AIR Modeller - Issue 53 (2014 04-05).pdf

MENGAIRMODELLERAPRIL/MAY2014 53APRIL / MAY 2014 • £6.50 UK $14.95 www.mengafvmodeller.com POCKET ROCKETLarge Scale Komet Issue 53 cover_Layout 1 11/03/2014 12:35 Page 1

AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 12:41 Page 222

1 2 Messerschmitt Me163B Komet The Editor builds Meng’s first 1:32 aircraft kit. 12 Komet Walkaround David Doyle digs into the archives for some pictures of the real Komet. 18 Kriegsmarine Arado 196 Patrice Roman builds a 1:72 Arado complete with catapult. 26 Last Combat Cruise Four modellers, Girolamo Lorusso, Mirko D’agreements, Panciroli Marco and Marco Penasa, work together to recreate the last Combat operation for the F-14D in 1:48 40 Big Bird B-17, Part 4 The Editor continues his build of HK Models spectacular 1:32 Flying Fortress 46 Air Born New releases 56 Royal Norwegian Airforce F-86F 40 Ole Kjensmo adapts the 1:48 Hasegawa kit and tries his hand at a metal foil finish. CONTENTS Meng AIR Modeller welcomes contributions from interested parties, but cannot accept any responsibility for unsolicited material. The contents of this publication including all articles, drawings and photographs originated by AFV Modeller ltd become the publishers copyright under copyright law. Reproduction in any form requires the written consent of the publisher. Whilst every care is taken to avoid mistakes AFV Modeller ltd. cannot be liable in any way for errors or ommissions. Meng AIR Modeller is published Bimonthly by AFV Modeller ltd Old Stables East Moor Stannington Northumberland NE61 6ES Tel: 01670 823648 Fax: 01670 820274 email: david@mengafvmodeller.com Editor and Designer: David Parker Deputy Editor: Mark Neville Sales Director: Keith Smith ISSN 1747-177X We are now on Facebook, ‘Like’ us to follow what we are doing and follow our build projects. Meng Models Sponsors AIR Modeller You may have noticed our new look cover and that’s because MENG and AFV Modeller are delighted to announce an exciting new collaboration with MENG becoming the exclusive title sponsor of AFV Modeller and AIR Modeller Magazines. This will mean more in depth coverage of the exciting new Meng releases and interesting modelling activities organized by both parties. To celebrate this, this issue of MENG AIR Modeller includes a complimentary decal sheet with two additional marking schemes for the MENG 1:32 Me163B kit*. *Free decal sheet is only available with printed copies, digital editions are excluded. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 16:27 Page 1

2 T AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:37 Page 2

KOMETMENG MODEL’S FIRST 1:32 AIRCRAFT KIT Modelled by David Parker For many decades now the venerable Hasegawa Me 163 was the only available 1:32 kit of the Luftwaffe’s rocket-powered interceptor. A new state of the art version is therefore most welcome and so we uncorked a bottle of T-Stoff and lit the blue touch paper before standing well back. MESSERSCHMITT Me163B 3 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 3

Cockpit We begin with the cockpit and there is an immediate choice of parts between the fully plastic moulded instrument panel or the version with photoetched panel sections. I am normally a bit sceptical about the photoetched versions as they can lack the required depth but when I glued the etched parts onto the plastic backing part the finished effect with the fine panel gaps persuaded me to go with this version. The cockpit tub is well handled but the restrictions of the moulding process mean that there is no horizontal strap detail on the fuel cells, only the vertical straps. The kit provides a nice set of photoetched seat harnesses which were soft enough to just bend into a natural sagged position in the seat tub. Once shaped these were painted with Vallejo acrylics and Mr Metal Color Chrome Silver for the buckles. It is well worth keeping the pilot’s seat separate from the bulkhead until you have the seat belts painted and fitted. The various parts of the cockpit all locate together precisely to form a very solid tub. I replaced the moulded oxygen hose with a flexible resin tube from the MDC range for a more natural look. With the cockpit bulkhead and floor tub joined I also added the pair of fule lines that run between the bulkhead and the fuel cells using lead wire to make these. 4 T The new oxygen hose is casually draped across the cockpit. The opposite side of the completed cockpit. Scuffs and chips applied to the cockpit floor. MDC instrument dial decals were used to finish the instrument panel. The pair of fuel lines added on each side of the bulkhead. The choice of kit instrument panels. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 4

