Author Topic: Scratchbuilding a Pfalz D.III & D.IIIa in 1/144 scale (Read 19730 times)

lone modeller · « **Reply #105 on:** December 29, 2020, 06:59:36 AM »

In my experience a little extra time spent on preparation yields far better results in the long run. These models are simply superb - when the silver and other paint is on they will be even better!

Stephen.

William Adair · « **Reply #106 on:** December 29, 2020, 02:06:55 PM »

Cheers! Thank goodness the silver went on okay. I used Mr Metal Colour Aluminium and gloss white, with a few extra drops of clear gloss to help bind the metal particles. I still remember the Humbrol 11 Silver Fox from my childhood, which would rub off over everything. The silver-grey is a strange colour, in that it can look very dark in some lights and really quite bright in others. Hopefully what I've got is a reasonable base for some washes and subtle weathering later on.

I bought some 1/144 crosses some time ago from a company called Mark I. Most of them are not fit for purpose as the white outlines are well out of register. I hoped I could at least trim one pair down to a consistent width for the tail of Hecht's machine. Then I realised any I stuffed up could be used as a 2nd chance to make the plain black crosses for the Buddecke D.IIIa. I decided to give it a try and it seemed to work. Providing I had enough magnification and a sharp enough scalpel. Speaking of magnification: I just now took a broken pair of cheap 6x reading glasses and stuck them onto the front of another 6x pair. I now have access to 12x magnification... Look out world!

Here's a shot of the two little terrors reclining on the decal couch. From this angle they look like a couple of lazy Fokkers.

Alexis · « **Reply #107 on:** December 29, 2020, 11:31:37 PM »

Might look like a bunch of lazy Fokkers , but are waiting to come out of their cocoon's to flourish into two beautiful Pfalz's

Alexis

kensar · « **Reply #108 on:** December 30, 2020, 12:31:01 AM »

Those two are looking very good, William. I'm still amazed at the scale you work in. I think 1/48 is too small for scratchbuilding!

lone modeller · « **Reply #109 on:** December 30, 2020, 04:52:39 AM »

They are certainly looking very attractive already - and very much larger than 1/144 scale.

Stephen.

Bughunter · « **Reply #110 on:** December 30, 2020, 06:49:39 AM »

Every update is very impressive! That would still a clean work in God's own scale

Cheers,
Frank

RAGIII · « **Reply #111 on:** January 01, 2021, 07:07:21 AM »

Outstanding Progress! The Green on the Hecht Pfalz looks spot on to MY Eyes. Also impressive work on the fuselage bands. Both look terrific!
RAGIII

William Adair · « **Reply #112 on:** January 01, 2021, 09:40:44 AM »

Thanks everyone, and Happy New Year too!
The stripes are actually the base primer, which I masked off before spraying the silver-grey. I thought if the black peeled or the silver bled under the tape, either of those would be easier to correct than if I'd done it the other way round.

I'm doing the D.IIIa at the moment, but couldn't resist doing some light shading in oils on Hecht's machine to bring out some of the details. More details to add yet, but I'm rather pleased with that

lone modeller · « **Reply #113 on:** January 02, 2021, 02:49:40 AM »

You are rather pleased with it.... I should hope so. It looks brilliant and without the giant matchstick I could mistake this for a very much larger model.

Stephen.

William Adair · « **Reply #114 on:** January 02, 2021, 08:03:43 PM »

Quote from: lone modeller on January 02, 2021, 02:49:40 AM

without the giant matchstick I could mistake this for a very much larger model.

Stephen.

How about now?

Alexis · « **Reply #115 on:** January 02, 2021, 09:56:02 PM »

Alexis

O_Pablo · « **Reply #116 on:** January 03, 2021, 12:05:33 AM »

Quote from: lone modeller on January 02, 2021, 02:49:40 AM

You are rather pleased with it.... I should hope so. It looks brilliant and without the giant matchstick I could mistake this for a very much larger model.

Stephen.

Hmm....

What a big matchstick!

What a beautiful model, certainly in 1/144 scale?

Regards,
Paul

RAGIII · « **Reply #117 on:** January 03, 2021, 11:49:40 PM »

Incredible build! Looks Stunning with the upper wing in place! If you posted this elsewhere and said it was 1/32nd I think you would be believed without question!
RAGIII

lone modeller · « **Reply #118 on:** January 04, 2021, 05:00:10 AM »

Actually Rick it is 1/32 - he has had the WNW kit all along but hidden it from the camera until now..... He has thrown away the giant matchstick!

Stephen.

William Adair · « **Reply #119 on:** January 04, 2021, 03:28:24 PM »

Quote from: lone modeller on January 04, 2021, 05:00:10 AM

Actually Rick it is 1/32 - he has had the WNW kit all along but hidden it from the camera until now..... He has thrown away the giant matchstick!

Well I've gotta carve the propellers out of something

I had a go at making some homebrew decals and they turned out alright. I found a Pfalz stencil font and made the codes and other lettering. The fuselage emblem was made using images of other kit decals for reference. The whole lot was done at 6000dpi in photoshop, as I don't know how to use the other illustrator programs. The whole thing was printed on a scrap of plain clear decal film then lightly sealed with a gentle whiff of clear lacquer. Using a domestic printer, the tiniest stencils are so small that they are just a light fuzz. However the aircraft codes are readable, which is very nice. There's several more to add yet, but its looking fairly good and the decals settled in without misbehaving.

I test fitted the final version of the engine and exhaust too. These have a bit more detail picked out in various colours and make it look a bit more busy. I'm content to leave the guns more or less as they are, as they will be all but invisible beneath the top wing.