Squadron Haunebu II build

Michael Hickey
Maybe you can try 5 minute araldite, holding the parts together for 5 + minutes should do the trick. I know when I have stubborn joins that's what I use.

Alexander Grivonev
So much for a 100 €/$ kit...:/

Jens Andrée
Michael - Getting it to stay together is one thing, that shouldn't be too problematic, but having to like this is a whole different thing in my opinion, hence why I'm being honest here.
Big thanks for your suggestion though! 🙂

Jens Andrée
Alexander G - precisely... And fabulous support to back it up too...
There's a reason why companies like Tamiya are the golden standard because not only do they have superb quality control - but IF something's wrong they send you replacement parts without even asking! (not that I've ever had to do this, but from what I've read and heard)
I'm just so disappointed with this kit...

Holger Kranich
Oh Jens, i feel with you! What an annoying Thing to spend so much Money and that is the result... Main parts dont fit... I would have expect more from a brand like Squadron. But maybe its a monday-kit.

David Thor
For the price of that kit, there shouldn't be complications like this and the customer service should be way better. Totally with you on this topic. Not a kit i would consider getting, but it's nice to know about such things by lesser known companies. So thanks for the warning.

Jens Andrée
Holger - Tell me about it... I can easily accept a "Monday kit" if they owned up to the issue, but they don't. "Nothing we can do" was their reply and no further response to my subsequent reply that contained further proof... Abysmal if you ask me.
I've kept quiet for a few weeks giving them more than enough time to have a change of heart, but now I've decided to be honest about it instead to warn others that if something's wrong you can forget any kind of responsibility from them. The sad part is that this is going to cost them a lot more in lost sales than if they'd just sent me the parts that were dodgy. I even asked if I could purchase the parts to be extra friendly but it was probably too much work or something...?
Thanks for the support!

Jens Andrée
David - thanks for the support! 🙂

Holger Kranich
Yes Jens, abysmal as you say... "Nothing we can do" sounds like the apprentice...

David Thor
Holger is right... sounds like an apprentice. Maybe ask to talk to someone else within the company.

Eric RENOUX
Thanks to your misadventure i'll avoid this kit (and may be this brand in the near future). But I'm sorry for you...

Jens Andrée
Squadron have heard about this from at least two directions, and soon a third one, but so far they can't be bothered to respond.
I really hate to have to do this, and sound "bitchy" whilst doing it, but we must be able to demand some sort of quality for our money.

Regardless it's such a stupid move from their part because bad reviews spread 10 times faster than a good one and that has an effect that's measurable in money. I still hope that someone higher up in the company is of a different opinion and that I've dealt with the "apprentice", but I'm getting a bit sceptical.

Anyhow, I've now contacted the excellent company who sold me the kit asking what channels they have with Squadron, and if that doesn't work then we know how Squadron value their customers.

Cheers and thanks for the support!!! 🙂

Jens Andrée
Update: Squadron apparently doesn't think customer care is of any importance because despite even the store that sold me the kit contacted them I've heard nothing back... I don't want to sound "bitchy" here but my honest opinion is that Squadron is pretty useless in taking responsibility of their own products. This is my way of informing you of my rather sad case with this company....

Jens Andrée
My Haunebu II has just been lying in its box for a couple of weeks whilst I was waiting for Squadron to support me, but I've now given up despite several attempts to get someone to come back to me again after the "nothing we can do" answer. I was so fed up with the whole story that I was going to throw the whole kit in the trash but I decided to soldier on and make the best of the situation - despite the lack of support!
I finished the assembly and started making a custom PCB for the electronics (lights that is) but due to lack of "creativeness" on my part I don't know if I'll finish the electronics, but I got everything together and started painting it at least.
The plan was to make a splinter camo on both the lower, and upper, hull. Sadly the lower hull yet again cracked after I'd painted it and was about to start masking it so now it's been repaired for the 5:th time and I can forget splinter camo on the bottom simply because there's no chance it'll hold together when removing the masking tape, let alone whilst handling it during paint. The upper hull is though is great shape so I masked it and sprayed the splinter camo with dark gray and dark green. It turned out ok despite me not exactly being too creative whilst doing it, but I've decided to finish it and so I shall!
I've not yet decided how to weather it because I'm really "just another German tank guy" and I don't really know where to begin with an aircraft - or spaceship as this really is?! I did make sure to spray all the paint somewhat translucent in order to represent some sort of wear after flying at ludicrous speed in space, and I think I've got a descent base to weather. The weathering I have in my head right now is a bit "smeared" rather than just streaky so I should grab some old-school oil paints really, but I haven't got any at the moment so we'll see how I deal with this. Perhaps streaking grime and then blast away with compressed air? As I said, I'm "just another German tank guy"😉

I'm however glad I didn't throw the kit away because then I'd lost. Not just the $115 I spent on the model but also the "battle" with Squadron. Now it's (hopefully) going to be finished - with its issues - and left for everyone to see. It's a shame they didn't help me like every manufacturer should've because it's an awesome kit if correct, but such is life. Tamiya, Takom, Trumpeter or anyone else of the big manufacturers would've said "we're sorry, here are replacement parts" if asked and that's how you do it. Lesson learned!