5 The HWK109-509A Rocket Engine The kit provides a very detailed replica of the rocket motor and should you want to display this the tail assembly can be removed for this - much like the old Hasegawa kit. I found this assembled without any problems although I again used the MDC flexible resin hoses to replace the moulded plastic parts F26, F27 and F36 as they were easier to connect. Dont do what I did and fit parts F13 and F14 to the side of the motor before you fit the entire motor to the mounting ring part C29 or you will discover as I did that the assembled motor will not fit through the ring. I always think that I know better than the kit instructions and paid the price here. The whole rocket motor assembly is mounted on the back of the huge T-stoff fuel tank which itself is mounted onto the cockpit bulkhead, forming a complete internal sub-assembly around which the two fuselage halves are fitted. This clever approach works well but you need to take care to align the various internal bulkheads as you introduce the fuselage skins. The cockpit fits snuggly into the skins with no gaps or filling required apart from the centreline joint seam across the cockpit coving in front of the armoured windscreen. The fully assembled engine ready for painting The internal structure is remarkably detailed and complete and the next step is to fit the outer fuselage skin. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 5

Weapons Bays The kit offers the choice of having the landing skid extended or retracted and detailed weapons bays and ammunition feeds. I chose the retracted skid which meant that I could skip stage 11 and move to the weapons. Here too there is a choice of 20mm MG 151 or 30mm MK 108 with ammunition belts for both weapons. I decided on the 30mm MK 108’s and thought I would also try the MDC resin guns along with their flexible resin ammunition belts. As you can see there is very little difference between the kit gun and the resin version but the ammunition is a more accurate shape than the kit parts. I adapted the ejector chutes and gun mounts from the kit and the guns were finished in Mr Metal Color Dark Iron. The ammunition belt was painted with steel shell cases and a small length glued into the feed slots of the gun. The remainder of the wings were then assembled before fitting the wings to the fuselage and here there are short spars on the fuselage to give a very exact alignment. The wing root ammunition belts were trimmed until two or three shells were visible which was just enough to load into the feed slots in the fuselage. With the wings in place it only remains to fit the tail which can be modelled separately with a support stand provided to carry the tail and another to rest the rocket motor on if this is what you decide to do. I prefered to permanently fix the tail and if you want6 T The fuselage skins installed, notice the clever wing root details and stub spars. Upgunning, the kit 30mm MK 108 cannon & the resin version with ammo AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 6

7 to do the same I would suggest that you don’t assemble the engine and the associated internal details. You will still need the exhaust nozzle to fit inside the tail but it will make the process of fitting the tail simpler. Painting With the windows and cockpit masked I was ready to start painting and I used Gunze Aqueous Hobby Colour throughout, beginning with RLM76 Light Blue applied to the undersides, tail and the nose. This was followed by the RLM 82 Light Green and I used a paper mask cut from a Post It note to achieve the wave pattern along the colour demarkation on the nose. The hard edged outline that this created was then softened buy going over the same area freehand. Freehand spots were also applied over the tail and below the wave on the nose, leaving rough spaces on the tail for the markings to be positioned later. I then applied the RLM 81 Brown Violet but here I added a tiny amount of Gunze H84 Mahogany to increase the brown balance of the RLM 81. The camouflage pattern was sprayed freehand with the exception of the wave pattern again on the nose. With this complete I masked the nose to apply the yellow and then the black ring. The landing skid was brush painted with Vallejo Air The assembled model ready for paint.I drilled out these vents in the tail. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 7

8 A quick flash of gloss varnish was applied to prepare for the decals although the satin finish of the paint will often work well without varnish. With this done I moved onto weathering beginning with some paint chipping on areas of heavy wear. For this I mixed the camouflage colours with RLM 76 to lighten them and the chips were brush painted around the wing roots and access covers. A dark wash of oil colours was used to define the panel lines and I then airbrushed some Com Art Transparent Smoke over the panel lines to shade the area. Final touches of chipping were then done using a very pale grey rather than a metalic colour. Decals applied and ready for waethering. Panel lines are picked out with a wash and then shaded with transparent smoke. Areas of worn paint are picked out with lightened shades of the base camouflage colours. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 8

9 Final touches now and I added dirt to the landing skid using pigments and used a pencil to polish the front lip of the skid. We received a review sample of the the new Barracuda Studios resin wheel set so I decided to use these. The tires were sprayed with Gunze Tire Black and the hubs brush painted with Vallejo Air Black and some light weathering. The nose propeller and antenna were installed along with the pitot tube and tail wheel and the canopy was fitted. One final detail were the photoetched latches for the access panels on the spine which can be fitted in open or closed positions. T The shaded and washed panel lines can be seen on the lower fuselage. Final chipping along the wing roots, remember that the wings are wooden so expoased metal is not appropriate. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 9

10 This new kit of the Komet certainly consigns the old Hasegawa version to the swap meet of history with its superior surface detail and internal details. We would have preferred plastic tires but then Barracuda Studios have come to the rescue but this aside its a kit that builds as well as it looks. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:38 Page 10

