Airfix 1/72 Me262 (original?) COMPLETE!!

[JudgeDredd]

Hi all

My daughter saw a very retro looking model kit at a market and picked it up for me last Christmas. It looks very, very retro...and as soon as I opened the box it transported me back to the days when I built models with my dad. It definitely looks like it crawled out the 70's or 80's.

Anyway this is a few images I've taken along the way.

I'm very, very knew to filling, sanding and airbrushing as you'll see . Just things like using too much putty (it actually went off really quickly giving me very little time to actually get a smoother surface going), not having things to hold pieces whilst painting and after painting, airbrush pressure, mixing with primer etc, etc

On top of that, the model was a bugger. Gaps and misfits everywhere. I desperately wanted this to look good for my daughter as she was excited to get me this retro model as she knew I built models with my dad.

Well...to the pics...
Out the box...





Some pretty poor fitting...





Some pretty poor filling and sanding...











I'm not sure why I bothered to mask the cockpit...there's nothing in there except a seat...



Ready to prime (though I should've perhaps done more filling and sanding)...






Primed with Vallejo primer (another error?) - and check me laying down the pieces I've just primed...not enough tools...







So - that's it so far. I'm not really doing it the justice I wanted to - but I am learning new techniques which will get refined over the years.

Thanks for looking.

[Homerlovesbeer]

hehe well that kit looks like it will get your filler technique down pat! The fit looks terrible! If you can make it through that kit and onto a decent (new tool) kit you'll be in heaven

Edit: That kit came out in 1960!

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/147649- ... itt-me-262

[JudgeDredd]

wow. New box (or the box I have) is 1996!

That explains the poor tooling. Oh well. My daughter bought it for me for sentimental reasons - and it hit the spot.

Thanks for the info

[JudgeDredd]

So I've done some pre-shading now - Again...a new technique for me so be gentle.

I have a question...my lines didn't seem to be very precise. By that I mean, there was over spray. Any ideas why that would be? I'm using a Harder Steenbeck Ultra with a .2mm needle. I used Tamiya flat black thinned with Ultimate thinner. - about 505 I would think, though it was hard to gauge really.

[JudgeDredd]

I've put the blue on











Some things I'm learning...
Pre-shading - try and be a bit tidier. It doesn't have to be exact lines - but a little more "regular" would be good
Load the cup with enough paint because if you have to use more and it's different (mix of thinners and paint) then it'll likely show
Go slow. Build up layers

I may not pre-shade on 1/72 again. It's a real pita and I simply don't have steady enough hands for it.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Yea it's a tough job and VERY tedious! Yours looks fine to me. The pre shading can be all over the place as long as the paint application is consistent, i.e. no big dark patches or fainter areas although you can fix that by just applying more paint in those areas during your final paint colour.

Have a look at my 1:48 Super Hornet I painted last night. I pre shaded with a 0.2mm needle with this being my third attempt at pre shading ever. I actually think that my IWATA HP-CS 0.35mm needle does a better job than the Chinese Veda WD-180 0.2mm airbrush I used this time so needle diameter isn't everything, the shape and quality makes a huge difference as well.

I think you proabably need to apply more final coat to your ME262 to make your pre shading only JUST show through and apply to get a consistent amount of shading showing throughout the whole model.

My Super Hornet.

Cheers

[JudgeDredd]

Thanks Homer

It seems I've over-sprayed the top coat anyway...totally negating the pre-shading I did...oh well. I'll learn.


ok...I had a bit of a mare with the Vallejo Model Air paints. First time using them my brush got clogged and I panicked and downed tools.

But - I dusted myself off and carried on today.

So this is free hand camo. I prefer that because that's the way it was when I was in. When we were painting wagons, the only thing we masked was glass...everything else was free hand.

However - I'm not overly impressed with the results. I haven't finished yet. For a start, I have to do the blue again to "blend in" and cover where I didn't mask...bummer. On top of that, well...you decide. I'm not incredibly happy - but as a first timer at airbrushing - things can only get better.

I'm still not overly convinced about the Vallejo Model Air...the jury is out

[Homerlovesbeer]

Yep I noticed your post http://intscalemodeller.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=13989

I use Mr Hobby acrylics and am very happy with the way they spray. Can you get those near you at all? Maybe grab a bottle for a test and see what you think?

Edit: corrected the My Hobby to Mr Hobby

[JudgeDredd]

Are those Mr Hobby?

Not local stores. There's only one modelling store close and he's mostly Tamiya...but I could think of worse things he could stock. I wish Tamiya would put their paints in bottles like Vallejo.

I can get Mr Hobby online though. I have heard great things about them...but I'm going to persevere with the Vallejo Model Air. There's £60 of paint there and I can't really justify throwing it away. So I'll keep going - see if I can find a happy medium.

[JudgeDredd]

I'm afraid my pre-shading is all but gone

Oh well - I gave it a try

Well...I screwed up in the sense that I either painted in the wrong order or I should've masked...either way, the blue needed touching up.

So here she is prepped to have the blue re-applied


And here she is touched up. I'm rather impressed with my deft touch with the "merging" of the blue and green. However I still have the nose to deal with...for some bizarre reason I painted it black!




Once I touch that nose up, I'm onto the wheels, canopy and bombs. Then it'll be a clear coat followed by the decals and a final covering of clear. I'll likely weather it a bit too.

[JudgeDredd]

Getting there. Wheels are on, bombs are on, canopy has been masked and painted and various places touched up.

I'm a bit impressed with the masking. I did not use an Eduard mask...I just did it myself with Tamiya modelling tape.










Next up is a clear coat, decals, another clear coat and weathering

[JudgeDredd]

Here she is sitting on "her own three wheels"...











As it's not a "tail dragger" I was at a loss (as I was as a kid) as to how to get it to sit up....I have used a shed load of "blu-Tack" in the nose wheel section. Had I been prepared, I could've use ball bearings of some sort...but you live and learn.

[JudgeDredd]

She's done. Klear applied, decals on and more Klear applied.

I was going to weather - but I'm not sure...I like her.

I was really nervous about doing this model. My daughter had bought it as a special gift for me...it wasn't a lot of money, but she understood the significance of the model and it's age and that was priceless to me. So I was really nervous - first time using an airbrush, first time not using enamels, first time using certain paints (Tamiya and Vallejo Model Air), first time filling and first time sanding.

It's not perfect - but I'm really rather pleased with the result. I hope she is.












Thanks for looking and even being remotely interested

[Homerlovesbeer]

Well done! That kit was brutal, you made it look good! What's next?

[JudgeDredd]

Thank you

I had already started on a P-52D...1/72 scale again but I am still learning with the airbrush so I'm not fussed about the scale at the moment.

I then have a 1/72 P-47 Bubble Top, a 1/72 Me-262 (Hasegawa) and a 1/72 Zero...I think after that little lot I would hopefully have my airbrushing at least to a semi decent level and will probably be a little fed up of 1/72 scale models and likely never touch them again.

[Homerlovesbeer]

Hehe 1:72 are great! If you can make a 1:72 look good you'll have no issues with bigger scales.

[Benwar]

Wow I think you really pulled it off!
Good work!

[JudgeDredd]

Thank you