modeller £6.50 - January’17 (issue 069)
MENGSTANG!
Aircraft edition
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Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 • Wingnut Wings 1:32 Pfalz D.XII • Revell 1:32 Me 262 B-1a Pt. 1 • Academy 1:48 F-4B Phantom II and more…
military illustrated
Meng’s brand new 1:48 P-51D Mustang in detail
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Available in the ‘HOW TO BUILD...’ series ORDER NOW NEW How to Build the Tamiya 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI The definitive guide to building the much anticipated Tamiya 1:32 Mosquito FB.VI by Brett Green. This book features a comprehensive build plus: ■ Mosquito restoration close-up ■ Historical summary ■ Wartime reference photos ■ Step by Step – Tips and techniques for building the ultimate Mosquito ■ The other Tamiya Mosquitos in 1:72 and 1:48 scales ■ Aftermarket decal and accessory summary
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Contents
modeller military illustrated
ISSUE No.069 January 2017
4
NEWS
6
MENGSTANG
What’s happening in modelling and aviation
Meng’s brand new 1:48 P-51D Mustang by Brett Green
18 ANALYSIS
22
Puttied Mustang Wings by Mike Witous
20 PREVIEW
Special Hobby 1:48 Bu 181 Bestmann
22 EURO YAK
Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ by James Hatch
36 FLY BY NIGHT Part One
Revell’s new 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1a by Brett Green
46 PREVIEW
Eduard 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4
48
48 PRIDE OF THE FLEET Academy’s 1:48 F-4B Phantom II by Aleksander Zadroga
54 SHOW REPORT ScaleACT 2016
58 SILVERY SCOUT
Wingnut Wings’ 1:32 Pfalz D.XII by Gary Edmundson
65 NEXT ISSUES
What’s coming up in the next issues of Military Illustrated Modeller
66 TAILPIECE
James Hatch tests out Iwata’s new Smart Jet pro compressor
36
58 AIR Edition
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News BARRACUDA STUDIOS NEW RELEASES Roy Sutherland from Barracuda Studios has sent information and images about some interesting new releases: “We are proud to announce six new releases: BC72165 1:72 Mosquito Airframe Stencils - Expanded $5.95 BC48166 1:48 Mosquito Airframe Stencils - Expanded $7.50 BC24167 1:48 Mosquito Airframe Stencils - Expanded $11.95 BR72212 1:72 BAC Lightning F.6 Cockpit Set $12.50 BR72214 1:72 Redtop Air to Air Missiles $9.95 BR72215 1:72 Firestreak Air to Air Missiles $9.95 The new Mosquito external stencil sets in 3 scales are not reprints of our original Mosquito stencils. These are new and expanded sets with complete stencilling based on the superb and authentic restoration of the airworthy Mosquito FB 26 restored by Avspecs in New Zealand. The 1:32 scale set is not available yet. They will be coming a bit later. The Lightning cockpit is designed for the new tool Lightning in 1:72 from Airfix. It is designed to be an almost drop fit. You need to modify the rear cockpit sill a bit, but this will take a couple of minutes. Complete with decal instruments and placards and a Martin Baker MK 4 seat with moulded in harnesses. The 1:72 scale Redtop and Firestreak missiles feature decals and clear cast seeker heads. They are perfect for your Lightning, Sea Vixen and Javelin kits!” Barracuda Studios products are available online from their website www.barracudacals.com
BLACKBIRD MODELS NEW RELEASES
SILVER WINGS 1:32 REGGIANE RE.2000GA Silver Wings has announced the long anticipated continuation of their Italian 1:32 scale line with an all-new Reggiane Re.2000. It will be offered in three colourful options, with decals for the following aircraft: • Regia Aeronautica Reggiane Re.2000GA, MM 5072 “10” from 377a Squadriglia Autonoma Caccia Terrestre, TrapaniMilo, October 1941. • Regia Aeronautica Reggiane Re.2000GA, “4” from 377a Squadriglia Autonoma Caccia Terrestre, Pantelaria, end of 1942. • Regia Aeronautica Reggiane Re.2000GA, “5” from 377a Squadriglia Autonoma Intercepttori, Bocadifalko, May 1942. Projected availability date November / December 2016. Additional information about this exciting new kit will be coming soon! Available online from Silver Wings website www.silverwings.pl
4
Blackbird Models has just released three new decal sheets. All are for the RAF Hawker Hunter aircraft. Two are in 1:72 scale and the third is their first in 1:32 scale. The retail price for the 1:72 scale decals is £5.00. The 1:32 retails at £10.00. Also available now are early Hawker Hunter conversions in 1:72 and 1:32 scale as well as the Tiger engined Whitley. Based on the new Airfix kit, the new conversion allows you to build the radial engined variant. Thanks to Blackbird Models for the information and images http://www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk
SOUTHERN EXPO 2017 Southern Expo 2017 will be held on Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th March at Hornchurch Sports Centre, Harrow Lodge Park, Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, Essex, RM11 1JU and 10am to 5pm Saturday & 10am to 4pm Sunday Entry: Adults £3.00, Children £1 & Senior Citizens £2 Open Competition (Sunday only) – the Senior competition is being sponsored by Models For Sale (http://www.modelsforsale.com) For further details visit the website at http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/southernexpo/ or email
[email protected]
Military Illustrated Modeller - January 2017
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Scale Aircraft Conversions White Metal & Resin Aircraft Parts Since 1990
32110 Tempest Mk.V Landing Gear (SH) (replacement for 1/32 Special Hobby)
72130 Mirage F.1 Landing Gear (SH) (replacement for 1/72 Special Hobby)
MSRP $18.95
MSRP $14.95
72131 F-106 Delta Dart Landing Gear (Meng) (replacement for 1/72 Meng)
14423 Boeing 777 Landing Gear (Zv) (replacement for 1/144 Zvezda)
MSRP $14.95
MSRP $15.95
www.scaleaircraftconversions.com
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Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang • Kit No. LS-006
MENGSTANG!
FEATURE ARTICLE
T
he prototype NA-73X Mustang was designed and rolled out by North American Aviation a mere 102 days after the specification was issued by the British Purchasing Commission. The initial operational Mustang variants were powered by the Allison V-1710 engine, which was optimised for low-altitude performance. The P-51 Mustang flew its first operational missions with the Royal Air Force in the reconnaissance and fighterbomber roles. The combination of a Rolls Royce Merlin engine with the innovative airframe and laminar flow wing design of the A-35/P-51A resulted in one of the
The fuselage is designed with a number of inserts – upper spine, upper cowl, lower cowl and rear ventral.
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best fighter aircraft of World War Two. However, the P-51B/C series (Mustang III) was somewhat hampered by poor visibility through its heavily framed canopy. It was also difficult to bail out in an emergency due to the multi part canopy. The Malcolm Hood was a sliding, one-piece canopy designed by the British to be fitted to the Mustang III to address the bailout problem. However, this was a stopgap measure. The airframe was therefore redesigned with a cut-down rear fuselage and a large, bubble-topped sliding canopy. This would become the P-51D - the definitive version of the Mustang, and perhaps the
These large circles provide a tight and accurate fit.
Options include paper tanks and metal tanks.
classic American fighter of the Second World War. A total of 7,956 P-51Ds were produced. North American’s Inglewood factory could not keep up with the pressing demand for this high-performance fighter, so production was also undertaken at Dallas. There was also a shortage of Hamilton Standard propellers. The "P-51K" designation was applied to a further 1,500 machines built at this Dallas facility. The P-51K was almost identical to the P-51D except for the propeller. The P-51K was equipped with a four-bladed Aeroproducts propeller assembly. This could be
The choice of Hamilton Standard and Aeroproducts propeller assembles is included.
The instrument panel with its raised bezel detail.
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Interna fit circl
Brett Green builds Meng’s new cement-free 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang.
distinguished from the Hamilton Standard prop on the P-51D by the lack of the characteristic "cuffs" at the root of each propeller blade and a narrower chord.
THE P-51D MUSTANG IN 1:48 SCALE
Most major model companies have had a crack at the P-51D Mustang at some time or other – Monogram, Revell, Fujimi, Arii/Otaki, ICM, Hasegawa, Tamiya and more. The consensus is that Tamiya’s 1995 offering is the best 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang until now, although it is not without its minor issues. These
Internal wing structure and pressfit circles.
The corresponding upper wing.
include stepped landing flaps, separate clear bubble section and canopy frame (making it difficult to get a clean join) and incorrect configuration of the main undercarriage bay. Let’s see what Meng has in store for us.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
A Meng snap-kit Mustang? Really? Yes, really. And it’s very nice. In fact, despite the connotations that “Cement Free Assembly” might conjure up, there are very few compromises to this model in terms of detail or parts breakdown as a result of its snap status.
Standard and Dallas style sliding canopies.
It will make the model easier and faster to build though, which will appeal to new or less experienced modellers without detracting from the delight of the plastic veteran. Meng’s all-new 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang comprises 102 parts in grey plastic, six parts in clear and decals for two marking options. The parts breakdown is quite conventional although there are a number of fuselage and wing inserts to provide for various options, some of which apply to this release and others that suggest future versions. The main parts are secured by pressing small
The windscreen is moulded with a section of the upper fuselage.
Markings are supplied for two marking options.
AIR Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang • Kit No. LS-006
The six-piece seat assembled.
Cockpit components were cut from the sprues and cleaned up.
The six parts of the well-detailed pilot’s seat.
circular locating artefacts into larger circles on the opposite mating surfaces. Once the parts are pressed together there is nothing stopping you from running a line of liquid glue along the join seam. Smaller parts are a press fit using locating tabs, slots, pins and holes. Surface detail is very nicely done with crisply recessed panel lines and selected rows of rivets. Panel and rivet detail is present on the wings, so if you want to depict an aircraft with puttied wings, you might prefer to fill and sand these. Construction gets underway in the cockpit with a six-part pilot’s seat, instrument panel with raised bezels, rudder pedals, batteries, radios, clear gunsight, armoured glass and coaming. All you need to add is a set of harness straps. Sidewall structure is moulded to the inside of the fuselage halves, and there is an additional sidewall part for the port side with throttle quadrant and other details. The tail undercarriage leg is fitted between a dedicated bay and a lower fuselage insert that features open doors moulded in place. Both Hamilton Standard and Aeroproducts propeller blades are included. These are moulded in pairs, with the front pair including the hub. Two subtly different propeller spinner assemblies are also included. The kit also offers the choice of shrouded or exposed exhausts. These are moulded as one piece
Cockpit floor, fuel tank and details.
per side and the ends of the stubs are hollowed out. The main landing gear bay is well detailed. The instructions indicate that the main gear legs should be fitted before the undercarriage bay is glued to the inside of the lower wing, but I’ll be checking to see if this can be done later in the assembly sequence. The diamond tread tyres and wheel hubs are separate parts. Ailerons and landing flaps are separate parts held in place with tabs. The ailerons are in the neutral position while the flaps are dropped. A moderately experienced modeller should be able to easily adjust the pose to their own taste. By the way, the flaps do not feature the lengthwise step found on the Tamiya kit. The rudder is also a separate part but the elevators are moulded flat with the horizontal stabilisers. The machine gun panels on the wing leading edge are separate inserts. The radiator flap may be posed open, and Meng offers the choice of perforated or plain lower side intake panels. Other options include two 108 gallon paper drop tanks, two 75 gallon metal drop tanks and two 100 lb bombs. Two styles of sliding canopy are included – Inglewood and Dallas. The clear bubble section is moulded with the frame, so you won’t have any trouble getting a nice clean painting line. The
Parts were separated into groups depending on their ultimate colour and attached to small boxes using Blu-Tack.
windscreen is moulded with a small section of the upper fuselage, once again ensuring a clean join and painting demarcation. All transparencies are clear, thin and free from distortion. Markings are supplied for two aircraft. Both are in overall natural metal: • “American Beauty” P-51D Serial No. 44-15459. 308th FS 31st FG USAAF, Capt. John Voll. • “Short Fuse Sallee” P-51D Serial No. 44-15622. 356th FS 354th FG 9th AF USAAF. Capt. Richard Turner. Decals are in register and colours look good.
“Cement-free does not imply lack of detail...”
The fuselage interior was painted at the same time, and the main undercarriage bay was sprayed while still on the sprues.
8
Detail is moulded onto the starboard cockpit sidewall. A separate throttle quadrant panel is supplied for the port side.
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Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-64 Red Brown, Future Floor Polish and water was mixed into a thin wash.
The wash was applied over the raised cockpit detail. This is easy and very effective.
THREE THINGS MENG’S MUSTANG IS NOT
Before I start describing construction, I would like to point out three things that the new Meng 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang is not. 1. It Is Not a Beginner’s Kit Despite its cement-free status, this is not a kit that I would recommend for an absolute beginner. Meng’s Mustang includes a number of small parts and a series of inserts, especially on the fuselage and wings. Also, the parts count is not small - 103 grey plastic parts compared to only 55 in Tamiya’s original 1:48 scale P-51D release. It won’t present many challenges for anyone with a couple of models under their belt, but I’d recommend an Egg Plane rather than this one for the genuine first-timer or younger modeller. 2. It Is Not a Simplified Kit Cement-free does not imply lack of detail. On the contrary, detail is excellent. In my opinion Meng’s Mustang offers the best cockpit detail and surface textures of any 1:48 scale P-51D currently available. In a number of respects (fuselage and
The kit does not include harness straps so I used a set from Eduard’s Item No. 49096 “Seatbelts USAAF WWII STEEL” set. The STEEL series straps are very thin and highly flexible, contrary to what the name implies!
