Notícias

gorby
Excellent work!

Michael Kohl
Very nice

Robert Podkoński
Beautiful!

Daniel Mysak
Very nice👍

Spanjaard
very nice

Roland Sachsenhofer
Yesterday the A.90 Orlyonok thundered in front, here are a couple of pictures of this event! 🙂 I added a few things to the kit, such as the prominent framework in front of the cockpit, which I built "on sight" with suitable wire. I haven't been able to find out what it's for - aerials, windscreen wipers/cleaning? - but I know that it contributes quite prominently to the appearance. I also added the various aerials on the fuselage and engine.
Thanks again for the hint about the 'ironed' water behind and under the engine, that was an important tip and came in time, thanks to Robert!

Robert Podkoński
Looks absolutely perfect, Roland! Chapeau bas! (I am happy that I have contributed a bit to this effect 😉 )

gorby
WOW! Fantastic display!

Neuling
WOW! Fantastic display! 2

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you for your appreciated comments - it is of course very motivating to receive such feedback!

Guy Rump
Excellent as usual! 👍

Skyhiker
Did you use magnets to make it float?

Villiers de Vos
Beautiful work and effects.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you very much mates! In fact, the A.90 'floats' on two fine metal rods; I apologise for taking the freedom to wipe them away with the image processing.

macopter
Sieht sensationell aus! Die Wassernachbildung ist ... whow!!!

bughunter
What a beast! Great display.

Martin Oostrom
Gorgeous build Roland. Magnificent result.

jan zumack
Cool, i build the big brother, your water Looks realy good. Nice work

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you for your motivating and positive comments! Makes me, well, mighty proud! 🙂

Mr D
It's good 👍👍 looks inaction n right 👌

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you mate!

Roland Sachsenhofer
.....and thank you all for your "likes"!

Spanjaard
wow, impressive result!

Roland Sachsenhofer
With these pictures I open the book report on Roden's Junkers D.1: I tried to extend the interior with some steel wire, the seat belts are from Eduard. For the detailing I downloaded the very interesting building instructions from Wingnut Wings for the large D.1 in 1:32, which is quite helpful if you want to have a good documentation as a basis for detailing. I'm also going to realise one of the WW variants, which I immediately liked: all in Dural/ NMF with only a minimal set of markings.

gorby
Nice work so far. Looking forward to this. 🙂

Michael Kohl
Auch da bin ich dabei.

Roland Sachsenhofer
I'm very pleased - appreciated!

bughunter
Watching!
I have done the short fuselage already, I hope one day I can do the long one too.

Is the engine painting finished? I can recommend the WNW manual for this, still available on WNW page.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thanks for the tip - it's definitely a good one! The printed WNW instructions are next to me, so I want to use a little oily black on the top of the engine and add a little "brass"... But not only WNW instructions, also your excellent work is my reference.

Villiers de Vos
Very nice progress.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you for your words, appreciated!

Roland Sachsenhofer
The fuselage of the D.1 is now closed, the only thing to be careful of was not to damage the corrugated sheet metal joints. A related issue arises with the leading edges of the wings: in my opinion, the prototype shows a continuous line around the leading edge.... this will be difficult to depict: I will try to get close to this with careful sanding and the same amount of reworking with a scalpel.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Now it worked with the upload of the pictures!

István Szücs
My favourite plane from the Great War-era, I'm watching!

bughunter
Yes to clean the wing seem is not that esay. I must admit I used also wings from another kit after I was not happy with the first try. I have both the long and short fuselage kits and the wings are the identical. But that shifts the problem only to a later date, when I will build the long one. A new Part PE set is waiting too 🙂

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you for your words, mates! - I completely agree that this is not an easy topic! My approach, which you can see started here, is to work on the front edge of the profile with a triangular file. I didn't even try to bring the corrugated sheet metal runs of the top and bottom together - that would be far too small for me - but simply used the file edge many times.... Well, in my opinion it looks at least a little better now than before, so I'll try to make it a little more precise....

Roland Sachsenhofer
The Alclad metal colours mercilessly bring out all the flaws and imperfections, especially when everything has already been trimmed to a high gloss in preparation for applying the decals like here! The Wingnut Wings instructions describe an effect called 'tiger stripes' on the wing sheeting, which I recreated using various aluminium and dural colours.

Robert Podkoński
A little late, but joining the party!

bughunter
The stripes are great - can be noticed, but both shades still looks like aluminium which it was.

Christian Abraham
Great build so far

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you very much, mates!
The opinion on the 'tiger stripes' really really pleases me in a very motivating way!

Guy Rump
Following. 👍

David Taylor
Watching.

Roland Sachsenhofer
That is appreciated as well! 🙂

Villiers de Vos
Very nice detailed work.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you for your comment!

Ludvík Kružík
Roland, your model looks very good. I really like the interior of the plane and the engine. Also your rendition of the corrugated sheet metal looks very realistic. 👍

Roland Sachsenhofer
Ludvik, thank you for this comment, giving me a push to get the finishing steps done!

