Lindberg 1/72 FW 190 D

Well I like the two Lindberg's I've built so far, the 1/288 Snap fit Shuttle and the 1/72 Arado 234, both I would call them 'honest' kits, straight forward to build with no major fit problems, and as I havn't read anything about them on the web, no subconscious bias one way or the other.

They are a manufacturer I've only come across recently, as the kits of my youth here in NZ, were Matchbox, Airfix, Frog, Revell and Monogram.

A kind fellow Brews, sent me some kits last year, and there were a few Lindbergs included, a FW190, a Me410, Arado 234 and a He111 (1/50). After the Hampden I thought a nice Lindberg would be just right, so I've started the FW190..

Airfix - 1/72 Hampden finished

Well got her done..

Touched up the roundels and then klear coated and tried using oil paints dotted about to do some weathering. I need more practise but I like the look. Vallejo Matte for matt it down, then painted decal strips as the canopy framing, and the framing matted with Klear and flat base.

A fun kit. Have to do a 'proper' one one day.

Cheers
Jim

Vacform box

I must thank Allan Buttrick for his inspiring work on old kits, one of his tricks is to vacform canopies, using kit ones as the former, which inspired me to give this ago. Thanks Allan for sharing your enthusiasm.

Now Allan uses a Matel Vac-u-form, which is the ideal tool for the job. I saw one on an auction site here in NZ and it was way out of my budget. So after googling around and watching a few you-tube vids to get the idea,here is my vac box,

Airfix Hampden - paint

Primed and masked for the codes, and then spent time masking and painting the roundels and fin flash..

lots of fiddling with frisket film, so was keen to unmask after the black was on...



hmm, the frisk pulled a bit of paint, and left a bit of residue, not had that happen before, so a bit of touch up to do, but crikey I like the look of them.


Played about with different colours some dark green and red brown, then light coats of Nato Black, then some black and a bit of Clear blue. Though it seems to have made it very black, I'll have a look in daylight and see what I think, I might spray some dark grey about.

Airfix Devstator - finished

Got the decal canopy frames on, and had my big oops, carefully counted the sections, marked them out on maskling tape so I could line them up, got them on, then started the horizontal frames, and hmmmm, somethings not right, arrgh I missed a section...... so this devastor has one less section in the canopy. I also havn't got all the frames there should be on, it started to look busy enough to me, and I'd had enough. I did notice the pilot and his seat with rollover frame is too far back, I'm not sure if I made a mistake, but will check when I do another one. Knocked up a prop shaft and boss for the prop blur, popped on the tail wheel, hook, and torpedo, and added some torpedo holding cables?, I think, not sure if they are right but hey.

A fun build, an the camo scheme is a change to the yellow wing, though I am looking forward to a yellow wing one.

Airfix Devastor - flat coat

I do like Valljo varnishes, thin with water and are quick drying, anyhow Vallejo flat on, and tried put some daylight bulbs in my photo setup..

Airfix Hampden - insignia

Phew a long process, and am eager to see how they look, sprayed white over the blue and then yellow for the A1 fuselage roundel. I'll take the mask off and then mask the whole roundel and can get onto the black..

So hopefully, main colour in the next couple of days.

Airfix Devastator - paint and decals

Well it has been primed and painted, gloss coated and decals added..

really surprised how the decals behaved, they were really thin and placed onto brushed on Klear, really snuggled them down over the corrugations..

a wash ont he control surface panel lines, and then I'll flat coat and do exhaust staining.

Airfix 1/72 Hampden - primed and codes..

Well a week away, and eager to get back to the Hampden.

Before we left I added the home made vac canopies, masked them and primed her..

I've been keen to try masking and painting codes, and a while ago I bought some frisk film, which I used for the Bird dog, and on the captured BF109F, and seemed to work really well, so I have finaly got up the gumption to try it on codes. The decals were shot for the Hampden anyway, and someone suggested doing it as a 485 RNZAF squadron machine, so I printed the code letter out, stuck some cellotape over the top then put frisk over it, and cut out the codes, MEoH to make it easy cuts. I've put them over the primer as that'll be close enough for me as the code colour.

Also cut out some circle masks for the roundels, now it will be on to spraying white for the national markings...