Here, details have been picked out with Vallejo acrylics and a fine brush. A top coat of Alclad II Flat Clear has also been applied.
wing parts breakdown, wheel well engineering, surface detail), Meng’s kit reminds me more of Tamiya’s 1:32 scale Mustang than their 1:48 scale version. 3. It Is Not a Gimmicky Kit The large, tight fitting locating circles are more than a gimmick. They do help with the alignment of parts. I especially liked this method of assembly for the wings. The engineering of the kit is so good that you really don’t need to apply glue for the major assemblies but I generally ran a line of Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement along most of the join seams anyway. A real benefit of the press-fit parts is that it eliminates the need for masking in some commonly troublesome areas. The fit is so precise and tight that, for example, the wheels and tyres may be painted separately and pressed together during final assembly – no masking or messy glue required! The same applies to the propeller blades and the two-piece spinner cap and base. Experienced modellers need not be ashamed to be seen buying and building this kit.
SUGGESTED DEVIATIONS FROM THE INSTRUCTIONS
For the most part I followed the instructions, but I deviated in a few areas, and I would do things differently next time in a few others. The suggestions below are provided in the order of the kit instruction steps. In summary: Instructions Step 1 I added Eduard “Steel” harness straps. I also used MDC individual instrument dial decals as I did not think the overall instrument panel decal supplied in the kit was up to the same high standard as the rest of the cockpit. Instructions Step 3 I did not attach the tyre (Part E2) to the tail wheel strut yet. I actually tried to find a way to leave the strut off until later in construction, but I was not confident that I could fit it without removing detail from the part so I went with the instructions. Instructions Step 4 I delayed fitting the exhausts until painting was finished.
Cockpit floor sub-assembly with paint, weathering and flat coat.
Instrument panel and rudder pedal sub-assembly with coaming. I used Airscale instrument decals for the individual dials. The white lines are hand painted.
Coaming and gunsight attached.
The main cockpit sub-assemblies come together.
AIR Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang • Kit No. LS-006
Detail is well done straight from the box.
Trailing radiator face detail.
There is no way to avoid fitting the tail wheel strut at this stage, but you don’t have to fit the tyre.
Interior parts are fitted. The fuselage halves are now ready to be pressed together.
The fuselage halves were squeezed together. A line of Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement was brushed along the join seams and the parts clamped (just for insurance).
The weathered main undercarriage bay about to be snipped off the sprue. Unlike most 1:48 scale P-51D wheel bays, this is the correct shape. Once again, I used glue to make the bond between the wings and the undercarriage bay permanent.
Flaps and ailerons were glued in place (once again, for my own sense of security rather than necessity) and the upper wing halves pressed into place.
Gluing the control surfaces ensured that they stayed in the right place as the wing halves were brought together.
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The fuselage and wing assemblies are complete.
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Instructions Step 5 I fitted the rear upper fuselage insert (Part C5) at this stage. The instructions would have you fit this spine saddle insert after the canopy is fitted, but I did not want to have the canopy on the model during painting. This meant that I had to sacrifice the sliding canopy feature, but I was not concerned about this. I had a little trouble getting perfect alignment between the bottom edges of the spine saddle insert and the main fuselage. Next time I will probably cut off the stout tabs moulded to the fuselage. This will allow easier adjustment of the spine saddle insert. I fitted the aerial mast at this time too. As supplied, it is pushed through a hole from the inside of the saddle insert. The problem with this is that the delicate mast is exposed through the bulk of construction and all of the painting stage. Inevitably, I knocked the top of the mast off during assembly. Next time I will modify the mast so that I can simply stick it on the spine after painting is complete. Instructions Step 6 I did not fit the undercarriage legs at this stage. I was worried that I would damage the legs during assembly or painting. Also, the dangling undercarriage legs would make masking the wheel bay more difficult. I found that I could fit the undercarriage legs after painting was complete by cutting a wedge from the top of the rightangle section of the locating tab (see photo below for more detail).
The wing was attached to the fuselage.
The lower cowl insert came next, followed by the radiator intake.
Fit was excellent throughout. Wing roots, the lower cowl, radiator insert and the two upper cowl parts were close to perfect. I had some trouble lining up the lower edges of the upper rear fuselage saddle insert with the fuselage sides, but a little scraping and sanding took care of that.
Instructions Step 8 I attached the wing to the lower fuselage before adding the lower engine cowling insert. Instructions Step 11 Next time I would not fit the drop tank sway braces (Parts B23) until just before the drop tanks were fitted. These parts are tiny and delicate. Two of mine disappeared during masking and painting.
Extraordinary fit on the lower surfaces.
Instructions Step 12 I planned to cut off the two raised pins at the bottom of the canopy centre guide to permit the part to fit into the slot on the fuselage spine. In fact, I accidentally broke the centre guide off so I simply glued the canopy in the open position.
The windscreen was masked and cockpit blanked off with Tamiya tape.
I also masked the inside of the tail wheel doors and stuffed tissue inside the tail well to prevent overspray.
The kit supplies optional closed centre sections for the main undercarriage. I used this piece, along with the leg covers, to blank off the main gear bay while painting.
AIR Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang • Kit No. LS-006
After the windscreen frames were painted black, the model was sprayed by a coat of Tamiya’s Fine White Primer straight from the spray can.
The white sections of the invasion stripes were masked off.
This wartime photo reveals some interesting detail about the clean, fairly flat finish of the real aircraft.
MARKINGS
I used markings from an old Eagle Strike decal sheet Item No. IP4807, "Blue Nose Birds of Bodney in Profile Part One". I'd been looking for an excuse to use these markings for years! Another point worth mentioning is that the canopy should sit down on the fuselage when open, and not have the tail-up attitude that we see here. I checked the fit in a number of positions but the kit canopy sits high either at the front or the rear depending on how it is fitted. If this bothers you, the easy solution would be to fit a Falcon vacform canopy (or you could simply pose the canopy closed!). Construction is described step-by-step in the accompanying captioned photos.
BARE METAL
A bare metal finish has a unique appearance, quite different from painted silver. The reflectivity of the surface may vary on the same airframe from very shiny in some areas to very dull in others. Alloys used on different panels may be distinctly different shades. Oxidization or staining may form on unprotected surfaces. The result might be a patchwork of different metallic effects on a single airframe. This may be one of the most demanding and exacting finishes that a modeller will ever attempt. For a long time I have been looking for an excuse to build one of the striking “Blue Nose Birds of Bodney” – a P-51D Mustang of the 352nd Fighter Group. With assembly complete, the cockpit, wheel wells and intakes were masked off and the model was ready for paint. I started with the black windscreen frames, followed by a coat of Tamiya’s Fine White Primer straight from the spray can. This allowed me to check for any imperfections before the metallic coat was applied, and also acted as the base colour for the white invasion stripes. I masked off the white sections of the invasion stripes and sprayed the black. The entire invasion stripes were now masked off, including a custom mask cut using the fuselage stars and bars as a guide. I took this extra trouble to ensure that the highly contrasting black and white stripes would not show through the white of the national markings.
12
The model is ready for its back stripes.
Lower surfaces masked.
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The black stripes were sprayed over the masks.
The entire invasion stripes were now masked off, including a custom mask cut using the fuselage stars and bars as a guide.
Masking tapes removed to reveal the black stripes over the white base coat.
Wing stripes were masked over too.
Ready for the next layer.
Tamiya’s new flexible vinyl tape was used to outline the curved demarcation on the nose…
…then masked the rest of the blue areas with regular yellow Tamiya tape. For the metallic finish, two of Tamiya’s metallic spray can colours were decanted into glass jars – AS-12 Bare Metal Silver and TS-30 Silver Leaf.
Next, the nose was sprayed with Tamiya’s spray colour TS-44 Brilliant Blue.
The rudder was painted red.
AIR Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang • Kit No. LS-006
Next, I sprayed the nose with Tamiya’s spray colour TS-44 Brilliant Blue. I decanted the spray paint into a glass jar and applied it with my Iwata HP C Plus airbrush. Once the glossy paint had completely dried, I used Tamiya’s new flexible vinyl tape to outline the curved demarcation on the nose, then masked the rest of the blue areas with regular yellow Tamiya tape. For the metallic finish, I decanted two of Tamiya’s metallic spray can colours into glass jars – AS-12 Bare Metal Silver and TS-30 Silver Leaf. With the stripes and nose masked, I sprayed an overall coat of Tamiya AS-12. A number of panels were masked and sprayed TS-30 to lend some variety. The engine cowl exhaust panels were masked and sprayed with Alclad II Magnesium. Decals were sourced from Eagle Strike’s, “Blue Nose Birds of Bodney” series. The decals were applied over a few coats of Future floor polish. After decaling was complete, I carefully sprayed the markings and a few selected panels with with Alclad II Flat Klear. The bright blue nose was sprayed with Alclad II Matte Klear. This has a slightly higher sheen that the Flat. Combined with the varied panels, the alternate levels of sheen on the airframe, the nose and the flat markings lent even more interest to this attractive scheme.
The engine cowl exhaust panels were masked and sprayed with Alclad II Magnesium.
With the stripes and nose masked, an overall coat of Tamiya AS-12 was applied by airbrush. A number of panels were masked and sprayed TS-30 to lend some variety.
I had applied the mask for the stars and bars in the wrong place, so I resprayed the area.
Yellow was sprayed over a base coat of Tamiya Fine White Primer for the propeller tips.
Note the subtle variations in tone.
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Lower surfaces with the masks removed. The fuselage stripes and national markings were carefully masked around to create some contrast between these flat areas and the glossy bare metal fuselage panels.
Decals were sourced from Eagle Strike’s, “Blue Nose Birds of Bodney” series.
I found that I could fit the undercarriage legs after the wing was assembled by cutting a wedge from the rightangle mount at the top of each leg. Detail parts painted and awaiting final assembly.
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The fit was still quite tight without adhesive. I glued the legs in place once I was satisfied with the rake and the splay.
AIR Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE
Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang • Kit No. LS-006
CONCLUSION
Meng has taken an interesting and different approach with their new 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang. This may not be an ultra-simple kit for beginner modellers, but its glue-free approach offers a number of advantages to the average and experienced modeller in terms of positive fit and reducing the need for masking. Detail is very good, surface textures excellent and engineering is clever throughout. I have heard a number of complaints about the
rivet detail on the wings (P-51D Mustangs were delivered puttied and painted from the factory), but there are many photos of un-puttied Mustang wings and it will be easier for modellers to fill the recessed rivets than add rivets for those who do want the surface detail. Regardless of its glue-free status, in my opinion Meng’s P51D has now snatched the title of best 1:48 scale bubbletop Mustang available today. Building the kit only reinforces my first impressions of quality and fidelity. Highly Recommended. ■
The bright blue nose was sprayed with Alclad II Matte Klear. This has a slightly higher sheen that the Flat.
MODELSPEC Meng 1:48 North American P-51D Mustang
Kit No. LS-006
Accessories Used: Eduard Item No. 49096 – Seatbelts USAAF WWII STEEL Model Design Construction – Allied instrument dial decals Tools and Modelling Products Used: Tamiya Extra Thin Liquid Cement Revell Contacta Glue Gator’s Grip Acrylic Glue Tamiya Masking Tape (flexible white and Kabuki yellow) Clamps Paints and Finishing Products Used: Tamiya Spray Paints – Fine White Primer; AS-12 Bare Metal Silver; TS-30 Silver Leaf; TS-44 Brilliant Blue Tamiya Acrylics – X-25 Clear Green; X-27 Clear Red; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-2 Flat White; XF-4 Yellow Green; XF-64 Red Brown. Gunze Aqueous Hobby Colour H58 Interior Green Various Vallejo Acrylics Future Floor Polish Alclad II Klear - Matte and Flat Good level of detail; excellent fit; innovative design. Canopy rides high at rear when open. Rating: 9 out of 10 Thanks to Meng Model for the sample www.meng-model.com 16
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After decaling was complete, I carefully sprayed the markings and a few selected panels with with Alclad II Flat Klear.
“Surface detail is very nicely done with crisply recessed panel lines and selected rows of rivets.” Meng’s 1:48 scale Mustang in profile.
AIR Edition
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ANALYSIS Mustang Wings – to Putty or not to Putty?
MUSTANG WINGS
TO PUTTY OR NOT TO PUTTY? The wings of Meng’s 1:48 scale P-51D Mustang share the same crisp and restrained surface detail as the rest of the model. Panel lines are recessed and the rows of rivets are so subtle as to be almost invisible from certain angles. Although there is no doubt that these structural features would have been visible on Mustang wings during the manufacturing process, the practise of puttying, sanding and polishing the wings as part of the factory finish has been widely discussed. Mike Witous has done some research on the subject, and finds that the actual situation for front line aircraft may have varied from unit to unit. Mike takes up the story Puttied or bare metal? In some photos it is difficult to determine whether a wing is puttied or unpainted.
