Number two for the photo GB

[stona]

I've started a second project for the photo based GB.

I'm not sure which photo I'm going to base it on yet! I know it isn't a requirement to exactly match a photo but Ron's (spanner570) effort has inspired me to at least have a go.

Here's how far I've got.

Those familiar with WWII aircraft will recognise a Fw190 A or F complete with pilot. I've a few suitable photographs and I'll be raiding my decal stash to see which one I finally attempt to match.

Cheers

Steve

[yak face]

Hi steve, nice looking pilot, if youre wanting photos of luftwaffe stuff theres a guy on here who has...er , hang on , it doesnt matter. LOL!!!!!!!! tony

[Ian M]

Your going to be a busy bee Steve. Looks good, what kit is it?

Ian M

[stona]

Your going to be a busy bee Steve. Looks good, what kit is it?Ian M

Sorry,I should have said.It's the 1/32 Hasegawa Fw190A-8 (kit ST21).Very nice so far and plenty of bits to make slightly different versions.

After the Z-M Ta152 and the PCM Hurricane this one seems to build itself.

Cheers

Steve

[spanner570]

Steve, glad to see my attempt at copying a photo has inspired you to 'Av a go! Best of luck.

It will be interesting to see which one, from what must be a vast choice, you decide to do.....As I recall, you did mention the whitewashed 190 a short time ago!?

I'm pitching in with a second one soon too. I am going to have a bash at one of the Me 109 pictures you kindly sent me. I bet you can't guess which one?? lol

Cheers,

Ron

[stona]

Yep! I'm going for the whitewashed 190. I've just been adjusting the underwing panels from the A-8 to the F-8,removing all the outer cannon gubbins. I also only had two of the outer bomb racks in the spares so I've made a couple out of some Spitfire wing tips! Looking at the photo I think my subject may have a camera on one of those racks but I'm not going that far. I've found three Fw190 canopies in the spares but none of them are quite right for this aircraft so I'll attach one in such a way that it can be swopped later and live with it for now.

I don't suppose anyone else has a "blown" late canopy for a 1/32 scale Fw190 do they?

Finally he isn't carrying a bomb but a SB250 container,a sort of early cluster weapon.It would contain 108 SD2 anti-personnel bomblets,the famous "butterfly bombs". I've hacked the nose off a standard 250 Kg bomb and will adjust the nose to give a reasonable representation of this weapon.

Great kit this Hasegawa one. I just dry fitted the wings to the fuselage and the fit is so good that I won't need to take them off. I'll just run a bit of cement along the joins.

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

I won't be needing my lovingly fashioned under wing bomb racks as I've found a mutch better image of my victim and they are not fitted.

The kit is so good I've nearly finished building it! Painting after a couple of days away (work).

Cheers

Steve

[Ian M]

See I told you so: Its easy to knock one off quick when its a good kit.

Looks good so far.

Ian M

[stona]

Its easy to knock one off quick when its a good kit.Looks good so far.

Ian M

And doesn't have many parts! The engine is four parts,no seperate ailerons,rudder or elevators,even the undercarriage is made up of only three parts a side. This isn't a criticism,more an explanation :lol:

Cheers

Steve

[stona]

I have at least four books with this well known photo which I'm using as my reference. I'm trying to match it as well as I can. I have Ron's rather good match of his tank to his picture to thank for that :lol:

I've now found a much better reproduction on page 57 of the nattily titled "Luftwaffe Camouflage And Markings 1933-1945 Photo Archive 1" by Ken Merrick.

I now know that the underwing bomb racks ARE fitted,so I've stuck them on. Merrick identifies the apparatus fixed to the inner port rack as a camera so I will have to fashion something to approximate that. You can see the device outboard of and behind the undercarriage leg.

I can also now see the yellow "Victor" (V) marking under the wing which I'll assume overlaps the upper wing by the regulation amount. The 40cm yellow band that should be around the front of the fuselage infront of the wings to accompany the V is missing but it looks like the standard yellow theatre band behind the fuselage cross has been reduced in width in a loose interpretation of the order.

This is all in the future as right now the model is sporting a coat of grey primer.

I've also made some measurements and the container on the centre rack is an AB 500 not an AB 250. Luckily I have a spare 500Kg bomb to adjust.

AB stands for Abwurf Behalter for any linguists out there.

Cheers

Steve

[spanner570]

Yes, that is the picture I remember you posting a while back.

No skimping now Steve, we need to see the running figure, presumably trying to tell the pilot he's forgot his 'chute. Either that or he's about to lob a snowball at him!

Cheers,

Ron

[stona]

I don't know about the running man,I might have a bash at some snow. Snow and sand are about my scenic limits!

I've done some preliminary markings. The nose is in a dark colour so I've gone for red,it's as good a guess as any.

I also sprayed a 900mm standard yellow Eastern theatre band behind where the fuselage cross will go.I then masked this down to the 400mm band the aircraft sported at this time and over sprayed the rest of the band in RLM 75. It's not obvious in my reference photo under all the whitewash but I have good evidence from at least two other aircraft from the same unit that this is how it was done.

Tomorrow I'll mask all this up start on spraying the underside and top camouflage. It's a bog standard Focke-Wulf RLM 74/75 over 76 scheme that I should be able to do free hand from memory!

Finally I'll worry about the national markings and all that white.

Cheers

Steve

[Guest]

Looking good so far Steve can't wait to see this done.

scott

[stona]

I've had a chance to spray the basic camouflage scheme. Not sure about the mottle as there was often very little from the factory so I might reduce it. I'll also do a bit of shading despite the fact that most of this will be covered in white!

Schlachtgruppen specialised in ground attack and almost as a matter of course modified the camouflage,particularly on the light coloured sides of their aircraft. I've squinted at several references for this and other Gruppen and I'm going to overspray the sides (and fin) with a dilute wash of RLM 02 which was something I know was done and I suspect had been done to this particular aircraft.

Cheers

Steve

[tr1ckey66]

Looking good Steve, I'll be interested to see it in it's winter coat.

Cheers

Paul