spejic Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 The A-2a is the purpose-built level bomber version of the Me262. I'll build this kit mostly out of the box. The kit is nicely detailed and has a good shape, but many of the main constructs are snap-fit, which makes it impossible to dry fit them together to test how well parts fit. Here is the box and kit with the work I did the last couple days: I painted the cockpit tub something suitably dark and German. I'll scratchbuild an instrument panel, but I won't add too much else because it will be so hard to see into the cockpit. I put some coiled solder in the gun bay, and put a sliver of pine-car weight in the gap between the gun bay and the cockpit. Hopefully that, the mostly solid plastic nose, and the two large bombs attached to the nose will be enough to prevent it from tail sitting - if not, there is space in the engines for more weight. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Patrick_Nevin Posted January 4, 2010 Share Posted January 4, 2010 The A-2a is the purpose-built level bomber version of the Me262. I'll build this kit mostly out of the box. The kit is nicely detailed and has a good shape, but many of the main constructs are snap-fit, which makes it impossible to dry fit them together to test how well parts fit.Here is the box and kit with the work I did the last couple days: (snip). Really nice progress and looking forward to watching this, sir. Not least as the Trumpeter 262 intrigues me (got several of the Eduards and am interested to see what the higher-priced Schwalbe is like) Kudos! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted January 5, 2010 Author Share Posted January 5, 2010 Really nice progress and looking forward to watching this, sir. Not least as the Trumpeter 262 intrigues me (got several of the Eduards and am interested to see what the higher-priced Schwalbe is like) The Trumpeter allows you to display your aircraft with open doors to the gun bay, if you like superdetailing. It also comes with a very nice Kettenkrad tow vehicle which, if glued to your model (and the front gear has a hollow hub, so you pretty much have to), should also help prevent it from being a tail sitter. I think the engine shape is a little better as well. On the other side, the Trumpeter has chunkier wings, which I sanded down a bit. In line with the snap-fit style, the landing gear doors are molded onto the gear or onto the fuselage, which makes sanding them thinner difficult. The canopy also attaches with friction-fit pins, which I hope correct painting will hide. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted January 6, 2010 Author Share Posted January 6, 2010 I put together all the main components. You need careful sanding to make the engines fit into the wings, and I had to put putty all around it. The rest of it fit together well, at least after I removed most of the pins from the fuselage parts. This picture also shows the Kettenkrad that comes with the kit. I removed the original handlebars, drilled a 0.40mm hole in the central column, and inserted a 0.40mm styrene rod as a replacement. I still need a little more puttying and sanding before I start painting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caudleryan Posted January 8, 2010 Share Posted January 8, 2010 Very nice so far! I can't wait to see more! RYAN. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted January 8, 2010 Author Share Posted January 8, 2010 I finished sanding, but I had to rescribe lots of lines where the fuselage halves meet and where the cover for the gun bay goes. I deepened the gun port. I also removed the solid approximation of the bomb fin braces and added plastic strips to better represent them. This picture shows the nose - all the lines on the side are rescribed - and the big bombs which I modified. It also shows the kit-provided small bombs, which I will not use, but are shown to demonstrate the original look of the bombs. Also I noticed that the panel lines for the top of the wing and the bottom the wing don't match (that is, the location of the control surfaces don't match up). I'm not going to fix it, because if it took me a week of careful looking at the model to notice it, I don't think anyone else will. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Patrick_Nevin Posted January 9, 2010 Share Posted January 9, 2010 This picture shows the nose - all the lines on the side are rescribed - and the big bombs which I modified. It also shows the kit-provided small bombs, which I will not use, but are shown to demonstrate the original look of the bombs. Wow, sir, great work at an almost microscopic scale Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted January 21, 2010 Author Share Posted January 21, 2010 Not too much new this time. I added the canopy, and found that it's fit isn't that great. The rear of the canopy is higher and wider than the fuselage, and it is very hard to sand it once you have glued it in place. If you are building this kit, I recommend sanding it (but just in the to-be-pained area, not the to-be-clear area) while it is not attached and dry fitting until you have sanded enough. I added a few small details. Visible in this picture are new in-scale probe at the port wingtip and the circular antenna made out of the eye of a needle designed for stringing beads together. