Fw-190 assembly part 1

Workstationing

As is customary, I built the cockpit parts first. Or rather, I glued the unpadded chair onto the tub and stuck the joystick into the flooring, and that's all that there was. Maybe it's because these are all in the 1:72 scale, but damn, are they boring! I wasn't going to even consider going for the most insane approach some plane modelers do (the "I'm doing everything that is missing and more myself" one) - maybe I could try to set up some cheap attempts of belts from masking tape or something. They could, potentially be seen from the outside.

I spent a bit of time googling for the 190 cockpits. I guess it'd be enough if the part under the pilot's buttocks got a bit of a different paint than the rest. Of course the sides of the tub would contain FunkGeräts, switches, levers and who knows what else, but I really didn't see myself just painting them on. The pedals were as ridiculous as they usually are in this scale, I guess I'd drybrush some metallics on them or something, for the sake of trying.

In the end I just painted the seat part with the same brown (VMA Tank Brown) that I had already used on the seats of the Kübelwagen. Then I drybrushed (VMA Steel) here and there, working on bits I thought that could be noticeable.

Of the IP area I actually had a real photo, taken through a glass and extremely annoying reflections in the Deutshces Museum in Munich. Doing any sort of copying attempts in this scale made absolutely no sense at all, but I had to think of it in my sick mind for a bit, anyway. At least the dark grey looked the way it was supposed to.

Fw-190 D

Somewhat pointless efforts

Whatever I was going to do to the IP, it would most likely be unseeable in the end. So I decided that I'd paint the dial faces black and maybe drop a bit of gloss varnish to get a glassy effect. Other than that I was going to leave it as it was.

In the end I just painted them flat black (VMA 71075 Black) and then applied a dropful of semiglossy varnish (Vallejo 70522 Satin Varnish), as if anyone could tell the difference. Or see the dials. The main point was, again, that they were done and that at least I knew what was done.

Shutting the sarcophagus

Preparing for the worst, as the traditions dictate, I glued the seat complex and the IP bit onto the left half of the airframe. Then I allowed them to cure for a bit before I glued the right half on as well, fixed the grimacing tail fin with a peg and taped the rest shut to keep them from opening up uglily.

After working on other things for a while I undid the nose's tape and test-fitted the machine gun part on. It required a tiny bit of tinkering, because it just didn't fit properly taken straight out of the box. The problematic part was the bottom left edge (near the front canopy part). Gotten scared and scarred with the  A-10's tail assembly, I did only minute changes between each trial, until the piece went on nicely.

Wing-things

I still had a bit of modeling time left, but instead of gluing on the tail wings I focused on the wings themselves. For the first time ever the wing pieces settled on perfectly, nicely and aligned well! I was shocked.

This time I thought I'd approach these from a yet another new angle for me. I'd glue on the wings, then I'd follow the instructions and do the landing gear and only paint the plane when it was completely assembled. The obvious pro for this approach was that I wouldn't mess up already painted areas with glue. Then the con that came to my mind first was that some parts would be overshadowing some other areas and parts, making the airbrushing that much more difficult, but I thought that I'd survive.

The kit offered a pylon under the plane and for that either a drop tank or a nicely sized bomb. I assembled them both without any plans, but I think that I may actually end up deviating from the core attitude of the 'mumblings and go for the extra fuel tank instead of a thing that says KABOOM.

At this very point I realized that in my rush of building I had completely and totally forgotten the belts. I guess I could've jammed them into the cockpit at this point still, but I really didn't see the point of that anymore. I hadn't even thought of them for the previous four planes, so I guess it was all the same if I didn't do them now, either.

A commanding paintjob

Choosing the colours

I was torn between two options: either I'd paint this with the traditional German Grey or with a camo. The box art had it grey and I've somehow always maintained an idea of these tubs being grey. Then, out of the blue, I got the idea of outsourcing the camo pattern!

First I asked my Project Assistant, whether she wanted to paint the camo on my Kübelwagen or not. Her answer was a very enthusiastic yes and that she'd want to paint it orange! Nope. I'd basecoat it with dark yellow and give her a free reign over the green-brown pattern. She was cool with that and that in turn made me happy.

A rapid start

I quickly airbrushed the war-beetle and the wheels that were still attached to the sprues with the primer and later on with the traditional Vallejo's Dunkelgelb (71081 Tank Dark Yellow). They aren't in the photos, but I also did the same to the engineering tools (a pickaxe and a gravel shovel) for a later manual painting and installation.

Subcontracting

This was a very good point to let her paint a bit. I offered both the paints (VMA 71096 Panzer Olive Green; VMA 71041 Tank Brown) and an airbrush. Then I practically lifted my arms.

In the end the result it was a bit green-heavy, but who was I to judge the artist? After the camo was done I painted the seats brown, the steering wheel and the wheels black grey (VMA 71056 Black Grey) and the wing mirrors metallic (VMA71065 Steel). Here and there I drybrushed some metallic to give some wornness and then some more grey black, especially near the engine-related bits and some on the doors too.

Finetuning

I decided to paint the lowered ragtop later with a different shade of Dunkelgelb. My reasoning for that was that it'd be of a different material and therefore of a different shade.

While I was at it I finished up the engineering tools. The wooden handles I painted with the same brown and the metal parts with steel. Those metal bits I'd later wash with brown, maybe I'd do something small and most likely unnoticeable to the wooden parts.

