A 1/72 Unofficial Dogfight Double

[stona]

Can't wait to see the decals. They do bring things to life!

They do. I always think of them as giving a generic subject an individual identity.

I'll tell you what though, there are a few on the Bf 109 sheet that won't be applied. They even supply the little numbers for the joins in the fuselage skins. I don't like doing them on 1/32 models and I'm definitely not doing them at 1/72 !

[adt70hk]

They do. I always think of them as giving a generic subject an individual identity.

I'll tell you what though, there are a few on the Bf 109 sheet that won't be applied. They even supply the little numbers for the joins in the fuselage skins. I don't like doing them on 1/32 models and I'm definitely not doing them at 1/72 !

I was sad and did them all because it was my first time doing one to this level of detail. Not sure if I'll be doing it again though!!!

[stona]

I was sad and did them all ...

Well done! Great perseverance! You're making me feel bad now for leaving them off

[adt70hk]

Well done! Great perseverance! You're making me feel bad now for leaving them off

I did manage to lose three though. They just pinged off the brush somewhere......

[stona]

The Spitfire now has its identity. That's Microsol sitting on the decals which will hopefully beat them into shape. If I have one criticism of what is a very nice little kit it would be the decals. They are terrible, like stickers, I had to glue down the part of the fuselage roundel that conforms with the top of the fuselage using some Klear. The code letters are off a sheet I found in the spares box and are almost the right size . The serial N3196 is also made up from spares and those are the right size.

[papa 695]

Looking good Steve.

[adt70hk]

The Spitfire now has its identity. That's Microsol sitting on the decals which will hopefully beat them into shape. If I have one criticism of what is a very nice little kit it would be the decals. They are terrible, like stickers, I had to glue down the part of the fuselage roundel that conforms with the top of the fuselage using some Klear. The code letters are off a sheet I found in the spares box and are almost the right size . The serial N3196 is also made up from spares and those are the right size.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1134115[/ATTACH]

Looking good Steve.

Sorry to hear about the decals. If anything I had the opposite problem and the bigger ones, especially the sqdn/plane ID/roundel combo decal, stuck a bit too well making it tricky to move them around.

But what about the 109?

ATB

Andrew

[stona]

But what about the 109?

Got that one done now too. Just sploshed the first lot of Microsol before taking this.

Having moaned about the Spitfire decals it's only fair that I extoll the virtues of those for the Bf 109. They are very good indeed, so good that I nearly lost my head and applied the dozens of little stencils supplied...but I didn't



Despite the omissions there are additions, the swastikas on the fin. There are none in the box, which is entirely understandable, given that Airfix want to sell the kit in territories where that might cause legal issues, so I've added a suitable size and style from the many sheets of swastikas I have accumulated over the years. I like to put them on, but appreciate that some people would rather leave them off. Each to their own, I don't think any less or more of a model depending on whether it has swastikas or not!

[adt70hk]

Got that one done now too. Just sploshed the first lot of Microsol before taking this.

Having moaned about the Spitfire decals it's only fair that I extoll the virtues of those for the Bf 109. They are very good indeed, so good that I nearly lost my head and applied the dozens of little stencils supplied...but I didn't :smiling3:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1134120[/ATTACH]

Despite the omissions there are additions, the swastikas on the fin. There are none in the box, which is entirely understandable, given that Airfix want to sell the kit in territories where that might cause legal issues, so I've added a suitable size and style from the many sheets of swastikas I have accumulated over the years. I like to put them on, but appreciate that some people would rather leave them off. Each to their own, I don't think any less or more of a model depending on whether it has swastikas or not!

So in other words you chickened out!

What kind of example does that set us novice plane builders!?!?!

It is looking good though! Great effort.

ATB

Andrew

[stona]

So in other words you chickened out!

Yeah, pretty much.

The Spitfire doesn't have any stencils at all, so they won't be missed. I think I will apply the wing walkway lines on the Bf 109 and I may draw them on the Spitfire at the end.

[yak face]

I found the spitfire decals to be the same steve , the fuselage roundel had to have several applications of softener to get it to stick at the top . If youve got any decal sheets in the spares box that have a thin black outline round the edge ,then sometimes this has a carrier film over it and can be used for things like the wing walk lines on the spit . Some of the larger Airfix sheets used to have this , its what i used for mine .

[stona]

I've found the time to weather these up a bit and apply the final coat of varnish (which is more matt than silk, but there you go).



I just have to add the 'dangly and sticky outy bits' and think about how exactly I'm going to pose them so that I can build the stand. I have the 3mm rod now, and a piece of aluminium sheet.
I don't think anymore will be done this weekend, but I should get them done next week, in plenty of time before the end of the Battle of Britain :smiling3:

BTW that 'backwards' code (L-XT) was something 603 Squadron did, not me

[adt70hk]

I've found the time to weather these up a bit and apply the final coat of varnish (which is more matt than silk, but there you go).

[ATTACH=CONFIG]n1134196[/ATTACH]

I just have to add the 'dangly and sticky outy bits' and think about how exactly I'm going to pose them so that I can build the stand. I have the 3mm rod now, and a piece of aluminium sheet.
I don't think anymore will be done this weekend, but I should get them done next week, in plenty of time before the end of the Battle of Britain :smiling3:

BTW that 'backwards' code (L-XT) was something 603 Squadron did, not me :smiling3:

Looking good Steve as always.

What's the secret to getting the ref MG port covers on nicely? That was actually the hardest bit for me.

Thx.

Andrew

[stona]

What's the secret to getting the ref MG port covers on nicely? That was actually the hardest bit for me.

For those covers I use red decal paper. In this case I cut them out of some old decals for marking a night fighter, but any red decal paper will do. I don't worry to much about matching any particular colour.

At this scale mine are slightly oversize, but as small as I could make them to fold over the leading edges. Because Stapleton had obviously fired his guns (at von Werra) I've pierced the decal with a little drill bit once dry and then applied a little black paint on the end of a very fine brush, just to the hole, to cover up any light edges revealed. I call it gun residue if anyone asks

[adt70hk]

For those covers I use red decal paper. In this case I cut them out of some old decals for marking a night fighter, but any red decal paper will do. I don't worry to much about matching any particular colour.

At this scale mine are slightly oversize, but as small as I could make them to fold over the leading edges. Because Stapleton had obviously fired his guns (at von Werra) I've pierced the decal with a little drill bit once dry and then applied a little black paint on the end of a very fine brush, just to the hole, to cover up any light edges revealed. I call it gun residue if anyone asks :smiling3:

thanks Steve.

Getting the covers round the bend was really tricky given how tight it is on a 1/72 kit.

I had an idea of how to get it to work but it was only partially successful, so I guess I'll have to buy a few more spitfires just to perfect the technique!

ATB

Andrew