modeller £6.50 - Sept’15 (issue 053)
Eduard Spitfire Mk.XVI • Wingnut Wings Sopwith Snipe • Revell F4U-1D Corsair • Hasegawa Fw 190 D-9 • Spitfire Reference • and more…
military illustrated
p01 Cover 053.indd 1
9 770268 832071
First look at Tamiya’s brand new 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI
09
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
aircraft edition
www.militaryillustratedmodeller.com
30/07/2015 10:50
The International Plastic Modellers Society (UK) Presents
Saturday 7th November 2015 Open: 10.00am to 6.00pm
Sunday 8th November 2015 Open: 10.00am to 4.00pm
Admission: IPMS Members FREE Adults: £10.00 each day ~ 2 Day Pass: £15.00 Concessions: £7.00 per day Children under 16: FREE
The International Centre Telford Shropshire TF1 4JH SMW includes over 370 exhibitors, including some 190 trade stands and 180 model clubs
The World’s Greatest Model Show Incorporating the IPMS (UK) National Competition
Contents
modeller military illustrated
ISSUE No.053 September 2015
16
30 4 6
NEWS
What’s happening in modelling and aviation
REFERENCE
Late Merlin Spitfire Walk Around
14 PREVIEW
Kinetic 1:48 AMX
16 KILLER BEE
Eduard’s 1:48 Spitfire Mk.XVI by Brett Green
26 PREVIEW
Workshop Essentials
29 PREVIEW
Classic Airframes 1:48 Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV
30 SPITFIRE PANEL
Scratch-Built Full Sized Spitfire Mk.I Instrument Panel by Maurizio di Terlizzi
46
38 SNEAK PEEK
In-box and building insights on Tamiya’s 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI by Brett Green
44 PREVIEW
Sword 1:72 F9F-8P
45 PREVIEW
Eduard 1:48 SSW D.III
46 BARKER VC PART ONE Wingnut Wings 1:32 Sopwith Snipe by Gary Edmundson
52 LANGNASEN
Hasegawa 1:32 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 by Tony Bell
60 ON DECK!
Revell’s 1:72 F4U-1A Corsair by Rafe Morrissey
65 NEXT ISSUES
60
What’s coming up in the next issues of Military Illustrated Modeller
66 TAILPIECE
Squadron EagleQuest 2015
Aircraft Edition
p03 Contents 053.indd 3
3
30/07/2015 12:46
News BARRACUDA STUDIOS BREATHES LIFE INTO THE B-2 BOMBER
R
oy Sutherland has advised us that Barracuda Studios is releasing five new sets to upgrade, correct and improve the recently re-released 1/48th scale Revell Germany B-1B kit. Originally tooled by Revell Monogram many years ago, the kit represents an early B-1B. Barracuda’s new resin sets will allow you to build a more recent “Bone”, with the late style bare exhausts. and the various lumps bumps and antennas that are seen on B-1Bs today. These sets should be available by the time you read this.
BR48235 B-1B INTAKE AND INTAKE COVER SET
This set consists of two corrected and refined forward intakes complete with separate intake covers featuring realistically rendered fabric surfaces. (images pending)
BR48236 B-1B EARLY EXHAUSTS (WITH TURKEY FEATHERS).
This set consists of four complete jet exhaust units, consisting of flame holder, exhaust pipe, and covered exhaust nozzle.
BRONCO HORSA IN 1:35 SCALE
B
ronco has sent an image of the box art plus some sprue shots from their forthcoming 1:35 scale Horsa glider. This subject is sure to appeal to both aircraft and military modellers. We will post more information about this exciting release as it comes to hand. Thanks to Bronco for the images cn-bronco.com •
4
BR48237 B-1B LATE EXHAUSTS (TURKEY FEATHERS REMOVED)
This set consists of four complete jet exhaust units, consisting of flame holder, exhaust pipe, and uncovered exhaust nozzle with separate actuator rods.
BR48238 B-1B MAIN AND NOSE WHEEL SET This set replaces the kit rubber tires with brand
new, highly detailed resin main and nose wheels. This is a big set, consisting of 2 nose wheels and 8 main wheels. A quick and easy to install upgrade.
BR48239 B-1B EXTERNAL UPGRADE
This set consists of a selection of parts to allow building of the Revell kit to a modern upgraded B-1B standard. Included are the radar warning fairing, a pair of towed decoy fairings, as well as 6 electronics and navigation antennas. •
HUNTLY’S PAPER WARPLANES
H
untly’s Warplanes are glide-capable, scale replicas of vintage military aircraft from the WWI and WWII eras. They include detailed components such as landing gear, wheels, windshield, control panels and vertical & horizontal stabilisers. The new system will ship out of Madison, Wisconsin and will include USPS tracking on all shipments, allowing customers to monitor their deliveries. Launched in July 2014 as a niche start-up, these unique paper warplanes received a remarkable reception from hobbyists, veterans, and aviation enthusiasts of all ages. A young boy so enjoyed his experience with them that he sent Huntly Briggs a video thank you message, while ageing veterans from all corners of the USA have written enthusiastically to tell them what warm memories these models brought back. More information can be found at paperwarplanes.com, which includes a gallery of the different models, as well as a dedicated online store. Huntly’s Paper Warplanes can also be ‘liked’ on Facebook. Huntly Briggs was born 93 years ago under the blue skies of Montana. Growing up in 1930s Los Angeles, he developed his lifelong passion for aviation. Prior to WW II, at eighteen, he began his aviation career at Lockheed Aircraft Co. building and inspecting Hudson bombers for Britain and P-38 fighters for the U.S. Army. When war came, Huntly enlisted in the Navy as an aircraft technician. After the war, through the G.I. Bill, Huntly earned his college degree and pilot’s license, enabling him to enter the advertising field in aerospace products and fly for business and pleasure for the next 30 years. Even at the age of 93, Huntly has not lost any of his passion and continues to launch new models, and experiments with innovative design ideas. Thanks to Huntly’s Warplanes for the images and information www.paperwarplanes.com •
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p4 News 053.indd 4
03/08/2015 14:51
Hand picked selection for Summer 2015
19.03.15 Proof Stage:
Date:
60 mm x 272 mm
150
@RevellGermany
Line Screen:
facebook.com/Revell
Trim Size:
w w w. r e v e l l . d e/e n
File Name:
Visit our brand new website and online shop
Job Number:
and all good Toy and Model shops and online at
Latest Issues
Available from branches of
ADH Publications
07008 BMW i8, 1:24
Insert Date:
NEW TOOL
Publication:
4217
04997 Concorde, 1:72
Revell GmbH, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Tring, HP23 4QR Tel: 0845 459 0747, Fax: 01296 660041, Email:
[email protected] ©2015 Revell GmbH. A subsidiary of Hobbico, Inc. All rights reserved. Trade enquiries welcome.
p 63 PocketmagsNEW 043.indd 8
MIM Binders 053.indd 1
25/09/2014 17:20
Aircraft Edition
29-07-15
04900 B-1B Bomber, 1:48
1
Limited Edition
Date:
Signed-off by:
04869 Focke Wulf Fw190 F-8, 1:32
REVELL_ADH_1-3_PP_VERT_60x272_aw.pdf
Thomas Randrup
NEW TOOL
5
29/07/2015 11:45
FULL SIZED REFERENCE: Late Merlin Spitfires Close Up
A nice overhead view of Temora’s Spitfire Mk.VIII in flight. Note the narrow C wing cannon bulges, and the absence of inboard wheel well bulges.
LATE MERLIN SPITFIRES CLOSE-UP We take a close-up look at a Spitfire Mk.VIII and Mk.XVI at Temora Aviation Museum
T
he Temora Aviation Museum has not one, but two late-Merlin Spitfires, the only two Spitfires in flying condition in Australia – one Mk.VIII and one Mk.XVI. Many of the engine, cockpit and airframe details will be helpful to modellers building Eduard’s new 1:48 scale Spitfire Mk.VIII and XVI kits.
THE MUSEUM’S SPITFIRE MK.VIII
The Museum’s Mk.VIII was the last Spitfire taken on charge by the Royal Australian Air Force. It
6
was manufactured in England during 1944, and shipped to Australia where it was delivered to the RAAF in April 1945. Its RAAF serial number was A58-758. The aircraft was immediately placed in storage and never saw active service. Post-war, this Spitfire employed by Sydney Technical College as an instructional airframe. Mr. Sid Marshall purchased the aircraft in 1982 and stored it in components Mr. Colin Pay of Scone then acquired and restored the Spitfire. After four decades of storage and disassembly, this marvellous aircraft took to the skies again in 1985. It has been part of the Temora Aviation Museum’s collection since 2002, and regularly takes parts in flying displays. The aircraft is painted in the Ocean Grey and Dark Green camouflage worn by RAAF Spitfires in the South West Pacific. These markings represent the personal aircraft of Wing Commander R.H. (Bobby) Gibbes AM WG CMR DSO DFC.
THE MUSEUM’S SPITFIRE MK.XVI
This high-back Spitfire Mk.XVI was manufactured at Castle Bromwich in late 1944, and undertook its first mission with 453 Sqn. RAAF on 24 March, 1945 wearing the codes FU-P. After being written off by the Royal Air Force in 1951, this aircraft started a film career, first as a prop in MGM’s 1955 adaptation of the Douglas Bader story, “Reach for the Sky”, and again twelve years later as a non-flying extra in “The Battle of Britain”. Sir Tim Wallis purchased the partially restored airframe in 1987, completing the project and shipping the Spitfire to New Zealand as the centrepiece of the Alpine Fighter Collection. Temora Aviation Museum acquired the aircraft in April 2006. It is currently finished in the colours and markings of its first sorties over the skies of northern Europe with 453 Sqn. RAAF. •
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 6
30/07/2015 12:12
The Spitfire Mk.VIII was a later development, but shared many of the characteristics of the Spitfire Mk. IXc. This beautifully restored example is displayed at the Temora Aviation Museum.
Above: The most obvious external difference between the Mk.IXc and the Mk.VIII is the retractable tail wheel. Note that the Mk.VIII is always fitted with the late-style pointed rudder.
A closer view of the instrument panel. Left: Temora’s Spitfire Mk.VIII cockpit is mostly original. The configuration wil be almost identical to a Spitfire Mk.IXc. Here we can see the instrument panel, slightly overshadowed by a large cover over the modern avionics mounted on the instrument coaming. The starboard cockpit sidewall is quite bare, as it was on the wartime aircraft.
Black leather cushions are fitted to the Spitfire’s composite seat. We can see the characteristic brown colour of the composite material. Some modern avionics are also visible behind the seat on the starboard sidewall.
The rear cockpit frames feature lightening holes. These are not drilled out in the Tamiya kit – a simple improvement if you wish to spend a few minutes with a pin vise.
Aircraft Edition
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 7
7
30/07/2015 12:12
FULL SIZED REFERENCE: Late Merlin Spitfires Close Up
Glimpses of the air bottles for the pneumatic systems may be seen behind the seat. These are painted in a slightly pale version of British Interior Grey Green, but some were seen in silver, grey or other colours.
The well of the Spitfire’s floorless cockpit is a jumble of wires, actuators and structural details. The large quadrant and trim wheels may be seen on the port sidewall here too.
The pinch bar clipped to this open hatch was intended to break the Perspex canopy in case of emergency. In common with most restored Spitfire, this one is painted red, although wartime pinch bars were more commonly seen in bare metal or Interior Grey Green.
This Spitfire Mk.VIII is equipped with flattened and flared ejector exhaust stubs.
A round mirror with a streamlined fairing was fitted to the top of the windscreen.
Above: The bulge on the upper engine cowl just aft of the middle is for the compressor intake.
8
Note the slight bulge at the rear of the tail wheel doors to accommodate the tail wheel when retracted. This retractable tail wheel was not fitted to the Spitfire Mk.IX.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 8
30/07/2015 12:12
All Spitfire Mk.VIIIs were configured with the universal C wing. Most, if not all, Mk.VIII Spitfires featured the narrow inboard bulge for the 20mm cannon, plus two .303 machine guns outboard on each wing.
The Spitfire Mk.VIII was fitted with the later style “double kinked” elevators.
The large supercharger intake was common to the Mk.VIII and late Mk.IXs.
This Mk.XVI has the same style of large supercharger intake as the Mk.VIII.
A front view of the Temora Spitfire Mk.VIII showing the wing armament and the narrow undercarriage track.
Aircraft Edition
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 9
9
30/07/2015 12:12
FULL SIZED REFERENCE: Late Merlin Spitfires Close Up
Temora is also home to a Spitfire Mk.XVIe.
Above: Spitfire wing tips were separate panels that could quickly be replaced. Right: A small clear navigation light is present just under the rudder trim tab.
10
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 10
30/07/2015 12:12
Note how the wheel tilts out at the top. This permits the wheels to be accommodated inside the wheel well without any additional bulges or fairings.
Radiator face detail.
A closer view of the main landing gear. The oleo scissors are a feature of later Mk.IXs and Mk.XVIs. Early Mk.IXs were not fitted with oleo scissors.
The geometry of post-war Spitfires was often modified to improve performance on sealed runways. Note how the angle of the wheels is more vertical compared to those on the Spitfire Mk.VIII.
Main wheels are the later style with four lightening holes. Far left: Note the different size and location of the E Wing cannon bulge. We can also see the additional wide teardropshaped fairing needed to accommodate the reconfigured angle of the main wheels.
Left: This Mk.XVIe is also fitted with the late-style double-kinked elevators.
Aircraft Edition
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 11
11
30/07/2015 12:13
FULL SIZED REFERENCE: Late Merlin Spitfires Close Up
Above: In contrast to the Mk.VIII, this Mk.XVI is fitted with tubular exhaust stubs.
Right: The Mk.VIII on the tarmac at Temora. The rear of the engine bay is crowded with the carburettor, supercharger and various gear housings, plus plenty of plumbing. Although the engine is largely authentic, the bright orange tubes and coloured wiring are very much a modern feature.
The curved oil tank under the engine and the long supercharger intake are obvious from this angle.
12
A side view of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 70 engine in Temora’s Spitfire Mk.VIII. Note the bare copper coolant pipes.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 12
30/07/2015 12:13
The small bare metal reservoir behind the propeller is the Glycol tank. Ethylene Glycol was used as the coolant in the Spitfire. Note the circular black filler cap near the top of the tank. Tamiya missed this feature in their 1:32 kits.. Also missing from the Tamiya kit is the filler neck for the oil tank. This may be seen in the photo a little more than halfway back on the oil tank, curving upwards.
The large square box at the top of the engine is the supercharger intercooler.
The top of the Rolls-Royce Merlin 70.
Aircraft Edition
p06-13 6-13 reference - late merlin spitfires 053.indd 13
13
30/07/2015 12:13
KIT PREVIEW: KINETIC MODEL KITS 1:48 AERITALIA-AEROMACCHI EMBRAER AMX SINGLE SEAT FIGHTER • Kit No. K48026
JOINT VENTURE JET Mick Evans reviews an intriguing subject from Kinetic – their 1:48 scale single-seater AMX Fighter.
T
his release from Kinetic depicts an injection moulded kit of the AMX developed by Aeritalia-Aeromacchi of Italy and Embraer of Brazil as a joint venture. The AMX is a light attack aircraft with a main role of ground attack in visual and marginal weather conditions. The primary roles for the AMX include long-range strike and interdiction, close air support, reconnaissance and armed patrol. The AMX can carry up to 3,800kg of weapons both air to air and air to ground. It is powered by the Rolls Royce Spey Mk 807 nonafter burn turbofan engine.
KINETIC’S 1:48 SCALE KIT REPRESENTS AN AMX AND A1-A.
The kit contains over 180 light grey injection moulded parts, 15 etched metal and 13 clear parts. Surface detail is fine and restrained. Kinetic seem to improve with every kit they produce. The detail represents the panel lines of the AMX without being overdone but also accurately represents the heavier rivet detail around the engine exhaust where the airflow would have already separated from the fuselage skin. The fuselage is made up from two main assemblies with optional front fuselage areas to represent the twin cannon armed A1-A, or the single rotary canon armed AMX. The intakes have full intake ducting back to the engine compressor face and this is a big plus. The intakes look to be a tricky assembly which will require time and patience as the two intake halves need to be assembled within the fuselage halves before the fuselage halves are assembled. The cockpit looks very busy with the detail supplied. The cockpit builds from 13 parts with alternate instrument panels and shrouds to match either the A1-A or AMX. The ejection seat also has great detail making up from 6 parts including etched metal harness assembly. The wings are a complex assembly with panel detail that looks great and correct. Separate leading edge flaps are provided and can be positioned in the up or down positions. Also included are separate ailerons and trailing edge flaps which include a complex flap vane assembly. Separate elevators and rudder are also supplied and makes it easy for the modeller to display these in the displaced position. The wheel wells look good with sufficient detail in the nose wheel well and excellent detail in the main wheel well. Wheels are provided in typical Kinetic style of separate wheel hubs sandwiched between two tyre halves. The transparencies are crystal clear and well
14
Markings are supplied for three options.
The separate nose section is split into left and right halves.
The kit-supplied photo-etched fret.
Impressive surface textures on the rear fuselage.
moulded and the canopy is broken into two parts to allow the canopies to be positioned in the open position. The stores supplied for this kit are as follows: • 2 x 580 lt underwing fuel tanks • 2 x 1100 lt underwing fuel tanks • 2 x AIM 9L Sidewinder Missiles • 2 x AIM 9X Sidewinder Missiles • 4 x AMRAAM • 2 x MK-20 Rockeye cluster bombs • 2 x GBU-12 Laser guided 500lb bomb • 2 500lb bombs • 1 x centreline reconnaissance pod Not all weapons are used.
MARKINGS
There are 3 schemes provided by Kinetic for this kit are as follows: • Aeritalia-Aeromacchi Embraer A1-A of 1/16 Grupo de aviacao-esq. Adelphi based at Rio de Janerio Brasil in 2008. The aircraft is finished in Dark Green FS24092 and Medium Grey FS26176 overall camouflage.
Well-protected main canopy section.
Note the nice long intake trunking.
• Aeritalia-Aeromacchi Embraer AMX of 51 Stormo “Black Cats attached to the International Security Assistance Force Task Group based in Afghanistan in 2009. This aircraft is finished in overall Sky Grey FS26280. • Aeritalia-Aeromacchi Embraer AMX of 51 Stormo – 132 Gruppo Caccio Bombardleri Ricognitori based at Treviso Istrana in 2007. This aircraft is finished in overall Sky Grey FS26280. Decals are in register and colour looks good. They are printed by Cartograf.
CONCLUSION
This is another excellent kit and big kudos to Kinetic for this release. The kit allows the modeller to build both single seat versions of both the AMX and A1-A, but by the breakdown of the kit a dual seat version may be in the wind. At less than USD$30, it represents outstanding value too! Highly Recommended. Available online from Lucky Model www.luckymodel.com •
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p14 preview - kinetic amx 053.indd 14
30/07/2015 12:15
COMING SOON in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series NEW How to Build the Tamiya 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI
R E V O C E L P M A S
The definitive guide to building the much anticipated Tamiya 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI by Brett Green. This book is currently being prepared by our own Brett Green and will feature: ■ Step by Step guide to building and painting the model ■ Mosquito restoration close-up ■ Historical summary ■ Wartime reference photos ■ The other Tamiya Mosquitos in 1:72 and 1:48 scales ■ Aftermarket decal and accessory summary Order now to be the first to receive it – currently in production and estimated for shipping in mid-August.
