**** DONE: 1/48 Ta 154 Moskito - Me/ Fw Group Build.

[vikingBerserker]

Nicely done!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks gents for the appreciative comments, there much appreciated and it's most kind of you.

For today's instalment I've been pottering with weights that need to be housed in the two engines. A total of 100g is called for, I just hope the kit undercarriage can sustain such a weight.

He we have just on 75g in total weight, that' including the plastic.

Prior to stuffing some more lead into the wheel bay, after joining them I was not so happy with this very visible (providing you are looking underneath) join line. The second picture shows my solution which also add a bit more realistic detail to the well.

Luckily I also realised today the kit nose wheel is not for the Ta 154 versions 1,2 or 3 for which the kit is supposedly designed. The kit nose wheel was as far as I have been able to find out, was introduced on V4. So it looks like a bit of a mod is required, but I will cross that bridge when I get to it.

 

[lostinhull]

Ah - fiendish solution to join lines.

Good luck with the nose engine weighting - fingers crossed for the poor undercarriage legs

 

[rochie]

nice work Vic

 

[Wayne Little]

Good stuff Vic...

 

[A4K]

Great work Vic! Let us know if you need spares for the nose gear, might have something in my stash.

 

[Airframes]

Good stuff Vic, hope you can cobble together the nose leg without too much hassle.

 

[Catch22]

Looking good Vic!

 

[Crimea_River]

Good stuff Vic and nice catch on the nose wheel.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks guys. Now for the confession, had I read the instructions I would have noticed two alternative nose wheel arrangements so no scratch build needed. But in my defence, the instructions do give the wrong nose wheel arrangement for the V3.

Thanks also Even for your thoughts and the kind offer but obviously well be right now.

 

[Wurger]

 

[vikingBerserker]

Excellent.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Wojetk and David. Nothing to report today folks, have had a bit of a slack day apart from chasing some lost wellingtons..........................no not the flying kind!

 

[Maximowitz]

Interesting choice. If I remember correctly one (or two) of these flew a handful of sorties late war with NJG3. The radar failed every time and the type never claimed a single victory. I believe the airframes were destroyed prior to the Allies capturing them - file under "what might have been", alongside the Ar 234 Nachtigall.

 

[woljags]

nice one Vic love your undercart bay solution

 

[A4K]

Glad there won't be a problem with the nose wheel Vic, looking forward to progress!

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks for the support guys.

Managed to get a bit done over the last couple of days. Have been working on undercarts while waiting for some paint to arrive.

Once again was not to happy with nose wheel doors being so simple so have added some ribbing to the doors.

Moving onto the main undercarriage legs, these required the hydraulic break lines adding and on this particular model the line divided to either side of the wheel.

While in the wheel bay I also decided a couple more lines passing through would be a novelty even though when standing, they would not be seen. But then again I know they are there.

Here the lines have been painted and thanks to the camera not lying, I see I need to go back and paint inside the part attached to the wheel hub. I was actually thinking these would look better if painted flat black on the last couple of mm or so into the wheel hub.

My RLM 66 paint also arrived yesterday so now I can get on with assembling the cockpit.

 

[rochie]

nice work Vic

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Thanks Karl.

 

[Crimea_River]

Beauty Vic! How did you simulate the hydraulic line fittings at the tees and elbows?