic surveillance and aerial refuelling. The A400M’s maiden flight, originally planned for 2008, took place on 11 December 2009 from Seville, Spain.

Although it is only 1:144 scale, the fuselage is more than 30cm long.

IN THE BOX

Revell’s 1:144 scale Airbus A400M comprises 124 parts in medium grey coloured plastic and 11 parts in clear. The plastic parts are perfectly moulded, with smooth texture and no imperfections on any of the outside surfaces. Surface details are a combination of crisply recessed panel lines and raised features as appropriate. This interior of this small scale kit is very well fitted out. The main cabin is lined with an entire interior shell – two sidewalls and floor extending almost the length of the fuselage. The fuselage

The kit features lovely crisp surface textures throughout.

Between 2009-2010, the A400M faced cancellation as a result of development program delays and cost overruns; however, the customer nations chose to maintain their support of the project. A total of 174 A400M aircraft have been ordered by eight nations as of July 2011. In March 2013, the A400M received European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certification. The first aircraft was delivered to the French Air Force in August 2013. (Source: Wikipedia) Revell already offers a 1:72 scale A400M that must be huge, as this one is a decent size even in 1:144 scale. The length of the 1:144 scale fuselage is 32 cm.

The clear sprue including the canopy.

The wing span is a decent size too.

sidewalls have relevant structural detail and seat backs moulded in place, while the floor bristles with tie-downs. Four forward bulkheads are also supplied, along with an interior staircase leading to the flight deck. The front office is fitted with three basic seats and an instrument panel with decal dials but little else – perfectly adequate in this scale. Transparencies are clear and thin. The windscreen is moulded as a single part with the forward upper fuselage, so you won’t have to fiddle with small separate windows. Plenty of useful options are offered. I particularly liked the choice of either feathered or regular propeller blades. The undercarriage may be built extended or retracted, the cargo door may be posed open or

closed and the door for the flight crew is separate. Entry stairs are moulded onto the inside of the crew hatch. Instructions are covered over 49 steps in a 12 page booklet. Markings are supplied for the following three early adopters: • c/n 0018, 54+01, German Airforce, Luft Transport Geschwader 62, 2014 Wunstrof • c/n 0008, F-RBAB, Ville de Toulouse, French Air Force, 2014 and • c/n 0006, F-WWMZ, 2013.

Propeller blades are offered as feathered or unfeathered.

The colour scheme is any colour you want as long as it is overall Grey. The flat-finished decals are in register and colour saturation looks good. Wing walks, door outlines and stencils are included on the sheet.

CONCLUSION

This new heavy hauler fits in nicely with Revell’s recent big releases. Revell’s 1:144 scale Airbus A400M Atlas is beautifully moulded, well detailed and offers plenty of options. It should see some crossover interest from both military and airline modellers. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/ en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell •

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FEATURE ARTICLE: FLY MODEL 1:32 ARADO AR 234B-2/N. • Kit No. 32008

FLY’S BIG BLITZ

Part One – Construction

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James Hatch builds the main assemblies of Fly Model’s 1:32 scale Arado 234B-2/N.

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he Arado Ar 234 was the world’s first, purpose designed and built jet bomber. Its high ceiling capability also saw it operate mainly as a photo reconnaissance aircraft. Lack of room within the fuselage meant that bomb pylons were fitted to the underside of the engine nacelles. The dual Jumo 004 engines, coupled with the Ar 234’s exceptional operational ceiling, saw the type operate almost with impunity over the UK in the latter stages of the war. A strike against the famous bridge at Remagen was also carried out by the Ar 234, along with the Me 262. It also has the distinction of being the last Luftwaffe type to have flown over Britain during the war. Whilst the Ar 234 only entered service in the latter part of 1944, its design requirement was implemented in 1940; around the time that the Battle of Britain had just ceased. Unlike many aircraft of the time, the Ar 234 was quite smooth and streamlined in overall appearance, and had its wing mounted to the shoulder of the fuselage, with a Jumo 004 under each wing. The pilot sat in an extensively glazed cockpit that formed the nose of the aircraft. Problems in the design and manufacture of the jet engines saw the project stall until 1943, and by then the tide of the war was turning against the Germans. Making its first powered flight in mid-1943, the performance of the Arado was exemplary, despite falling short of the RLM’s requirement for overall speed. The original design had the Ar 234 take-off on a detachable trolley, and return to earth on a landing skid. Changes in the design saw the Ar 234 being fitted with an undercarriage that fully retracted into its fuselage. Numerous other design changes were tested, such as the use of four BMW 003 engines in both separate and duel nacelle layouts, and also the two-man night-fighter, whose rear fuselage was taken over with a radio operator’s cockpit. Cannon was also fitted to a pod that was slung underneath the fuselage. That specific type is the subject of this build. By the war’s end, 210 Ar 234 had been built, of all types, and despite numerous technical issues with the machine, the type was liked by its pilots, and proved manoeuvrable enough to even perform aerobatics! A key drawback of the type was the long take off distances, which led to

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FEATURE ARTICLE: FLY MODEL 1:32 ARADO AR 234B-2/N. • Kit No. 32008

…and of course, some rather nice photo-etch. Here you see some of it applied.

The Ar 234 cockpit is a true multimedia event, made from resin, plastic…

Instrument bodies are supplied as separate resin components.

Fitting the canopy to the lower chin highlighted some fit issues.

Manipulating and gluing the canopy still took some patience, and a lot of time.

The result of about 4 evenings of work!

accidents. To counter this, RATO (Rocket Assisted Take Off) units were suspended under each wing. When jettisoned, these fell back to earth on a parachute that was fitted to their nose. Despite several captured examples of this sleek looking aircraft being evaluated after the war, only one machine now survives, and is on display at the NASM, USA.

US MODELLERS, SPOILED AGAIN!

If you have a particular penchant for the more esoteric Luftwaffe machines, then you will have noted that the last few years have perhaps been the most kind to modellers. Zoukei-mura released their stunning He 219 just after Revell released their own kit. The same company has also started to sell its Horten Ho 229 flying wing, and of course there was the Meng Me 163 Komet, and also Fly Model’s Ba 349 Natter. It is this last company who has now released not one, but two Arado Ar 234 kits, unveiled to the modelling world at Scale Model World 2014, Telford. As well as the more familiar ‘Blitz’ bomber variant, the Ar 234B-2/N night-fighter also made

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There was still a very fine gap that required some Mr Dissolved Putty.

an appearance. The kits themselves are a multimedia affair, with short-run, low pressure injected parts, some photo etch, and quite a generous quantity of resin parts that have been produced by Armoury. What makes this kit significant is that it’s the first time we’ve seen an injection-moulded kit of the Ar 234, in 1:32. It has been generally well-served in smaller scales, and the only options that the larger scale modeller has had, have been the ID/Tigger vac kit, and the rather excellent MDC resin kit, mastered by Radu Brinzan. As I quite like the cockpit building and detailing stage of this hobby, this two-seat machine was going to be the obvious choice for me.

CHIN UP!

After marking out the gaps, they were shimmed using plasticard.

Having already reviewed this kit for a modelling portal and performed a few test fits, I knew that I needed to approach the pilot’s cockpit a little differently from how I would normally. As with the MDC kit, Fly has chosen to mould the chin section as a separate part to the fuselage. No problem here, except that the clear canopy

part has a slightly different profile to the chin, to which it is attached. Not only that, but there were also a few gaps here and there. Those gaps were first removed using some careful measurement, and by making some very thin plasticard shims, sanded into the contours of the chin part. There was one very slight gap that I simply couldn’t remove. I would deal with this soon. It was obvious that the shape difference between the chin and canopy would cause a problem at a later stage, so I took the unusual option of gluing the parts together at this stage, before any paint was applied in the cockpit. First, I dipped the canopy part in Klear, and allowed it to cure for 24 hours. Using some patience and some small clamps, I worked my way around the seam, gluing little by little, and allowing it to dry overnight after some glue applications. This allowed me to bend out the differences in profile. In total, this was completed over a three day period. With the canopy now in place, I fitted the inner side walls and then laid a little masking tape around the thin gap that I mentioned. Using Mr Dissolved Putty, this gap was filled, and the excess

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The canopy was masked before airbrushing the interior in RLM66.

Holes were drilled in the instrument housings.These were used to attach lead wiring. All internal parts were given a solid coat of RLM66

The base colour was modulated and both highlights and lowlights applied. To blend, a further, thin coat of RLM66 was airbrushed over everything.

Rear cockpit was also painted at this stage.

After masking the cockpit off, the bombsight was airbrushed in black. Vallejo paint was slightly diluted and applied to the cockpit detail with a series of very fine brushes.

If you find the carrier film on instrument decals to be troublesome, try using a good punch & die set. The decals just dropped into place here.

‘If you like a nice, busy cockpit, then you’ll love the Arado Ar 234.’ immediately rubbed away with a wet finger. Once set, I masked the canopy area totally, in readiness for airbrushing the interior.

