Dogfight double pt. 1: Stuka

[stillp]

That's very kind Mick - I'll PM you.
Pete

[stillp]

It seems I was wrong - the crew can be added after the fuselage halves are joined. Just as well as I broke the pilot off his seat while trying to juggle two fuselage halves and the IP! He'll go in later. He wan't reach the control column, not sure if his feet will reach the rudder pedals.

I've used a little Mr Dissolved Putty on the seams as there's a slight step.
Pete

[colin m]

Looking very nice Peter. As you've noticed, Airfix are quite good at the level of detail they provide these days.

[adt70hk]

It seems I was wrong - the crew can be added after the fuselage halves are joined. Just as well as I broke the pilot off his seat while trying to juggle two fuselage halves and the IP! He'll go in later. He wan't reach the control column, not sure if his feet will reach the rudder pedals.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1175109[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]n1175110[/ATTACH]
I've used a little Mr Dissolved Putty on the seams as there's a slight step.
Pete

Coming on nicely Peter!

[stillp]

Let's start this post with my Tip Of The Day: when drilling holes for the bomb pylons, it's best to drill them in the lower wing

not the upper:

OK, you can all stop laughing now.
Did you know the Stuka had a bomb aiming window below the pilot's seat? I didn't. Here's the one at RAF Hendon:

and here's the Airfix version:


The nose sub-assembly involves 9 separate pieces, but looks pretty good:

The joints don't look so bad 'in the flesh'!

I should be able to get the wings and that nose section fitted tomorrow.

Cheers
Pete

[Guest]

Everyvody makes mistakes I knew about the window, but not that it has a flap to cover it when not needed — I kind of assumed it was just a glass panel in the cockpit floor.

[Tim Marlow]

Yep, bit of filler, bit of paint, and nobody will be any the wiser. As a great man once said “nobody that never made nothing never made any mistakes”. Must admit that kit looks excellent, especially for 1/72. Your build is also excellent Pete.
PS, I knew about the window as well, but only because I built one in 1/48 a few years ago…..

[adt70hk]

Don't worry Pete.... We've all made mistakes and at least at this stage it's relatively easy to fix.

ATB

Andrew

[stillp]

Must admit that kit looks excellent, especially for 1/72.

It is Tim, no fit problems or flash yet.
Pete

[boatman]

YEA pete lookin good an no i dint know about that window either so ive learnt something today good work Pete
chrisb

[Jim R]

OK, you can all stop laughing now.

Ah no, it's worth a few more days of chuckles :smiling:
I like the little window for the bomb aimer. The whole thing is coming on nicely.
Jim

[stillp]

I found it interesting that Airfix include parts for the Jericho trumpets, the sirens mounted on the undercarriage that made the Stuka so terrifying for those on the receiving end, but don't mention them in the instructions. I'm going to fit them, as (1) they seem essential to the character of the Stuka, and (2) to be in combat with a Gladiator it must be fairly early in the war, and I believe all the early Stukas were fitted with them.
Anyway, wings, tail, and nose are on:

The fit was pretty good, as usual for this kit, but I'll use a smear of filler along the wing roots.
Pete

[colin m]

not the upper

We all know the Germans were rather special engineers, maybe they had something planned ?

[stillp]

A bit more done over the last couple of days
Undercarriage fitted, complete with the Jericho Trumpet propeller-driven sirens, trailing edge flaps, and dive brakes fitted. Still no serious fit problems. I did break the trapeze for the centre line bomb, but it seems to have re-joined without drama. (For those who don't know, the centre'line bomb swung downwards on a trapeze-like frame before it was released, to avoid it hitting the propeller).
Not many parts left to add now, (mostly those shown below) so I need to think about paint.
Airfix suggest RLM 02 underside with white wing tips, upper surfaces in RLM 70/71 splinter, wheel spats, bombs prop and spinner RLM 70. Does that seem correct to the collective wisdom of the forum?

Airfix suggest RLM 02 underside with white wing tips, upper surfaces in RLM 70/71 splinter, wheel spats, bombs prop and spinner RLM 70. Does that seem correct to the collective wisdom of the forum?
Thanks for looking in,
Pete

[stillp]

Made a mistake - the underside should be RLM 65 Hellblau, not RLM 02.
Pete