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Zsolt Czegleadded a new photoalbum.
41 23 April, 14:46
Zsolt CzegleThere model is finished.
Towards the end I didn't feel like building it anymore. Somehow the enthusiasm ran out over time. It serms that the "forced buildng" doesn't work for me. But the model had to be ready for August 31st, our club's 30th competition. Last year, we distributed 10 identical kits to our scsle modeling friends to build for our anniversary event. That's how mine worked out.
2 September, 19:58
Robert PodkońskiGreat job, Zsolt! It was worth to finish it in the end, wasn't it?
2 September, 20:03
Shar DipreeGreat result.very nice Leopard. 👍
But please don't do crafts under "force" as that will only take away the fun from the hobby.
Sometimes I lose interest in it, especially if the project takes too long. Then I'll continue building another one in the meantime. At some point the desire will come back again.
2 September, 21:38
Skyhikeradded a new photoalbum.
111 images
Focke Wulf Ta 152 H-1 (1970 tooling / Scratch)
1:72
The results: A new windshield and 3 slightly imperfect canopies next to the original which was heavily thinned down and ...
Project: Focke-Wulf Ta 152 H
78 27 January, 18:23
SkyhikerMy next big project is turning this FROG into a Prince. Wish me luck I'm going to need it.
27 January, 18:25
NicolasI'm following. In my opinion the Ta-152H is the most beautiful plane of WW II. I got the kit from Kora in my stash and hope to start the build in spring this year. Good luck and, above all, have fun building it.
27 January, 20:18
SkyhikerNicolas, I agree. It's a long, lean, fighting machine as they say. Definitely one of the more elegant designs to come out of the war.
27 January, 22:10
SkyhikerI had to widen the fuselage today, in order to make space, before I scratch build the cockpit.
29 January, 01:47
Martin Nevothis is going to be awsome.
I am picking kits that are near perfect so I have fun.
but there are also people who pick not-so-perfect-kits like this Ta152 and they still have loads of fun!
GL 🙂
31 January, 13:12
SkyhikerWell mostly I pick not-so-perfect-kits because I'm a cheap skate. I'd rather pay 6 euros than 40 for a kit. I do have some moderately priced kits and they are a lot faster and fun to make, but often I just have the need to challenge myself and see where my skill level is at.
31 January, 17:56
Moreno Baruffini@Skyhiker: I totally like your approach and I think you did a great start!
31 January, 19:16
Martin Nevosame here @Skyhiker, I really like the 6eur price point. so affordable. probably thats why I started to look into the 1/144 scale 🙂
31 January, 19:58
Jennifer FranklinExcellent work on the exhausts, and the cockpit is coming along nicely.
2 February, 03:24
SkyhikerI did a bit more today but I can't seem to get any images to upload. Anyone else having these problems?
2 February, 19:03
TreehuggerLooking at photo #17 I want to give a tip:
I would be a little careful keeping the roll of masking tape on the table. I like keeping them in a holder, or placed in a bag, to avoid the side of the roll picking up all kind of dirt.
2 February, 19:10
SkyhikerYes, I keep my tapes in a bag but it doesn't seem to help as well as it should. I think I need a better bag. When I photograph things at this scale there is more dust than I realize.
2 February, 19:18
Jennifer FranklinI can finally upload my images again now, I was having problems too.
2 February, 20:13
SkyhikerTreehugger I cleaned my tape and got a new bag. Thanks for pointing that out. No need for fuzzy tape.
2 February, 20:20
SkyhikerI have to take a break and will be back in a week. I must say I am in love with this plane. It's really a beautiful design with those long wings. I can't wait to get back to it.
8 February, 06:54
Guy RumpI'm going to build this one from my stash this year, definitely following! 👍
8 February, 14:14
SkyhikerThe canopy was totally uneven and so I decided to do the risky thing and file it from the inside. Hopefully I didn't just ruin it.
2 March, 13:17
Trez MackenzieI have built 70s Tamiya kit - but that was a least workable. The base was there even though many errors. This 'kit' just seems like a waste of time. Like trying to make a dog poop look edible by putting a cherry on top.
