Thanks, Joe! Coming from you, it means a lot – all you guys are absolutely top notch! I wrote a review of the kit for my blog, I’ll get it up when I can, hopefully over the weekend.
Right, I spent most of today decaling the A-8. the day is about done, I have a stiff neck and a headache., so I’m calling it for now. By my calculations there’s about 14 decals to go. I also sprayed some clear earlier, doing the lower flaps, droptank, gear bay doors, prop blades and spinner cone. Here she is as of this moment:
I’ll be away tomorrow, so back on the bench the day after, hopefully finishing the decals and sealing them, then on with detail painting and getting the undercarriage ready.
You might notice something odd going on with the wing walkways and the gun covers – I’m not sure what happened but either I or Hasegawa got the covers in the wrong place, they should be a scale foot or so further back, which I did not notice until looking at the walkways to go round them. So to make the walkways look realistic, I’ve had to patch some strips and cut others – a couple of pieces to go. I’ll make sure I get that right next time!
That’s weird about the gun covers on that A8 Mike . I’m sure you’re going to overcome that obstacle though. Your pic is posted in the intro. Can you scrounge up a pic of your 1/32nd scale build so I can post that one too. Looks like that one appears to have slipped through the cracks.
Super cool scheme, really like your subtle weathering on the underside, et al. A very clean and attractive model.
Sure like the detailing of the landing gear struts and gear bay. May I ask which wash technique you use?
I notice there is no aircraft number. I’m only just learning about Luftwaffe a/c and curious why that is on this particular bird if anyone can tell me.
Greg… sometimes (usually) the group commanders, staffle kapitains, adjutants, etc… used chevrons, bars, circles and various other markinge, in just about any configuration or arrangement, to ID themselves to the rest of the staffle while in the air. I guess it was a quick way to ID their leaders in the confusing and hectic coures of combat, specially dog fighting.
Doug, I believe those types of markings were only used by the Geschwader and Gruppen Stab. Initial they were used on fighters, but from 1943 also used on Ground attack aircraft, but the system was not the same.
Greg, those markings are those of a Geschwaderkommodore of a ground attack unit. But in this case not just any Geschwaderkommkodore, this is the aircraft of the commander of SG 2 in April 1945, Hans Ulrich Rudel.
Mike, that is one sweet looking build and being Rudel’s bird just makes it sweeter for me. Lovely. And the A-8 is looking just as good.
I know I haven’t posted much, but I have been following along. Mustang, you can certainly be proud of yourselves, this is certainly the best GB I have been a part of. And that’s not in any way putting down any of the others but simply shows how good this one was.
You certainly have a high aiming mark for the 109 GB.
Gotcha Bish… But didnt the ground attack aircraft of the FW 190 and Bf109 class also carry a black or white triangle to ID them as ground attack? Or am I (as usual) turned around again…
Doug, you are indeed correct. This was an early war marking for the Schlact units which also carried a single letter rather than a number. They were replaced with the new markings in April 1943, though I would bet the earlier ones will be seen after this.
You know the Germans, never like to make things easy.
Thanks Clemens, Greg and Bish! Greg, the weathering techniques used on the underside are as follows: the oil stains are dabs of brown oil paint dragged into blown smears with a soft, flat brush wetted with enamel thinner, non-reactive with the underlying acrylics; the panel accents and shadowing in the wheel wells are done with clay-based Florey wash; and the gun carbon and dust effects are Mig pigments, applied with a small pointed brush.
I’ve been away over the weekend but will be back on the A-8 tomorrow. Oh, one of the kits I’ve already picked out for the 109 GB will be a 1:32 G-6 in Hartmann’s markings, which I’m very much looking forward to.
I’m hoping to have the big one done directly – it’s fitting that it’s a 32, because it’s exactly 32 years since I last worked in that scale!
That’s a nice choice, Mike! I’m going for one of those big Hasegawa 109s too, but with some fancy nightfighter markings. My 1/48 project for that one should fit your marking scheme kinda nicely though…
Mike, I take it that’s the Hase kit. If so, I look forward to that one. I’ve got that kit and did consider it but decided to go with the simple scheme.
Clemens and Bish – yes on both counts! It’s a beauty in the box, like the 48 on steroids and I’m really looking forward to cutting sprue. In 48 I’ve picked out Hans Trautloft’s summer markings in a G-2, and am looking at one of the new-tool Airfix 72s as well.
Mike, thanks for your weathering / finishing input.
Never thought of using Flory for wheel wells and the such, will have to try. What about the landing gear struts themselves? Flory or oil wash? (they look very good)
Greg – yep, Florey on the struts too, brushed on liberally, then removed with a moistened q-tip. I painted the shockers silver, but have been wondering about using foil at 32nd scale…
I like Flory, just never thought to use it on other than a/c exterior. Will definitely be trying this, see if I can come close to emulating your work, mate.
Cheers, it’s great stuff to work with (though their Black is not as good a consistency as their Dark Dirt – it’s too thin, at least the bottle I have.)
I just assembled the drop tank rack and will blow it into 76 – sometimes it’s represented in black, but not always, so I’ll go with the conformal shade. Also there’s a touchup to do in one spot where I topcoated without having cleaned up the panel wash…
