Strum with Love

[Coen]

After some insistent nagging by our one and only Paulywog, and some much more gentle encouragement from Nige Wells, I decided to build something for this GB.
I'm not entering this for the prizes or competition though... just participating
I had originally intended to do a Syrian diorama or vignette using a Meng T-90a that I have in the stash, but that was when I thought the GB took place near the end of the year. I have a big build on the go at the moment that will take me quite a way into the four months allotted for the fb, so an elaborate build wasn't really what I wanted.
Nige suggested that I try to build a strumovick that I have in my stash from Accurate Mini.
It's got a winter camo on it that I decided sounded wicked and it won me over.

So here's what I'll knock together.


Now...
It's a Freddy special, that means that I received this kit with bits half built, so it disqualifies me from any competition for the gb, which is cool for me, as I don't enter any GB for winning prizes or places (LEE )
This kit has a few started parts and some errant hair in the box, thus this disqualification.
Besides... I can't build planes worth a damn, so it doesn't matter.

The parts shots...
Say Hi Nige!!!



And the errant hair

[Kingdan]

errr


Dan

[felisbarcinonensis]

Nice kit Have fun!!!

[Nige201980]

this is going to be so cool good luck with it buddy.

Oh and Hi lol

[Dunhill2005]

You have Nige genes!!!
Attempts to clone your own...

[Twistedsniper42]

looking forward too seeing this build,i will be watching for updates.

[TommyKillander]

Cool subject, it will look great in that winter-cammo.

Good luck with the build!


Tommy

[Coen]

Thanks Fellas.

At first I thought that this would be a straight forward easy kit and that the reviews were over embellishing it's PITA factor.
Maybe not.
Most of it went together fairly well, better than many of the aircraft kits that I've build of the same scale.
Decent detail, fits were ok, clean up was minimal.
But I was watching the new Star Wars movie while building and completely skipped a step, now I'm running into trouble of my own design.

The thing that I hate about building aircraft is having to stop building right at the beginning to paint and seal up the cockpit, engine, wheel areas, etc... Anything that you need painted early and can't pick out with detail painting.
I'm too used to armour where that very rarely happens.
So in my haste to get around the cockpit painting I skipped a step and built the wings before installing the fusalage.
Now I have a fit issue.
I'll have to take the wings apart and try to fix it. Blah.
Oh well... I had a nice clean join for the wings too. Crap.







I decided that since there was another fella already building this kit that I would build this one differently so as not to take away from his project.
I will still, most likely, do the winterish scheme, but a very well worn one. I will also drop the skis and use the wheels that come in the kit. There's a decent looking pair of weighted ones that would be a shame to waste.




I also got to use my brand new Proxxon rotary tool that my wonderful wife got me for Christmas, for the first time.
Absolutely brilliant tool!!!
So much better than the dremel tools that I've been using for the last ten years.
I'm well satisfied ... Thanks wife
Hollowed out the exhaust tubes for the manifold, with a pass of a soft sponge sander they will clean up just fine.




Here is where it sits now... I'll have to take the wings apart after painting the cockpit, then see if I can get them to fit better against the fusalage. As it is now there a huge gap that won't close.







Most of it is dry fitted in these pics, so I can take most of it apart to work on.
Hopefully I can save it when I take the wings apart.

[chief5437]

This'll look really good with a worn winter wash, very cool! Hope you manage to get that gap closed ok, good luck Mike.

[Nige201980]

Looking good so far mate. I hope you can sort the gap buddy if not just do it crashed in smoking pile of burnt metal

[Coen]

Thanks guys.
I think that I fixed the gap issue by cutting a lot of the fuselage sidewalls supports off. They seemed to be holding the thing apart. We'll see when I go to button it up.
The last couple of days I got the cockpit painted and the pilot painted.
Next I'll seal it up and finish construction.

[ThomasBrown]

Yeah! Michael doing an aircraft! Love it! Very nice job on the pilot and cockpit. Super sexy work!!

[Nige201980]

Nice looking cockpit mate. Nice pilot too

[fly1ngdutchm4n]

Looks great to me as well.
Gaps are really annoying! But I know you will come with a idea to solve it! As always. Well... most of the time me thinks!
Keep it up!