If I saw this kit I would stamp it into the ground. Useless
8 April, 20:15
SkyhikerThis kit has its flaws but nothing that can't be corrected with a little bit of skill. Are there more accurate kits out there that are easier to build - yes. But the modern trend of wanting perfect kits seems counter to the art of modeling. If you have ever built a model from a block of wood you wouldn't call this kit useless. Challenging or time consuming I can agree with but it is not crap.
10 April, 08:09
SkyhikerI haven't given up yet. Sometimes life forces me to take breaks but I hope to get back into this one soon. I have to put a lot of tiny details in the cockpit next and I need the right head space for that. Kits like these take time and often I will start easier kits mid process to keep things flowing. I absolutely agree that reboxing old kits without a mold date is deceptive. Thankfully with this site we can look up the history and sometimes see the sprues before buying anything. I've only had one kit that I couldn't do anything with. I bought it for 20 bucks opened up and threw it directly in the trash. That was a Top Gun F/A-18 Hornet snap kit, which really was a piece of shit.
10 April, 16:03
Remco van HarenFollowing. Really looking forward to the end result.
Especially since I built this kit myself last year. Although I didn't put so much effort and detail into it as you are doing.
10 April, 21:29
SkyhikerWorked on the canopy and tried to figure out how the scratch built cockpit will fit into the body.
2 May, 23:45
Trez MackenzieIt's coming along!
From about halfway back on the underside there should be no join line - but forward of halfway you are good which makes things a little easier.
Just an idea but you can download the ZM instructions to get an idea?
6 May, 10:13
SkyhikerTrez your message is pretty cryptic. Are you talking about panel lines or internal wing structures? The last photo is just a dry fit. I haven't started with dealing with any panel lines yet. I've been working on the inside of the wing walls to make something that gives an impression of space for the wheels.
6 May, 11:45
Trez MackenzieApologies - I meant the external join lines. I can see what you done - it looks good. I thought the ZM instructions would help as a guide
6 May, 12:56
SkyhikerTrez, thanks for your ideas. I'm using a lot of photos and the instructions from a 1:32 model to help figure out what is going on. This little model is a challenge to correct but I'm having fun pushing my skills and learning as I go.
6 May, 15:36
SkyhikerI worked out most of the cockpit issues today. It's not perfect but I got it in there.
15 May, 23:09
SkyhikerMoreno, I'm glad you're liking it. This is kinda pushing my skills a bit. We'll see what happens in the end together.
15 May, 23:11
SkyhikerGetting this kit to accept a cockpit was like pounding a square peg through a round hole. I had to reshape the whole damn fuselage.
16 May, 03:35
Patrick HagelsteinWhoah!!! Amazing what you did to that old tooling! Very cool to watch! 👍🏼
16 May, 15:20
Bruce HuxtableReally liking what you're doing, Skyhiker, and learning lots too. Impressed with your skills 🙂
16 May, 19:43
SkyhikerŁukasz the shape of the hood is really off in the kit. The superglue is just material for me to try and sculpt into a better hood.
16 May, 20:26
SkyhikerNo, It's just cheap super glue from a discount store that I poured right from the tube and hardened with accelerator.
16 May, 22:08
SkyhikerWell the fine engraving blade I just bought broke within a day of use. Very frustrating.
23 May, 14:42
SkyhikerLuckily I bought a .02 mm blade in addition to the .01 mm that broke. It will have to do even though I would prefer the lines to be a little bit thinner.
23 May, 15:06
Patrick HagelsteinAmazing progress! Once you go the route of updating such an old kit, there's no way back, is there?
24 May, 22:19
SkyhikerThanks Patrick, your right there is always more to discover and do. I'm having fun with it. Of course I have no idea what it will look like in the end. I'm spending far too many hours allowing myself to be lost in process. But if that's what it takes, why not?
24 May, 23:19
SkyhikerIt's amazing how every kit I look at of a FW Ta 152 H is different. All the photos of the original aircraft are so blurry that details are impossible to pick out, so I'm left with looking at kits and guessing which ones are correct.
26 May, 01:25
SkyhikerAnyone out there with a book on the TA 152? I'm trying to figure out if the top of the flaps have a vertical line down the center of them or not. From underneath there is a line there but I am getting conflicting images of the top surface. Can anyone post a decent image?