A THOROUGHLY MODERN(ISH) OFFICE

At this stage I decided to clean up the resin blocks from the internal cockpit parts. This was particularly important for the rear radio operator’s cockpit, where those thick resin casting blocks were going to add extra, unwanted weight. I didn’t intend to build a tail-sitter! Cockpit casting blocks were mostly sawn away with an RB Productions razor saw, then either trimmed with a knife, or cleaned up by grinding the surface in a circular motion against a sheet of 180 grade abrasive paper. Always do this with water so that you contain the resin dust. When the parts are dry, I carefully brushed any remaining dust that had lodged within the detail areas. Using an ultrasonic bath, all resin parts were now degreased, in readiness for assembly and painting. If you like a nice, busy cockpit, then you’ll love the Arado Ar 234. I’d go as far as to say that it looks positively post-war. It’s jammed with

instrumentation and various consoles and panels. There’s even a nicely wired up battery in there. This area of the kit is a genuine multimedia affair, consisting of plastic consoles sat next to the main resin pit component, with plastic control stick and rudder pedal struts. Photo etch parts are included for the pedals, levers, and numerous other small details. A separate resin map case and oxygen/ switch panel are also included, as are the instrument/gauge bodies which fit to the rear of the plastic instrument panels. Photo etch seatbelts are also included, but I will use something different for this build. I assembled as many small cockpit parts as I could, including the control stick, instrument panel parts, cockpit seat/arms, and the rudder pedal arrangements. After I had glued the instrument bodies to the rear of the panels, they were drilled to later accept the lead wiring. The bomb sight is also glued to the pain cockpit part, using CA glue. To secure the control stick to the console, I drilled both parts and used a short length of copper wire as a pin. This would be attached later.

Once all had been sealed with Klear, Mig Dark Wash was applied to detail relief.

PERIOD INTERIOR DESIGN

With the main cockpit and the rear cockpit now partially assembled, painting begins by applying a base coat of Gunze RLM66 to all interior areas. I rarely bother priming either plastic or resin, although I did find that the tan coloured plastic initially resisted any attempts to disguise its colour! With everything dry, I mixed the RLM66 with a little black paint, and airbrushed this around corners, edges and the darker regions of both cockpits. Using a little white paint mixed with RLM66, I now lightened the centres of panels etc. To finish off the basic painting, a heavily diluted RLM66 was airbrushed in thin coats, over all internal parts. This creates a subtle light and dark effect, giving an illusion of depth, and some visual interest. After masking off the main resin cockpit, the bombsight could now be airbrushed in Gunze Flat Black. Vallejo paints were used to detail paint the cockpit, using my Arado books as colour reference, and also some images that John ‘Tigger’ Wilkes kindly sent to me of his own MDC Ar 234 build. All instrument gauges were painted black to begin with, and numerous bezels were

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FEATURE ARTICLE: FLY MODEL 1:32 ARADO AR 234B-2/N. • Kit No. 32008

Cockpit final assembly starts by fitting the side consoles to the inside of the chin.

The next stage was to airbrush everything in Matt Varnish and use some Vallejo Sky Grey to dry-brush the raised detail.

A touch of Micro Krystal Klear was applied to the instrument lenses to simulate glass.

HGW’s excellent seat belts were used instead of the supplied PE parts.

Wiring within this cockpit is very prominent, so I couldn’t skimp here. Lead wire was applied with CA.

More lead wire was used to wire the side instrument consoles.

‘For a short run kit, the Ar 234 is actually an extremely good release in terms of surface detail.’

A touch of Micro Krystal Klear was applied to the instrument lenses, so simulate glass.

also highlighted in either red or yellow. In both front and rear cockpits, wiring was painted either in black, yellow or grey. Once complete, everything was given a couple of light coats of Klear, so seal and protect against washes and decal setting solutions. The Arado A2 234 cockpit is a perfect candidate for Airscale’s products. I decided not to bother with the kit instrument decals, as they were pretty poor. Instead I used the Airscale 1:32 Luftwaffe range, and each instrument was carefully punched out using an RP Toolz Punch & Die set. This will of course eliminate any carrier film and allow the decal to neatly sit inside the instrument. I little Mr Mark Setter was used for this, and the decals sat well over the raised dial detail. Placards. I just love the things. They really help to enliven a cockpit and bring a sense of reality to it. Here, I used a mixture of 1:48, 1:32 and 1:24 Airscale Luftwaffe placards. In total, there are around 70 decals in the cockpit, inclusive of gauges! With the decals now in place, they were

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finally locked in with a quick coat of Klear. Now it was time to apply a pin wash to the cockpit, and for this I used Mig Dark Wash. Once dry, the excess was removed with a cotton bud. Gunze Clear Matt was used, diluted 40:60 with Mr Levelling Thinner, and airbrushed around the interior parts. Once dry, Vallejo Sky Grey was used to subtly dry brush the interior, gently picking out the console and bombsight detail etc. To enhance the cockpit paint modulation a little further, I used Tamiya Weathering Pastels, applied with a small, soft flat brush. Before the seats were fitted into their respective cockpits, I fitted a set of HGW seatbelts to each one. I had some spare Me 262 and Komet sets, so adapted these for the job. I’m not really a fan of PE seatbelts, so the kit parts weren’t going to get a look-in here. I rarely use photo etch belts. With the belts now assembled with CA and fitted, the seats were fitted to the cockpits, and the forward cockpit was assembled within the lower chin section of the nose. I had to be careful

Another view of the cockpit detail supplied by Fly. Yes, all OOB.

here that the rudder pedal assemblies were in the correct position, and not too far forward. Before I could place the pit within the nose, the hydraulic pipes to the pedals were added, using lead wire, and then painted dark grey. Once the cockpit was assembled, the small, forward instrument panels were wired, and their tables threaded through the photo-etch forward console bulkhead. A quick word of advice at this point. When you glue the cockpit into the nose, only do so around the wheel well area, and not the rear edge. This will allow you to manipulate the chin shape where it meets the fuselage. Before I could do any final assembly here, I needed to paint the nose wheel bay.

MAIN GEAR BAYS

The main detail areas of this model are made from resin castings, and this applies to the main wheel wells. The nose well is a part of the cockpit area. Detail in these areas really is superb, with convincing cable looms, hydraulic retraction arm and access port detail. Before I set out to work on these, I

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The wheel bays were started with a base coat of RLM02.

Tamiya weathering pastels were used to accentuate the colour modulation.

Highlights and lowlights were applied by modulating the base colour with white and black, respectively.

I wasn’t too happy about the mating surfaces of the fuselage, so I levelled these off on some medium abrasive paper.

Detail was picked out with Vallejo paint, before sealing in Klear, and adding a pin wash to raised detail.

To build the night-fighter, I needed to open up the plastic on the rear, upper spine. I used a drill bit and razor saw for this.

….ensures a good, tight fit.

Careful sanding with a series of different grade sticks, and some test fitting….

ground down the rear of each well so that when placed inside the model, they wouldn’t foul each other. After masking off the cockpit area around the nose wheel well, all wells were airbrushed with Gunze RLM02. I then darkened the base colour with black, and airbrushed around the interior corners and ridge detail. As this was quite fine work, I removed the crown cap from my Iwata HP-CH so that I could precisely paint this detail. I then lightened the base coat with white, and airbrushed the centres of panels etc. before then misting a heavily diluted RLM02 over everything, bringing the colours together in a more natural way. Detail painting in the wells was quite awkward, and took a little time to achieve. This was mostly due to the meandering cable looms. These were painted with diluted Vallejo Yellow, before then using Gunze Metal Color Aluminium for the hydraulic ram and other small details. Everything was then given a couple of thin coats of Klear before adding Mig Dark Wash to the detail

Devcon epoxy was used to glue the main gear bays to the interior of the fuselage.

within. This really makes things ‘pop’, and adds dimension to everything. Excess wash was then removed with a cotton bud, before Gunze Clear Matt was used to dull everything down. I mix this 40:60 with Mr Levelling Thinner, as it still imparts a slight sheen to things. Tamiya weathering pastels (green and yellow) were now applied to the well, using a soft, flat brush. This helped accentuate the modulation a little in what is quite a dark area of the model.

FUSELAGE, OR FLYING CIGAR?

I have to say it again; for a short run kit, the Ar 234 is actually an extremely good release in terms of surface detail. Perhaps some of the scribing is a little too shallow in places, but I can certainly live with it. The fuselage halves required a little dressing first, removing any sprue attachments, and flash. Stabiliser slots also needed cleaning up to allow the tail plane to fit cleanly into position. Another important area to fix are the main fuselage joints.

Using a piece of 180 grade abrasive paper, I gently run the each fuselage half over this, evenly, so as not to cause any gaps when it comes time to join them. A quick test fit showed that everything aligned perfectly. As with other short run kits, there are no locating pips to help with assembly. You also can’t run an internal strip of plasticard along the joint, as the thickness of each side isn’t exactly matched. It didn’t matter though, as it appeared that everything would go together easily. Being the B-2/N version I was building, I needed to remove some plastic from the upper rear fuselage, to accommodate the glazing which needed to fit into this area. Excess plastic here was drilled, cut and sawn away, and a sharp scalpel used to get very close to the exact panel lines which I needed to work to. The fuselage halves were now carefully aligned and taped together with masking tape. Using a combination of scalpel and fine sanding sticks, the remaining plastic was removed, and the glazing panel continually test

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Once the fuselage halves were joined, seams were removed using sanding sticks. A little CA had to be used as filler in some areas.