Dietmar Bogatzki
Wieder ein Meisterwerk von Roland 👍 hau rein 😉

Roland Sachsenhofer
Ich sage herzlich dank für den ermutigenden Kommentar! 🙂

Roland Sachsenhofer
A few steps closer to a finish: working with Roden decals is always an adventure, happy end not guaranteed! The whole thing is spiced up by the corrugated metal nature.... Well, this is the result; I will of touch up up the unclean parts with a brush, but on the whole it will stay like this - now for the signs of use and wear!

bughunter
Brave, brave - with good results 👍
I hadn't even tried those.

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you! 🙂
The Junkers D.1 is slowly approaching its final appearance - and that didn't work out quite as well as I had imagined! But what the heck, there are some nice things, like the turnbuckles or the two MGs from Gespatch; I'm also happy with the solution for the typical Junkers handles and footrests: a thin, glued-on metal rod was covered with finely cut Tamiya tape as a ridge. Well. I am satisfied with this overall impression.

Ludvík Kružík
As the work progresses, Junkers grows in beauty. Thanks to decals and small details the model looks better. 👍

Roland Sachsenhofer
Thank you for your kind comment, Ludvik!

Christian Bruer
Klasse 👍

Roland Sachsenhofer
The Junkers D.1 from Roden is now finished, in a way my corrugated metal test run for the somewhat larger Junkers F.13 from Mikro Mir. There are enough problem areas - and also a few insights into how I can proceed better with the F.13, but even so I am surprised by the 'photogenicity' of the little fighter from the last days of the First World War! The markings, which are limited to the bar crosses and two '11s' on the rear of the fuselage, come from the Wingnut Wings documents; they show an aircraft from October 1918, i.e. shortly before the end of the war. Remarkable (and also a reason for my choice) are the 'tiger stripes' due to different metal panelling on the wings, which show up in the right light. I hope you like the pictures, I really enjoyed building it!

Robert Podkoński
Looks like a real one! You're a wizard, Roland!

gorby
Remarkable result! As Robert said it looks like a real one.

Nick Dragone
Excellent build and photography. It would have taken me months to build this. Nice work

Spanjaard
nice

Skyhiker
My next big project is turning this FROG into a Prince. Wish me luck I'm going to need it.

Moreno Baruffini
Good luck! 👍

Robert Podkoński
Ambitious! Keep my fingers crossed!

Nicolas
I'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.

Skyhiker
Nicolas, 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.

DerMattes
Taking a seat 🙂

Skyhiker
I had to widen the fuselage today, in order to make space, before I scratch build the cockpit.

Jennifer Franklin
Following 👀

Skyhiker
Bit more done today.

Lukas Muller
good job 🙂 Following

Łukasz Gliński
Respect for your patience 👍

Martin Nevo
this 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 🙂

Skyhiker
Well 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.

Rui
This looks like a real challenge; I'm watching 🙂

Moreno Baruffini
@Skyhiker: I totally like your approach and I think you did a great start!

Martin Nevo
same here @Skyhiker, I really like the 6eur price point. so affordable. probably thats why I started to look into the 1/144 scale 🙂

Skyhiker
A bit more progress on the scratch built cockpit today.

Jennifer Franklin
Excellent work on the exhausts, and the cockpit is coming along nicely.

Skyhiker
I did a bit more today but I can't seem to get any images to upload. Anyone else having these problems?

Treehugger
Looking 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.

Skyhiker
Yes, 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.

Jennifer Franklin
I can finally upload my images again now, I was having problems too.

Skyhiker
Thanks Jennifer

Skyhiker
Treehugger I cleaned my tape and got a new bag. Thanks for pointing that out. No need for fuzzy tape.

Skyhiker
Cowling remade with a lot of sanding, cutting new flaps and a PE grill.

Moreno Baruffini
Really a great progress!

Skyhiker
Thanks Moreno, I am having fun with this one.

Skyhiker
I 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.

Lukas Muller
I'm agree with you, one of the most beautiful plane for me 👍

Dave Flitton
I like it so far!

Guy Rump
I'm going to build this one from my stash this year, definitely following! 👍

Skyhiker
The 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.

Vincent
This is already an impressive build. Good luck!!!

Skyhiker
Worked a bit on the cockpit today.

Oliver
Follow. Want to See the result

Trez Mackenzie
I 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

Skyhiker
This 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.

Trez Mackenzie
I agree with your modern trend thesis - especially if you add in the AM factor. But I think there is a line to be crossed between the kit manufacturers chucking out a quick buck kit with no effort in a fancy box (my pet peeve - rebox) etc, and thereby throwing the burden on the modeller and on the other side 'great expectations' along with spewing out bundles of dollars on AM on an already close to perfect kit.

I suppose if you are saying the kit can be built into an accurate replica then the modifications and work are justified.

I do admit that scratch building is the purest form of scale modelling so it depends on one's 'Weltanschaaung' and philosophy.

Anyway it looks like you gave up on it which influenced my previous comment - in other words all that effort bore no fruit

Skyhiker
I 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.

Trez Mackenzie
lol - hopefully I wont end up with one of those 'open kit open bin' models. I would reconsider throwing in loads of detail in that cockpit because none will be seen - it may be one of those more of a burden - but it is your show.

