1/72 Airfix Fw 190.....From Catalonia

[stona]

White primer...that's very interesting Steve. Take note Looking very good so far.

It's just that the model is very small. I don't want to start an argument about scale effect but I know that the RLM equivalent paints which I will use are well matched to the original colours and will look much too dark on this or any other model. I say 'look' too dark advisedly as this is all about our perception of the colours rather than any rigorous scientific analysis! I will lighten my colours somewhat anyway, but using a lighter coloured primer will prevent the primer from having a darkening effect on them, hopefully it will lighten them if anything.

I've also noticed that the main undercarriage legs look awfully long. I don't know if anyone else has mentioned this, but I'm off to dig through my library to try to establish just how long they should really be.

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

RLM 76 is applied to the relevant portions of the model.



Next will be the camouflage colours.

JGr.10 only comprised three staffeln and only one of these (3./JGr.10) retained the Fw 190 A-8 after late 1944 when the other two were equipped with D-9s. I have managed to find pictures of several of its aircraft, including my subject, in various books. Thankfully the mottling is nothing like that given in the instructions. Jerry Crandall has done profiles of some of these aircraft and I will be following his example on mine!

A little more on this interesting unit later

Cheers

Steve

 

[Polux]

Excellent work Steve!

I'm wishing to start mine :rolleyes:

Steve...I have been thinking about the undercarriage legs. Maybe a possibility is the same that happens with the Stuka... When I built the legs, there was two possibilities, "flying" longer ones or on the "soil" that you have to cut them, just to simulate the suspension was working.

 

[flyjoe180]

Steve, there is discussion online about the landing gear legs. Airfix have moulded the legs with apparently no weight on them, (the oleos are fully extended). The legs are 2/4mm too long. One fix is to cut the oleo by 2.4mm and reposition the scissor link. The other fix was to cut the positioning pin off completely, but this leaves 1mm or so too much length. Depends how accurate you want it to be I suppose. It's also possible that a leg from a donor kit will fit.

 

[Polux]

I saw and interesting photo as reference on Trey's Ho229B Nachtjager 1/48 DML. There is a Focke 190 over another plane (a Ju I suppose :oops and you will see the landing gears legs without weight as Joe has pointed.

 

[stona]

Thanks chaps, I thought they looked a bit long. I think I'll have to cut and reduce the extended piston of the oleo and close up the scissor links a bit. The bugger is I've already painted the legs and am wondering if I will also need to adjust the under carriage doors :eek:

It's something that will need doing because 2 or 3 mm in this scale is enough to make the stance of the model wrong.

Cheers

Steve

Edit: Well I made a mess of that! Luckily I do have an undercarriage I can nick off an old model, if that fails we'll be doing an 'in flight' pose

 

[stona]

Slapped some camo on. Done freehand sort of like Crandall's profile, sort of what I see in photos, nothing like the instructions.



And unmasked the yellow under cowl.



The fun bit of this is the only masking is the canopy, lower cowl and black exhaust panels. The tricky bit is trying to keep 1/72 mottling in scale.

Cheers

Steve

 

[dubster72]

Sorry to ask Steve, but looking at the back of the box shows a camo pattern nigh-on identical to yours? I'm confused as to where the instructions are wrong.

Thanks!

 

[stona]

Hi Patrick, it's a standard camouflage pattern, it's just the mottle which is very different. In the photos and JC's profile it is quite sparse and with a few relatively large 'blotches'. The instructions would have you do a much denser mottle made up of small 'blotches' which is reminiscent of some earlier aircraft from one of the factories (can't remember which).

Cheers

Steve

 

[treyzx10r]

Steve that a/b work is even more impressive when I consider the scale you're doing, I struggle with 1/48! How did the spare legs turn out, are they a go?

 

[dubster72]

Ah I get it now! Thanks for that, it'll make mine a lot easier!

 

[stona]

The colours were rather stark, as seen in the image above. I've applied a sort of 'cheaters filter' to try and tie them together and mute the differences a bit. This is just a tinted gloss coat, I use Klear with a drop or two (and it's really not much) of an acrylic grey/green paint, in this case RLM 02. It's a lot simpler than oil based filters and doesn't take days to dry.

To the naked eye it has worked, I don't know if you can tell in this photo.



It's all an effort to make a rather small piece of plastic look like an aeroplane with a 10m wing span

Cheers

Steve

 

[flyjoe180]

Super paint work Steve.

 

[dubster72]

I can see the effect Steve, it works well. A good idea using the Klear that way too!

 

[Polux]

I really like the colour and tone Steve.

Is a good idea

 

[The Migrant]

Lovely work Steve, and I like the idea of an airbrushed filter coat- I'm going to pinch that

 

[stona]

It's a funny business all this filtering and varnishing. I'm always trying to estimate what the final finish will be under all the various layers applied! Starting off with the initial painting right through to the final matt coat every single step of the process changes the look of the model in ways that are harder to estimate in such a small scale than on my habitual larger scale models.

I've got the decals on now so I'll know if I got it badly wrong in a day or two

Cheers

Steve

 

[stona]

Nearly there. I want the canopy closed and the rear (sliding) section is a work in progress as it doesn't fit. It's worth a snap anyway.



I'll make a little scene and take some 'proper' pictures in the near future.

Cheers

Steve

 

[Polux]

A beauty Steve! Looks absolutely fantastic

 

[stona]

Thanks Polux, and thanks for the kit

It's a nice little model and I had fun building it. I've posted a 'completed' thread with a few more pictures here:

http://www.scale-models.co.uk/community/threads/completed-airfix-1-72-fw-190-a-8-from-catalonia.28234/

Cheers

Steve