I also fitted the radio operator’s cockpit, using epoxy adhesive.

Lost surface detail was re-scribed using a sharp pin, replicated the original surface detail.

Despite the limited visibility when sealed up, there is still plenty of detail within this area.

Any raised edges resulting from scribing, were sanded away.

The weapons bay required a little help to make it fit properly.

….and Tamiya Extra Thin Cement is used to dissolve the rest, and clean up the scribed line.

Excess sanding dust was removed from the scribed lines….

Magic Sculp was used to fill in any gaps, and then left to set for 24 hours.

After sanding, I think the result was more than passable.

This was a model that required some nose weight. This was provided with a cast weight and some lead shot, packed into a small container.

fitted to ensure a perfect, gapless fit. Fly moulded the fuselage as a common part between this and the standard Blitz bomber, hence the reason the modeller needs to perform this surgery. Below this glazed area, two access plates need to be drilled out and opened up to 5mm. This was done with progressively larger drill bits. These holes will later be glazed, forming circular windows. Internally, I airbrushed Gunze RLM66 into the rear cockpit area. There isn’t any detail in here, apart from the ridges to help you align the pit parts. To break the wall up a little, I added a subtle mottle in a lighter grey colour. When dry, Gunze Matt Clear was airbrushed within, and paint removed from the areas where I would fit the cockpit. All that now remained here was to fit the

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rear cockpit and the main wheel bays. To do this, I first aligned each part and then tacked into place using a spot of CA. After a few minutes, Devcon epoxy was used to create a bead of adhesive around the edges of the resin parts. I only apply what I consider to be enough of this, as the heat generated is quite fierce; so hot that it popped the fuse seam of the 1:24 Hawker Typhoon that I recently built!

BRINGING THINGS TOGETHER.

I always enter this phase with a little trepidation. The number of times that you can test fit things with no problem, but as soon as you commit to glue, everything heads south. Thankfully, I had no such problem here.

Fly’s plastic is quite soft, and as a result, the Tamiya Extra Thin Cement melts it beautifully. This was applied bit by bit along the seam, squishing melted plastic out as a bead. After leaving this to cure overnight, the seams were sanded back using Albion Alloys sanding sticks and MDC sanding sponges to finish. There were a few spots where the plastic seemed to dip, slightly revealing the seam. These were filled with Scotch CA glue, allowed to cure, then sanded and polished back to a finish. This plastic, being soft, does tend to take a little longer to remove any minor scratches, so I had to learn to use varying pressures when using the finest grade of sanding sponge. The Ar 234 had quite an unusual belly. As the undercarriage and fuel tank arrangement

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When the nose was added to the fuse, Tamiya putty was used to fill the minor gap that resulted.

I scribed the correct nose connection panel line, a couple of millimetres to the rear of the actual connection point.

A new wing connection joint was made by drilling the wing roots, and installing brass rods.

A razor saw was used to slit the edge of each aileron.

prevented the bomber from carrying an internal payload, it was fitted with a large, recessed oval area onto which various weapons could be carried externally. Fly provide this as a separate part, and I didn’t find the fit to be very good. In fact, it was pretty poor. It seemed slightly oversize, and wouldn’t sit within the hollow in the fuselage belly. To fix this, I slightly opened up the oval in the belly, but I could only do this so far, if I didn’t want to deform or crack the fuselage apart. I decided to cut a deep line into the rear of this part and gently bend it along its full length. I only needed a little bit of a bend to make this fit. Once I had the correct shape, I fitted this into the fuselage and glued with Tamiya thin cement. Once set, gaps were removed by filling them with a little

The whole model was flush riveted with the MDC tool. This provides a superb looking finish, and more accurate than a tool which just makes divots.

The redundant locating tabs were snipped from the wings.

Fly made the error of moulding elevators that weren’t full length. Here I used putty to fill the incorrect lines….

Magic Sculp epoxy putty. After 24hrs, this was sanded back and polished. Finally, the forward edge, where the cockpit will fit, was gently drawn over a piece of fine sandpaper, creating a perfectly even face to connect to. I never seem to be properly prepared for anything I do, and as a result, I couldn’t find my lead sheet that I wanted to connect to the rear of the cockpit/nose ensemble. It was decided that I needed to make do and mend, so I filled a small Dremel cutting disc tub with lead shot of various sizes, and epoxied the lid closed. This was then epoxied into the forward fuselage, along with a spare nose weight from a 1:32 Do 335 kit. Sanding the fuselage seams caused some of the very fine detail to be lost. This was replaced by

using a sharp mounted needle, drawing it along the edge of some plastic Dymo tape. This creates a raised edge which then needed sanding and polishing away. To complete this, the dust was removed from the scribed line with a stiff brush, and finally Tamiya Thin Cement was brushed along them to finally dissolve any remaining debris, and to neaten things up. Fitting the nose/cockpit section to the main fuselage was quite easy. Both edges lined up easily, but I still attached this one side at a time. When connected, a little Tamiya Putty was used to fill the very slight gaps where I created, and to even the connection. Sanding this back caused some surface detail to be lost, and this was replaced as it was for the fuselage seams. I also

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FEATURE ARTICLE: FLY MODEL 1:32 ARADO AR 234B-2/N. • Kit No. 32008

….and use a scriber to reinstate the full width elevators.

A razor saw and a drill bit were used to open up the port-side nacelle.

used some LionRoar scribing templates to replace the shape of some lost detail.

FLYING SURFACES: TOTAL SIMPLICITY.

Before assembling either the rudder or tail planes, I first cleaned up the connecting faces by drawing them over sandpaper. All parts were then glued using Tamiya cement, then allowed to dry before the edges were cleaned up. One boo-boo by Fly Model was the scribing of the elevators. These were supposed to run the full length of the stabiliser, so I used a little Tamiya Putty to fill the incorrect scribing, and extended the elevator to the stabiliser tip. To do this, I used my Gunze scriber tool and a sharp blade. Each wing is assembled from a simple upper and lower plate. Landing flaps and ailerons are moulded in situ, and I wasn’t going to chop or change anything here. After running each wing joint over a sheet of sandpaper, they were glued together. Once set, all seams were removed with sanding sticks and sponges, and I also ran a razor saw down the end of each aileron, creating just a small gap.

Again, Fly supply a multimedia solution for the Jumo exhausts.

RIVETING (OR HOW TO KILL YOUR BRAIN)

I hate smooth model surfaces. I also know that it’s generally said that you can’t see rivets on the Arado airframe, but my reference does tend to tell a different story. Fly has moulded a small number of rivets and fasteners here and there, but certainly not enough for my taste. I then set out to add the more prominent rivets, around key plates and panels, but I simply couldn’t stop. Before I knew it. I’d actually riveted the whole airframe. To do this, I used the MDC beading/flush rivet tool and the photo etch spacing guide supplied with it. This does take a fair amount of time, but the patterns on the Ar 234 are quite simple, and in all, the work totalled about 3 days. Whilst riveting the model, I came across a number of panel lines that were also missing. These were scribed and finished in the same manner that I explained earlier. For reference, I used the drawings which are supplied with the Aero Detail book. The model itself seemed to adhere very closely to these specific drawings, so whether they are right or wrong, I was in perfect company by using them. Riveting the model fully seemed to totally transform its appearance. A lot of work, but I feel it’s amply rewarded when you see the result.

WING CONNECTION BLUES

One area I felt wasn’t a great fit was the wing to fuselage joint. The wings themselves seemed to have a root face that weren’t quite at the same angle

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Alclad lacquers were used to airbrush the main dummy engine components, and the immediate interior of the nacelles.

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MODELSPEC Fly Model 1:32 Arado Ar 234B-2/N. as each other. I decided to do something radical here, and I removed the protruding tabs. The wing root was now carefully and evenly ground to the correct angle by dragging it repeatedly over a sheet of medium grade sandpaper. A quick test fit to the fuselage showed the fit to now be pretty good, but I had no connecting tab. Using the fuselage slot as a guide, and the still visible flaw on the wing where the tab once lived, I carefully measured and marked a position at either side of this, 5mm away from each slot end. This was then drilled with a 1mm bit, and opened up to 3mm. Using a length of thick-walled Albion Alloys brass tube, a section was cut to create forward and rear spars. I then glued these to the fuselage using CA. Test fitting the wings showed that there was a slight upward tilt at the wing trailing edges. I elongated the rear holes in each wing, and the problem was solved. The wings were now removed until later.

