1/48 Me262B-1a/U1 "Red 8" - The Jet Age.

[Airframes]

Nice looking seats and harnesses.
I've only tried PE harnesses once, and never again !
Those I have which are included in kits will be used only for the buckles, replacing the straps with either thin lead foil or thin paper - decal-covering tissue is ideal.

 

[javlin]

Maybe a PITA but you got the better effect

 

[Gnomey]

Looking good so far Andy!

 

[rochie]

Looks great Andy

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks everyone.

John, yes, these belts are the case hardened, high-yield tungsten ones. I bent them with needle-nosed pliers.

My next task is to mask and paint the frames on the inside of the canopies an to add some details as these will be posed open. I need to be in the right frame of mind for masking, with possible T-Stoff assistance.

 

[Airframes]

Definitely with 'T Stoff' assistance !

 

[Wurger]

Double T-stoff... methinks.

 

[Crimea_River]

..maybe a C-Stoff chaser. D-oh!

 

[Airframes]

'T Stoff' and 'C Stoff' 2 - Modelling 0

 

[Wurger]

It depends on the modeller's liver.

 

[Crimea_River]

I vowed to get this model finished over the holidays and jumped into it today. However, I jumped a bit too far before stopping to take pictures. If you can take my word for it, I did mask and paint the inside frames with the full intention to pose the canopies open but decided in the end to leave them closed. I like the lines better this way and the fit and clarity of the plastic was such that it allowed a pretty good view of the interior.

I'll pick up the story here, showing the canopy, which has now been glued in place, all masked up on the outside and ready for paint.

Fortunately, the paint went on OK despite some of the masks lifting. My stingy side got the better of me and I re-used some masks from an earlier session - not a good idea I guess.

You can see also the radio mast and D/F loop ready to paint as well. Here's the result with masks removed. On the inside of the canopies, you can make out grab handles that I added on the starboard frames in the pilot and Bordfunker position as well as canopy release handles on the port side in both positions.

With little left to add at this point, the antennae were also attached.

Just a few final things to check tomorrow and I should post the final pics shortly after that. Thanks for your patience!

 

[T Bolt]

It's looking real nice Andy. I'm with you on deciding to leave the canopy open or closed. In general I think the lines of any model look better when things are closed up, but when you've spent a lot of time on a cockpit and its turned out real nice, it's hard to close it up. You lucked out here with the nice clear canopy so closeing it up doesn't hide much.

 

[Wurger]

 

[rochie]

Looks good Andy

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks guys.

 

[JKim]

Looks great Andy! I love the grab handles on the inside of the canopy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks John. They're nicer than the grab handles around my midriff for sure!

Herewith the final series of pics of this project starting with the pitot tube fashioned from brass rod.

Photo-etched pull handle for the Riedel starter added.

Antennae added to the underside:

Flare chutes painted in steel:

Close-up of the radio mast area showing aerials and D/F loop completed. The vertical length of wire did not turn out as taut as I would have liked it to but I broke the other one off once already and had to fix that so I did not want to muck with it any more.

And, finally, a series of shots from various angles showing the finished model. Thanks to everyone who contributed and who came along for the ride.

 

[Airframes]

That's the canine accoutrements Andy !
I agree about the canopy being closed - we tend to want to show the detailed interior on models, an area which probably has more detail work done than any other area on a model, but it's often nice to show the overall lines of an aircraft, without the disruption to the shape of open canopies. For the same reasons, I tend not to have hatches and engine cowlings open, unless the model is the center-piece of a diorama showing servicing etc.

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Terry. Had I known, I could have saved myself a couple of hours of masking and painting!

 

[Airframes]

Masking and painting the internal canopy frames is always worthwhile, if access allows - looks much better than just the internal colour painted on the outside of the frames first.