Finally proof that I do actually build stuff, albeit badly[:D]
The kit is Acadeny’s 1/48 offering, built as Boris Safanov’s machine.
The wing ribbing was a little on the heavy side, so I sanded it off, top and bottom, and instead sprayed a darker mix along one side of each rib, to simulate sag. I started on the lower wing, which has only about 12 ribs aside, then moved onto the top, suddenly realising that, the top wing had about 26 ribs a side, see picture below for the masking for that one!!!
Looks good mate. The extra work you did adds alot to the apearance of the paint scheme. You’ll have fun with the Academy decals, they aren’t the greatest quality ever.
Karl, she’s looking good so far. As I said before, I’m going to be watching your progress carfully, and taking your hints (so please pass them on as you build), because I have the same kit in the planning stages. So far, I still need to get some brass parts for it, and I’d like some AM decals, but I want to do the Spanish version, basically the one on the box top with the kit scheme. Now that I think about it, though, this a/c I’m talking about – it has Popeye the Sailor painted on the tail – is one of the planes featured on the I-16 pages of Flying Colors. (A book I consider an invaluable reference that should be one of the first things a starting-out modeler should purchase for their reference library). Still, I plan to paint the large areas of red and probably the rudder stripes, if I can match the purple, red and yellow properly. And, Karl, what topside green and belly blue are you using for your Soviet bird?
Finaly, does anybody know a web site that shows a Spanish Civil War I-16?
Best of luck Karl, and keep those reports coming.
Tom
I applied the post decal gloss coat this afternoon, and unfortunately those Academy decals have lived up to their reputation, and have silvered in a few places.[banghead]. Still I’m sure a coat of Gunze flat will make it all but disapear!
Now I have to finish the exhausts, as I took a dislike to the ones on the kit and carved them off. I’m therefore in the process of making up new ones from aluminium tube.
Sharkskin, I used Lifecolour Green (FS34102) for the green, lightened with 10% white for the non-metal areas of the airframe, and Gunze RLM 78 for the underside, again lightened 10% for the non-metal areas. The lifecolur is OK, but not a patch on the Gunze, and very easy to scratch. I also used the RLM 78 for the interior.
AM decals for these birds are somewhat lacking by the way, but I would definitely go the PE route, as the kit lacks a lot of detail, especially around the wheel covers and cockpit.
Yeah, the lack of detail in the very places you mentioned have bothered me. At least they left us nice, clean, flat spaces from which to start putting on the detail. How much can you see through that little cockpit opening? And what AM stuff did you add? I’d like to know how the Eduard set for the I-16 is.
Tom
Looks real nice, Karl !
I like the subtle effect you achieved. Better to have people study the model for a while rather than hitting them with everything at once.
Well done !
I read about the shading technique in an article by Bob Partridge about his VVS I-16 that a found via a Google search on the Academy/Hobbycraft kit, and thought it sounded rather good. I think it looks better than the heavily molded wing ribs on the kit. having said that the wings on I-16 varies a great deal throughout the life of aircraft, and I’m not sure mine are correct.
Sharkskin, the above article is well worth a look, and I dound plenty more under the same Google search.
As for AM, the only AM I bought was some resin wheels. I added the framing in the cockpit and on the wheel covers from styrene strip, and have mostly built the replacement exhaust pipes from tubing. Most of the cockpit is invisible once the model is complete, so I just detailed the seat, adding a cushion and seat belts, from an Eduard set for a 109!!!
I looked at the Eduard set, which looks pretty comprehensive, but was aiming to build this kit as an out of the box build, so much for my intentions! The Moskit exhausts look good as well.
I was very much looking forward to your progress on the little Russian flying beerkeg and it was worth the wait! Very nice and subtle paitjob. Looking at my own effort, I bow my head in shame. The only thing I added was a cushion on the headrest… but I have to say all the adjustments you made are totally justifyable. And you’re right about the wheels too: the kit ones are way too narrow. A word of warning: I don’t know what’s in that Gunze flat stuff, but ModelMaster flat made the colors of the decals on mine smear out with the first brush strokes (and it is, ehm… was, white)[xx(].
Thanks for sharing the pics with us Karl!
…or more likely fools seldom differ, as I replaced the headrest cushion as well, seeing as the kit one left a yawning gap between itself and the cockpit rear bulkhead.
I’m sure you sell your own efforts too short Filibert.
The decals have already had a coat of Gunzr gloss prior to a sludge wash, so far, apart from the aforementioned silvering all is looking OK.