CREATIVE FUEL CANS

The sleek lines of the Ar 234 are one of the things that I’ve always found appealing. Fly Model doesn’t offer any engines for this kit, but does supply resin intake and exhaust parts. The nacelles themselves are moulded as halves,

with a small step inside which you sit the resin part against. Whilst I was going to finish one nacelle ‘as is’, I couldn’t help but think about doing something differently with the port-side nacelle. Using a drill bit, knife and razor saw, I removed the outward facing engine panel, and the lower panel which stretched across both left and right parts. The edges were then cleaned up with sanding sticks. Measuring things first did show that removing that plastic, thankfully, didn’t destroy the resin locating slots. Also a superb coincidence that the internal resin parts didn’t protrude into area in which I wanted to display an engine. I used Alclad Airframe Aluminium to paint the resin intake and exhaust parts, and added Alclad Hotmetal Red to the rim of the exhaust part. After assembling the thrust control ‘onions’ which will later be fitted, I applied Aluminium to them also, and them varying Alclad Hotmetal shades. These were then darkened by airbrushing Gunze Soot and Tamiya Smoke.

NEXT TIME:

Next time, Jim details an engine, finishes assembly, paints and weathers his Arado night fighter. • The starboard-side nacelle is almost complete.

Kit No. 32008

Accessories Used: HGW Luftwaffe Seatbelts (Me 262 and Me 163 sets) Uschi van der Rosten standard rigging cord Albion Alloys brass sliding tube and thick brass tubing Turrell’s lead wire Airscale Instrument and Placard decals (1:48, 1:32 & 1:24) Tools and Consumables Used: Iwata HP-CH airbrush Wilder tweezers (various) MDC Sanding sponges Albion Alloys Sanding Sticks Flex-i-File Swann Morton scalpels (no.11 and no.15 blades) Deluxe Materials CA Gel Scotch CA Tesa masking tape Mr Mark Setter Uschi van der Rosten wheels and hatches masks RP Toolz Punch & Die set 6 inch steel rule RB Productions Razor Saw MDC Rivet Tool Paints and Finishing Products Used:

Before I glued any resin parts, I cleaned up the intake and exhaust orifices with some sandpaper wrapped around a marker pen.

Gunze RLM02, RLM66, RLM81, RLM82, RLM76, Flat White H011, Flat Black H012 Gunze Metal Color Aluminium MC211, Dark Iron MC214, Aluminium MC218, Brass MC219 Vallejo Red, Yellow, White, Black, Grey Green, Green Grey, Electric Blue AK-Interactive Dark Brown Wash AK-Interactive Dust Effects Tamiya Fine Surface Primer – Grey Alclad Dark Aluminium Alclad Airframe Aluminium Alclad Hot Metal Violet, Blue and Sepia Tamiya Smoke Johnson’s Klear Mr Levelling Thinner Uschi van der Rosten metallic pigments References: Arado Ar 234 Blitz, Nohara Shigeru, Aero Detail Arado Ar 234, Manfred Griehl, Flugzeug Publikations Arado Ar 234 Blitz, Monografie, Marej J. Murawski, Kagero High level of detail; generally straightforward construction. A few foibles to deal with during construction RATING: 8 out of 10

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KIT PREVIEW: G.W.H. 1:144 VICTOR B.2 RAF STRATEGIC BOMBER.• Kit No. L1004

COLD WAR VICTOR G.W.H. expands its growing 1:144 scale range with another Cold War subject – the Handley Page Victor B.2 Strategic Bomber.

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he Handley Page Victor was a British jet-powered strategic bomber, developed and produced by the Handley Page Aircraft Company, which served during the Cold War. It was the third and final of the V-bombers operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF), the other two V-bombers being the Avro Vulcan and the Vickers Valiant. The Victor had been developed to perform as part of the United Kingdom’s airborne nuclear deterrent. In 1968, the type was retired from the nuclear mission following the discovery of fatigue cracks, which had been exacerbated by the RAF’s adoption of a low-altitude flight profile to avoid interception. A number of Victors had received modifications to undertake the strategic reconnaissance role, employing a combination of radar, cameras, and other sensors. As the nuclear deterrence mission was given to the Royal Navy’s submarine-launched Polaris missiles in 1969, a large V-bomber fleet was deemed surplus to requirements. Consequently, many of the surviving Victors were converted into aerial refuelling tankers. During the Falklands War, Victor tankers were notably used in the airborne logistics operation to repeatedly refuel Vulcan bombers on their way to and from the Black Buck raids. The Victor was the last of the V-bombers to be retired, the final aircraft being removed from service on 15 October 1993. In its refuelling

role, the type had been replaced by the Vickers VC10 and the Lockheed Tristar. The Avro Vulcan operated in the conventional and nuclear strike roles until 1982, when it was in turn replaced by the significantly smaller Panavia Tornado.*

FIRSTLOOK

G.W.H.’s new 1:144 scale Victor B.2 comprises 74 parts in medium grey plastic, two parts in clear plastic and markings for three aircraft. Surface detail is made up from a combination of fine, crisply recessed panel lines and hatches of various sizes. Raised vortex generators are moulded to the tops of the wings. The surface and structural features are really very impressive, with a scale appearance even in this small size. The kit is broken down conventionally into two separate fuselage halves plus separate port and starboard wings in upper and lower halves. The pitot tube is moulded to the upper starboard wing. The cockpit is a one-piece moulding with centre console and seats. Don’t expect to see much of this moulded detail through the framed canopy though! Each of the intakes are presented as pairs in upper and lower halves, with splitters moulded to the lower halves. Small but perfectly formed jet fans are provided for the rear of the intakes. Separate jet pipes are offered for the rear as well. The large underwing fuel tanks are supplied too. Speed brakes may be posed open or closed.

Markings are supplied for three aircraft finished in the tactical scheme of Dark Green and Medium Sea Grey upper surfaces, with Light Aircraft Grey below

The V-tail.

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One of the full fuselage halves.

The clear parts.

Tanks are included.

All other control surfaces are moulded in neutral positions. The bomb bay door is closed, and bomb bay detail is not included. The main undercarriage is broken down into ten pieces each side, with crisply moulded individual wheels. The two clear parts are quite thin and as free from distortion as you could expect in this small scale. Markings are supplied for three aircraft finished in the tactical scheme of Dark Green and Medium Sea Grey upper surfaces, with Light Aircraft Grey below. Walkway and stencil decals are included, as are generic numerals (0-9) so you can make up your own serials in addition to the four supplied on the sheet. Colours look good and everything is in register.

CONCLUSION

G.W.H. has delivered another high quality product in the niche scale of 1:144. With an aircraft this large, the size is quite respectable even in this scale. Combined with the complex, hard-edged camouflage scheme, this will be quite a scene stealer on your display shelves or at your local model club. • Highly Recommended. * background information courtesy of Wikipedia. Thanks to G.W.H. for the sample

Decals are well printed.

Recessed detail is very crisp.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: KITTY HAWK 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) COUGAR. • Kit No. 80129

TWOGAR ON THE PROWL Kamil Feliks Sztarbala tackles Kitty Hawk’s 1:48 scale two-seat Cougar, the F9F-8T.

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he Grumman F9F Cougar has been available from only a few manufacturers in 1:48 scale , although the label on Revell’s old kit was slightly misleading, as the content of its box was actually closer to 1:52 scale. For those who wanted to build a model of a two-seat F9F-8T trainer (re-designated TF-9J in 1962), the resin kit from Collect Aire has so far been the only game in town. However, this gap was recently filled by Kitty Hawk.

WHAT’S IN THE BOX?

The Kitty Hawk kit contains six sprues in grey plastic, one sprue of clear parts, one small photo-etched fret, one metal ball bearing for the nose weight, two decal sheets and an assembly guide. Fortunately, this time it is not filled so tightly as in the case of previous Kitty Hawk kits, so the risk that the parts may be damaged during transport is minimal. Nicely laid out and clear instructions are common for most of Kitty Hawk’s models. The painting schemes are printed on glossy paper. The kit offers markings for four aircraft: • #2 with shark mouth, of H&MS-13, based at Chu Lai, Vietnam (gray/white scheme), • #517 of VT-10 training squadron (white/red scheme), • #7, utility aircraft of Blue Angels (Blue Angels Blue scheme) • #151 of Argentine Navy (Gloss Sea Blue scheme) Most of the markings are printed on the larger one of the two decal sheets, whilst the small strip comprises decals for the instrument panels and side consoles, as well as the Argentine flags. All decals are in perfect register and have good opacity. In fact, the quality of decal sheets may be considered as one of the trademarks of Kittyhawk. The photo-etched sheet includes the instrument panels, side consoles, seat harnesses and a few other bits intended for the cockpit, as well as some external details like the wing fences and the upper wing speed brakes. The clear parts aren’t the strongest point of this kit. The canopy has been slide-moulded in order to obtain the correct shape. Unfortunately, this means that you’ll need to remove a moulding seam running along its spine. What’s more, the canopy parts are quite thick and have an uneven surface, which causes distortion. The external surfaces are not as smooth as those in the latest Hasegawa or Tamiya releases, but the sharp and well-reproduced details look impressive. The panel lines and rivet detail are really crisp and delicate. In my opinion, they are even too fine in some areas. However, a few areas of the kit do not match its overall refinement. The reproduction of the wiring on the ends of the movable parts of the wings, reminds me the old Italeri kits. The wheels look a bit strange too. On one hand, they quite faithfully represent the real wheels; on the other hand, they just don’t seem to be subtle enough. All external stores are located on one sprue. This includes two fuel tanks, four AIM-9B Sidewinder air-to-air missiles and four pods with 2.75 inch rockets, as well as the underwing pylons. Basically, it is all that you need to faithfully reproduce a complete load-out. The main parts of the forward fuselage are provided on a separate sprue. Thanks to this, the manufacturer needed to prepare just one new plastic sprue in order to release a single-seat Cougar kit. Clever!

