forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com
WW1 Aircraft Modeling => Under Construction => Topic started by: RageHimself on August 28, 2021, 06:00:52 PM
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Hello all! I am new here! This is the first build I will be sharing on this forum, I hope I am getting the photos attached right! I had made an introduction post in the appropriate section so I won’t waste time introducing myself again, let’s dive right into the kit!
The kit arrived yesterday in a big box! 17 spruces and a whole stack of decal! I got a little excited and went right into cutting before I remembered I should take pictures… apologies, but if you are interested in this kit I’m sure you can find info on their website.
(https://i.imgur.com/P14W0ac.jpeg)
Along with the kit, I also got my hands on some Eduard Parabellum machine guns and a digital build guide, I was hoping to source some seatbelt and engine upgrades but where I live they are not very easily accessible, I’ll have to make do with what’s in the kit. WnW has done such a fantastic job at designing and producing the kit, I think I will be fine.
Before the kit even arrived, I had decided on the white VII paint scheme - the nose art is simply stunning!! Who wouldn’t want a flying shark??
Truth be told, decals are not my best friends, so I am a little bit nervous about how I will manage with all the camouflage decals and especially the centerpiece shark face. My 2nd kit since I re-entered the hobby was an Eduard Spitfire, on that build I had completely botched the shark face on that. It is currently sitting on my shelf of shame as a reminder to slow down.
(https://i.imgur.com/ALM7Vck.png)
Here are the decal sheets and featuring my build buddy Noodle!
Or perhaps I will trace the decal and make my own stencil, spray paint the shark face instead? I am still a long way away from having to worry about that, for now, I will keep this idea in the back of my head.
I am only just starting the build, here are about 3/4 of the parts for the cockpit. I will spray down a layer of Vallejo black primer and start on the wooden floor tomorrow, then chipping fluid, rubber black… you know how it is.
(https://i.imgur.com/ls7pWA8.jpeg)
This is my first time documenting a build, I’ve been pretty lonely in this hobby so far so I’m very grateful to have found this community. Please don’t hold back on your suggestions, recommendations, and/or criticisms, and let me know if there’s anything you’d like to see or how I can improve my build and build log!
Thank you so much! Stay tuned!
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Welcome to the Forum. I am sure you won't be Lonely now that you are posting your build! I look forward to your progress 8)
RAGIII
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So great to see you tackling this build! Not easy, but I bet will go together well and reward a methodical approach... please ask our experts (not me!) for help, but they are generous and kind, and help us lesser mortals! And sharkmouths rule! Schnauzers are always welcome... Regards, Marc
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Big hearty welcome to the forum! I'm looking forward to seeing this come together. Looks like it will make a big, impressive model.
Richie
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Welcome to the Forum. I am sure you won't be Lonely now that you are posting your build! I look forward to your progress 8)
RAGIII
Thank you Ragiii! The build is coming along, I will post an update soon when i have more to show!
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So great to see you tackling this build! Not easy, but I bet will go together well and reward a methodical approach... please ask our experts (not me!) for help, but they are generous and kind, and help us lesser mortals! And sharkmouths rule! Schnauzers are always welcome... Regards, Marc
Thank you Marc! So far it's been an intimidating build, but an incredibly fun one!! I'm taking my time getting the pieces together, glad to see another fellow sharkmouth and Schnauzer fan!! Best!
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Big hearty welcome to the forum! I'm looking forward to seeing this come together. Looks like it will make a big, impressive model.
Richie
Thank you Richie! It's looking like a big one! the details are astonishing! Can't wait to see how it will look all put together!
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Welcome to the club! If the digital guide is by Karim Bibi, then just follow his directions and your model will turn out great. Regards, Pete in RI
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"RageHimself",
I'll be following your progress with great interest. I built this Kit some time ago and it is a magnificently produced model, I really enjoyed it. Like you I had Karim Bibi's excellent digital guide and I also used Ray Rimell's Building Guide. Here's my Build Log if it's of any help.
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=9144.0
It's a long Build but enjoyable and well worth the time, enjoy and if I can answer any questions you may encounter just ask .......