As I'm just getting into it again I bought several boxes of the 1/72 AZ joy packs - about 20 bucks - 3 kits in a box - although the Gustav set has no stencils the Emil set does but no decals - much easier to deal with. I am using them to practice some skills. (Will post on here soon)

Just to add they are about to bring out AZ Mustang Joy pack - I'm only into German aircraft and armour but it might be for you. I suspect they may bring out another later mustang set

Remco van Haren
Following. 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.

Johne 69
So gar so good 👍

Skyhiker
I added a bit of detail to the scratch built cockpit today.

Skyhiker
Worked on the canopy and tried to figure out how the scratch built cockpit will fit into the body.

Skyhiker
I corrected the seat position today.

Skyhiker
Added some space for the wheels

Trez Mackenzie
It'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?

Skyhiker
Trez 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.

Trez Mackenzie
Apologies - 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

Skyhiker
Trez, 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.

Moreno Baruffini
I'm really enjoying this build! 👍👍👍

Skyhiker
I worked out most of the cockpit issues today. It's not perfect but I got it in there.

Skyhiker
Moreno, I'm glad you're liking it. This is kinda pushing my skills a bit. We'll see what happens in the end together.

Trez Mackenzie
Don't worry too much about updates - things like that can cause one to rush. We ain't going away so take your time! 🫡👍

Skyhiker
Getting this kit to accept a cockpit was like pounding a square peg through a round hole. I had to reshape the whole damn fuselage.

Patrick Hagelstein
Whoah!!! Amazing what you did to that old tooling! Very cool to watch! 👍🏼

Skyhiker
Thank you Patrick. I'm trying. We will see if it works.

Bruce Huxtable
Really liking what you're doing, Skyhiker, and learning lots too. Impressed with your skills 🙂

Łukasz Gliński
What is that superglue thingy?

Skyhiker
Łukasz 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.

Łukasz Gliński
I was just wondering if you have mixed it with something

Skyhiker
No, It's just cheap super glue from a discount store that I poured right from the tube and hardened with accelerator.

Skyhiker
Started reshaping the fuselage today.

Skyhiker
Hood work today.

Nicolas
That looks very messy. But as long as it works, and it looks promising.

Skyhiker
Yes, very messy but it works. Old school style.

Patrick Hagelstein
The effort put into this is just amazing! 👌🏼

Skyhiker
More work on the exhausts today.

Moreno Baruffini
The true essence of modelling!

Skyhiker
I began rescribing the panel lines today. This will take a bit of time.

Tony Cooke
Dedication!!

Skyhiker
Bruce, thanks for your encouragement. It definitely helps.

Dave Flitton
That's a lot of work!

Skyhiker
Well the fine engraving blade I just bought broke within a day of use. Very frustrating.

Skyhiker
Luckily 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.

Skyhiker
I finished the panel lines on the underside of the wings today.

Vincent
Impressive work!! Keep it up!

Patrick Hagelstein
Amazing progress! Once you go the route of updating such an old kit, there's no way back, is there?

Skyhiker
Thanks 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?

Skyhiker
It'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.

Skyhiker
Anyone 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?

DerMattes
I looked through some of my books and picture collection. But to find even a picture of the Ta152 is rare. 🙁

Skyhiker
Thanks 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.

Skyhiker
I found this image which clearly shows the flaps divide in two sections. Interestingly the sections are not even like the underside.
[img1]

DerMattes
Maybe this would be helpful? flugzeugclassic.de/f..hlands-bester-jaeger
I do not have the magazine, but kind of stumbled over the link 😉

Skyhiker
That's cool Mattes. Thanks for the tip.

Ben M
I admire you trying to make something of this kit.

Skyhiker
Thanks 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.

AndreasK
Nice project, Skyhiker. And really stunning what you achieved so far. 👍🏻

Sy Bar
Can't wait to see fruits of your hard work 🍿

Skyhiker
I'm worked on the top side of the wings today.

Skyhiker
Panel lines... panel lines and more panel lines...

Matthew A
Owch

Skyhiker
Yeah, 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.

Skyhiker
I 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.

Patrick Hagelstein
Looking forward to that! 😊

J35J
Good progress, great craftmanship!👍🏻

Skyhiker
Got most of the panel lines down. I still have to do the bottom.

Moreno Baruffini
I personally ate re-scribing, so my admiration for you is huge!

Skyhiker
Thank 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.

Skyhiker
Big step made with attaching the wings. It makes me feel like I am moving forward after all.

Patrick Hagelstein
There ya go! 😄

Skyhiker
Wing plates are made.

Pietro De Angelis
An impressive amount of work, your patience and skills are incredible, congrats!

Skyhiker
Thank you Pietro.

Thomas Kolb
Wow, what an insane amount of work you put into this project! I am humbled by your perseverance and attention to detail!

Skyhiker
Thanks Thomas, I enjoy the process of trying to figure out how to do stuff. The model is just an added bonus in the end.

Skyhiker
Today I continued with the landing gear. A few pictures added.

Moreno Baruffini
As I wrote above, it's the true essence of modelling!

Skyhiker
Thanks 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...

Skyhiker
Primer started!

Johne 69
Nice Details 👍

Skyhiker
Yesterday and today I filled the panel lines to the appropriate depth.

