DONE @p.3 +++ 1:72 Do 217 F-0 w. SG 104 "Münchhausen", a maritime nutcracker

[NARSES2]

So, Dizzy, what putty do you use?

I need to buy some get-rich-quick shares to pay for Christmas.

In the Frankfurt Stock Exchange there is an ETF based on the "Dizzy's putty use" Index...

[PR19_Kit]

Dizzy uses the same putty as me, Presto. You can see the tube of it in the 4th and 5th pics above.

It's pretty difficult, if not impossible to get over the counter in the UK, but there are various sites selling it on eBay.

I've no idea if it's available Down Under though.

[Dizzyfugu]

Dizzy uses the same putty as me, Presto. You can see the tube of it in the 4th and 5th pics above.

It's pretty difficult, if not impossible to get over the counter in the UK, but there are various sites selling it on eBay.

I've no idea if it's available Down Under though.

Correct, Presto is a nitrous compound putty for car bodies. I get it locally at a car equipment chain (called ATU), or at ev!kbay. Check these sellers (apparently does not sell/send to Australia?) - apparently the tube design ahs changed a little recently:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/284372458731?epid=3017023558&hash=item4235eb5ceb:g:4CAAAOSwWeJg8COX

...plus some more options: https://www.ebay.de/sch/i.html?_productid=3017023558&rt=nc&_pmc=true&LH_ItemCondition=3&LH_BIN=1&_fosrp=1

[kerick]

Sounds like Bondo spot putty for auto body work. Easy to find in the US at auto parts stores and big box stores. I don't know about down under. I've used it for years and works great for me.

[Old Wombat]

Ah, the poor translation of humour over the interwebs strikes again!


I was referring to the fact that, with the amount of putty Dizzy must go through, buying shares in the company would almost certainly result in a quick profit.

[loupgarou]

Ah, the poor translation of humour over the interwebs strikes again!


I was referring to the fact that, with the amount of putty Dizzy must go through, buying shares in the company would almost certainly result in a quick profit.

Yes, of course, mine was a joke.

[Old Wombat]

Ah, the poor translation of humour over the interwebs strikes again!


I was referring to the fact that, with the amount of putty Dizzy must go through, buying shares in the company would almost certainly result in a quick profit.

Yes, of course, mine was a joke.

That part I got!

[Dizzyfugu]

Back to the subject: big guns... or just a single one, to be correct. 

here's a look at "my" SG 104 dummy; it will consist of a buddy refueling pod in the middle (from an Italeri Luftwaffe Tonka. becuase of its two conical ends) and barrels made from protective caps from steel canulas, plus the 1:35 brass muzzle brake. The thing was IRL more than 11 m long (for comparison, a Spitfire Mk. V was just 9m long!) and therefore a bit more than 6" in 1:72.

1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Looks quite modern, but IMHO a more or less serial version of the Münchhausen device would have had a more streamlined mount than the prototype rigs, which were primarily used to investigate the blast effects on the airframe. Here it is, dry-fitted onto the adapted aerodynamic belly fairing, as close to the fuselage as possible:


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Another view, with additional stabilizer and blast protection vanes in place:


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

Yesterday the wings were mated to the hull, too, it starts looking like a (quite menacing) aircraft:


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[PR19_Kit]

QUITE menacing? 

It looks totally lethal, even if it can only fire once!

[NARSES2]

QUITE menacing? 

It looks totally lethal, even if it can only fire once!

If the crew survived the experience I'm convinced they wouldn't be volunteering again any time shortly 

[Dizzyfugu]

More progress. To help the pilot aiming and keep course, I decided to add a fairing for a Lotfernrohr under the solid nose, and there will also be a single cannon (firing tracer bullets).


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Now with the landing gear added - I raised the tail wheel a bit, and I hope that, together with the wheels finally attached, this will provide enough ground clearance.


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


Painting has also started; the Do 217 F-0 will receive a rather simple/dry paint scheme, inspired by a He 177 operated by KG 100 in 1944 that carries something similar: a lightened standard splinter pattern, consisting of RLM 71/02/65, with a high waterline and no mottles on the flanks and fins. Quite bleak, but suitable for operations over the Atlantic.


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Not much progress, except that overall basic painting has been finished and that weathering effects can commence. The color for the SG 104 caused some headaches - what would you paint this huge thing? I considered RLM65 like the rest of the underside, but then found this to look boring and somewhat strange. So I eventually settled on RLM66 for the visible gun parts, which is a tone frequently use for machinery (and later also for aircraft interiors).


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

[Dizzyfugu]

Almost there! After some post-shading the decals were applied; most (including the unusual green code, for a staff flight aircraft, quite suitable for an experimental unit; but the unit code "1A" was never applied, AFAIK) came from a Begemot 1:72 He 111 sheet. The small unit bagde under the windscreen was a very lucky find: it actually depicts the fictional figure of Baron Münchhausen, after whom the SG 104 was baptized. It comes from an Academy Me 163 sheet.  The mission markings underneath the emblem came from a TL Modellbau sheet with generic German WWII 1:72 victory markings, and they depict two anti-ship missions plus a successful sinking.


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr

I think that the dark grey SG 104 was the right choice. It stands out from the undersurfaces and breaks the camouflage, but it also defines the weapon's bulk and shows its length. It's really a scary and impressive idea to hang something like this under an aircraft - and the Do 217 would probably have been the best choice, because it had the highest payload (of 4 tons) of all German bombers during WWII, even the bigger He 177 could not carry more.

And here's an almost final look, now with the engines and the props in place, close to a coat of matt varnish:


1:72 Dornier Do 217 F-0; aircraft "1A+BA" of the Deutsche Luftwaffe, Erprobungskommando (EKdo) 104 "Münchhausen" (assigned to 1. Gruppe beim Stab KG 40); Bordeaux/Merignac (Western France), summer 1944 (What-if/kitbashing) - WiP by Dizzyfugu, on Flickr


I was initially skeptical about the simple, light RLM 71/02/65 livery, but now I find the whole aircraft very plausible, even attractive!

[Old Wombat]

Remind me not to be anywhere near that thing when it fires .... in any direction!

[Gondor]

Night time operations would not be a good idea with that beast, the muzzle flash would blind tha aircraft crew!

Gondor