Only
£13.95 plus p&p
ALSO AVAILABLE Visit adhbooks.com for details PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW ON TEL: 01525 222573 FAX: 01525 222574
✁
Tamiya’s 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI book - Pre-order HOW TO BUILD... MOSQUITO Name ..................................................................................................................... Address................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................
Please debit my credit/debit card for £ ....................................... Visa
Mastercard
Maestro
P&P: UK; £2.00 Europe; £4.00 World-Wide airmail; £6.00 Cheques payable to: ADH Publishing Ltd.
other .............................
Card No. .................................................................................................... Expiry date................................. Start date ........................................
...................................................................................................................................
Security Number (last 3 digits on signature strip) ............................
Post/zip code ...................................................................................................
Issue No (if applicable) ........................................................................... Date ............................................................................................... Please mail this form to; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, United Kingdom Tel; +44(0)1525 222573 Fax; +44(0)1525 222574 Online; www.adhbooks.com (Photocopies of this form are acceptable)
Country ................................................................................................................ Telephone Number.......................................................................................
Signature .....................................................................................
www.adhbooks.comwww.adhbooks.comwww.adhbooks.com p XX Mosquito Book.indd 8
25/06/2015 11:46
FEATURE ARTICLE: EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO LIMITED EDITION. • Kit No. 1198
KILLER BEE
16
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 16
04/08/2015 12:43
Brett Green builds the latest in Eduard’s 1:48 scale Spitfire family – the low back Mk.XVI
T
he Spitfire Mk.XVI was the same as the Mk.IX in most respects except for the engine, a Merlin 266. This engine was based on the two-stage Merlin 66, and was originally intended for Canadian Mosquito production. When it was decided to keep Canadian Mosquitos on singlestage engines, the Merlin 266 was diverted to Spitfire production, resulting in the Mk.XVI. All Mk XVI aircraft produced were of the Low-Altitude Fighter (LF) variety. This was not determined by the length of the wings (clipped wings were fitted to most LF Spitfires), but by the engine, whose supercharger had been optimised for low-altitude operation. Because of a slightly taller intercooler and rearranged accessories on the Packard Merlins a new, bulged upper cowling was introduced and also appeared on late production IXs. It would appear that few if any wartime Spitfire Mk.XVIs entered service with the rear fuselage fuel tank. Armament for most Mk XVIs consisted of 2 × 20 mm Hispano II cannon - each with 120 rpg - and 2 × .50 calibre Browning machine guns each with 250 rpg. 1 × 500 lb (227 kg) bomb could be carried underneath the centre rack, and 1 × 250 lb (114 kg) bomb could be slung under each wing. Some production aircraft had rear fuselage fuel tanks in addition to the main tank which allowed it to fly approximately as far as the Spitfire Mk VIII. Problems with the licence-built engines limited introduction to front-line squadrons for several months. An alteration of the wheel geometry required the introduction of an additional bulge above each main wheel well. This feature was mainly seen on later Spitfire Mk.XVIs. A total of 1,054 Mk XVIs were built by Castle Bromwich.* * Historical background based on Wikipedia entry and information from Bob Sikkel and Edgar Brooks.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX
Eduard has now released the Spitfire Mk.XVI as a Dual Combo package in its ProfiPACK series. The ProfiPACK series offers an affordable price for two complete kits, and will be welcomed by Spitfire fans everywhere. The package will allow for one low-back and one high-back Spitfire XVI; with the option of early or late “E” wings. In fact, Eduard supplies three sets of wings - two early and one late. Eduard’s 1:48 scale Spitfire Mk.IXe comprises nearly 400 parts in grey coloured plastic, 24 parts in clear, two colour photo-etched frets, a selfadhesive die-cut masking sheet and markings for eight aircraft. This boxing introduces two brand new sprues
Aircraft Edition
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 17
17
04/08/2015 12:43
FEATURE ARTICLE: EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO LIMITED EDITION. • Kit No. 1198
Surface texture is second to none. This is the newly tooled late E wing with the additional bump above the wheel well.
Full internal detail is moulded to the new wheel well ceiling.
The large and colourful decal sheet offers eight options. Seven of these are for bubble tops.
Above: Most of the parts from BarracudaCast’s 1:48 scale Spitfire Mk.IX cockpit update set are applicable to the Mk.XVI too.
Far Left: The Barracuda set also includes many tiny yet readable decals for the cockpit. Left: The spare bulbs moulded to the fuselage sidewalls were removed with Mission Models’ Micro Chisel.
- one for the low-back fuselage and one for the late-version “E” wing. The fuselage sprue includes two rear bulkheads - one with head armour and one without. The sprue also introduces a new set of threespoke wheels. As usual, the wing and fuselage are provided without inserts - no unnatural joins to fill with these models! The outboard narrow gun bulges and the new wheel well bumps are moulded direct to the top wing halves, with the appropriate shell ejector ports are similarly moulded in place on the bottom of the wings. The wheel wells feature a counterpart bump with rivet outlines on the inside as well. A slightly revised colour photo-etched fret for the Mk.XVI is included too. In addition to the two different fuselages, options applicable to this package are bombs and either clipped or full-length wing tips. The kit is otherwise similar to the Spitfire
18
Mk.IXc Late Version. For a detailed review and full build of of this kit see Issue 27 of MIM.
MARKINGS
New markings are supplied for eight nicely varied aircraft. Everything is in register on the large Cartografprinted sheet and colours look good. The wacky proportions of some of the late-style overpainted roundels are correctly depicted. A second new decal sheet supplies stencil markings for the low back Mk.XVI. This includes yellow chop lines for the bubbletop canopy. A third sheet offers stencils for the high back version.
GETTING STARTED
Before you start working on the kit, I strongly recommend that you thoroughly acquaint yourself with the instructions. If you are using any of the resin or photo-etched updates, check those instructions carefully before you start too.
As with any modelling project, taking your time and constantly test-fitting are good policies. Make sure that you are confident about the orientation of parts well before you start applying glue. I have built two other Eduard Spitfires in the last two years. I used the gorgeous BRASSIN cockpit for the Mk.IXc two years ago, and I built the Mk.VIII straight from the box earlier this year. This time, fate seemed to be sending me a message, as Barracuda Studios’ new 1:48 scale Supermarine Spitfire Mk. IX Snapshot Cockpit Upgrade for the Eduard kit arrived on the same day as Eduard’s Spitfire Mk.XVI. Barracuda’s Spitfire Mk. XVI Seamless Upper Cowl was in the same package. Eduard had also sent their BRASSIN threespoke wheels. Armed with these after market upgrades, it was time to start building.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 18
04/08/2015 12:44
Far Left: The resin seat and base have been cut off using a razor saw. Left: The resin rudder pedals and control column key into the plastic cockpit floor.
Electrical cables were added using fine wire.
Cockpit sub-assemblies were tacked to a small box to make handling and painting easier.
The resin parts are very well detailed and compliment the plastic cockpit.
The base coat ties in the resin and plastic elements.
‘Fantastic kit – see if you can stop at just one!’
The starboard sidewall ready for weathering.
Aircraft Edition
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 19
19
30/07/2015 12:37
FEATURE ARTICLE: EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO LIMITED EDITION. • Kit No. 1198
Details were picked out using Vallejo acrylics and a fine brush before two glossy coats of Future floor polish.
Barracuda’s set also includes replacement instrument dials on clear film. These feature improved detail and are designed to be sandwiched between Eduard’s photo-etched parts.
The completed port cockpit sidewall, complete with Barracuda decals. The starboard sidewall after weathering and a flat coat.
PAINTING THE COCKPIT
I deviated slightly from the instructions by gluing the lower cockpit sidewalls to the interior of the fuselage before further assembly and painting. This worked okay, but it did make the job of joining the fuselage halves a bit more fiddly. Next time I’ll follow the instruction sequence! Barracuda Studios provides a new set of spare gunsight bulbs for the top of the starboard sidewall. The kit bulbs are moulded straight onto the sidewall, so these had to be removed. This was done with my Mission Models Micro Chisel. The rough residue and gouges were cleaned up afterwards with a narrow sanding stick. Although the Barracuda cockpit set is designed for the high-back Eduard Spitfire Mk.IX, most of the parts are relevant to the low-back Mk.XVI too. Detail parts were attached to the sidewalls and the floor before each sub-assembly was painted using my Iwata HP-C Plus airbrush The cockpit sub-assemblies were airbrushed with Tamiya acrylic XF-71 Cockpit Green lightened with around 15% Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan. I skipped the dry-brushing stage this time and simply applied a wash consisting of Future Floor Polish, water and a few drops each of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown to all the cockpit components. This dries to a subtle darkening of recesses and natural shadow areas. Details on the sidewalls and floor were now picked out with Vallejo acrylic paints and a fine brush. The resin Barracuda seat is cast with the harness straps in place. I really enjoy painting these resin straps, and they can look quite effective with a bit of time and care. The cockpit parts were sprayed with two glossy
20
Cockpit bulkheads. The resin seat looks very effective with its cast-on harness straps.
The instrument panel and bottomless floor subassemblies have been added to the bulkhead.
The cockpit takes shape.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 20
04/08/2015 12:45
‘The package will allow for one low-back and one high-back Spitfire XVI; with the option of early or late “E” wings.’
Fuselage fit is excellent after a little fiddling to make sure the bulkheads slot into their locating positions.
Take care to keep track of the part numbers while you are assembling the wheel wells.
The wing spar and wheel well sidewalls are made up from 13 separate pieces.
The holes for the bomb racks were drilled out with a pin vise.
Despite the relatively large number of parts, fit is excellent.
Fit of the wings was almost perfect too. I used a clamp at the leading edge to ensure alignment.
Check out the fit at the wing root!
The exhausts look like a bit of a puzzle, but they actually fit very well.
Aircraft Edition
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 21
21
30/07/2015 12:38
FEATURE ARTICLE: EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO LIMITED EDITION. • Kit No. 1198
This is how they should look from the side.
A rear three-quarter view of the assembled exhaust.
Both sides of the exhausts fitted into the forward fuselage.
BarracudaCast’s one-piece upper cowl was also used for this project. Fit is as good as the kit parts, and there is no pesky centreline seam to deal with. Eduard offers the choice of fabric or metal elevators. I used the metal option by mistake.
The radiator faces were masked even before they were fitted inside their housings. The radiator faces were dry-brushed while they were still on the sprues.
coats of Future Floor Polish, then Barracuda’s cockpit decals – included with their Snapshot Cockpit Upgrade – were applied. These decals are tiny but readable under strong magnification, and add a great deal to the authenticity of the front office. If you have less than 20/20 vision though, make sure you are wearing your Optivisor when applying these!
FOILED AGAIN!
Barracuda’s cockpit set also supplies a clear foil with printed instrument dials. These feature finer detail than the kit’s photo-etched dials. The back of the clear sheet was painted white, and the panel shape cut out. The flying instruments are printed on a separate rectangle. These were simply substituted for the instrument layers of the photo-etched panel, with the colour PE used for the bottom and top layers. Prior to assembly, the top layers of the photoetched instrument panel were dry-brushed lightly with a medium grey colour to highlight the bezels and add a bit of depth.
22
The PE panel and Barracuda instruments was then assembled using Gator’s Grip Acrylic Glue and coated with Testor’s Model Master Flat Lacquer. When everything had set, the instrument panel was glued to the bulkhead. I flat-coated the rest of the cockpit parts at this stage.
BALANCE OF ASSEMBLY
Basic construction of the airframe was complete less than a day after sealing the fuselage halves. The one-piece resin Barracuda Studios upper cowl fitted perfectly. The main advantage is that it is a one-piece seamless part. The kit upper cowl is two parts with a centreline join. A few of the sub-assemblies look a little daunting, such as the 13-piece wing spar and wheel well sidewalls. You do need to keep careful track of the part numbers and their alignment, but everything fits perfectly. The same may be said of the slightly baffling but ultimately very impressive exhausts and their mounts. Test fit these several times, refer to the
instructions as often as you need to, and you will eventually figure it out. Note that this is not the BRASSIN resin upgrade, but the plastic kit parts – lovely stuff.
MASKING AND PAINTING
The pilot’s entry opening was covered with the unused “closed” version of the door, held in place with a couple of blobs of Blu-Tack on the inside. The cockpit opening was masked off using Tamiya tape. Instead of using Tamiya’s Grey Primer, I took a short cut and sprayed the entire model with Tamiya’s AS-32 Medium Sea Grey 2 (RAF) straight from the spray can. This doubled as a tough lacquer primer and the lower surface colour. I was running low on Ocean Grey paint, so I mixed Mr Colour lacquer RLM 75 Grey Violet with around 15% Medium Sea Grey. The lower surfaces were masked with Tamiya tape, and the fuselage, wings and tailplanes received a coat of this pale Ocean Grey mix, thinned with around 40% Mr Color Leveling Thinner 400. I found a set of Spitfire Mk.XVI camouflage
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 22
04/08/2015 12:45
The canopy was sealed off with the entry door and Tamiya tape.
The sway braces are very delicate. With the benefit of hindsight, I would recommend that these be fitted after painting.
Only a few smears of Tamiya Surfacer were required.
The model received a base coat of Tamiya AS-32 Medium Sea Grey straight from the spray can.
The lower fuselage, nose and horizontal tail planes were masked off in preparation for the upper surface camouflage colours.
The upper surface Ocean Grey was a mix of Mr Colour lacquer RLM 75 Grey Violet and around 15% Medium Sea Grey.
A Spitfire XVI camouflage plan was sourced online, scaled to 1:48 in Photoshop and printed onto a full sheet of selfadhesive label paper.
With the camouflage colours applied, the wing leading edges were masked off. A base coat of Tamiya’s White Primer was applied before the yellow.
The patterns for the wings and tailplanes were cut out with a pair of scissors then the self-adhesive masks were stuck straight onto the model.
Aircraft Edition
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 23
23
30/07/2015 12:39
FEATURE ARTICLE: EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO LIMITED EDITION. • Kit No. 1198
The overpainted rear fuselage band was masked and sprayed too.
The model received two glossy coats of Future floor polish prior to application of decals.
The result was a nice high contrast finish with a little added interest.
The yellow propeller tips were masked at this time too. The canopy and windscreen were masked using the die-cut masks supplied with the kit.
The yellow spiral was applied with the spinner and back plate temporarily tacked together.
Eduard’s BRASSIN threespoke wheels are a nice enhancement. Decals on, and awaiting weathering.
Streaks and stains were airbrushed onto the lower surface using a thin mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown.
plans online, and scaled these 1:48 in Photoshop before printing them out onto two full A4 label sheet. The patterns for the wings and tailplanes were cut out with a pair of scissors then the selfadhesive masks were stuck straight onto the model. The fuselage was masked with wide Tamiya tape. I applied sections of tape, drew the camouflage patterns onto the tape while it was stuck to the fuselage, then removed the tape, cut out the pattern and re-applied the newly cut mask onto the model. I wanted a high contrast finish and therefore a darker-than-usual RAF Dark Green. I experimented by using
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 24
Tamiya XF-74 Olive Drab (JGSDF) for this colour, and I was pretty happy with the result. When all the masks were removed, the overall picture was revealed – a nice hard-edged clean camouflage finish. The wings were now masked off to paint the yellow leading edges and tail band. I started off with a base of Tamiya White Primer, decanted and applied with my airbrush, then sprayed Tamiya TS-34 Camel Yellow, another Tamiya spray can colour that I had decanted into a glass jar. The yellow tips of the propeller blades were painted using the same sequence at the same time. Once dry, the tips were masked and the rest of the blades and the spinner were painted TS-14 Black. The next masking job was the overpainted rear fuselage band. This would have been painted in
Sky originally, but fresh camouflage was painted over the band. I used a darker shade of Ocean Grey and Gunze RAF Dark Green to create some contrast between the newly overpainted fuselage band and the surrounding camouflage colours.
DECALS AND WEATHERING
Eduard’s superb Cartograf-printed decals were applied over two coats of Future floor polish. These all behaved perfectly – even the rather scary-looking yellow spinner spiral, which laid down without resistance under about a gallon of Solvaset. The canopy and windscreen were masked using thin Eduard’s masking set and sprayed Interior Green before receiving its camouflage colour of Tamiya XF-74 Olive Drab (JGSDF). The undercarriage legs, wheels and oleo
04/08/2015 12:45
MODELSPEC Eduard 1:48 Spitfire Mk.XVI Dual Combo Limited Edition. Kit No. 1198 Accessories Used: BarracudaCast Item No. BR48194 – Spitfire IX Snapshot Cockpit Upgrade BarracudaCast Item No. BR48192 – Spitfire Mk.XVI Seamless Upper Cowl Eduard BRASSIN Item No. 648 218 – Spitfire Mk.XVI Wheels – 3 Spokes
If you look closely, you can see that one of the delicate bob sway braces has broken off.
Tools and Modelling Products Used: Tamiya Extra Thin Cement Revell Contacta Cement Gator’s Grip Acrylic Glue Selley’s Super Glue Tamiya Surfacer Zip Kicker (super glue accelerator) Tamiya Masking Tape Iwata HP-TR and HP-CP airbrushes Paints and Finishing Products Used:
I experimented with a different method of highlighting surface details using an oil wash, rubbed in and wiped off.
The whip antenna on the spine was made from stretched sprue.
Tamiya (acrylic): X-18 Semi-Gloss Black; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-2 Flat White; XF-55 Deck Tan; XF-64 Red Brown; XF-71 Cockpit Green (IJN); XF-74 Olive Drab (JGSDF). Tamiya Spray Can – White Primer; AS-12 Bare Metal Silver; TS-14 Black; TS-34 Camel Yellow. Gunze Mr Colour lacquers: 37 RLM 75 Grey Violet; 363 Medium Sea Grey. Mr Hobby Mr Color Leveling Thinner 400. Vallejo Model Color (acrylic): 70865 Oily Steel; 919 Foundation White; 70953 Flat Yellow; 70957 Flat Red; 70950 Black Vallejo Panzer Aces (acrylic): 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) Alclad II Matte Clear Lacquer Finish Solvaset decal setting solution Winsor & Newton Oil Paint: Raw Umber; Lamp Black Tamiya Weathering Pastels Set A Future Floor Polish Includes parts for one low back and one high back Spitfire XVI; accurate fuselage and wing dimensions; very high level of detail; outstanding surface features including crisply recessed panels and subtle rivet lines where appropriate; includes colour photo-etched parts; separate parts for closed and open canopy; many useful options. Only one marking choice for the high back Mk.XVI. RATING: 9.5 out of 10 Thanks to Eduard for the sample www.eduard.com Eduard kits are available in the UK from Creative Models Limited www.creativemodels.co.uk
scissors, antenna mast and mirror were painted at this stage too. I experimented with a different method of highlighting surface details this time. I mixed up some Winsor & Newton Lamp Black and Raw Umber oil paint, thinned with Ronson lighter fluid to a consistency of a heavy wash. The lighter fluid speeds the drying time considerably. The wash was roughly brushed onto an initial area about half the surface area of the wing. I allowed the wash to dry for around a minute. At this stage, I simply used a fingertip to rub off the excess wash from the top of the wing (I started with a circular rubbing pattern), leaving the dried dark wash in the recessed panel lines and rivets. Note that the wash was applied over the decals, so the highlighted surface detail was consistent over the roundels and unique markings too. A second
pass with a damp fingertip removed any stubborn stains from the surface of the model. Two coats of Alclad II Matte Clear Lacquer restored the low-sheen surface to the model. I sprayed fairly subdued exhaust streaks on the fuselage sides and the lower fuselage using my usual thin mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown. With all the painting and weathering complete, the various sub-assemblies and detail parts were now brought together. The tabs at the top of the main undercarriage covers were cut off, then the undercarriage parts were assembled. The fit was positive and strong. The Eduard BRASSIN three-spoke wheels include masks, which makes painting easier. Fit was perfect after I cut about half of the protruding axle from the
undercarriage legs. Just about the last task was to cut a whip antenna from stretched sprue. The fuselage spine was drilled and the antenna glued in place.