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T
he following statements are derived from several reference books, and interviews with WWII ground crew and pilots. Some of this also comes from over 28 years of personal experience painting and anodising close to 300 million lbs of aluminium. I have spent about three months researching a particular P-51D-15-NA from mid December 1944 to mid January 1945. This aircraft was from the 8th Air Force and based in England. Here is what I have come up with. The finishing of the wing at North American's Inglewood CA facility was a 4 - 6 step process depending on whether the aircraft was camouflaged or not. Prior to manufacturing, the 2000 series aluminium sheet was cleaned with an alodyne type pre-treatment. Once the wing was built, the forward 40% was sprayed with one coat of zinc-chromate no. 53N5. Once dry, the butt joints of the area were filled with Acme Red Vellunite Glazing Putty no. 58485. The wing was then painted in the specified camouflage paint. North American applied factory paint on foreign P-51s. This is why many RAF paints were manufactured in the U.S. By the way, U.S. paint manufacturers (DuPont being one of many) sent thousands of gallons of paint to England for RAF aircraft built in England. If the Mustang was going to be delivered in a natural metal finish, the wings were sprayed with 1-2 coats of DuPont Light Gray primer then sanded. A one coat mixture of 8 oz. aluminum paste to 1 gallon of clear lacquer or varnish was then applied as the final coat. The particular aircraft I researched arrived crated in England via ship in mid-September 1944. This Mustang was finished per factory specs from North American Inglewood CA.in natural metal except for the stencils, national markings, wings and the anti glare nose. This Mustang was sent to a depot where it was assembled. After the aircraft was flight-tested it was painted with U.S. manufactured RAF green on the above surfaces and most probably an RAF grey on the bottom surfaces. The aircraft was then sent to the Fighter Group's airfield where Fighter Group, Fighter Squadron and personal markings were added. A total of about 16 lbs of paint were applied. A further note of interest is that "invasion stripes on the fuselage were applied on new aircraft as late as September 1944”. The first heavy snows arrived in Northern Europe in early December 1944 and after arriving back at the airfield and handing the aircraft back to the owner (Crew Chief) the Pilot, a respected "Ace" with the 357th FG, stated that the green camouflage really stood out against the snow. That night the Crew Chief, Armourer and Senior Line Chief stripped the entire aircraft with "avgas, elbow grease and bloody knuckles". The glazing putty was not re-applied nor was the wing painted with silver paint. It was probably below 20 degrees when the job was done and that type of putty and paint cannot be applied at that temperature. The paint was stripped from most of the aircraft from the 357th FG whose planes were camouflaged in England. By the way, I can attest to the fact that even regular gasoline will strip enamels, lacquer, varnish Kynar, polyseter and modern high-rise glazing putty. So what does this mean when building a model of a P-51 Mustang? Well, if you are building an 8th AF P-51D Mustang that was shipped to England in NMF then camouflaged and then stripped over the winter of 1944-1945, then you probably have an aircraft with genuinely bare metal wings with no putty and probably a little paint residue left in the butt joints and rivet heads. Correspondence with a couple of maintenance personnel stated that they do not recall the wings being re-puttied or re-painted. If you really have a bug about accuracy, research the individual aircraft you are building. That said, there are always exceptions. My research comes from the following sources: • "Building the P-51 Mustang" by Michael Leary • North American P-51D Mustang by Robert Pecqkowski • To War with the Yoxford Boys by MSGT Merle Olmsted • Aero Detail 13 NA P-51D Mustang • To Fight and Fly, Memoirs of a Triple Ace by Col. Clarence " Bud" Anderson • AAMA Specifications "Finishing" 2011 • ASTM "Aluminum coil, sheet and plate Specifications and tolerances" 2011 • Aluminum Association of America (I have been a member since 1985) • Anodizing and Finishing Association of North America ( member since 1987) Correspondence from several pilots and ground personnel from the Greatest Generation. ■
A factory-fresh post-war Mustang with smooth wings.
A close view of a puttied and painted Mustang wing. Note that you will still be able to see access panel lines.
P-51D Mustang of the 356th Fighter Group, 361 Fighter Squadron.
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* Historical summary courtesy of Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bücker_Bü_181
KIT PREVIEW Special Hobby 1:48 Bucker Bu 181 Bestmann • Kit No. SH48120
PRIMARY TRAINER The Editor examines an all-new Bu 181 from Special Hobby.
T
he Bücker Bü 181 Bestmann was a twoseater, single-engine aerobatic monoplane aircraft built by Bücker Flugzeugbau GmbH in Rangsdorf, near Berlin and extensively used by the Luftwaffe in World War II. Although built primarily as a trainer for the Luftwaffe, the type also performed other duties such as courier & liaison. From March 1945 an order was issued to concentrate all the available Bü 181s to be converted either to the "tank busting" role carrying four Panzerfaust anti-tank grenade launchers from wing-mounted launchers (C-3 subtype) or to the night harassment role carrying three 50 kg bombs (B-3 subtype), most likely inspired by the Soviet female nocturnal Nochnye Vedmy units' campaigns from 1942 to V-E Day. These units saw very limited use in the final days of
Cockpit detail is simple, reflecting the real thing.
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the war due to the war situation. However, some missions were carried out, achieving moderate success but at the price of severe losses. One restored Bestmann on the tank buster configuration is on display at the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin.* MPM released a limited run plastic 1:48 scale Bucker Bu 181 Jungmann before the turn of the century. As you would expect of its era, this was a basic kit with vacform canopy. Surprisingly, another 1:48 scale Bestmann has been released this year from newcomer Stransky. This kit appears to have nothing in common with the new Special Hobby kit. I haven't actually seen this kit so I can't offer an authoritative opinion. Special Hobby's 1:48 scale Bucker Bu 181 Jungmann is an all new kit with no parts in common with the old MPM offering.
Raised detail on the instrument panel.
This kit comprises 55 parts in grey plastic (including 16 parts not for use), two clear parts, five resin parts, 28 photo-etched parts on one fret and markings for three options. Compared to the Special Hobby 1:32 scale Tempest that I had the pleasure to build in October, this model looks more like a traditional limited run kit. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. Although little luxuries such as fuselage locating pins are not present, the parts are cleanly moulded and sprue attachments quite modest, so parts removal and cleanup will be fast and easy. You won't find the tall ejector pin towers that older limited run kits suffered from either! The real aircraft was very simple too, so short run technology does not limit the potential detail.
Subtle fabric texture on the control surfaces.
Wings are broken down into upper
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and low
nto upper
In fact, surface textures are very subtly done, and trialing edges nice and sharp. Interior detail is basic, reflecting the real thing. The instrument panel is a plastic part with crisply moulded dials, bezels and switches, enhanced with an overlay decal. Harness straps are supplied as photo-etched parts, as are rudder toe straps and the mesh cargo barrier. The wings are supplied as upper and lower halves for port and starboard sides. They are held in place with tabs that slot into the fuselage wing roots. Each one-piece horizontal stabiliser is also secured with a small locating tab. The resin partial engine is nicely detailed and will be visible through the front intake. Four tiny individual hollow resin exhaust stubs are also included. Two styles of wheels are provided. The instructions
indicate which option goes with what markings. The canopy is presented as a front and rear section, and is moulded shut. A number of parts are present that are not designed to be used with this release but suggest that we will see different variants in the future. These include four Panzerfausts with wing mounts, and skis. The decal sheet is printed by Cartograf. Colours look great and registration is perfect. Markings are supplied for two Luftwaffe trainer aircraft in RLM 70 Black Green and RLM 71 Dark Green upper surfaces, RLM 65 Light Blue lower surfaces and yellow theatre markings. The third option is a bright post-war Swiss Bestmann with red and white markings totally negating its Swiss Khaki and Light Blue camouflage!
CONCLUSION
This is a straightforward kit of a simple but important trainer and liaison aircraft. Special Hobby's 1/48 scale Bestmann is not presented quite to the same standard as their recent 1:32 scale Tempest, but it is cleanly moulded, features subtle surface features, effective use of resin and photo-etch and if you have a few kits under your belt you won't have any trouble with the absence of locating pins. Just take your time aligning parts, test-fit frequently, and you'll have an attractive result. Recommended. ■ Thanks to Special Hobby for the review sample www.specialhobby.eu
Tiny resin exhausts. Resin cylinder detail will be visible through the front of the model.
The plastic is shiny.
and lower halves for both sides.
The kit’s photo-etched fret.
Xy xyxyxy yx yxy xyxyxy xyx yxyx yxyxyx
Decals are printed by Cartograf.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ • Kit No. 32067
EURO YAK
James Hatch builds the 1:32 Yak-3 kit from Special Hobby
U
nsurprisingly, the origins of the Yak-3 go back to an original 1941 design for what was to be designated as the Yak-1. At the same time, an alternative design named I-30, was also proposed, which was a smaller version of the Yak-1, carrying a spinner mounted cannon and two synchronised machine guns in the upper cowl. It also carried two wing-mounted cannon. Whilst this machine had metal wings that were fitted with slats for operations from smaller airfields, plus better handling, a prototype with simpler wooden wings, without slats was also flown. Unfortunately, this machine crashed and was destroyed. Due to
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Hitler’s invasion of the Soviet Union in 1941, and raw materials becoming scarcer as Operation Barbarossa snaked through the Motherland, the Yak-3 was shelved. As the war progressed, it became apparent that Russia still needed a nimble fighter with a high power to weight ratio, which could take on the best of what the Luftwaffe was flying, and the I-30, or Yak-1M, was revisited. Trials for the new machine began in late 1943, and finally, the Yak-3 entered service in the summer of 1944, as Germany’s fortunes really were fading fast. The Yak-3 had a redesigned wing, and the
aircraft was of mixed metal and wood construction, and fitted with a Klimov VK-105PF-2 V-12 liquidcooled piston engine, delivering 1,300hp. Whilst retaining the spinner cannon and the two cowl mounted MGs, the wing cannon were omitted. With an impressive handling and combat performance that more than matched their Luftwaffe fighter counterparts, the Yak-3 with a top speed of over 400mph, was very much liked by those who flew it. Problems included poor performing glues that cause plywood surfaces to break away, plus an unreliable engine and pneumatic system. These were never fully resolved.
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“Special Hobby seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment following the recent release of their long-awaited Hawker Tempest Mk.V.” AIR Edition
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FEATURE ARTICLE Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ • Kit No. 32067
THE KIT
Special Hobby seem to be on a bit of a roll at the moment following the recent release of their long-awaited Hawker Tempest Mk.V. Whilst the Tempest seemed to have been in development for an eternity, the Yak certainly wasn’t so. However, this release has been no less anticipated. Like the Tempest, Special Hobby has released this in their ‘Hi-Tech’ format, meaning that it comes with a number of resin parts and a smattering of photo-etch parts. A set of canopy masks is also de rigueur with this type of release. In all, a pretty comprehensive package that will only benefit from whatever else you decide to enhance it with. Removing the lid is easier said than done. This must be the best fitting box I’ve seen. Once inside, you’ll find FIVE sprues of mediumgrey styrene packed into a single, re-sealable sleeve, a separate sleeve with ONE clear sprue, a CMK blister package containing the resin, photoetch and vinyl masks, and one last sleeve with two decal sheets. The main airframe component sprues with such things as wings, fuselage etc. are of a satin-ish appearance, and reminiscent of the Special Hobby we know, but the smaller component sprues are quite highly polished and with a fine, smooth appearance. Lastly, a glossy, colour-printed A4 manual completes the ensemble. The “Normandie-Niemen” packaging for this release relates to a regiment of the French Air Force that fought on the Eastern Front. This Group re-equipped with the Yak-3, scoring with it the last 99 of their 273 air victories against the Luftwaffe.
A quick test showed the general fit to be very good.
A few small tweaks would help to bring the various parts together with little issue.
STRAIGHT INTO ACTION
As I have already mentioned, the main kit parts have a satin patina to them, and if I’m entirely honest, I wasn’t too hopeful about a smooth paint job on the model. Before I progressed with any construction, I decided to buff everything with a rather work out sanding stick so as not to damage any panel lines or other detail. After this, I finished the surface with two very fine grades of finisher and polishing sponge. This gave a pleasant, Hasegawa-like sheen to the model. At this point, I also decided to fit the roof/channel for the rear radiator opening, using a couple of clamps to keep things in just the right position for later assembly. It will come as no surprise to see that the first task is to tackle the cockpit. If a well-appointed pilot’s office is something that you really like to get stuck into, then this kit most certainly does not disappoint. Mostly, construction is of plastic, with a small number of resin components, and a smattering of rather nice photo-etch parts to finish the ensemble. A small number of modifications first needed to be made to the interior before any paintwork, and this included removing the rather weedy looking radio receiver from the rear shelf, and replacing it with the superb looking resin alternative that comes with this ‘Hi-Tech’ kit release. The cannon cocking lever is also a resin part, replacing the styrene option, and the rudder pedals need to be removed from the rudder bar, and the new resin parts carefully grafted into place. PE straps were then glued into place. I used some lead fly-tying wire to create some power and transmission wires for the radio receiver set, and glued these into position with CA. A first note of hindsight though…the instructions ask you to paint the interior in Gunze Light Gull Grey H51. This is exactly what I did, but I really do think that replacing this with a totally different
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Unhappy with the general patina of the main airframe parts, I buffed them with an old sanding stick and polished them to a semi-sheen.
I took the opportunity to fit the tunnel ceiling to the rear radiator channel.
To ensure that I had the correct position of the radiator channel ceiling, the part was clamped in between both fuselage halves whilst the glue set.
The moulded radio receiver was embarrassing, but the resin replacement was a superb replacement for this.
Special Hobby created a well-appointed cockpit. Here are the main components for this. Some time spent here will pay dividends on the completed model.