Cheers,
Lance
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"RageHimself",
I'll be following your progress with great interest. I built this Kit some time ago and it is a magnificently produced model, I really enjoyed it. Like you I had Karim Bibi's excellent digital guide and I also used Ray Rimell's Building Guide. Here's my Build Log if it's of any help.
https://forum.ww1aircraftmodels.com/index.php?topic=9144.0
It's a long Build but enjoyable and well worth the time, enjoy and if I can answer any questions you may encounter just ask .......
Cheers,
Lance
Thank you, Lance!! Woah!! You are not going to believe this, I've stumbled upon your when I first started modelling again last year, it is how I found out about this kit! What an inspiration!
I wasn't regularly viewing this forum back then and couldn't find your post again when I started the build, I will be thoroughly reading through your build log now! Thank you so much for your support!
I am nearly finishing the cockpit now, been doing nothing but putting this kit together for the past couple of days... What would you say is the most challenging part of this kit? Do you have any general pieces of advice for me? I'm also curious what color you decided on for the part of the fuselage not covered by the camouflage, sea blue seems way too dark for me. I'll go ahead and read through your build log now, maybe you have some answers for me already in there.
Again, thank you very much!
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Hi all, I am back with an update!
I’ve spent the past couple of days doing nothing but working on this build, everything fits like a dream as you’d expect with a Wingnut Wings kit.
Since I reignited my passion, the living space is quickly being taken over by aircraft models. My girlfriend respectfully requested that this one to be hung up to avoid more cluttering - we live downtown in a major metropolitan area, our apartment isn’t very spacious. After all, my joy in this hobby is making them, so I’m totally okay with this proposal.
Having the plane up also gave me the freedom to experiment with some painting and weathering techniques when it comes to the cockpit, in the end, some worked, some could’ve been better.
The instrument panel is the first thing I started on, in my excitement, I overlooked a small hole left by removing one of the instruments WnW had modeled on by mistake. I fitted the turtle deck and found it hardly visible so I’ll leave it as it is, and be able to sleep tonight.
(https://i.imgur.com/QQCZUkF.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/OgAiaoS.png)
The seat was painted only by hand, no airbrush involved. I tried treating it like a painting and blending different tones together - a layer of black in the creases, gradually working to lighter, diluted leather color. The heavily used areas I dabbed a little bit of dessert yellow with a cotton stick, and picked out the details with deck tan mixed with a tiny bit of hull red. Not as good as some other leather seats I’ve seen here but I’m happy with it
(https://i.imgur.com/sbpA7VF.png)
I had so much fun messing with the bombs, I know you will barely be able to see them so these bombs took on some heavy weathering, and became a testing ground for all newly procured weathering products. Once all buttoned up, they look fine to me.
(https://i.imgur.com/NcYmoEN.png)
The floor was painted wood, then chipping varnish, then rubber black. I didn’t really liked the chipping result so I threw around some dirt. The end result looks a bit messy to my eyes, but I can hardly imagine anyone taking a broomstick to it back in the 1910s, I’ll call it “authentic to the conflicts of the time”.
(https://i.imgur.com/Mbx9yMV.png)
I had wanted to try out some leather print decals on the stools, however, an untimely storm made sure those decals were put to good use decorating the cardboard box they came in… I wasn’t disappointed by the end result so I’ll leave them as they are.
(https://i.imgur.com/0Zg3eJL.png)
I'm still a long way from being done with the cockpit, all the parts are painted but weathering has just begun. I wanted to add some wires, bomb release handles, and just have some fun with it!
Next, I will probably follow the instruction and getting the fuselage pieces together, get ready for laying down the decals, but I’m still trying to find the right shade of dark blue for the nose, the one I have now seems way too dark might as well be black; maybe I will jump ahead and have some fun with these tantalizing leaky old engines! I am definitely building them uncowled, so I won’t skip any details here.
Something I wanted to say, it’s a strange experience building and documenting this kit - I’m one of the younger members of this forum, still in my 20s, working on a machine separated from me by an incomprehensible distance of time; made by a company that no longer exists, possibly even the last one of these kits; without the tested patience and talent expertly exhibited by everyone else here… I hope I can do this kit justice.
