The Wooksta: Not a Spitfire Blog

[The Wooksta!]

"There's those girls!"

Got the majority of the rudders of the assembled Spanish aircraft sprayed white and masked off, but the lure of the Snooker was stronger and I didn't do much else over the weekend. I did find the KP Avia CS199 I've been trying to find for a few weeks.

The AZ Buchon I'd snagged on eBay last week arrived this morning, in  massive box and very well packed. That's the decals sorted for the Mula. Don't know what I'll do with it yet - I had planned on building it straight but with over painted markings for one that had landed in GiB by mistake - but that's now the plan for the Special Hobby one. I started test fitting a few bits and now it's about ready to close up.  TBH, I prefer the AZ one as it's less fiddly, but the there's little to choose between them in either shape or fit. 

There are a spare set of BFO cannons in the Special Hobby and they could be useful to upgrade the Amodel CASA 1109. The etch wing fences could be useful templates too.

So, two Buchons down, is there another?  Yes, yes there is, in the shape of the Classic Plane one that I've had since 1995. It's a bit rough, the nose is very undernourished, but it is workable. The wing cannons are separate but you have to carve a huge chunk out if the wings to get them to fit, so the spare ones from the SH are very welcome.

I had thought about converting it to a two seater, but I'd rather use a better kit, the AZ perhaps. A cut and shut with an AZ G-12 maybe, but the old KP Avia CS199 is cheaper and ideal for surgery.  The other option is a resin engine, but the ones I've seen on eBay are frankly crap.  A two seat 1109 would be another good one to try, and hacking around the Amodel kit could be interesting.

Having enjoyed throwing together the old KP Avia S199, I've a second on the go. This is going in the dark green and will be a Czech defector.  There were some that flew to the US sector.

The other thing I did at the weekend was trawling for images, mainly Bf 109 G-12s but also some colour profiles of late Gs and Ks, mainly for schemes for the captured stuff I'm planning.

if the weather stays dry, I may get some priming done, but Ronnie O'Sullivan is playing tomorrow, so I suspect I'll not get much done.


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[The Wooksta!]

"Look. Nobody's fed Special Patrol Group, have they?"

The snooker and other things have conspired to ensure I've done sod all, but the imagination is firing. It's all a bit Spanish though.

I'd been looking on t'interweb for Buchon images, found some nice but pricey decals and went from there. I mean, a C-47? What can I do with that?  They'd been bought to replace the Junkers 52 but what if Spain had bouggt a licence for the Ju 352 instead?  I have a Mach Poo one to play with.  The alternate is RAF, as the air ministry were casting round for transport types in 1945 for the invasion of Japan, so much so there was a requirement to capture 90 Me 323 Giants, and that was more than Messerschmitt had built.

There were a few others that crossed my mind that are sitting gathering dust in the loft. Various Ju 88 related types and possibly with Bristol Hercules, Arado Ar 196 for coastal patrol, Siebel Si 204D, Heinkel He 70 but with a Lancaster power egg, or a Messerschmitt Bf 108 but with the rockets of the Buchon? The other one that I really like the idea of is the Arado Ar 68H.  The option is there in the Huma kit, as it has a radial and it is comparable with the Gladiator.  That one may well translate into plastic sooner rather than later.

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[The Wooksta!]

"I didn't know."

I went in the loft to dig out a few things, mainly Heinkel He 112s. I knew I had a few but finding the Encore boxing of the Heller kit was a bonus.  Took a while to find the part started Heller one, but that won't need too much work to build.
The DB601 engined RS kit was where I knew it was, so that engine is falling into rubber.
I thought I had a pair of the I older MPM He 100, but there was only one although I did find the much nicer Special Hobby kit.  That's going Spanish, the older kit goes RAF, being an aircraft that strayed into Gibraltar's airspace and the RAF was only too happy to get their hands on it, expecting the type to be in widespread service thanks to that nice Dr Goebbels.
The Huma Ar 68 had two in the box, plus an Airfix Hs 123.  Which was nice.

One thing I found was a Special Hobby Bv 155 and on opening the box found it largely assembled as several sub assemblies.  I'd like to finish it, but can' think of a user. RAF is likely, but the scheme is troubling me.

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[The Wooksta!]

Wait a minute, wait a minute...Who's this Mary?

