Ken from NJ

I'm pretty late to discovering the Eduard combos marked as BFC . I did manage to get a couple that went discontinued, including this: I noticed the color callouts for the FW 190 landing gear bays is RLM 76. Not the landing struts nor the inside of the gear doors, which are the familiar RLM 02. Just the entire wheel bay and the parts you add to it. Did I miss some new info on FW 190 colors or is this a slight error? I've fallen behind in my builds but read/research constantly. Haven't come across this color recommendation. And I thi

Nah, nothing wrong with the Monogram. I grew up building it and always loved it. But Falcon asked for the best Typhoon out there and my suggestion is the Hasegawa/ Italeri/ Eduard. Ken

Getting back to 1/48 A6M3 Hamps, this is what I was hoping is available, and it is: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tamiya-1-48-A6M3-Type-32-Zero-Fighter-61025/332812467573?epid=2256068999&hash=item4d7d2b3d75:g:UK8AAOSw53hbopo5:rk:13:pf:0&LH_BIN=1 Older kit, but builds up nicely. Ken

Drives me crazy when I don't get a response. So sorry for jumping in so late. I believe after so much cutting to get the molded in flaps removed that Eduard flaps intended for other kits have a good chance of fitting well. I would remove exactly the flap as well as I could, and if the Eduard flap needs a little more sanding you're just about there. If the PE flaps are smaller than the opening you have, their being in the dropped location will not produce a huge visible difference. I've used PE intended for other kits including some Bf 109 radiator doors that, when ha

Dammit, seawinder. You got me off the couch to verify. I offer no excuse as I study A6Ms, P-40s, and Typhoons and I should have known that off the top of my head. You are correct👍 , and there goes my hard earned credibility. Chriss7607, I sincerely apologize for my error as seawinder is correct. Therefore the cockpit should be Mitsubishi green. Ken

Uwe, If you can get your hands on this book, and a few generic decals from other kits or leftovers, you'll find amazing color profiles and info in the G-10 chapter. And check Spruebrothers.com for new decal sheets. Ken

There were two versions of the A6M3, the Model 32 with the clipped wings and the Model 22 with the standard length wings. The Tamiya kit you have was a long time coming to fill the Model 22 void, and although your surgery plans would backdate it to a clipped wing Model 32, it would defeat the purpose of the kit. There is an older Tamiya Model 32 and several Hasegawa kits that will build up into a Hamp, no surgery needed. And the old Tamiya Hamp can be found, new, for under $20. And I believe all A6M3s were built by Nakajima so Nakajima green for the cockpit is corre

Ah, yes. The insert. "Into each life some rain must fall." Hasegawa has done this a couple of times to get more mileage out of their molds. I know of a couple of P-40 kits that have inserts. I personally am not too crazy about them but only because my rescribing skills are poor to average. After the fitting, gluing (cementing), putty filler, sanding, rescribing… it sounds more intimidating than it is to get the inserts where they should be. As to the decal selection, the teardrop or bubble canopy Typhoon (car door canopied aircraft pretty much phased out

Pertaining to the rocket or bomb squadron, a truly excellent book is Osprey Combat Aircraft #86 TYPHOON WINGS of 2ND TAF 1943-1945. It includes a listing of which squadrons carried rockets and which carried bombs. And just TONS of other info. I read and refer to this book so often I believe my eyes have worn out the print. Ken

Tempests were operational with the RAF at the time of the D-Day operation but as you read they not over the landing beaches until June 8. As for the Eduard 1/48 Tempest: Their first kit came out maybe 20 (?) years ago. Have it, built it, not too impressed, (much trouble with the wings fitting) but it was much better than a previous older kit (AMT I think?) The AMT kit had weird rubbery plastic. Their brand new 2018 release of the Tempest I have on order is floating about lost in international mail. I can only go by the one or two reviews I've read on Hyperscale. It

I am a Typhoon nut, several built with six more in my stash. I hope I can help. I build 1/48 scale, as are all my Typhoons. The Hasegawa kit is great right out of the box. Aftermarket parts only improve things, with alternate propellers, bombs, seats, tires, exhaust stacks, and more detailed rockets. Aftermarket decals will allow nearly any squadron markings you'd like. Italeri also released the Hasegawa kit under their brand and boxing. Identical plastic, different decals. Now not to confuse you, but Eduard released a Typhoon. It was another re-boxi