CONCLUSION
Eduard has delivered the first bubbletop Spitfire in their growing family, and also adds a highback Spitfire XVI in the same box. This package delivers all the fantastic attributes of its Mk.VIII and Mk.IX predecessors - accurate dimensions, impressive detail, and useful options. It is every bit as enjoyable to build as its predecessors too. Fantastic kit – see if you can stop at just one! •
Aircraft Edition
p16-25 feature article - eduard spitfire mk xvi 053.indd 25
25
30/07/2015 12:40
PREVIEW: HOBBYZONE MODULAR WORKBENCH UNITS
P O H S K R O W ALS I T N E S S E
ench units b rk o w r la u d o m alls HobbyZone’s st in d n a s d il u b James Hatch
T
here’s nothing like a house move to make you re-evaluate your man cave. When I came back to the hobby a few years ago, I worked on a coffee table in the living room, much to my wife’s annoyance. When we moved house, I was granted a workroom, but it was cluttered for the 3 years I worked in it, creating articles for magazines. And I mean clutter. I spent more time looking for things than I actually did building. Or at least it seemed that way. However, I have been given another chance to redeem myself and the way I work, as at the time of writing, my next house move is only weeks away. So, how can I do things differently this time?
ENTER HOBBYZONE
This Polish company may be one you’ve heard of, but very possibly not. They first came to my attention a couple of years ago, but I didn’t pay them much attention. I really wish I had. They produce some of the most amazing workshop storage solutions that I’ve ever seen. Thanks to forum member Jamme, on Large Scale Modeller, this company again fell onto my radar when I was asking about re-equipping my new man-cave. If you’ve never seen their products before, head over to www.hobbyzone.pl and prepare to be amazed and to go green in envy at what they offer. There are units with drawers, to store paint, and to also display models. Looking at their site, you might think that their products are expensive, but they really aren’t I bought 17 of their units, in order to create the setup that you’ll now see, and the 25kg box was shipped from Poland, by courier, for around
First impressions last: Hobbyzone’s 24kg box arrived in only 6 days from Poland, to the UK. Packaging is excellent, being both robust and with plenty of bubble wrap included.
£200, plus only £12 shipping via UPS! Shipping, from what I gather, appears to be a flat rate (at least within the EU), so the more units you buy at one time, the cheaper this works out to be for you. Unlike other workbench solutions, this one is totally flexible too, and can not only be re-jigged to your own preferences, but the neodymium magnets on the module sides, mean you can add new modules at a later date.
ARRIVAL
All modules are supplied in kit form, and are beautifully presented and very professional looking.
26
It took 6 days for my large and well-packed box to arrive from Poland, and I was impressed. Each of the seventeen modules within was individually packed into its own sturdy, corrugated box, lined with bubble-wrap, and with a product label sealing the lid closed. Inside, all the parts were beautifully packed,
and CNC cut from composite materials, such as MDF. The cutting of the parts was also excellent, with no jagged edges, burrs, or other defects. Test fitting showed them to be precise. A small stack of magnets is supplied with each kit, and all you will need to assemble them is a soft mallet, white glue, and a few hours of your time. My units were carefully chosen after measuring the benching in my new workshop, and working out my own requirements with regards to tool and consumable storage. I also relied heavily on the setup that HobbyZone have as their showcase ensemble on the front of their website. As I don’t use standard kitchen paper towel, I omitted that storage module, and substituted it. I also didn’t opt to have my finished suite curve round on the right hand side. I would be building into a left-hand corner, and continuing along a wall, only. Each unit from HobbyZone is 300mm long, and 150mm tall, except for the large display unit that is 300mm square. Along the top of my creation, I will install units to store my Vallejo paint, tools and brushes. The other units will be a combination of display and storage. My finished solution would extend 750mm on the left arm,
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p26-28 preview - workshop essentials 053.indd 26
30/07/2015 12:43
A product label is used to seal the lid of the box, and contains the number of the specific unit ordered.
More bubble-wrap! Certainly no complaints or indeed worries about these getting to you in A1 condition.
Each kit is so well packed that you may struggle to get the parts to all fit back in the box once removed. None of my units suffered any damage and they were all complete. Right: Unlike some manufacturers that use laser cutting, these MDF parts are precisely machined with a CNC cutter, and all joints are perfect, with no flaws. Notice a small stack of powerful neodymium magnets. These are common to all units.
Assembly begins. Here we see OM07 Brushes & Tools module being constructed. All parts are essentially flat, but I still used a number of clamps to help with holding parts until dry. PVA white glue is used for all MDF parts.
curving to the wall for a further 1200 along the facing wall. Simple eh?
EXAMINATION AND ASSEMBLY
In turn, each unit is removed from its package and the parts checked to make sure they are all there. What is VERY important now is that you orientate the magnets so that you don’t get opposing poles when you click the modules together. At this point, I cheated. To make things easier, I removed all magnets from the various boxes, and used a small stub of these to check each part against my initial module construction. North poles to the upper and left hand sides, and south poles to the lower and left hand sides. Of course, you can’t tell which is
Some modules use acrylic parts. Here, you can see OM09 Showcase WIP module being built. Protective film covers all of the acrylic parts, and remains in place until ready for the workshop.
technically north or south, but as long as the poles are the same, you’ll have no problem. I used EvoStik PVA adhesive to assemble my units, and had a very damp cloth at the ready, to remove any glue that seeps out from the assembled joints. The first task with each unit was to attach the magnets to the four sides. These appear to be tight. Don’t open them up, but simply tap them in with a plastic or rubber mallet. They do fit! If the unit has drawers, then these are assembled whilst I was waiting for glue to dry on the carcass. Each carcass also has a back face, helping make these units more rigid, and improving their quality further. All of the main drawers in this suite are fitted with slotted separators, and you can use or lose
Some modules use acrylic parts. Here, you can see OM09 Showcase WIP module being built. Protective film covers all of the acrylic parts, HobbyZone produce paint storage modules for both 26mm and 36mm paint jars and bottles, which are essentially designed for Vallejo and Tamiya/Gunze respectively.
these as you see fit. There are no handles on the drawers. Instead, there is a scalloped edge into which you slip a finger and pull them out from the case. You’ll note that some drawers also have clear windows in their fronts. No special glues are required here. Once you remove the protective film from the clear acrylic pieces, these sit into a doubledepth rebate in the front of the drawer, and then you just glue the drawer front with PVA, trapping the clear part. Genius! The display modules also have an acrylic front. This pivots at the top end, allowing you to access the shelves within. The acrylic fronts for the display units, plus all other modules, are machined with the HobbyZone logo. No actual pivot parts are included for the display
Aircraft Edition
p26-28 preview - workshop essentials 053.indd 27
27
30/07/2015 12:43
PREVIEW: HobbyZone Modular Workbench Units
The most complex and heaviest module is this one; OM03 Corner Drawers module. Every possible bit of space is utilised, and dividers are included for the central drawer. These are removable.
Here, you can see the complete ensemble in place in my new workshop. The magnets really help to create some rigidity in the whole construction, and everything aligns perfectly
I really have no excuse not to be organised now, with a drawer for every need. Again, the dividers in the large drawers aren’t glued and can be removed.
Drawer-o-rama again, as you can see just how amazing this workbench solution is. I’ve not moved in yet, but already, I can’t see how I worked without being this organised.
The acrylic front lifts up on this unit, and the self can be re-positioned to suit. This is ideal for WIP, even though it’s described as a display unit.
Racks are included in my setup, designed for bottles and jars (left hand side), and paintbrushes and tools (right hand side)
fronts. Instead, there are two protruding acrylic pins that fit into the machined MDF side walls.
Instructions
The instruction sheets that are supplied, are also super-easy to understand. However, the logic behind the design of the units does sort of make the instructions superfluous! Even in one of the well-stocked boxes with many parts, working out what goes where is as easy as arranging numbers into numerical order, or letters into alphabetical order. All you need is some patience, and preferably a glue with a quick grab time, which will allow you to work more swiftly. If you order a large number of units, as I did, then the grab time makes a lot of difference. I’ll say it again though….watch the magnet
28
No special glues are required for the acrylic parts. The drawer windows are simply sat in a deeper rebate and held in place with the MDF drawer front.
orientation. I actually made a few mistakes, and still can’t fathom how. Removing them afterwards was actually fairly easy. I sat a drill bit on top of them, and tapped them through the MDF. The magnet was then turned around and tapped back into place. It’s far easier to reapply them than it was to initially insert them. That’s no criticism of the original hole sizes though, I assure you.
What I Got
The units I ordered were: • OM01 – 6 Drawers Module (Qty.2) • OM02 – 3 Drawers Module (Qty.3) • OM03 – Corner Drawers Module (Qty.1) • OM04 – Corner Shelves Module (Qty.1) • OM05s – Paints Module 26mm (Qty.2) • OM05u – Bottles Module (Qty.1)
• • • • • •
OM07 – Brushes and Tools Module (Qty.1) OM06s – Corner Paints Module 26mm (Qty.1) OM09 – Showcase WIP Module (Qty.1) OM10 – Big Showcase Module (Qty.1) OM11 – End Corner Drawers Module (Qty.2) OM12 – End Corner Shelves Module (Qty.1) For this little lot, I estimate total assembly time was around 10 hours. I certainly haven’t ordered every type of module from HobbyZone, and there will be others that will perhaps more suit your purpose, and as you can arrange them however you like, the personal permutations are almost limitless, whether you have a large workbench, or if your space is limited. Now, clutter begone! • Available from www.hobbyzone.pl
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p26-28 preview - workshop essentials 053.indd 28
04/08/2015 12:48
KIT PREVIEW: CLASSIC AIRFRAMES 1:48 BLENHEIM MK.IV / IVF. • Kit No. 4159
BLENHEIM REVISITED The Editor examines Classic Airframes’ re-released 1:48 scale Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV/IVF kit, now exclusively available from Hannants.
T
he latest Classic Airframes re-release, exclusive to Hannants, is the 1:48 scale Bristol Blenheim Mk.IV. It is hard to believe that it is 15 years since I wrote the review of the first release of this kit. Under new box art by Jerry Boucher, the main parts of the kit are produced in low-pressure injection plastic. There are only 61 parts in grey styrene - quite a small number for a kit of this size. Plastic is smooth and shiny, while surface detail is impressive. Engraved panel lines are crisp and fine, and raised detail is present where appropriate. Fabric surfaces look great. Sprue gates are reasonably narrow for a shortrun kit. The quality of moulding is actually better than the original release from the year 2000, with noticeably less flash on the darker grey plastic. Ejector pins are present on the inside surface of some larger parts. The modeller can easily remove these if they interfere with fit. Some thought has gone into the location of sprue attachment points for the major parts. The trailing edges of the wings are free of attachment points, and are quite acceptably thin. Four narrow attachment points run along the bottom of the fuselage, with a single attachment at the tip of the rudder. All control surfaces are moulded in the neutral position and cowl flaps are closed. I found it slightly surprising that the prominent landing lights in the leading edge of the port wing are moulded solid, with no option for a clear lens cover in the kit. One of the characteristics of the Blenheim IV is its long, clear-glazed nose. Mercifully, Classic Airframes has represented this feature in injectionmoulded clear plastic. The glazed sections are impressively clear, and the plastic is quite thin and free of distortions. Sprue connector points are kept to a minimum and are attached in areas that
will be painted. This will eliminate possible sprue scars on glazed sections. The nose is split down the middle, so adhesive should be used sparingly to minimise the likelihood of visible glue marks. Two ejector pins will have to be removed from the inside of the main nose sections before painting and assembly. If the clear plastic is the crown of this kit, then the resin parts are the jewels. Almost 70 parts in grey coloured resin are supplied. These include two lovely Bristol Mercury engines, gear wells, a detailed cockpit, an array of guns, propeller hubs and other fine details. The resin is crisp and casting is up to today’s standards. Resin highlights include the structural detail inside the wheel wells, the drilled-out gun barrels, and the fine engine detail. One part in clear vacform represents the earlystyle underside turret. The decal sheet includes two marking options. These are printed by Microscale. The decals appear quite thin and opaque, and they are in perfect register. One aircraft is a Coastal Command machine of 105 Squadron finished in Extra Dark Sea Grey, Slate Grey and Sky. The second machine is a Mk. IVF. of 68 Sqn. in overall Night (Black). 8 pages of instructions include a parts breakdown and 20 construction steps described in illustrations and helpful captions. Kit options include the choice of two underside turrets or a ventral gun pack, two different turret armaments, extended turret ring and tropical filters. The general outline of the aircraft looks good. The complex scalloped shape of the nose is captured very well, but the rake of the windscreen seems slightly steep according to photographs and drawings - even the CA’s own drawings. Some minor framing and a prominent blister on the port
The resin parts are the jewel in the crown.
Surface textures are crisp and very fine.
side of the canopy (depicted attractively on the box top) is also missing. In addition, the contour of the fuselage bottom is a smooth, shallow curve on the kit, but displays more of a discernible angle on the real aircraft. Even so, neither of these issues prevent the model from looking very much like a Blenheim. Engineering is basic but thoughtful. Parts are not fitted with locating pins, but the major components are quite rigid. This will assist alignment. The recessed section in the fuselage to accommodate the completed wing assemblies is also a welcome feature that will help set the correct dihedral and create a strong bond. Take note of any comments and warnings in the instructions. There are some important notes about parts that may need excess material removed, or alternate construction suggestions. Most major parts are common with the Classic Airframes 1:48 scale Blenheim I, and construction reports have been favourable about that kit. Careful preparation and plenty of test fitting should deliver a rewarding result for any modeller with some experience of limited run kits. Decals are offered for five varied schemes.
CONCLUSION
It is great to see some of Classic Airframes’ “classics” being re-released. This kit is intended for experienced modellers so additional time and effort is required. Even so, thanks to the injection-moulded clear parts and straightforward parts breakdown, the Blenheim IV should be within the capabilities of many readers looking for a challenge. Take your time, test fit, and you will have an attractive and well-detailed Blenheim on your shelf. Thanks to Classic Airframes and Hannants for the sample www.hannants.co.uk •
The clear parts are well presented.
Aircraft Edition
p29 preview - classic airframes blenheim mk iv 053.indd 29
29
30/07/2015 12:50
FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCH-BUILT FULL SIZED SPITFIRE MK.I INSTRUMENT PANEL.
SPITFIRE PANEL Maurizio Di Terlizzi creates a full-sized instrument panel of the iconic Spitfire Mk.I from scratch.
30
I
have always had a fascination and love for instrument panels of aircraft and helicopters, especially if they flew in wartime. All those hands, figures, indicators and gauges influenced my childhood mind and led me to my future job and hobby interest. An instrument panel is a vital part of an aircraft, the “front office” as the pilot says. It is the place where something is moving, where indicator goes and where information arrives for the attentive eyes of the crew. After having already built two panels, at the end of a complicated scratchbuilding project I decided that, with the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain approaching, I would create a Spitfire panel! In contrast to my previous panel from the Macchi C.202 Italian fighter, where finding original instruments was very difficult, the Royal Air Force vintage instruments are easily found on
eBay or via specialised websites. Among the many Marks of the Spitfire’s family, I chose the Mark I, the very first version of this immortal fighter plane, and the one that, along with the Hawker Hurricane, fought and won the Battle of Britain. It was time to find a panel, possibly made of aluminium, and ideally from a Mk I.
THE PANEL
I soon realised that finding original drawings wasn’t so easy. Some vendors sell original drawings on CDs, but most of them are a miscellanea of different Marks. The one I bought has a wonderful drawing for the Mk.II, a version that saw active service when the BoB was almost over. Examining the drawings, I discovered that Mk I had a different layout of instruments, more complex than the Mk.II and I was missing the “key” to read the original drawings, where titles indicating a specific Mark where
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 30
30/07/2015 12:55
1
2
3
4
5
1. Many parts had to be made from scratch using different methods. This plastic has been heat moulded. 2. The plunge-moulded plastic formed the basis of the undercarriage Up-Down indicator. 3. he base and the face have been brought together here, but there is lots more work to do. 4. I purchased a Mk.II panel, which was made of aluminium and already primed.5. All the modifications needed to become a Mk.I were drawn onto my panel. I then found a suitable sheet of 3 mm thick aluminium to make the Blind Flying Panel.
expressed as numbers. However, the Internet is a fantastic place to meet experts and historians, and doing so I came across Mr. Edgar Brooks, a man universally recognised as a real Spitfire expert. He patiently assisted me until the end of this difficult project and explained me that Mk.I drawings started with 30, while Mk.II started with 32. He also forwarded me a Mk.I drawing devoted to the Blind Flight Panel and a great deal of instrument information. The original drawings were continuously changed, amended and corrected due to the many Technical Prescriptions that altered the general layout. In that period, I also come across a stunning video filmed in BoB period, titled the “Daily Inspection of a Spitfire”. It was shot around and inside a real Mk.I Spitfire from 609 Sqn, that is being pre-flight checked by the crew in a very detailed way. The panel is clearly visible on many occasions so I decided to do THAT aircraft’s panel, avoiding errors and missing details that a “generic” Mk.I Spitfire cockpit might have had. On eBay, many vendors sell laser-cut aluminium Spitfire panels, but unfortunately all of them are for a Mk.II and miss the Blind Flying Panel. The price is low and so one of them landed at my
home in a sunny October day of 2013. I soon realized that the panel was primed (because of the crude aluminum material) and nicely cut. After a match with a Mk.I layout, I knew how many holes were missing, and how many cut-out, screw holes and opening I had to made. This was only the beginning.
CUTTING HOLES AND CREATING THE BLIND FLYING PANEL
I first drew all the modifications on my panel needed to became a Mk.I, then found a suitable sheet of 3 mm thick aluminium to make the Blind Flying Panel. Once I had traced its shape on a cardboard sheet, I started to cut the contours using a metal saw, while the holes where carefully cut using a vertical drill equipped with an adjustable circular hole drill that can be set at the desired radius measure. Cutting metal with such a bit is really dangerous. Two people are needed, and the possibility that this sharp devise comes out of the hole without control towards your hands while you’re holding the Blind Flying Panel could easily happen. Once the holes are done, all the angles and borders were treated first with a metal file, then
with a 320 grit sandpaper to smooth the crude metal. The results were very satisfying, thanks to the help of another panel-expert from the UK, Mr. Steve Rickards, who sent me all the exact measurements of the Blind Flying Panel, included the correct radius needed to realize the upper left corner. For this job, converting inches to millimetres was my primary task! The main panel also needed a lot of cutting and this is not easy as cutting plastic. Several switches, instruments and levers needed their place and these cuts were done quickly. I started by drawing all the shapes over the panel. Then, solely using a vertical drill and many metal bits, I started to make many close holes around the edges until the metal come off. The contours were then carefully filed and smoothed. No high-tech devices such as lathe or laser-cutting were used. This was very tough work. My arms and hands were aching so much in the evening that I had to quit working with the metal for a long time.
