Dornier Do 24 SAR Project

Kit's cockpit is very simple but enough if you do not want to detail more (only includes the floor, the bulkhead that divides the cabin with the radio compartment, seats, controls and dashboard. Almost all with hardly any details). Therefore, I decide to detail it more based on photos of other modelers and real photos in B/W from the time and from museums. 

Trying to improve the cockpit. 

Building the radio compartment from scratch, behind the cockpit. 

Building the radio compartment from scratch, behind the cockpit.  

More details in the radio compartment. Panels, cables, pipes... 

Adding details in the seats and cockpit's floor. 

Finishing the cockpit and adding details on the side walls. 

Checking fits and viewing results. 

Checking fits and viewing results. 

Details on the side walls of the radio compartment and other elements. 

Details on the side walls of the radio compartment and other elements. 

The midships gun from within the Do-24K-1, the gunner had to do with a simple belt to sit on. On the right is there a bilge pump or maybe an current generator? 

Trying to do something like that bilge pump or generator. 

Set in place. 

Also doing something similar to the cabinets in pic 12. Possibly not see through the central turret, but maybe you can see something. 

The other side of same compartment. 

It seems that almost everything is already in place, ready to paint. The central part corresponds to the bunk beds and other elements, but absolutely nothing will be seen through those small windows, so I will not add any details in that area. 

A knowledgeable modeler explained very interesting things to me, and among them he told me that some of these Spanish Dorniers were painted on the inside with a kind of bottle green, so this one could have been painted like that or a similar green. 

Checking results and fits. 

A knowledgeable modeler explained very interesting things to me, and among them he told me that some of these Spanish Dorniers were painted on the inside with a kind of bottle green, so this one could have been painted like that or a similar green. 

A knowledgeable modeler explained very interesting things to me, and among them he told me that some of these Spanish Dorniers were painted on the inside with a kind of bottle green, so this one could have been painted like that or a similar green. 

Before applying oils I do some wear on the floor, etc... 

Before applying oils I make some wear on the floor, etc... 

Before closing the fuselage, I'll finish with some details, such as the cockpit bulkhead glass, made with thick acetate taken from a blister pack (which the model doesn't have). 

Add to the operator radio's table a headphones with its cable made from scratch 

Improving the appearance of the seats with oil paintings and adding the handmade belts. 

Viewing the result. 

Adding a Bay Pollensa's map to the operator radio's table. 

Viewing the result. 

Viewing the result and masking the windows. 

Viewing the result. 

Closed fuselage. 

Closed fuselage, cover the gaps of the front and rear turrets, place the central turret already painted and preparing the engines. 

Fine rigid green painted copper wire to detail the engines. 

Detailed engines. 

Engines inserted in their fairings. Oils applied. 

Intrados, painted with Lara's aluminium/silver. 

Installing the floats, drifts and cockpit glass. 

The fit of the cockpit's transparent part with the fuselage was not entirely good. It was a little baggy on the sides (there is one step left at the bottom). Using white glue diluted with a little water in layers (allowing it to dry between layers). I prefer to use this method rather than putty and sand risking the clear part. Excess white glue is removed with a damp brush. 

White glue once dry, after applying several layers. 

This strip (I think is for the crew pass) is included in the latest Italeri tool by means of photo-etched parts. I have tried to reproduce here it because this also saves sanding the upper seam of the fuselage joint as it is covered with this strip. 

Also reproducing the small strip of the nose part. Puttying the joints of the floats with the fuselage with Vallejo's plastic putty. 

Putting tail stabilizers in place. 

The glue itself was not enough to fill the wing joints well (extrados side). I have to fill this out. 

I use Vallejo plastic putty again. It is useful for filling small spaces between joints as it does not need to be sanded. 

The leftovers of this putty are easily removed after a few minutes (before it dries) with a damp cotton swab or even your own finger dipped in water. If the putty drieds, thin parts (such as those that have entered the panel lines) can be removed with a toothpick as it will not scratch the surface of the plastic. 

Putting Squadron's putty in the holes of mold marks of the center supports. 

Put a handmade filter at the engine's intakes. 

Viewing the result (not glued yet).  

