1/32 Revell Messerschmitt Me 262 B1a/U1

[Kalakan]

Hello again my fellow model makers.

Its been a while since my last post, but again we´re back and ready to present the work currently performed in a classic Revell (1974) kite that hasn´t seen the sunlight for a while.

I decided to begin with this project cause I have a soft spot for this kite. Really I like the design of this night sky predator. In order to present some more detail in the cockpit, I decided it was time to begin 3d printing some features as well as the pilot and radar operator. 3d printing is fun btw!

Also the model that was decided to be implemented is the Red 10 of 10./NJG 11 apparently flown by Kurt Welter.

Here are some of the photos of the beginning of the works performed since last December.

First, the Box Art:

One of the main issues of this box, was that there were not found the original decals anywhere......

This is how this kite looked like after reopening the box since several years.... As you can appreciate, the cockpit is huge and hollow. No details at all...... The pilot and radar operator looked like petrified statues without life (I guess that was the mood around the 70's model culture)....

The radar operator station was wrongly located according to the photos of this area, so it was decided to scratch built the complete station.....

See what I mean?...

Then a new metallic structure had to be made possibly to emulate the original one.....

Its relevant to comment that the original molds used for this plane were designed (I think), to really improve the modeler capacity to overcome its own fears. There are openings everywhere, the main fuselage detail is quite deficient and the seams (between to main parts) are quite evident also...... Guess thats part of the hobby in order to improve the quality of every project........

Then the radio equipment as well as the pilot dry location works were performed.........

Then the fuselage details....

Also I´ve noticed that the complete body of the fuselage of this kite was factory primed and rivet free, at least as almost the entire body s far as I could notice, but there were several sub-assemblies that were not detailed as thorough.... So it was decided that the main panels for the cannon bay were detailed in such a manner trying to emulate that this surfaces were not completely without rivets.....

Also the gun ports were scratch built...

Here I have a question for you fellow modelers that are familiar with this kite. Did Red 10 used a long barrel 20mm cannons or did this kite only used four 30mm cannons. (this in order to begin preparing the seringes to emulate this barrels, but as Im not sure I didnt wanted to spent time working in something that were not used in this kite.

I´ll highly appreciate any commnent regarding this matter amigos.

This is how the cockpit begin to look after installing some beautiful decals made by Quinta Studios...

Well, thats the advance for today. Have a nice one everyone!

Greetings from Monterrey

Gerry

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Some nice modelling Gerry. I'm impressed with your paneling of the gun bay.

 

[Wurger]

 

[Crimea_River]

Here I have a question for you fellow modelers that are familiar with this kite. Did Red 10 used a long barrel 20mm cannons or did this kite only used four 30mm cannons. (this in order to begin preparing the seringes to emulate this barrels, but as Im not sure I didnt wanted to spent time working in something that were not used in this kite.

Red 10 was probably the most photographed of this type of aircraft. Nose cannon details are fairly clear. me262b-1a/u1 red 10 - Google Search

 

[Kalakan]

Some nice modelling Gerry. I'm impressed with your paneling of the gun bay.

Thank you Vic.

To be honest one of the Xmas presents came with a lovely metallized plastic foil.

After some tests with the proper glue, this is how is looks like today in a Swallow frontal area.....

Best Regards

Gerry

 

[Kalakan]

Red 10 was probably the most photographed of this type of aircraft. Nose cannon details are fairly clear. me262b-1a/u1 red 10 - Google Search

Once again, thank you for your quick response Crimea.

Very helpful indeed.

Gerry

 

[Gnomey]

Nice work so far!

 

[Kalakan]

Nice work so far!

Thank you sir

 

[Kalakan]

Hello again my fellow modelers:

Here´s an update of how this kite is behaving son far.

Now the work that has been performed on the wings:

Reviewing the dihedral, the kit has a mayor theme due that the angle of the wings is almost 0° according to the blueprints found everywhere, where this is how it looked like before attempting the angle corrections:

Then the correcting works after several attempts to correct this issue:

Then after pondering for a while, it was decided that the kite will be finally presented as in flying mode. For this I tried to get some fancy small electrical lights that could fit inside each Jumo 004B cowlings and to be honest, actually I'm not ready to perform that surgery in the timeline I've projected....