The older MPM He 100 is largely together, sans tailplanes and with filler curing. It's fought me along the way and it's not an easy build, somewhat challenging and needing constant clean up.  I did consider a prop transplant from the SH kit, but I decided against it as it's going on something else.  The wheels are definitely getting an upgrade, as the kit has solid hubs and all the photos show spoked.  Thankfully, the canopy hasn't gone gold, as many MPM canopies if that era tend to do.

The other thing that got closed up was the Heller He 112B, which got the later ejector exhausts of the Romanian aircraft and it's getting the spare prop from the SH He 100 as it does fit.  Straight scheme and markings from the Encore kit.
I've made a small start on the RS kit, but have no real plans for it. Possibly another Spanish one in a different scheme. Desert maybe?

The other rabbit hole I seem to be falling into is small German light aircraft. I went looking for Spanish Bf 108s, as I knew there had some and wanted to see if they were flying them post war. But then I find something that looks similar and really liked the look of it. Photo below.
So, there's a few others that fit into the same category and I have other ideas for
Bf 108s, some real and some not. Some are available, the Klemm Kl 32 below is like rocking horse turds. The Arado Ar 79 is quite intriguing and I'd like a few.

But anyway, I have a Bf 108 ticking over too. Should have that closed up soon.



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[The Wooksta!]

"How about Jelly Botty, where you have to eat eighteen curries?"

Nothing today as work and then socialising stopped play.

Somewhat tempted with the idea of a radial Bf 108, partly inspired by the Klemm.   Donor is likely to be a Heller Jungmeister.

The other thing I'm thinking of is a Junkers Ju86 as a Spanish MPA in overall blue.  The Germans had cancelled the type so swiftly that there were a considerable numbers of airframes and spares that eventually got scrapped. Say someone thinks that selling them to Spain for materials would be a better idea?

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[The Wooksta!]

"Okay, I'll change it, then! Hello, Cliff Richard!"

Another tempter. I have an assembled Bv 141 that is looking for a user. Blohm and Voss built more than people think, so dumping them on Spain?  Again, interesting choice for an MPA.
A change of engines? Well no, because with the Casa built Heinkels were flying with Jumo engines well into the 1950s before they switched to Merlins, as Spain had bought some Jumos from France post war. Now as the French were using Fw 190As postwar, Spain obtaining the BMW 801 engines for the Bv 141 shouldn't be that difficult.

Anyway, another shelf queen sorted.

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[The Wooksta!]

"No, but it doesn't say, "Ensure the machine isn't full of washing-up liquid"!"

Found the two 141s, but predictably there are bits missing. Nothing too difficult to replace and I'm sure there are a pair unbuilt in the loft somewhere that could be stripped if need be. I definitely need a set of glazing.
I stripped the painted one, only for it to come apart around the nacelles.    Easy to fix.  The bomb racks went on the unpainted one and both have had the rudders sprayed white.

Also made a start on two of the He 70s, one Matchbox and t'other ICM.  May have to get another of those as it's nice but somewhat fiddly.  The Matchbox one isn't but it'll end up as a military communications aircraft.



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[The Wooksta!]

Neil, we're not having broken crockery again? That's my recipe!

Ventured into the loft for several reasons.  One, to try and find those Bv 141s and two, to identify kits to get rid of.  There are certain types where I have quite a few and realistically could lose half a dozen or so and not notice.
Anyway, I only found the one Bv 141, and I don't know what happened to the other one. As it is, the one that I did find has now been stripped.
There were several kits I was really happy to find, the old CMK Heinkel He 118 being one, although I think it has the wrong engine. A competitor of the Stuka, it's fate was sealed when Ernst Udet crashed one.  Need to scratch bodge a DB601 cowling for it at some point, or possibly steal a Stuka engine.

There was also a resin Bf 109 prototype, a bad copy of the MPM 109H, it has leading edge radiators at the roots. Swap the fuselage for a Heller 109K, sort out the wing centre section and there's the basis for the Me 209H as drawn up by Thomas Hitchcock. Also in the box were the bits of the Planet Me 209H. No where close, but I'll build it anyway.