Stay tuned, I will try to update more frequently!
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Apologies for the back to back posts, I wanted to share one more image:
(https://i.imgur.com/VUUJWOV.png)
This is where the finished aircraft will be hanging, next to my other WW I collections, the dream is to have a few more of the same scale added to the rope, and have this miniature dogfight be the center of the attention! And, there are some stairs nearby so the cockpit won't be completely out of view!!
Please ignore the poor rigging job on these planes, they were some of my earliest attempts at modeling. For this build I expect the rigging endeavor to improve greatly!
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Welcome to the club! If the digital guide is by Karim Bibi, then just follow his directions and your model will turn out great. Regards, Pete in RI
Hey Pete! Sorry, I missed your reply from earlier... the guide I have is indeed by Karim Bibi! it's such a wonderful and helpful guide with this kit! it's intimidatingly complex and big but I am feeling very good about it so far! Hope all is well in RI, my brother studies in Providence, I visit there frequently before the pandemic hit... Stay safe!
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Great job! How much bigger is the AEG compared to your dogfight adversaries?
/Fredrik
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What a great build.
The seat was painted only by hand, no airbrush involved. I tried treating it like a painting and blending different tones together - a layer of black in the creases, gradually working to lighter, diluted leather color. The heavily used areas I dabbed a little bit of dessert yellow with a cotton stick, and picked out the details with deck tan mixed with a tiny bit of hull red. Not as good as some other leather seats I’ve seen here but I’m happy with it
Your seat looks very well done. Painting has always been a struggle for me, more of a chore rather than a part of the build. I have been watching many youtube videos on warhammer / miniature painting techniques and have been practicing but I still have a way to go to do something as nice as your seat but I am starting to understand the how just need to practice more.
There is genuine AEG G IV in the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa Canada https://ingeniumcanada.org/aviation/artifact/aeg-giv
I have spent much time viewing this machine, it's size and colour tends to draw you to it in the museum. Interestingly, as fascinating a subject find the aeroplane I have never really wanted to build a model of one. The Wingnut Wings kit in 1/32 is big, a couple of inches short of two feet - that makes for a big model.
cheers, Graham ( near Ottawa Canada )
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Your painting and weathering is some exceptional work indeed , quiet taking on the outcome of the cockpit floor , very convincing .
Alexis
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In reply to your two questions the fol:
By far the most challenging part of this Kit was getting the engine support strut assemblies together and "true". I don't recall the details however I found that using a very minimum of glue to allow repositioning of the various components and fit the engines and nacelles into position worked best. Once I had everything more or less in place I went back and added small amounts of thin CA to the joins to firm it all up.
Like you I found the recommended blue far too dark compared to what I'd seen in the Museum. I settled on a mix; Tamiya XF-17 "Sea Blue" 50/50 with their XF-8 "Flat Blue" and believe its a good match to the Museum aircraft. Obviously the Museum color is a guess as well however after 100 years who can call us wrong?! The color matches well with the Aviattic night Lozenge as well if that's what you are planning to use.
You are making terrific progress on this, your detailing is exceptional! The floor and leather are really impressive in particular. I really like where you are taking this beauty!
Cheers,
Lance
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Fedrik -
Thank you! It's measuring up pretty big! Seems like just the cockpit area is about the same length as either the Fokker or the Nieu Port, once I have the cockpit buttoned up I will do a size comparison. This is certainly the largest model I have ever built!
Along with this kit, I also got a FE.2b also from Wingnut Wings, but the amount of rigging on that one is so intimidating I'm putting it off for the time being. Though maybe not historically appropriate, the size of these two would probably look pretty good together! Otherwise, I guess I'll have to look for a few more kits to complete my indoor dogfight ;)
Graham -
Thank you, Graham! Warhammer tutorials have been instrumental in helping me figure out how to paint! I never disliked painting but airbrushing is just so satisfying! For this build, I've decided to try some new methods and techniques whenever possible, I've gotten so comfortable with spraying down a few layers for leather, I figured I'd try out some hand painting here, especially considering the plane is so big, I probably won't have another chance of hand painting something so detailed and delicate.
