Plan B: Horten

Mossie · June 29, 2008, 01:53:21 PM

Not suprisingly, the other project is on indefinate hold for the moment. Guilty of biting off more than I could chew again. I realised that this was going to cause a problem & thought about getting hold of an off the shelf kit to build. Took too long thinking about it, a combination of trying to finish my P-40 Floatplane, work getting in the way & a sprinkling of good old fashioned procrastination.

Eventually got hold of Revell 1/72 Horten Go-229.

I've been building it for a few days now, but couldn't post pics as the Missus' parents had borrowed the camera for the holiday. I'm now hell for leather trying to get it done for the deadline. I'm hoping to finish it this week as I'm on holiday myself for a week from the 5th, if I don't I've got a few days but I'll be cutting it fine.

So, here goes nothing! Again!

Mossie · June 29, 2008, 02:04:26 PM

It's a little bit unusual this kit compared to others I've built, as there's a fair bit of internal work to be done before you can put it together. One slight problem is that, being derived from the Dragon 1/48 kit, there's a lot of space visible in the wheel well area because Revell decided to leave the engines out. I decided that I'd kill two birds with one stone here, I'd scratch some crude representative engines to fill the space, & I'd use these as noseweight. They are plastic tubes on the outside, filled with ever smaller pieces of brass tubing fitted into each other. No way is this bugger going to tail sit (thanks Trev!

)! I also covered the bottom of the exhast shroud, as light was visible through this. This caused me a few fit problems, but a bit of cutting & sanding sorted that out.

Mossie · June 29, 2008, 02:12:44 PM

Once that was over, it was prett simple to put the whole shabang together, with no tail to worry about. I was surpsied to find when this was done, I had a lot of PSR to do. From the reviews I'd read, I didn't think this would be a problem. Part of it was my own making, I think if I'd spent a little more time putting it together, I'd have saved myself some work.

One thing I'd discovered from a three view, was that there was some dihedral to the the wings. If I'd have oriented the wings flat, I'd have had less to do, but introducing the dihedral caused a gap on the lower sides, especially on the right wing. I'm not too worried, as I prefer this look & it's correct too, which is a bonus!

Mossie · July 17, 2008, 11:08:46 AM

Underside done with Halfords Rattle can & masked off ready for the top coat, which I'm not quite sure how to go about yet:

Mossie · July 26, 2008, 05:25:19 AM

Top sides done. Okay, it's fairly obvious now where I'm going with this! The reason I was deliberating over the top sides was not the colours, it was how to apply them. I didn't want to paint this one by brush & fancied using rattle cans, of which I've used Halfords Fiat Broom Yellow for the undersides as reccomended by The Wooksta!. The top sides where more of a problem, I couldn't tie down the right rattle cans.

I've had an airbrush that I bought from Telford in 2007. The guy supplied me with a hose, which I found didn't fit the compressor I had. I'd bought this for another Airbrush that packed up after a single use (not the 'brushes fault to be fair), my only experience with an Airbrush. I found the hose didn't fit the compressor & I assumed this was because it was an old Holding (big, noisy but bomb proof) & despite the very freindly guys at my LMS going to the ends of the earth we couldn't find a suitable adapter.

When trying to source the rattle cans, I remembered I could use air cans & went about getting a couple of these, which my hose didn't fit either.

Cue another search by the LMS guys which this time yielded results with a regulator & hose to fit it. I got them home & tried the cans with my airbrush. It's probably the fact I'm not used to an airbrush, but I found it difficult to control the variation in pressure as the cans got cold. I was getting dispondent & very much thinking of going back to my hairy stick when I something in the back of my mind made me rumage through my model tool box.

There it was a part that came with the old airbrush that fitted both the new hose & the compressor. So it wasn't the compressor that was at fault, it was the hose I was supplied, I'd made the wrong assumption, which took me a year & a half to work out! I'm reasonably happy with the results, but the Ocean Grey didn't go on too well, there were some patches which spatterd & dried darker than the rest. By the time I put the Dark Green on, I'd got more of the hang of it & that went on evenly. Far from perfect, but I'm learning.

