Pacific Coast Models 1/32 Fw 190A-1. Black 13. Belgium, 1941

[speedgraflex]

I remember this one, Joe! One of my all time favorite 1/48 aircraft builds. Simply outstanding use of Eduard’s aircraft as a basis for your detailing and scratch building work by you, Joe. I referenced this early in development of this project. Was I dreaming or did you also build a Ta 152 at the same time? I still am debating the idea of going commando with no primer on the resin... I was going to order some of ZM’s metalized primer in grey and black to hit the resin parts to seal them on all sides. A model builder I know once told me that unprimed resin will react adversely to ambient temperature. One man’s opinion should never sway a decision, but... I was thinking I could prime the back and paint the front of each piece. That’s a lot like an artist who finishes the back side of their canvas, but I have known a few of those.

[mustang1989]

I really dunno about the grey primer so much on engines any more . I used to prime 'em in gray but I've gotten to where I black base all of my engines now whether it be on automotive or aircraft subjects. After that a light coat of color goes on so that all of the nooks and crannies have a "shadowed" effect to them. In this case the base color after priming would be "Steel" in which the shadowing effect would be perfect with.

[speedgraflex]

Cool. Thanks, Joe—I was thinking more powdery from the engine overheating. They were throwing rods and barely keeping the aircraft in the air! Those pilots had to have balls of steel to get in those first production aircraft!

[mustang1989]

I wished there were more actual color photographs of the old warbirds without them being a colored version of black and white photos or just the black and white photos. It's really hard to tell the actual color tones and shades when looking at these types of pictures. This is , however, an excellent detail reference shot.

[speedgraflex]

Good point about reference, Joe. The aircraft manuals even though these are black and white do really help orient what goes where and why it does. Modern day “walk arounds” are the next best research tool, but I believe Carlos rightly asserted that period photos always come first.

[mustang1989]

Good point about reference, Joe. The aircraft manuals even though these are black and white do really help orient what goes where and why it does. Modern day “walk arounds” are the next best research tool, but I believe Carlos rightly asserted that period photos always come first.

I'll definitely agree with the period photos. Modern day walk arounds are close......but no cigar.

[Floki]

I got a book I'll have to look at it when I get home but it's called something like the last eagles. Anyway it has a lot of color photos of a bf109 in Australia that has not been touched since the war in it's original camo.

[Stikpusher]

Old aircraft preserved as they were at the time of their storage can be a perfect time capsule. I used photos of Flak Bait in disassembled storage at the NASM for reference on my B-26 build. She was put in storage shortly after VE Day and was invaluable as a color reference. Most conventional wisdom on US WWII aircraft interiors does not apply once you look at that aircraft.

[speedgraflex]

Thank you, Clint. Thank you, Carlos. If you have photos or a link I would like to see your model. I filled the areas behind the exhausts that must be removed, then I began filling the areas in front with Milliput. The cold weather, and my apartment’s lack of any real heat, seem to have slowed down the process of curing. I hope to be able to add another layer before my bedtime.

[jkim]

Nice work on the fills! Make sure you shoot that with primer. Milliput fills usually need some work to make them seamless.