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FEATURE ARTICLE: KITTY HAWK 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) COUGAR. • Kit No. 80129

ASSEMBLY

Construction started with the cockpit. Once I’d puttied the ejector pin marks with C.A. adhesive, I attached all necessary photo-etched parts.

…and applied a base coat of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black.

I then primed the cabin with Mr.Color C8 Silver…

Next, I airbrushed a few transparent layers of Mr.Color C308 Gray in such way that the black base colour still showed through them, especially in the recesses and corners. I also added some highlights with Mr.Color C69 Off White.

The instrument lenses were reproduced using tiny drops of Ammo MIG-0094 ‘Crystal Glass’ paint.

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Afterwards, I applied the decals onto the instrument panels, and brush painted the details in their appropriate colours. The latter were brought out by applying a wash of Ammo MIG-1602 ‘PLW Deep Grey’ enamel.

The final touch was to add some small scratches and paint chips onto the edges and other areas that could be vulnerable to damage in the real cockpit. For this purpose, I scratched the paint layer with a scalpel blade, in order to reveal the silver undercoat.

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Before gluing the forward fuselage halves together, I had to correct the shape of the gun openings from the inside. I was afraid that the metal ball bearing included in the kit may not be sufficient to weight down the nose, so I used a curled piece of lead sheet as additional ballast.

I then glued the forward fuselage sub-assemblies together…

…and focused on the rear of the model. The exhaust nozzle required some attention. The inner surfaces of the kit part were corrugated, when they should actually be smooth.

‘For those who wanted to build a model of a two-seat F9F-8T trainer (re-designated TF-9J in 1962), the resin kit from Collect Aire has so far been the only game in town.’ As the main parts of the fuselage turned out to be slightly warped, I had to use physical force and C.A. glue to make them fit correctly.

I wrapped a piece of sandpaper around a wooden brush handle, and used this improvised tool to sand the inside of the nozzle, in order to get a smooth finish.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: KITTY HAWK 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) COUGAR. • Kit No. 80129

The same applied to the tail parts. The dry fitting process revealed a large gap.

What’s more, the locating tabs on the tail halves were slightly too long, so I had to shorten them.

To set the rear parts of the wing root at the correct angle, I added some wedges, made from pieces of plastic.

Panel lines and rivets which I thought looked too fine, were emphasized using a steel needle.

The rear and forward fuselage sections went together quite easily, and didn’t require too much sanding.

A small “short shot” was fixed with a piece of 0.25mm styrene sheet.

‘Contrary to appearances, the moulding seam running along the canopy was easy to remove.’ Since the kit is designed to be posed with the wings folded, I had to fill the mounting holes in the wings with short lengths of styrene strip. This allowed me to build the aircraft in take-off configuration.

In order to install the wings in an unfolded position, I had to ensure full contact between the joined pieces. Even though the part fit was very good, I decided to strengthen the joints with a little two-part epoxy adhesive.

To dissolve the plastic dust that remained in the panel lines after the sanding and rescribing processes, I ‘painted’ them with a little Tamiya Extra Thin Cement.

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Next, I added the wiring in the main landing gear bay, using lengths of lead wire.

The wire was also used to improve the landing gear legs.

The kit designer had obviously studied one of the museum examples of the Cougar. This resulted in the landing gear actuators being depicted with special caps. To deal with this issue, I used lengths of bronze rod from Griffon Model.

The completed landing gear sub-assemblies, minus the wheels, were then mounted within their bays.

To improve the appearance of the navigation lights, I drilled shallow holes inside the clear parts, and filled them with tiny drops of transparent paint from Ammo MIG’s ‘Crystal’ range. This way I created the coloured light bulbs.

The locator pins on the tailplane parts had a smaller diameter than the locating holes in the vertical stabilizer. I therefore plugged the latter with a length of styrene rod…

… which was sanded flush and then drilled with a mounting hole of the correct diameter.

Once I’d completed this process, I ensured that the horizontal stabilizers fit perfectly. This allowed me to leave them separate for the painting stage, and avoid pointless masking.

Contrary to appearances, the moulding seam running along the canopy was easy to remove. Firstly, I scraped it away with a hobby knife blade, held perpendicular to the surface.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: KITTY HAWK 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) COUGAR. • Kit No. 80129

Next, I polished the surface. I started by smoothing it with a super fine polishing pad from 3M.

I subsequently switched to Mr.Hobby polishing cloths of 6000 and 8000 grit, and finished the task by applying Tamiya polishing compound.

I then decided to temporarily attach the canopy for the painting stage. For this purpose, I put a few balls of Patafix within the cockpit…

Once I’d assembled all external stores, the kit was ready to have some paint applied.

…and fixed the already masked off canopy to them.

PAINTING

My first step was to prime the kit with a coat of Mr.Color C8 Silver. It is convenient to do this not only in the case of wanting to recreate the chipping using the scratching technique. It is also my opinion that colours look better if we apply transparent layers of paint over a silver undercoat, than they would if we simply used a gray or white primer.

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Now it was time for the pre-shading phase. Firstly, I darkened the panel lines with Mr.Hobby H331 Dark Seagray. To paint very thin lines, I use a really heavily diluted paint. Since the results depend on many factors, including the particular airbrush design, air pressure and type of used paint, it’s impossible for me to provide you with an universal ratio which will work well for everyone. The only solution is to experiment on your own.

To enhance the contrast, I emphasized the demarcation of the control surfaces with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black.

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Some rivet lines and chosen detail demarcation areas were accentuated with Mr.Color C72 Intermediate blue.

Next, I airbrushed a transparent layer of heavily diluted Mr.Color C311 Light Gray over the underside.

The remaining rivet lines and a number of other details were pre-lightened with Mr.Color C1 White.

The discolouration effect of the base colour was achieved by spraying irregular, meandering lines and small patches of Mr.Color C321 Light Brown and C316 White. The latter colour has a distinctive shade that can be placed between pure and off white.

To add more volume to the effect, I used Mr.Color C25 Dark Seagray and C69 Off White.

I then applied another transparent layer of base colour, in order to tone down the effect achieved so far.

The resulting discolouration was toned down with a transparent layer of the base colour

The upper surfaces were painted in a similar way. I began by airbrushing a base coat of a heavily diluted Mr.Color C315 Light Gull Gray.

Although the painting guide designer forgot to depict the edges of air intakes as red, I noticed this feature on the archive photos. I used Mr.Color C79 Shine Red to paint them, as a typical red paint would be too dark.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: KITTY HAWK 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) COUGAR. • Kit No. 80129

Next, I masked off the adjacent areas and applied Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black onto the walkways and anti-glare panels. The wing leading edges were finished with Mr.Color C8 Silver. Worth noting is that the instructions incorrectly suggest to paint these areas in black.

Once I’d sealed the paintwork with a coat of satin varnish, I applied the decals using Microscale decal solution.

Unfortunately, this stage wasn’t trouble-free, because the sharkmouth decal turned out to be a bit too small and incorrectly shaped. Therefore, I had to cut it in the middle…

…and brush paint the missing part with acrylics. By the way, I noticed that the circular panel located behind the sharkmouth should be painted black, which was another feature not mentioned in the painting guide.

I scribed their shapes with a steel needle, and painted them properly.

Decals were sealed with another layer of clear gloss coat. Now it was time for the wash. I used Ammo MIG-1601 ‘PLW Medium Grey’ for the underside. Firstly, I applied the enamel over the panel lines and other details.

Whilst applying stencils, I discovered another error that I’d previously overlooked. The kit designer forgot to reproduce the steps on the forward fuselage, under the cockpit.

Before it fully dried, I removed the excess with a paper towel and some cotton buds.

The details of the upper surfaces were brought out with Ammo MIG-1602 ‘PLW Deep Grey’.

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Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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WEATHERING

Before I began this stage, I airbrushed the whole kit with a layer of satin varnish. In my opinion, a semi-gloss surface is perfect for working with enamel fluids. The first step was to additionally accentuate the demarcation of movable parts of the airframe with AK-interactive AK014 ‘Winter Streaking Grime’, applied in the same manner as the washes.

To reproduce more dirt on the larger areas, I dampened them with white spirit, and then blew a little AK014 ‘Winter Streaking Grime’ off a brush, over the surface. The resulting tiny drops of enamel were rubbed and shaped with a brush, dampened with white spirit.

The excess enamel was soon removed with cotton buds, but I purposely left some remnants not only in the recesses, but also on the adjacent areas.