INSTRUMENTS
After finishing with the panel, I started my long quest to acquire the instruments, to copy their cases as usual. Luckily, although Spitfire Marks progressed,
Aircraft Edition
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 31
31
30/07/2015 12:55
FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCH-BUILT FULL SIZED SPITFIRE MK.I INSTRUMENT PANEL.
The panel stripped and drilled.
the most important instruments remained as in the Mk.I, at least in their exterior appearance. I saw that many modellers and Spitfire fans made their own panel using the Mk.II panel sold on eBay, and starting a sort of collection, buying genuine instruments one after the other, in a sort of “collect them all”. The problem is that each version had their owns instruments with a precise scale or limit. For example, the Airspeed Indicator for a Mk.I was a 400 MPH one, while eBay is full of ASI expressed in Knots or scaled in a different range…very similar but not the right ones. The price is low and so people buy these instead of the original ones. A genuine 400 MPH ASI can raise up to £300! So the choice is: to complete a genuine panel spending £10-15,000, or to be satisfied with “close enough”? I chose a third option: I would copy all the instrument housings in resin, then complete them with a computer generated faces featuring the correct ranges.
After finishing with the panel, I started my long quest to acquire the instruments, to copy their cases as usual.
‘I soon realised that finding original drawings wasn’t so easy.’
AN UNLUCKY SPITFIRE
The work of my great friend Gabriele Rossetti was invaluable during this phase. I began a long research of all the instrument limits, part numbers and ranges, then in co-operation with him started a long and complex drawing on his PC of every single face. After a long time, many efforts and hundreds of screenshots taken from the daily inspection film, we finally knew exactly what instruments were fitted to this unlucky Spitfire. Yes, unlucky, because I also traced the history of this particular Spitfire and its serial, R6692, was clearly visible in the film. It had a very short life because it made its first flight on 3 June 1940, then was assigned to 6 Maintenance Unit two days later (where probably the video was filmed), then went to its operative unit – 609 Sqn in front line service. On 7 June it was involved in the pursuit of a German Junkers Ju 88 but exceeded its structural limit and returned safely to base only to be written off! After two months of research, I had already bought all the instruments. Most of them were from the post-war period when many digits or limits were painted green; many were from wartime period but with different scales…the important thing was the all of them were with correct diameter and cases. I then begin a long, long work of disassemble all the instruments, clean
32
Creating the oxygen regulator indicators.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 32
03/08/2015 14:55
More holes have bee drilled into the panel to transform it into the more complex Mk.I version.
Scratch built wing nut.
Components of the Vertical Speed Indicator in progress.
White glue was used to mount the instrument bases.
One of the scratch-build instrument needles.
them up, make a cartoon box for each of them, and pour litres of casting silicon. How boring!
BLACK CASTINGS
After all the moulds were done (it took two months), I decided that instead of painting satin black all the coming resin cases, it was better to tint one of the two resin components with black, so to obtain black cases absolutely similar to the
original bakelite-made ones. The results were stunning. All the cases came out of the mould in a satin black colour very realistic. After a long casting period, all the parts where ready to be sanded in their back end and carefully measured in their inner diameter needed to realize faces and glasses. In these works friend Attilio joined me to help cutting glasses at a very precise diameters,
‘In acknowledgement of this year’s celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I would like to dedicate my work to “The Few” men and women that lost their lives during these difficult and terrible months, winning a decisive battle for the United Kingdom.’
Aircraft Edition
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 33
33
30/07/2015 12:56
FEATURE ARTICLE: SCRATCH-BUILT FULL SIZED SPITFIRE MK.I INSTRUMENT PANEL.
Domenico helped me cutting all the hands with his cutting-plotter, while Gabriele after several attempts, found a good photo-print that printed my 21 faces in a realistic matt paper with an excellent resolution. Watching and watching again the mentioned video, I noticed many unusual instruments or ranges. The altimeter used on R6692 was a very early one, along with the Dunlop brake gauge, while the panel also had a vacant hole in its upper left part where at the beginning a flap position indicator was fitted. This was soon removed and many early Mk.Is spitfires was flying with this large empty hole. Well, how large? After the long aluminium cutting session, I had to do another hole. I didn’t want to do that without a precise measurement and after a long stop in finishing the main panel, I came across the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar in Uk, that along with an amazing collection of airworthy Spitfires and Hurricane, have also a restoring hangar where the remains of P9372 (a very early MkI) are displayed. They also have the panel, so I contacted them asking for a precise measurement of the flap indicator gauge. Mr. Paul Campbell replied and kindly provided photos and measurements. This particular instrument when fitted was strangely secured by four screws with floating anchor nuts. My panel had to return to my workshop once gain for cutting the holes and add the four anchor nuts. Provided with all the holes, the bays and all the screw holes, my panel was carefully sanded and cleaned, ready for another primer painting. Two further stages of puttying and sanding and priming again were needed, but now it was perfect and ready for the definitive paint.
BLACK IS BLACK – OR IS IT?
I spotted that several panels from airworthy Mk.Is are finished in a strange red-brown colour, while Blind Flying Panel was is black. This intrigued me so much that I was beginning to think that the many rumours that Mk.Is might have had a synthetic panel made of Tufnol or SRBP (synthetic resin bonded paper as the later pilot’s seat) were true. The panel itself was decorated with much white writing and the original drawings said to fill them with white paint as they were engraved. This doesn’t match with the theory of a synthetic panel so, after long research, I discovered that only the late Mark panels were made of synthetic material, in which the writings were not etched but made on metal tags and placards. Mk Is had a metal panel and Paul at Biggin Hill confirmed this. The mistake were also fed by the fact that in wartime pictures, the main panel and the Blind Flying Panel shows different shades, even in black and white photos. This was clearly explained by Mr. Steve Rickards. He stated that main panel were painted by immersion in a galvanic bath resulting in a very dark gray that was very close to black, and that the Blind Flying Panel was simply painted flat black. I was excited to reproduce such slight difference and so opted for a custom-made rattle spray can made from a colour shop (asking for a toned down black), while the Blind Flying Panel was painted with a more common Tamiya flat black spray can. The results were perfect and the difference is slightly evident as in the wartime pictures. I wasn’t able to scribe or etch all the writing and considered that after all, once filled with white dense paint, the genuine one wasn’t so engraved in their final appearance, opted for a custom made decal sheet. I prepared the file after a careful re-watching of the inspection video and realize with my PC all the writings as they was…
34
Direction Indicator components in progress.
Top and Above: Undercarriage retraction switch.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 34
30/07/2015 12:56
Amp Indicator in progress.
The rear of the completed panel.
Fuel, oil and water indicators.
The Blind Flying Panel.
STARBOARD were shorten with ST’B’D and the correct flap speed of early MkIs were 140 and not 160 as soon was changed. My friend Claudio Canton realized for me a perfect decal sheet in white colour that slid perfectly in place: now my panel was beginning to look like a real panel. It only miss a stand, so I went to a metalworker that realized for me a custom bent square metal segment that was screwed to the rear panel. Provided with to “t” side stands, it will be later screwed to a wonderful wood stand.
BA Screws
The biggest problem before assembling the instruments was represented by the supply of the hundreds of screws and creating the instruments hands. It was almost impossible to read the very small writing on the original drawings, but the use of BA screws was evident. I found that the Air Ministry called for a complete set of British Associations screws, or BA screws, organized in non-metric measurements. After a long time I discovered what instruments were fitted with 2BA screws, what with 4BA and thanks to Internet, their size in millimetres. Impossible to find in Italy, I managed to buy them from UK retailers, complete with their nuts. They are perfect, although very slightly different from original Spitfire ones that had a further engraved circle on their head. The heads were a little nightmare for me because
they are divided into different names due to their shape. I therefore became confident with names such as cheesehead, mushroom, countersunk, panhead… another hidden world in this panel project.
Assembling the Instruments
At last, the best part of the work has arrived after so much studying, designing and filing. Building each instrument was easy and quick thanks to PVA glue and a material called Forex. The first was the glue I used to assemble the instruments. It is reliable, fast drying and even after months, allows the instrument to be disassembled without damage, just few drops of water and the finished instruments parts comes off without damages that can result from super glue or two-part epoxy. The instrument with an inner “floor” or a backplate, had their instrument faces glued directly onto them. For the others, where there wasn’t a floor or the surface wasn’t smooth enough, circles of Forex were used. This is a lightweight material made of plastic, a little sponge inside, sold in different thicknesses. I used an A3 format sheet of Forex 2,5 mm in thickness, cut with an Olfa sheet cutter in the desired diameter. It can be glued instantly and is so strong with super glue (due to its sponginess), but works perfectly with PVA glue. Next, the hand and tiny screws were fitted where required. I counted how many tiny screws I needed and found them in the only place such screws are
used: my Optician! When I left his shop with load of small slotted screws with a 2 mm diameter head, he wasn’t happy. I then cut the hands from 0,25 thick plasticard sheet, and added a suitably cut segment of steel rod on its length to avoid the bending of the hand after a long time; then a copper post hand was added. Turning the hand upside down, it was time to paint it. At that time, they were painted with a fluorescent paint that I reproduced by mixing a drop of yellow or a drop of Sky type S colour with thinned Flat White. After fitting the front glass and the hand in a 0,7 hole in the face’s centre, the instrument face and backplates were inserted from rear and secured with 4 drops of PVA glue. So I used a precise-cut forex circle to close from behind the instrument case. After the PVA glue had cured, a light spray of satin black completed the case.
The Hands of Time
The Time of Flight Clock and the ASI needed a different treatment. The first was manufactured in Switzerland by Jaeger Le Coultre, a brand that exists nowadays and was a very nice clock. On the Internet they have now a crazy price, around £300 and I didn’t want to buy one to make a resin copy. I preferred to make it from scratch, all in plastic. After a quick copy, I had the problem to replicate the hands that had a delicate heartshaped point, and are 5 in total. My friend
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 35
Aircraft Edition
35
03/08/2015 14:55
FEATURE ARTICLE: Scratch-Built Full Sized Spitfire Mk.I Instrument Panel.
Giampiero Galeotti, a skilled master modeler who produce scale models of ships, come to aid me drawing the 5 parts on his pc, and put them in a far corner of one of his photo-etched sheets that was going to be produced. I also add the hand of the ASI indicator, that was 90° bent at his three quarters, to allow the pilot a better and sharp indication of the traveling speed. The Chassis (as they called the landing gear at that time) Indicator deserves a few words too. It was a black box with lamps that indicate a green DOWN or a red UP to the pilot. He also had a sliding curtain that covered the two lights, allowing dimming during night flying. It is the rarest item for a Spitfire, a genuine one is sold at a high price. I soon realised that it has to be replicated from scratch, so I asked the Italian Air Force Museum’s help to get into the cockpit of their Mk.IX to take some measurements. After three days the master and its mould were ready.
Finishing Touches
The Boost instrument too, needs to spend a further word. After the first clashes with the Luftwaffe, RAF Spitfire pilots were not satisfied with the fact that they were allowed to reach a maximum boost indication of 6 and a half lbs per square inch. Rolls Royce tried to solve the problem and after some trials, decided the modifications of all the Merlin III engines that equipped the Mk I Spits. They made modification to the throttle, to the spark plugs, to fuel nozzles and allowed the use of 100 octane fuel. RAF pilots were now permitted to get a 12 lbs per squared inch, almost double! They soon achieved better performances and to avoid mistakes on the ground, a white “100 OCT” information was stencilled on the fuselage. It is clearly visible of the described video, but the evidence in the cockpit is that the boost indicator on-board R6692 was still the older 6.5 lbs one! In these early Mk.Is, the panel was designed to accommodate the very early large diameter boost indicator, soon replaced by the small diameter ones. The drawing states to fit the new one in the larger hole, using a “reduction” made of thick black rubber to fit the instruments and to avoid vibration problems. I did so, using a real thick rubber square, with a very original and convincing semi-gloss black colour. Last, but not least, was the starter button. Only Mk.Is were fitted with such a complicated pushbutton with flap and cover made by Rotax. It was a real problem to create it from scratch, but I made it using plasticard, forex segments, resin and a real spring to spring load the flap cover. The main part was an empty Microscale Micro Set liquid plastic bottle that, luckily, had the right diameter. With the panel firmly bolted to its curved pedestal, resplendent in its two-tone black finish, with white service writings, it was so nice to fit the instruments. I chose to finish it dividing the panel in 5 sectors: top, bottom, left side, right side and Blind Flying Panel just for the fun to see it taking shape in order. The last thing that I put in place was the compass correction card, created on my PC and printed on a cream-coloured cardboard. It has the correction steering bearing written in red on the right column. We Italians write the numbers in a very different way respect to the English, so I didn’t want to do by myself and waited until a friend that lives in UK was here on vacation with his kind English wife. She used my red ink-loaded fountain pen and wrote all the correction numbers in perfect English-style writing!
36
The long slot at the top of the panel is the location for the gun sight.
Electrical indicators at the top right of the panel.
Close up detail of the oxygen indicators.
Detail view of the two fuel gauges.
The full three-dimensional impact of the instruments and dials has been reproduced.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 36
30/07/2015 12:56
Above: The completed panel.
Detail views of a restored Spitfire Mk.I.
CONCLUSION
After all the last screws has been fixed, or the last detail has been put in place, only two details were missing. I turned the panel upside down and put a tiny drop of Loctite 222 threadlocker, a low resistant glue that secured all the nuts. Then, using a white paint marker pen, I wrote all the part number of each instruments, switch or device and lever in their back cases, as the RAF workshops did and just to remind all these complicated mess of letters and numbers that took me busy for months and months. 16…to be precise, was the time that
took me to finish this wonderful project off. In acknowledgement of this year’s celebration of the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain, I would like to dedicate my work to “The Few” men and women that lost their lives during these difficult and terrible months, winning a decisive battle for the United Kingdom. My sincere thanks goes to all the friends that helped me in completing this hard work and to my family, for supporting me and pretending not to see the panel lying in the living room table for so many months. •
Aircraft Edition
p30-37 feature article - spitfire instrument panel 053.indd 37
37
30/07/2015 12:56
KIT PREVIEW: TAMIYA 1:32 DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO FB MK.VI. • Kit No. 60326
WHAT’S THE BUZZ?
The Editor examines the kit contents of Tamiya’s beautiful new 1:32 scale Mosquito FB.VI, and offers some insights into construction
T
he de Havilland DH.98 Mosquito was a British multi-role combat aircraft with a two-man crew that served during and after the Second World War. It was one of few operational front-line aircraft of the era constructed almost entirely of wood and was nicknamed “The Wooden Wonder”. The Mosquito was also known affectionately as the “Mossie” to its crews. Originally conceived as an unarmed fast bomber, the Mosquito was adapted to roles including low to medium-altitude daytime tactical bomber, high-altitude night bomber, pathfinder, day or night fighter, fighter-bomber, intruder, maritime strike aircraft, and fast photo-reconnaissance aircraft. It was also used by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) as a fast transport to carry small high-value cargoes to, and from, neutral countries, through enemy-controlled airspace. A single passenger could be carried in the aircraft’s bomb bay, which was adapted for the purpose.
38
When the Mosquito began production in 1941, it was one of the fastest operational aircraft in the world. Entering widespread service in 1942, the Mosquito was a high-speed, high-altitude photoreconnaissance aircraft, continuing in this role throughout the war. From mid-1942 to mid-1943 Mosquito bombers flew high-speed, medium or low-altitude missions against factories, railways and other pinpoint targets in Germany and Germanoccupied Europe. From late 1943, Mosquito bombers were formed into the Light Night Strike Force and used as pathfinders for RAF Bomber Command’s heavy-bomber raids. They were also used as “nuisance” bombers, often dropping Blockbuster bombs - 4,000 lb (1,812 kg) “cookies” - in high-altitude, high-speed raids that German night fighters were almost powerless to intercept. As a night fighter, from mid-1942, the Mosquito intercepted Luftwaffe raids on the United Kingdom, notably defeating Operation Steinbock in 1944. Starting in July 1942, Mosquito night-fighter units raided Luftwaffe airfields. As part of 100 Group,
it was a night fighter and intruder supporting RAF Bomber Command’s heavy bombers and reduced bomber losses during 1944 and 1945. As a fighter-bomber in the Second Tactical Air Force, the Mosquito took part in “special raids”, such as the attack on Amiens Prison in early 1944, and in precision attacks against Gestapo or German intelligence and security forces. Second Tactical Air Force Mosquito supported the British Army during the 1944 Normandy Campaign. From 1943 Mosquito with RAF Coastal Command strike squadrons attacked Kriegsmarine U-boats (particularly in the 1943 Bay of Biscay, where significant numbers were sunk or damaged) and intercepting transport ship concentrations. The Mosquito flew with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and other air forces in the European, Mediterranean and Italian theatres. The Mosquito was also operated by the RAF in the South East Asian theatre, and by the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) based in the Halmaheras and Borneo during the Pacific War. *
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p38-43 preview - tamiya mosquito fb vi 053.indd 38
30/07/2015 12:59
THE MOSQUITO IN 1:32 SCALE
Revell released their 1:32 scale bomber variant, the Mosquito Mk.IV, way back in the 1960s. This model suffered from some serious shape problems, although it is inexpensive and is still regularly re-released. HK Models has just recently released their Mosquito Mk.IV, which is a vast improvement over the Revell kit in terms of detail, and also features some clever design elements. Tamiya’s Mosquito FB. Mk.VI is the first kit of this important fighter/bomber variant to be offered as mainstream 1:32 scale kit.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Please note that the sample under review is a series of test shots, so it may not represent the final kit in all respects. However, this sample is complete. Tamiya’s 1:32 scale Mosquito Mk.VI comprises 678 parts in grey injection-moulded plastic for the aircraft (including 38 parts not used), 25 parts in grey plastic for three crew figures, 42 parts in clear plastic (including 12 limited edition parts for the
initial export release), two photo-etched frets (22 parts not used), one self-adhesive masking sheet, small screwdriver, various metal screws, nuts, shafts and magnets, and two decal sheets with markings for three subjects. Surface detail is as fine as we have come to expect from Tamiya’s 1:32 scale releases. Being largely of wooden construction, surface features on the fuselage and wings are mostly hatches and access points. Metal areas such as the nacelles receive the usual gorgeous finely recessed panel lines and selective rivets - both recessed and raised. I think that the fabric detail on the tail control surfaces is Tamiya’s best yet - very subtle. The fuselage halves are each presented in four main parts. The separate forward halves strongly suggest that we will see different variants in the future. Cockpit detail is excellent straight from the box. The forward fuselage interior features a large number of raised circles. Please note that these are actual features of the Mosquito - they are
not ejector circles or moulding artefacts, so don’t remove them! The very detailed pilot’s seat and armour is made up from 19 plastic and photo-etched pieces, including Sutton harness, seat cushion and back cushion. Optional seated pilot and navigator figures are included. The rest of the cockpit and the sidewalls are packed with boxes, switches, quadrants and cabling. Tamiya has slightly revised, and in my opinion improved, the design of their instrument panel by using a photo-etched part for the panel face. This is thinner than the plastic parts used in the earlier kits, which in turn means that the clear lens layer is thinner too, which should reduce the “Mr Magoo” magnification effect on the underlying instruments. As with earlier Tamiya 1:32 scale kits, the instruments are printed in clusters onto the back of decals, so don’t worry that you can’t see the actual dials when the decals are still on their backing sheet.
