DocRob

Quality builds all around, but I have to say, I like the Mig best, which had a wird painting phase, hen I remember it right. Nice output in a crazy year. Cheers Rob

Thank you Gaz, that's priceless, I never heard about this method before. Our dental care will be in jeopardy now, I know about this . Your method seems easier controllable, than to work with grinding bits on a micro drill, where it is so easy to ruin the surrounding areas and I always found it hard to work with, without having a melting effect on the plastic, even with the lowest rpm setting. Cheers Rob

An interesting and different looking plane. The psychedelic cowling is an eye catcher and the relaxed fellow leaning on it adds to the atmosphere of the scene. Cheers Rob

The engine looks great, love the exhaust colour and the wires. Cheers Rob

Nice work. It's a sweet little kit and I like, what you have done with it. To me the best thing on the kit itself is the resin figure. I will try some new painting techniques on this big scale guy. Cheers Rob

Nice engineering on the Würger, I mean your work, not the plastic . I have to build one in the near future, I have only a TA-152 to show for, which is partly untrue, because I gave it to a friend. Could you enlighten us, how your electric toothbrush sanding device works, as a tool nerd, I really like to know. Cheers Rob

Nice progress with the pit Harv. Cheers Rob

Are you sure about the dark colour of the bombs. I haven't done any research, but found some pics of a Gotha G.V in night Lozenge with a light colour (looks like grey) for the bombs. Cheers Rob

Merry Christmas Amigos, we were surfing yesterday in brutal storm waves. Not much fun, but very exhausting and gave the right appetite for a BIG fondue. Cheers Rob

Nice and sandy look, well done, sometimes there is a lot of fun in these little projects. Cheers Rob

Thanks Gaz, Albion has the so called slide-fit sets, with three tubes of different diameter included, that's a good way to start, as you don't need a lot of tube for some wheelstruts. I took the measurements from the plastic. The larger struts are 2,00 mm wide in plastic, which equals to a 1,5 mm tube flattened. Thanks Kai? I think the struts on a DR.I are way stronger and shorter in plastic and there is no real need to replicate these in brass. If I remember it right, the DR.I struts have a curved conture, where they connect to the wing. This will be hard to replicate. Thanks, definitely a kit, which needs some extra work here and there . Cheers Rob

Oh, I found a small box with intriguing box art in my stash. It's a 2020 release and has to be mentioned here, albeit it is in 1/72 It's the Grumman FM-2 Wildcat from Arma Hobby, a well designed kit, with masks and PE in the box, amongst several decal variants. Cheers Rob

Wow, looking great, like Harv, I especially like the worn look of the leather on the seat. Cheers Rob

De nada Señhor, and yes, I had to have the solution for the struts first and then get everything started. The results are rewarding and the way I realized it, will help to solve another problem area on the Fokker. The side panels of the fuselage are bended inward, where they meet the upper front part of the fuselage. As I drilled the holes for the strut attachments into the side fuselage panels, the struts will help to bend these fuselage parts in shape. Only dry fitted Cheers Rob

More or less , but Im sure, this kind of kit will throw some other obstacles at me, without me expecting them. Cheers Rob

The upfront coward I am, I started with my most feared parts of the build, besides the fuselage fit, the struts. I decided to substitute all by self made brass ones in two different sizes. I wanted an elliptical shape of the tubes and used wooden brackets in a wise to flatten the tubes, which worked to my satisfaction. To avoid flattening the tubes completely , I inserted brass rods into the tube. I manufactured two different sized type of raw strut from 1,5 mm tube with a 1 mm rod inserted for the wheel struts and the large wing struts and 1,2 mm tube with 0,5 mm rod for the smaller V-shaped struts. Normally I cut the tubes with a scalpel, which didn't work with the oval ones. As I had no superfine saw, I first used a file, but then tried my trusty Tamiya nipper, which worked good, as long as you insert some rod into the tube while cutting. The V-struts needed to be soldered and there will be another bigger third strut added later, when everything will be assembled to the fuselage. This construction needed a connection into four directions, two for the V, another for the larger main strut and one to fix the wing. I used Albion Connecto connectors which I bent in shape and then soldered in. These were the parts After soldering the V on a glass pane Here are all the pre manufactured brass parts. The inserted rods will be cut to length, while assembling and will be glued into pre drilled holes in the fuselage and wing. Cheers Rob