I hope the kit turns out ok-ish in the end despite me having to leave the bottom hull in light blue instead of camo, but it's now going to be displayed in "parked" mode so most of the bottom hull isn't going to show anyway - but I will know and that's annoying enough.

I'm telling you so you are aware of this before you decide to buy, or not, this kit. If it's broken you're on your own.

Happy modelling!

David Thor
Upper side looks splendid! And it's a good decision to do it anyhows. Not sure if that is an option, but have you thought about a different glue to force it together`? Like a two compound glue from pattex or something?

Jens Andrée
Thanks for your kind words David! 🙂
Yes, I contemplated using epoxy and similar but there isn't that much surface to glue on since there's a backing plate for the landing gear in the way. Perhaps if I managed to remove all the CA glue with a Dremel I could possibly use epoxy instead - but that would cause even bigger damage due to the spring force in the piece since it's constantly under stress so I decided to yet again use CA glue and hope for the best.
I can't add any extra material either to strengthen it because then the top section wouldn't fit.
I think it's going to be ok now as long as I don't handle it too much, and by not painting any splinter camo on the bottom whatever handling is left to do is minimal.

I was looking forward to weather the bottom too but it is what it is. At least I saved the situation - I hope...?

Jens Andrée
The weathering process has begun. Since I almost threw this kit in the bin a couple of days ago I hadn't planned paint & weathering but I've used some burnt umber (and made another mistake here that I explain on the pictures) and we'll see how I continue after I've done the upper hull too.
It's turning out ok-ish so I'm glad I didn't throw it out, but it's a project I'm going to be glad to finish so I can focus on other projects instead and leave this ordeal behind me!

David Thor
Weathering looks good. I actually like your forced decision to not paint the underside in splinter camouflage. Splinter on the underside just wouldn't make any sense. I'm not able to see the mistake you talk about. Keep it up, it's nearly done and looking good!

Tim Heimer
Jens, Nice to see you're still at it, appears your health is doing better than this kit! LOL. Keep up the good work!

Jens Andrée
Cheers David! 🙂
I have to agree with you on the mono coloured lower hull because it does look better without splinter camo. I do wish I would've been my choice and not something I was forced to, but a bit of luck with this problematic project is more than welcome!
The mistake was me having major trouble with the decals and one of them just disintegrated when I tried to slide it into the correct position... I had major trouble with the decals due to the rough texture of the model and I didn't clear coat under the decals prior because I normally don't do that, but that mistake was on me. Manage to finished it with the decals I had so it was acceptable.
This is a project I can't wait until it's finished because it's been a bit of a mess...

Jens Andrée
Hahaha Timothy! Considering I'm currently recovering from major spinal surgery to get out of my wheelchair and waiting for the next, even more complex, spinal surgery to hopefully fix a few disks that are broken and causing me major pain - and this compared to the Haunebu II as something better certainly sheds some light on the type of problems I've had with this kit! 😛
I'm not 100% sure it registers on the same scale, but I hope my surgeon is more successful with his repairs then I've been on this kit 😉
One can hope anyway... hehe...

David Thor
Well from the pictures it looks like you were very successful. Do you plan further weathering and will there be a roll-out soon? Nonetheless, i sure hope your surgeon does it just as well and even better! Get well soon and god bless you!

Jens Andrée
Cheers David for your kind words! 🙂
Yes, there's going to be a lot more weathering - this was just the first session. Just doing the burnt umber on the lower hull took 6 hours since I was using acrylic "oil" paint and not real artists oil paint because I had to do just a couple of panel lines at a time and then dry brush them roughly, then wet "dry brush" them to fade them, smooth out the edges with a cotton swab and then redo the whole process if not happy, and then eventually do another couple of panel lines. There are "a few" panel lines on this beast, hence all the hours. I'm just about to start with the upper hull and that's even more complex so it'll take at least 6 hours too, and then I'll see what's next on the menu? A wee bit of streaking grime perhaps? Certainly some streaking from flying super fast through space. I need to consult some NASA images first on how space travel affects the hull and then try to recreate something that fits with the current paint scheme and the materials they would've used if they'd built a real Haunebu II.
I'm starting to like this project again and I've slowly begun to forget the frustration and anger with the kit snapping and cracking all those times...