Aircraft Edition
p38-43 preview - tamiya mosquito fb vi 053.indd 39
39
30/07/2015 12:59
KIT PREVIEW: TAMIYA 1:32 DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO FB MK.VI. • Kit No. 60326
Tamiya’s attractive box art.
The separate forward fuselage hints that we might see more variants in the future. We can only hope!
The smooth rear fuselage.
The separate nose gun cover.
The wings are an impressive piece of engineering.
Flaps may be posed raised or lowered.
40
The raised circles are not moulding artefacts. They represent the many wooden disks glued to the inside of the fuselage that were used to attach fittings.
Subtle surface texturing is present on the upper wing halves.
Fabric texture on the tail control surfaces is restrained and convincing.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p38-43 preview - tamiya mosquito fb vi 053.indd 40
30/07/2015 13:00
Optional wing tanks are offered.
The big main wheels are supplied in injection moulded plastic.
The treads are made up from small interlocking sections. Fear not though, as fit is perfect!
This model is covered in minute detail with hundreds of photos describing construction and painting plus hints and tips, historical background and walk around photographs in the new book, “How to Build Tamiya’s 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI”, available now from ADH Books www.adhbooks.com
Nicely detailed engine oil tanks are seen here. These will be fitted inside the main wheel wells.
‘Rather than rest on their laurels, Tamiya has managed to make incremental improvements this time around, including the photo-etched instrument panel face and the unique arrangement for the complex block tread tyres.’ Four 500 lb bombs are included.
The modeller is given the choice between needle props…
…or paddle blade propellers.
Aircraft Edition
p38-43 preview - tamiya mosquito fb vi 053.indd 41
41
30/07/2015 13:00
KIT PREVIEW: TAMIYA 1:32 DE HAVILLAND MOSQUITO FB MK.VI. • Kit No. 60326
The ultra thin, removable engine cowlings.
The jewel-like canopy.
Alternative parts are supplied for the standard lower cowl intake…
…or tropical.
The kit features substantial photo-etched content.
The main decal she
et with the three
marking options.
Additional clear parts include the optional canopy sides and instrument panel lenses.
‘The model really is a work of art, with the cockpit, the equipment bay and the canopy being the highlights for me.’ Initial export kits also have bonus sprues with clear cowling parts.
The nose gun bay is equally detailed, with four .303 machine guns and their ammo feeds. The fuselage also features central bulkheads and three options for displaying the highly detailed bomb bay - closed, half-open or fully open to reveal the Hispano gun bays and 500 lb bombs. The elevators may be posed in either the neutral or dropped position. Each pair of landing flaps are connected too, ensuring that they will be posed at the same angle. The ailerons are separate parts that are glued to the wings. I must say that I don’t miss the metal hinges and moveable control surfaces - this is much neater. Two fully detailed engines are supplied. It appears that the basic block and cylinder heads of the Merlin engines are the same as we have seen in the Spitfire and Mustang kits, but there is a world of difference by the time the unique supercharger, intercooler, oil tank, fittings, plumbing and mounts are installed. Once again, the Merlin engines are beautifully detailed assemblies and uncompromising in size
42
thanks to the scale-thin cowlings. These are held in place with miniature magnets, and may be removed to display the engine. Two styles of exhausts are included - exposed five stack and shrouded two stack. For the first time in any Mosquito kit, Tamiya also offers the choice of the standard short carburettor intake on the bottom cowl, or the longer tropical intake. Just like the real Mosquito, the wing, wheel wells and bomb bay are built around a stout wing spar box. To ensure the best possible fit and alignment, the wing spar is actually screwed to the bottom wing halves, creating a rigid, full span wing assembly. In addition to remarkably detailed wheel wells, Tamiya includes wing fuel tanks. The undercarriage is fabulous, with the main legs being assembled on a supplied jig. Once complete, the legs slide onto long locating pegs to guarantee a very strong connection and the correct angle. Oleo struts are moulded with compressed fabric covers. Hydraulic lines are supplied as separate parts. The bulged and flattened main wheels feature
characteristic block treads. These are supplied as injection-moulded plastic - no vinyl tyres here. In order to avoid a difficult to eliminate centreline seam, the tyres are cleverly moulded with interlocking block tread sections. This might be a frightening prospect if it was any other model company, but I am confident that the fit will be perfect and the result should be effective. Both needle blade and paddle blade propeller assemblies are supplied, along with two styles of spinner. Other options include conformal wing tanks and aerial mast. The canopy is provided with underlying plastic framework over which the clear part is placed. Separate bulged and flat side window options are offered. For the initial export release, Tamiya has included a limited edition set set of clear frosted cowlings so that the engines may be glimpsed even if the covers are in place. The crew entry door may be posed open
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p38-43 preview - tamiya mosquito fb vi 053.indd 42
30/07/2015 13:00
A separate busy decal sheet for stencils is also included.
This mask is from the test shot, but you’ll get the idea!
Three superb figures are also included – a seated pilot and navigator plus a pilot about to climb the entry ladder.
The Editor’s completed cockpit. This is a magnificently detailed front office.
The Merlin engines are a work of art too.
The weapons bay is packed full of plastic goodness!
or closed, and an optional boarding ladder is included. Tamiya has also included a third aircrew figure climbing the ladder. Detail of the multi-part figures is excellent, with natural facial features and realistic fabric drape. As usual, Tamiya has included a printed, selfadhesive masking sheet for the external canopy frames. You need to carefully cut these from the sheet yourself. Construction is called out over 105 steps. These are all clearly illustrated and feature additional notes where necessary. Options are clearly marked. A full parts summary and stencil marking guide are also provided.
MARKINGS
Markings are supplied for three aircraft: • EG-F, serial HX922 - 487 Squadron RNZAF, Hunsdon UK. This aircraft is finished in overall Medium Sea Grey with disruptive RAF Dark Green on the upper surfaces. • SM-A, serial LR303 - 305 (Polish) Squadron RAF,
Gun and engine bays on display.
Lasham UK, Spring 1944. This aircraft is finished in overall Medium Sea Grey with disruptive RAF Dark Green on the upper surfaces. • NA-Y, serial A52-518 - 1 Squadron RAAF, Labuan, Borneo, August 1945. Finished in overall Silver (paint). Extensive stencilling is supplied. Colours and printing look very good.
CONSTRUCTION
I built the model straight from the box with no additions or alterations. The model really is a work of art, with the cockpit, the equipment bay and the canopy being the highlights for me. In my opinion, this is Tamiya’s best 1:32 scale aircraft kit to date - just fabulous. Please note that the undercarriage legs, gear doors, equipment bay doors, wing tanks, exhaust shrouds, canopy, cowlings and gun bay cover are not glued in place in these photographs. This model is covered in minute detail with hundreds of photos describing construction and
painting plus hints and tips, historical background and walk around photographs in the new book, “How to Build Tamiya’s 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI”, available now from ADH Books www.adhbooks.com
CONCLUSION
Tamiya has raised the bar once again. Rather than rest on their laurels, Tamiya has managed to make incremental improvements this time around, including the photo-etched instrument panel face and the unique arrangement for the complex block tread tyres. Attention to detail is just fantastic too. This is an outstanding kit. If you have the slightest interest in the Mosquito, Tamiya’s new 1:32 scale kit will be an essential ornament to your modelling shelf. Thanks to Tamiya for the sample www.tamiya.com Tamiya kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited www.hobbyco.net •
Aircraft Edition
p38-43 preview - tamiya mosquito fb vi 053.indd 43
43
30/07/2015 13:00
KIT PREVIEW: SWORD 1:72 F9F-8P PHOTO-COUGAR. • Kit No. SW72087
PHOTO-COUGAR Sword’s latest in their 1:72 scale F9F family is the F9F-8P Photo-Cougar. Mark Davies takes a close look.
A
total of 110 F9F-8Ps were produced with an extensively modified nose carrying cameras. They were withdrawn after 1960 to reserve squadrons. In 1962, surviving F9F-6P and F9F-8P aircraft were re-designated RF-9F and RF-9J respectively. Sword’s 1:72 scale F9F-8P kit comes in an end-opening box with digital artwork on the front. The decals, plastic and resin parts come in a ziplock bag, with the clear parts and PE fret further enclosed in small bags of their own. The instructions provide a brief history of the aircraft, a parts map, and an easy to follow assembly format with well-drawn diagrams. Detail colour call-outs are given as generic colours in Czech and English, with all other text in English. The painting and decal guides use generally adequate black & white shaded drawings in the instructions, and colour profiles on the rear of the box. There is also a page covering stencilling placement. This is a typical Sword kit with nicely moulded parts, fine surface detail, and reasonably narrow sprue gates. There is a little flash in places, but this is easy to deal with. There are also quite a few prominent ejector stubs, fortunately in areas that cannot be seen. Some will require removal in order for parts to fit correctly; but again, this is easily done. Parts break down is conventional for the type. The clear canopy parts are clear and acceptably thin. The cockpit detail is very well catered for; with PE providing the instrument panel (with photo-foil), side consoles, seatbelts for the resin seat, throttle and other levers, and a canopy handle. The tub, bulkheads, rudder pedals and control column are all moulded in styrene. The instructional images below illustrate the good detail for this quite small area of the model: I noticed that the parts map drawing of the PE fret implies that the instrument panel, side consoles and seatbelts are coloured PE. This would be consistent with recent Sword practice, but instead the fret is plain brass. The surface detail is nicely done using fine engraved panel lines. I did notice a slight floor in the angled panel line between the nose and starboard air-intake, where the panel line was not fully scribed due mould The resin pilot’s seat. damage; but such things
44
can be par for the course with limited-run kits and are easily dealt with. Internal detail within the wheel wells and camera-bay are adequately catered for. The main undercarriage legs have solid torque-links, but much finer PE replacements are provided. Wing fences are nicely to scale as they are supplied as separate PE items, but these will need careful fixing to the wings. A turbine face and length of jet pipe are provided for the rear fuselage, and the air- intake ducting is nicely represented with plenty of depth going back into the wing roots. The clear parts are well done, and aside from the pilot’s two-piece canopy include the camera windows, wing root landing light, and wingtip navigation lights. There are a few small PE and plastic details to add, along with a nose boom and wing pitot. This latter item requires replacement. It is poorly moulded, and for some strange reason is flat on one side rather than being circular in section; it seems that the other side was never included in one half of the two-piece mould! Overall, I should think that this kit should be an enjoyable one to build, provided you accept that its limited-run nature may demand some fettling here and there.
Two marking schemes are offered.
Crisp panel lines.
MARKING OPTIONS
Techmod prints the decals, and these are well registered with what appears to be good opacity. I am sure they will prove to be excellent to apply based on my experience of this brand. The instructions provide two pages of fourview drawings with the national insignia and unit markings for each of the two schemes, with colour profiles on the box rear. The subjects covered are shown below:
Decals are in register and colours look good.
CONCLUSION
This is a very nicely executed kit of what is for me an interesting Cougar derivative. It is nicely detailed, especially so in the cockpit, and should be straightforward to build. The need to replace the wing pitot is but a minor issue. I highly recommend it. Thanks to Sword Models for this review sample http://swordmodels.cz/en/ •
The kit’s photo-etched fret adds more detail to the plastic parts.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p44 preview - sword f9f 8p 053.indd 44
30/07/2015 13:02
KIT PREVIEW: EDUARD 1:48 SIEMENS SCHUCKERT D.III. • Kit No. 8484
SESQUIPLANE FIGHTER Eduard has been quick to release the Weekend Edition of their 1:48 scale SSW D.III. Rob Baumgartner casts an eye over the contents.
E
duard’s Weekend Edition kits are budget releases of an earlier packaging. They utilise the plastic of the originals but omit such extras as photo-etched parts, resin, and masking material. To keep the price to a minimum, decal sheets are smaller and usually cater for a single aircraft. Inside the box are two sprues of dark grey plastic, a piece of acetate film and a generous serving of decals. The 78 parts are well moulded, with ejection pins being kept to areas that are hidden on the completed model. The detail is crisp and sharp with no obvious imperfections. However, closer inspection reveals that this is not your typical Eduard kit. Unfortunately some of this detail is less than subtle which leads one to believe that much of the work was done by a subcontractor. Subsequent revelations confirmed this. Overall, the dimensions compare favourably with Dick Bennett’s drawings in Albatros Productions’ Datafile #29. The elevator is a tad smaller than the one represented in the aforementioned publication and the angle of the wing struts also differ by a few degrees. Neither appear as major issues on the finished product. Construction starts with the cockpit and the 30+ parts really give it a pleasingly “busy” appearance. It’s important to test fit everything before committing any glue as some of the internal “woodwork” can be a little sloppy in the fit department. The wings are both single piece affairs which greatly eases assembly. The trailing edges are commendably thin and the separate ailerons, elevator and rudder are a welcome feature. Sadly most of the flying surfaces suffer from exaggerated rib tape stitching. This anomaly has to be sanded down. Not even a heavy handed coat of paint or the judicious application of “lozenge” decals will hide these pillars of strength. Another problem is the engine. The cylinder cooling fins are very poorly done and it comes as no surprise that Eduard have released a resin replacement. The only saving grace is that a lot of the engine is hidden by the cowling, spinner and 4-bladed propeller. The vents under the forward part of the fuselage are opened up which is a nice touch. To customise the machine, there’s a flare rack,
headrest, and a couple of windscreens. The instruction booklet includes a rigging diagram and overall the kit is a very quick and easy build.
MARKINGS
Usually a “Weekend Edition” release gives you markings for a single aircraft. In this case we are given the choice of 2 options. • SSW D.III, flown by Ltn. Vallendor of Jasta 15, July 1918 • SSW D.III, serial 1611/18, flown by Kessler of Kest 4b The decals sheets are printed with perfect colour registration and a minimum of carrier film. As well as the national and personal markings, there are logos for the propeller and dials for the instrument faces. WWI colours are always a contentious issue. Eduard has supplied their version of “lozenge” and it appears that they have gone for a “scalecolour” look. They are cookie-cut for easy application and those on the upper wing exhibit
the bolts at the accepted 45 degrees. Interestingly, all of the rib tapes are separate and were not incorporated into the overall design. The struts are not forgotten as patterned decals take care of these as well.
CONCLUSION
The popularity of this pugnacious little scout far outweighs its contribution to The Great War. Eduard’s first incarnation was in 1995 and when they announced that a new tooling was in the works, modellers were excited. The result is a kit that is much easier to assemble, has sharper detail, and takes advantage of the latest moulding technology. Despite the above, the release comes across as an opportunity missed. To bring it up to scratch, there is a lot of over scale detailing to remove. It’s not difficult but it is time consuming. However, when done, the kit will produce an accurate rendition of the original Thanks to Eduard for the sample www.eduard.cz • Far left: The kit contains the same plastic parts as the ProfiPACK offering from earlier this year. Centre: Lozenge and fabric strip decals are included too. Left: Eduard includes a bonus second scheme in this Weekend Edition.
Aircraft Edition
p45 preview - eduard ssw weekend edition 053.indd 45
45
30/07/2015 13:21
FEATURE ARTICLE: WINGNUT WINGS 1:32 SOPWITH SNIPE EARLY. • Kit No. 32020
BARKERVC Part One - Barker’s Snipe
46
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p46-51 feature article - wnw snipe 053.indd 46
30/07/2015 13:08
C
Gary Edmundson examines two very different aircraft flown by Canadian Victoria Cross winner William Barker. In this first instalment, Gary builds Wingnut Wings’ 1:32 scale Sopwith Snipe.
A
fter reading the book Barker VC by Wayne Ralph, I was inspired to build a couple of aircraft flown by Canadian ace and Victoria Cross winner William Barker. Credited with 50 victories during WWI, Barker was the most decorated Canadian serviceman. During his last action of the 1914-1918 conflict, Barker flew a Sopwith Snipe and tangled with several large formations of enemy aircraft. Being wounded several times during the encounter, he was given credit for destroying four German aircraft during the melee. Awarded the VC for his efforts, the fuselage of his crash-landed Snipe was shipped to Canada and sits in the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. After the war following months of recovery, Barker continued his involvement in aviation even flying war trophy Fokker D.VIIs. He was killed in 1930 test flying a Fairchild FR-21 at the Rockcliffe airport in Ottawa. Wingnut Wings 1:32 Sopwith Snipe Early kit no. 32020 was used to replicate Barker’s Snipe serial E8102. Although the instruction booklet has a wealth of reference, the Vintage Aviator website http://thevintageaviator.co.nz/projects/ aircraft/sopwith-snipe/sopwith-snipe-walkaround has a complete walkaround photo montage of an accurate replica constructed around an original Bentley BR.2 engine.
ENGINE
The kit’s Bentley engine was enhanced using some thin copper wire to make ignition wires. References showed these ignition wires routed from the spark plugs to small conduits at the rear of the motor. These conduits were made using small brass tubing, but ended up being sliced off the finished assembly when I discovered that the space and tolerance didn’t allow for proper fit under the cowling. After airbrushing the assembly with Alclad gloss black primer, it was sprayed with Alclad II Duraluminum. After detailed washes of black and raw umber oil paints, the spark plug and brass bushings were picked out using gold enamel and Vallejo acrylics.
FUSELAGE INTERIOR
The cockpit framing and instrument panel required a wood-grain finish, and were airbrushed a light sandy tan using Tamiya’s XF-79 Desert Sand, and then gloss coated with Future floor acrylic. A mixture of raw umber and burnt sienna oil paints diluted with mineral spirit was brushed onto the glossy surface providing a brownish streaked effect resembling wood-grain. This was then airbrushed with Future floor acrylic to protect the surface and
prepare the instrument panel for the decals. A thin piece of white decal film was used to make the background for the fuel level gauge. The various other interior components were primed with decanted paint from a spray-can of Tamiya’s lacquer based grey. Vallejo acrylics were used for a large majority of the interior components, and they don’t adhere well to bare plastic. Testor’s enamel copper has a fine pigment to it, and was used for some of the various lengths of tubing. The control column had fine copper wire wrapped around the grip, and also ran down the length for impulse lines to the Vickers guns. Both machine guns were detailed with the photo etched parts supplied with the kit, and blobs of white glue were added to fatten up the cocking handles. The internal rigging and control lines were run using black stretchy thread called EZ-Line, a model railroad accessory that has come in quite handy for modellers of WWI aircraft. I chose the later-style safety belts from the selection of photoetched parts, which were annealed, primed, and painted with a light buff mix of Vallejo acrylics. To enhance the detail on the belts, they were treated to a light wash of dark brown oil paints, as were all of the components of the interior. Construction of the interior went flawlessly, and test-fitting with the fuselage halves allowed for a wellaligned subassembly prior to attaching the wings.
