**** DONE: GB-36 1/48 Bf110D - Axis Manufactured Aircraft of WWII

[Crimea_River]

Terry, I'm not sure that we've nailed down the wheels yet. You mentioned that you have Vasco's book. Take a look on page 126 as I think your kit wheels are the larger E wheels and the resin ones look to be correct for your D.

Your pedantic friend,

Andy

 

[Airframes]

I agree Andy, and I'm still undecided on which to use.
I've since looked at a load more reference photos and scale drawings, and come to the following conclusions.
The Eduard kit wheels are definitely the larger 'E' pattern, but the resin wheels, apart from being rather 'soft' in detail, and slightly odd looking regarding shape, are definitely smaller, and are more the size of the early 'B' wheels. Of all of them, the Fujimi wheels are more accurate in size, with better hub detail, being slightly smaller in diameter than the Eduard examples, and larger than the resin items.
I think I'll wait until I reach that stage, and then decide which to use - probably the resin wheels on both Eduard kits (the other to be a C-1 modified), and the Fujimi wheels on the Fujimi kit.

I'm hoping to make a start on the cockpit area later this afternoon or tonight, so i might have some pics to show later.

 

[Airframes]

Ooh look !
I've been awarded a 'Dumb' for Post #5 !!

 

[Wurger]

I believe it was the mistake. Now done Pal.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks my friend - I suspected it was a mistake.

 

[Crimea_River]

I've had a few suspicious tags added to my posts as well. I think those things are easy to hit when your scrolling through a thread on your phone and I may have done it myself.

Terry, I recall having the wheel dilemma when I built the C model. I ended up using the larger kit wheels and carving off the outer rim of the hub to make it look more correct. Didn't turn out that great but, cheap bastard that I am, it saved me from buying resin ones at the time.

 

[fubar57]

Ooh look !
I've been awarded a 'Dumb' for Post #5 !!

Might have been me. As mentioned, easy to do with a cell phone. I was at work and went to post something and I noticed I had accidentally given Terry a "Dumb" thingy though I thought I had corrected it or it may have been a different thread

 

[Airframes]

Andy, I'll probably go with the resin wheels if they a) fit OK, and b) look right.

Geo, the 'Dumb' was posted by another member, who's user name I hadn't seen before (I believe it was his first post too, so probably a mistake).

Started some preliminary work on the cockpit, by painting a gloss white base for the main and rear instrument panels, and the radios.
This will (hopefully) allow the instrument faces, and lettering on the radios, to be scratched through the other paint layers. Decals are provided for the panels, but I have doubts about their ability to settle over the raised detail. Also, there are three main panels provided, each slightly different (two 'Not for Use), with the one I've selected being one of the latter, and closest to the C/D panel, and therefore the decal does not match.
However, if the 'scratch method' turns out bad, then I might cut the individual instrument decals from the sheet, and try to apply them to the instrument faces.
Each panel also has the weapons selector panel on its base, which needs to be removed for this version of the 'D'.
Just about to start the assembly and painting of the main cockpit components - lots of little levers and bits to attach ..... if they don't go 'Ping' !
Back later, hopefully with some pics.

 

[Jeff Hunt]

Looking forward to it.

Jeff

 

[Crimea_River]

Me too.

 

[Airframes]

OK. Around three hours work has got this small amount of initial construction and painting done.

PICS 1 and 2. As mentioned earlier, the instruments have been given a coat of gloss white enamel, in the hope that this will form a base for the detail, when the final paint colours can be scratched to allow the instrument detail to show through.
If that doesn't work, then I'll attempt to cut the individual dials from the decal sheets and apply them to the panels. Note that the lower switch panel needs to be removed - if I can fit the panel without this, as the locating tab is on the base of the switch panel.
PIC 3. The starboard console has been assembled and fitted to the floor, and has yet to be cleaned up, and the engine control stand has been fitted, and awaits the separate levers. The two small parts at the front of the starboard console are the oxygen regulator and the top of the oxygen feed, again separate parts which, like the levers, were a pain to fit.
PIC 4. The levers in place on the engine stand. These were attached to the sprues along the side of each lever, rather than on the base ends, making it almost impossible to remove all of the attachment points. In addition, there is a complete lack of attachment slots on the console, just feint groves. Once set, the remains of the sprue attachment will (hopefully) be removed by melting them with liquid cement !
Once that's done, the base colour (RLM 02) can be applied, before detail painting and then adding the other parts of the front cockpit.

After that struggle, dealing with the extremely fiddly Eduard design, I need a rest, as my shoulders, neck and hands are aching with the effort !
But, I should be back relatively soon, perhaps even later tonight, with a little more progress.

 

[fubar57]

Good start Terry

 

[Wurger]

 

[parsifal]

Nice work Terry. Are the levers scratch built ? Or do they come with the kit. whatever the answer, you've got more patience and skill than me I should say

 

[Crimea_River]

They come with the kit Michael but, as Terry said, the sprue attachment points are in an awkward place.

Get used to the fiddly stuff Terry. Much more to come.

 

[Airframes]

Thanks chaps, and yes Andy, I've noticed there's a lot more fiddly stuff to come !
Although quite nicely engineered overall, the design, and layout of parts, in some areas, could be better. There are parts for the cockpit, for example, on at least 5 different sprues, some of which could have been laid out on a single sprue, or two at the most, and many areas could have been simplified.
I very nearly 'binned' the levers, with the idea of drilling holes and using stretched sprue for the levers, but persevered and used the kit parts.
Those annoying sprue attachment points on the levers have more or less been eliminated, by carefully melting them off with liquid cement !

Made a bit more (fiddly) progress, although no pics yet.
The pilot's seat has had the harness slot opened, and shoulder straps fitted through it, along with lap straps, made from paper, and the rudder pedals have been fitted, using the earlier pattern of the two choices in the kit.
The parts assembled so far have been painted in RLM 02, although it looks rather too dark for my liking, so I'll re-paint it tomorrow.
My tin of Xtracolr matt 02 has dried up, so I mixed some, using dark grey, dark green and white, but it definitely needs to be lighter.

All being well, I hope to correct the shade tomorrow, and at least finish the pilot's cockpit, before moving on to the even more complex shed load of parts for the rear cockpit. My stiff hands are certainly not helping with this tricky one !

 

[Crimea_River]

Sounds like a good opportunity to use the underlying darker colour as a preshade.

 

[Airframes]

I was thinking the same Andy, although so far, the parts have been brush-painted. However, I think I might move on to the rest of the interior construction, and then airbrush the re-mixed RLM 02 over the entire area.
Just about to set off for the LHS to get some more masking tape (the spare roll has gone 'walk about' !), in the surprise dusting of light snow, so, in the unlikely event that Iris has some Humbrol 240 matt RLM 02, I might save some time.
Might have some pics later today.

 

[fubar57]

Time to get the snow tires and chains on the scooter

 

[Crimea_River]

And make sure the windshield washer fluid is topped up.