Aces Mounts 2025 GB - Lothar von Richthofen Fokker DVII

[Alexis]

Fantastic work so far , love the red you choose 



Alexis

[NigelR]

Thanks all! There is progress being made. The issue with a plane that's pretty much covered in decals is that there is a lot of varnishing and decalling to be done which can't be rushed. However, the main components are together and now it's just a question of painting all the front end panels and undercarriage and doing the final assembly.

Fantastic work so far , love the red you choose 

Aviattic chose the red, not me The whole thing is covered in Aviattic decals, they did a clever job of allowing the lozenge underneath to show through. However, it turns out Vallejo Model Air Fire Red is a pretty close match, so that's the colour to use if you like this finish.

[DaddyO]

Well that's looking pretty glorious Nigel.
Cracking job on the decals. Doff my cap to you and Richard (Aviattic) 

[Allan31]

Looks amazing.

[Tim Mixon]

Oh my!  That?s looking great so far. 

[Brad Cancian]

Looking excellent! One thing I have always struggled with aviattic decals on is trimming them after they are on the model. They are so stretchy that I don't find it easy to get a clean cut, even with a sharp blade. What is your tips with this?

Cheers!

Brad C

[NigelR]

Thanks Paul, Allan, Tim and Brad. Sadly there's been a slight issue with my final varnish coat. I apply a mix of matt and satin varnish to give a slight sheen to the fabric but for some reason this time it didn't go that well and has ended up too matt with an odd rough finish and doesn't look great to my eyes. I wish I'd left it in the satin finish I used to seal the decals. Oh well. It will still look ok when finished but it's not to my usual standard. 

One thing I have always struggled with aviattic decals on is trimming them after they are on the model. They are so stretchy that I don't find it easy to get a clean cut, even with a sharp blade. What is your tips with this?

Simple - use a brand new razor blade. And it has to be brand new, one that has been used a bit won't be sharp enough. You will get some nicks in the paintwork where you do the trimming but I always need to do a few touch ups with these large decals anyway.

[Brad Cancian]

Simple - use a brand new razor blade. And it has to be brand new, one that has been used a bit won't be sharp enough. You will get some nicks in the paintwork where you do the trimming but I always need to do a few touch ups with these large decals anyway.

Many thanks kind sir! It's always been the thing that has put me off their decals, even though I have used them on a few models. Personally I still prefer the old Eagle Strike lozenge decals for their ease of use and responsiveness to decal setting solution, but they are far more work with application and post shading than the Aviattic decals (plus the Aviattic colours are more accurate). Appreciate the tip

With regards to the varnish issue you have, what varnish are you using? Perhaps the same with some gloss mixed in might help? I sometimes find the same issue when I use acrylic varnishes if I use methylated spirits as a thinner; it dries before it hits the surface of the model, which gives it a powdery white appearance. Hence for my gloss acrylic coats I use proper tamiya acrylic thinner. If you're using acrylics, good news is that it can be gotten rid of with some application of gloss varnish.

Cheers,

BC

[NigelR]

With regards to the varnish issue you have, what varnish are you using? Perhaps the same with some gloss mixed in might help? I sometimes find the same issue when I use acrylic varnishes if I use methylated spirits as a thinner; it dries before it hits the surface of the model, which gives it a powdery white appearance. Hence for my gloss acrylic coats I use proper tamiya acrylic thinner. If you're using acrylics, good news is that it can be gotten rid of with some application of gloss varnish.

I use a Vallejo acrylic varnish for my final coat, a mix of matt and satin which usually gives a nice subtle sheen. It's been perfect over my recent builds. I suspect atmospheric conditions might have impacted things. I've applied a coat of satin mixed with gloss over the top, it's improved it slightly but it's still not how I like it. Oh well, sometimes these things happen...... It was quick fun build anyway, no plans to enter it into any competitions!

[Allan31]

Good luck, when it all goes tits up for me I re-coat with full gloss Future and start over. For my doped finishes of semi-gloss I mix Vallejo flat with Future about 50/50.

[gedmundson]

Nice to finally catch up on your build Nigel. It's troublesome to have that problem you'd mentioned with your overall finish...hope all goes well with the next steps!
Cheers,
Gary

[PrzemoL]

Great effect of the underlying losenge.

[NigelR]

Well, it doesn't look like much progress but I am getting there. The MGs are only loosely placed in position as I want to get the rest of the engine panels in place before I permanently attach them.



All other parts are painted, varnished and ready to go, so hopefully it won't be too long until it's finished. I am currently deciding whether to add the control rods for the Hohenvergaser (high altitude carburettor) in the engine bay. I intend to leave the top panels off so these would be visible but I can't work out how they would be routed in the engine bay. More research needed.....

[DaddyO]

Lovin' that Nigel 

[gedmundson]

Your progress looks fab, Nigel. In regards to your research into the carb linkage, I?ve sent a picture to your Messenger account which hopefully may show you what you were looking for as far as linkage to the carburetor (saving the faff of uploading saved images etc.)
Cheers,
Gary