This is what I have from an old Almark Decals sheet of swastikas: (giving actual size of life size swastika) -- Bf 109: 300 mm per side. So by my calculations 300 divided by 32 (for 1/32nd scale) = 9.375 mm per side -- FW 190: 540 mm per side 540 divided by 32 = 16.875 mm per side -- FW 190 (all black swastika): 530 mm per side 530 divided by 32 = 16.5625 mm per side That's the best I could come up with. Good luck! Ken

Kaz, This info is great. It's new to me, but it begins clearing things up . Thank you. Ken

First some summarization: --A6M Zeros were produced by Mitsubishi and Nakajima --Around Spring and Summer 1943 topsides received dark green paint as camouflage, factory applied. --Therefore A6M5, -5a, and -5b models were built and painted at Mitsubishi and Nakajima --Nakajima used a paint pattern design that featured the demarcation line of the top and bottom paint on the fuselage sides to rise from the wing trailing edge to the leading edge of the horizontal stabilizers. From here on, I try to figure this out: Was Nakajima also a producer of A6M5c's?

... and right into my "U.S. aircraft info" folder! And again, after all these years of WWII model building, I honestly can not remember ever seeing this paint info. Thanks to all!

Like I said a couple of days ago: Glad to see this paint color query was discussed and several of us learned something or had something confirmed.

Thank you for your responses, 11bee and Spruemeister. I've gone from a happy modeler in the past to an unhappy accuracy fanatic back to a happy modeler. I always LIKE to be accurate but for my own pleasure. I have lost interest in posting much (especially pics after a particularly underwhelming response to a project I completed and posted). But I DO enjoy interacting with like-minded modelers, even if it's just to point out something I find unique or to hear another point of view. Thanks again, guys. Ken P.S. It will be flat Non-Spec

Another question I'd like to ask: Got some beautiful Techmod decals for my plane. And I see some color callouts that got my attention. For the USN tri-color scheme, the decal sheet color suggests Non-Spec Sea Blue (flat) for the fuselage topside BUT Non-Spec Sea Blue (semi-gloss) for the wing and horizontal stab topsides. I've been building and painting models for MANY years and I've built loads of US WWII Navy planes. But this is the first time I've come across the topside blue being both flat and semi-gloss. Is this old news I've missed? N

I think you're on to something. Thanks, seawinder.

When I start a new kit I usually treat myself to some after-market parts. With my Hasegawa F6F-3 I thought some gun barrels, new decals, a choice of tires for different tread patterns, maybe a prop... and a Quickboost drop tank. I guess I didn't look hard enough because I ordered and received the tank with a horizontal flange around the tank and not the (also available) tank with the vertical flange. Now I read both were used but I haven't seen any pictures of real aircraft with the horizontal. I have seen pictures of kits built using the horizontal flanged tank th

I think over a month in this forum without critiques tells you that you have a great looking build here. And since you stated this kit was interesting, easy, detailed and fun... that to me is the most important aspect of your project. Congratulations. Ken

Shelf model? I would look at either Tamiya AS-10 Ocean Gray or AS-27 Gunship Gray 2. (But I reeeaaalllyyy love mixing Tamiya colors and airbrushing. Still my favorite paint.) Ken

PFlint and jester, I had to get into a proper frame of mind to regain my patience, and it seems to be paying off. By working on one problem area at a time, this kit and I are falling into a groove. Leading edges have cleaned up. The fuselage did indeed click nicely into the wing. I "wedged" the engine into the cowling rather than hoping it would line up with the ill-fitting firewall (my fault). A little more putty here and there and I'll be painting long before I ever thought I'd be. A little patience and brainpower and this kit jus

Another "ouch" for my planned build is the three 190Ds I need. And two are Eduard 190Ds I purchased already. I've never minded a little more work to get things to fit, and I learned more about the plane/engine/ tank or whatever I was building. But sometimes an easy quick build is appreciated as much. Never quite gave up but I did walk away and let it sit for a few days at a time. Thanks for looking, Hal. Ken

Have a long-term Luftwaffe build plan going on. Needs four 190A-8s and a 190F-8. Saw a pretty good bunch of deals on Eduard Weekend Editions when I started prepping and getting kits over the past couple of years so I got a bunch. Always heard good things about them. Finally started building an Eduard A-8 after last Christmas... ... and it's still in pieces. I'm taking ALL the blame for just not getting it: -- can't get the wings to close up along the leading edge. -- fuselage very fiddly around the wing root gun bays -- ni