Masking the internal fuselage ribs takes a little time, but I felt the result to be worth the extra effort.
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Basic painting is now complete and the parts are now awaiting decals and dry-brush attention.
Side wall panels also show the attention to detail that SH put into this kit. Spending extra time in airbrushing and detail painting will really enhance your model.
AK-Interactive’s Dark Brown wash is perfect for bringing out the detail on the cockpit parts.
Tamiya weathering pastels are perfect for adding some highlights to this leather seat padding. Forget the supplied wand, and apply with a soft, flat brush.
colour, such as MRP’s A-14 Faded Grey is the way to go. Inside the rather angular looking fuselage is a tubular framework that comprises the cockpit area. These parts have been superbly rendered by Special Hobby, and require only the most remedial of cleaning sessions with a scalpel. Things tend to be pretty sharp in this department. To try to break up the possible monotony of a grey interior, I applied the Light Gull Grey to the main frames themselves, as well as the fuselage interior and the cockpit floor section that sits atop the wing center-section. For the foot boards, fuselage wall strips and the cockpit consoles, I used Tamiya Sky Grey in order to give a little contrast to the interior, and in line with variances I’d noticed in Google image searches. Note that I left the consoles themselves off the model until later. I took the opportunity to paint them in MRP Basic Black, as I also did with the two instrument panel parts. I use Klear to seal the basic paintwork before I paint any small detail work with Vallejo. For the leather seat back rest, after masking off, I applied MRP Dark Rust. Vallejo Deep Sky Blue was
used for the oxygen regulator that is fitted to the instrument panel. Again, these parts were sealed in Klear before I added the instrument decals. To ensure these fit snugly into the instrument recesses, I punched them out using my RP Toolz Punch & Die set. Pretty invaluable for work like this. A few Airscale placards were added from various sheets, where there appeared to be some on the reference photos. Fantasy Printshop solid sheet decal was then used for the paper notes that slip into the sidewall carriers. With everything again sealed for protection, I used AK-Interactive’s Dark Brown wash. For smaller cockpit parts, the excess was removed when completely dry. For the walls, I allowed a little streaking of the wash to create a little weathering. Vallejo Sky Grey was dry-brushed over the black parts, and then simple assembly undertaken. Tamiya Clear Flat varnish was then airbrushed over the internal parts and then Micro Crystal Clear used to recreate the glass lenses on the instruments. Tamiya weathering pastels were used on the leather seat. Finally, the cockpit tub was assembled.
A good punch & die set will enhance your modelling experience in areas such as the instrument panel. Removing the carrier film helps set those instrument decals nicely in their recesses.
To break up the monotony of the grey interior, I used a different shade for the console side boxes. Here you can see the completed side walls with their detail painting and decals.
Key cockpit components are ready for assembly, after dry brushing and a wash.
Micro Kristal Klear is used to replicate the glass instrument dials. Apply with a cocktail stick for ease.
Perhaps one of the most attractive WW2 cockpits I’ve ever tackled, and quite modern for the era.
The unassembled cockpit is laid bare, prior to final assembly. When all put together, the result is very impressive.
Another view of the Yak-3 cockpit, with its resin radio receiver. Remember that this still needs to be fitted to the lower cockpit floor.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ • Kit No. 32067
WINGS AND TAILPLANES
Construction of the wings starts with building up the main gear wells. Each comprises four wall parts, and these fit together reasonably well. I had to tweak some of the joints a little so they would precisely fit, but nothing too onerous. At this juncture, I decided to remove all the landing gear parts from the sprues and assemble them so that I could paint them all together, as well as fit the resin locking clasps within the main gear bay ceilings. The colour the Russians used for the job is a rather vile-looking blue that also adorns the undersides. MRP’s AMT-7 Grey-Blue is a precise match for this job, and covers beautifully. A quick note here regarding the wheel bay colours. The instructions show them as being in Light Gull Grey. Many hours of digging for reference showed that to be generally incorrect. Mr Metal Color Aluminium was hand-painted onto the compression struts. As these paints aren’t affected by enamel weathering washes, I then applied the Dark Brown wash to these areas and removed the excess once dry. I considered it worthwhile at this point to fit the clear lenses into the upper wings and then apply the fuel gauge decals. This was followed by an application of white paint to the reverse side to recreate the finished effect. Next I had to fit the cockpit parts to the floor section that was moulded to the wing. Whilst the rudder pedals and control stick were easy to fit, the seat bucket wouldn’t sit in place due to the control stick torsion bar passing underneath it. To solve this, I cut away a channel underneath the seat part. Fitting the gear bays into the wings was simple enough, but I left the undercarriage parts off until late in construction, for obvious reasons. That wonderful light blue colour was now airbrushed into rear radiator channel and the grille painted in Dark Iron before being fitted, and the forward grille also fitted. The lower wing plate could now be secured to the upper part and left to cure before the seams were removed with sanding sticks and sponges. Special Hobby’s plastic is actually quite nice, and goes gooey with an application of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. It helps to create a positive weld seam that is excellent for joint eradication. I took the opportunity to build the stabiliser parts, elevators and rudders at this point. These are simple upper and lower halved parts. Like all other parts on this kit, there are no locating pins, unlike the recent Tempest release. I don’t see any problem with this. Assembly is straightforward and without any hidden problems to trip us up. These parts were now set aside for main assembly later in construction.
FUSELAGE AND MAIN ASSEMBLY
The cockpit floor is quite impressive. Note the notch cut in the underside of the seat, to allow the control stick torsion bar to pass through.
Test fitting the cockpit to the cockpit to the floor showed that the rear of the pit needed to be raised slightly.
Masking tape was used to protect the paintwork as I shaped the seat belts to the correct profile.
The detail on the gear wells is excellent on the Yak-3. A few tweaks are needed to get the elements to fit together properly, checked against both upper and lower wing plates.
A liberal coat of MRP AMT-7 Grey Blue was applied to the roof of the main gear wells…
DO NOT FIT THE FIRST AID KIT AS PER INSTRUCTIONS! That’s a major tip that’s worth following. Please fit it after the fuse and wing are assembled, or you won’t get the cockpit frames over the first aid kit. Please ask me how I know this. Before the fuselage halves can be glued together, I built and painted the tail wheel well. As with the main wells, these should be painted in the same blue, and not the light gull grey that is stipulated. A dark brown wash was also applied. You will also need to fit the resin exhausts from inside the fuselage. Before I did this, I airbrushed them in Mr Metal Color Dark Iron, and then burnished them to a shine. There’s no need to remove the casting blocks from these as they don’t hinder assembly. CA was used to secure these parts.
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…and also to all other undercarriage parts, such as struts, doors, rods, rams and actuators.
Gunze Dark Iron was used to paint the radiator grille faces, and this was them buffed to a metallic sheen with a cotton bud.
AK-Interactive’s Dark Brown wash was used to pick out the detail in all gear bays, and the excess removed once dry.
After masking off the painted gear bay, I airbrushed white paint over the rear on the fuel gauge decals.
Fuselage assembly was done with Tamiya Extra Thin cement, and the seams removed when cured. Strangely enough, even though I 100% eradicated these, a seam did appear along the spine where the styrene seemed to sink into the joint. I pulled out some viscous CA for this and applied it with a cocktail stick before later sanding and polishing the joint again. One area to look out for is the forward cowl. If you sit this in place initially, there is a slight gap at the rear side, on both port and starboard. I found this to be because the rear fuselage shape scalloped outwards slightly. To fix this, I ran a sanding stick over the front of the bulged joint, and this allowed the cowl to sit further back, closing up the gaps. This was now glued in situ, with tape
holding it firmly until cured. One area I double checked was the height of the cockpit tub rear bulkhead when fitted to the wing and then test fitted to the fuselage. I found I needed to elevate the rear of the tub position a little. Test fitting the wing to the fuselage also now highlighted two further problems. The first was that the lip on the wing fillet that is designed to sit in the fuselage recess, was too tall. This reduced with some careful use of a sanding stick. So that the earlier gap was reduced and the two assemblies could fit precisely. The next problem, which took a little longer to fix, was the step that I had between the wing centre section and the underside engine cowl. To lessen this, I considered various options, and then undertook the one that made most sense. This was
I found I needed to reduce the lip that aligns the fuselage. This was too high and prevented the who assemblies from fitting together properly.
to take a razor saw to the forward joint between the upper and lower wing plates, and remove material to create a gap that was about 1.5mm wide. I then pulled this together and glued it before clamping it. One last task to perform here was to fit the seatbelts. This could only be done when the tub was secured to the wing top as the main belts needed to drape onto the bucket, and then the lap belts lie over the top of this. Once shaped and painted in Tamiya Buff, and a wash applied, these were then fitted with CA. The wing now fitted superbly, with only a smidgeon of Mr Dissolved Putty being needed in small spots around the wing intakes. Fitting the horizontal tail planes threw up an issue that was easy to fix. Both port and starboard parts seemed
Exhausts are painted in Dark Iron, and I took the precaution of painting the area around the narrow slot, so as not to have any difficult masking later on.
I wish all wings were as simple as this one. No locating pins, but the job wasn’t made any harder for the lack of them.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ • Kit No. 32067
to sit too high because of the fuselage slot position. Opening up the slot on the lower side, allowed these to mount perfectly, with an even fairing lip present around the joint. I opted to fit the elevators in a neutral position, but decided to leave the rudder off at this point as it would be painted in a tricolour flag. A small amount of Mr Dissolved Putty was applied around the stabiliser – fuselage joint. Excess was removed with a cotton bud that was dampened with Mr Levelling Thinner.
CANOPY AND PREP FOR PAINTWORK
This is one area that it pays to take care. The clear parts are very good, but the fit of them to the fuselage requires a little patience and work in order to create the best result. Special Hobby supply a one-piece canopy in case you want to pose it closed, and a three-part canopy for the open solution. I found that both the front and rear recesses require a little re-shaping to accommodate the canopy, with the rear area needing the most work. It’s a case of use a scalpel and test fit, continually. Around an hour’s work was required to get things looking good. It’s just a case of matching profiles. Before gluing these into position, I fitted the instrument panel coaming, armoured glass headrest, and the side instrument panels. With the canopies set, they were masked using a combination of the kit’s vinyl masks and masking tape. I also masked off the wheel bays and radiator intakes by stuffing some foam in there from an Eduard Brassin set.
Varying grades of sanding and polishing sticks are used to remove any seams along the main components.
After sanding the upper fuselage seam in front of the canopy, the forward cowl fits perfectly.
PAINTING AND DECALS
I tend to wipe down my models with a little isopropyl alcohol before I start any main paint application. This removes any accumulated grease from your fingers, that could adversely affect the finish of your model. A small piece of bubble-wrap is then used to handle the model from this point on. Once I had painted the interior colour over the canopy frame areas, I airbrushed MRP Grey Primer over the whole model. A polishing stick was used to buff the whole surface before any further paint was applied. MRP Basic Black was now used to pre-shade the model. As this aircraft was largely wood, this job didn’t take too long. I now applied that wonderful colour, MRP AMT-7 Grey Blue to the undersides. Tesa masking tape and thinly rolled Blue-Tack worms were used to mask off the undersides and a fine pencil used to draw the camouflage demarcation. MRP AMT-11 Blue Grey was now applied to the associated areas, with a slight overlap into the darker camo zones. More Blue-Tack worms were now rolled, but I made these a lot thicker so as to create a softer edge. MRP AMT-12 Dark Grey was now applied to complete the camouflage. Time for some variation now as the spinner and rudder were painted with the red, white and blue tricolour. For the blue, I used Gunze Sky Blue, MRP White, and Tamiya Flat Red with a dusting of MRP Russian Red to remove the starkness of the colour. Masking the spinner was quite tricky, and for this I used flexible Tamiya masking tape. Numerous attempts were made at this before I was happy with the supposedly even appearance. Decals are supplied for the rudder, but for the sake of an even colour match between spinner and rudder, I opted to paint both. AK-Interactive’s Xtreme Metal Aluminium was applied to the propeller blades, followed by a coat of Klear and some AK-Interactive Chipping
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As odd as it looks, the cockpit tub secures to the wing upper side instead of being initially fitted into the fuselage.
Tail units were simple to build. Just make sure you align them properly so that there’s no issue when fitting the fuselage.
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Both the fuselage and wing finally come together. You can see from this that the fit is actually very good, and far better than I originally envisaged.
Some plastic needed to be removed from the rear of the fuselage, allowing the canopy to sit in the correct position. Just remove a little at a time, and keep checking the fit.
Basic assembly is now completed, and the spinner temporarily added to give an impression of final appearance. Looks correct in every way.
Vinyl masks are supplied for the canopy and wing fuel gauges. Blue-Tack and tape are used to finish the job.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ • Kit No. 32067
Fluid. MRP Basic Black was then airbrushed over these and a stiff brush used to chip the black paint around the prop blade leading edge. Klear was now used to seal everything before decaling. The decals for this kit, are printed by Eduard, and look excellent. However, they are very, very thin, and care really needs to be exercised in applying them. One decal sheet contains the white decals, such as the serials, kills, arrow flashes etc. and the other is printed in multicolour. I used Mr Mark Setter for application, and some swearing was heard whilst trying to align the various arrow flash sections with the Russian stars. I ruined the kill markings due to the decal folding over on itself, but replaced this with other kill markings supplied on the sheet. A good number of stencils are included too. Klear is now used to seal things.