28 May, 16:28
DerMattesI looked through some of my books and picture collection. But to find even a picture of the Ta152 is rare. 🙁
28 May, 17:06
SkyhikerThanks Mattes. There are a few decent books out there but they go for 80 Euros and I can't afford that. I doubt the library would have anything worth while. Maybe the model shop will let me look through one of their books but usually they are sealed in foil. Hopefully someone here has something. Getting panel lines correct is not so easy. Even worse are the rivets.
28 May, 17:49
SkyhikerI found this image which clearly shows the flaps divide in two sections. Interestingly the sections are not even like the underside.
[img1]
29 May, 05:48
DerMattesMaybe this would be helpful? flugzeugclassic.de/f..hlands-bester-jaeger
I do not have the magazine, but kind of stumbled over the link 😉
31 May, 13:34
SkyhikerThanks Ben, this kit gets a bad rap. It's not as bad as people make it out to be. Of course I am putting a lot of work into it to make it better. But if its done straight out of the box it's not that bad. The backwards propeller is a stupid engineering mistake but that's an easy fix.
31 May, 23:54
SkyhikerYeah, I was a little heavy handed, but it's not a problem. I just glued it back together. I prefer trenching and filling over trying to get the lines the exact depth overall and then accidentally sanding away lines. The only problem with using this method is the deep panel lines can make the model unstable in places if you are not careful. But in the end it should all work out.
7 June, 21:47
SkyhikerI am slowly moving forward on the panel lines behind the scenes. This is the part I have to force my way through because I don't really enjoy it. But it is coming along and I could have some photos soon.
2 July, 18:21
SkyhikerThank you Moreno, re-scribing is definitely the part that's the least fun for me too. Some days I have to force myself just to do one line. If you do that once a day eventually it gets done. But yeah, re-scribing sucks.
6 July, 16:21
SkyhikerBig step made with attaching the wings. It makes me feel like I am moving forward after all.
7 July, 14:33
Pietro De AngelisAn impressive amount of work, your patience and skills are incredible, congrats!
11 July, 20:02
Thomas KolbWow, what an insane amount of work you put into this project! I am humbled by your perseverance and attention to detail!
12 July, 03:34
SkyhikerThanks Thomas, I enjoy the process of trying to figure out how to do stuff. The model is just an added bonus in the end.
12 July, 13:20
SkyhikerThanks Moreno. I'm having fun with it, mostly. The panel lines were a drag but I got through that part. Hopefully after the primer I won't have to any major touch ups. But we will see. One step at a time...
13 July, 16:13
VincentWatching you making process is indeed great to watch. The plane is starting to look great!
16 July, 22:54
Moreno BaruffiniWow! How do you filled the lines? How was you able to calculate the exact quantity?
17 July, 05:43
SkyhikerMoreno, I used an engraving tool to cut deep lines and then I rubbed white putty into them. By rubbing the excess off it automatically brings the lines to just below the surface of the model. As the lines dry they also shrink a bit. So, it was not too hard to do. The trick is to use enough water and a brush to apply the putty and to use enough water on a paper towel or cotton bud to remove the excess. Hard to get to areas need to be cleaned up with a wooden tooth pick.
17 July, 06:01
Robert PodkońskiI never would believe that the base kit is a Revell's offering.... Awesome job!
17 July, 06:31
SkyhikerI worked on some details today. Tomorrow I will give it another coat of primer and hopefully start the riveting.
17 July, 21:24
SkyhikerI am debating with myself when the best time to do riveting is. If you do it before priming you run the risk of filling the holes. If you do it after priming it makes it harder to correct mistakes. If you do it after the final paint job you run the risk of fucking everything up. Anyone have any experience with riveting?
19 July, 13:17
Alec KRegarding riveting: I have done it before priming but I don't see why you could not do it after. You'l have to sand after as the riveter leaves 'rings' around each divot (as it pushes the plastic out). In my experience, a thin coat of primer has negligible impact on the rivet holes (if it had, this would be a problem with any factory-riveted kit).