...and it does start to look better and better under a dim light 🙂

To be continued...

Jens Andrée
oh, regarding my surgeon. After 5 years of desperately searching for a surgeon who could work on me I finally found one - the only one in the country (Sweden) that did the type of procedure I needed in order to walk again and he was rather upset that I'd been neglected for 5 years so he booked me in as soon as he could and 6 months after that surgery I learned to walk again! There's still a long way to go and I will never be fully repaired, but next step is to fix 3 broken disks in my lower back. He was going to fix them just before the summer but he discovered a lot of small fractures on all of these disks so he didn't dare to drill and screw them together with fixtures then, but with a bit of luck he might be able to in December - if they've begun to heal - so we shall see. Modelling is my therapy and it saved me from going totally mad whilst being bed-ridden for all those years and that's why this wonky kit felt extra bad since I was doing it to feel better - not worse...

...but by overcoming the issue and push on is some sort of victory and I felt pretty good early this morning after doing all that slow and painstaking weathering 🙂

And always remember this: NEVER walk down concrete stairs wearing wellies if it's wet. I did and I slipped, and landed on the last step. I fractured my pelvic bone, trashed three disks, sustained permanent nerve damage and were left on my own by the hospitals saying there was nothing they could do... 5 years later I met a private surgeon who fixed me! (and the state hospital had to pick up the bill for neglecting me!)
Never wear wellies when wet walking down stairs boys and girls! I was totally sober too... bummer 😛

David Thor
I will take that advice and won't wear wellies! 🙂

Alexander Grivonev
Your acrylic weathering looks brilliant! That oozing rust between the panel lines looks very convincing, like an old battleship that has seen many sea battles.

btw I am myself recovering from a motorcycle accident right now where i broke a vertebrae this May and had my second surgery 6 weeks ago, so i feel yor pain mate...though i was VERY lucky and have been spared a wheelchair. Sound good how your healing process has turned to the better and from now on it will be only a way up! It may be a long healing process but in the meantime you can build many awesome models because it IS definitely a form of therapy which i experienced myself. Heads up and finish this sucker!
The upper half definitely needs a good wash, that's the part where it comes "alive"!

cheers, Alex

Jens Andrée
Ouch Alexander, I hope you're able to fully recover! My nerve damage from having a fractured pelvic bone, amongst all things, for five years sadly made me an impossible subject and all we can do is to try to make me as stable an predictable as possible whilst managing the pain. I'm not complaining because I thought I'd never walk again, but I've still got a long way to go - now 8 years later.
I've been working on the upper hull for the last two days and it's got a different structure with panels and rivets so I've had to change method many times - and I'm still not happy... My lack of experience with air planes are showing through here. I'm thinking any flying object to and from space must take a fair bit of beating due to friction, heat and weather. Especially a late 1940's vehicle. I've tried to cover 100% of the surface with some sort of method, but most of it is more or less invisible, but still there in order to create seamless weathering.
Had a bit of an issue last night when working with the acrylic burnt umber and that was the Vallejo varnish dissolving when wet brushing with water! Ok, I was using a fair bit of force on the brush but not that hard, but it's something to know. I'm going to run a test where I use a rattle can varnish and see if that holds up to dry+wet brushing the weathering?
I'll try to add some "in progress" pictures although I'm far from happy with the current state...

Cheers and thanks for all your kind words guys! 🙂

Eric RENOUX
Good job with this kit !

Jens Andrée
Thank you Eric! It was a journey of frustration instead of joy which killed all creativity for sure, but I somehow managed to make something out of it in the end. I just love all of these crazy wunderwaffen and not just the "what if " tanks but also the "perhaps"," maybe" and even the "yeah right" ones 😛
I wish someone could make a 1/35 or bigger Die Glocke kit and a Kugelpanzer. The Kugelpanzer existed briefly in 1/35 scale as a resin kit, but for some reason it's only available in 1/72, or was it 1/48 at the moment? I might do a scratch build of the Kugelpanzer, but I'm currently doing a scratch build Landkreuzer P.1000 Ratte in 1/35 scale and it's a monster since it's 100 cm long!!! It's mainly being built out of wood since ABS or styrene would be too expensive, especially if it's going to be rigid. It's a long-term project though that hopefully will be finished sometimes during 2018. Most details will be laser cut so I'm doing a full CAD 3D design. I might release the files as Open Source when done if I have enough time to make them 100% complete and easy to use? We'll see.
Scale modelling is more fun when it's not too serious, although I also love the serious stuff, but humour tends to win for me anyway!
Happy modelling!

Holger Kranich
"Scale modelling is more fun when it's not too serious, although I also love the serious stuff, but humour tends to win for me anyway!"

Thats the true spirit mate!😄

Wim van der Luijt
like your attitude Mate 👍