1/32 Hasegawa Fw190D-9 Black One

[speedgraflex]

The weathering looks amazingly realistic, John. I am still studying pages 3-4 of your build at the moment. So much is here to see!! Thank you so much.

[Stuart]

[BlackSheep214]

I'm at a loss for words on this fantastic build. No words to describe your work except wow!

[jkim]

Thank you good sirs! Appreciate the comments as always. No big breakthroughs but I did a little more work on the drop tank this weekend. I played around with the MIG Scratches Effect to put some chipping on the ETC rack.


I put some fluid staining on the drop tank. I used a liquid pastel wash to paint thin streaks flowing back from the cap. I then wiped it off using a moistened paper towel. Because I did this on a flat coat, the streaks weren't completely removed. I repeated this about 3-4 times to get a layered effect.



Here is the drop tank friction-fitted to the bottom of the fuselage. The silver fuel line part still needs to be painted and weathered but for the most part, the drop tank assembly is complete and can be set aside for now.



Another look topside at the cockpit opening. I'm still debating how to depict the canopy. I don't think I can pull off the slack aerial look of the canopy in full-open position but I don't want to lose all of the detail that I've invested into the cockpit. I'm thinking about leaving the canopy partially open and have the aerial drooping slightly. I can always shut the canopy if I don't like the look of the aerial. That is my preliminary plan for now.

[speedgraflex]

John, I usually flip through your images just to see the progression and tonight I just... stopped on the view of the cockpit, which is so beautifully done. I am not planning to run out of superlatives, but this is good work, and I mean good in the sense of being high-caliber, reasoned and well-crafted as well as carrying a level of total authority that, if I were tempted to go with the aerial metaphors would be to write: your work is in the ether, the propagation of light on surface effects that come from careful study of mechanics and aesthetics. So... is it easier to just put:



perhaps.

Also... slack radio antenna wire from nylon monofilament (smoke-coloured invisible mending thread) with isolators from white glue, perhaps? That is what I am cribbing from Chris Wauchop and what I plan to do whenever I get to the point where you are at now. You have seen his "Sell my clothes I am going to heaven" Red 1 build, I am sure, but the slack radio antenna wire comes from his 1/48 Trimaster Ta 152 H-1 which is easy to locate. Well, here:

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/ta152hcw_1.htm

Again—as usual—mods/admin if you want to remove the link... please do so.

All the best.

[jkim]

Thanks Bruce! Chris W. is a modeler that I admire also. I wish he'd post more on his blog but I'm sure that most of his work goes into the publishing end of our hobby. His work represents a good balance between realistic depiction and stylistic representation in my eyes. I accept that a certain amount of emphasis or exaggeration is necessary to achieve visual interest in subjects so small but there are examples of where that exaggeration is being pushed to extremes. I'm not a big fan of the heavy panel line accentuation that I see in many publications. What works so well in armor modeling may seem a bit heavy handed when that technique is applied to aircraft. But who's to say what is right or wrong? These are just my opinions and as a weekend hobbyist that posts on a couple of internet message boards, my opinion isn't worth much.

I have some material called EZ-Line that can be used for the aerial. Unlike stretched sprue, EZ-line is quite limp AND stretchable so it might be suitable for this application. I may try a testbed to flesh out this idea of a partially open canopy.

[speedgraflex]

I wrote a fan letter to Chris on his website recently. When I told him that I was building a Trimaster Dora inspired by his work and yours he wrote back to me about the kit itself being a challenge to a beginning builder because of modifications and that there are easier kits of the same subject. He sounded very much like you! Knowledgeable and kind. I have studied his Trimaster 1/48 Tank as much as I studied your 1/48 Green 9. Like you, I believe his sense of proportion is quite amazing. I also appreciate that he made his 1/48 pilot step from a staple.

[jkim]

That's cool that he responded! He seems to like using staples. Especially Tamiya staples for the DF loop antenna.

[speedgraflex]

John, I read what you wrote about being a weekend modeler two replies back. With respect and gentleness, you embody every aspect of a great scale plastic model builder! The wonderful part about the internet is that in the virtual world of the internet your voice, skills and art are available to all. Never forget I found your Green 9 by visually searching the internet. I had no idea who you were. What delighted me was your narrative line, I knew you were very articulate! You made me agonize a bit along the way with the peculiarities of the kit's engineering and your decision to close up the hood after painting the engine brilliantly. I read on your avatar you lived in California and first thought you must be an architect living in a quite modern all solar powered home at the edge of the desert. What do I know about geography? Not a lot. What I do know is that you write a first class adventure time article on building an aircraft, and each time you do, I am invested in the journey you take from start to finish.

In my opinion, you are top tier, and your gallery of work is a testament to your skill, which is of the highest caliber.

Maybe it was the DF antenna and not the step Chris made from a staple... well my plan was to go through staples to see if I could use one for the step, which I still have to hollow out the opening to it in the fuselage....

[jkim]

You are too kind Bruce! Too kind! I'm just another modeler that loves to talk about modeling!

A little bit of work performed this week. Mostly prep work for the upcoming painting. The canopy is fully masked off for painting. Since I haven't quite decided how the canopy will be mounted, I am masking it off separately from the fuselage, which involves a little more effort in terms of masking. I've add small tabs near the front edge of the canopy to help pinch down the canopy a little if it is placed in the open position. The Dora's flexible canopy narrowed as it slid into the open position. The interior framing has already been masked off and painted dark grey.



It's time to attach the windscreen so the Revi gunsight is glued into place using white glue.


The windscreen is also attached using white glue. Fit is good but after a shot of primer, I may add some Milliput into any gaps.



A view into the cockpit with the windscreen in place.


After the windscreen is attached, I mask off the cockpit opening. Prior to this step, I've use the clear pieces as templates to cut these masks.



The canopy has been given three coats so far: interior RLM66, black and Alclad Polished Aluminum. The finish of Alclad is highly dependent on the base coat. This metal shade on the canopy is only for the chipping effect so it was sprayed on a semi matte black. It's suitable for my needs but it could've been much shinier if I had taken the effort to spray it on a gloss black base.