Patrick Hagelstein
This keeps on being cool to watch! 👍🏼

Vincent
Watching you making process is indeed great to watch. The plane is starting to look great!

Moreno Baruffini
Wow! How do you filled the lines? How was you able to calculate the exact quantity?

Skyhiker
Moreno, 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.

Robert Podkoński
I never would believe that the base kit is a Revell's offering.... Awesome job!

Moreno Baruffini
@Skyhiker: Super! Many thanks for the explanation!

Alec K
Great project and some serious dedication to a challenging tooling 👍

Skyhiker
I worked on some details today. Tomorrow I will give it another coat of primer and hopefully start the riveting.

S M
Wow this is borderline masochistic👍

Skyhiker
I 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?

Matthew A
I think you typed f when you should have typed m

Skyhiker
I stand corrected. Thanks.

Alec K
Regarding 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).

Skyhiker
Alec, 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.

Skyhiker
I got some riveting done today.

Patrick Hagelstein
That riveting looks very impressive! 👌🏼

Skyhiker
Thanks 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.

Skyhiker
I'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.

Sy Bar
Enjoying 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

Skyhiker
I 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.

Skyhiker
Sy Bar, which plane will you be doing next? I can look around for blueprints and see if I can find anything useful.

Sy Bar
Cheers 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 👍

Skyhiker
Widened 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.

Moreno Baruffini
Great work as usual! I'm curious about the colours: aren't they the late RLMs?

Skyhiker
The 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

Moreno Baruffini
Many thanks! Super explanation! 😀

Skyhiker
I 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.

Oleksii
Great 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

Skyhiker
National Air and Space museum has a different version of this plane. It is very similar but there are a lot of differences.

Oleksii
Ouh okay, thank you

Skyhiker
Worked on a bunch of details today.

Skyhiker
I 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.

gorby
Exceptional work so far Alec.
You're going to show us all up again aren't you? 😉
(Come to think of it that should have been a statement rather than a question. 😄 )

Alec K
Thanks Gorby! Not my intention, just sharing my modeling joy in my characteristic pedantic manner 😄

bughunter
Finally a new project from Alec 👍 Watching for sure!

Bernhard Schrock
One of my favorite prop classics! Please a seat in the first row! Excellent start. I'm curious for more scratchbuilding especially flaps & co. 🙂

Cuajete
Very nice job so far. Following!

Alec K
For such exulted following, I better up my game. Welcome to the show mates, I'll try not to disappoint.

Michael Kohl
My kinda stuff. I am in too.

Łukasz Gliński
Bigly yuge indeed 👍

Finn
Looking really good and looking forward to see more!

Andy Ball
excellent and useful build tips....didn't know about acrylic glue....thanks for sharing the build!!

Alec K
Thanks for checking in mates, and thanks for the kind feedback 👍

Erik Leijdens
Nice to see another project form you, Alec. Great start. Looks like the Neptune need a lot of extra detailing.

Nathan Dempsey
Can't wait to see the finished kit.

Jakub Fiala
Very nice work in the cockpit, Alec 👍 I'm looking forward to see next steps. Also, i'm surprised how big this bird is 😮

Alec K
Thanks gents! Erik, you are right, the additional details will make it a nicer build but it's noteworthy how good this kit is after so many years. And yes Jakube, it's a BIG bird 🙂

Bernhard Schrock
Alec: they were several colors schemes used on dash 7. Which scheme intend you to build?

Alec K
Hello Bernhard - I really like the later schemes of Light Gull Gray with white fuselage decking. I came across several renditions of BuNo 147967's scheme (see my project's banner) and as long I figure out the markings (specifically, what kind of decals I will need to make myself), this will probably be the one.

Oliver Zwiener
Really wow - take a seat !

Alec K
Welcome Oliver! I have added info about my fun time with Plus Model's flaps 👍

Cuajete
Good progress, Alec 👍

Ludvík Kružík
Really interesting project. I believe that in your rendition it will be another exceptional model. I will definitely follow this build 👀

Dave
A lot of work ahead, but it seem that you have it worked out before hand. Nice

Bernhard Schrock
Excellent start on the wings. Watching for next steps. 🙂
P.S. is #PJ 12 in gullgray & white you choice?

Alec K
Thank you all for looking. Bernhard, PJ 12 it is, for now 😉 🙂

Maciej Bellos
Watching!

Cuajete
Wow... great job so far 👍

S M
Wow! Must follow!

Alec K
Thank you friends 👍

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, your modifications to this kit are great. 👍 I just don't understand one thing. Is there any reason why you didn't simply weaken parts 62-65, 66 and 67 from the inside and then glue the Eduard parts to them?

Jakub Fiala
This is a pleasure to watch 👍 As usual 🙂

Alec K
Welcome Jakube 👍

Ludvíku: A fair question regarding a choice I myself questioned. I though the Eduard parts were too thin (the formed reinforcing metal structure on the interior of the doors seems quite deep to my eye). Also, the front wheel bay door structure looks different than the Eduard interpretation. All that said, I think thinning the kits' parts and adding styrene strips would have been easier. Cheers 👍

Konrad
Amazing!

