1/48 Arii P-40E Warhawk

[Guest]

Very useful, thanks. So interior green with a smidge of brown in the mix.

[Guest]

I really will start at some point soon. Attempting to put the finishing touches to my Group Build Hampden for UAMF, I turned into Klutzy McFumblefingers and knocked off 2 Vickers K guns and a prop blade trying to peel the masking off the glazing.

I figured "Klutzy McFumblefingers" didn't mix too well with teeny Photoetch parts so I decided to leave well alone and go carve up some Darkspawn instead...

[Guest]

Finally made a start last night - folded up the photoetch seat and stuck it to the backboard, glued the engine together and attached the engine bulkhead to the floor plate.

Photos to follow.

[Guest]

OK, here are some pictures. First up, a couple showing the dry-fit, which is OK but not stellar...

[ATTACH]37470.vB[/ATTACH][ATTACH]37471.vB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]41648.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]41649.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

... and then my finished cockpit just before closing up. Realised too late that the image isn't great but it gives you the idea.

[ATTACH]37473.vB[/ATTACH]

The Eduard Zoom kit didn't fit the ARII very well, being designed for the Hasegawa kit which has a cockpit tub separate from the fuselage sides. However, the seat, IP and (coming later) seatbelts look good, even if I did have to do a bit of carving away of plastic to get it to close around the larger IP...

[ATTACH]37472.vB[/ATTACH]

And as you can see, the fit continues to be less than brilliant. Will have to fill that gap behind the seat with something.

[ATTACH]41650.IPB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]41651.IPB[/ATTACH]

[yak face]

Cockpit looks great matt, airframe doesnt seem too bad, nothing a smudge of filler wont sort. I didnt realise this kit has a seperate engine too, are you going to have the panels off and display it? cheers tony

[Guest]

I'm contemplating making a little dio if I can get hold of some 1/48 Soviet ground crew. ICM do a box, I think, so maybe after Christmas.

[yak face]

Yes they do a couple of different sets, sometoimes you can get them included in a boxing with an aircraft for not much more money. cheers tony

[Guest]

I think their Spit Mk VIII has them in, but I've no real interest in building a Spit Mk VIII ...

However, I need to do a bit of an order from a model shop in Poland who can supply proper Polish Khaki, and they carry the ICM ground crew figures pretty cheaply, so I might tag them onto the order to make the postage worthwhile. And maybe some nice winged lancers while I'm there.

[Guest]

Anyway, finally got round to putting the seatbelts on this evening. Memo to self: Do this before closing fuselage in future. >.<

[ATTACH]37543.vB[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH]41691.IPB[/ATTACH]

[Guest]

Office is lookin' sharp Brickie

[Guest]

Thanks - not bad for a first go with Photo-Etch anyway!

bunged the wings on last night as well, so I'm about ready to start the filling and sanding.

[Guest]

I'm still at PSR stage at the moment, so not a lot to report except that Citadel's new Liquid Green Stuff is the biz...

[Guest]

Managed to get a bit more done last night - added undercarriage struts and painted interior green into the wheel wells and the inside of the fairings before these get glued on.

The wheel wells are entirely devoid of detail and I thought about scratching at least some ribs, but I figure it's going to go on a base and not be looked at from underneath particularly so I didn't really bother.

I'm now considering what camo colours to do. The instructions that came with the decal set show dark green/dark earth with lighter-coloured bits where the RAF markings have been painted out, so I need to find a decent Dark Earth brown without having to do a lot of mixing.

[Guest]

Jobs to do before I can start painting:

- add cockpit canopy and mask it (I'm posing it open but will tape the mid-section into place so it gets the same paint treatment)

- add PE gunsight and handle on the tailfin

- add undercarriage fairing and tail-wheel stalk.

- take some photos and upload them