Ricks' Ramblings

[PR19_Kit]

I like that, VERY much so! 

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks.

[NARSES2]

That has come out well Rick   

And you've just kicked some memory cells into action mentioning Comet

[Rick Lowe]

That has come out well Rick   

And you've just kicked some memory cells into action mentioning Comet

Sometimes we all need a kick start... and yes, I count myself amongst... 

And thanks. 

[Wardukw]

Gerry Anderson rocks   
Lovely build Rick mate 👍 

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks, Phill 

[Rick Lowe]

1/72 Me262 Advanced variant, Israeli Air Force **What If**

I found a side view of this in a Scale Models UK article on converting the Revell kit to a Photo Recon version and wanted to build it.
I was undecided about what to mark it up as, but then had the thought that the Czechs used the Me 262 post-war; what if they'd put this version into production?
And as there was RW precedent of them selling the Heyl H'avir the Bf109 with Jumo engine, what if they'd sold them these also?

I'd already done the Mule in the grey it wore in the RW, so something different was wanted; the Blue/Brown scheme used at the time fitted the bill.

Made using the Revell kit, which I think is very nice and a quantum leap over the old Airfix kits I built as a kid.

The cockpit had a bit of enhancement, but not much; most detail was in the painting.
The old cockpit area was filled, after removing the coamings to reuse in the new position. The new location was cut out and the cockpit fitted, then the coamings were put in their new places.
The old gunports were filled and new ones were drilled further back along the fuselage.
The rest of the kit was assembled, with more filling than I was expecting around the areas where the front of the engine nacelles slotted into the wings.
I separated the parts of the canopy, to pose it open.

Paint was brushed Humbrol enamels. Markings from the spares bank.

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[Old Wombat]

Neat!


I wonder if an Airacobra canopy might not work better, though.

[Wardukw]

It's amazing how much better the Me262 looks by moving the cockpit forward...it looks much more modern aswell..very cool 😎 😀
Love this Ricky mate 👍 😁

[NARSES2]

That's come out well 

It's amazing how much better the Me262 looks by moving the cockpit forward...it looks much more modern aswell..very cool 😎 😀

It does, dosen't it. Much more balanced. There are a few German projects that had very similar looking fuselages.

[Rick Lowe]

Thanks, fellas.

Guy, I don't have anything like that to spare (also didn't think of it), but I'm happy with the kit canopy. 

[Rick Lowe]

Airfix 1/32 VW Beetle **Real World**


The German VW Beetle, designed by Dr Ferdinand Porsche, first appeared as a prototype in 1934 and in series production from 1938.
Originally conceived as car for the masses - hence the name "Volkswagen", or "People's Car" - despite its appeal (and a handy savings scheme whereby one could lodge money with the government and buy one through the 'layby' method) it was never produced in the sort of numbers envisaged before WW2 broke out.

The chassis was rapidly converted to have an open, utilitarian body as the generally seen and used Kubelwagen version, but the 'Beetle' body was still to be found, albeit in very small numbers.

Post-War it was put back into production by the British Occupying Forces and from then went on to increasing popularity and was still being produced until 1978 in Germany, 1986 in Brazil and 2003(!) in Mexico.
*Info from the book listed in the References.

This conversion idea started when I was keen on adding a WW2 Beetle to my collection, but not so keen on the expensive options available; besides which, I wanted a tin-top version.
It was supposed to be a "Quick & Easy, throw-some-Kubelwagen-tyres-on-an-Airfix-Beetle, move the steering wheel to the left - and done".
The best laid plans and all that.

Further research, however, revealed that the Airfix 1965 Beetle was much changed from Dr Porsche's WW2 design.
Not in major ways, but there were a host of small changes made over the course of its production life, all of which made the conversion more challenging -
in actual fact, only the clamping strip for the bonnet seal remained unchanged from the original production version.
Thankfully, Airfix chose to model the pre-1972 flat windscreen and not the 1973 & later panoramic, rounded one, so that was something of a relief as it meant the conversion was doable.

So; from front to rear, the changes I made were:
re-shaped the front bumper over-riders; added a siren; new bonnet handle; headlights modified with hoods & slits; deleted parking lights; added a Notek lamp on the left mudguard; rear view mirror; new dash panel and steering wheel; increased-width running boards; interior door panels and detailing; revised rear windows from the kit one installed, then the older style split oval windows masked off and filled around, and with a new grille section below; smaller taillights; new 20 thou scallop detail on boot lid; new rear number plate, light and convoy lighting system; revised the exhaust and filled in the notches in the body for the later, twin pipes; reshaped the rear bumper over-riders.
The front side window quarter-lights had to go, and thankfully I found a 3-step nail buffing system which did the job very well, bringing the windows back to clarity after shaving off the redundant supports.
I also filled in the mudguard backs to prevent the 'see-through' look; using sections from Ping-Pong balls as I recall.

Not many large changes, but lots of small ones...!


The major work, however, actually was the fitting of said Tamiya Kubel wheels - not as simple as replacing the kit wheels, for the suspension had to be raised.
This caused some head scratching, induced some mildly harsh language and necessitated some replacement parts; all for a 2mm increase in ride height. Oh, well.

I'm still debating whether I will scratchbuild a roof rack, especially as my soldering skills are non-existent. Though I could make a pile of stuff and use that to attach the framework to.

The vehicles were used in different theatres, so there are a number of colour schemes, but they were probably used more behind-the-lines as the war progressed.

Mine is depicted as a generic vehicle in Western Europe circa 1944, with Tamiya Panzer Yellow base & stripes of Humbrol Red-Brown and Green enamel disruptive camouflage.
Weathering was with Artist's Acrylics.

Main reference was: "VW Beetle: An Illustrated History" by Nikolaus Reichert & Hans Joachim Klersy.
- plus a few internet shots from www.ww2vw.com
There are other shots on the web, but with all the re-enactor's vehicles floating around, it's hard to know what's authentic and what's not.
The vehicles shown on the above site, though, seem to be more of the collector's/restorer's type, so should be better for modelling purposes.

I have more plans for a diorama, but for now - 'tis done.


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[McColm]

Well done 

[kerick]

Indeed!

[Old Wombat]

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Looks like you used googly-eyes for headlights in this pic!