Me-2262 Schnellerbomber

[sequoiaranger]

Thanks to "Bungle" and "TSRJoe" I have some decent Finnish blue-swastika roundels to decorate my Schnellerbomber. Each guy sent me a different set, but I will need them both for the final product!

The bomb pylons are on, plus a single RATO unit (with parachute) in the rear, and the pair of mysterious "probes" sticking out from the RW glass-nose Me-262 have now become 12.7mm MG (gotta have SOME forward-firing armament).

I just realized that this is the first nosewheel aircraft I have done in a long time, and I HAD a fabulous opportunity TWO WEEKS AGO to have put weights in the nose prior to sealing the fusealge all up.     But... I have found a way to slip some antimony wheel-weights (cut up) into the forward fuselage past the prone bombardier, so all will turn out well (I think!).

pyro-maniac >Don't think I'd like to try landing the thing though...! <

Curious---why not?

If it looks "nose-heavy" in the pic, that is just the photography angle. When I took a picture from the rear, it looked tail-heavy!!

Paco  >an interesting version; with slipper fuel tanks.<

They look interesting, and I had considered putting drop tanks in place of one of the sets of bombs. I fear that ADDING extra fuel tanks at this stage would make the "real" plane too heavy--as it is I am adding a jettisonable RATO unit to help get it airborne with the heavy bombload.

[pyro-manic]

I say that because the 'pit is a long way back from the nose - the view can't be very good from a nose-up landing attitude. But then perhaps the bombardier can shout out instructions from his perch up front.

[TsrJoe]

your mention of blue in the camouflage brought to mind the experimental scheme applied to this Finnish T.28 tank and some field guns 

http://www.missing-lynx.com/gallery/other/cmt28.htm

looking forward to seeing it in paint, best wishes, Joe

[sequoiaranger]

>your mention of blue in the camouflage brought to mind the experimental scheme applied to this Finnish T.28 tank and some field guns. looking forward to seeing it in paint, <

I like that scheme--Icy shadows tend to be blue, so the color fits the territory. Also, the region around the Russo-Finnish border is full of lakes, that, at least on a clear day, would be "blue" (I think the big Soviet push was in June, 1944, when there would be some "breakup" of the ice, but NOT yet full summer melt!). I have a rough idea of my camo scheme--I will paint the plane white on top, then "Blu-tack" mask off patches and squiggles, then overspray with a "typical" Finnish camo pattern (but using blue and black-green). When I peel the blu-tack off, there will be a mix of three colors and irregular patterns. With the "gray" roundels, I don't need to keep the roundel area all dark colors to offset the "white" of the hakaristi.

>Don't think I'd like to try landing the thing though...! I say that because the 'pit is a long way back from the nose - the view can't be very good from a nose-up landing attitude. But then perhaps the bombardier can shout out instructions from his perch up front.<

Remember, this isn't a tail-dragger, so will have a bit more level attitude coming in. Still, wouldn't want to try to land it on a CARRIER! As for the guy up front giving instructions---how does the pilot interpret "ARRRRRGH!!!"?

[sequoiaranger]

Here is a rough color drawing of my proposed camo scheme--dk. green, med. blue, and white. The "squiggles" are white.They will be used as "mottle" on the sides, and interspersed among the top colors, too. The special top "Hakaristi" roundels will have a slight blue-gray tint to them (NOT white).

I have decided to call this aircraft a "Sturmadler" (Storm-Eagle), that is, one-up from "Sturmvogel" (stormbird---the name of the Me-262 bomber version). I successfully inserted proper nose-weights and bulkheaded them off from view, and then installed wide-track undercarriage. "Proper" noseweights means that if I push the tail down (on a level surface) and let go, it will rock back on its nose--not come CRASHING back on its nose (too much weight).



TSRJoe (or anybody)--what color were Finnish aircrew uniforms? Blue? Khaki? Brown? I'm getting to that point where I have to do the cockpit/interior. Don't want to "dis" the Finnish and give them an "incorrect" uniform!

[The Wooksta!]

The cockpit interior would be RLM 66, being built in Germany and supplied to the Finns.  I can't see the Finns being allowed to build it under licence.

