Zenrat's Flying Circus

[zenrat]

Apart from a few speckles of minor acne the tape came off and left the paint behind.  Yay!
Privateer Express WIP 25-07-2019 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

And here's the 222 with guards and the turret in place.
Sd.kfz 222 WIP 25-07-19 by Fred Maillardet, on Flickr

[NARSES2]

Both looking good 

[Old Wombat]

 

[zenrat]

Thanks guys.

The Privateer is going to get remasked as i'm not happy with the demarkation line.  I tried the play doh worm technique for the first time - it's suitablely soft but it's wiggley and I wanted it straight so i'm going to mask the lower surfaces and give it a hard straght line.

Having taken delivery of the transfers for the Spitfire I started painting it.  The bottom of the fuselage and of one wing is now sky.

Me 109 is primed and ready to have lost panel lines rescribed.  ISTR they had a panel line along the top of the fuselage.  I will have to check this and also look to see if there was one along the bottom.  Mind you, as it's a whiff there is no reason why it can'r have both (or neither).

And I spent time on the Sea Witch.  I've got to the stage where I can assemble and paint all the bits that attach to the decks.  Deckhouses, hatch covers, ventilators, that sort of stuff.  I glued the multi part items together.  I must say the instructions for this thing are not clear.  I hope they improve when they get to the rigging...

I had a good score on Evil-Bay today.  A Bandai 1/72 YS-11.  It's one of the original releases moulded in white with transfers for Piedmont and All Nippon Airways.  I already have one but it its the later coloured plastic version (Yellow or White & Blue IIRC) with Japanese Coast Guard markings.  These don't come up very often so i'm pleased I "won" it.

[NARSES2]

Me 109 is primed and ready to have lost panel lines rescribed.  ISTR they had a panel line along the top of the fuselage.  I will have to check this and also look to see if there was one along the bottom.  Mind you, as it's a whiff there is no reason why it can'r have both (or neither).

That's what I've always read re the panel line along the top of the fuselage, but I can't recollect any of those articles mention the underside, but it would seem logical given the method of construction that it would have had.

[zenrat]

Thanks Chris.
The trick will be to scribe the line without splitting the glue joint.

[zenrat]

Some very quick research later.

Me 109s were built from two halves like a big model kit.  One half overlapped the other.  This means that not only should there be a seam along the top and the bottom but it should be slightly offset.
In 1/72 the offset would be negligible.
I did an interweb search for "Bf 109 panel line" which was probably a mistake as it exposed me to the writings of some very obsessed people - JMNs of the highest order.
Apparently Me 110s & 262s were also built this way as were FW 190s and other aircraft.  However, some of them got filler applied along the seam before they were painted.  A big can of worms methinks.  I shall try to leave the lid on...

[Old Wombat]

A big can of worms methinks.  I shall try to leave the lid on...

You feeling OK, Fred?

[NARSES2]

A big can of worms methinks.  I shall try to leave the lid on...

You feeling OK, Fred?

[NARSES2]

I did an interweb search for "Bf 109 panel line" which was probably a mistake as it exposed me to the writings of some very obsessed people - JMNs of the highest order.

I did the same thing (bar I use ME rather than Bf) and got the same thing. Interesting interior shot of a 109 fuselage in construction which show the two halves were joined by a narrow, presumably H, section.

[TheChronicOne]

What all those people don't realize is that one is as good as the other, really. I'm just going to start calling it the "MF-109. "

[Old Wombat]

MeBf-109?

[zenrat]

Hmmmm, disappearing replies again.

A big can of worms methinks.  I shall try to leave the lid on...

You feeling OK, Fred?

This is a can not worth opening here as it would not cause enough of a fuss - most of us are too sensible to care particularly deeply whether or not others adhere to this sort panel line accuracy.
By that I mean that while there are some here who like to be that accurate they do not have the character flaw which obliges them to decry anyone who does not share their obsession.


I have rescribed those panel lines the Me 109 lost through PSR and added some along the top and bottom of the fuselage.  I then painted the lower surfaces.  I was planning to use one of the RW long wing schemes from the back of the box but despite having what appears to be many many RLM paint shades I don't appear to have the exact ones needed.  Rather than buy those colours I don't have I will just use the closest ones i've got.  I'm not convinced Vallejo's paints are that accurate anyway.

Masking and respraying the Privateer went without a hitch.  it needs some touching up with hairy stick and then I might add a touch more fading on the upper surfaces before I add painted over USAF markings and zenrat industries branding.

Spitfire 1 now has the underside of one wing painted a different colour to the other.

[Old Wombat]

I was planning to use one of the RW long wing schemes from the back of the box but despite having what appears to be many many RLM paint shades I don't appear to have the exact ones needed.  Rather than buy those colours I don't have I will just use the closest ones i've got.  I'm not convinced Vallejo's paints are that accurate anyway.

I'm pretty sure the original paints weren't that accurate, either!

[kerick]

I'm not sure why some folks get so wrapped up over paint colors. Different manufacturers at different times produced different shades of supposedly the same color. Given war time quality control, who knows what you might get. Add weathering and fading and colors might end up quite different. Kind of a useless exercise to me. As long as its reasonably close to what the builder intends its close enough for me. Of course, this could be why I prefer whif world these days.