Ludvík Kružík
Thank you for your reply. I don't mean to disparage your work in any way. I knew you had a reason. I just didn't know what it was.
The result looks very good. 👍 Especially considering the actual size of the parts in 1:72 scale. It's obvious you take great care with all the details. I wish you a steady hand and a good eye throughout the build of the model and look forward to seeing the progress. 🙂

Alec K
Completely understood, I knew what you meant 🙂 👍

Daniel Klink
Most impressive Alec.. That Metalwork is awesome!
Love the outcome so far👍

bughunter
Exactly Daniel! A joy to follow 👍

bughunter
A drawer like this is indispensable! The search light is beautiful!

Guy Rump
Great modelling! 👍

Alec K
Thank you mates! Frank: I imagine you and others will relate 🙂. Recently I was going through my "keep for just in case" items and failed to get rid of much. Most of such items do not occupy a lot of space, it's much harder to justify keeping junk that does 😉

bughunter
That it also a fact: if you don't used a thing for years and drop it in the bin one week later you will need it! That is caused by Murphy's law.

Alec K
😄 😄 😄 👍

Alec K
Greetings mates! Contrary to what you may be thinking, I have NOT been screwing off and AM actively working on this, just veeery slowly. Here is an update on my labors.

Cuajete
Good progress, Alec. Looking so good 👍

Ludvík Kružík
I'm watching this with great interest. I am always amazed at what can be done on this scale. 👍

Alec K
Thanks much guys. This gives me strength to keep plugging away at this beast 😄

Erik Leijdens
Impressed by your build, great scratching and use of "household" materials.

Alec K
Cheers friends. Just so you don't think I gave up on this beast, here are some progress pics. This project has been a MONSTER but it's progressing, despite my every effort to screw it up.

Ronan
Very nice so far 👍

gorby
Remarkable Alec! Your attention to detail is jaw-dropping.

Michael Kohl
Very fine build log with loads of fixes. I thoroughly enjoy it.

J35J
Great progress, detail level is outstanding.👍🏻

Nicolas
I'll take a seat and watch.

Alec K
Thanks gents for stopping by and for your kind comments. It's always a pleasure to read those 👍

Jennifer Franklin
I love your journaling, so much to learn from you, following 👀. Your work is amazing.

bughunter
Great that you continued to work on this bird and uploaded new pics....
But, have you deleted all old pics and uploaded new ones? Normally I check the date to see, where the news are, but here _all_ pics are of the actual date 🙁 But some were definitely not new for me.

Clement
Wow, this is trully impressive. I admire your scratchbuilding ability!

Alec K
Thank you friends for your comments and support, very appreciated.

Jennifer: I am glad you like my ramblings. I realize I get into the weeds, but I always enjoyed others sharing their progress in detail and it has helped me great deal with my own modeling journey, so I am trying to do the same.

Frank, you are correct. There was a discussion some time ago about the preferred sizing of images for albums and I realized mine were pretty small, so I decided to re-upload the old pics in higher resolution. The teaser in the album marks where new work images begin. I hope it's not a big faux pas to do this as I plan to upgrade some of my older albums this way.

bughunter
Thank you Alex - the new bigger picture size is for sure a _good_ reason to replace them 👍
There was also a discussion in feature request that replacing pictures by better ones do not trigger a notify. So this can be done behind the scenes without bother anyone..

Jakub Fiala
Hello Alec. I'm glad to see you back here after some short break 🙂
That new vacu canopy looks great 👍

Alec K
Díky Jakube, glad you stopped by. This thing WILL be done this year… 😄

Cuajete
Great job, Alec. I'm glad to see you again here 🙂

Alec K
Thank you Cuajeye 🙂

Lochsa River
a master class....

Alec K
Finally painted something on this bird that will be visible on the outside. Cheers!

Michael Kohl
A pleasure to follow you on this journey. Sprue goo bubbles are a problem I am familiar with too and is doesn't have to do with stirring. Unfortunately I cannot provide an alternative theory why this happens. Maybe someone out there can enlighten us.

gorby
Good grief you've put an amazing amount of effort into those flaps!

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, good progress! 👍 I admire the precision with which you create the details of the model. My admiration is all the greater because your model is in 1/72 scale.

The bubbles could have been caused by a chemical reaction between the sprue material and the solvent, or between the plastic of the model and the "plastic slurry" during drying (similar to adding yeast to dough), but that's just my guess.

Zbynek Honzik
Alec, what a no-compromise project! Very inspiring! And fingers crossed that the wind doesn't get out of your sails. 👍🍀

Alec K
Hmm, interesting observations regarding the sprue goo bubbling, thanks for commenting on that Michael and Ludvik. Ludvíku, I think there is probably something to your theory. I just bought some dissolved putty from GSI and have high hopes for it.