[TsrJoe]

earlier in the war i think the blue/grey was standard ?

http://mosinnagant.net/finland/FinnishInternationalGrandFestival.htm

summer, shirt sleeve order ...

http://www.warbirdforum.com/illu.htm

continuation war, brown grey?

http://mosinnagant.net/finland/tunicsection-photo1.asp

i recall reading pretty much anything goes re pilots, even tho there was a standard uniform, flying overalls could be any of a mixture of Finnish, British, American, Italian, Czech, French and German, for modelling, whatever looks good in situ i guess would be fine

probably not very useful i know but might help, cheers, Joe

[sequoiaranger]

Wooksta... >The cockpit interior would be RLM 66, being built in Germany and supplied to the Finns.  I can't see the Finns being allowed to build it under licence.<

Agreed. As clever as the Finns were in building/re-building copies of various aircraft (must have been a quartermaster's nightmare!), I would think that even airframes for the Me-2262's would NOT be built under license (much less the "secret" engines).

TSRJoe...>i recall reading pretty much anything goes re pilots, even tho there was a standard uniform, flying overalls could be any of a mixture of Finnish, British, American, Italian, Czech, French and German, for modelling, whatever looks good in situ i guess would be fine. probably not very useful i know but might help, cheers, Joe<

We whiffers LOVE that phrase, "whatever looks good"!!     In fact, I might just make each of the three crewmembers wear different-colored uniforms, just for kicks!

[sequoiaranger]

"As promised", each crewmember is wearing a different "uniform" in the "tradition" of the Finnish Air Force. The prone bombardier looking through the bombsight is wearing a shiny, black-leather jacket and brown-gray pants, the gunner is wearing a field-gray tunic and pants, and the pilot has a brown jumpsuit. The thingy in the middle is the twin MG for the gunner.



FWIW-- I like to use a thin "craft-stick" to put double-sided-sticky "foam" tape on, then position my crew on it (sitting or whatever) as they would be in the aircraft. Then I can paint them without having to use my fingers to hold them (I just hold and turn the stick while I paint). The thing in the background is a curved, soft-jawed "jar opener" that I find indispensible.

[PACOPEPE]

The scheme you´ve chosen is fantastic!. It´s one of my favorites. Lucky with the finish.


Cheers
Fran

[sequoiaranger]

Hoo boy! Courage and process needed here! In order to get the multi-colored camo, with white substantial but not dominating, I had to find a way to get the three colors without all the repainting of "errors", especially since white is SO HARD to make look good. So....I decided to paint the whole upper surface of the 2262 white, then mask off the regions I want white, and THEN spray the darker colors over it. So I drew a rough outline of the aircraft and "assigned" the white patches with numbers on them, as such:



Then, taking 3M light-tack painters tape, I put some strips down on a "baggie" (wanting a clear, but somewhat thick backing to the tape), put the strips over the drawing, traced the outline of the patches, then marked down the corresponding number on the tape patches (the serrated parts are "overhang" that don't need to be exactly cut). The baggie will hold the tape for scissor-cutting (woe betide the person who tries to cut designs in "raw" tape, curling and sticking to everything!).



Then, using my "plan" drawing, I carefully peeled the tape off the baggie backing and affixed to the model. I also added "Fun-Tack" squiggles, especially along the sides that would normally be "mottle" on a Luftwaffe plane.



So there it is.  Now I will spray the blue and dark green of the upper camo in waves over the topsides. HOPEFULLY, when I take the mask off, the white patterns will appear underneath and the whole thing will look like my original color drawing!

[sequoiaranger]

After all the masking was in place, I airbrushed the two chosen top colors:



Then....the magical moment when all the tape and fun-tack come off:



Now it is how it is SUPPOSED to look, with minor touch-ups. I will be adding the pre-decalling gloss coat soon, and get on with the decoration!!

[MilitaryAircraft101]

Now that is pretty damned beautiful 

[PACOPEPE]

I like a lot!.  Very interesting scheme.


Cheers
Fran

[NARSES2]

I like a lot!.  Very interesting scheme.


Cheers
Fran

Agreed