The same enamel fluid was used to paint some fine stains on the wingroot. In this case, however, I previously dampened the surface with white spirit.

Additional dirt effects were achieved by rolling a cotton bud, slightly dampened with white spirit, over the surface. Next, I applied AK-interactive AK306 ‘Salt Streaks’ in almost the same way. As I wanted to achieve a subtle effect, I diluted the enamel before blowing it off the brush.

I also airbrushed a few more misted applications of AK082 ‘Engine Grime’ over some chosen areas on the surfaces of the wings and fuselage.

A mist of AK-interactive AK075 ‘Wash for NATO camo vehicles’ was applied in order to reproduce the gun stains.

AK-interactive AK082 ‘Engine Grime’ was used to recreate the dirt and staining on the cockpit side. I airbrushed this area with a mist of heavily diluted enamel. This required setting the micro air control valve on my airbrush to a minimal air pressure.

The fuel leaks and stains were also recreated with an airbrush. I dampened the suitable area with white spirit, and airbrushed a mist of AK-interactive AK025 ‘Fuel Stains’ over it.

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FEATURE ARTICLE: KITTY HAWK 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) COUGAR. • Kit No. 80129

I then focused on the external stores. The Sidewinders were painted with Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black, and washed with Ammo MIG-1601 ‘PLW Medium Grey’ enamel.

The fuel tanks required more attention. Firstly, they were painted in the same manner as the aircraft underside. Afterwards, I airbrushed some irregular patches and streaks of AK-interactive AK082 ‘Engine Grime’ enamel over them. The previous process was repeated with Ammo MIG-1409 ‘Fuel Stains’. To reduce the colour strength of the latter, I had to dilute it with white spirit.

Using a long bristled brush, dampened with AK-interactive AK2039 ‘Kerosene Leaks’, I painted a few thin streaks.

The last step was to add some dirt to the landing gear and adjacent areas. I started by applying a small quantity of diluted AK-interactive AK080 ‘Summer Kursk Earth’ onto the wheels.

Once the enamels had dried, I added some fine scratches and paint chips by patting the surface with a steel wire brush in order to reveal the silver undercoat.

Next, I poured the same enamel into the airbrush cup, and sprayed it over the fuel tanks and areas behind the landing gear bays. I then distributed the enamel by rolling a cotton bud, dampened with white spirit, over the surface.

After removal of the masking tape and fitting the crew seats, the kit was ready for the final photo shoot.

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Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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MODELSPEC Kitty Hawk 1:48 TF-9J (F9F-8T) Cougar.

Kit No. 80129

Tools and Materials Used:

An archive photo of

d.

the aircraft I modelle

Description: A U.S. Marine Corps Grumman TF-9J Cougar (BuNo 147384) of Headquarters and Maintenance Squadron 13 (H&MS-13) at Chu Lai, Vietnam. H&MS-11 and H&MS-13 used the Cougar as a fast forward air control aircraft until being replaced by the Douglas TA-4F Skyhawk. This was the only combat use of the Cougar which was in service from 1952 to 1974. Date: circa 1967 Source: U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation photo No. 1996.253.7404.005 This file is the work of a sailor or employee of the U.S. Navy, taken or made as part of that person’s official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.

Tamiya Extra Thin Cement C.A. glue Styrene sheets, strips and rods Lead sheet Lead wire Griffon Model bronze rods Trumpeter Scribing Tool RB Productions Rivet-R Steel needle 3M Polishing Pads Mr.Laplos (Polishing cloth) 6000, 8000 Tamiya Polishing Compounds Tamiya Masking Tape Magic Sculp Two-Part Epoxy Putty Paints and Finishing Products Used: Paints: • Mr.Color and Hobby Color series from Mr.Hobby • Tamiya • Vallejo • Ammo MIG Mr.Hobby Clear Varnishes Microscale Decal Solutions Talens White Spirit AK-Interactive weathering products: • AK014 Winter Streaking Grime • AK025 Fuel Stains • AK075 Wash for NATO vehicles • AK082 Engine Grime • AK080 Summer Kursk Earth • AK306 Salt Streaks • AK2039 Kerosene Leaks Ammo MIG weathering products: • AMIG-1409 ‘Fuel Stains’ • Ammo MIG-1601 ‘PLW Medium Grey’ • Ammo MIG-1602 ‘PLW Deep Grey’ Fine surface features; interesting subject; good detail. Delaminating plastic; some inaccuracies; seam line on canopy. RATING: 7.5 out of 10 Kitty Hawk kits are available from hobby shops worldwide and online.

The main disadvantage of this kit, at least my sample, is the quality of the plastic. It has a fatal tendency to delaminate. This proved to be particularly troublesome whilst cutting the parts off the sprue gates, and sanding them. What’s even worse, this plastic can be dissolved with C.A. debonder. In such circumstances, the rather unreasonable localisation of a number of ejector pin marks isn’t a big issue, especially as this mainly concerns the cockpit area. •

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03/02/2015 12:56

FEATURE ARTICLE: WINGNUT WINGS 1:32 LVG C.VI. • Kit No. 32002

TRENCH SPOTTER 54

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R

eleased in 2009, the Wingnut Wings LVG C.VI is now listed on their website as sold out. Luckily purchased soon before it became unavailable, I was able to start my build about 9 months ago and try out some after-market products on it. This kit has been reviewed many times over, and my article will cover some of the modifications and additions I made to the basic kit, along with the painting and finishing techniques I used.

ENGINE

The Benz BIV engine builds into a nice replica from the box, but I wanted to add a more threedimensional appearance to the push-rods for the valves and also add ignition wires for the spark plugs. By using the alternate parts for the engine cylinders that did not have the rods moulded on, I was able to cut brass wire to replicate them. I used thin copper wire for ignition wires, routed under a support made from styrene and referenced from pictures of the engine on Wingnut Wings’ website. Spare etched metal parts and copper wire were used to represent some of the throttle linkage appearing in the references. The body was airbrushed Tamiya XF-16 Flat Aluminium, and cylinders XF-1 Flat Black. I stole a four-digit number decal for the front cylinder from a Wingnut Wings Fokker D.VII kit since an extra one was included. I sprayed a gloss coat of Future on the assembly before adding a couple of oil paint washes to the surface using raw umber and black. Any steel coloured parts were painted dark grey and then drybrushed with a dulled-down silver enamel mixture.

FUSELAGE INTERIOR

Gary Edmundson snaps up one of Wingnut Wings’ earliest releases – the 1:32 twoseater LVG C.VI reconnaissance aircraft.

An inventory was made of the interior wooden parts that were to be painted in a light wood colour, including the insides of the fuselage walls. These parts were separated from the sprues, and after trimming, were primed with Tamiya’s XF-59 Desert Yellow acrylic. After coating them with a protective spray of Future floor acrylic, I wiped a thinned mix of raw umber and burnt sienna oil paint in a streaky pattern, emulating a wood grain appearance. The mix was diluted with mineral spirits, and as this dried while being worked, the lines created became more apparent. The outlines of the instrument panel gauges were painted black and dry-brushed with a metal “mix” of silver enamel and raw umber oil paint, and decals for the gauges were applied with Solvaset solution. The solution helped the decal conform to the panel, and was necessary because the film extended beyond the edges of the gauges. The seat belts (as with all other photo-etched parts) were annealed with a flame, and then primed with a spray-can of Tamiya’s lacquer based grey. Painting the individual parts of the cockpit interior was done with Vallejo acrylics which don’t adhere well to bare plastic, so these parts were also primed with the Tamiya lacquer primer. Any type of brass paint that I have bought will not go on smoothly. I’ve tried all sorts of acrylics and enamels, but the grainy finish that all of these paints seem to have make the finished effect look awful. There are numerous parts of WWI aircraft that need to be finished in this colour, and so I use Testor’s gold enamel and then just weather it with thinned dark brown oil paint. Testor’s gold enamel has a

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Wingnut Wings 1:32 LVG C.VI. • Kit No. 32002

After base-coating the wings with off-white, pre-shade lines of black were sprayed on the ribs. Since the lines appearing through the transparent decal film were too dark, they were softened by adding more white.

One “bolt” of the underside lozenge decal applied to test the look of the pre-shading.

Comparison of the colour and texture of Aviattic’s faded lozenge upper surface decal compared to that supplied in the Wingnut Wing’s kit.

The engine was detailed with separate brass pushrods and ignition cables made from thin copper wire.

An etched brass jacket for the Spandau was taken from another WnW’s kit, and the machined brass jacket for the Parabellum was from Master.

The completed engine was given a coat of Future acrylic and then various washes of brown and black oil paint were applied to give it a well-used look.

‘Building this model gave me the chance to try out quite a few new techniques and products I’d never played with previously.’ The fuel tank under the pilot seat was painted black and drybrushed with Testor’s gold enamel toned down with a bit of raw umber oil paint.

very fine texture to it, and goes on very nicely. While constructing the cockpit interior, photos of the real aircraft had to be referenced on the Internet to see where exactly the control cables were routed. WnW’s instruction sheet lays out the general configuration, but some detail is missed out. Holes were drilled in the floor to accommodate both control stick and rudder pedal cables which were made using EZ Line thread.

