1/32 Hasegawa Fw190D-9 Black One

[jkim]

Thanks for the comment Bruce! Those LSP observations/comments were very enlightening. Still so much to learn...

Are the ETC504 racks always designated RLM 66 regardless of Fw-190 model (A-6, A-8, etc...) ?

That's what one poster seemed to be implying. But he also said the "tin cover" on the A models were RLM 76 with the rest of the rack in RLM 66. My review of my references seemed to indicate this possibility so I thought it was a good distinction to model on my build since I haven't seen it reflected in many Dora builds.

And here it is... the drop tank with the repainted ETC rack in RLM 66.



The rack is mounted to the fuselage first. The drop tank sits on the rack without glue so I'll leave it that way for now.






The other small antennae on the bottom and the boarding ladder are glued into place.




After all of these months, the windscreen and canopy masks are removed. The windscreen was masked with Montex black vinyl masks and the canopy was manually masked using Tamiya tape. Both seem to be in excellent condition, thankfully.




The canopy in the closed position has a very good fit... if I want to go this route. I still am holding out for the canopy open but I need to work on something first.

[jkim]

A quick update... here is the canopy issue. The Dora canopy is made of plexiglass. As it slides back in the open position, the whole canopy pinches in to follow the fuselage lines. The Hasegawa canopy is made to be posed in the closed position. If you mount it in the open position, you'll see that it is too wide. It's not very noticeable and I don't think it detracts too much from the completed model.


But I've latched on to the idea of adding tabs to the canopy so that it will be pinched in accurately. I've verified that this works but the tabs that I've made won't stay on. The force from the pinch-in keeps breaking the bonds of the CA glue.


Instead of giving up on the idea, I thought I'd add more surface area to the tabs so that the bond is stronger. I've scouted my spare PE bin to find some suitable candidates.


I've added the tabs and will let them dry overnight. Hopefully, I'll be able to show you the difference with the tabs. It does not affect the canopy in the closed position, if I choose to go that route.

[kahunaminor]

Great work John,

Great idea for the canopy. Just posing it, are you tied to CA? Would two-part epoxy give a stronger bond?

Regards,

[speedgraflex]

Great work John,

Great idea for the canopy. Just posing it, are you tied to CA? Would two-part epoxy give a stronger bond?

Regards,

Based on what you wrote, John. I would think you want an adhesive that will maintain its grip when under pinch-pressure and perhaps even a longer section of photo-etch to distribute the load as much as possible.

Regarding the in-progress photos, I am just... stunned in a good way. There is one low angle "reveal" that looks far closer to a Dora than I have ever seen. The deep color craft is magical!

[jkim]

You guys are right. I think I was on a mission to finish this canopy thing last night and opted for the CA glue. 2-part epoxy is probably the better choice and I do have some. I'll have to check the bond today and figure out if it needs a re-do.

[speedgraflex]

I was also thinking the brass etch might be the culprit. The Trimaster kit uses steel etch. Do you want me to clip sections from the frames and send to you? Also I have not used Devcon that you recommended, I assume it is a clear epoxy. I have used JB Weld which mixes to dark grey to stick part of my car’s tail pipe together, and it has held for four years.



I was wondering if it was possible to bend a section to create a lip... that way downward press would keep the piece locked in place.

[jkim]

Thanks for the offer, Bruce but I think the brass is plenty strong enough for the task. The pinch puts too much pressure on that small piece that the CA bond can't hold it. I just ran home for lunch, popped off the larger tabs and reset them with Devcon 2-part epoxy. It should be dry by the time I get home from work so I'll evaluate it then. And yes, the Devcon is clear. It's what I use to coat my painted fishing lures so I'm quite used to working with it.

[mostrich]

A pleasure to see all the tiny bits finding their place on the model. Well earned moments for the modeller, who pre-paid them with patience. That canopy issue won't let you sleep, right? I'm feeling with you. Eduard is the only manufacturer that offers both canopies in the box. It's quite bold trying to force it into shape, so much can go wrong. But it's a very prominent part and would bother you when looking on the finished build. So here you are, fixing that s**t.

I'm sure the epoxy will do its job, now and for many years to come. That stuff is made to last.

[speedgraflex]

Cool. Fingers and toes crossed!!

[speedgraflex]

I was just thinking the way my father would restore old cars how he would form parts from sheet metal, so I was excited, but the feeling Torben describes is well known to me. No sleep... thinking about projects...