HpH Models
I've had a serious run of bad luck with forum builds in the last couple of years, with the ones that I try to feature here being more prone to screwing up, such as the awful P-39 Airacobra kit from Kittyhawk. My bin can certainly overfloweth. In an effort to buck the trend, I thought I'd build perhaps my most ambitious project yet....the HpH Fw 189A-1 resin kit. What could possibly go wrong!
This is a very new project for me, and I'll post a few photos in the next days. Work so far consists of cleaning up the main components, such as the boom halves, stabiliser, wing, wing centre section, engine cowls etc. I have also glued the steel reinforced spar to the centre section and the outboard wing spares. For this, I'm using HpH's own epoxy glue with a 24hrs waiting time. CA will be used for everything else.
This kit is supplied with an amazing set of 'Wet Transfer' decals which contain no carrier film. All that is left on the model after application is the ink. All I will use here though are the stencils, as this model will be finished in a scheme over than what is supplied. For this build, I will depict a Slovakian machine. I've always had a hankering for a Slovakian scheme ever since seeing it supplied with the old Matchbox 1/32 Bf 109E-3 kit. Markings on this will be airbrushed, with masks courtesy of Miracle Masks. The Slovaks operated the A-1, as well as the A-2 versions. This is what I aim to achieve.
This one is progressing nicely, and if you take your time in measuring, measuring again, and measuring once more, and then even checking your last measurement, then you should have no problem. Casting block removal takes a few evenings, but it's not too bad a chore.
There is so much geometry in this model that you need to ensure that a good number of parts align under test fit before committing to any glue. For example, you need to ensure that you make sure the nacelle sides align with the front of the lower centre section. You also much make sure that the leading edges align and that the rear trailing edges of the wing are in line. On top of that, the lower nacelle fuse section must dry fit properly and the recesses for the centre section landing flaps must the same width along the length of it. If you fail, the PE parts won't fit. Test-fitting the upper nacelle deck must also show the width is correct there.
Lastly, mocking up the tail booms and stabiliser should prove a perfect fit to the assembled wing, with the stabiliser being horizontal and the wing tips angled equally on each side. It sounds a nightmare, but a few evenings of preparation and care will pay off.
Oh, I also get kit No.003!! So this is either production kit #3, or the third to have popped from moulds, including the tests. Either way, this is pretty cool.
HpH epoxy is also excellent, and can be mixed in minute quantities. You can also manipulate several hours later, allowing for last minute tweaks.
So far.....so good.