Last thing found was a part assembled Fw 190S. An Esoteric body job with the Italeri Fw 190A as a donor. Horrible kit. Anyway, clean off the filler, add tailplanes and then prime. Could this be any simpler? No, one wing looks too high, so it gets torn off, the filler cleaned back an the reattached. It looks OK now but it's not really much further forward. It'll either be a Czech one or possibly an RAF courier.  Both are going to go aluminium, but a darker scheme could be better.  There's an MPM Fw 190S there too, but IIRC only the wing is assembled.

So, more part started stuff, but nothing really further forward. I did get the tailplanes on a few things, but that's about it.

Doesn't help making shopping lists on the Hannants website...

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[The Wooksta!]

"Virgin! Virgin! Virgin!"

Did some clean up on all the things with filler and added filler to things without.  Did some clean up on a Huma Ar 68 as I'm intending on doing one as the H variant, with a radial and an enclosed cockpit.  Fit isn't too clever.
Work stopped play and came back to the Me 209H. Sorted out the wing, as I'd applied filler and then had a look at the cockpit.  Basically, what Planet give you is frankly crap. A seat that looks more like a throne for giants, a floor and a blank instrument panel, none of which looked like anything from an Bf 109, because that's what it should be.
So out with the plastic card and some spares.  Really, it's a blank canvas and what's in there now isn't competition winning  but a vast improvement.
And an eventual scheme?  One of the oddball patchwork schemes worn by late Gs and Ks, with crosses overpainted with RAF roundels.

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[The Wooksta!]

"It's incredible, isn't it Mike? That although one goes to bed, apparently free of grit, when you get up in the morning, your bed's always full of bits!"

I've been tinkering with the He 70 I was given on Monday.  The wings are together , whilst the cockpit is in.  I added some bits of plastic card to assist, with a bulkhead and a floor as some bits had gone walkies. One of the Revellobox He 70s is going to donate it's undercarriage - I've already used the instrument panel as a template.
I quite like the kit, despite it's issues. It's certainly better than the Matchbox one although it's a bit clunky.

I've got a bit further with the Matchbox one, as I've managed to tart up the passenger compartment a bit. Well, the seats have been modified to look more like the ICM ones and there's a bulkhead in.  It's really a horrible fit pretty much everywhere and I may even use the Hungarian engine option. Sure I can mug up some back story where the Hungarians flog their retired ones to the RLM for either new Ju 88s or Bf 110s and the RLM flog them to Spain for minerals for the German war machine.
I have a scheme in mind, and some sob story about it being a General's personal aircraft. The nice blue of the Buchons may be redeployed here.  Or maybe that horrible pre war German green...

Got a little further with a Special Hobby He 100.  One of the upper wings had decided to hide but I managed to find it.  Again, likely Spanish.

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[The Wooksta!]

Bloody right, Neil! Everybody panic!

My own fault, really. Looking for something I could get my teeth into, something to sit and work on in the sun whilst quaffing rum n coke.  Something big ish. Or perhaps Herculean.

The Mach Two Junkers Ju 352 Herkules to be precise. Oh dear, what have I done?

I've had it for some years and some bits, mainly the fuselage, have had some work done. So I move into the wings. The trailing edges need some good thinning and the port wing upper is all over Hexham, with something very weird just outboard of the engine. It's either warped or bulged, I really don't know, but sanding may well sort it.  Pack the inside underneath with plastic card.
All the sanding to sort out the trailing edges was done yesterday, with the tailplanes getting similar treatment, and they all got glued together today. Filler applied where needed, along with more plastic card packing in places.
Last job of the day was to prime the interior so I can spray it at some point soon. I'm planning on using UV cure clear resin for the windows.

Final scheme is going to be the white fuselage top deck, with silver everywhere else and a blue cheatline, like Spain's C47s.  There is a decal sheet for them and it is on order.

Also done was the white primer on the rudders of a few other things, but the He 100 needs a lot more work before I can get the paint on.

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[The Wooksta!]

"Well, I've done my revision."

Different day on the carousel.

A part assembled Arado 96 is now largely together and has filler on the wing.  Don't know end user, either Spain or possibly RAF, as we used quite a few post war.  Also in the same box is the KP Avia C-2, the Czech built one. Either Czech or Isreali.  Both tick current boxes, although the former would be real.