[Coen]

I've been trying to catch up with the builds going on for this GB, ...
holy crap!
I don't rmember a busier group build on the forum. Wow!!!
I have to say I'm impressed. If half of ya finish your projects before the end this will be a hell of a show.
Yay ISM!!!

I'm nearly finished myself and I may start another before the end. I have a T-34 that's calling me from the stash.

So, last repot had the vic in bits with her interior painted. Well, she's all painted and ready for washes now.
I'm not happy with this build mostly, but once I got the paint on it and then added the winter camo I got interested again.

Once I got the mess that I made of the fits fixed things began to move forward quite well.




I had to cut off a few bits and pieces and used a can of Gap Be Gone one her, but in the end she finally fit together without having a giant gap at the wing roots.




Then I primed it with black stynlrez primer, and after consulting with Paul, I painted the bottom first...



Then the top... With the wrong colours...





So I painted it again... With the wrong colours...



Eventually I got sick and tired of trying to find the right colours and just left it the way it was, glossed it, slapped the decals on, and got ready for the white wash.



Ultimate Winter wash for the win on the winter camo. Sprayed with a .4mm needle at 23psi it did exactly what I wanted it to do.
Finally something worked during this build.




Using an old stiff bristled brush, I weatheri the winter wash to show the effect of airstream on it.










To say that I'm pleased with how well it worked is an understatement.
Because I plan to add more weathering that will reactivate the winter wash I sealed it all with alclad Aqua gloss.




Here she sits now waiting for the rest of the weathering. Some Ultimate dark dirt, a bit of tonal work with a dot filter maybe. Then a bit of pigments. Then I'll call her done.

[Smiffy]

A very nice looking winter white wash indeed and a very nice looking model too.

[hansolo]

Well Mike, I guess all of a sudden we're both into planes!
Na, we're armor guys for life!

Very very nice winter camo there!!!

[Rodney]

WOW mike that white/winter wash looks great really really like it.

[Skullfish]

she looks like shes going fast just sitting there. Excellent job.
Jase

[Coen]

Thanks Fellas...

I managed to finish her off today.
Some Ultimate washes for the win again... Dark Dirt for the bottom and Concrete with a drop or two of Dark Dirt for the top.





Then I flat coated her in preparation for the dot filters of a bit of titanium white oil for the winter camo and some black and burnt umber for oil stains.





Then some pigments for the soot from the guns and exhausts.
I added a bit of EZ-Line for the antenna and called it done.




And that's all she wrote. The reveal is here...
I was going to start a T-34 as a second build, but I changed my mind.
There's a Nashorn that I've been looking to build for some time.... after the Haul'em boys dio I think that I may go Rhino hunting.

[TheSmoo]

fantastic build, had a rough idea what a winter camo/wash was about but as I am new to weathering techniques your photos explaining why you did what and why were very helpful to me.

regards

Terry

[Coen]

I'm glad you found it useful Terry

[Nige201980]

Brilliant work Mike exactly how winter camo should look in my eyes again brilliant.

[NAMBiohazard]

That looks great
Love the worn winter wash, well done on that

Why finish so quickly?

[Coen]

That looks great
Love the worn winter wash, well done on that

Why finish so quickly?

Thanks
It was done quickly mostly because I tend to do everything quickly. I've no patience.
Now I can get back to work on my Haul'em diorama.

Brilliant work Mike exactly how winter camo should look in my eyes again brilliant.

Thanks Nige, I wants it really beaten up. I saw a few photos of them and their camo was really torn up by the air and stained all to hell and gone.
Dirty... Just how I like a flying tank.

[Paul]

Great work buddy, the Ultimate winter wash and dark dirt etc kicked ass as usual, superb looking bird

[Rodney]

REALLY REALLY nice Mike..

[rodrant]

Great weathering Michael ! Looks a very worn winter fighter bomber !

Very nice again all the thread you make !

[Coen]

Cheers fellas

[gaz45]

Awesome work there Mike looks great

[Coen]

Thanks Gaz