PAINTING THE EXTERIOR
For the PC-10 upper surface camouflage colour I used a mix of XF-10 Flat Brown with XF-62 Olive Drab at about a 50:50 ratio. The colour becomes a non-descript greenish brown that appears more brown in photos than its greenish look in person. The painting instructions explain that the upper surface PC10 could vary in appearance between these two colours depending on age and weathering. The lower surface Clear Doped Linen (or CDL) was painted on using a mix of Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan and XF-57 Buff. Service Grey as called out in the instruction’s paint guide was Tamiya’s XF-82 Ocean Grey. Period photos of Barker’s aircraft show the cowling and cockpit combing were grey in colour. Although these parts are now green in Ottawa, it’s assumed that at some point it was repainted. To enhance the rib structure effect on the model, I painted the upper and lower wing surfaces using a couple of different techniques. For the lower surfaces, I wanted the shadow of the ribs showing through the Clear Doped Linen to appear darker, and on the upper surfaces I
Aircraft Edition
p46-51 feature article - wnw snipe 053.indd 47
47
30/07/2015 13:08
FEATURE ARTICLE: WINGNUT WINGS 1:32 SOPWITH SNIPE EARLY. • Kit No. 32020
The kit’s Bentley BR.2 engine was enhanced with ignition cables made from thin copper wire
Conduits for the ignition wires were made as per references, but later had to be altered to allow proper fit of the engine to the fuselage.
The engine was painted with Alclad II Duraluminum lacquer, and detailed with oil paint washes.
Copper wire was wrapped around the grip of the control column, and used for the MG impulse lines.
The interior of the fuselage was detailed with Alclad II lacquer, woodgrain from oil paints, and Tamiya acrylics for the clear doped linen.
The decals provided for the instrument faces and nameplates mounted on the panel are finely detailed indeed.
chose the lighter appearance. After priming the wings and horizontal stabilizer, the lower surfaces had dark brown airbrushed onto the rib and spar lines. After masking the lines with strips of 1mm Tamiya masking tape, a dilute light buff mixture CDL was airbrushed on. After the first light coat, the tape was removed from the spar lines, and then a further light coat of the CDL colour was applied. The tape was then removed from the rib and edges, and a final coat of CDL was airbrushed on to soften the lines appropriately. The result was a transparent effect on the lower surfaces allowing the structure to show through. The opposite technique was used on the upper surfaces of the wings and control surfaces. By first masking the rib detail with 1mm strips of tape on the light grey primer, black XF-1 Tamiya acrylic
48
‘After reading the book Barker VC by Wayne Ralph, I was inspired to build a couple of aircraft flown by Canadian ace and Victoria Cross winner William Barker.’
lines were airbrushed over top. After removing the tape, PC-10 camouflage colour was then airbrushed on leaving the subtle appearance of the wings inner framework.
FUSELAGE & MARKINGS
Although I had acquired an excellent decal sheet from Pheon Decals sheet 32044 Barker’s Snipe and Canadian Fokkers, I wanted to paint the fuselage stripes on myself. The effort to mask the five stripes and spray them off-white seemed less of a risk than using a big decal and having it silver. After masking the stripes I sprayed on a thin coat of Future gloss to seal the edges, then laid down a dilute mix of XF-2 Flat White toned down with a touch of XF-55 deck tan. All exterior surfaces were airbrushed with Tamiya X-22 Clear Gloss in preparation for the
decals, weathering, and an eventual overall satin appearance. The kit decals were used throughout the finishing of the model. Barker’s serial number of E8102 was made by simply modifying two of the serial panels supplied in the kit. Microsol was used sparingly, since experience has shown me that the Wingnut Wings decals can be quite sensitive to setting solutions, and the use of the stronger brand “Solvaset” could be disastrous.
WING ASSEMBLY
Rigging attachment points in the wings and control surfaces were drilled deeper with a #80 bit. Fine copper wire was wrapped around the shaft of a #80 bit, twisted, and then snipped off with a small stem that was glued into each point. These loops would allow for the EZ-Line rigging
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p46-51 feature article - wnw snipe 053.indd 48
30/07/2015 13:08
MODELSPEC Wingnut Wings 1:32 Sopwith Snipe Early. Kit No. 32020 Accessories Used: EZ Line Rigging Line Fine Charcoal RB Productions etched brass turnbuckle RB-P32023 Tools and Materials Used:
EZ-Line stretchy thread was used for rigging the structure of the cockpit and control cables
Fit of the cockpit and components subassembly was superb.
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:
Machine guns were painted semi-gloss black and drybrushed with silver enamel that had been toned down with raw umber oil paint.
The underside of the main wings was painted to have the rib and spar detail show through as a dark brown.
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 Mineral Spirit thinner References: Wingnut Wings website, (www.wingnutwings.com). The Vintage Aviator website (www.thevintageaviator.co.nz) Superb detail; excellent fit.
To give the upper surfaces of the wings some rib definition, black lines were airbrushed over thin tape.
Once the tape is removed, the upper rib detail is established to be painted over with misting coats of the PC-10 colour.
Nothing worth mentioning. RATING: 9.5 out of 10
The fuselage was masked with Tamiya’s tape, after which a thin layer of Future gloss acrylic was sprayed on to seal the edges. This prevented “paint creep” when airbrushing the off-white stripes.
Wingnut Wings kits are available online from their website www.wingnutwings.com
the attachment points and inserted stiff copper wire using cyano glue. Disaster was averted later when trying to press a bubble from one of the upper wing roundels. Because I’d applied too much pressure, the outer wings struts buckled! After bending them the opposite direction, all seemed back to proper alignment and I backed away very slowly.
DETAILS to be threaded through, pulled tight, and then secured with cyano glue. Leaving the wheel and tail assemblies off to ease the rigging process, the lower and upper wings were attached to the model. Once the lower wing was attached (again – due to the
kit’s engineering it aligned beautifully) the wing struts were glued into position. With the glue still setting, the top wing was placed into position and it fit into position like a glove. I have never had a biplane’s upper wing position itself so well. To give the ailerons some strength, I drilled holes into
Rigging was done using the black EZ-Line thread and 2mm sections of 0.5mm brass tubing to emulate the small turnbuckles. Tension was placed on the lines by hanging copper soldering clips to allow a certain amount of pull, and also to line up the turnbuckle with the direction of the rigging. A fine piece of copper wire was used to apply tiny amounts of cyano glue to secure the joints.
Aircraft Edition
p46-51 feature article - wnw snipe 053.indd 49
49
30/07/2015 13:09
FEATURE ARTICLE: WINGNUT WINGS 1:32 SOPWITH SNIPE EARLY. • Kit No. 32020
Barker’s distinctive “devil” gunsight was made by twisting five strands of thin copper wire into shape.
The gun sight was thickened up by applying a few coats of Mr. Surfacer.
The upper wing featured some unique rigging, and a RB photo-etched turnbuckle was used to join the line in the leading edge.
2mm sections of brass tubing were used to emulate the rigging turnbuckles, demonstrated here on the tail section. They were later painted dark grey and highlighted with a drybrushing of metalizer.
Prior to adding the wings, the weathering process was started by added oil stains using thinned dark oil paint.
The propeller was given a laminated wooden center with a woodgrain finish, after which Tamiya’s XF-82 Ocean Grey and XF-1 Black were used to finished the outer parts of the blades.
Tyres were painted a very dark grey and drybrushed with Humbrol’s Dark Earth enamel.
The model received an over-spray of Vallejo’s Matt Medium thinned with tap water.
Forward-facing parts of the model were weathered with small paint chips using Vallejo’s Black Grey.
50
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p46-51 feature article - wnw snipe 053.indd 50
30/07/2015 13:09
The Aldis gun sight was a tricky item to cement into place, passing through the wind screen and held in place by a delicate bracket attached to the upper wing.
The underside of the model was treated to a heavy amount of oil stains coming from the engine area and all the way back to the tail-plane.
The markings received a diluted overspray of the base colour to blend their appearance with the model.
‘The inevitable feeling that I have after completing of the WnW kits is that I look forward to building my next’ The Vintage Aviator walkaround photos were invaluable in researching where exactly the rigging attachment points were. The fuel pump venturi (mounted on the right front fuselage strut) had the ends opened up with a mini-drill. A small brace made from the centre of a photo-etched gun sight was glued into the inlet. Very tricky to attach was the Aldis gun sight that poked through the windscreen. With the model inverted and dabs of styrene glue sitting on the attachment points, the sight didn’t seem to want to make contact to the mount fastened to the top wing. After making a couple of very weak joints front and back, it was beefed up once dry with a couple of strong blobs of white glue. One feature of Barker’s aircraft was the small “devil“ figure he used as a gunsight, visible in a wartime photo of him standing with his Sopwith Camel. To feature it on this model, I made a tiny replica by twisting five strands of fine copper wire into an indicative shape, and bulked it up by adding a few coats of Mr. Surfacer. After painting
it a dull red, it was the last detail added to the kit on the end of the right hand Vickers machine gun.
WEATHERING
As mentioned previously, most components were treated to a light wash of Winsor & Newton Series 1 brown and black oil paints. Very noticeable in period photos and also pictures of the flying replica, these aircraft displayed a lot of staining due to the oil thrown back from the engine. Thinned oil paint was used to simulate these stains bleeding from the joints in the engine cowling, and especially the lower extremes of the fuselage. Staining was quite evident on the lower wing roots of Barker’s Snipe as it was photographed soon after his last flight and the aircraft was partially inverted. Tamiya’s X-19 Smoke was also thinned down and airbrushed onto the oil stained areas of the underside. A heavily diluted mix of the base colours was airbrushed onto the appropriate roundels and fin flash to take out the brightness of these
markings, and blend them into the overall appearance of the model. 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 leave a satin finish.
CONCLUSION
Wingnut Wings’ release of the Early Snipe was a pleasure to build and the engineering of the kit allows for an accurately detailed replica. The instruction booklets that come with this series of kits are a dream-come-true for modellers, providing reference images from both period and existing examples. The inevitable feeling that I have after completing of the WnW kits is that I look forward to building my next! •
Aircraft Edition
p46-51 feature article - wnw snipe 053.indd 51
51
30/07/2015 13:09
FEATURE ARTICLE: HASEGAWA 1:32 FOCKE-WULF FW 190 D-9. • Kit No. 8069
LANGNASEN
Tony Bell adds a stack of aftermarket to Hasegawa’s 1:32 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9.
52
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 52
30/07/2015 13:11
Eagle Editions’ jewel-like resin cockpit takes shape.
Hasegawa accurately depicts the open bottom end of the engine with a clever plug.
Eagle Editions’ upper sidewall detail, glued direct to the inside of the Hasegawa fuselage halves.
W
ho would have thought that stuffing a liquid-cooled V-12 bomber engine into an airframe originally designed around an air cooled radial engine would result in one of the best piston engine fighters of WWII? Concerns over the American B-29 Superfortress and the poor high altitude performance of the radial BMW-801 that powered the –A and –F series 190s spurred development of the “longnose” (“langnasen”) Fw-190D. Powered by the 1,726 h.p. Junkers Jumo 213A, the “Dora-9” was an interim, stopgap measure until production of the Ta 152 could get underway. The Fw 190 D-9 entered service in October 1944 and immediately proved itself more than a match for the best contemporary Allied fighters such as the P-51D and Spitfire Mk.XIV.
HASEGAWA’S 1:32 SCALE DORA
Released in early 2003, the Fw 190 D-9 was Hasegawa’s second new large-scale subject, following on the heels of their Bf-109 series in 2001 and 2002. Moulded in somewhat hard light grey styrene, the kit features very petite panel line and fastener surface detail and a fairly simple, but adequate cockpit. My example exhibited shallow sink marks in a number of locations, most notably on the upper and lower wings, as well as the separate flaps. The aft portion of the Jumo power plant is represented by a nicely detailed subassembly that is visible through the wheel wells, a feature that had been conspicuously absent from previous D-9 releases in this and other scales. Options are provided for both the early flat and later “blown” styles of canopies, as well as open and closed
cooling flaps. The landing flaps are provided as separate parts, allowing them to be posed in the lowered position. The tail is provided as a separate assembly, which has allowed for the production of the wide chord tail for the D-13 as boxed by Revell. There are a couple of minor accuracy issues that need not necessarily be addressed by the modeller, as they’re not very noticeable. The first is the overly pronounced “cleavage” between the fuselage gun bulges ahead of the cockpit. Next is the angle of the landing flaps which, as moulded, have them hanging almost 90° to the wing chord. Finally, the shape of the radiator cowl lip is a teeny bit off, being a little blunt. The flaps may be addressed by gently bending the mounting tabs to the correct angle and then fixing their new position with superglue. The other issues can be taken care of with aftermarket parts...
AFTERMARKET BITS
In the five years that this kit has been on the market, a significant number of aftermarket enhancements have been made available from several manufacturers. • Aires: Resin cockpit (32010), wheel wells (32020), full engine (23019), wing root gun bays (32025) • Eagle Editions: Resin cockpit (EP#40-32), 3- and 5-panel gun covers (EP#42-32 and EP#41-32, respectively), tail wheel and yoke (EP#44-32), early main wheels with treads (EP#48-32), radiator cowl (EP#43-32), cigar-shaped drop tank (EP#58-32), wooden flaps (EP#59-32) • Cutting Edge: Resin cockpit (CEC32032), • MDC: Resin cockpit (CV32026), exhaust stubs
Individual dial decals were punched using a Waldron punch and die set.
(CV32028), main and tail wheels (CV32028) • Quickboost: Exhaust stubs (QB32 012), control column (QB32 025), canon and MG barrels (QB32 027) • Eduard: Photo-etched access hatches and scribing templates (32104), “Zoom” instrument panel (33004), interior details (32099), exterior details (32100), landing flaps (32101) With this embarrassment of riches, I opted to supplement my kit the Eagle Editions cockpit, gun cover and radiator cowl and the MDC wheels set. In addition to this, my kit was one of the initial batch sold in North America and as such also included a small brass photo-etched fret.
COCKPIT
The first thing that I did was to tuck into the Eagle Editions cockpit. This is a little kit in its own right and looks great when painted up. I started by airbrushing the main parts with Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey mixed with about 20% X-22 Clear and thinned with rubbing alcohol. I then applied a sort-of-wash consisting of Future floor polish mixed with a few drops of India Ink. The advantage of this kind of wash is that it looks exactly the same when it dries as it does when it has just been applied (i.e. no tide marks). The disadvantage is that, once dry, the excess can’t be removed. You have to get it right the first time. After the (sort-of) wash dried, I airbrushed a coat of Polly Scale Flat Clear thinned with Tamiya X-20A thinner, followed by a dry-brushing of medium grey oil paints mixed from Payne’s Grey and Titanium White. I always buy the artists’ grade oil paints (as opposed to students’ grade) because of their finer pigmentation. They are more
Aircraft Edition
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 53
53
30/07/2015 13:11
FEATURE ARTICLE: HASEGAWA 1:32 FOCKE-WULF FW 190 D-9. • Kit No. 8069
These look great on the painted resin instrument panel.
The wing spars were clamped in place while the glue set.
Micro-detail – the resin and clear plastic REVI gunsight.
The fuselage, assembled.
expensive, but a large tube will last a lifetime. I brush painted the details with various different colours of Citadel acrylic paints, using Tamiya thinner to get the flow control just right. Next up were chips and scratches applied with a Prismacolor silver coloured pencil sharpened to a fine point. The trick here is to tap the model with the pencil to build up the scratches and scuffs and avoid it looking as if they were drawn on. To give the cockpit a little more depth, I airbrushed the recesses with Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black thinned 95% with rubbing alcohol. Actually, what I do is half-fill my airbrush cup with clean alcohol, dip a paintbrush in the black paint and clean it in the cup. The resultant mixture is then sprayed at about 12 psi (83 bar). Cockpits tend to accumulate quite a bit of dirt and dust, and there is no better way to simulate this than with MIG Pigments. I concocted a grubby looking mixture from roughly equal portions of European Dust, Beach Sand and Russian Earth to which I added water and a touch of dish soap to create a runny slurry. I brushed this into the nooks & crannies, let it dry and then removed the excess with a dry, stiff paintbrush and a damp Q-tip (a.k.a. cotton bud).
54
The RLM 70 Black Green propeller assembly is broken up by some chipping on the nose.
The canopy was masked using Black Magic masks.
‘The Fw 190 D-9 entered service in October 1944 and immediately proved itself more than a match for the best contemporary Allied fighters such as the P-51D and Spitfire Mk.XIV.’ To simulate the leather look of the seat cushion, I picked a random shade of tan enamel, painted the cushion and let it dry. Dry-to-the-touch is fine; you don’t have to let it cure. Then I placed a few dabs of Citadel Chaos Black, Blood Red and Scorched Brown onto a film canister lid and, with a fine brush and some soapy water, applied several thin, uneven, watery coats of various shades of brown ranging from red-brown to almost black, allowing each coat to dry before moving on to the next. The result was a nice leathery patina which I finished off with a clear coat of Humbrol satin applied with a brush. Eagle Editions provide the seat harness buckles and hardware as photo-etched parts, but no mention is made in the instructions as to how to thread them. I turned to Eduard and their colouretch set of Luftwaffe seat belts, No. 32507. The webbing provided was too stiff for my tastes so I replaced it with strips cut from heavy aluminium furnace tape. I primed and painted the tape and threaded the buckles, a fiddly exercise that tried my patience and tested my eyesight. The paint flaked off in places and had to be touched up once the belts were in place. Next time I will rough up the tape with some fine sandpaper to
provide some tooth to improve the paint adhesion. Before gluing the cockpit sidewalls to the insides of the fuselage halves, it is first necessary to remove the existing detail and thin the fuselage sides to about 0.040”. I used a Dremel tool and sandpaper to accomplish this, attaching the resin with five minute epoxy in order to give me enough time to adjust the position.
WHEEL WELLS AND ENGINE
This kit is unique in that it is the only Dora that accurately provides the rear portion of the Jumo engine that is visible through the wheel wells. A separate plug that is inserted into the fuselage, the engine is cleverly designed with relatively few parts, yet results in a nicely busy looking assembly. I enhanced this busyness with some additional wiring using black insulated electronics wiring in order to avoid having to paint it. I painted the various bits & pieces with Polly Scale RLM02 and several different shades of Alclad aluminium and steel. I applied a dark wash to the recesses and imparted a greasy, grimy look with several spattered shades of greyish brown Citadel acrylics, thinned with water. I spattered the engine by using my airbrush to blast an old
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 54
30/07/2015 13:12
“Rosie the Riveter”, a pounce wheel with a tooth pitch of approximately 1mm, was used to add rivet detail.
The extra effort spent adding rivet detail is well worthwhile.
Port side console detail and the instrument panel may be seen clearly here.
Fine wire has been added to the main landing gear legs to represent hydraulic lines.
The engine plug seated in the fuselage. This will be visible through the front of the wheel well.
Electrical cable has been added to the retraction struts.
paintbrush loaded with the thinned paint. Different patterns were achieved by varying the distance to the model and the distance of the airbrush to the paintbrush. The wheel wells were painted RLM02 and weathered in a similar manner. The landing gear legs were detailed with some yellow car model detailing wire and little punched discs of 0.010” styrene on the oleo strut hinges. The spring on the retraction motor locking arm was fabricated from coil of fine solder painted red. The flexible resin provided by MDC for the brake lines was pretty springy and didn’t hold its shape very well, so I substituted a piece of solder instead. I rolled the solder back and forth on a mill file to texture it, painted it a very dark brown, bent it to shape and attached it with superglue. The rigid metal portion of the brake line is unpainted solder. I airbrushed the hubs of the MDC resin main wheels gloss black (Tamiya TS spray lacquer, decanted), and picked out the details with Floquil “Bright Silver” and a fine brush. I then brush painted the tires with a dark brownish grey colour mixed from Citadel acrylics (Chaos Black, Skull White and Vermin Brown) thinned with a bit of Tamiya X-20A thinner.
