Messages

4456

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: June 03, 2011, 04:03:40 PM »

Thanks for that info, Nico. There are so many kits and decal sheets that were released during my sabbatical from modeling! It'll take me years just to catch up on the news of the last couple of decades and I appreciate learning from y'all.

4457

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: June 02, 2011, 07:59:02 PM »

Today was going to be "decal day" but other duties got in the way. I had time to at least get this few decals on the A6M and D3A and painted the leading edge I.D. markings on the Raiden.

4458

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Zvezda MiG-21Bis 1/72 + BalkanModels

« on: June 02, 2011, 07:51:40 PM »

 

4459

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: June 02, 2011, 05:43:57 PM »

Imagine, in 100 years, when someone finds your EggZero and then tries to find the 1/1 version in some old reference book!!!!!

4460

Aircraft Modeling / Re: AIRCO DH.2 (Eduard 1/48)

« on: June 02, 2011, 05:09:28 PM »

 

4461

Aircraft Modeling / June Group Build--Curtiss Hawk 75

« on: June 02, 2011, 05:05:53 PM »

I reckon we should start a thread for the Curtiss GB even though there is still much activity on the other group projects. I have doubts that I'll be doing much to my Curtiss as I want to work on a different contribution to the next web-magazine.

As a kick-off to the GB, I will (eventually) be working on the 1/48 Hobbycraft P-36/Hawk that I've had for some time.

I'll be building a Wright-powered version, but the kit cowling is not correct, being far too oval in shape. The original is nearly circular. I simply made a couple of relief cuts in the lip of the opening and reshaped the ring cowl to the correct form. The accessory section is also too oval. To fix this issue I cut the support from the rear of the part and reshaped it to match the new cowl.

I'm giving some thought to making a mold of the reshaped parts, but it is nearly as easy to just reshape the kit pieces as it is to work with the resin copies. Time will tell.....
 

4462

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: June 02, 2011, 04:51:22 PM »

That is an AWESOME model!

4463

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: June 01, 2011, 03:31:30 PM »

The catapult has fine detailing!

4464

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: June 01, 2011, 07:45:53 AM »

The alcohol/acetone mixture worked excellent! I mixed it 50/50 and the paint came off rather easily.

After finishing the stripping process I repainted the cockpit from the hideous blue to the "Mitsubishi cockpit green" I mixed up for the Zero. This picture is of the first coat, the second covered much better.

After finishing some detail points in the cockpit and sidewalls I assembled the fuselage and wing. The cowling and horizontal stabilizers are installed temporarily for the photo. I should be able to prime everything during the morning coffee ritual and then apply the lower camouflage grey.

4465

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: May 31, 2011, 07:27:12 PM »

Yes, thanks for the info. I'll try the mixture tonight when I strip the horizontal stabilizers and cowling.

4466

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: May 31, 2011, 04:15:57 PM »

Hmmm...... I thought about mixing in some acetone but didn't know if it would attack the plastic. Do you mix it half-and-half or ?

4467

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: May 31, 2011, 07:34:32 AM »

Project Three beginnings.......I tried a different method to strip the paint from the Raiden. Rather than using oven cleaner I removed the paint with denatured alcohol. It took a lot more rubbing and scrubbing but did work very well. I'll probably stick with the oven cleaner, though!

4468

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: May 30, 2011, 08:24:40 PM »

Here is a small update on the A6M and D3A.

Firstly the nicely detailed Tamiya landing gear for the Zero after painting. These parts are MUCH superior to the old pieces that came with the -5.

After working on the cowlings and exhausts for the Zero I finished the camouflage painting on the Val and applied the clearcoat. The old kit decals that came with the Testors kit looked beautiful on the sheet but are rather translucent when applied to the airplane. I applied one decal to the underside of the wing and it turned from vivid red to maroon. To fix the problem I'm using circles of white decal paper under each hinomaru.

That's the lower wing of the Zero with its star-and-bar applied.

4469

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: May 30, 2011, 04:50:23 PM »

Excellent results! I see by the gear door stripes that this is a Mitsubishi-built EggZero!

I'll try to post some photos of my two projects after coffee........

4470

Aircraft Modeling / Re: Group Build> Japan

« on: May 29, 2011, 06:23:27 AM »

The original canopy on the old Zero is in fairly rough shape. Rather than spend a lot of time trying to sand and polish the glue damage on this part I purchased a Tamiya A6M2 kit at a local craft store for around $10.00. The Tamiya kit comes with two complete canopies, one open and one closed, so I robbed the open version for the -5 project. After some thought I decided to also use the landing gear components from the donor kit on the NMF machine. I also borrowed a few decals from the -2 for the Val project.

Here's the canopy after having the foil framing applied.