A bad day at the office for Luftwaffe Major 'Huff' Hfuhruhurr - Tobruk, N. Africa. June 24th 1941

[spanner570]

That framing works well...
And gives me ideas that the masking tape I use for seatbelts might also work for canopy framing on poor rendered transparencies

Thanks Andy and Chris.

Chris, I tried masking tape.....Too thick. Apart from that, once any paint gets under the tape it lifts off.

It might work for someone else, mind. It didn't for me.

[spanner570]

I've started to blend in and weather the various transfers.



Cheers.
Ron

[Jim R]

All looking fine to me Ron. The framing is typical Ron - simple, easy and cheap but incredibly effective :thumb2:

[spanner570]

Cheers Jim.
I doubt this method of framing would work on anything other than an aircraft left to rot for over 30 years in such harsh conditions.

Me thinks it's done its job and thanks again for your positive post.

Ron

[spanner570]

The aircraft is more or less finished, so on to the base.

If you take a look at my model of poor Flt. Sgt. Dennis Copping's Crashed P-40, which I posted earlier in this thread, you will see two obvious features.
1. His real aircraft ended up reasonably level on the desert floor.
2. The rudder and both elevators are stripped of fabric.

Now on to the JU-88.
Rather than model the aircraft in a similar pose to the P-40, and to use a rather course and lesser know building trade expression, I'm going to position the 88 'On The Scunt'

Also, thanks to Steve (stona) and unlike the fabric on the P-40, I am spared the difficult task of fabricating the skeletal remains of the bomber's rudder and elevators simply because he informed me the A-4 variant had an all metal surface.....Phew! His knowledge saved me from a mass of delicate and time consuming work. Again! Thanks Steve. :thumb2:


The base construction.....

I've used a 20mm sheet of scrap polystyrene from the packing of some sort of domestic appliance.

Using the same material, and to elevate one wing of the aircraft, I've built up a diddy escarpment using small off-cuts of the base.

I then coated the whole base in PVA. then whilst the surface was still wet, I sprinkled ordinary builder's sand all over the thing and let it dry. To this I've glued on the aircraft.















I forgot to mention I also worked in a bit of ordinary filler here and there.

Cheers.
Ron

[spanner570]

I've finished the base.

When the above stage was completely dry and rock hard, I soaked the base with more PVA.
To this I added two steam rollered Weetabix and a few small pebbles smashed up with a lump hammer to a suitable size. The whole shebang was then sprinkled from a dizzy height and again allowed to dry completely.
Once the base was dry, I used a huge flat headed brush and sloshed on a liberal amount of beige/ yellow cheapo paints on both the aircraft and the 'Desert' to try and produce a similar shade of colour on both elements. Also, to try and make for a sun parched scene.

Finally, I waited for Mr. Sun to come out and let Mother Nature add her finishing touch to the model for me.

I stuck in a 1/35 vehicle......."Look what we've found!"













I'll post a few more pickies in 'Dioramas Complete' asap. Plus a diddy bonus.........:thinking:
Thanks for all your great and humorous comments during the build.

Cheers.
Ron

[Jim R]

Looks excellent. Weetabix! I hope Mrs Ron is happy with toast for tomorrow's breakfast. If not , you're in dead lumber :rolling:

[spanner570]

Looks excellent. Weetabix! I hope Mrs Ron is happy with toast for tomorrow's breakfast. If not , you're in dead lumber :rolling:

Thanks Jim.
I'm glad you like the finished model.
Luckily for me she only has Ma***** (I can't even bring myself to spell it!) on toast and a cuppa for breakfast. So I'm on safe ground.

Thanks again for your input. :thumb2:

Ron

[stona]

That framing works well...
And gives me ideas that the masking tape I use for seatbelts might also work for canopy framing on poor rendered transparencies

I use appropriately painted strips of decal paper - saves gluing them down. No reason masking tape might not work either, as long as it's thin enough.

[spanner570]

Steve, thanks for answering my questions regarding the Ju88-A4.
Any thoughts about the finished model?

Ron

[stona]

Steve, thanks for answering my questions regarding the Ju88-A4.
Any thoughts about the finished model?

Ron

No worries!

I think it looks great, another of your little masterpieces. Looking at that, I'm glad I wasn't in it when it came down

That last image in particular made me think what it would be like to approach such a scene, years after he event. It's totally convincing.

[spanner570]

Steve.
Having just read your most excellent post, I can sleep easy. :upside:

Whenever I ask for your help, I'm always aware that I have to try doubly hard making stuff to warrant my P.M.'s to you!
Whether it be this Ju88. Dornier 17 splitting over London. What's left in a 109 cockpit after the canopy is jettisoned. Whatever I ask, you have always come up trumps with the definitive answers.

So a public thanks is well in order!

Ron