Fuselage Exterior

Once the fuselage halves were joined, I masked the interior components with lumps of sponge culled from a set of foam brushes. To get a deep, rich colour of wood to emulate that seen in period photos, I base coated the fuselage with a mix of Tamiya’s XF-68 NATO Brown and lightened with XF-57 Buff. After spraying a coat of Future onto this I applied oil paints to give a

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Even though you can hardly see it after installation, the wireless set was detailed with copper wire and painted nameplates.

woodgrain effect as previously mentioned on the interior components. As a final touch I sprayed on a light coat of Tamiya’s X-26 Clear Orange resulting in a satisfactory looking dark-walnut look to the finish. One notable area of fit problems was the nose cone. The poor alignment was possibly based on the way I’d completed the fuselage assembly - I had to trim the interior of the front cowling quite a bit to get the thing to fit up perfectly with the front end of the fuselage, and have all of the fasteners align properly. Cowlings and other metal components were finished in Tamiya’s RLM Grey XF-22 painted for convenience on the plastic runners. I picked out some of the smaller mouldings on the fuselage with a close colour match mixing Vallejo acrylics Olive Grey 888 and Neutral Grey 992.

Aviattic Lozenge decals

The lozenge decals supplied with the kit were replaced with an after-market brand. I had been made aware of a new decal company that did a “faded” lozenge colour with an interesting fabric texture look. Aviattic from the UK offer a selection of well-researched lozenge decals in four or fivecolour configurations, including upper, lower and interior surface colours. Sheets can be purchased in either joined or full pattern width. Their full selection is much quite diverse, so a visit to their website www.aviattic.co.uk should be studied for new releases and available products. I purchased a few sheets of the five-colour faded pattern for this model. The decals are transparent and “stretchy” in nature, almost like onion skin. They need to be applied to a painted surface, and they advise using a glossy white as a base colour.

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After a base of XF-59 Desert Yellow, the fuselage interior was gloss coated and wiped with thinned oil paint With the cockpit assembly completed, control cables made from EZ line stretchy thread were cemented into position. to give a wood grain appearance. Thinned oil paint was applied in sections using raw umber and burnt sienna to give a streaked, wood grain effect.

The cockpit and observer assembly was fastened into place, with a ton of detail not to be seen again!

After masking the interior detail with foam, a base colour for the wooden fuselage was painted on using Tamiya’s NATO Brown lightened with Buff. A glossy coat of Future acrylic was then applied.

A thin coat of Tamiya’s X-26 clear Orange was applied to give the wood a rich colour and realistic sheen.

I painted the wings of the model an off-white colour and then gave the rib areas a pre-shade spray of dark grey. After airbrushing a glossy coat of Future on the surface, I was ready to apply sections of the decal film. To my surprise, the preshaded lines stood out way too much, and I then had to remove that first decal, and re-spray the wings with off-white to tone down the dark lines. After the re-spray, the shading of the wing ribs was adequately subtle. The painstaking process of applying decal sections to all of the upper and lower sides of the flying surfaces was carried out, using a small amount of Microsol to help. I did try Solvaset on some stubborn portions of decal, and ruined them in the process – lesson learned there since it was too strong a solution for that type of decal. Decal sections were trimmed to be placed in between the rib lines of the wings, overhanging the leading and

A tiny cage was fabricated from thin copper wire to detail the anemometer.

Etched brass turnbuckles from RB Productions were attached to the model using copper loops, and left loose to align properly when tension was pulled on the EZ line rigging.

trailing edges. Once dry, the excess was sliced carefully with a brand new #11 hobby blade. Using anything but a new, sharp edge would rip the delicate fabric of the decal material. The rib tapes were applied using the abundance of lines supplied with the kit. With various colours to choose from I went with the cream ones matching what I saw in photos. Even after airbrushing on Future acrylic the tapes would occasionally want to lift off, and had to be helped back down with Microsol.

final alignment. Breaking from the instructions, I made the entire top wing assembly, including the radiator, in one piece. The glued joints were allowed to set with an exaggerated dihedral pressed into it by slightly lifting the wing tips and weighing down the middle. This extra bit of care resulted in a very straight looking alignment after all of the struts had been aligned on the lower wings and glued in place into the top wing.

Wing Assembly

Photo-etched jackets for the two machine guns were not included in this release, which I found strange considering the detail throughout the rest of the kit. I obtained a machined brass jacket for the Parabellum rear gun from the Polish company Master, and for the single Spandau mounted in front of the pilot used one of the etched brass

I’ve seen this kit built more than once with droopy looking wings, and after studying the instructions it’s not hard to see why this can happen. To add each wing independently to a completed fuselage/radiator assembly would make it difficult to ensure proper dihedral and

Details



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FEATURE ARTICLE: Wingnut Wings 1:32 LVG C.VI. • Kit No. 32002

To help with the difficult step of attaching the top wing assembly, a small clamp was used to apply pressure while the glue set.

EZ line rigging was also used for the cable assembly on the sliding door for observer’s photographic port.

The number on the front of the engine cylinder was taken from an extra included in Wingnut Wings Fokker DVII kit.

‘I’ve seen this kit built more than once with droopy looking wings, and after studying the instructions it’s not hard to see why this can happen.’ jackets from another WnW fighter. The Spandaus for that Fokker DVII kit would be replaced with the pair of machined brass ones also from Master. The anemometer was given a metal cage for the spinning cups on top by using thin bent copper wire. A delicate piece when complete, I made sure it was added to the wing strut at the very end of assembly. An actuator handle for the wing- mounted radiator was fashioned from detailing solder wire. The radiator top has a small funnel-shaped tube facing forward, and this was made with the tapered end of a stretched styrene sprue. Rigging was done using the EZ-Line thread and etched metal turnbuckles by RB Productions. These little turnbuckles look quite good when folded into shape and painted dark grey, then dry-brushed a metal colour. The turnbuckles were fastened to small

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copper loops glued into the surface of the model, and left loose to pull straight when tension was applied to the line. In all, 74 small copper loops were made by wrapping copper wire around a #76 drill bit, twisting it a few turns, then cementing it into a pre-drilled hole using cyano glue.

Adding Figures

To display the model, I wanted to add a couple of resin figures from Model Cellar Productions. The WWI German Two Seater Pilot & Observer MC32017 set were sculpted by Mike Good, and certainly are well detailed and highly realistic. The heads were painted with oil colours, and the uniforms were airbrushed flat black and dark brown as a base. Vallejo acrylics were drybrushed on to the dark

base, and a thinned coat of the same acrylic was applied over this to blend the shadows and colours.

Weathering

Areas of cowlings, access panels, wheel covers and struts were treated to a wash of thinned oil paint using black and burnt umber. This enhanced the detail and also toned down the brightness of the finish. Chipped paint was added to cowling and fuselage details by painting small marks of silver enamel mixed with a touch of raw umber oil paint. The exhaust stack was painted dark grey and dry-brushed with a metallic enamel mixture. Dry chalk pastel dust using a mix of orange, brown and black were brushed onto this to give a charred, stained look. The tyres were painted dark grey and

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MODELSPEC Wingnut Wings 1:32 LVG C.VI.

Kit No. 32002

Accessories Used: EZ Line Rigging Line Fine Charcoal RB Productions etched brass turnbuckles RB-P32023 Master brass gun barrel jacket for Parabellum LMG 14 AM-32-024 Model Cellar Productions WWI German Two Seater Pilot and Observer set #2 MC32017 Aviattic five colour lozenge decal (faded) for upper and lower surfaces full pattern width att32013, att32015 Tools and Materials Used:

The two resin figures from Model Cellar Productions were base coated using a dark Tamiya acrylic mix

Tamiya Extra Fine Cement, Tamiya Basic Putty, Tamiya Grey Surface Primer spray can Loctite 404 instant adhesive Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CRplus Airbrush 10mm, 18mm, 40mm Tamiya Masking Tape 0.5mm brass rod Detailing Solder Micro drill set Paints and Finishing Products Used:

Lamination lines on the propeller were masked with Tamiya’s tape and painted with a light and dark brown acrylic mix. This was then glossed with Future then given a wood grain look using thinned oil paint.

Tamiya Acrylic paints as listed in the paint callouts. Winsor & Newton Oil Paint Series 1 554 Raw Umber, 331 Ivory Black, 074 Burnt Sienna Vallejo Acrylic paints as listed in the paint callouts Testors enamel Silver, Gold, Copper Future floor acrylic (Johnson’s Pledge) Solvaset & Microsol Decal setting solutions Lacquer thinner Floquil Weathered Black Mineral Spirit thinner

Colours were drybrushed onto the figures using Vallejo acrylics, and a thinned coat of that same paint was applied to blend the shadows and highlights. The actuator handle for the radiator adjustment was fashioned from thin detailing solder. Faces were done in artist’s oils. The figures were placed on a base to add some life and a size perspective to the model.

