Allan-the venerable Revell 109 G in 1/32 scale---wood varnish and tail gunner

[NARSES2]

Alan that seat is your best "wood" effect yet  I was looking at some Eduard pre-painted WWI etched seats the other day and you could compete with them. In fact yours looks used whereas theirs look as though no one has ever sat on them at all, to pristine IMHO.

Great work 

[sequoiaranger]

...handling that "wooden" seat---looks realistic enough for splinters!!

[Brian da Basher]

Your detail work is outstanding and your woodgrain paint work a wonder to behold, Allan! I just love it when you post an update!

Brian da Basher

[Allan]

Thanks Chris, Ranger and Brian,
Well, I've crossed the Rubicon with this plane and it's alea jacta est!!!
Here's the bulkhead in place, but it might have to be slightlly trimmed to enable to fus halves to close nicely. Next is to knock up some kind of folding seat and add a safety harness.
Allan in Canberra

[NARSES2]

Alan. I'd like to see one of the experts on "Antiques Roadshow" trying to identify the type of wood you've used  Fantastic 

[pyro-manic]

Superb wood effect, Allan - very impressive.

[Taiidantomcat]

That is some superb work 

[Allan]

Thanks for your kind comments. Here's a photographic update on progress so far. I've painted some cloth-like material Tamiya dark green and attached buckles made from staples, so the cockpit is ready to slot in, as is the engine. The buckles look a little oversized, but not to worry.
Next is some sort of seat for the gunner and to give him some seatbelts, too. The cockpit looks a little twisted in the last shot because it is twisted. I left it in the garage during the hot Canberra summer last year and it melted a little.
Allan

[Sisko]

Man that is some very effective simulated wood grain. I have plenty places were I can use that!

Can I ask why you used one base  and top colour for the bulkhead and fuselage and a different combination for the cockpit floor?

What did you use as a clear coat?

This build is something that I am watching with great interest!

[Brian da Basher]

Yowsa that's some serious pro-style detailing on the front office, Allan! I think the seat belts look great! Sure beats my method of using tape.

You've always been an incredibly talented modeler, but over the last year or so, it seems your skills have grown to epic proportions!

Brian da Basher

[Allan]

Thanks Brian and Sisko.
I wanted the wood of the cockpit floor to give the impression of solidity and also I thought it would be unoriginal to have all the interior in the same color. Also, I wanted to find out how Testor's enamel rubber (square bottle) would look over tan as a testbed for the fuselage to come. The cockpit floor hasn't been covered by any varnish, but I used Tamiya Clear Yellow, thinned, on the bulkhead and inside the fuselage.
The staples look hideously huge, but I'll leave them in position and learn from the experience. I think I'll give the gunner a seat and back rest in the same color combo as the cockpit floor, maybe with a piece of cloth or something similar to resemble a cushion.
I've bought a tube of burnt sienna oil paint and will use it on the fus once I have painted it yellow here and there, in different shades of yellow, as well as tan, perhaps. It wouldn't do to have the fus in the same uniform color.
All coming along nicely. I've thought about lozenge on the wings, but that would mean sending away for some, paying dough and so on, whereas I think light blue under the wings and tailplane with green and grey uppers would be okay. Don't want to get bogged down with this model, fun that it is. More updates soon to follow.
Allan in Canberra

[Taiidantomcat]

Have to echo what the others have said and add an "awesome" of my own nice work with color variety 

[Modelling_Mushi]

Ditto from me, a great wood effect on that one there.
Mass

[NARSES2]

I think the seat belts look great!

I agree with Brian re the belts Alan. WWI period belts could be quite wide

[Allan]

Thanks, fellows, and here're some more photos and commentary.
I decided to paint the rudder white and then realized that this hobby can sometimes lash back and bite you painfully, because I forgot to give it an undercoat before applying Xtracrylix white. I'll have to sand the stuff off once it's dried and try again. Lesson learned. Grey undercoat, maybe yellow.
I've done the gunner's seat and backrest. Might have to be trimmed a little.
It's occurred to me that the fus yellow undercoat can be done even before cementing the fus halves together. That way I don't run the risk of getting yellow paint on the engine or cockpit through bad masking. And I can easily touch up the fus once they're cemented together. So that's what I'll do, rubber band them together and do it in sections.
In the same way, I might paint the wings before attaching them to the fus.
Here're the seat belts for the gunner all ready to go. I've got tonnes of this stuff left over when some workman installed some cooling in our house a few weeks ago, so if you need some please let me know.
Allan