20 July, 23:38
SkyhikerAlec, I tend to agree with you. My thoughts on doing the riveting after the primer was that the rivets may remain a bit better defined. But I am not convinced. I think I will have to do some tests for the future. By riveting before and after the primer on some styrene, then spraying a color coat over both should give me a better idea of which I prefer. Right now I feel like I prefer not doing it at all, because riveting is a pain. But that's just me feeling sorry for myself for wanting to do a half way decent job on this kit. I do wish I could find some reliable riveting guides for this plane. It seems like everyone is just guessing at it.
21 July, 00:00
SkyhikerThanks Patrick, I haven't mastered riveting or panel lines yet but I'm learning. I am pretty limited in my tools and the scale is not the easiest. But with practice and study I hope to improve.
21 July, 22:44
SkyhikerI've realized that one of the benefits of doing the riveting after the primer is that you can make sure that most of the sanding is completed. However inevitably there are areas that get messed up and sanding is required after all. I just haven't found the perfect solution.
21 July, 23:33
Sy BarEnjoying your progress a lot, the transformat is amazing.
I must say your plans are so clear and great reference where do you get your plans like these from, I search the tinternet but never find any as useful as your plans, any extra guidance would be appreciated
22 July, 08:12
SkyhikerI drew my plans on the computer by looking at various images on the internet. Unfortunately I haven't found any place to download great paneling or riveting guides. There is a Russian website that has blueprints that I sometimes use but I'm not sure if it is still available. I didn't use it for this project.
22 July, 08:31
SkyhikerSy Bar, which plane will you be doing next? I can look around for blueprints and see if I can find anything useful.
22 July, 13:37
Sy BarCheers Skyhiker v kind offer and thanks for the info. Not sure what will be next and if plans will be required but I'll keep you in mind should the need arise.
Keep up the work I'm loving watching the progress 👍
23 July, 20:34
SkyhikerWidened the wing roots and I am continuing with the riveting today. Also I did a lot of research on the proper colors to use, which was not as easy as one would think. They certainly are not what the instructions say.
24 July, 17:51
Moreno BaruffiniGreat work as usual! I'm curious about the colours: aren't they the late RLMs?
24 July, 18:48
SkyhikerThe colors are late RLM colors but not exactly as the instructions say. To start with they call for the hood to be RLM83 which of course is wrong, since in actuality that was a marine color and blue. Many paint manufacturers have some type of green with that number but it was based on a typing mistake in the original RLM records. I believe the hood should be RLM73 as in the original photos it is a bit darker than 81. The fuselage is RLM81 and RLM82, but there were three variants of 81, two that were brownish and one more green. The green is the correct one for this plane. The under carriage is RLM76, but once again we have three variants to choose from; one that is greyer, one bluer and one more tan colored. The greyer one is correct. There is confusion about whether the nose is red or black. I still have to do more research on this. I believe the propeller blade was RLM70
24 July, 19:16
SkyhikerI hope to be finished with the riveting today. Most of my time was spent trying to figure out which of the conflicting diagrams was closest to the original. I don't know if I got it right since there are no surviving planes left.
28 July, 10:23
OleksiiGreat Work on this old Revell Kit and there is still one surviving aircraft.In National Air and Space museum.
airandspace.si.edu/c..11/nasm_A19600317000
29 July, 14:01
SkyhikerNational Air and Space museum has a different version of this plane. It is very similar but there are a lot of differences.
29 July, 14:37
SkyhikerI redid the engine today and laid down a second layer of primer. The rivet lines came out well. There are just a few small touch ups on the engine cover and wing tips to do before I start on the wings.
30 July, 15:59
SkyhikerThanks DerMattes. It's more a scratch build than a kit at this point. It's starting to come together. I still have a while to go though. How is a scratch build defined at the official contests?
31 July, 00:46
J35JIt's like you are building a vac kit with the amount of work and attention to details you are putting into this build. Impressive and inspiring!👍🏻
31 July, 08:04
SkyhikerI made a gunsight out of 7 scratch built parts that is only one millimeter in size.
31 July, 14:23
SkyhikerNext I have to try and repair or replace the front windshield. Somehow it cracked when I was sanding it down. Is it me or do the clear parts on Revell kits always have problems?
