One-Oh-Four

Jeroen, were those blisters parallel to each other? From the top of my mind I recall they were of a different shape to each other? Or was that the case with the 30mm blisters?

Hey Tim, what sources are you using for the detailing of this kit?

The BMW 801 at the IWM: The rust on the cylinders shows it's steel, while the cylinder heads are aluminium. BMW 801 at Fort Veldhuis Museum: And some photo documentation from warbirdsnews.com. The photos are via Andor Burnáczki:

Wouldn't you want to paint the cylinders, pushrods and the like before fitting them? Reaching all those different colored items looks to me like being a pain in the sphincter after assembly.... As you may remember from the SIG-chat, my personal theory is that the cylinders were made of steel and painted black (so as not to rust) while the cylinder heads and valve covers were aluminium... I know the American radial engines had black cooling baffles around the cylinders and atop the cylinder heads. In one of my books on the Fw 190, a restored museum engine had aluminium colored baffles fitted.... If that is accurate, the Americans probably used stamped sheet steel, painted black, while the Germans used stamped aluminium sheet?

Interested to learn what the quality of the parts is!

Orrrrrrr..... You could just connect all the aftermarket sets and forget about the kit itself!

Hi guys, Hopefully some of you know.... Did the F-15C have the same panellines as the F-15A? If not, where did they differ? I know, sounds like a rivet-counter's question, but I like to get things as accurate as possible! Thanks in advance! Erik B.

Maybe a stupid question but I could never figure out how the driver was able to keep using the foot pedals without adjustment while cycling from under armor to head-out-the-hatch-driving. Looking at the illustration of the seat, it moves up and forward? So the driver, when under armor, actually sits a bit behind the hatch-opening instead of straight under it? He'll have to watch the back of his head, though, while going under armor, those hatch-openings weren't that big, even on the big-hatch hulls! But they sure were hard!

Okay, I'm sold! Use the scratch built items!

How much does this set differ from the kit cockpit? As far as I remember that isn't too bad? Maybe the seat is a bit clunky? Do you have some pics to compare? I was planning on using the kit cockpit but if the Brassin pit is a hands-down winner and much better overall, I might reconsider...

Hi Axe, The details on your scratch built seat frame ar much finer, so I'd prefer that one. The RFM unit looks to be somewhat smaller, so I hope you'll have no trouble fitting the seat between the sidewall and the gear lever(?). On your last photo it looks as if the bow gunner/radio operator's station has some more room for the seat? On the other hand, how visible will the seat frame be? Are they only observable through the front hatches? IIRC, the Sherman doesn't have a bolted down hull roof like the Panther and Tiger II did, did they? Are they visible if the turret is placed next to the hull or is there some big-ass bulkhead in front of it? So; clearly visible: definitely the scratch built items. Hardly visible: the kit items, use your time and energy you save by NOT building the second seat for the rest of the interior. Or: hardly visible: but you WANT them to be there and are happy to know that it's much better than RFM's efforts: use them!

Interesting! I'm very curious to see how they'll look, once on the model. I always hear horror stories about the being too thick. Interestingly enough, Cartograf decals are not the thinnest, either, but I have never seen anybody griping about them. Or I just haven't seen them doing it!

Wow, great build, great resource!!

Famous last words....

Nice! Looking forward to see your progress! Are you planning on using the kit decals or do you source the markings from somewhere else / masks?