So, the next solution was to decide how the engine exhuasts nozzles would look like, and several years ago I got my hands in a rather thick plastic sheet, with a blue metallized finish that could do the trick of pretending that the engine looked like it was switched on (depending from where you are looking the back engine).....

The first image was of how the model would looked like as how the set was bought (where there is only a hollow cave around the onion), the second and third images corresponds to the corrections performed so far, where the blue hue corresponds only to the reflection of light on the blue surfaces....

As it can be perceived, the joint between the engine and the wings are terrible, so several thin metallic sheets will be located in order to avoid using too much glue.....

Then the first image corresponds of how the original engine nacelles looked like, and the second image corresponds to how it looks like after using another metallic sheet emulating the rotating engine that will omly be appreciated if looked in front of the kite....

Still work has to be performed in the Riedel starter in front of the engine, as well as some paint decoloration works.....

Finally this is how the wings look like today and ready to be assembled with the fuselage once it is decided which clear and sturdy pedestal is going to be applied in the kite belly....

Have a nice one and see you soon fellows

Greetings from Monterrey

Gerry

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Interesting techniques and build, you have me hooked.

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far!

 

[Kalakan]

Good afternoon my fellow modelers:

Here's the early February update. At last the surgical themes with the lower fuselage were resolved and worked at least with a decent grade of certainty that the several pieces that were cut in order to close the lower wing structure, and closed quite satisfactorily.

Here are the images of this surface that the main piece that closes the lower wing structure, in order to fit, had to be divided in three parts:

Then the several pieces were sanded and sanded until the following result was achieved. This image corresponds of the piece before applying the knife cutting works and to be honest, almost without fingers........

Then the resut:

Then it was time for closing the frontal piece for the windscreen and began protecting the clear parts. As commented earlier, this model presents almost no details, so I decided to print more details in order to glue them later. This print included the interior bullet proof frame that is located in the interior. I decided to print also several heads for the pilot and the radar operator in order to see which one will look better and more natural...
Here's the image with this print:

And in order to glue the main windscreen to the fuselage, first the Revi gunsight structure was located due that later it would be quite difficult to install it due that its a close fit and maybe some glue would end in the clear parts (as the Good ol´ Murphy dicates)....
Here is the image of this structure in place....

And this is how it looks with the windscreen in place with the help of a special glue for clear parts from Testors..... I´ve always found difficult to install clear parts without leaving something (fingertips of foggy finishes) that later will have to be restored (specially with cyanoacrylate glue)....

And finally this is how the kite looks before the paint works (thank God).....

Hope you all have an incredible weekend and enjoy it!!

Best regards

Kalakan

 

[Wurger]

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Lots of good stuff going on here.

 

[Kalakan]

Lots of good stuff going on here.

Indeed Vic. Hopefully next week the painting works will be applied. Weather hasn't improved around here. Too much moisture you know....

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Indeed Vic. Hopefully next week the painting works will be applied. Weather hasn't improved around here. Too much moisture you know....

Like heat not good spraying weather.

 

[Crimea_River]

Very good progress.

 

[Gnomey]

Looks good so far!

 

[Kalakan]

Hello fellow modelers:

Here are some images of the advances made so far in the kite, this before I dropped last night the airbrush and completely F**** up the progress......

As commented before, after reviewing the engines and begin with the paint works, I noticed that the inner part of the nacelles looked like a cavern without the proper internal covers as can be appreciated in the following image. It just looked hollow....

Then after several attempts, I found a solid plastic material, (thin enough) that also presented the same diameter of the nacelle and guess that it looks more as the original Jumo engine.....

The Riedel surface will be painted and detailed after the main paint works....

Then it was time to finish the canopy after the reglementary baths in Future solution and applying the window masks:

And then before the paint works (that I decided that the lower fuselage and wings will be painted first and avoiding masking twice the kit) this in order to just detail the boundary of the upper paint works with the lower ones.

The lower paint works will be gradually painted and detailed, beginning with a brown color (XF-79 mixed with XF-1) and gradually post shading increasing the XF-1 color.

This is how it looks till this day, with the basic brown base color after the basic paint works applied:

And then, I finally wasted my airbrush while cleaning it up. The .02mm pin tip completely got bent on the process when I let loose of it in a second.....

Now let's wait for a new one......

Have a great one guys

Gerry