Here it is after a couple of coats of Klear, which on another forum someone insisted brush painting left no marks. Okay, they're reduced, but they're still there, I'll airbrush it next time.

nev · July 26, 2008, 10:18:57 AM

There is an art to brush painting Klear, you have to lay it on quite thick, and more than 1 coat.

HOG · July 26, 2008, 01:12:58 PM

"I got them home & tried the cans with my airbrush. It's probably the fact I'm not used to an airbrush, but I found it difficult to control the variation in pressure as the cans got cold."

Hiya Mossie,
When using airbombs try keeping the cans immersed in water (e.g a bucket) as it helps mantain a constant temperature and therefore air pressure. And keep them upright unless your into special effects.
Cheers

Gary

Martin H · July 26, 2008, 04:04:56 PM

simon. the reason people insist on brushing on Klear is due to the fact that the stuff is apparently highly toxic if the fumes are inhaled. And spraying Klear puts a fair bit into the air lol.

Mossie · July 28, 2008, 02:33:22 AM

I'll remember those tricks, thanks guys! Martin, I didn't realise Klear was toxic when sprayed, thanks for the tip!

I'll try Nevs trick of laying it on thick, I've got the decals on but it could do with an extra layer to fill in some scratches before I hit it with a Matt coat.

jcf · July 29, 2008, 10:23:06 AM

Quote from: Martin H on July 26, 2008, 04:04:56 PM
simon. the reason people insist on brushing on Klear is due to the fact that the stuff is apparently highly toxic if the fumes are inhaled. And spraying Klear puts a fair bit into the air lol.

No more toxic than any other water-thinned acrylic-based paint/varnish/finish, unless you mix it with bleach.

S.C. Johnson Future/Klear is actually just a clear acrylic varnish with soap added.

Modelling lacquers are far more toxic.

Jon

nev · July 29, 2008, 02:41:01 PM

Quote from: Mossie on July 28, 2008, 02:33:22 AM
I'll remember those tricks, thanks guys! Martin, I didn't realise Klear was toxic when sprayed, thanks for the tip! I'll try Nevs trick of laying it on thick, I've got the decals on but it could do with an extra layer to fill in some scratches before I hit it with a Matt coat.

Not so thick that it pools, but apply it liberally

Mossie · July 29, 2008, 03:51:00 PM

Nearly came a cropper with that. I'd already put the model on it's landing gear & brushed on a liberal amount of Klear. Trouble is, the Horten has such a nose up attitude that the Klear started to run slightly. It only happened in two places, & just when it dried, I took a cloth to it & rubbed it gently, which had the effect of flattening out the drips.

I've put a matt coat on now. I've brushed painted this, as with better planning I should have put the decals on before the canopy & undercarriage bay masking came off, like you do Nev. I'd have been able to airbrush it on then. I took fine sandpander to it once it dried to reduce some of the brush marks, & it's had a second coat which I'm letting dry overnight. Don't think I'll need a third coat so I should be able to get the breakable little sticky out bits on & take final photos tomorrow night.

Weaver · July 30, 2008, 12:50:13 AM

Down to the wire too, eh Mossie?

Looking good............

Mossie · July 30, 2008, 01:50:11 AM

Well, kind of. I could have finished it few days ago, but I was away at the weekend & fairly busy so I've deliberately taken it little slowly. I'll finish very close to the deadline but comfortably so, no going hell for leather & staying up to the silly hours! Done that once for a build & wore myself out because it was due at a show, otherwise I've tended to miss deadlines by a country mile.

Mossie · July 31, 2008, 03:15:35 PM

All done! Finished as a captured aircraft of 1426 (Enemy Aircraft) Flt (popularly known as the 'Rafwaffe') based at RAF Collyweston in November 1946. I guess you could call this a Luft 46 build, despite the RAF roundels!

I like to add as much 'reality' to my whiffs as possible, so I had to fight to find photos of a similar tail-less aircraft to work out how I was going to apply the markings. I came across the General Aircraft GAL.61 glider which never flew, but was the only British aircraft built with no vertical tail surfaces whatsoever (other tailess aircraft had conventional or wing tip vertical tails). This aircraft made no attempts to add fin flashes & the serials where on the wing leading edges. In the kit there are two 'Baron Munchausen' decals, 'Rafwaffe' aircraft often retained unit or personal markings, so I included one of these on the build to add a little interest.