Matt_

Excellent review. I have to say that having seen the plastic in 'the flesh' I am much more impressed. I think it's because most photos in reviews are about 500% better than I can see. Not knocking close ups, but it's often worth remembering that the kit often looks better when you actually see it. I may get one of these when they come down in price... quite fancy that NMF and white Canadian one... Matt

You could try to graft the 'short tail and rudder' from the Revell G-6 onto the Hasegawa tail. Those are all spare parts in the Revell G-6. Matt

Nice idea... but I very much doubt we'll see it take off except for very expensive structures. Too many unsupported assumptions in the article... My favourite part is actually the one and only comment... that was my first question and it isn't even asked by the interviewer... Matt

Brilliant Iain! I somehow missed that you'd put this over here as well... Have you extracted all the things you've actually done to the kit from the epic thread over at LSP? It would make a great reference... Must think about mine sometime... Matt

Wow, that's a pretty major undertaking... How well moulded is the locomotive? Suffering from the same number of inappropriately located knock out pin marks (doesn't look like it)? Matt

A beauty indeed. I have started building this machine and intended doing her as found (isn't she pictured at war's end with bent props and damaged radiator sitting under a derelict Italian bomber?) all bashed up... Yours is a finish to aspire to.. Matt

On the face of it, that seems pretty dumb logic.... Matt

Well Paint on... the Vallejo Model Colour bottles are referenced as being the correct RAL values for late war sand (7028), green (6011) and choccy brown (8017). But that green looks pretty bright (even after toning down a little)...? However, this is just the start and I'm sure some of what I want to do (filters and fading and ....) will tone the green down and bring the colours into a slightly more harmonious state.... Anyone who wants to chip in with advice about technique is welcome - all new to me. Couple of other views... Getting the Vallejo paint to behave nicely was an education..! I ended up with a mix of paint (which in the Model Colour bottles is very thick), Vallejo thinner which itself had been thinned 50/50 with water, and if that seemed too thick a few drops of Medea (Iwata) airbrush cleaner. Blowing air back through the brush and seeing how the bubbles formed in the paint cup was a good way of gauging thinness. Slight hassle is that various Vallejo paints seem to behave differently given the same thinning (for eg I know that some will mix with IPA, while others won't and turn to goo...!). It's sprayed quite roughly as I figured that finish would be a minor consideration at that (theoretical) stage of the war. The armour is a bit of relief in terms of not needing such an exacting finish as the aircraft.... I'm hoping the filters and weathering will be as much fun. I have a few of the True Earth range to try out...(www.true-earth.com/en-uk/index.html) All for now... back to my 109G-6.. Matt

Nigel Not that I have any specific knowledge, but for such high profile and almost bespoke vehicles I'd have expected the highest level of finish... so I'd have thought all the primer would have been covered.. That is, however, just supposition. A little primer here and there would add some visual interest and that's what half of this is about.. Matt PS cool score on the Dora...

I have meant to buy this kit for a while, as you say it gets good reviews... Look forward to progress.. Matt

Rick An alternative would be to use either: 1. Brass airfoil strut so you have a strong part without the weakness of a join or; 2. brass rod (for strength) with an airfoil shape built up around it. I'm not sure, brass rod either end or not, that I'd trust white metal to holding up a whole 190 for years to come... Useful soldering tips (pun intended) there Steve.. thanks Matt

Yeah... I think that's what Gotha said as well.... Matt

Bit of a bugger there Rick...! At least resin tends to break cleanly and fix back with near invisible join... Matt

I haven't got much from last year... I don't think the Revell G-6 is good enough for that accolade... If I had to choose it'd be the ZM He219 or Tamiya Corsair. My assessment though would be from a mere fondle of the 219 at a club meet and never seeing the Corsair in the flesh... Again the B-17 is a stunner, but not one I have or am likely to have in the near future... Not really sure what I'm actually saying here...? Matt

Then I started laying down a late war sandy sort of colour... can't remember its proper name or RAL number... It's very green looking (in real life as well as the photos)... I'm going to lighten and yellow it up a bit and put some more layers on... Then add some camo.... The mantlet is just sprayed with a little RLM 23 I had from painting the Bf109 walkways, again a thin airbrushed wash... then the sand over that... gives an interesting if not entirely authentic look... Barrel is a Master Models one as the kit offering was very poor. Matt

I've been building this for a while, but that isn't very interesting... no extra details etc... It's meant as a foil to the Revell 109G-6 I'm working on (still!). All I've done is adjusted the wheels/suspension to depict the vehicle in the 'hull down' or crouched position. So today I finally played with some black paint as a pre-shade sort of thing... Just playing around seeing what I can do... it is a nice break from the rigour of trying to do a real scheme on the aircraft... Matt

This from a post on LSP... not everyone goes there so I re-post it here. More excellent and fascinating WW1 footage. http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008215 Matt

Scheme one for me... though two comes a very close second... Matt

Well Steve Obviously we'll have to wait and see (not that long either), but I'm not sure it's going to compete with Steve Gallacci's nose he did for Eagle Editions (of which I have a couple). But then it isn't probably meant to... I don't know the subtleties of the Erla nose that well... I have a decent drawing that Steve made available some years ago... I'll be very interested to hear your views when we have sprue shots... The scoops look like they may be a factory re-tool...? and my understanding was that the gun spacing wasn't going to be corrected - but Revell may have had a change of heart. Wheel bumps are a pain. As you say, the Erla machines generally had the G-6 type kidney shaped bumps.. So.. maybe we'll have to cross kit wings to do one of the rare G-6/14s with large wing bumps... Matt

Great stuff Rick. Winter coat looks perfect... Matt

Are the intakes included in the kit actually OK for any version, or are they just plain wrong? Matt

Looks OK, doesn't it... Matt

Simply to finish some kits... My 109G is almost there... just all the little bits that take an age... Hasegawa/Owl FW190A-8/R11 - FW GB WNW Roland D VIa WW1 GB Trumpeter E-10 'paper panzer' Then.....? Matt

Looks good to me Bevan I'm sure there would have been overspray on the real aircraft.. anything too tidy isn't going to be prototypical. What AB are you using? Matt

Something to aspire to... must read WIP to see about your weathering technique... Matt