And thank you for the additional resources on the aircraft! I'm not a sticker to getting everything 100% historically accurate, but having references helps a lot! Especially when it comes to a more obscure one like this... I hope to visit one day and see it in person! Must be an incredible sight!
Alexis -
Thank you for your kind words! As I said in previous replies to the others, I am trying to experiment with painting this one, it is my first time tuning the color on the floor with transparent color! I may have messed up with the chipping varnish though, when I took my brush to it large chunks starts to fall off, it became a bit less unified than I wanted. I'm glad the dust and dirt help tie it together, can't argue with the results!
Lance -
Thank you! Compliments coming from you mean a lot, I went through your build log, and wow! What an amazing job you had done with the aircraft! I'll get the colors you suggested and give it a test, it looks phenomenal on yours! I wasn't planning on doing so much weathering on the outside before, but seeing your results I'm beginning to change my mind. It is such a large model, having some weathering would really help the model comes alive I think.
I am also very grateful for your advice, I had wanted to start the build with the engine, now I think I need to get in the right mind to slow down and focus, looking at the spruce full of super-thin support structures is already giving me anxiety, I hope I'll manage without breaking a bunch of plastic...
I've got a lot of time at the present, I should be able to finish up the cockpit in the next few days, I'll make sure I take a break and only starts on the engine support struts when I'm ready. Much oblidged!
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As you probably picked up in the Build Log I took several breaks to work on another project to ensure my patience and focus didn't suffer, it's a very big project! Good luck and I'll be following your progress.
Cheers,
Lance
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Great, RAG!! Thanks for sharing your beauty with us.
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Your interior looks nicely used and probably represents the real thing pretty closely. I love the Flyboys scene !
RAGIII
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Hi friends! I am back with another update!
I've kind of ran into a roadblock in the past days, every guide and build log I could find points towards products I could not get access to where I live. Instead, I had to get creative.
The cockpit is also finished! I will start there.
(https://i.imgur.com/gepgmhl.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/7dpmngW.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/dKO2QYc.png)
The crooked seat is fixed after the photo
After these photos were taken, bracing wires were also added to the commander's 'Kanzel' as well as cables connecting the bomb release controls seen on the reference photos provided by WnW in the instructions. The bracing wires were painted silver and the control cables were left black.
The front part of the inside of the fuselage was painted with wooden texture first then green-grey color, I did a little bit of chipping around where I imagine maintenance would rub some paint off, as well as the areas behind the struts. In my head, the commander would've been thrown around a bit during combat, he would've struggled to hold on to things, sometimes scratching the fuselage wall a bit. And lastly, light sprinkles of dust along the bottom to help the sides blend well with the dusty floors.
(https://i.imgur.com/bnubvpR.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/x1sBjs6.png)
This is when I ran into my first problem - everybody is recommending the incredible Aviattic decals, unfortunately, I cannot get my hands on them so I'll have to settle with the kit decals. They are completely fine, but not as translucent as the Aviattic ones, and the color seems to be a bit different as well. Which means a lot of experiment must be done to make sure I can get the same result of shading and color matching of the nose portion of the plane. It's coming along, but no more work on the fuselage until I can find a combination I'm satisfied with.
So I started on the engines instead, this time without the upgrade kit everyone else was recommending. That's hardly a problem though, the kit engine is very nicely detailed, the only thing I want to improve is the valve springs and spark plugs, they are not too difficult to build, and a welcome diversion from gluing kit parts together.
I drilled holes where the kit springs used to be and replaced them with 0.5mm tubes
(https://i.imgur.com/UUPLXKR.png)
(https://i.imgur.com/Dp3LXtP.png)
Then made the springs with 0.2mm copper wires by wrapping them around a barbecue stick, 48 times.
(https://i.imgur.com/zkaq4Qa.png)
Overall, pretty happy with the end result
(https://i.imgur.com/zzsFucH.png)
You can see I've started making the spark plugs as well - 0.3mm tube is glued inside 0.5mm tube then having a 0.1mm wire thread through the center. I ran out of tubings so all progress is on hold till new supplies get to my door in a few days.