The initially problem with the Fokker E.V were not the wing struts, but the parasol wing itself, which collapsed midair on several occasions. That seemed to be caused, by bad coating of the wood, which led to water seeping in. Other sources claim, that there were changes in the wooden material itself and in the construction from the original plans. With the made changes, the plane got it's new designation D.VIII and the initial problems seem to have been solved. Thanks Harv Down the alley, it seems . Thanks mate Cheers Rob

Don't build that crap and be lucky that the plane is not spinning around the engine on the cover . In earnest, you will like the kit, I hop, albeit there are some flaws in it. Cheers Rob

I second Ernie with the PZL. The only other highlight in 2020 was the repop of the AZ/Hippo Gotha G.V from Aviattic, which I count as a 2020 kit, because of the added goodies like included cookie cut night Lozenge and specially downsized bombs by Lukgraph. When I let my eye wander over my stash, I found only these kits as a 2020 release and after browsing Scalemates for 2020 kits, I have to say, there were not many great new kits this year . A special mention, alas I didn't got me one may ba the Me-108 Taifun by Eduard. Cheers Rob

Good to have you with me. When time comes, I know, I will benefit from your knowledge . Until then, be my guest. Like Carl, it's one of my favorite planes of the era, at least among single engine fighter, so I hope, I can pull a reasonable result out of this build. Cheers Rob

Ladies and Gentlemen, it's official, I will do a WIP about the Fokker E.V / D.VIII. It's a late WWI monoplane with a parasol wing design. I liked the sleek design of the Fokker and when I spotted the Mikro Mir kit, I decided, I have to build one in Lozenge finish. It took my some tries to find solutions for the biggest obstacles I saw, until I felt save enough, to call it seriously a project. I'm kind of an up front coward , when I evaluate a non Tamiya kit, I look for the most difficult steps in the build that I can see and only if I have the feeling, that I can solve these, I really start. In my evaluation phase there often goes a lot of effort in learning new techniques and prepare myself for whatever will thrown in my way. The kit plastic is not up to modern standards, there are flaws in the cast, flash and soft details, but what bothered me most, was the flimsy struts for the wings and undercarriage and the bad fitting fuselage. The benefit of the planes design, is that there is nearly no rigging to be done, but I would have changed some riggings for some better plastic, now that I have some routine. I will use a lot of AM: - Lukgraph Le Rhone engine or CSM Oberursel, depending which fits better under the cowling. - Aviattic engine cowling - Aviattic pilot seat - Aviattic PE-set for the firewall, engine hatch and other details - Some Eduard or Airscale decals for the IP - Gaspatch 08/15 MG's - Lozenge decals from Aviattic - Decalsheet including jig from Pheon - Seatbelts from the spare box - Albion brass tubes and rods and Albion Connecto connectors Cheers Rob

Welcome Dan, nice to see you add some wooden boats to our plastic heavy niche. Your Fifie is exceptionally nicely done and it seems also weathered a bit, rarely seen on wooden ships. Cheers Rob

Very nice, all around congratulations. There are so many details to make the eye wander. The dog is great, as well as the bicycle, not easy to build with lots of etched parts. Cheers Rob

Very nice, the extra detailing payed off. You went the easier way to open up all cowlings. To built the TA-152 buttoned up is not a lot of fun, tell me how I know... Cheers Rob

Great result, love the modulation and the careful enhanced panel lines, you nailed it. Cheers Rob