An interesting subject,
this
aircraft. It must have been a unique experience flying with over seventy
trapezoids and triangles to look through. The kit was a bit of a bummer
though, with poor fit just about every where. I had to shim or expand joints in
many places get a good alignment on the booms and a decent fit for the
complex clear parts. These were egg shell thin in places. The Masking was
done with 3M tape. At least the recessed panel lines were crisp
and undistorted, which saved the kit from the bin. (It would be a
recycle bin here in Nova Scotia)
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images below to see larger images
I experimented with a different
pre-shading method for them crisp little lines. Before painting, I highlighted
everything with a black sharpie marker, then washed it off with lighter fluid.
It
won't attack the plastic. The grooves retained the ink, and they were
nicely visible after applying the light tan solvent based color. Then
I brushed on the dark green pattern using acrylic paint. I did
this a bit sloppily, to make it appear as though it were hastily
applied in the field and weathered some what. I like the way it turned out.
Lighter fluid is also a good stripper for model paint, if you ever
have the need.
This build
represents an aircraft form Pontsalenjoki airfield, North Sea Front,1943,one of
two excellent decal options supplied.
Phillip Steele
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images below to see larger images
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