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GretarBill Posted January 21, 2010 Share Posted January 21, 2010 Looking good. I would like to get my hands on that Kettengrad!! Grétar W. G. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Andrew Doppel Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 Geez, don't sneeze while you're working on it or else you might blow it away. That is tiny. I look forward to seeing how you paint it. regards Andrew Quote Link to post Share on other sites
POMPEO Posted January 26, 2010 Share Posted January 26, 2010 great job, the kattenkraft come together of the turmpeter's 262 kit, or you bought separately? cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 I'm mostly done with the kettenkrad (yes, it comes with the kit). I might go in with a black pencil to detail the wheels but I don't have one at the moment. I don't think I will weather it. I really hate zooming in so much because you see so many imperfections. The weird thing is that the original was modeled with the mud guards pointing up, not down, so they were blocking the seat instead of guarding mud. I fixed that. Here is what I am going to try for the mask. I have painted the bottom RLM 76, and I put non-blue blu-tack at the demarcation. Hopefully when I paint this correctly, I will get a fuzzy effect. I will first paint the upperside dark green, then mask out the sguggly lines with tape, and then paint the final RLM 82 green overcoat. I've never tried this technique before, so I hope it goes well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted March 14, 2010 Author Share Posted March 14, 2010 I haven't made any posts, but I've actually been working on the model consistently since the last post. I kept making mistakes when painting, so I had to keep going over and repeatedly touch it up. But I finally have a finish that is good enough. Here is what it looked like earlier today: Right now it is drying from a coat of Future on its upper surfaces. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted March 14, 2010 Author Share Posted March 14, 2010 And right now I remembered that the fin tip and nose have to be painted white. I will do that after the Future and before the decals. I have been airbrushing Tamiya flat white for a 1/144 Gripen I have been working on, and it ends up with a surface that is extremely rough - is there a better white out there for airbrushing? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted March 19, 2010 Author Share Posted March 19, 2010 I'm done. I did end up weathering the kettenkrad with pastels, but it's a little hard to see in the photos. I used Model Master acrylic flat, which is a little satin instead of dead flat, but I like the ease of use. The line is stretched sprue. I really enjoyed building the model. The decals were absolutely excellent. The towing rig is a little chunky, but I guess it is at the limit of what can be injection molded. Without the bombs, the airplane was just barely sitting on its wheels. If you are building the fighter version of the Trumpeter Me262, you either have to use the external fuel tanks or you have to use something like tungsten for the nose weight. The bombs ended up a little canted (like stores on a F/A-18F) - I hope that's right, but the model doesn't exactly give you an option. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Azgaron Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Excellent work Spejic! What a lovely little 262 you've built! Cheers, HÃ¥kan Quote Link to post Share on other sites
GretarBill Posted March 20, 2010 Share Posted March 20, 2010 Great little gem. :lol: I still would like to get my hands on that Kettenkrad! :P Grétar W. G. :) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
spejic Posted March 22, 2010 Author Share Posted March 22, 2010 I showed the model at the Santa Clara IPMS "Kick off Classic" show, and somehow won first place for 1/144 aircraft against some very heavy competition including one person who did the exact same model (and actually did more work on his, but I guess in the process made more mistakes). Many of the 1/144 entries were by this guy , and we had a pleasant chat. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
FlyingLow Posted April 3, 2010 Share Posted April 3, 2010 Hey Spejic, I didn't see your build here, I should check group builds more often, if I would I could prepare better for the meet. You beat me with Harrier last year and with Me262 this year so for the second time I had to settle for 2nd and 3rd place :) I am already thinking what to build for next year Seriously, I like your very clean build and I am glad more and more serious builds in this long overlooked scale are appearing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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