Here I go with Zoukei Mura’s Latest release. This is a much anticipated kit for large scale modellers and doesn’t disappoint at all (not me anyway) and is a challenge. To start with I would like to show you just what is in the box! 
This next photo shows a part that hasn’t moulded correctly in the centre. ZM on their website tells you about this and another problem in the kit (see later) and gives details on how to either fix this problem with a drill, or to contact them and they will send a new part out with the problem solved. I contacted them via email and they sent it out registered EMS and sent me the consignment number and it only took a few days. If you look inside the red circle you can see that the centre hasn’t a hole in it so it won’t fit correctly. They made a new mould just for this one part. 
Again on the website there is an apology for this next sprue which has parts incorrectly numbered. They have a diagram on the website with the parts correctly numbered. In actual fact, these parts are (mostly) for the underside of the fuel tanks. Kudos must go to ZM for sorting this out and admitting to the mistakes and fixing them. Not every manufacturer does this! 
A close up photo of the wing connection detail. 
A close up of the wheel detail 
A close up of the Mk 108 Cannon (or part of it!) 
One of the instrument panels in the kit. There are two with a choice of which one to use. 
The photo below is of the engine sprue. There are two in the kit and the entire sprue is just for one engine. 
Detail shots of the compressor fans etc for the interior.Each fan is just slightly different and the instructions (see photo below)tells you in minute detail just how to assemble this part. They are the best instructions you’ll get for building! 
The decals look great. 
They have a complete instrument panel 
or individual dials… your choice 
Here’s the start of the assembly - not for the faint of heart!!! 
ZM have thought long and hard about this kit and how to go about it and listened to what their customers would like and then did it. Full frame and clear skin. There are many ways of display for this kit. ZM have done this Horten proud and the engineering in this kit is just out of this world. If you don’t get one you are missing out on a kit that just has to be the best one this year! Next post… the build starts!
Great pics. Good luck with this project. I hope you will post progress notes and more photos.
Captain Bob
Yes the tricky part will be to paint and install the parts without fogging the clear plastic .
The first thing I did was jump in at the deep end and fix a problem that ZM posted about on the boss’ blog on their website and that is the problem with the R sprue and the numbering. After downloading the PDF correction document I decided that it would be a good place to start and get this problem out of the way so it wasn’t nagging on in the back of my mind. I had an idea for how I wanted the fuel tanks to look and tried Mr Hobby Metal color on them with a primer coat of matt black. The polishing phase didn’t produce the glow I quite wanted, as I wanted a polished Aluminium look which didn’t quite happen, but a nice part polished glow resulted which in actual fact I was happy with. Getting the right parts together made a huge difference and without ZM’s correction sheet I could have been scratching my head for some time. Still, I went my own way with some of the paint directions and decided to keep the wing frame and control surfaces RLM 02. Once out of the paint shop with all the tanks fitted and parts in place they look good. 
After a nice start I went back to the start and got to grips with the two engine sprues. I decided that I would use stainless steel from Alclad for the rear portion of the engines and after sitting a while with the instuctions on my computer screen (I do like their manual download option. It helps keep the build area a bit less cluttered) I started in the paint shop with some of the parts from the front and rear engine(s) 
An extra bit of assembly brings this. 
The rear assembly parts was done with Mr Hobby Color Steel Red. It didn’t seem to have the reddish tint the bottle top has, but on top of Vallejo grey primer with a gloss varnish over it the paint came out ok and had a nice sheen to it, but not too much. The other parts were done with Vallejo Aluminium on a matt black primer. I moved on to the compression chamber and after building it all up in the separate parts for the rotating compressor fans to the static stator rings those two were sprayed Aluminium while the exterior was painted RLM 02. 
I then fitted the two sections together 
I turned my attention to the rear section. Time to get to grips with Alclad. I primed inside and out with Alclads own gloss black base, but couldn’t seem to get a proper smooth black gloss shine. Still, the stainless steel from Alcad adds a different tone to the engine so I must look at working out a proper gloss base that lets aclad sit properly and gleam. This is a product that although I have had for some time I have shied away from because I knew it to be a “hot” product and tends to melt plastic. In the end I found it to be a quite easy product to work with and with different primers etc the nuances of different shades and finishes. of the same colour from the bottle are endless. I wonder what stainless steel would look like on a black primer with a silk finish! Hmmmm. This photo shows my first “brush” with Alclad! 
I gave everything a few days to cure etc before getting to grips with all the piping, doing everything twice. Vallejo Brass and copper were used for the piping rather than ZM’s paint guide as I wanted some colour change and for the pipes to stand out a bit. Everything else on the detail front was brush painted with either gun grey or steel. The finished engines to me look nice. 
Both engines on the stands that form part of the sprue. The only thing not on are the rear heat shields. That’s next and I have a decision to make as they are clear parts. - leave them clear or paint them matt black. Hmmmmm! :? 
That’s insane! Are there enough parts to build the internal structure by itself and then build the outside to display separately? Wheels up on a stand above the internals for example?
Those are some really sweet engines and your detail work on them really makes them look like an actual engine. I can’t wait to see the rest!
Groot
The only thing missing in the engine interior is the combustion chamber internals. This kit is designed to give the builder a complete overview of the frame, skin, internals etc and there are several ways this kit can be displayed.
It is designed to have it’s wheels down and to sit on them like most models and you would have to do some scratch building and alteration to have the wheels retracted.
I have an idea that I might put this on a mirror when finished, but at this moment I am just now concentrating on the fuselage airframe. This will be on my next post in a couple of days.
If now you are beginning to see just what ZM offers builders then now is the time (Christmas) to ask SWMBO for one!