2 August, 04:51
SkyhikerWell I painted the propeller today but afterwards I had to clean my Iwata airbrush and change the needle. Unfortunately the needle noozle broke off in my airbrush and there is no way to fix it! Now I have to rely on a cheap Chinese knock off to finish painting until I can save an extra 150 bucks to buy a new airbrush.
8 August, 16:58
NicolasThat sucks. I'd love to lend you my second airbrush, but unfortunately that's also just an old Chinese product at the moment. Probably wouldn't help much.
8 August, 18:10
SkyhikerI will try scratch building the canopy if that doesn't work I will have to get a vacuform machine.
20 August, 19:17
Trez MackenzieNice to see a modeller 'working the problem' rather than splashing out on loads of AM. It's also refreshing to see a build being carried out to its fruition and not left dwelling in the eternal online shelf of oblivion. I'm also working on a 72 kit that needs much hacking and slashing although not as much as this one - I suppose the irony is that some brand will finally release this type - as it is a hole that has yet to be filled! 🫡 👍 😊
21 August, 14:38
Duster_dI wish I could add another like for your vacuum machine! Man, you're really cool!
21 August, 14:43
SkyhikerNo, I just needed to make a canopy so I first tried replacing the front windshield with a clear plastic piece from a CD cover and glueing the original side windows to it but when I finished it was too thick. So then I made the front windshield out of thin plastic sheet from some packaging I had laying around. That worked but the bubble canopy was now too thick. So I tried making a bubble canopy by heating up some of the plastic sheet over a candle and pressing it down over the original with my fingers but that didn't really work. I only got one that looked right but I burnt it so I realized I needed to use a vacuum and change my heat source. My hair dryer runs so hot it overheats and turns off, so I tried that with the vacuum and it worked. You just need to tape the plastic on a piece of cardboard with a hole cut into it and practice. You can make the vacuum screen out of anything. I just used an old sanding disc that I punched holes into and taped down on my sweeper.
21 August, 19:02
Ben MI'm not sure I can visualize that yet but I'll see if there's something on YouTube. I have a truck I need to make a windshield for.
21 August, 23:11
Mr D🤣🤣 love the vacform 😁, l split the canopy on my little mig-23 project, to heavy with the Quetip/ ear cleaner!!
I used toaster n paintbrush end 🤣, it worked...but was just a little 1/144 mig-23, it's my wall.
The homebrew job was clearer than the original 🙄,
Would love a little vacform.
Love the scale detail you go to.
👍👍👍
21 August, 23:58
SkyhikerBen here is an example I found on YouTube of vacuforming. youtube.com/shorts/GFSJxs51uoY?feature=shared
2 September, 08:17
SkyhikerJust make sure that the plastic you are heating up is polystyrene and not PVC. You don't want to poison yourself with heavy chemicals. Polystyrene is bad enough. And don't use your oven or anything that will be in contact with food.
2 September, 21:36
Neiladded a new photoalbum.
48 images
Airfix | No. 07107 | 1:48 | Saab JA-37 Viggen
1:48
2020/21: OOB build of the '02 Airfix 1/48 kit.
Project: Saab 37 Viggen
77 29 March 2021, 15:27
TreehuggerBtw, there are two tiny thingies at both end of the big wings. These are nav lights of sorts. Red on the left side, and blue on the right side, according to some paint chart I've seen recently.
14 August 2021, 20:06
NeilHi Treehugger ? kind of you to offer advice... Excellent build help indeed. Thanks for the tip ?
14 August 2021, 20:14
Robert PodkońskiViggen in yellow and blue!!! I love it! Watching with pleasure, Neil.
7 December 2021, 17:12
NeilHi all 🙂 I've finally got around to taking 'reveal' pictures for many of my previous build albums. I shall be updating each and including a few build notes in the description too - especially on the bits I messed up!
Here is my version of that 'Blu Petter' kit for the Airfix Saab Viggen completed in 2021. Excuses alert! It wasn't the best fitting kit, being an earlier Airfix effort.
Thanks to all who showed interest and liked, it's greatly appreciated 👍
16 February, 15:48
NeilHi Gary, Daniel and CaptGPF, thanks very much mates. Really appreciate you talented bunch commenting. I too love the kit colour scheme on this one and with hindsight; and an acceptance of some kit flaws, in my opinion it builds up into a pretty decent kit for an older Airfix one 👍 Thanks also to all those who've liked my efforts here too 🙂
20 February, 11:23
Landlubber Mikeadded a new photoalbum.