I was looking at the distructions for the RS Heinkel He 112 and noticed they gave markings for a Japanese one. Now, I chanced on some interesting photos on t'nterweb, of some US troops poncing about in an aircraft hangar post war looking at various wrecks. One in particular is an He 112B.
The Japanese got at least 12 aircraft, so perhaps there were others that survived to be found by Commonwealth troops? And perhaps one found it's way into RAF hands?

Further reading reveals that Austria and Finland were also interested in the He 112.

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[The Wooksta!]

I still tend to think that the whole outfit is somethat on the snug side.

After some procrastination over the seatbelts, I've got the AZ/KPM S-199 together. Well, the fuselage is together and the wings are on, along with a fair bit of filler. To say it fought back is true, as the fuselage didn't want to go together.

Also got the armour into several 109 canopies, so several should get some paint at the weekend.  I hope...

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[The Wooksta!]

What's happened to all your clothes, Neil?

Spent several hours in the sun in the garden with a trip of Beaufighters and some masking tape.  Although not part of the current plans,  they got some paint a while back so it was about time I got them a bit further.  One has a two tone upper scheme of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey, so it's getting Azure Blue underneath and 47 Sqn markings for anti sub operations in the middle east late war. OTL, they got Beauforts after the Wellesleys and ended up with Mosquitoes in SEAC.
The other two get Sky underneath, with one getting BPF style roundels to operate from Okinawa for anti shipping operations against Japan, and the other is getting RAAF roundels.  Some of the many spare under fuselage tanks from the later Airfix Beau (of which I have many) will likely get used here.

It's been weeks threatened, but finally, I've managed to get some paint in various 109 based projects.  The two Ks look resplendent in their post war Czech colours, the one in overall 82 (or whichever number the late dark green has this week) I'm really happy with.
The two S199s less so, as the one in 82 took a dive and lost a tailplane, whilst the one in 02...  I was never that happy with it, as it's a salvage job but I'll finish it anyway.
As for the Spanish trio, they look good although RLM 63 is a vile colour that makes 02 look positively vibrant.  The Tripala will get some slate grey over part of the fuselage as it has its original markings overpainted as a captured aircraft, although I'm keeping the white tail as RAF technicians were always wary of repainting control surfaces for balance reasons, especially on captured types.  Well, that's my reasoning anyway and anyone who thinks otherwise can had away and bollards.

I'll have to do something similar with the Czech defector S199 - the fuselage codes will be overpainted with RAF Dark Green, close but just different enough to contrast with the Czech colour. The rudder in this case will be overpainted, and I'll shift the blame onto the hapless and hopeless Aircraftsman Clarke.

The Spanish He 112 on the go got it's RLM 65 underneath and will be masked to do the 63 on top. The markings are the ones from the Encore boxing and they got the instructions wrong, interpreting Lichtgrau as Light Grey instead of actually looking at paint chips. To be fair, you can't tell from black and white photos as, well, they're grey.
Whilst masking that, I'll mask off the rudder on the He 100 so I can put the 65 underneath that too.  Really like that colour.
 
The Ju 352 got a bit further, with the interior getting a coat of paint before I used a strip of masking tape inside and filled the window openings with UV activated clear resin. It's not quite optically clear, but sands and polishes easy. The downside is that it doesn't key in and whilst snug, a bit of pressure can pop them out, so a coat of PVA on the inside should do the trick. 


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[The Wooksta!]

Except that they've given us a dud!

For possibly the first time in the 35 years I've been modelling, I am honestly wanting to throw a WIP in the bin.

The Heller Arado Ar 96 I've been working on for a few weeks has been fighting me every step of the way. Nothing has fitted, bits wouldn't glue properly, parts have been on and off repeatedly. I've put several splices in to get the dihedral fixed, more filler than I care to think about...  I really hate this thing and just want it finished. 
I've never chucked anything in the bin. Ever.  I mean, stuff has been abandoned or reduced to produce or donated to gullible idiots... I mean, better modellers than me.  But I have never chucked anything in the bin.  This is a very thin piece of sprue away from ending up in the circular file.  If it does, the rest of the Heller ones will too.  I can't look at them without this colouring my eyes with a poo shaded tint.

The irony is I've found a good post war Spanish training scheme from a T-34 that I'd like to use.

I doubt it's worth it, given the lack of replies and all that, but comments for those still remotely and vaguely interested, and can also be arsed to reply, go here:
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For more information, please reread.