The landing gear components were painted prior to final assembly.
The tail wheel is a simple but effective unit.
When all was dry, I dusted each wheel liberally with MIG Pigments European Dust and then smeared Smoke Black around the tread with my finger to darken it. I then airbrushed straight water to fix the MIGs to fix them in place. Next I took a clean, dry, stiff brush and started to remove some of the MIGs from the hub. Finally I mixed some “European Dust” and water and painted radial streaks on the tire, softening the effect with a stiff brush after it had dried. Although this sounds like a lot of effort just for tires, but it’s not as time consuming as it may seem. With the lacquer and acrylic paints, I was able to move on to the next step as soon as they were dry to the touch.
FUSELAGE AND WINGS
The large cockpit opening permits plenty of detail to be viewed even after the fuselage halves have been sealed.
Immediately before buttoning up the fuselage I carefully removed the instrument hood and the part of the fuselage in the immediate vicinity of the forward canopy. This is replaced by a resin piece provided as part of the Eagle Editions cockpit. At this point I was ready to close up the fuselage and assemble the wings. Hasegawa provides the tail as a separate unit in order to allow the big tailed variants to be kitted. I
The main wheels were glued on using five minute epoxy, then set to the correct angle with a plastic jig as the adhesive set.
attached the tail pieces to each fuselage half with liquid cement and allowed them to dry thoroughly before joining the fuselage with liquid cement. Once it had dried for several days I cleaned up the seams with files and sandpaper. The Fw190 has a panel line running along the top of the fuselage, which I scribed using my JLC razor saw guided by a piece of Dymo labelling tape. The Dora fuselage extension plug also has a seam running along the top and bottom, slightly offset from the fuselage seam. This too was scribed. The diameter of the Eagle Editions cowl was about 1.5mm smaller than the kit part. I tried to address the issue by adjusting the closed cowl flaps, but this caused other fit problems, so I abandoned the replacement cowl and reverted to the kit part. Fortunately the kit provides an alternate set of open cowl flaps, the edges of which I thinned using my Dremel tool (carefully now, careful…). I painted the radiator silver and enhanced the detail with a black wash. I added actuators from 0.020” (0.5mm) styrene rod, drilling a hole through each flap, securing the length of rod with superglue and then trimming and sanding it flush. The wings were marred by several shallow sink
Aircraft Edition
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 55
55
30/07/2015 13:12
FEATURE ARTICLE: HASEGAWA 1:32 FOCKE-WULF FW 190 D-9. • Kit No. 8069
The masks for “| | >” on the fuselage sides were applied by lifting them off the backing paper and transferring them to the model. I then peeled away the middle portions of the masks, leaving just the thin outlines in place. I airbrushed the black centres and covered them up again with the masks, sealing the seams between the different bits of mask with liquid masking medium to ensure that no paint would seep through.
Far Left: The model was pre-shaded by airbrushing Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss Black along panel lines and in areas of deep shadow.
Left: The model was then painted using Gunze H69 for the RLM75 Grey Violet, while the RLM76 Light Blue, and RLM83 Dark Green were mixed from Tamiya paints.
marks, both the top and bottom. I brushed these with Mr. Surfacer 500 and sanded them smooth. There are separate inserts for the lower surfaces that need some care to align properly which I attached with superglue and partially filled the panel lines with Mr. Surfacer 1000. After it had dried, I wiped away the excess Mr. Surfacer with rubbing alcohol, leaving panel lines that were consistent with the rest of the wing. I joined the trailing edges of the wings, brushing the mating surfaces with a mixture of tube and liquid glue. This gave me time to align the upper and lower halves before joining the leading edges with superglue. I removed the excess superglue using “Super Solvent” brand CA remover, which is alcohol based and will not attack styrene (it also makes an excellent Mr. Surfacer remover). I sanded the leading edges smooth, rescribed the panel lines and also enlarged the canon barrel apertures and inserted short lengths of styrene tubing that were cemented in place and sanded flush. Test fitting the wings and fuselage, I discovered that I had ever-so-slightly misaligned the upper right wing, making it necessary to force-fit the join
56
at the root. So tight are the tolerances in this kit that a fraction of a degree of misalignment can cause fit issues elsewhere. Fortunately I was able to adjust the fit at the wing root to minimize the filler required later on. With the wings and horizontal stabilizers still separate from the fuselage, it was time to apply the rivets. I could have used a jeweller’s beading tool to emboss each individual rivet as a tiny, circular impression, and this would have been appropriate given the scale. However I am far too lazy for this. Rolling them on with pounce wheel is tedious enough; can you imagine doing thousands upon thousands of rivets one-by-one? Not wanting to suck every last ounce of fun from the hobby, I chose instead to use my “Rosie the Riveter”, a pounce wheel with a tooth pitch of approximately 1mm for the job. Using the four-view plans from “Aero Detail #2: Focke Wulf Fw-190D” (ISBN: 4-499-20547-6) for reference, I used strips of “Dymo” labelling tape laid on top Tamiya masking tape as guides for the riveter. I worked in sections, first outlining each panel and then filling them in, constantly referring back to the plans. Hasegawa’s plastic
is somewhat hard, which required me to roll the riveter back and forth a couple of times in order to make a deep enough impression. Inevitably I made a couple of errors, either running a line too far or wandering away from the tape guide. I addressed these booboos with Mr. Surfacer 500 and a fine brush, carefully sanding it smooth with 1000 grit Emory Paper wrapped around a hard rubber sanding wedge. After carefully dry fitting the wing and fuselage, I ran liquid cement along the joins, set it aside to dry and then did the same with the tailplanes. The alignment tabs for the horizontal stabilisers are interlocking and make for a foolproof fit. Eyeballing the wings and tailplanes from numerous angles, I was pleased to discover that they were perfectly aligned without any need for further adjustment. I’m pretty sure this is a first for me, although it speaks more to the superb engineering of this kit than it does to my modelling skills! The panel lines at the wing roots of the Fw-190 are a complicated affair, with some needing to be filled and others left alone. The canon access panels and forward fillets need filling and the rest are left as-is. I filled the applicable joins with fine
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 56
30/07/2015 13:12
The Tamiya paints allow very fine mottling – essential for these late-war Luftwaffe schemes.
I mixed up a medium brownish grey mixed from artists’ watercolour paints (Charcoal Grey, Titanium White and van Dyck Brown), thinned it with distilled water and dish detergent and applied the wash to the panel lines, wiping away the dried excess with a damp cotton swab.
The fuselage Chevron revealed!
The fit of the landing gear legs is very positive with almost no play whatsoever. A touch of liquid cement was all that was needed to fix them in place, taking care to get the alignment absolutely perfect.
Upper wing markings in place.
Streaking was applied with the airbrush to the lower surfaces.
‘Hasegawa’s 1:32 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 is one of those subjects that is well engineered and detailed enough that it can be built into a great model straight out of the box.’ I distressed the paint by first applying scuffs with lightened shades of Aeromaster RLM75 and RLM83 enamel paints.
beads of Milliput two-part epoxy putty, working them in with a wet toothpick and smoothing them out with a wet Q-tip (cotton bud). I brushed Mr. Surfacer 500 along the putty line and sanded it all smooth with 1000 grit, taking care to keep the collateral damage to the surrounding detail down to a minimum. Not surprisingly, it was necessary to rescribe a few panel lines and replace some lost rivet detail.
PAINTING, WEATHERING AND DECALS
After dipping the canopy parts in Future, I masked them inside and out with pre-cut masks from Montex and sprayed the interior frames Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey before attaching the windshield with five minute epoxy. I attached the sliding hood temporarily with Blu-Tac and wiped the entire model down with a Windex-moistened paper towel to remove any fingerprints and oils. I carved chunks of whoopee cushion foam slightly larger than the approximate size and shape of the wheel wells and stuffed them in to act as masks, filling in a few nooks & crannies with Blu-Tac to completely seal them off. I primed the entire model with Tamiya Fine
White Primer, which I decanted into a film canister, thinned with a bit of lacquer thinner and airbrushed on. As expected, the primer coat revealed a number of minor flaws that were touched up and re-primed. I masked the white portion of the RVD band, airbrushed the yellow bands (Tamiya TS-47 Chrome Yellow, again decanted, lightened with a bit of Fine White Primer) and masked them off as well. I applied the Montex masks for the upper wing Balkenkreuzen and the “41” on the rudder, burnishing them down with a toothpick. The masks for “| | >” on the fuselage sides were applied by first sticking a piece of Scotch brand “Magic Tape” on the masks, lifting them off the backing paper and transferring them to the model. I then peeled away the middle portions of the masks, leaving just the thin outlines in place. I airbrushed the black centres and covered them up again with the masks, sealing the seams between the different bits of mask with liquid masking medium to ensure that no paint would seep through. The model was then pre-shaded by airbrushing Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss Black along panel lines and in areas of deep shadow. I used Gunze H69
for the RLM75 Grey Violet, while the RLM76 Light Blue, and RLM83 Dark Green - or is it 82? I can never remember. Curse you Official Monogram Guide! (shakes tiny fist) were both mixed from Tamiya paints, using Aeromaster and Polly Scale colours as guides. Why didn’t I just use Aeromaster or Polly Scale, you ask? Well, I’ve never had much success with either brand when it comes to Luftwaffe mottling, whereas I am able to achieve very fine control with properly thinned Tamiya and Gunze acrylics. I painted the undersides with heavily thinned (3:1 isopropyl alcohol to paint) RLM76 applied in light coats, allowing the pre-shading to barely peek through. Similarly, I freehand airbrushed the upper camouflage colours. I removed the “41” mask on the rudder, oversprayed it with some RLM76 and then airbrushed the mottling with heavily thinned (80% with rubbing alcohol) RLM75, over-spraying the “41” and obscuring it slightly to match reference photos. Next, I applied the Montex Masks for the lower wings and fuselage Balkenkreuzen, swastikas and Werk numbers, and airbrushed them semi gloss black applied in light mist coats
Aircraft Edition
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 57
57
30/07/2015 13:12
FEATURE ARTICLE: HASEGAWA 1:32 FOCKE-WULF FW 190 D-9. • Kit No. 8069
Exhaust stains were airbrushed with a mixture of Tamiya black and brown, thinned 90% with alcohol.
I replaced the wing root cannons with stainless steel tubing, which I discoloured by heating them with a torch to a dull red before they were installed.
I fixed the insulators in place with Future and painted them off-white since the Future rendered the thin stretched plastic slightly translucent.
To make the insulators, I heated the tube over a candle and stretched it thin, after which I cut the insulators to length with a new X-Acto blade.
in order to avoid paint build-up along the edges of the masks. I then over sprayed the swastikas and fuselage crosses with heavily thinned RLM75, again to match reference photos. Before moving on to the weathering I sprayed a heavily (90%) thinned “filter” of lightened RLM75 over the upper surfaces to unify the all of the colours. I mixed up a medium brownish grey mixed from artists’ watercolour paints (Charcoal Grey, Titanium White and van Dyck Brown), thinned it with distilled water and dish detergent and applied the wash to the panel lines, wiping away the dried excess with a damp cotton swab. A mixture of Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black and XF-10 Flat Brown, thinned 90% with alcohol was then airbrushed in a random, streaky, blotchy manner over the entire model, followed by a similar treatment on the upper surfaces with a lightened shade of RLM75. I used Hobbydecal dry transfers for most of the stencilling, but found that while the black transfers went on just fine, the white and coloured ones refused to separate from the backing film. I used the EagleCals stencils instead and applied each one over a small dab of wet Future to prevent silvering. Once they had dried, I sprayed the model with a mix of clear flat and clear satin. Up until recently I have been a faithful user of Polly Scale clear flat, obtaining consistently good results. Unfortunately though, it seems that Polly Scale has switched formulae, with their new red-labelled stuff being considerably more “chalky” than the old stuff under the green label. I decided to try Vallejo Model Air pre-thinned flat and satin, mixing them 50/50 and
58
The antenna wire was anchored to the locating point on top of the canopy.
Dora in profile.
adding a few drops of Tamiya thinner. I was very satisfied with the result. Continuing with weathering, I distressed the paint by first applying scuffs with lightened shades of Aeromaster RLM75 and RLM83 enamel paints. I ripped a small piece of kitchen sponge, dipped it in the enamel colour and blotted it almost dry on a rag. With barely any paint on the sponge, I then dabbed around the wing roots and high traffic areas to simulate scuffing. Following this, I used a sharpened Prismacolour silver coloured pencil to draw the paint chips, gently and repeatedly tapping the model to build up the wear. I then sealed the chips with a light coat of the 50/50 Vallejo Air mix, and applied some more “fresh” chipping. A dark grey/brown mix of MIG pigments
(Smoke Black, Ashes White and European Dust), was applied to the wing roots and undercarriage and fixed in place by brushing on clean turpentine. Finally, the exhaust stains were airbrushed with a mixture of Tamiya black and brown, thinned 90% with alcohol.
FINISHING TOUCHES
The fit of the landing gear legs is very positive with almost no play whatsoever. A touch of liquid cement was all that was needed to fix them in place, taking care to get the alignment absolutely perfect. Slipping the wheels on to their axles, I noticed that they were canted outward at too great an angle, whereas they should be sitting perpendicular to the ground. I removed them and
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 58
30/07/2015 13:12
MODELSPEC Hasegawa 1:32 Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9. Kit No.8069 Materials: Injection moulded clear and grey coloured styrene, photo-etched brass, poly caps, waterslide decals Paints Used: Tamiya Acrylics; XF-2 Flat White, XF-10 Flat Brown, X18 Semi Gloss Black, XF-23 Light Blue, XF-24 Dark Grey, XF-61 Dark Green, XF-66 Light Grey, XF-69 NATO Black Tamiya Spray Paints: Fine White Primer, TS47 Chrome Yellow Gunze Acrylics; H69 RLM75 Grauviolett Citadel Acrylics; Bad Moon Yellow, Blood Red, Boltgun Metal, Chaos Black, Mithril Silver, Scorched Brown, Skull White, Vermin Brown Vallejo Model Air Acrylics; 26518 Matt Varnish, 26519 Satin Varnish Aeromaster Enamels; 9030 RLM 82 (not a typo!) Dunkelgrun, 9026 RLM 75 Grauviolet MIG Pigments; Smoke Black, Ashes White, European Dust
A dark grey/brown mix of MIG pigments (Smoke Black, Ashes White and European Dust), was applied to the wing roots and undercarriage and fixed in place by brushing on clean turpentine.
Accessories Used: Hasegawa’s 1:32 scale Dora is well engineered and detailed.
Eagle Editions cockpit (Item No. EP#40-32), Eagle Editions 5-panel gun covers (Item No. EP#41-32), MDC main and tail wheels (Item No. CV32028), Montex Masks Hasegawa Fw 190 D-9 (Item No. K32088), EagleCals Fw 190 D-9 (Item No. 57) References: Aero Detail #2 Focke Wulf Fw-190D, published by Dai Nippon Kaiga Co., 1990, ISBN 4-499-20547-6 Walk Around FW-190D, published by Squadron/Signal Publications, 1997, ISBN 0-89747-374-4 Good level of detail; straightforward build; subtle surface textures. A few minor shape issues. RATING: 9 out of 10 Hasegawa kits are distributed in the UK by Amerang-Ripmax www.amerang.co.uk
used my Dremel tool and a small cylindrical cutting bit to enlarge the inside of the axle hole. I glued the wheels on with five minute epoxy, using a simple sheet styrene jig to ensure perfect alignment of the wheels while the glue set. I replaced the kit supplied pitot probe with two lengths of nesting stainless steel tubing, bevelling the tips of each piece by chucking it in a pin vice and twirling it against a cutting disk mounted in my Dremel tool. I replaced the wing root cannons with stainless steel tubing, which I discoloured by heating them with a torch to a dull red before they were installed. I painted the kit supplied wingtip lights with Gunze clear green (right) and clear red (left) and fixed them in place with dabs of Future. I sliced off the moulded-on tail light and fashioned a new bulb from stretched clear sprue. To do this I drilled a hole in a scrap piece of hardened epoxy putty, inserted the stretched sprue in the hole with a bit sticking out and heated it with a cigarette lighter. This created a perfectly hemispherical little button
of clear plastic that is perpendicular to the shaft of stretched sprue. I nipped it off and installed it in a hole drilled in the trailing edge of the rudder, again fixing it with a dab of Future. Moving on to the antennae, I replaced the whip aerial at the end of the Morane mast and the FuG antenna under the rear fuselage with short lengths of brass wire. I cut the ADF loop off of its base and replaced it with some flattened brass wire bent around a paintbrush handle. The radio antenna was nylon thread painted Humbrol steel, with insulators made from sections of stretched Evergreen styrene tube. To make the insulators, I heated the tube over a candle and stretched it thin, after which I cut the insulators to length with a new X-Acto blade. After threading the insulators on and fixing the antenna in place with superglue, I tightened the thread by gently heating it with a hair dryer. I fixed the insulators in place with Future and painted them off-white since the Future rendered the thin stretched plastic slightly translucent.
I carefully bent some fine solder to shape for the windshield de-icer tube, painted it RLM83 and attached it with a touch of Vallejo Flat Clear applied with a fine brush. This and the photoetched landing gear indicators from the Eagle Editions cockpit set were the final bits to be added, finishing off the model.
CONCLUSION
Hasegawa’s 1:32 scale Focke-Wulf Fw 190 D-9 is one of those subjects that is well engineered and detailed enough that it can be built into a great model straight out of the box. It is also popular enough that there are ample aftermarket and reference materials available to turn it into a superdetailed opus, if that’s what you want. Although I build almost exclusively in 1:48, Hasegawa’s Dora has definitely piqued my interest in 1:32. What with Hasegawa, Trumpeter, Tamiya and other manufacturers providing a steady stream of new-tooled, state-of-the-art large scale kits, I’m going to need quite a bit more display space! •
Aircraft Edition
p52-59 feature article - fw 190 d-9 053.indd 59
59
30/07/2015 13:12
FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:72 F4U-1A CORSAIR. • Kit No. 03983
ON DECK!
Rafe Morrissey builds Revell’s new small scale Corsair
A
couple of issues ago, I previewed the 1:72 Revell F4U-1A Corsair. All in all, I thought it looked like a pretty solid kit, but needing work in some key areas. I was eager to get started. As it turned out, all of the challenges I had noted were surmountable, however, there are some very tricky areas that took a bit more work than I expected. Hopefully, this roadmap will help you if you choose to tackle the kit.
DECISIONS, DECISIONS…
As noted in the review, the Revell kit claims to be an F4U-1A, however, many of the features like the prop, inner wing pylons and tanks are for the later -1D. You have to decide whether to correct the kit parts for the -1A version or complete modifications to make it a -1D. As I had recently completed the earlier version, I decided to finish mine as an early -1D. I figured I would need to make some cockpit modifications and dig up some rockets but could live with the -1A framed canopy since a significant number of the -1Ds were equipped with it.