It's a welcomed break, especially since Lance told me the engine supporting structures are probably the most challenging part of the build, I think I will move onto a different project for a bit before coming back to it with a clear head! I got a handsome little kit of FE 2b, maybe I will get started on the cockpit of that one first! can't decide which scheme I want to do though...
Anyways, hope I can wrap up the engines soon and find a good solution for the decals and shading! It's shaping up to be a detailed and BIG plane! Can't wait to share more!
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Lance -
Thank you for your advice! I can already see how this long build process could take a toll on my patience if I don't keep my heart in check, I have just posted a new update and planning to take a break soon. I have a kit of FE 2b that I'm planning on starting soon, I saw that you've also built an incredible one of those as well! If I end up starting it, I will have to bother you again for guidance :P
rhwinter -
Thank you! I look forward to sharing more!
RAGIII -
Thank you RAGIII! Thank you! I was very worried that I had gone a bit too far with the weathering, glad to get so much positive feedback!
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"Rage",
Have you considered ordering the Aviattic Decals direct from the source?
https://www.aviattic.co.uk/132-lozenge-decals.html
If this is helpful scroll down until you find the various types in 1:32 Scale. I used mostly the "Clear Backing" versions and in the end gave it a very light misting of a "Black/Green" thin filter. I think the details are in the Build Log. On the other hand Karim Bibi did his model using the Kit decals and the results are spectacular.
Your model is coming along beautifully so far!
Cheers,
Lance
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Another nice build of a WNW kit!
As so often, the kits seem to tease the best out of the modeller ;)
Cheers,
Frank
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"Rage",
Have you considered ordering the Aviattic Decals direct from the source?
https://www.aviattic.co.uk/132-lozenge-decals.html
If this is helpful scroll down until you find the various types in 1:32 Scale. I used mostly the "Clear Backing" versions and in the end gave it a very light misting of a "Black/Green" thin filter. I think the details are in the Build Log. On the other hand Karim Bibi did his model using the Kit decals and the results are spectacular.
Your model is coming along beautifully so far!
Cheers,
Lance
Lance, thank you for the suggestion! The problem I am having now is importing things, due to covid foreign parcel has become a nightmare to get cleared... I still have some packages being held up at custom since December last year...
I think the kit decals are more than fine, seeing the results from your build and Karim Bibi's makes me really want to up my game. I have never done shading over decals before, since the aircraft is so big I don't think I want to just put the decals on and call it a day, some experiments would do me some good anyways.
I have tested your mix of deep sea blue and blue, and I've gotta say, I'm very impressed at your eyes for spotting this shade, it looks perfect! Many thanks!
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Another nice build of a WNW kit!
As so often, the kits seem to tease the best out of the modeller ;)
Cheers,
Frank
Thank you, Frank! This is my first WNW kit and I've gotta say, this is the most fun I've had building a model! I've only made simple small scale airplanes before, being able to mess around with these incredible details is a wonderful experience! It is driving me to try new things, explore history like no other kits!
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This is a very interesting report, I definitely will often visit this thread.
Your build is very good so far, most of it I like your cockpit floor it looks soo good.
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Hi all! Sorry for the lack of updates, a lot of stuff is happening in life at the moment, i haven't been the best at taking photos as i go... but here are some updates!
(https://i.imgur.com/leb9Y7y.jpeg)
The shark mouth is on!! I've been super stressed about this part, turned out to be fairly painless. The wings are not glued into place yet, just wanted to give myself an idea how big it's gonna be, my work space is getting tighter and tighter...
(https://i.imgur.com/FGixdYC.png)
Both engine and nacelles are also built! They were a lot of fun but oh boy, my heart skipped many beats handling these thin pieces of plastic.
(https://i.imgur.com/csacgdu.png)
Here's a close up
(https://i.imgur.com/J0EJ6Jd.png)
I've got a potential move coming up so maybe I'll end up rushing it a bit or slow down a lot, I'll make sure to update as soon as i can!
Thanks for stopping by!
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This looks great so far and I like your detail painting.
...it’s such a cool plane
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Superb detailing on the engine and your paint work is terrific. What a great model this is turning out to be!
Richie
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Simply Stunning work all around. The details and weahtering are superb!
RAGIII