Gordy: "good grief" about sums it up…

Zbynku, thanks for the encouraging post 🙂

Jennifer Franklin
great job replacing the messed-up canopy

Bernhard Schrock
Alec: I am very happy to see that this great project continues. You solved the canopy problem very well. I suspect that your self-made part is clearer than the one from the kit….🙂.
Great details on the wheel bays & landing gear, which is also movable! I am looking forward to further progress.🙂

bughunter
Great and careful work again!
May be your sprue putty layer was too thick? The extra thin glue need a way to go out. So it is may be better to work in thin layers and give the glue the chance to left the plastic.
I'm also not a fan of normal putty, but I used some days ago the Tamiya Light curing putty (I wrote about in my Swallow project). I like it! But also there it is recommended in the manual to use only thin layers up to 2mm. If you put light on a thicker layer it will get too hot inside and create bubbles. But as this hardens quickly with UV-light it is no problem to apply additional layers.

Cuajete
Wow... fantastic job so far 👍

Alec K
Thank you mates. I think the canopy was the correct decision, the thickness alone makes it so much better. Silver linings…

Bugs, I think you are right about the goo. I did glob it on pretty thick, forgetting all my school chemistry 😄. Thanks for the advice as well, I'll have to look up that Tamiya light curing putty.

Marius
Alec, such a gorgeous aircraft which I also want to build. I got dissapointed to find out that the Hasegawa kit has raised lines and I wasn't yet willing to do the effort you are doing now.

Outstanding work, I admire the dedication you're pouring in this project. Thank you for recommending some scribing tools, mine got old and blunt and needed new ones.
One question: why use the saw for scribing? What is the advantage?

Thomas Bischoff
I missed this thread completely - outstanding work! Landing Gear, Cockpit, Flaps and much more just makes me feel like a beginner.

gorby
Amazing work Alec!

Alec K
Thanks you guys. Thomas, your work looks rather advanced to me 🙂 👍

Marius, this is my first scribing/riveting project on the entire model and I really enjoyed the process. Regarding my use of thin saw blade: on curved surfaces like the sides of a fuselage, I find it difficult to use the UMM scribers. It's hard to describe, you just have to experience it. To get a nice even panel line with the scriber, I apply several passes at low pressure. This is hard to do when you are following a curve because the scriber's "angle of attack" relative to the surface is important and must be continually maintained as you move the tool. Saw works much better and produces a comparable result. Cheers!

Michael Kohl
I can only second Alecs arguments. Particularly if you have a panelline which was interrupted- by sanding for example - the saw can use the still existing grove as a guide much better than a scriber can.

Gary Kitchen
Wow. What an odyssey of a build log. So detailed and painstakingly explained. Thank you. All aboard for the remainder of this journey.

Łukasz Gliński
Dat rivets look great, watching with envy. 👍
Thx for the Dymo tape hint, I have to test it, all these fancy modelling scotch tapes seem too thin for my taste.

Alec K
Thanks Gary, welcome to the odyssey. We should hit port soon 🙂

Łukasz, Dymo tape is pretty good and readily available, but couple words of caution: its adhesive is very aggressive and tends to leave residue on smooth surfaces, and it's not very "bendy". It sticks to Surfacer fine and comes off the same, but I had it peel off paint on smoother paint finish. The Carving Guide Tape (HIQPARTS CGT-6MM, No) is a better option IMHO but not sure how easily available.

Łukasz Gliński
Thx for the additional info. The transparent ones don't work for me at all - my eyesight is too poor 😉
But I think Dymo could be good for the basic rescribing, even before surfacer.
For the later corrections I have these green semi-transparent one, but its edges are not thick enough for me to do the long straight lines:
mojehobby.pl/product..-Edged-Tape-3mm.html

Clement
What an impressive work! Your dedication to the project is inspiring.

Nathan Dempsey
Great build log. Some very useful information on scribing too.

Jakub Fiala
Very nice rescribing, Alec 👍 . As for dymo tape, I have the same experience as you.
Its nice to see, you are using Hauler products. This company is located about 500 meters from my home 🙂

Alec K
Thanks Clement and Nathan!

Łukasz - for sure, give it a try. For straight scribing, I like a firmer wide tape to keep the "straightness" and Dymo tape works great for that. It's also nice and thick for guiding the scribed. My only complaint, again, is that the adhesive sometimes stay put.

Jakube - thanks for encouragement. Do you mean PlusModel? Or does Hauler makes their PE? Either way, I am jealous 🙂 👍

Jakub Fiala
Alec, i mean Hauler ( scribing template on your pic#110). They really make their PE. I saw it with my own eyes 🙂

Alec K
Oh yeah, sorry! Got it. I have many Hauler PE sets (as well as their kits) in my stash 🙂

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, the longer I follow your work on the model, the more I like it. The care you take with all the details is admirable. 👍

In the time I have been building my models, I have come to the same experience as you. For restoring panel lines on curved surfaces of the model (like the fuselage), a razor saw is best. It's exactly as Michael Kohl writes a bit above.

To transcribe the lines on the model I use (among other things) rulers, which I made from an ordinary rolling ruler metal tape measure. I cut strips of different lengths from it. These strips are flexible and adapt easily to a curved surface. For even more flexibility, the strip can be cut lengthwise into two narrower strips.