62 2 February, 15:21
Lochsa Riverhave to sit in...this is in the stash...I was looking at it yesterday...
25 February, 04:13
Landlubber MikeThanks for following guys. Lochsa, you're right about the canopy. There are fit issues in general with this kit - most of which aren't too difficult to deal with - but the canopy is a bit of a mess. I'm not really looking forward to that part of the build.
25 February, 17:33
Landlubber MikeThanks guys! Transall, it seems a lot stronger than the kit parts which were made from pretty thin plastic.
24 August, 00:56
Landlubber MikeThank you Pietro! Still a long way to go. In the middle of priming the fuselage and having gap and other problems popping up. This is the build that never seems to end 🙁
25 August, 06:31
Landlubber MikeThanks Gorby! This was my first time trying to scratch build landing gear. Took me probably 20 hours 🙁 I ended up using Albion Alloys brass tubing for a lot of it, along with music wire, copper wire, plastic tubing, and other materials. I've bumped it a few times already and it is very stable so fingers crossed it makes it to the finish line!
25 August, 14:48
Jennifer FranklinI love all the scratch building, especially the landing gear; it is very nice! It's a great result.
30 August, 23:53
Michael KohlOh yeah. You gotta be super-careful with that. This site is full of black magic. Pssst. Between us: I know for sure because it's the only explanation how some guys here achieve their otherworldly results.
Happy modelling - but watch your back 😉
1 September, 05:11
Landlubber MikeYeah, I know what you mean. Some people here are ridiculously talented!
I ended up finishing the JRS-1 tonight. Finally pictures in my album. And Michael, I did replace the teaser picture with my final build - now that it's done and stored in my glass case, much less risk of jinxing myself!
1 September, 07:29
gorbyWOW Stunning result Mike!
Looks like you might be one of those ridiculously talented people. 😉
1 September, 07:39
Landlubber MikeThank you guys! This one was a tricky one for sure, but I'm happy with how it came out. Definitely a cool paint scheme, very colorful bird!
1 September, 16:08
Thomas O'Ehadded a new photoalbum.
3 images
WIP
1:72
The hull was painted separately using Model Master enamels.
Project: Panzer III Ausf.N
2+2 September, 21:31
Jonowns this item
40th Anniversary of MOTÖRHEAD'S BOMBER
HEINKEL He111 H-6 with the special Anniversary box lid Airfix 1:72
A07007A 2019 New decals 2 September, 21:32
Ricardo Reisadded a new photoalbum.
17 images
Messerschmitt Bf-109 F-4 (WIP)
1:72
Correcting the yellow stripe, it was too wide
Project: Messerschmitt Bf-109 F-4
35 7 April, 12:43
Mr DLooking good 👌 looks like a quality kit.
Decals have layed down nicely 👍👍.
What yellow paint did you use??
31 August, 21:09
Boris Bmarked this item as tradeable/sellable
30 August, 15:07
Boris BBonjour, Oui, il est disponible, mais il n'y a qu'un kit sur les deux d'origine. Il est complet, scellé et les decals aussi.
Boris
2 September, 09:00
ThibPas de problèmes merci, je recherche avant tout la planche de decals armée de l'air pour réaliser un kit AMK👌n'hésitez pas a me contacter en MP pour le prix et quelques photos éventuellement, merci
2 September, 09:05
Boris BJe vends le kit complet avec ses décals évidemment, et j'en voudrais 25 E. L'envoi par Mondial Relay devrait rester raisonnable. Je peux faire des photos, mais tout est comme neuf, en sachet scéllé, et les décals sont parfaits aussi, avec leur feuille de protection.
Cdt, Boris
2 September, 11:32
Boris BOk. Je l'emballe demain et je regarde les frais d'envoi. PayPal, ça me convient bien.
À demain, Boris
2 September, 20:44
ThibPas de problème, merci. J'aimerai avoir une photo du kit éventuellement ! Bonne soirée
2 September, 21:30
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