References: Wingnut Wings website, (www.wingnutwings.com).

dirtied up by dry-brushing on Humbrol Dark Earth enamel #29. To take down the highly glossy appearance of the model’s finish, a light coat of Vallejo Matt Medium 70.540 was airbrushed on various areas. This was thinned with tap water to a consistency of skim milk. Since the surface of these aircraft had a notable sheen, the matt coat was applied just enough to have a satin finish.

CONCLUSION

Building this model gave me the chance to try out quite a few new techniques and products I’d never played with previously. I’d avoided lozenge colour schemes for decades, but the lure of this fantastic range of WWI aircraft kits led me to have a go at this type of finishing. Although difficult to manage, the Aviattic decals gave a look to the model that was very appealing. I look forward to using them on a future project. •

Aircraft Edition

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SHOW REPORT: SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014: IPMS UK NATIONALS

An impressive Hasegawa 1:72 scale P-3C Orion, rescribed, riveted and with scratch built engine and interior detail.

A POSTCARD FROM TELFORD

Heller’s 1: 72 scale TW an Indian Navy L104 A Lockheed Cons tellation 9G. conver

ted to

Part Two – Models in Competition

S

caleModelworld 2014 featured a competition hall bursting with high quality entries. Aircraft were well represented in all scales and all eras. During the daylight hours, the competition tables were bathed in natural light thanks to tall windows that ran the full width of the room – a nice change from the hard tungsten lights of the main halls. As to be expected, there were fewer competition entries than last year’s 50th Anniversary show, but the standards were very impressive across the 100+ classes. Competition entries came from 25 countries from around the globe. The standard was very high and judging by the spectators snaking their way along the aisles, the models in competition were a real drawcard. The organisers of Scale Model World are to be congratulated for another excellent show that was enjoyed by all. I will look forward to see what is in store for us next year at Telford. •

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Airfix Harrier GR.3 in 1:72 scale

Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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Wingnut Wings was well represented on the competition tables. Here is their 1:32 scale FE.2B

Revell-Monogram’s 1/48 scale PBY-5A Catalina built straight from the box.

Heller’s 1:72 scale SAAB J32E Lansen converted into the ECM version. There was no shortage of Airfix 1:72 scale Harriers. Here is a Harrier GR.3 in a white distemper winter camouflage scheme.

Wingman’s 1:48 scale Fouga Magister.

‘The organisers of Scale Model World are to be congratulated for another excellent show that was enjoyed by all.’

Airfix 1:72 scale Brisol Blenheim Mk.I

A Gold Award winning 1:48 scale Airfix Javelin.

Aircraft Edition

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28/01/2015 15:30

SHOW REPORT: SCALE MODEL WORLD 2014: IPMS UK NATIONALS

A Gold Award winning Sword 1:72 scale T-33 scratch-converted to a TV-2 and riveted.

A wild masked camouflage scheme on Revell’s 1:72 scale Gotha Go 229.

1:72 scale Fairey Gannet.

Revell’s neat little 1:72 scale P-47M Thunderbolt.

A very striking and totally scratch built 1:48 scale Romeo Ro.1 – another worthy Gold winner.

‘Competition entries came from 25 countries from around the globe.’

The 1:72 scale Airfix Focke-Wulf Fw 190 F-8built almost straight from the box.

Airfix 1:72 scale BAe Hawk T.1.

Monogram’s venerable 1:48 scale B-26 Marauder, super-detailed and heavily weathered.

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Plenty of 1:32 scale WWI models!

Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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A striking scheme on Roden’s 1:48 scale Bristol F2B Fighter.

Tamiya’s gorgeous 1:32 scale F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair.

Hasegawa’s 1:72 scale F11F-1 Tiger rescribed, riveted and with scratch built wheel wells. Trumpeter’s 1:32 scale MiG-21UM straight from the box in Polish Air Force markings.

HPH Models’ 1:48 scale Ilyushin Il-28 Beagle.

The focus was not all on large scale. Here is G.W.H.’s 1:144 scale Avro Vulcan.

Aircraft Edition

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For the serious Modeller

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ISSUE No.047 March 2015

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Tailpiece F4U-1 Corsair Vol. 1 by Dana Bell Classic Warships Publishing Aircraft Pictorial #7 Steven Eisenman takes a detailed look at Dana Bell’s latest monograph, this time on the famous F4U-1 Corsair.

T

he first paragraph of this fine monograph seeks to explain why the use of the -1A designation was not an official designation for the version that followed the F4U-1, F3A-1 and FG-1 “Birdcage” Corsair. But, in the end, for the purpose of this monograph and the one to follow, he makes use of the unofficial designations of “-1A” and, as he says, the popular description, “Birdcage” Corsair. He then goes on to dispel the myth that the Corsair was a beast to land on a carrier, and thus relegated to land duties in its early years. The explanation makes perfect sense. A quick review of early variations of the Birdcage Corsair is covered: the British Fleet Air Arm Mk. I, the photo-Corsair and Night Fighter. A few pages later we learn that final product of the three companies making the Birdcage Corsair, Vought, Brewster and Goodyear (the “VBG” group), were virtually indistinguishable from one another. Construction and the issue of problematic radio masts are discussed next. Then there is an excellent discussion of the camouflage and painting of the F4U-1 Birdcage Corsair. Again, as a result of his extensive research, Dana seeks to put aside misconceptions about some of the schemes in which the aircraft was painted. The interior colors and the use of the so-called ”salmon” primer are discussed. Some confusion could result from the first full paragraph on the top of page 5. A quick reading may lead one to think that the cockpit may have been salmon at one time. I believe that in the second sentence he is referring to internal structure other than the cockpit. Of course, the heart of the monograph is the photos and captions. The photographs are well reproduced and there are a goodly number of color photos, including a couple of rare color photos of the aircraft in forward combat areas. The captions constitute the text of the monograph, and attempt to explain quite a bit. As with other volumes in the Aircraft Pictorial series, the aircraft

66

is examined component section by section. Engine, landing gear, armament, cockpit, etc. are presented and explained and differences pointed out. On page 67 there is a printing error in the caption. The captions on page 66 to describe the “four-tone” were used again on page 67. Clearly, those Birdcage birds used in training on page 67 were re-painted in Glossy Sea Blue. I am sure modelers will go over this monograph many time so they may incorporate the details noted into the models they are building. I presume this will include finding decals to number the ammunition boxes that were an integral part of the top of the wing. But, there are details that one does not want to be incorporated incorrectly. A couple of pictures show Birdcage Corsairs, with what appears to be eight machine guns. No Virginia, there were no eight gun Corsairs. A false eighth gun was created to deceive the enemy into thinking there was an up-gunned version. Painting or adding additional tape created the deception. But, it is not explained in the caption. Speaking of tape, that white tape that is seen over panel seams in front of the cockpit, well it was not to keep gas fumes in so they would not get into the cockpit. Get the monograph to learn the real reason. It appears that another long held misconception is put to rest.

CONCLUSION

While there is no doubt this is an outstanding monograph on the Birdcage Corsair, I come away with a sense of frustration. Perhaps it is do to the monograph’s size limitations, and perhaps because I am aware of some of the items that were not included. Issues such as a further explanation of the Brwonscope, the internal structure of the outboard portion of the wing, especially around the gun bay and flaps, and why props were changed out for combat, among others, need more attention. Originally, the project was to have both the

Birdcage and -1A covered in a single 72-page volume. Thank the powers that be such idea was quickly tossed out. I look forward to Vol. 2 on the F4U-1A “Raised Cabin” Corsair. I know that if wishes were horses then beggars would ride. But, what I would wish for is that Dana take these monographs on the Corsair and expand them into one tome that would be the go to resource on this most iconic aircraft of the war in the Pacific. Regardless of my feelings, this is must have for anyone interested in or modeling the Corsair. •

Military Illustrated Modeller - March 2015

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NEW in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series HOW TO BUILD... REVELL 1:32 SPITFIRE MK.IIA The name Spitfire has now become synonymous with an entire island people, and their battle to maintain their freedom in the shadow of the Nazi jackboot. The very shape and sound of the Spitfire seems to still invoke and embody the usually reserved pride of the British person. It is probably true to say that Reginald Mitchell’s beautiful aircraft design is one of the most easily recognised and much-loved shapes that ever took to the skies. When actual mass production of the Spitfire ceased in 1948, over 20,000 machines had been built, and operated by over thirty countries around the world. This iconic series saw service with the RAF right up until the mid-1950s. It also saw service with the Irish Air Corps as late as 1961; a full 26yrs after the flight of the prototype K5054. Revell has now released an all-new 1:32 scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk.IIa. With some minor modifications, this model may also be built as a Mk.I or a Mk.Va. Over the course of five Chapters, James Hatch examines the kit contents in detail, describes construction of the model with lavish illustrations, and points out the areas of the kit that may be improved and corrected. This new book features an exhaustive step-by-step guide to construction; plus a painting and weathering tutorial. A number of essential reference resources are also included. More than 200 photos, a reference guide, and photos of the kit sprues are all included - a must have before you build the model!

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