MRP Grey Primer is now used to cover the model prior to paint application. Not too much pre-shade on this model, but enough to make it worthwhile with the final appearance.
WEATHERING THE STORM
AK-Interactive Black Camo Paneliner was applied to the upper surfaces and these were then blended into the model using a soft, flat brush, dampened with white spirit. This required several passes, each time removing a little of the material so the effect wasn’t chalky. The result creates a very subtle fading effect that’s a little streaky, like rain marks. Again, Klear was used to seal this before a Dark Brown wash was applied to the panel lines and various random rivet lines. I left this to dry fully and then removed the excess with a cotton bud. This was done in airflow direction, and in such a way as to create a dirty appearance. For the undersides, I used some very dilute Tamiya Flat Earth to add some weathering around the landing flaps, utilising a post-it note to help shield the surrounding areas. AK-Interactive Engine Grime was now used to recreate small fuel stains and streaks. At this point, a few small details were hand painted, such as the spinner cannon barrel and the two machine gun barrels.
A little more pre-shading required on the underside. Note the wide open, blank detail areas on the wings.
MRP AMT-7 Grey Blue was airbrushed on the undersides of the model, and upwards on the fuselage towards the tail plane areas.
THE FINAL ASSAULT
The undercarriage parts that I earlier left from the model, were now fitted to the model, and the resin wheels were now attached. For the wheels, I used MRP Tire Black, and painted the hubs with MRP RLM80. I found it easier to fit the undercarriage doors after the main gear legs, and not before. For these, I tried the new ‘Quick Drying’ Tamiya Extra Thin cement, courtesy of Mike Jolly and MJR Models and Hobbies (always support your local hobby shop, folks!). I’ve yet to use on a full model, but for instant grab on parts like these, it works perfectly. AK-Interactive’s Engine Oil and Grime was used on the struts and in the bays in general. A little pigment was applied to the wheels to dirty them up a little for the natural base I would use. Instead of using the kit pitot, I made one from some Albion Alloys’ sliding tube that I had, which looks far neater than the plastic part. Exhaust stains were created using Gunze Soot, airbrushed quite thinly with the crown cap removed from my Iwata airbrush. A micro drill bit was used to create a small hole in the fin and the rear canopy, so I could attach the aerial wire. For this, I used the elastic cord from Uschi van der Rosten. The one niggle was fitting the sliding hood. The plastic is thicker than it could be, and getting it to sit properly took some effort and some odourless CA. Fly Model got around this on their Hurricane
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After MRP AMT-11 Blue Grey was applied to the lighter camo areas, these were masked in preparation for the darker AMT-12 Dark Grey colour.
The basic paint job is now finished, and the model awaits a protective coat of Klear.
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There aren’t too many decals on this model, but they are tricky to apply, and quite thin too.
Decals now applied, the model awaits a little weathering.
Rain marks (streaks, fading) are easy to apply by painting a little light wash over the wings and then blending this in direction of airflow, using a soft flat brush, dampened with white spirit.
Dark brown wash is now used to weather the model, streaking and blending where appropriate, and in a non-linear, random way.
Further weathering was applied using a number of AK-Interactive’s products, and especially around the grimy wheel wells.
by offering a vac-form part. A similar option would have been perfect for this. I rarely ever use a base to pose a model, but couldn’t resist doing a small number of shots on the new grass matt set from Uschi van der Rosten. Keep checking out his site for this one as it is part of an upcoming Old Concrete II Deluxe diorama option. This just seems perfect for such a subject. Now, I can’t paint a pilot to save my life, so I’m lucky that my good friend David Allen (Wings Cockpit Figures) sent me a pre-painted figure by the supremely talented John Belcher. My warmest thanks to David for the figure, Alex Glass (Uschi) for the grass matt base, and of course to Special Hobby for the Yak-3 kit. Such a beautiful little aircraft, and you guys nailed it! ■
After an initial coat of RLM80 over the hubs, these were then masked off prior to the main MRP Tire Black being applied.
Xtreme Metal Aluminium is airbrushed over the propeller blades as a precursor to chipping fluid and black paint being applied.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ • Kit No. 32067
This is an excellent kit of this petite Soviet fighter.
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MODELSPEC Special Hobby 1:32 Yak-3 ‘Hi Tech’ Kit No. 32067 Accessories Airscale cockpit placards Uschi van der Rosten grass diorama matt Wings Cockpit Figures ‘Soviet Pilot in Leather Flying Coat ’41 – ‘45 Fantasy Printshop solid beige decal sheet. Tools and Modelling Materials
Plenty of detail is visible through the open canopy.
The Wings Cockpit figure was painted by the supremely talented John Belcher.
Lead fly-tying wire Tamiya Extra Thin Cement & ‘Quick Setting’ variety Deluxe Materials medium viscosity CA Mr Dissolved Putty Swann Morton scalpel #11 & #15 MDC sanding sponges Albion Alloys sanding sticks Tesa masking tape Iwata HP-CH airbrush RB Productions razor saw – fine RP Toolz Punch & Die set Micro drill set Xuron sprue cutters Wilder fine pointed tweezers Blue-Tack Various clamps Paints and Weathering Materials Mr Levelling Thinner Mr Primer – Grey Mr Paint AMT-7 Grey Blue, AMT-11 Blue Grey, AMT-12 Dark Grey, Basic Black, Basic White, Tire Black, Russian Red, Dark Rust, RLM80 Vallejo Olive Green, Deep Sky Blue, Yellow, Red, Sky Grey, White Mr Metal Color Tamiya Flat Red, Buff, Light Gull Grey, Sky Grey AK-Interactive Dark Brown Wash AK-Interactive Engine Grime & Engine Oil AK-Interactive Paneliner for Black Camouflage Johnsons Klear Tamiya weathering pastels set. Reference Google image search Beautiful lines seem to be perfectly captured. Lots of fine detail. A few minor fit issues in places. Need of vac hood to replace plastic part. Rating: 8 out of 10 Special Hobby kits are available directly from Special Hobby and all good modelling retailers.
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17/11/2016 12:37
FEATURE ARTICLE Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1 Night Fighter • Kit No. 04995
FLY BY NIGHT
Brett Green builds Revell’s new 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1
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T
he Messerschmitt Me 262 B was originally planned as a trainer for conversion of piston-engine pilots to the new turbine technology. Germany's desperate situation in the final weeks of the war saw a number of these two seater Me 262s pressed into service as night fighters. A total of 15 night fighters were converted as the Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1a/U1. Several are known to have seen action and scored victories in defence of Berlin while attached to 10./NJG 11, "Kommando Welter".
Trumpeter released a single seat 1:32 scale Messerschmitt Me 262 A back in 2006, followed by a 262 B-1a night fighter in early 2008. Trumpeter's 1:32 scale Me 262 B-1a/U1 was made up from around 400 parts in light grey plastic, three vinyl tyres; three white metal cast undercarriage legs; 14 photo-etched parts and a small acetate film for instruments. It was a very well detailed kit, although the surface detail on the fuselage was noticeably heavier than its single-seater predecessor.
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Part One Basic Construction
The fuselage halves are specifically for the two-seater variant.
Panel line detail is crisp and fine, even in those hard-to-mould areas.
The wings feature separate flaps, ailerons and slats.
The elevators and rudder are separate parts too.
The fuselage interior features nice raised structural detail.
One of the engine nacelles.
Two stout wing spars also form the front and rear of the undercarriage bays.
The instrument panel features raised instrument dials and bezels.
Revell supplies the four gun nose.
An optional closed main undercarriage part is included.
Two options are offered for the nose wheel tyre – smooth and cross-treaded.
The radar is moulded as one part per side.
The windscreen is moulded with a section of the upper fuselage. The main canopy parts are held open by two stout tabs each.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1 Night Fighter • Kit No. 04995
REVELL’S 1:32 ME 262 B-1A IN THE BOX
By contrast, Revell’s all-new 1:32 scale Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1a is all-plastic with no multi-media elements. The parts count is much lower too – 208 parts in grey plastic and eight parts in clear – but detail does not suffer as a result. All control surfaces, including slats and flaps, are separate. The rudder is the late style - appropriate for these night fighters. It will a very simple matter to reposition the small locating pins to alter the position of the control surfaces on the finished model. Clear parts are very thin and free of distortion. The windscreen is moulded onto a section of the forward fuselage deck. This will reduce the risk of smearing the windscreen with glue. The armoured glass panel is supplied as a separate part. Once again the instrument panel is offered as a clear part, yet the lenses of the instruments are hollow. The kit features two full Jumo turbojets. The Jumos are reasonably well detailed straight from the box, but the determined super detailer will probably add some extra wiring and plumbing if the engines are destined for display. The small upper engine nacelle panels are separate to display some of the engine detail, but the lower engine access panels are moulded closed. A little careful attention with a hobby blade will be required if you want to leave these large covers off. Interior detail is very thorough. Not satisfied with presenting a nicely detailed cockpit and cannon bay, Trumpeter has also supplied a well-done radio and mount, gyro compass and oxygen bottles for the inside of the rear fuselage. Structural detail is also present on the interior of the fuselage halves. Detail is also present on the outside of the fuselage tub, all of which will be visible through the lower wing opening for the main undercarriage bay. The wheels are tyres are moulded in left and right halves and are all plastic. A choice of smooth or treaded nose wheel tyres is offered. The nose wheel strut does not include the oleo scissor. Revell offers the four-gun nose. Check your references, as some Me 262 B-1a/U1 night fighters were fitted with the two-gun nose. Nose weight is not supplied but it will certainly be required. Fortunately there is plenty of room under the forward gun cowl. Two sets of markings will be offered - Red 10 and Red 8 attached to 10./NJG 11 in 1945. My test shot did not come with decals, but I will report on them in the next instalment. The instructions call out the colours using only Revell paint numbers and names. For Red 12, they seem to suggest a finish of RLM 75 Grey Violet over RLM 76 Light Blue for the upper fuselage, RLM 81 Brown Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green on the upper wings and tail planes and black lower surfaces. For Red 8, Revell appears to advise RLM 81 Brown Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green over RLM 76 Light Blue for the upper fuselage, solid RLM 83 Dark Green unner wings and tailplanes, with black lower surfaces. Many unanswered questions hang over the actual colours used on these expedient night fighters. No two seem to be painted exactly the same. My best guess is that they were originally delivered as trainers in a typical late-war scheme of RLM 81 Brown Violet and RLM 83 Dark Green (or possibly RLM 82 Bright Green), with lower surfaces in RLM 76 Light Blue. The easiest course of action after the conversion of these airframes to night fighters would be to simply overspray the dark upper surfaces in a more appropriate pale shade - either RLM 76 Light Blue or one of the late-war "Sky" shades - with patches of the underlying RLM 81 and 83 showing through as an apparent mottle. Contemporary photos suggest that the wings on some of these aircraft retained the dark upper surface colours.
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I used some of the parts from Eduard’s Me 262 B Interior Self Adhesive set. This is designed for the Trumpeter kit but some parts work on this new Revell kit too.
I supplemented the Eduard detail parts with Yahu’s lovely pre-painted instrument panel.
Raised detail was removed from the plastic instrument panel using a coarse sanding stick.
Cockpit components cleaned up and ready for assembly.
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The pilot’s cockpit starts to take shape.
I like the way that Revell has designed the floor, the footrest and the control rods.
The basic forward cockpit.
Rear cockpit parts…. …and those parts assembled.
Assembly of the basic gun bay is nearly complete.
A nicely detailed gun bay is also provided. These are the parts for the basic bay.
The mount for the nose wheel is wedged between the nose bay halves.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1 Night Fighter • Kit No. 04995
I built the wheel bay in these two sub-assemblies…
The front and rear of the wheel main wheel well double as wing spars. …that were brought together to create this see-through frame.
The lower wing is made up from three parts.
The outer sections are held in place with overlapping tabs and pins.
The undercarriage bay was glued and clamped.
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Upper wing halves taped and clamped in place.
Flaps, lower and upper wing parts.
The flaps are held in place with pins at the side and two small tabs at the leading edge.
At this point I test fitted the fuselage and wing sub-assemblies.
Basic test fitting looked encouraging.
The shell ejection chutes are cleverly designed to be fitted either way.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1 Night Fighter • Kit No. 04995
The fuselage interior and gun bay parts were sprayed Tamiya AS-12 Bare Metal Silver straight from the spray can.
The undercarriage bay and the outside surfaces of the cockpit tub were also sprayed AS-12 Bare Metal Silver. All silver surfaces were then treated to a wash of Raw Umber oil paint thinned with lighter fluid.
A close up view of the lovely Yahu instrument panel.
Cockpit parts were sprayed Tamiya XF-24 Dark Grey.
Details were picked out using Vallejo acrylics.
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All grey parts were given a dark wash mixed from Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, XF-64 Red Brown, water and Future floor polish.
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As Revell does not supply harness straps, I sourced a set of Eduard Seatbelts Luftwaffe WWII Fighters from their STEEL series.
Cockpit components after detail painting and the addition of some of Eduard’s pre-coloured photo-etched parts.
The STEEL harness straps are very thin and flexible, conforming nicely to the seats.
The forward and rear cockpits have been joined together here.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1 Night Fighter • Kit No. 04995
The fuselage halves were glued together before the cockpit was fitted.
The gun bay / nose wheel bay has been glued to one fuselage side and taped in place to avoid gaps.
The full-length floor is glued to one side of the cockpit tub… …and then the other. The forward bulkhead has been glued in place here too.