Mr. Murphy popped by for a visit and I completely broke the pickaxe, it was beyond salvation. So my command car had to survive with just a shovel. Then I installed the wheels and quickly wixed the sprue attachment points. After those I started with the Balkenkreuz on the doors and painted the ragtop with yellow (VMC 70806 German Yellow). Maybe I'd wash it to tone it down a bit.

Finally I installed the missing front window and I think I broke one of the connectors while pushing, but it seemed to stay put anyway. Then I used my way too thick Citadel's Devlan Mud on the ragtop. It didn't end up optimal, so I may end up touching it up at some later point, whenever I felt like it. Instead I then painted the missing white edges to the Balkenkreuz and decided that my Kübelwagen was done practically done.

First things first

Pilot's car

I decided to start with the war-VW. It'd been funny if they'd provided at least one figure to sit in the car, but I guess that wasn't cool.

Heh, I almost followed the instructions. I left the wheels off as that'd make the painting that much easier. So I started by gluing on the axels with the gear box and whatnot, then I glued on the things I assumed to be the exhaust pipes. They couldn't be anything else, could they?

That was all that the bottom required, I proceeded to the top side. Two uncomfy- and oddly-proportioned -looking seats were installed around a gear stick. The beetle-like cute tiny engine was installed in the back.

That was all that went on the inside. I then sealed the tub's sides and lulled myself into the belief that everything would just fit perfectly together in a few minutes. It did end up looking a bit tight and narrow, but I guess that's how it was for real.

Hah, there was a rear seat after all. And for the backseaters a panic handlebar was to be installed. How clever. Under the lip of the front plate a minimalistic dashboard was installed with a steering wheel. Surprisingly I got the steering wheel on at a proper angle for a change.

I decided to install the hood as a solid meteal piece. For some reason it didn't sit without gaps, but the folded ragtop covered everything tactically. I do admit that a raised roof would've looked more stylish but as I think I was pondering the lats time, this'd also be easier considering the painting phase.

The windshield wasn't installed at this point and I started attaching the last details. Both wing mirrors were a bit bumpy but I decided that they'd be good enough. Both Bosh lights on the fenders sat on perfectly. Also the NOTEK convoy light on the left front went nicely. I'm really not used to this.

I decided that I wouldn't bother with any wirings of my own on a model of this scale. One would also think that in a car the cables would be hidden by default, so the Authenticity Level Goal of the Project Mumblings was achieved already.

This 50c coin should provide some sense of scale

Project III/16

Fw-190 A-8

Now the model pair I received as a gift in '14 had landed on my modeling table. In case someone didn't remember, we're talking about a Focke-Wulf Fw-190 A-8 with major Heinz Bär's markings. Wikipedia says, interestingly enough, that Bär did fly with a Fw-190 in '44 in JG 1, but he was using an A-7. Unimportant details, I guess. OR: wikipedia isn't always 100% accurate. It's all the same to me, the differences between 7 and 8 won't be noticeable in this project.

I still didn't manage to get rid of these flying tincans. My excuse for that was that "this way they'll be done once and for all".

Ze box

This kit was done by Academy. I just couldn't remember if I had built many of their models, but I couldn't remember any horror stories, either. So I was pretty confident and didn't expect any catastrophes.

Paperwork

The instructions ate half of the paper provided. This time they were pretty much like with my previous four 1/72 scale planes. I didn't grace the decal sheet with much of my precious time, as I didn't intend to use them a) at all or b) more than a few of them. Those A-10A decals had left me with such a strong, foul taste...

Sprueset

The pieces themselves were spread over four sprues. I believe I noticed at least a few optional pieces. Options are always nice.

VW type 82, Kübelwagen 

For those of us with strong diorama tendencies the kit also included a legendary Kübelwagen. I had thought that it might be fun to have the Shrike parked on a grass field with a hastily stopped war-Volkswagen barely stopped next to it. But just as I was inspecting the contents of the packet, my project assistant came to wonder my doings. With clear eyes she asked "daddy, can I get the kyybelvaagen when it's finished?" I really couldn't turn that request down, so I promised to give the car to her when it was done :p

The bits and the guidelines

Nicely enough the Kübelwagen's instructions fit easily on one side of its sheet, the suggested paint scheme was either Panzer Grey or Dunkelgelb. This one also had some optional pieces, for example you could either have a see-through engine hood or not. You could also have the roof up or down. Not complaining. This'd be almost offensively small, I wondered if I could get the smallest lights installed without the use of pliers...

Finished: Project II/16

Sienar Fleet Systems TIE Fighter

Well, the TIE Fighter saga has now been concluded. Sadly this model was the one that ended up looking the worst of all three. Just like the TIE/ln's building process was clearly the most frustrating one, thanks to its round shapes and several extremely tiny pieces, Had I started my metal models experience with this one, I may not have proceeded to buy a second Metal Earth Models kit anymore...

To live is to learn, they say. It's sometimes good to work on something that's difficult and whose end result is not a guaranteed full-scale success. Or that's what I try to make myself believe, but we'll see how I react if I find another interesting MEM kit on a shelf. I know I'm interested in a Klingon Bird of Prey.

Imaginarium

These photos I took rapidly and of course only when uploading, that the base, for example, was a bit off. It didn't jump out live but I'll fix it as soon as I get to.

In case someone's wondering the low count of the angles, the culprit is the very reflecting surface. I didn't want to have my face reflecting in every damn photo so I went on a medium-weight censorship spree ;)

T/F Alpha 1