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12 PHOTOS BY DAVID DOYLE Komet Walkaround A great series of all round views of this captured Me 163B Komet on display in America but still in remarkably good condition in its original markings, which are restricted to national markings and serial number. The white outline hakenkreuz suggests a later production aircraft. Interestingly the mottled fuselage camouflage extends right down to the tail wheel fairing. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 16:04 Page 12

13 This head on view shows the badly chipped paint along the leading edges of the wings as well as the non-standard explanatory labelling about the nose propeller, obviously a source of some considerable confusion for the public. Another captured example with its new American registration number. Again there are no unit badges or aircraft numbers to help distinguish this particular aircraft. What at first looks like a solid camouflage colour across the fuselage is in fact a very dense scribble pattern over a lighter base of probably RLM 76. AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 16:04 Page 13

Bearing the same FE500 serial number it is not clear if this is the same aircraft but if it is, it has clearly been repainted. Repainted or not, the colour is debateable but the obvious tonal difference between the black areas of the wing crosses and the rest of the wing suggests a red scheme rather than black. American stencils have also been applied across the airframe and the antenna has been removed. Two views of this freshly restored museum example with the neatly applied camouflage contrasting with the more random patterns seen in the archive pictures. The red panels around the canopy are curious and not apparent in wartime photos. 14 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 16:04 Page 14

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An interesting picture of a Komet undergoing restoration and stripped back to the bare metal. 16 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 16:05 Page 16

Another view of FE500 which is hardly carrying any stencils apart from the jacking point and rear tire pressures. As fetaured on the Meng decal sheet, this captured example has been repainted in British markings over the top pf the original German camouflage. 17 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 16:05 Page 17

Patrice Roman makes Heller’s classic kit feel right at home on White Ensign’s catapult 18 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:53 Page 18

Arado196 When the English manufacturer White Ensign Models released a German aircraft catapult in photoetched parts and white metal, I decided at once to try to build it with the Arado 196 mounted on top. The first thing to do was to find a Heller kit or a Revell re-boxing because, for me, these are the best available kits. The kit is moulded very delicately but to the standards of the time of its production, which means raised panel line details and heavily textured canvas control surfaces. On the other hand the plus points of Heller are there: soft plastic, very fine trailing edges and realistic motor. The fuselage is very empty and the Eduard photoetched set ED72262 will be essential to create an interior worthy of the name, and visible through the big glazing. Unfortunately the glazings were missing in the box I had so I had to search for a replacement kindly supplied by Philippe Martin. 19 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:53 Page 19

The photoetched parts were enhanced with details in plastic card to give more depth to the walls: different cases, throttle levers, fire extinguishers and map cases. Twisted threads were used to represent the electric cables. The supports of the table for the radio and the defensive machine gun are created from plastic card and 0.5mm Evergreen profiles. The cover for the instruments which overhang the table is heat formed over a wooden former. The whole interior is painted in grey RLM02 Humbrol, then dry brushed with a light grey and with the aluminium paint on floor and areas of high wear. The instrument panel had the dials emphasized by a matt black dry brushing, then some are coloured on their circumference as well as the tips of levers using some Prince August acrylic paint. The whole interior varnished with Kleer, then a wash is applied to give more definition. Finally I sprayed some Prince August matt varnish, then took back certain details and side walls card with a satin varnish. Before the sidewalls are fixed into the fuselage, they were thinned, just along their upper edge, to be able to adjust them with the floor. With plastic card, I made the coving for the instrument panel and the slide channels which will help to position the various parts of the windows. 20 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:53 Page 20

Having cut away the flaps which will be adjusted to give a little of life to the model, I stuck the two halves of the wings together and using 1:72 plans I corrected the curvature of wings. The whole model is then engraved by following the raised panel lines. Except for a couple of areas all the engraving was done free hand. It is necessary to pass several times slowly and to have of numerous breaks to avoid slipping. At the same time I added a trapdoor to the left at the back of the engine. Once the whole airframe is engraved, I removed the raised panel lines by sanding then by rubbing surfaces with fine steel wool. You could either stop there and standardize the work by running some thin liquid glue into the lines, or as I did here, to try to replicate the distortion of the aluminium skin. To this end the plastic is scraped along the panel lines with a round tipped scalpel blade, after which I rubbed it with a small ball of steel wool to smooth it. In places the engraving must be made deeper. Some rivets will be represented as holes with 0.3mm drill bit, but most of the rivets were marked by means of a castor home-made riveter wheel system. The recesses for the ropes A on each side of the cockpit are created as well as the location points for the bars B used to hold the folded up wings. Two mini stretched cotton bud tube stalks are placed under the fuselage on the port beam to represent the opening of flare chute and the guide of the antenna wire and more behind the contact which serves as support on the back part of the catapult trolley. Wings and floats The rudder and mobile parts of the tail which were cut, have improved edges and new counterweights added. New bomb racks bombs are made from plastic card and the supports in photoetch strips from the Eduard set. The floats are improved with photoetched plates for the various access doors missing on the kit, and enhanced at the front with two rings made from copper wire. They are then joined together by fastening the mast and glued it to the extrados. The attachment points of the main struts, either on floats or to the fuselage, are to be puttied to have a good continuity between the various parts. which was done with some plastic melted into some cellulose thinners. After several days of drying, the excess is, at first roughly removed with a curved cutter blade, then sanded until well blended. The rigging lines are made of stretched plastic and glued to these points, for the lateral ones; but I only stuck those between the floats at the end in order to easily handle the model. The rudder controls are made from plastic card with stretched sprue cables. On the front strut I also added the access ladder steps.the pipes of gasoline in thread of brass and rings of 21 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:53 Page 21