The cockpit is installed from below. It is locked in place with the middle bulkhead.
The basic wing and fuselage assemblies ready to be joined.
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CONCLUSION
Revell’s 1:32 scale Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1a/ U1 continues in the tradition of their recent large scale Luftwaffe subjects with a high level of detail, crisply recessed surface textures and excellent value for money. This is a great kit. All you really need to add is harness straps for the seats. •
NEXT TIME: Next time, Brett adds the engines, completes construction and paints revell’s new 1:32 scale Me 262 B-1a Night Fighter.
Wing and fuselage taped and clamped. Initially, the fit at the wing root did not look too encouraging but it all came together well in the end.
MODELSPEC Revell 1:32 Messerschmitt Me 262 B-1/U-1 Night Fighter Kit No. 04995 Accessories Used: Eduard Item No. 33057 – Me 262 B Interior SA Eduard Item No. 32867 – Seatbelts Luftwaffe WWII Fighters STEEL Yahu Item No. YMA3211 – Me 262 A Tools and Modelling Products Used:
Tail plane components. Peek-a-boo! The wheel well detail looks terrific.
“This is a great kit. All you really need to add is harness straps for the seats...”
Tamiya masking tape (various widths) Tamiya Extra Thin Cement Revell Contacta Cement Selley’s Super Glue Zip Kicker (super glue accelerator) Blu-Tack Irwin Clamps Paints and Finishing Products Used: Cockpit Interior Tamiya Acrylics: X-18 Semi Gloss Black; XF-1 Flat Black; XF-24 Dark Grey. Vallejo Model Color Acrylics: 919 Foundation White; 70950 Black; 70953 Flat Yellow; 70957 Flat Red Vallejo Panzer Aces Acrylics: 301 Light Rust; 337 Highlight Ger. (Black) Future Floor Polish Alclad II Flat Klear Ronson Lighter Fluid Brand new kit; accurate overall; clever engineering / parts breakdown; crisply recessed panel line detail; poseable control surfaces. Nothing worth mentioning. Rating: 9.5 out of 10
The basic airframe ready for engines and detail parts.
Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook. com/Revell
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KIT PREVIEW Eduard 1:48 Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4 ProfiPACK • Kit No. 82114
FANTASTIC FRIEDRICH The Editor examines the latest in Eduard’s excellent 1:48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109 family – the Bf 109 F-4.
T
he Messerschmitt Bf 109 F delivered a major transformation to the famous Augsburg Eagle. The airframe was streamlined with a newly designed engine cowling, large spinner, rounded wing tips, revised flaps and many mechanical modifications compared to the earlier Bf 109 E. The Bf 109 F entered service in 1941 at around the same time as the RAF introduced the Spitfire Mk.V. RAF Fighter Command also switched to offensive operations over France and Belgium during this period, creating a new challenge for the Luftwaffe. The new Spitfire was superior to the Bf 109 F in most respects, and it would not be until early 1942 with the general introduction of the Focke-Wulf Fw 190 that a Luftwaffe fighter aircraft would gain a temporary upper hand over the English Channel. Despite this see-sawing combat on the Channel Front, the Messerschmitt Bf 109 F achieved stunning success over the grassy steppes and frozen tundras of Russia, and the harsh desert of North Africa during 1941 and 1942.
The new full-length fuselage.
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WHAT’S IN THE BOX?
Eduard's Bf 109 F-4 ProfiPACK comprises 184 parts in grey plastic, although there are 78 marked "not for use", bringing the total actually used to 106. In fact, the total is lower than this again as there are various alternative parts that won't be used depending on the version you are building. There are also six parts in clear, a coloured photoetched fret, a brass photo-etched fret, self-adhesive canopy masks and markings for six aircraft Compared to Eduard's earlier Gustav releases, this Bf 109 F-4 kit contains new sprues for the fuselage and wings, a new clear sprue, two new photo-etched frets and of course all-new decals. Straight from the box, you can build a regular Bf 109 F-4, an F-4/Trop, an F-4/Z and F-4/B or even a late-build F-2. The fuselage is presented as a full-length side per half, including the fin moulded in place, so there should not be any dramas with aligning multiple parts. In 2013, Eduard’s Spitfire family set a new benchmark for 1:48 scale surface detail, and this new Bf 109 F-4 is equally impressive in this regard.
The gun trough is a separate insert.
Superbly subtle recessed surface textures.
Panel lines are very crisp, fine and even. Lines of rivets are present, but they are very subtle. Fabric matches this high standard, with strip and stitching texture beautifully presented on the control surfaces. If you look closely enough, you will even see the zig-zag pinking edges on the fabric strips. Eduard combines plastic and colour photo-etched parts in their ProfiPACK, resulting in a very high level of detail straight from the box. The cockpit benefits most from the dedicated Bf 109 F coloured photo-etch with a nice multi-layered instrument panel, harness straps and other coloured details. Half-tones and shading seem to have taken a great leap forward on this photo-etched fret, especially the harness straps. A second brass photo-etched fret supplies more detail for the exterior. The cockpit is fitted with the late pan-style seat (the same as the G series), which does seem to be a common type in the Bf 109 F-4, although there is a similar seat with a slightly different backrest seen in these aircraft too. Early Bf 109 F-2s and it seems at least some F-4s were alternatively fitted with a one-piece pressed metal seat similar in
The full-width lower wing with circular wheel wells.
Alternative propellers allow early or later Friedrichs to be built from the box.
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appearance to that in the Bf 109 E. Check your references to see what style of seat is fitted to your chosen subject - there are a number of 1:48 scale Bf 109 E seats available if you want to backdate your Friedrich. The canopy is offered in three pieces with the windscreen, fixed rear section and poseable centre. The inclusion of the clear fuel line is a welcome touch. The inspection tube may be masked so that it remains clear after painting. The circular wheel wells are nicely detailed. Eduard depicts the wheel well sidewalls with the zippered canvas covers at the front and rear. The fabric texture looks good, and the zipper is represented by a raised line. The exhausts are supplied in one piece for each side with an optional moulded-on shroud. The centreline weld beads are present, and each of the stacks are hollowed out at the end. The exhausts do appear to be too tall. Three propeller assembly options are supplied with nice pitch collar and hub detail. Two styles are relevant for this boxing, while the third is appropriate for Bf 109 Gs.
ENGINEERING AND OPTIONS
The kit is broken down conventionally. The fuselage is full-length with no structural inserts. The two deep pressed gun troughs are separate parts. The upper and lower cowls are moulded as part of the fuselage sides. Two styles of supercharger intake are included. The smaller intake is for the standard F-4, while the larger version is for the F-4/Trop and is also appropriate for the F-4Z. The supercharger intake fits into precisely recessed areas on the nose. An optional tropical filter (with the front moulded shut) is supplied for the F-4/Trop. Two styles of oil cooler housing are included too. The shallow type is for the standard F-4, while the deeper version may be used for the F-4/Trop and F-4/Z. The wing tips are moulded as part of the upper wing halves with solid navigation lights and the pitot tube moulded in place. All control surfaces are separate, including leading edge slats, ailerons, flaps, elevators and rudder. The ramps at the leading edges of the radiator housings and the cooling flaps at the back of the oil coolers are moulded shut. All the radiator faces are supplied as photo-etched parts. Eduard has supplied the four empennage reinforcement strips as photo-etched parts. The strips were a temporary measure to stop the tails falling off early production Bf 109 Fs. These are more relevant to the Bf 109 F-2, but some may have been fitted to F-4s. Once again, check your references for individual configurations. Many options are offered on the sprues including a drop tank, bombs, bomb racks and different styles of wheel hubs. Some of these relate to earlier and later Bf 109 G or F versions and do not apply, but others – even though they are marked “not for use” – might come in handy for the enterprising modeller.
The gun trough cowl inserts.
Check your references to see which of these features is present on your preferred subject – a number of different combinations are possible.
The clear parts.
MARKINGS
Markings are supplied for six varied Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-4s. The two decal sheets are perfectly printed in the Czech Republic. One sheet carries he national markings and unique numbers, chevrons, Gruppe markings, unit insignia and kill markings; while the other has a wide selection of generic Bf 109 stencil markings. Printing, colours and registration is perfect on my sample.
EDUARD COMPARED TO ZVEZDA
Zvezda's Messerschmitt Bf 109 F-2 and F-4 kits have been clearly the best Friedrichs in 1:48 scale since their release in 2010. Detail is excellent, including a full engine, and they have been praised as being very accurate. The downsides are variable quality plastic (both of my Zvezda Bf 109 Fs have a short-shot propeller blade plus some warped parts due to the soft plastic), questionable supercharger intake shape and poor decals. The approach of the two kits is quite different too - Zvezda with its multi-part fuselage, full engine detail and all-plastic construction; and Eduard with its full-length fuselage, better quality plastic, straightforward engineering, more intricate surface textures, photo-etched enhancements and superb decals. Personally, I like the surface detail of the Eduard kit better, and the modeller-friendly parts breakdown really appeals. I was interested to read well-known Bf 109 fancier Floyd Werner's rankings of the currently available 1:48 scale Bf 109 F kits recently on HyperScale's Plane Talking Forum too. But the best news for fans of the Bf 109 F is that now you have the choice between two excellent Friedrichs depending on your personal penchants. You want to show off an engine? There's Zvezda. You want a well-detailed, easy to build kit with the cowls closed? That's Eduard.
The colour photo-etched fret.
A second brass etched fret is included too.
Six widely varied schemes are offered.
The main decal sheet.
CONCLUSION
I appreciate that not everybody is interested in the Augsburg Eagle, but I am pretty excited about Eduard's new 1:48 scale Bf 109 F-4. The new kit is accurate, well detailed and boasts surface textures as good as anything currently available. The addition of coloured photo-etched parts plus an excellent decal sheet with six varied options is a real bonus. I have built three of Eduard's 1:48 scale Bf 109 G kits and they were a joy to work on straightforward engineering, brilliant fit and a gorgeous result once they're finished. I have no reason to expect that this kit will be any different. I can't wait to get started on mine. Highly Recommended. •
Shallow and deep radiator fairings.
Small and large supercharger intakes.
Plenty of stencil markings.
Sample purchased by reviewer. Avaialable online from Eduard’s website www.eduard.com
The one-piece exhausts feature hollow ends.
Many of the options do not apply to this boxing.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Academy 1:48 F-4B Phantom II • Kit No. 12232
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he F-4 Phantom II is a jet that everyone should know. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful planes in history. When I saw the news about a new 1:48 scale Academy kit I decided that I must build one... or even few! The kit is amazing. The details on the surface looks fantastic, rivets and panel lines are delicate. This is the kind of model that a modeller can build straight from the box. It’s a huge box too, with nice artwork and containing a lot of sprues in three colours (this isn't a good idea in fact) - grey, black and white. Fortunately, we can find more advantages than disadvantages. The decals are flawlessly printed by Cartograf and I can't find words to describe their perfection. So I created a vision of the finished model in my mind and below you can read about my interpretation of Academy’s lovely 1:48 scale F-4B Phantom.
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The first thing that I had to do was to assemble and paint the cockpit. I primed cockpit with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black. Then I used Gunze Sangyo H317 as a base colour. After that I added some white paint to the base and, using strongly diluted paint, I highlighted some areas. After that I painted details on the consoles.
I used black Vallejo paint and then I painted buttons using the drybrushing technique. Later I fixed the paintwork with gloss lacquer.
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PAINTING THE COCKPIT
When the lacquer dried, I brought out the details using AK-Interactive "Brown blue wash for panzer grey vehicles". I applied the mixture onto the panels and consoles as well as rivets.
Finally, I covered cockpit with a thin coat of flat lacquer.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Academy 1:48 F-4B Phantom II • Kit No. 12232
PAINTING THE AIRFRAME In accordance with the instructions, I started assembling the other parts of the model. It is perfectly constructed, so there almost no problems, except of one... Unfortunately, the intakes do not fit as well as the other parts. Even so, this isn't hard work. It only took me about 45 minutes. To be honest, the assembly was so easy and pleasant, that I forgot to take photos!
My next step was to paint whole lower surfaces with white paint. I used Gunze Sangyo H316. I had used strongly diluted paint so effect of the prior works was clearly visible.
When the model was assembled, it was time to start my favourite part - painting. Before I applied the coat of Surfacer 1200, I masked the canopy with Tamiya masking tape. Then I started painting lower surfaces. Using heavily diluted H317 paint I made something like pre-shading. I painted some swirls inside the panels. It is worth nothing that I avoided rivets and panel lines, just to create depth inside the panels.
Before painting I decided to give random panels another colour to create irregularity and achieve a randomly weathered surface. This would also help me later with weathering. I mixed Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan with Gunze Sangyo H316 in the ratio 1:1. Then I applied the heavily diluted mixture inside some random panels. The tone changed into light beige, which was effect that I was hoping for. To create more random differences on the surface I lightened the beige on some panels with normal white.
After that it was a time to paint the upper surfaces. For some time I have not used classic pre-shading. For me, post-shading and highlighting panels is a better option. I find that this gives me better. The base colour has a strange tone, a bit beige. It is Gunze Sangyo H315. One transparent layer of this colour, which has been applied inside the panels and into space between rivets, formed a base for the highlights and shading. Surfacer 1200 is darker than the H315 so lines and rivets had analogously darker tone than the spaces where there was more base colour.
Then was time to create highlights. I mixed H315 with H316 in the ratio 1:1 and I applied this mix into rivet lines and some panels. The effect was very subtle, just to stress the difference between random surfaces.