James
I want to start with a recap. I wasn’t happy with the last engine photos I took. It was late at night and under artificial light and even my flash didn’t produce an outcome I liked. So in the light of day I retook the photos of a completed engine in the hopes that the colours would come out at the correct natural colours I painted on… and it worked 
Here are three photos of one of the engine. The front intake is painted Vallejo aluminium. The compression chamber, RLM 02. The combustion chamber Vallejo primer matt black and the exhaust is Alclad II steel over a semi-gloss black base. Detail work is Vallejo silver, gunmetal grey, Copper and Brass. 
All the time I have my eye on what I want the finished model to look like and have several ideas. I decided to mask and paint the ribs that are moulded on to the lower wing skin. 
An entire afternoon and 2 movies was devoted to this. I then went into the paint shop and got to grips with Vallejo’s RLM 02 and the parts that I had built plus the masked wing. 
on removing the masking tape I realised that I hadn’t masked enough space and there had been some overspray. The lesson has been learned - mask off more than you think is needed! This wing skin will go back in to the paint shop and the entire of the interior will be painted RLM02 and the undersurface RLM76. I still have a wing to play with!!! :laughing-rolling: The bottom of the fuselage frame was removed and cleaned up, There are some tiny bits of flash on it as well as supporting nubs etc. The flash is only to be found where the mould seams are and a quick scrape fixes this. Once done it went into the paint shop along with the masked wing. 
After a building session… 
back into the paint shop and a couple of touch ups. Some of the detailing will have to be done by brush. I don’t trust my airbrush skills to that finer depth! once back out and cured some more assembly and brushed detailing work and… 
Now it’s 1:30 am Eyes have ceased to function and it’s time for medication (heart) and bed. Above photos taken in proper daylight!!! Next time I add more detail work and linkages Comment and questions welcome. James.
That has to be one of the most complicated kits I’ve ever seen. It looks to be coming along nicely. Can’t wait to see the rest of the build. Nice job.
Bloody hell! That’s some work mate. Kudos
Wow!! All you need is to add some glow plugs to the engines and crank 'em up!! Very impressive.
Whaaaat? Compressor blades and everything? Does it come with the combustion chamber burners as well? Fire 'em up brother. Just don’t melt anything.
One of the guys at my club brought that kit in to show us. It is very impressive !
Time to add more structure and some small bits to the fuselage. 
Drag Chute installed. The aircraft had a high landing speed so this was used to slow the thing down! 
Some kind of box. Maybe the battery box! I don’t know as I don’t have any technical manuals or diagrams for the Horten. 
Built up cannon, ammo box and feeds. 
Linkages in place. 
That’s it for this time. I must point out that during this section of this build the upper part of the frame (painted) has been used to make sure that all this is in the correct position and not leaning anywhere as per the instructions. There won’t be much of a fight to put the top section on and all points should fit with the smallest of adjustment of pins into holes with some glue! Next time we add the painted up armament storage and feeds along with the engines and fit one or two small bits and the top of the fuselage frame. It is an interesting part of the build and you can see the strength of the frame comes from two points. James
I love this plan and built the old Dragon 1/48 kit. Great progress so far and great build pictures. Can’t wait to see more.
Thanks for all the kind words. It’s time to add the meat to the bones. In other words the internal components. The cannon, feeds and ammo boxes are painted, the engines are built and ready. Now it’s time to put them in! First of all the cannon… 
now the box and feed 
do the same on the other side and… 
Remove the flash suppressors and put them to one side for later re-installation. Next up are the two engines. When you put the (painted) heat shields on there is a left and right. DON’T GET THEM MIXED UP! The actual installation is a little tricky as you have to manoeuvre the engines past a lot of structure and avoid all the piping etc on the engine getting caught on something. Not easy and slowly does it. There is one fixing point for the engine and you glue part of the heat shield to the frame. 
put in the second engine and the space fills up. 
Time to add the drag chute activator mechanism and the oil tank and slap (ahem!) install the frame top to all the joining parts - there are a lot and with constant reference to the instructions went on carefully with very few, if any problems over fitting with just a couple of clamps here and there. Now the fuselage is finished! 
There are some paint touch ups to be done and I am amazed at just what accurate engineering and design ZM have done with this kit. It is the best from them yet!! Turn over the page in the manual… THE COCKPIT!
This is really sweet, could we trouble you for a close-up of the painted cannon, the bits I could see looked really nice?
Groot
Time for another update. I have had this weekend away from my bench to go and overnight in Leeds at the Metropolitan Hotel and go to see Andre Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra. I had a fantastic time. I could have gone home afterwards, but I don’t like being out on the motorbike in December in Leeds at the time when all the drunks are staggering about. I also don’t like being out at night on the bike, so I booked the hotel for a night. For Groot I have this. It is the best I can do without stripping the model down. I have not modified the kit weapons at all, but just built them up and painted them metallic black. 
But now… the cockpit. We have to remember that this aircraft was not operational and a bare bones experimental test aircraft and the kit does this justice as those building it will agree. There is not much to do in the cockpit, but what there is does take a little time to bring out good results. 
The instrument panel was the clear one included with the kit. I used Vallejo liquid mask to mask off the clear dial glass and the complete decal Instrument panel on the back followed with painting over it black. I think I will try the etched version when I get another. I do need to repair paintwork and just finish off a tiny bit of detail work in there, but the only thing to my mind that could be added is some extra wiring to the IP. Next up… it is wheel time!!
Thanks for the photos of the guns, they really look excellent. This whole build is really impressive!
Groot
This is an incredible job! Waaaay above my humble talents. I’m glad I didn’t buy this kit. I think I’d rather cut and bend PE parts that are almost invisible.
Bob