The radiator needed to be redone because the kit one is completely unrealistic. The frame is cut out of brass sheet which is folded to give the shape, then the grilles, cut from a diesel filter, are stuck on two pieces of plastic. At the front I drilled two holes to fit the pivoting shutter which I made to function which proved useful as I was able to close the shutter during the painting. Finally the reinforcement straps that mount the radiator were made from two strips of self-adhesive aluminium foil. I knew that Vector Resin offer a magnificent BMW engine, and having purchased it I decided it was too nice to hide it. I decided to cut the engine cowlings to represent the access doors opened. Before any surgery to the kit cowls the covers are created by shaping some aluminium sheet from a food tray over the plastic kit parts. The sheet of aluminium is shaped with a toothpick over the cowling of the kit, and then cut according to the panel lines, engraved into the cowling, which show up after rubbing with the toothpick. So I recreated the three "doors" and only kept the front ring of the cowling. The rear cooling shutters were supplied in the Eduard photoetched set and is shaped around an appropriately sized cylinder, then doubled by a reinforced piece of plastic card which will also serve to stick the three pieces of the assembly together with the frontal ring, also shaped in plastic. The internal surfaces are painted in green grey RLM 02 and external ones in green RLM 72 as it was the standard for seaplanes since 1942. 22 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:53 Page 22

The Vector engine itself is magnificently sharp, however it is necessary to make pushrods, using brass rod. As far as I am concerned. If the cowlings are closed you can simply add the wiring and the fronts of the small air inlets supplied as photoetch and the wire grilles. As it will be wide open I also added: inlet manifolds, a few accessories on the back, cylindrical boxes that correspond to air inlets and the exhausts. The exhausts are shaped in evergreen profile, bent in some very hot water and in plastic card. The whole engine is then painted with a layer of Alclad "Chrome Silver" is and then the crankcase is painted in grey / blue (Humbrol 96) and dry brushed with aluminium (Humbrol 11) pushrods and pipes are picked out with metallic black (Prince August) and the wiring in beige (Humbrol 76). When everything is dry a black wash of acrylic ink (Magic Color) is applied to enhance all the details. The undersides are painted in light blue RLM65 (Humbrol 65) and the upper surfaces in RLM 72 (Humbrol 91 and 77 mixed in equal parts). Then I returned to the center of panels with the base colour slightly lightened. Everything was given a coat of gloss varnish using Gunze acrylics and then I applied the decals using a mix of markings from my spares box as the kit ones were not in a good shape. A sealing coat of varnish was next and then I added a brown / black wash made with oil paint diluted with some white spirit over the panel lines. All the lines are picked out with some black paint mixed with matt varnish and diluted to 300%. In fact it is hardly possible to see and it is the repeated application that will provide the desired effects. I work during this with some thinners (Humbrol or equivalent) that allows me to correct any mistakes by wiping with a cloth dampened with thinners. Then the whole model is varnished in matt varnish before being taken back area by area with a satin varnish (Prince August Air) to break the uniformity of the look and give an operational feel. After having put the framing onto the canopy (done with transparent decal sheet painted with the internal colour, and external colours and then cut into strips) I added spots here and there in the most worn places some touches of Humbrol Metalcote aluminium to simulate damaged paint. Using highly diluted acrylic ink the stains and streaks of various fluids, were added especially on the floats, before finishing by applying the exhaust stains. Eventually it’s time to mount on the machine gun (An Aires one) with strips of ammunition from a generic Reheat set and a recovery bag for the cartridges made with Milliput. I fitted the sliding parts of the canopy, added the antenna wire using stretched Lycra (painted stained steel), and to put the cowling panels on the engine with their curved support stays made from brass wire and the Arado is ready to be put on the catapult. 23 AIR 53 April May 2014_AFV/26 Jan/Feb 06 11/03/2014 13:53 Page 23