DocRob

Looking great, and thanks for sharing your observations about the dreaded cowling alignment. I will let the engine rattle unfixed till everything is in position . Cheers Rob

Nice review James and indeed some areas seem to be improved a lot compared with older ZM offerings like the dashboards, cockpit area in general and weapons. It seems that other than in older offerings there is only very limited necessity for fishing (pricy) ZM-AM, with maybe the exception of the wheels. It would have been great to add separated gauges for the instruments like they did before on some kits. Thanks for showing Cheers Rob

Hi Danny, can't wait to see the Jug progressing. Your WIP triggered me to get me one as well and it will be started soon. The NMF is looking good. The metal finish looks very fine on your pictures, what type (brand) colour has been used? Cheers Rob

this is the link to the Airfix product page https://www.airfix.com/uk-en/grumman-f6-f5-hellcat.html In my imagination I'm forming a way to build this one. One side of the plane represent the Hellcat weather beaten with raised gear in flight modus, the other side will sport a folded wing, open cowlings and lowered wheels and a clean state while being maintained on a carrier deck. No idea for the canopy yet , but there is still some time till the F6 hits the shelves. Cheers Rob

Looks great Martin, I've hoped for a decent Hellcat in large scale for a long time (Tamiya 1/32, do you hear me), but we might have a contender here. It seems to sport "stressed surfaces" and decent detail and a folded wing option. As longer as I devour the pictures on the Airfix site I can hear a voice in my head, 'buy me'. Can't wait for the R-2800 Double Wasp in this scale. On Airfix.com it's on pre order status. Cheers Rob

Nice solution with the pillows, that is the most comfortable curing kit I ever saw, my kits are a little jealous . Cheers Rob

Wow, eye candy, the result you achieved is perfect. You can't beat the real material for the surface. It seems like the hard way to foil a plane, but it sure looks great. Cheers Rob

Thanks Carl, that is very interesting and fits what's said in the interviews with Eric Brown, it sounded to me that he flew the Komet under power. I have to get me a copy of 'Wings of the Luftwaffe'. My decision to leave the engine off, is more or less made, because I don't think that the ME-163 which Brown flew in Germany would have been one with a yellow belly, are there any pictures? Thanks Peter, the first step back to the bench after some time is always a little strange for me, but then it gets synced again. Cheers Rob

Well spoken Martin, you brought grofacking to a new level, pro-grofacking . Cheers Rob

Aren't we all grofackers once in a while, all except Martin, because he ruined everything by actually applying paint on his I-16 which was actually waiting to be grofacked . Cheers Rob

No updates since two month. Other things, mostly summer connected, came between me and the little rocket. Now the days get shorter and the ocean a little colder it's time to hit the bench again. I assembled parts of the cockpit and did some detailing with PE and some painting. It starts to look like a workplace now, but there are still some details to be added. As much as I like the varying german camos as much I dislike their depressing grey cockpits, so I have to speed up to get it done. Cheers Rob

Hi Phil, I built the TA-152 recently and presented her here, combined with a very personal view about the kit, building and painting it. Like Wumm I think it's the 152 to get, but the kit is not without flaws and shortcomings. https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/5434-ta-152-zoukei-moura-finally-done/ Some more stuff for digging deeper should be in here. https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/5340-ta-152-zoukei-moura-132-my-first-zm/ I'm out of the Würger Party because of that build, but there are waiting two F8's for me, but that's for later. Cheers Rob

Beautiful Corsair, Frank. Nice job on painting and weathering. Those US Navy birds are a great canvas for deploying new techniques, magnifique. Cheers Rob

Nice work on the pit Peter, it looks absolutely great. You are right, there is nothing like building a Tamiya Corsair to get the Mojo stirred again. No need for grinding in the cockpit area, but I did anyway with my Birdcage, using the even better Brassin cockpit, but actually this was only a vanity thing, the provided one is absolutely great for a non-resin one. Sometime ago I did a little walkaround right here, with some pics I made in Pensacola of the mentioned plane. https://forum.largescalemodeller.com/topic/4925-f4u-1a-national-naval-aviation-museum-pensacola-fl/?tab=comments#comment-63136 Next build should be a F4-Phantom to stay in the F4 pattern . Cheers Rob

Noice , and shortening the wheel struts looks right to me. The paintjob looks good and well blended, perfect rendition of a unique bird. Cheers Rob

Beautiful, one of the examples where the technique of applying foil perfectly matches the streamlined subject. Putting foil on a plane seems to be 'en vogue' in the moment. Having used Bare Metal Foil only for some detail work, I might got tempted to jump the wagon and try a little project. Back to your Ryan, which is a stunner and the contrast between metal and the yellow wings opens the eyes Cheers Rob

Thank you Mike, I read (and downloaded) your great log, and will use it as a guideline in places. I might go with the Aviattic decals, but in the case of the W.12 this will be an expensive enterprise. As it is double winged, I think it will take two sheets of naval hex (I like the faded one too) plus one sheet in a darker shade, because the tail section of the W.12 seems to be covered in a darker toned linen. Maybe that could be achieved with preparing the kit surface a little darker. Cheers Rob

Nice, I like the 'bordering' effect in the green blotches of the camo, if it's to much it looks like you don't know how to use the airbrush, but here it adds and gives some depth. Chees Rob

Stunner, I have to agree with Harv, leave her that way, love the look. Cheers Rob

Followed your build with lots of interest. What a beauty you got in the end, a clear winner. Cheers Rob

You nailed the Brandenburg and put her into a great fitting setting. The way the W.29 is weathered looks like a lot of seaspray and weather influences and supports the authentic look of the dio. I have the W.12 in my stash along with some goodies and the same Copper State figures and have planned something similar for mine. I will download your WIP as a well appreciated guide. Do you think the Aviattics are a must, because I'm undecided and interested to hear your opinion. Cheers Rob

But without rockets Ernie, no way that the bespoken person would take that almost unarmed gullwing under his knowing hands . Cheers Rob

CMK has some 5' HVAR's in their program. They come in a set of three and without racks. So Ernie, you don't have to dump the 1D for getting the rockets. https://www.cmkkits.com/en/detail-sets-accessories/hvar-rocket-5-inch-3-pcs-1-32/ Cheers Rob

Hi Gaz, thanks a ton for your detailed report about the ME-ng 410. I knew about the spinners and props and bought some from Quickboost, which look ok to me. I share your astonishment, about flash and weak engineering in parts of the kit. It seems to be a Meng thing, they tend to overdo sometimes and hinder swift buildability by strange solutions. I liked all their kits I built, but they all had their issues. The wheels seemed to be a little big to me too, only by browsing through the sprues, but I haven't measured. A little fear arose by viewing the multi part canopy, but you seemed to have tackled that well as far as I can see. thanks for warning me about the links, they do look very delicate, I think I will use a razor-saw to remove them from the sprue. Cheers Rob

Thanx Carl for showing us the right direction with the HVAR's. My Mossie gets a bigger chance of being rocket equipped now . I'm about to buy a 1D, but for other reasons then to salvage the missiles , so I think I will purchase a dedicated B-25 set from PM. Ernie, there is only the small picture in the upper left corner of the PM-manual showing the one column arrangement in the PBJ, but nothing about the seats. I'm not deep enough into the PBJ project to decide about the seat problem. Cheers Rob