For the final highlights I used clear H316 paint. I especially enhanced rivet lines at the end of wings, inspection panels and some vertical surfaces at the front of plane.
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Inside the box we can find decals only for one painting scheme from USS Coral Sea. I decided to make a plane from USS Midway. Decals for this version I took from Eduard kit 1186 "Good Morning da Nang". These decals are also printed by Cartograf, so their quality is perfect. Before decals I needed to paint characteristic elements on the wings and fuselage. For grey parts on wings I used mix of Gunze Sangyo H317 and Tamiya XF-1 in the ratio 1:1. I masked colour demarcations with Tamiya tape and I sprayed paint in right places. Then I highlighted them with the same paints mixture, but this time I added some white. After that I had to paint space from vertical stabilizer to plane nose. I masked correct surfaces again and then I applied Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black. I differentiated the colour on this stage.
After that I secured the paintwork with Gunze Sangyo GX100 gloss lacquer, so model was ready for decals. As I mentioned, decals were printed by Cartograf, so there weren’t any problem with them. On the decal sheet we can find hundreds of tiny stencils, so the process of applying them was very time-consuming. I used MicroSet and MicroSol fluids from Microscale, so decals conformed perfectly to the surface. Here you can see some photos with biggest decals.
When the decals were on, it was time for a wash. For the upper surfaces I used dark grey enamel from AK-Interactive: Engine Grime. This is an ideal colour for this grey. It is dark enough to bring out details. As you can probably see, the tone of basecoat has changed. It is a bit darker.
For the lower surfaces I used another enamel from AK-Interactive: Wash for Interiors. This paint has very delicate colour, so it matches the white perfectly.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Academy 1:48 F-4B Phantom II • Kit No. 12232
WEATHERING Weathering is great fun for me, because I can experiment with different effects and techniques. I decided that I would add some dirt to the wings, especially close to inspection panels. Firstly I covered whole model with Gunze Sangyo C182 Flat Clear. I started weathering with AK-Interactive Engine Grime. I poured some enamel into my airbrush and on a very low pressure I sprayed some areas. Then I removed the excess by rolling a cotton bud dampened with White Spirit. I did the same with surfaces around cockpit and on a fuselage.
On the lower surfaces I used more enamels. For the rear fuselage I used Engine Grime; for the centre surfaces and nose Wash for Dark Yellow; for the wings strongly diluted Track Wash. I made also some streaks using gloss enamel Fuel stains.
I added more dirt on the fuel tanks. I used Track Wash, which has a reddish brown colour. All enamels were from AK-Interactive.I weathered this area exactly the same as the upper surfaces. Next I painted the metal surfaces near to the jet exhausts.
I used Gunze Sangyo C8 for lighter areas and mix of Gunze Sangyo C8 and C33 for darker.
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At this stage I was very close to the end, but I still had to made weapons. I decided that my model would be armed with four AIM-9 Sidewinder, six bombs Mk.82 and four AIM-7 Sparrow.
At least I mounted landing gears, wheels, armament, flaps and canopy. The model was ready.
You can see that I mounted three fuel tanks.
An overall view of the completed project.
“This is the kind of model that a modeller can build straight from the box...”
Academy’s 1:48 scale F-4B Phantom II is a great model.
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SHOW REPORT ACTSMS SCALE ACT 2016
SCALE ACT 2016 The Editor visits the Scale ACT 2016 model show in Canberra, Australia’s national capital.
M
any people are surprised to learn that the capital city of Australia is not Sydney or Melbourne, but Canberra. The location of Canberra was selected as Australia’s seat of Government in 1908. There was no pre-existing town. Canberra was to be a planned city inside the newly defined Australian Capital Territory (ACT), designed by American architect Walter Burley Griffin. Construction commenced in 1913. The Federal Parliament moved to Canberra in 1927. It met in what was intended to be a temporary location, but this iconic building remained the seat of Parliament until 1988. Today, Canberra is the home of many national institutions including the National Library, the Australian Institute of Sport, the National Gallery and the Australian War Memorial. Canberra also boasts an active model club – ACTSMS – which meets monthly and also holds a lively annual model competition that is open to all modellers Australia-wide. Scale ACT 2016 was held at Kaleen High School in suburban Canberra. This is the fourth time that the show has been held in this large, well equipped venue. The main auditorium housed the model
competition, which comprised more than 450 models in categories including aircraft, military, science fiction, maritime, junior and more. This number broke the previous record by more than 70 models. The standard of kits in competition was very impressive indeed. Also under the same roof were traders, both local and from interstate including Red Roo Models, Mouse House Enterprises, Firestorm, FoldIT, Hawkeye Models and more. Good use was made of other areas in the school, with a number of impressive displays of large-scale radio control tanks, Boeing aircraft, model railways and more. The Swap and Sell room was amazingly busy with a long queue of modellers waiting to pay for their treasures. The local Lions Club kept hunger pangs at bay with a sausage sizzle. A pleasing number of visitors attended over the weekend. The organisers of Scale ACT 2016 should be congratulated for another well-organised and enjoyable event. If you’re passing by Canberra next year in midNovember, Scale ACT 2017 should be well worth a visit! •
Welcoming visitors to Scale ACT 2016
Members of the ACTSMS Committee.
There were plenty of traders on hand. This is Firestorm Models.
Large scale vehicle display.
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ine.
lia, our sole Australian modelling magaz
Frank Morgan, Editor of ModelArt Austra
Gary Byk from Red Roo Models with new
releases at the show.
me.
Even modellers need a sausage sizzle someti
The queue for the Swap and Sell snaked
An impressive 1:32 scale B-17G Flying
around the tables.
Fortress as part of the Boeing display.
Another display was “Boeing 100 – 1916 to 2016.
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SHOW REPORT ACTSMS SCALE ACT 2016
Hasegawa’s 1:48 scale Harrier GR.7 as
used in Operation Herrick.
whawk built straight from the box.
Williams Brothers 1:32 scale Curtiss Sparro
We don’t see many 1:48 scale Italeri (ext AMT) Bostons built, but this nicely finishe d example makes you wonder why. Striking colours on Hasegawa’s 1:48 scale
F-4EJ Phantom II.
A beautiful Aerotech 1:32 scale Comet by An impressive 1:72 Avro/GAF
whawk built straight from the box.
Williams Brothers 1:32 scale Curtiss Sparro
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Eric Galliers.
the Blackbird Models conversion. Lincoln Mk.31 based on the Airfix kit and
…and while we are still on the subject
of Eric’s models, his Czech Model 1:32 Buffalo
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Striking colours on Trumpeter’s 1:32 scale
1:48 scale Me 262 Lorin conversion. This
Fanta Can scheme on Italeri’s 1:48 scale
Grumamn A-6E Intruder.
is the Tamiya kit with the Antares resin
Macchi.
This is actually the old Hawk / Italeri 1:48
conversion.
1:48 scale CAC Woomera prototype. This
scale Lysander Mk.II. Nice job.
model has been offered as a 3D printed
kit.
Big Bone!
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FEATURE ARTICLE Wingnut Wings 1:32 Pfalz D.XII • Kit No. 32019
SILVERY
SCOUT Gary Edmundson’s admiration for Wingnut Wings’ 1:32 scale Pfalz D.XII grows as he builds it.
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ntroduced in mid 1918, the Pfalz D.XII entered service as an improvement over that company’s earlier scout, the D.IIIa. Although Allied airmen mistook this new aircraft for the Fokker D.VII because of it’s squared-off shape, performance was not as good as the BMW powered Fokker. Wingnut Wings’ release of the 1:32 scale Pfalz D.XII is one of their earlier offerings from 2011, but as with all of their models, detail is exquisite and the fit of the parts remarkable. I chose to construct a version featuring the earlier style tail from Jasta 77b in July of 1918, sporting the (at the time) good luck symbol of the swastika on the fuselage.
ENGINE
The kit’s Mercedes DIIIa engine was enhanced using some thin copper wire to make ignition wires. Stretched sprue was cut off at 2mm lengths and inserted into the holes in the engine cylinders for spark plugs, and holes were drilled into the magnetos to accept the wire. Copper wire was also added to the forward part of the engine for tubing detail. The forward part of the intake manifold was wrapped with Tamiya masking tape to mimic the insulating tape seen in some of the reference material provided with the kit.
The seatbelts were re-made using the kit buckles and lead sheet.
Fine copper wire was added to the kit’s magnetos for ignition leads.
After painting the Niendorf-type propeller a light tan, it was masked both front and back and then spraypainted darker brown to simulate the laminated wood look.
Alclad’s Duraluminum paint was used on the engine block and other details
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FEATURE ARTICLE Wingnut Wings 1:32 Pfalz D.XII • Kit No. 32019
The engine block was painted with Alclad II Duraluminum, and the cylinders were sprayed with Tamiya X-1 Gloss Black. Steel and Dark Aluminum Alclad paints were used on some of the other engine components. Testors enamel gold was used for any brass coloured components, and weathered down with brown oil paint after it dried. Tamiya Smoke X-19 was airbrushed on various areas to weather the look of it all. After the nameplate and other decals were applied, the engine got a protective clear gloss sprayed onto it. Thinned oil paint colours of black and raw umber were also added to the engine to add an overall grimy look. The kit provides four different propeller options, and this aircraft had the Niendorf. It was fist base painted in a light tan colour, then masking tape was cut and applied to simulate the look of laminated wooden layers when a darker brown was applied on top of this. After a coat of clear gloss, dark brown oil paint was streaked over the surface to create a wood-grain look, and after this had dried, a final coat of Tamiya’s X-26 clear orange was applied.
Period photos show some of the manifolds to have insulation wrap on the front section, replicated here using thin strips of Tamiya masking tape.
Handles for the cockpit controls were made by bending and crimping 0.5mm brass tubing
FUSELAGE INTERIOR
The cockpit floor and some of the instrument mounts that required a wood-grain finish 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 surface for the decals. Small switch handles for the instrument panel were fabricated from 0.5mm brass rod by bending a small piece and flattening the “handle” with pliers. The cockpit interior walls, framework, and instrument panel were airbrushed with a mixture of XF-76 Interior Grey-Green, darkened with XF-22 since the base colour seems too bright to me. 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 replaced the seat belts with duplicates made from lead sheet, cut to match the photo etched ones. They were primed with lacquer based Tamiya grey primer and painted with 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.
The engine received several light washes of thinned oil paint to bring out detail and impart a grimy appearance.
Brass components of the cockpit area were painted with Testors gold enamel, then clear-coated before weathering with raw umber oil paint.
FUSELAGE – LOWER WING ASSEMBLY
With the cockpit and engine sub-assemblies complete, they were placed into the fuselage and the halves were cemented together. With Wingnut Wings kits, it is important to test fit the parts and ensure all paint and glue is scraped from the mating surfaces since tolerances are very tight. The tricky part with this build is the lower wing to fuselage join. Time was spent filling the small gaps with putty and sanding the joint down smooth. It had to be repeated after painting, where the contour of the surfaces could be better discerned.
PAINTING THE EXTERIOR SURFACES
To try something new, I attempted to paint the fuselage in the common silver-grey scheme seen on Pfalz aircraft throughout the war. The challenge was to get this to look homogenous and not grainy, and to use weathering techniques to eliminate a monotone look. It seems the “Silbergrau” colour has been debated as to which mix of paint seems
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Control cables for the cockpit area were made using EZ-Line, and braced at the rear using a small bracket made from strip styrene.
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Aviattic’s faded 5-colour lozenge decal was used for the upper and lower wing surfaces. A comparison of the colours is shown vs. the Wingnut Wings decals which were used as a cutting template.
As part of the weathering process, some of the fittings and access covers were masked and then airbrushed with Tamiya’s X-19 Smoke.
The struts were glued into place and the upper wing section fit in place like a glove – typical of the Wingnut Wing’s line of kits!
to work best for modellers, and I followed Wingnut Wings’ guide after modifying it slightly. The instruction sheet calls for two parts Tamiya Flat Aluminum XF-16 mixed with one part Sky Grey XF-19 which I altered to add more of the XF-16, resulting in more of a 3:1 ratio respectively. I tested the mix on the unused optional lower wing part. Although this didn’t quite look right at first, after adding a coat of clear gloss it looked acceptable. I masked some of the fittings and features of the fuselage and airbrushed small points of shadow onto the model using Tamiya X-19 Smoke. The weathering effect of this is very subtle, and can be overdone if one is not careful and sparing with the application. When dried, these points were touched with a pin-wash of thinned raw umber oil paint to bring out the detail. The blue accents to the model on the nose, tail, and wheel covers was applied using a toned-down mix of the XF-8 Blue called out in the instructions using a few drops of Buff or Deck Tan. When dulling down a bright paint I usually use whatever light brownish mix is handy and don’t make a note of the exact colour.
LOZENGE CAMOUFLAGED WINGS
I have used Wingnut Wings lozenge decals in the past by heavily weathering the colour down to where I was comfortable with the look. The decals supplied with this kit were replaced with Aviattic faded 5-colour lozenge due to the gaudy, clown-like appearance of the kit-supplied offering.
The silver-grey fuselage was airbrushed with Tamiya’s X-22 clear gloss in preparation for decals. Microsol helped the markings settle with minimum silvering.
Tension for each of the EZ-Line rigging lines was pulled by using a couple of copper soldering clips
The Fantastic Third Hand is a tool that helps assist with handling the model during the rigging process.