Painting some panel and other parts with duraluminium from Vallejo on intrados. 

I do the same on extrados. Also painting with jet exhaust from Vallejo on a some engine's parts. 

Applying the first decals (from the new Italeri's tool) after painting the ends of the wings with a Gunze yellow. I got these decals thanks to a friend who gave me the leftovers from his kit. Extrados side. 

Applying the first decals (from the new Italeri's tool) after painting the ends of the wings with a Gunze yellow. I got these decals thanks to a friend who gave me the leftovers from his kit. Intrados side. 

They are good decals, but a bit thick. I had to go a little deep with the Microset/Microsol fixing liquids to adapt them to the panel lines. 

This engine part is not included in the old Italeri tool. I had as a reference the instructions for an engine part of the Airfix Do-17 and some photos of the original model. 

It is difficult to see how it is exactly, due to the lack of light inside the engines and the propeller in front of them. 

Here it can see too. 

It seems that here you can see better. 

Building from scratch the supports of the outer ring of the fairing of the engines with fine rigid copper wire. 

Building from scratch the supports of the outer ring of the fairing of the engines with fine rigid copper wire. 

One by one until finishing the "star" of the three engines. 

One of them finnished. 

Three engines finnished. 

Applying oils on panel lines and wash effect to the engine's fairings. Also painted propellers and spinners. 

Add "cornamusa (bagpipe??)" made from scratch and Montex masks for the cockpit windows. 

Add central support for the wings and masking the central turret. 

Lara's aluminium/silver paint. 

Decals from Italeri's kit (ref. 1323) 

A bit hard to fit. They are a bit thick. 

Finally I combine decals with painting. 

Applying oils. Intrados side. 

Oils applied. Extrados side. 

Oils applied. Intrados side. 

Oils applied. 

Oils applied. 

Oils applied. 

Oils applied. 

Wings installed. 

Wings installed. 

Viewing the result. 

Completely finished engines and propellers. Ready to put on the wings. 

Struts. 

Struts and part of the tail antenna mast. 

Tail antenna mast. 

Venturi tube. 

Venturi (both sides of one of studs). 

Handmade venturi tube from a piece of sprue (part 1). 

Handmade venturi tube from a piece of sprue (part 2). 

Handmade venturi tube from a piece of sprue (part 3). 

What is this? Antennas? 

No problem... We build it. 

Pitot tube and counterweights. 

Handles for the upper engines covers. 

Handles for the upper engines covers, antenna mast, venturi and other elements under the wings (counterweights, pitot tube and other antennas). 

Struts and venturi placed. 

Handles for the upper engines covers and antenna mast placed. 

Also tail antenna mast placed. 

Other elements under the wings (counterweights, pitot tube and other antennas). Extreme actuators should be painted in yellow. 

First attempts to remove the masks. The paint has been raised a little in some areas. This must be corrected. 

There is little distortion in the transparent parts of the cabin. The interior can look pretty good. 

There is little distortion in the transparent parts of the cabin. The interior can look pretty good. 

Before finishing this model, it's necessary to correct some things and place the exhausts, antenna wires and radio goniometer antenna. 

This glass it got inside the cockpit. I could get it out with difficulty, but it's difficult to put it back inside from outside. 

I have to think how to solve this... 

Problem solved 

Exhaust pipes painted. 

Exhaust pipes in their place. 

Making this tool with a piece of small diameter rigid wire... 

...to build the shackles that hold the radio wires. 

All shackles finnished. 

A test of what I intend to do. 

Preparing shackles and pipes to paint. 

Painted. 

Shackles in their place. 

Shackles, pipes and wires ready in this place. 

A new problem... splashed several drops of cyano into the area of one of the engines, propeller and one of the floats. 

Cyano drops sanded with a fiber pencil. 

Fiber pencil's rests and some small accident caused. 

Ready to paint again. 

Ready to paint again. 

Placing antenna cables. 

Placing antenna cables. 

Waiting to place a pair of small cables and radio goniometer. For this last I am waiting for a copy in resin. 

Radio goniometer painted and added. 

Radio goniometer added. 

More wires added. 

More wires added. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model. 

Finished model.