Marius
This has turned in a very helpful thread with all the discussiond about scribing. I would like to share my own method for irregular surfaces. I'm using tape for electrical cable insulations together with a pointy tool. The tool is normally aimed at scribing access panels or doors, but I use it for larger panel lines too. Check photos #36 and #38 from this album:

MiG-23BN - Iraq - 1982 | Album by Redicus (1:72)

Alec K
Great techniques Ludvik and Marius, thanks for sharing 👍

Łukasz Gliński
Interesting ideas, thx for sharing 👍

Cuajete
Great ideas! Thanks for sharing 👍

Alec K
Managed some progress, engines are on the wings. Getting close to assembling this beast and finally painting.

Cuajete
Wow...I can't believe what a huge improvement you are making to this tool. Looks great!

Alec K
Thanks Cuajete. The beast finally has wings and received a coat of paint. The saga continues...

Ludvík Kružík
That's great progress. The beast is coming to life. 👍

Bernhard Schrock
The painting results are looking great!

Michael Kohl
It certainly does

Tony Cooke
Phenomenal!!

Alec K
Thanks very much! Neptune is now decaled, very happy with how that turned out 🙂

gorby
Nice work with the decals Alec. I looks great.

Robert Podkoński
How did I miss this master-class modelling tutorial? From now I am definitely following this talent show!

Alec K
Thanks gorby. Robert, thanks for stopping by 🙂 👍

Gordon Sørensen
Great work on all the detail you added to the Neptune, Alex! Looks fantastic!

Cuajete
Great painting job, masking and good job with the decals 👌

bughunter
Once again, this will be a dream of a model!

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, it's admirable what you've done with this model. It looks fantastic. Fingers crossed that you manage to finish it successfully. 👍
The finish line is very close. 🙂

Alec K
Thanks all for leaving encouraging remarks. It's indeed getting close and chances for me screwing it up loom large: weathering is not my forte…

Jennifer Franklin
It's looking great Alec! You can do it.

Mark D
Great subject, great work! 👍

Maciej Bellos
Looks beautiful! Take your time, don't rush things!

Alec K
Thank you mates, I'll do my best 😄

Oliver Zwiener
Klasse Ding !!!

Alec K
Danke Oliver!

I am in the final stretch on this one. Just some final weathering and it should be done. Cheers!

Michael .
Following

Gary Victory
Lovely build and progress Alec.

Mark Medwell
This is an amazing build... those main gear bays! I can smell the oil and fuel as if I was standing inside them on a pre-flight walkaround.

Cuajete
Wow...

Pietro De Angelis
An impressive quantity and quality of work, masterpiece by photoetchs and scratchbuild, congrats!

Skyhiker
Somehow I came late to this show...

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, you're doing top-notch work. The very fine and precise execution of all the details adds to the convincingness of the model. It's really hard to believe that this is a 1/72 scale model. 👍 👍 👍

Bernhard Schrock
A true masterpiece! I have looked at the current, new photos three times. And will definitely do it again. Great great great! Detailing, cleanliness, implementation and painting! 🙂🙂🙂

bughunter
Yeah, I can only sign the last comments! Your careful preparation to allow a clean mounting pays back now 👍
Last week I saw a finished model of this kit at a local club meeting and it reminded me of your build.

Zbynek Honzik
I fully subscribe to the above comments. 👏👏👏

Alec K
Thank you mates for your kind and encouraging feedback. This has been my longest continuous project to date ( too long imho). It's interesting to note that this 1972 tooling still has life in it (based on how many, even today, continue to be built). Certainly not comparable to today's fare, overall it's a very nice kit. Just have to finish few details as I plan to bring it to the IPMS-USA annual contest next week. Cheers.

Bernhard Schrock
Alec: Enjoy the exhibition. If I were in the jury, it would be the first place for me just because of the initiative and the skills in scratch building🙂. In my opinion, it is not really art to replace the half the model with brass, resin and 3D, but to create a masterpiece from a 50-year-old kit. 🙂

Alec K
Thank you Bernhard for your kind comment, I really appreciate it 🙂. Getting a prize would be nice (I am as vain as the next guy), but I keep my expectations low. IPMS-USA judging focuses on build quality and execution, and my skills are not strong in this area. If two models are tied from this perspective, then the more complex one wins, but if there is a clean-built Neptune with no errors but no modifications next to mine, they win. A lot also depends on who shows up (I.e. the models on the table).

I am looking forward to the show as it's a great time to see many great builds in person, chat with fellow modelers and support the hobby. A big plus is that it's close to where I live, so no vendor room limit for this stash hoarder 😄. I will post pictures from the show when I get back.

Ludvík Kružík
Alec, I think the chances of success are good. Maybe luck will smile on you. In any case, I'll keep my fingers crossed 🙂
... whatever the outcome, enjoy the show!

Maciej Bellos
Loss for words. The Neptune looks superb. Fingers crossed!

Looking forward for the show photos.

Cuajete
I hope you get the well-deserved award, Alec 👍
Good luck!

Alec K
Thanks very much mates. No pressure... 😄 😄 😄 Ludvik is right, I will need some big smiles (hopefully not laughs) from Lady Luck. I have uploaded the final WIP pics, finished build and show albums hopefully by end on July.

gorby
This has been a remarkable build to follow, absolutely stunning work mate! If this doesn't win best in show the judges should get better guide-dogs. 😉

Marius
Hats down Alec, a true masterpiece. One of the most attractive and special models I have seen here lately!!