I used the kit decals as a template to stamp out the strut mounting holes with a set of punches. To prepare the wings for Aviattic’s transparent decals, I airbrushed the wing surfaces with Tamiya’s gloss white X-2. Preshading of the undulating wing surface was done by a light airbrushing of dark lines around the ribs. The Aviattic lozenge decal film was cut – one section at a time – and applied to the lower wing surface first, then upper wing surface. Trimming of this onion-skin like decal film was done with brand new #11 Xacto blades. They need to be razor sharp to follow the contours of the model without ripping the delicate decal fabric and making a mess. Microsol was used to help settle all decal wrinkles. I refrain from using the stronger formula “Solvaset” on Aviattic decals since it can dissolve them at times. I did use Wingnut Wings lozenge decal material for the rib tapes. I cut 1mm strips of film to do each rib, making them long enough to go top and bottom, wrapping over the leading edges. Each tape was sealed with a daubing of Future floor finish acrylic to cement them in place. The rib tapes certainly took the most time of any of the construction & finishing steps of this model! When all of the rib tapes were complete on the upper and lower wings, I sealed them with Tamiya’s clear gloss acrylic X-22.
WING ASSEMBLY AND RIGGING
Rigging attachment points in the tail, 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 forming a loop that was glued into each point. These loops would allow for the EZ-Line rigging to be threaded through, pulled tight, and then secured with cyano glue. The copper loops were wound into RB Productions etched metal turnbuckles for points that required them, on the lower wing and fuselage for example. The upper wing sat onto the strut segments beautifully. Wingnut Wings have taken out the stress and anxiety of biplane assembly in this regard. The wing rigging was completed before adding the undercarriage and tail details for ease of construction. To strengthen the joints of all control surfaces such as aileron and elevators, small holes were drilled into the mating points and brass rod was glued into place. This helped immensely with the constant bumping and bending that went on during assembly and handling after these parts were added. The lower side of the model was weathered with XF-19 Smoke and thinned oil paint washes.
Added after studying the kit supplied references were an engine vent line up to the top wing, and an etched metal gun sight from the scrap box. AIR Edition
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I find it an impossible task to attach EZ line into fuselage holes using cyano glue from the outside. Holes were carefully drilled into the control horns of the tail assembly and fuselage, and fine rigid 2lb. fishing line was used to thread into these points for the control cables. The turnbuckles and other attachment points for the rigging were painted dark grey and were drybrushed with a metalizer mix of silver enamel and raw umber oil paint.
ADDED DETAILS
The anemometer was enhanced by adding a thin wire guard for the spinning cups on the top using thin copper wire. The wire was wrapped around two “posts” formed by pushing two #60 drill bits 3.5mm apart in a thick piece of styrene sheet, then cut and trimmed at the bottom to form two segments. These segments were then cemented to the top of the anemometer over the actuator with cyano glue. Emanating from the engine compartment
and up into the upper wing is a small vent tube noticeable in one of the photos of this particular aircraft in the instructions. Although the kit has the connection detail moulded onto the upper wing section both top and bottom, the associated tubing is not mentioned anywhere. This was added using some thin lead wire (from a spool used for flytying), with a tiny section of 0.3mm tubing sticking up from the top wing.
WEATHERING
To dull 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. The windscreen was treated to a thin coat of X-19 Smoke, which gives it a more realistic look than leaving it plain. The engine’s exhaust manifold was airbrushed Alclad steel, and weathered with
orange and tan chalk pastels. Tamiya’s Smoke was also airbrushed onto areas of the aircraft that would show an accumulation of dirt and staining such as the lower fuselage behind the engine, and control surface joints.
SUMMARY
This kit didn’t have great appeal to me upon purchase, and was bought during a time I wanted to stock up on the Wingnut Wings line before some of them sold out. I started the build along with another Pfalz scout model and worked on them in tandem to save time and paint (and I’m not sure if that philosophy worked out!). As I continued the construction, I found it as enjoyable as any other Wingnut Wings kit I’ve built in the past, and was quite ready to purchase another of the same kit at the end. As far as engineering, fit and detail it scored top marks in all departments. I just wish Aviattic would produce a custom set of wing lozenge decals for it! •
MODELSPEC Wingnut Wings 1:32 Pfalz D.XII
Kit No. 32019
Accessories used: EZ Line Rigging Line Fine Charcoal RB Productions etched brass turnbuckle RB-P32023 Aviattic 5-colour faded lozenge decals ATT 32013 & ATT32015 for upper and lower surfaces respectively To enhance the anemometer, a cage was made from copper wire wound around two drill bits, then cut to shape.
Tools and Materials Used: Tamiya Extra Fine Cement, Tamiya Basic Putty, Loctite 404 instant adhesive Harder & Steenbeck Infinity CRplus Airbrush 10mm, 18mm, 40mm Tamiya Masking Tape 0.3mm & 0.5mm brass rod Micro drill set Fantastic Third Hand (Kronos Designs)
The two sections were attached with cyano glue
Completed anemometer
Paints and Finishing Products Used: 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 Alclad Lacquer as listed in paint callouts Future floor acrylic (Johnson’s Pledge) Solvaset & Microsol Decal setting solutions Lacquer thinner Mineral Spirit thinner
The control lines for the tail were made using 2lb. test fishing line and small sections of 0.5mm brass tubing.
References: Wingnut Wings website, (www.wingnutwings.com). Ww1modelaircraft.com modelling forum Excellent detail, fit and moulding. Gaudy lozenge colours. Rating: 9 out of 10 Wingnut Wings kits are available online from their website www.wingnutwings.com
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The cowling is removable on this model, allowing display of the Mercedes engine.
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Mistaken by allied airman at the time for the Fokker D.VII, this aircraft did not measure up to the performance of the Benz-powered Fokker.
The swastika marking was used by both sides of the fighting during World War One, symbolizing good luck.
The blue accents on the model were painted using the XF-8 blue called out for in the instructions, toned down with light tan acrylic.
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FEATURE ARTICLE Wingnut Wings 1:32 Pfalz D.XII • Kit No. 32019
The bullet rails were added to the model before realizing that photos of the actual aircraft showed them to be absent. To remove them afterward possibly would cause more damage than I wanted to risk!
Light washes of thinned oil paint were used throughout the weathering process to accent detail.
“As I continued the construction, I found it as enjoyable as any other Wingnut Wings kit I’ve built in the past, and was quite ready to purchase another of the same kit at the end...”
The figure was added for prospective and comes from Model Cellar’s line of 1:32 scale resin airmen.
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modeller Next Issues military illustrated
ISSUE No.069 January 2017
Aircraft Edition - Brett Green AFV Edition - Marcus Nicholls Publisher; Alan Harman Graphic Design; Alex Hall Advertising Manager; Sean Leslie Office Manager; Paula Gray Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie Administration Assistant; Julie Lane MIM Website; Doolittle Media Web Team Editors;
Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 70 - AFV Edition on sale 19 January 2017
Printed by; Henry Stone Ltd, Oxfordshire Distributed by; Seymour Distribution 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000
IF LUCHS COULD KILL
Takom's 1:35 Luchs armoured car in detail
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; Doolittle Media, 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;
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ZAPPING THE ZÜNDAPP
STREET FIGHTER
1:35 Berlin 1945 street-scene diorama
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Military Illustrated Modeller Issue 70 - Aircraft Edition
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. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Military Illustrated Modeller only on Doolittle Media’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
© Doolittle Media 2017
Part two of this article covers the painting and weathering of this mega-superdetailing project
on sale 16 February 2017
RODEN TROJAN
Roden 1:48 T-28D Trojan by David W. Aungst
FRIEDRICH FOUR
The Editor builds the Eduard’s new 1:48 scale Bf 109 F-4
ME 262 B-1A NIGHT FIGHTER – PT. 2 The Editor paints and weathers Revell’s new 1:32 Me 262B-1a
SUCH STUFF AS DREAMS ARE MADE ON
Special Hobby’s 1:32 Hawker Tempest Mk.V Hi-Tech kit
...AND MORE! AIR Edition
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Tailpiece
Iwata Smart Jet Pro compressor from The Airbrush Company James Hatch tests out Iwata’s new Smart Jet pro compressor.
I
have long been a fan of Iwata airbrushes and compressors, having used both their original Smart Jet Pro and Handle-Tank compressors. I foolishly gave away my original Smart Jet Pro, so was delighted to be given the opportunity to look at another release of this compressor. Before I even opened the packaging, some of the differences were obvious, namely that the box was a lot smaller than my original, and it also weighs around 7% less. This new model is roughly 18% less in length that its predecessor, and 13% and 8% less in width and height, respectively. Iwata’s new Smart Jet Pro is packaged into a robust and attractive box, and within, all parts are well packed with foam blocks, to minimise any potential damage. A 3 metre plastic (vinyl) hose is included, although I do prefer a braided hose for extra strength. Hose adapters are included for Aztec, Paasche and Badger airbrushes, and a spare airbrush holder and screw are also present. As with the old version of this compressor, the new Smart Jet Pro has an oil-less piston, and an induction motor at its core that delivers 1/8HP. These are encased in a robust sheet metal chassis that has a carrying handle screwed to the top, as well as parts for a single airbrush holder that is fitted here too. This model is designed to run a single airbrush only. Broad rubber feet dampen any possible vibration. An On/Off switch is mounted on the top, for easy access. Note the absence of a tank too. Constant pressure is maintained via a cooling hose, so no pulsing of output at any pressure you choose to set. I typically airbrush at around 12PSI for a variety of paints, including Gunze, Mr Paint, and Tamiya, but have tested this at a higher pressure with Alclad and White Ensign enamel. Running at super low pressure as well as testing at 30PSI showed no problem with continual, pulse-free output. A pressure switch system continually monitors your chosen PSI output, and pressing the trigger of your airbrush causes the system to kick into life. This compressor is a part of Iwata’s Studio Series, and delivers the same power as its predecessor, but leaving you with a little extra worktop space into the deal. Looking through the specification for the new compressor, there does seem to be a little underplaying of one piece
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of data, namely the Air Flow. The old version delivered an air flow of 0.42 CFM (12 litres per minute), but the new one delivers 0.64 CFM, with Iwata still saying this is equivalent to 12 litres/min. One website did more usefully describe this as being 16 litres/min. A regulator is easily accessible to set your output pressure, with the prominent gauge being positioned with the gauge face peering through the top chassis/case. Remember set your pressure whilst drawing air through your airbrush, and not whilst the pressure is static. To set the pressure, valve head is upwards which allows you to adjust this, and then you push this back downwards to lock things in place. A moisture filter is also included. I work in quite a warm room, and although I have used this only for a couple of workshop sessions, nothing was evident in the trap. This by no means a silent running compressor, with the stated noise output given as 50db, but it certainly seems quieter than this, and any noise is quickly forgotten about whilst working. During my test, I worked with an Iwata HP-C+ airbrush, and used the compressor for extended sessions, but never up to the maximum 60 minutes continuous use, set out in the specifications. Iwata’s own technical details are as follows, with my addition to the air flow data: • Low maintenance, oil-less single piston air compressor • Quiet running 1/8 HP induction motor • Air flow: 0.64 CFM (12 l/m) at open flow ( I think more like 18 l/m) • Working pressure from 0 psi to 35 psi • Smart Technology automatic switching reduces running time and motor wear (30 psi on / 50 psi off) • Protective outer case
• Cooling hose and moisture filter inside case, which remove the moisture and prevent pulsing • Mounted pressure gauge • Air regulator for precise air pressure adjustment • Comes with a 3 metre (10') vinyl hose • One 1/4 BSP outlet • Built in airbrush holder • On/off switch • Voltage: 220-240V 50Hz • Noise level: 50 decibels • Duty cycle: 60 minutes continuous use. Please allow the motor to rest for at least 20 minutes after each cycle of continuous use. • Iwata compressors and airbrushes are available through www.airbrushes.com or other good Iwata stockists. Price at time of writing is £285 inc. VAT. Thanks to The Airbrush Company for this review sample.
Military Illustrated Modeller - January 2017
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DOOLITTLEMEDIA.COM
The Modeller’s Guide
Superdetailing, Painting and Weathering
Aircraft of WWII, with airfield accessories, ordnance and diorama
Aleksandar Počuč
‘
SCALE MODELLING: A LOVE STORY READY TO ASSEMBLE TOOLS AND MATERIALS TECHNIQUES BUILDING THE AIRCRAFT ■ SPITFIRE MK. IXC ■ P-47D THUNDERBOLT ■ JU-87D ‘STUKA’ MAKING A DIORAMA
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01525 222573
Modeller’s guide to superdetailing, painting and weathering aircraft of WWII’ book is intended for both beginners and advanced modellers as it covers wide variety of modelling tasks ranging from basic detailing, scratch-building, painting, weathering, machining custom parts using resin as well as scratch-building part from brass and aluminium and of course, diorama making. Basics about tools, paints and modelling materials have been covered as well. The book revolves around three subjects, P-47D Razorback, Spitfire Mk.IXc and Junkers Ju-87D Stuka, all in 32nd scale. Step by step concept will provide a good reference and ideas to all WWII aircraft modellers regardless of their experience.
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FOR ONLY
£18.95 PLUS P&P
Doolittle Media Ltd., Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. United Kingdon. TEL: +44(0)1525 222573. FAX: +44(0)1525 222574. ONLINE: www.doolittlemedia.com
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