60
ANOTHER DAY IN THE OFFICE
The first step was to address the cockpit. While the kit depicts a floorless cockpit, to be honest, it isn’t very accurate. I am reminded of the joke about what an elephant would look like if a blind person described it to an artist. Revell’s cockpit is like that. The general layout is correct, but many of the details are not. It would be fairly easy to replace the cockpit with a True Details set, but I decided to work with the kit parts. The seat was fairly easy to modify by rounding off the top, cutting back the front edge and adding the bucket detail from scrap plastic. I had an old set of Reheat seatbelts lying around and they finished it off very well. The kit depicts the floor rails extending from under the seat and that is not right. They should extend from the firewall. The kit parts are also too wide for the rudder pedals, so I narrowed them and then mounted them to the front bulkhead. I cut away the center console under the instrument panel and filled the resulting hole. The panel itself is not too bad.
While the upper portion of the control stick is good, the manner in which it connects under the seat is entirely fictitious. I scratch built a linkage from a piece of landing gear strut from a Revell 1:48 F-14 and a sono-buoy from the old 1:48 Lindberg TBF Avenger. Frankly, you can make do with any appropriate bits from the spares bin, so no need to track these specific parts down. Not much can be seen anyway. I added some extra detail to the kit sidewalls including a trim wheel and map case. These too aren’t quite right as they taper up to the instrument panel at the front ends like the F4U-4, but I elected to live with them. The rear bulkhead contains cutouts, presumably for a forthcoming -1Bird Cage variant. I filled them in with scrap plastic and restored the lip around the part with a thin strip of plastic. The -1D had two armament panels on the top of the instrument coaming. I added these from small bits of plastic and small discs made with my punch set. I painted the cockpit with a custom mixed
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p60-64 feature article - revell f4u-1a corsair 053.indd 60
30/07/2015 13:15
Revell’s box art.
Cockpit Parts Unpainted – A good bit of cutting, filing and bits of scrap plastic are needed to accurately depict the cockpit. This shot gives a good overview of all the work needed.
Modified Rear Bulkhead - As molded, the rear bulkhead has cutouts for the earlier “Bird Cage” version. Scrap plastic and strip can replace the missing portions.
interior green colour using Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-3 Flat Yellow and a bit of XF-7 Flat Red. I dry brushed and applied chips of a chromate yellow colour with a bit of sponge. I also added darker chips from the base colour with more black added followed by a wash of Raw Umber oil paint. I simulated chipping on the foot rails and pedals with a silver Prismacolour pencil. The final effect of all this work is a pretty pleasing representation of the Corsair’s front office.
FUSELAGE FITS
The next step was to install the cockpit and build up the airframe. This is a particularly challenging aspect of the kit as the upper insert is a very fiddly fit. I tried to fit it in all at once, but in retrospect, I should have glued the upper insert to one fuselage half and then assemble to the other fuselage part once it had dried. As it was, I was able to fit everything together but did end up filling the seams between parts with talcum powder and Gorilla Superglue and re-scribed them. There is also a
Modified Firewall - After cutting away the center console and filling the hole, the corrected foot rails can be added to the forward bulkhead. The control stick is a mish mash of the upper kit part and bits from the spares box.
Seat - With some simple reshaping, the kit seat can be used. Just cut away anything that doesn’t look like a Corsair seat!
Aircraft Edition
p60-64 feature article - revell f4u-1a corsair 053.indd 61
61
30/07/2015 13:15
FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:72 F4U-1A CORSAIR. • Kit No. 03983
Mods - Scrap plastic and a punch set can be used to add the armament switch boxes on top of the instrument shroud. You also need to add a small scrap of plastic to the leading edge of the starboard wing to replicate the spoiler added on late -1 Corsairs to eliminate wing drop in a stall.
Cockpit Parts Painted - Careful painting and weathering rewards all the extra work modifying the kit parts.
Cowling Fit - The cowling requires a lot of work. I found it easiest to file all the mating surfaces flat and then puttied the remaining gaps with Perfect Plastic Putty. Be sure to test fit the rear engine part once all work is complete and be prepared to grind the edges down to fit. Small rectangles of plastic card can be used to fill the gaps between the cowl flaps.
Engine - The kit engine looks pretty good when assembled and painted. I faked a Pratt & Whitney logo under the crank case. Can you see it?
Completed Cockpit, Port Sidewall, Starbord Sidewall - The sidewalls also received some added detail in the form of a trim wheel and map case fashioned from scrap plastic. Though not 100% correct, the finished parts look pretty good and acceptable for the scale. Prepped for Paint - There are a number of sink marks on the surface of the model. Fill with Mr. Surface 500 and sand with 400 and 600 grit sandpaper.
Primed- The fiddly assembly of the multi-part fuselage and sink mark repairs require a good coat of primer to ensure no blemishes remain. Fill, sand, prime, repeat!
number of annoying sink marks on the fuselage and wings that are hard to spot due to the white plastic. Mr. Surfacer filled them very well and once cured and sanded, eliminated the problem. The wing to fuselage seam is also a challenge. Mine required filler with the superglue/talcum powder combo here as well.
and applied filler on the inside of the cowling to get a decent appearance. It looked okay in the end but the modifications prevented the rear engine section from fitting properly resulting in a lot unexpected swearing and grinding of plastic during final assembly. Be sure to test fit the rear cylinder bank once you have completed the cowling and before anything is painted to save yourself a lot of headaches later! It is also helpful to add some small rectangles of thin sheet plastic to fill in the gaps between the cowl flaps. The real airplane had spacers, so the gap-tooth look as moulded by Revell is incorrect. This is an easy modification that will really improve the look of the model. The kit engine, while not as crisp as the Tamiya kit, still paints up pretty nicely. I applied a wash of Raw Umber oil paint and used the sponge technique to apply some spots of a dark brown colour. I also used a fine brush to fake a Pratt & Whitney logo under the crankcase.
THANKS FOR THE TIP
The wings generally fit well, however, the separate wing tips did pose the expected challenge. I fit them as best I could and used Perfect Plastic Putty to fill the seams. I like this putty for areas like this where too much sanding could eliminate critical detail. Be sure to use dry sandpaper, though! Wet sanding will reactivate the putty and strip it away.
A NOSE FOR TROUBLE
One aspect of the kit that caused a lot more trouble than I expected was the engine cowling. Revell uses three parts to replicate what is a single part in the Tamiya kit. The fit turned out to be a lot worse than I thought it would be from the test fitting. I ultimately flat sanded all the mating parts
62
CHIPPING AWAY
Weathering the late war U.S. Navy Dark Sea Blue schemes is a big challenge. Leave them too shiny
and they look toylike. Add too much weathering and they look unrealistic. To help thread the needle, I decided to try some undercoats and masking to replicate the chipping and then planned to augment it with silver pencil later. The first step is to get a good coat of primer on the model. As mentioned above, I had to do a fair amount of bodywork, so a solid primer coat to spot defects was even more important. Once I had filled the inevitable cracks and pinholes and re-primed, I applied a coat of Alclad II Aluminium to the wing roots and leading edges. I then used a small piece of sponge to apply small bits of masking fluid to the areas I noted in my references that wore down to bare metal. The trick here is to be restrained and to make sure there is not too much fluid on the sponge. In this scale the chips need to be very small. Less is more, so be sparing here! With the undercoating and chip masking complete, I moved on to the final Dark Sea Blue finish coat. I used Tamiya XF-17 Sea Blue. I then added a bit of white and faded the upper surfaces and fabric areas. I also applied random streaks and spots to simulate touch ups and went back
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p60-64 feature article - revell f4u-1a corsair 053.indd 62
30/07/2015 13:15
Undercoat - Nothing looks better to simulate chipped paint than, well, chipped paint! The first step is to apply a base coat of Alclad II Aluminum.
Masking Chips - Next, use a tiny piece of sponge to apply small chips of masking fluid to heavily worn areas and the leading edges. Be restrained, but you can correct with paint if you overdo it.
Intermediate Weathering - Once the decals are on and the finish coat is applied, Tamiya pastels and chalks can be used to add further tonal variation. Touch ups can be made once final assembly is complete, but the pastels are fragile, so handle with care!
Faded Basecoat - Once the initial basecoat of Tamiya XF-17 Dark Blue was applied, I used lightened shades to fade the surface and fabric covered areas. I added random streaks of the base colour to add interest to the surface. A thin mist of the base colour can blend all the variation, but clear coats will kill a lot of this effect, so don’t be shy.
The model completed.
‘I am pleased with the way the kit turned out, but it took a lot more elbow grease than I thought it might.’
Close-up view of the canopy and cockpit.
with a light mix of the base colour to add some streaking and emphasize certain panel lines. Blending can be accomplished with a thin overspray of the base colour, but the clear coats will kill a lot of the effect, so you can be a bit bolder with this bit. With the painting complete, I rubbed away the masking fluid chips with a Micromesh cloth. I cleaned up some of the chips that looked too stark with some reverse chipping using the sponge and the base colour. I also used a Prismacolour silver pencil to add additional chips and wear areas striving to be subtle and not go too far with it. I
Subtle chipping around the wing root area.
concentrated on the wing roots, gun bay panels and engine access panels. With the pre-weathering applied, it was time to clear coat the model for decals. I used Mr. Super Clear gloss coat from a spray can. It dries fast and leaves a nice smooth gloss finish when cured. I had an old set of Tamiya decals for White 167 from VF-84 on the U.S.S. Bunker Hill. I have long wanted to do that catchy yellow cowling. I used the Microscale finishing system with the decals but refrained from applying any of the red bottle Micro Sol until the decals had dried for an hour or so. They generally conformed to the surface detail
A bit of extra effort yields a good result.
but try as I might, I could not eliminate a slight step at the decal edges even after several gloss coats. I think a set of Superscale decals would have avoided this but I was left to make the best of things. As I mentioned, getting the right sheen for the model is a challenge. I find that glossy models look unrealistic in scale but dead flat is not correct either. In the end I mixed Testor’s Flat Dullcote with Semi-Gloss in a 50:50 ratio to get a finish that looked right to my eye. For the final weathering, I applied grey pastels from Tamiya’s Weathering Master Set E to the
Aircraft Edition
p60-64 feature article - revell f4u-1a corsair 053.indd 63
63
30/07/2015 13:16
FEATURE ARTICLE: REVELL 1:72 F4U-1A CORSAIR. • Kit No. 03983
‘As I had recently completed the earlier version, I decided to finish mine as an early -1D.’
MODELSPEC Revell 1:72 F4U-1A Corsair.
Kit No. 03983
Paints Used: Alclad II Aluminium Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black Tamiya XF-2 Flat White Tamiya XF-3 Flat Yellow Tamiya XF-7 Flat Red Tamiya XF-17 Sea Blue Tamiya XF-52 Flat Earth Other Products Used: Mr. Hobby Mr. Masking Sol Neo Tamiya Extra Thin Cement Gorilla Super Glue Tamiya Weathering Sets A, B, E Testors Dullcote Testors Semi-Gloss Clear Mr. Super Clear) Good general outline, floorless cockpit represented Figures and a background lend a sense of scale and context to any aircraft model.
wing roots, engine panels and leading edges. I also applied small chips of grey paint around the gun ports and applied a grey pastel over them to simulate the discolouration seen in period photographs. I stippled black pastel in the gun ports themselves. I sprayed the forward fuselage immediately behind the cowl flaps with a light coat of Tamiya Flat Earth and added some streaks of a dark brown pastel. I also used the Tamiya pastels to subtly weather the propeller blades and ran a 4B pencil along the edges. Oil drips were simulated with flat black paint dabbed on by a sponge.
64
I like the subtlety and effect of the pastel weathering but you have to be careful handling the model once they are applied and it cannot get wet. I added some rockets from a Hasegawa P-38 to complete the weapons load out. I used a Tamiya kit to aid in placing the rockets.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I am pleased with the way the kit turned out, but it took a lot more elbow grease than I thought it might. The fiddly fit and detail lapses require a fair
Some details not correct for -1A variant, fiddly assembly of main fuselage, poorly fitting cowling, minor decal inaccuracies RATING: 7 out of 10
amount of experience to overcome, but what is life without a little bit of challenge? The Revell kit in no way poses a challenge to Tamiya in terms of the definitive kit in 72nd scale, but can produce a nice replica of the mighty ‘Bent-Wing Bird.’ •
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2014
p60-64 feature article - revell f4u-1a corsair 053.indd 64
30/07/2015 13:16
modeller Next Issues military illustrated
ISSUE No.053 September 2015
Aircraft Edition - Brett Green AFV Edition - Marcus Nicholls Publisher; Alan Harman Graphic Design; Alex Hall, Colin Trundle Advertising Manager; Sean Leslie Office Manager; Paula Gray Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie MIM Website; ADH Web Team Editors;
Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 54 - AFV Edition on sale 17 September, 2015
Printed by; Symbian Print Intelligence, Hertfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000
NANO-AMPHIB
Newstrade; Select Publisher Services 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email;
[email protected] Military Illustrated Modeller is published on the third Thursday of each month by; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX UK www.militaryillustratedmodeller.com Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Editorial enquiries; Aircraft email;
[email protected] AFV email;
[email protected] Advertising enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Email;
[email protected] Subscription enquiries; Tel; +44 (0)1525 222573 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574 Email;
[email protected] Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Military Illustrated Modeller is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions.
Dragon’s tiny 1:72 Amphibious Tank Type 2 Ka-Mi in a mini diorama
WEATHERING THE STORM
John Bonnani builds and paints Dragon’s 1:35 T-34-76 Mod. 1941
AMPS: POWERED UP
A run-down of the models exhibited at the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society show, USA, 2015
Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 55 - Aircraft Edition on sale 27 October, 20155
Advertisements are accepted for publication in Military Illustrated Modeller only on ADH Publishing’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address above. All advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address above.
Subscription rates are; Option 1 - 12 Issues (AFV & Aircraft) 1 year UK - £60.00 / Europe - £75.00 / World - £85.00 (prices include shipping) Option 2 - 12 Aircraft Editions 2 years UK - £60.00 / Europe - £75.00 / World - £85.00 (prices include shipping) Option 3 - 12 AFV Editions 2 years UK - £60.00 / Europe - £75.00 / World - £85.00 (prices include shipping) For all orders, please call; (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.miltaryillustratedmodeller.com
DELTA DOWN UNDER
The Editor builds Kinetic’s new 1:48 Mirage IIIE as an RAAF IIIO, and offers some handy walk around reference
POLISH ROTORS
AeroPLAST 1:48 Mil Mi-2T by Kamil Feliks Sztarbała
BARKER’S FOKKER © ADH Publishing 2015
KOMET RISING
Tony Bell presents Meng’s 1:32 scale Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet.
Gary Edmundson depicts Canadian William Barker’s war trophy using Wingnut Wings’ marvelous 1:32 Fokker D.VII
...AND MORE! Aircraft Edition
p65 NextIssues 053.indd 65
65
30/07/2015 13:18
Tailpiece
2015
SQUADRON EAGLEQUEST E
agleQuest 2015 took flight at the Embassy Suites in Grapevine Texas June 19 and 20 with over a 50% increase in attendance from last year’s event. Modellers from all over the country came together to compete in a broad range of categories within the theme of “Heavy Metal” as well as to enjoy a weekend of camaraderie and friendship at the headquarters of MMD-Squadron. Special guests Bob and Susan Letterman, founders of MasterCon were on hand to share memories of past conventions as well as their vision for the future of the hobby. Special guest Bob Hilton was also there for the keynote address,
Gwynne Gorr, Jill Verswyvel, Marni Stallings, and Jeff Melton, all members of the team at Squadron, pause for a brief photo op.
WWII Veterans RV Burgin (Islands of the Damned) and Bob Hilton (B-29 Combat Photographer)
sharing his experiences as a B-29 combat photographer in WWII. In addition to Bob, RV Burgin (author of Islands of the Damned) also attended, sharing his experiences in the pacific during WWII and signing his book for attendees. Tom Grossman from Iwata gave a workshop on using airbrushes and George Canare and Bill McEuen from Tamiya America exhibited an
EagleQuest 2015 had over a 25% increase in modelling entries.
66
exciting group of the newest in Tamiya’s kit line. Additionally workshops were hosted by Matt Wellhouser on figure painting and by Jef Versywvel, Squadron’s Chief Modeller, on weathering of armour and airplanes. In addition to the workshops and modelling competition, attendees enjoyed a fun-filled Welcome Party on Friday evening and an Awards Banquet Saturday night to celebrate the artistic and creative endeavours of the model hobby. Gwynne Gorr, CEO from MMD-Squadron stated “This event is a highlight of the year for us and the increase in attendance coupled with the excitement of everyone present reflects the greatness of this hobby and the overall health of this business. We were very happy to be the catalyst to bring all these
Excitement built throughout the day as voting on the models completed and the ballots were tallied.
enthusiasts together for a wonderful weekend and look forward to what the future will bring.” Top award winners for presented models went to: • Master’s Division Bronze: Brian Joslyn for “Visible Man” • Master’s Division Silver: Don Martin for “Heavy Metal Trio” • Master’s Division Gold: Bob Waltman for “Over Watch Tribute to Chris Kyle” • People’s Choice: Bob Waltman for “Over Watch Tribute to Chris Kyle” • Big Eagle: Terry Barrow for “The Kreig Adler Project” For a full list of all winners and more photos of the event, please visit Squadron.com. •
MasterCon Founder Bob Letterman and wife Susan strike a pose with Squadron Chief Modeler Jef Verswyvel.
Military Illustrated Modeller - September 2015
p66 Tailpiece 053.indd 66
30/07/2015 13:19
NEW in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series NEW VERSION for 2015 HOW TO BUILD... TAMIYA 1:32 SPITFIRE Mk.IXc, Mk.VIII & Mk.XVIe
Although initially conceived as a stop-gap measure, the Spitfire Mk.IX (and the essentially similar Mk.XVI) eventually became the most numerous of all Spitfire variants with more than 7,000 delivered to the RAF, the VVS and other Allied air forces. Premier Japanese model company Tamiya has released Spitfire Mk.IXc, Mk.VIII and Mk.XVIe kits in 1:32 scale. These three kits are simply superb in terms of detail, engineering innovation, fit and presentation. In the warm afterglow of their release, many modellers have declared Tamiya’s 1:32 scale late model Spitfires to be the some of the best scale model aircraft kits of all time. This book details the construction of all three kits in step-by-step illustrated guides, and also suggests how Tamiya’s kit may be improved and describes the after market decals and accessories that are available for these plus p&p magnificent models.
Only
£11.95
ALSO AVAILABLE Visit adhbooks.com for details PLACE YOUR ORDER NOW ON TEL: 01525 222573 FAX: 01525 222574
✁
Tamiya 1:32 Spitfire 3rd Edition HOW TO BUILD... SPITFIRE Name ..................................................................................................................... Address................................................................................................................ ...................................................................................................................................
Please debit my credit/debit card for £ ....................................... Visa
Mastercard
Maestro
P&P: UK; £2.00 Europe; £4.00 World-Wide airmail; £6.00 Cheques payable to: ADH Publishing Ltd.
other .............................
Card No. .................................................................................................... Expiry date................................. Start date ........................................
...................................................................................................................................
Security Number (last 3 digits on signature strip) ............................
Post/zip code ...................................................................................................
Issue No (if applicable) ........................................................................... Date ............................................................................................... Please mail this form to; ADH Publishing, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, United Kingdom Tel; +44(0)1525 222573 Fax; +44(0)1525 222574 Online; www.adhbooks.com (Photocopies of this form are acceptable)
Country ................................................................................................................ Telephone Number.......................................................................................
Signature .....................................................................................
www.adhbooks.comwww.adhbooks.comwww.adhbooks.com p 05 Spitfire3 Book 109.indd 8
25/03/2015 16:05