Michael Kohl
I can only agree with Marius and Gorby. I enjoyed following your build immensely. And I will strive to come closer to the cleanliness of your construction, which is impressive.

bughunter
What a marvellous finale 👍 Hats off to your perseverance!
Good luck and have fun there 🙂

Neuling
An amazingly clean and detailed build!

Alec K
Guys, I really appreciate your really nice comments. I just realized I started this project back in June 2022 and worked on it pretty much continuously since then (with the exception of few months during this past winter). To date, the largest project for me in all aspects. I am in active recovering now (just finished a mojoreset OOB 🙂.

Arrived at the contest yesterday and there were already many worthy builds in my category on the table, so I will be surprised if I even place. So many great modelers out there! The show promises to be a feast for the eyes (there are 2500 registered entries with many more walk-ins expected). Cheers!

Cuajete
Great job, Alec. Fantastic result... I love it!
Congrats!

If this project is not a winner, it is because the judges have had to think a lot to give the prize to someone else. But for the Scalemates colleagues this will be a clear winner in all aspects. Good luck!

Guy Rump
Great build! 👍

Nathan Dempsey
Good golly that's a fine finish!

Alec K
Hello friends. Lady luck got drunk and the Neptune received first place in the "1/72 large twin engine aircraft" category 🙂

For those interested, here are links to a selection of pics from the show:

Aircraft: IPMS-USA National Convention 2024 | Album by Pardubak
Military Vehicles: IPMS-USA National Convention 2024 | Album by Pardubak
Figures: IPMS-USA National Convention 2024 | Album by Pardubak
Dioramas: IPMS-USA National Convention 2024 | Album by Pardubak
Other (Ships, Automotive, Sci-fi, Misc, Venue): IPMS-USA National Convention 2024 | Album by Pardubak

Michael Kohl
I'd say Lady Luck was sober and good mooded. Congrats and thanks for this ambitious, informative and extremely clean and precise build thread. I enjoyed it very much.

Zbynek Honzik
Congratulations, Alec! Lady Luck didn't get drunk, she stayed completely sober, because you deserve that first place! 😀🫵👍

gorby
Nothing to do with luck mate, purely down to your remarkable modelling skill. Fortunately the judges recognised that. Well deserved award Alec. 🙂
Thanks for the links, I'll enjoy having a look thought them later. 👍

bughunter
I can only sign what gorby said 👍 Congratulation - well deserved!

Robert Blaschke
Tomu hovorím modelárčina. Narobíš sa ako kôň a nakoniec 95 percent práce nie je vôbec vidieť. Ešte aj tá konštrukcia krídel nad klapkami je zospodu, skrytá normálnemu pohľadu 🙂
Ale inak úchvatná práca a nádherný model. 👍

Maciej Bellos
Congrats!!!! Well deserved and no luck at all, but a reward for all the tremendous effort put on this kit.

Spanjaard
arriving late to the party, but what a trip .. . amazing job everywhere, stunning patience, planning and execution. certainly no luck involved in getting the award, truly deserved!!

Ludvík Kružík
I can only agree with what those before me have written.
The honorable and precise work on this model has been deservedly appreciated. Congratulations on a well-deserved victory! 👍👍👍

Bernhard Schrock
I'm looking forward to it with you! The referees appreciated YOUR OWN performance.🙂

Pietro De Angelis
Nothing else to add,
only congratulations!

Michael .
Congratulations!!!

Cuajete
I totally agree with all mates. It is a well-deserved award and the judges have appreciated it 👍

Congrats. Enjoy it, Alec!

Oleg Smilyk
Wow,masterpiece ,thanks for the sharing!

Nicolas
Congrats, well deserved. 👍

J35J
Congrats Alec! Top performance, enjoy!👍🏻

Dieter Bihlmaier
Amazing!

Jakub Fiala
Aleši, tohle je prostě nádhera! Gongratulations to very well deserved award. I am looking forward to see final pictures.

S M
Congratulation!⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Łukasz Gliński
Well deserved, joining the congratulations

Alec K
Mates, thank you all for your very kind words and support, it means a lot. This build was sucking the lifeforce out of me so it's nice to see it turned out pretty good. I was amazed how much more effort a bigger model takes (I have a whole new appreciation for large scale builders). Going down the detailing rabbit hole did not help, but that's just the OCD acting up… 😄

Few finished pics are now uploaded. I am having a helluva time fitting this thing into my photo booth, so more will follow once I have time to make some modifications. Cheers!

gorby
WOW! Absolute stunning result Alec. Beautiful photos as well.

Robert Podkoński
Awesome model. Well deserved prize. Congrats!

Skyhiker
Alec, great job and congratulations! In the future instead of using ridged rod for static dischargers, which can easily break off, you would be better off using brush bristles, preferably pig hair, but it depends on the scale you are doing. They are strong and flexible but keep their shape if they are touched. They are also great for antenna.

S M
What a beauty!

Alec K
Thanks S M and Skyhiker. The wire static dischargers are indeed problematic and I managed to knock them off already. Good idea with the brush bristles, thank you 👍