1/32 Zoukei-Mura Ta 152H-1

[stona]

This is the next project. I thought I'd start a thread to encourage me to get on with it!

Here's the box art.

I've already mentioned the different types of plastic on the various sprues.

Silver.

Grey.

Black.

There are also the clear parts of course but they're dipped in Klear and drying in a box!

We'll see how this all works.

I've seen a bit of negative comment about the kit,some of it from people who don't seem to have one,let alone have built one. It is expensive,particularly once H.M.Customs have had their slice,but let's see how it goes together before passing judgement. I shall be doing it 99% out of the box as is my wont,so what you see is what you get.

Progress will be slow initially as I won't have much time to devote to it. I hope to have something to show by the week end.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

I'll be following this with interest. This was very nearly my birthday + xmas money present to self but I couldn't justify the cost over the several other kits I could have goren instead, not sure I could have done it justice either. Heard only good things about this kit from build reviews btw.

[AlanG]

Defo following this thread Steve. It's a beautiful aircraft and i just know you'll make a super model out of it.

[stona]

Made a start this morning,not much to show yet! I have found that the silver plastic reacts normally with my cement of choice (Tamiya extra thin) which is a relief. I had heard of people having trouble with it but I don't know what they were using.

My initial impressions are favourable. The kit is not as finely moulded a something like Tamiya's Spitfire but that is a high bar indeed. It is still very nicely done and the fit so far has been good.

Fingers crossed then!

Cheers

Steve

Terribly sorry,I didn't attach the piccy of "not much".

The sharp eyed will notice the instructions call for most of the cockpit to be painted grey/green. I'm not sure what they mean by that but it's not what I'd call the correct colour which is RLM 66 or black/grey.

Steve

[stona]

Stumps for this evening. I've added a few bits (rudder pedals and connections,throttle etc). A nice touch is that you can position the throttle in any position,I've done it closed as my Ta152 will be parked with noone aboard.

There have been a few questions about when to paint various parts of models. I'm painting the cockpit at this stage,I've already primed it. If I go any further I'll have a hell of a job detail painting in some areas.

I'm going to fit a harness,the only after market item I shall use. I thought I had one of the late war Orlon (that's the green ones) harnesses from RB Productions in my cupboard but I couldn't find it. I've got a few on order,they cost about four quid each which is good value for money. The alternative would be trying to paint the moulded harness on the optional seat I've included in the photo above. That's beyond me!

I've also primed all the rest of the bits I'll need to complete the cockpit assembly. I'll spray this lot in the morning and then jump ahead to the engine.

Hopefully I'll have a completely assembled,if not painted, cockpit tomorrow.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

That looks beautifully cast detailing for styrene to me Steve, (that said my typical fare is 72nd and 48th Airfix and Revell)

Are you going to do it in it's Luftwaffe colours or the captured overpainted one? (I've seen one somewhere done in the captured scheme possibly a mag? and that looked very good)

By the time you're halfway through this i'll be kicking myself for not buying one

[stona]

It is well cast but every single part that I've fitted so far has needed a bit of a clean up. This isn't really a criticism,this isn't a model that will just fall together,it will need building but the fit has been good,so far.

I'll be doing it in Luftwaffe colours. Haven't made my mind up which yet. There are two schools of thought,essentially either Jerry Crandall or the JaPo publications. Much more on that when we get to that phase! I'm still agonising over what colour to do the fuel tanks and you won't see them once there in LOL!

I mentioned the harness from RB Productions,here's a link for anyone interested. All his stuff is top quality.

RB Productions Store, Scale models and accessories by Radu Brinzan

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

Quick update. Cockpit is coming along but progress today has been mainly priming and painting a lot of engine parts!

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Awesome looking kit and the detail is amazing, nice progress!

[stona]

Well this is all until after the weekend due to a family event interfering with the model building!

Cockpit tub. Decals still being bashed with microsol. I won't weather any more as these aircraft were virtually brand new at war's end. I wonder how it felt sitting on top of those fuel tanks? They are literally slung from the cockpit floor. To add to the explosive possibilities the silver tank behind the pilot's seat contained Nitrous oxide for the GM-1 boost system.

Next project will be assembling Radu Briznan's excellent harness set. I've done a set before and it is a bit of a fiddle but they look good. I've gone for the late war,green,synthetic Orlon version. No idea what was in the Ta152 but I reckon they will look cool.

Here's how they come out of the packet.

Magnifier needed for this lot!

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

I'm just going to re-post some piccies with a very brief comment to replace the posts lost by our recent hiccup. It'll just maintain the continuity of the build thresd.

I did make the belts,here's the shoulder straps.

And I got them into the cockpit tub. A harness takes me a couple of hours to make so there wasn't much else. A few more bits were attached to the engine which is now ready for an oily wash.

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

And today's update. This'll be the last for a couple of days as I'll be away earning a living to pay for this!

Everything but the cannon has been installed on the engine and the cockpit fitted into the fuselage. I've also done the tail section. I've heard that the fit of the tail to the fuselage is not good but a dry fit seems to show that this is not the case,at least on my kit.

So far everything has fitted well enough,not perfect but okay.

I went with black engine bearers rather than the RLM 02 you might expect because that's how they appear in most of the photos I have in which they are visible.

Cheers

Steve

[Dave W]

Those harnesses look really good.I've just given up trying to make some !/48 harnesses for an FW190.I tried threading PE buckles onto strips of Tamiya masking tape but couldnt do it.I hate being beaten by anything.But will have to buy the ready made ones i suppose.Not as satisfying as making them up yourself though.

[Ian M]

Looking great Steve! Those harnesses are amazing!

I for one would not like to have been sitting between the petrol and nitro! Jive a whole new meaning to "the hot seat".

Ian M

[stona]

Those harnesses look really good.I've just given up trying to make some !/48 harnesses for an FW190.I tried threading PE buckles onto strips of Tamiya masking tape but couldnt do it.I hate being beaten by anything.But will have to buy the ready made ones i suppose.Not as satisfying as making them up yourself though.

I've been there!. It was the residual "stickiness" of the tape that did me in. The ones I've used from RB Productions come with pre-cut paper and a small fret with the buckles etc. They are a fiddle but anyone with a pair of tweezers and a generous helping of patience can do them. For less than a fiver I reckon they look great.

Cheers

Steve