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Blohm & Voss 194, Revell 1/72


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Thanks Moritz! :D

When there is trouble ahead, bandits lurking in your six and you got to have eyes everywhere nothing helps more than a bubble canopy like the one the B&V 194 was equipped with!

I started the canopy work like everybody else: after the mandatory Future treatment I painted the inside of the frame. What? Not everybody paints the inside? Really? :rofl:

I masked the inside with strips of Tamiya tape as advised by A.J.L.ROY of master194 fame (you see, there are others doing it too!)

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That's it. Not very difficult and much better IMHO.

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Then masking of the outside with Tamiya tape and Gunze masking liquid.

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The windshield was attached with carpenter's white glue. The advantage of this method is that it makes for a perfect joint. Just use enough glue to have some squeeze out of the joint (on the outside). You can even daub some onto the joint if not enough. Then let dry for some hours and with a Q-tip dipped in hot water rub off the excess. All seams will disappear and this method has a bonus: if you're not satisfied you can start all over by daubing some more glue onto the joint.

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Next I attached the canopy temporarily in the closed position for the purpose of: a. painting it together with the fuselage in a continuous camo pattern and b. doubling as a mask for the cockpit during airbrushing. A good way of doing that is with white tac. Just roll some into strings and place them on the canopy rim.

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It makes for an airtight, paint-proof joint.

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Put the canopy in place and press it down till the stuff squeezes out.

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Remove the excess and voila!

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I learned this technique by asking on the tools 'n' tips forum here on ARC so thanks to you guys for your input! :D

The B&V 194 also had a small window at the front of the gondola enabling the pilot to see down. I hope that B&V had engineered this better than Revell did because in the kit, with the stick, instrument panel and rudder pedals the pilot could hardly have seen anything!

Here is did something stupid and masked the window before I attached it. Next day I started wondering: what if there is dust inside the window and I didn't see it? So I lifted the mask and I was right: there was more dirt on the inside of the window than under the soles of my shoes! Fortunately carpenter's white glue comes off easily! After removing the window, cleaning it, re-Futuring it, gluing it back in place and masking it I was finally done!

canopy047.JPG?width=737&height=552

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Next step: assembly.

Here I have to say that you guys who are doing "normal" airplanes really have it easy: it's symmetrical, simple.

But how to you assemble this one?

assemblytile.jpg?width=737&height=563

But fear not! I have an infallible technique that not even a 1000-pieces puzzle can resist: always start with a corner... :rofl:

See you soon.

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A few words on asymmetrical designs for those who are interested.

As far as single-piston engined aircraft are concerned the concept of symmetry is an interesting one to the degree that a normal design, such as, let's say, the Spit, is symmetrical only as far as its shape is concerned, seen from a static point of view. Seen dynamically, symmetry disappears as soon as the engine starts and the propeller is put in motion given that the rotating movement of the latter breaks symmetry, the blades going up on one side and down on the other in relation to the symmetry axis.

This asymmetrical motion of the propeller exerts no less than four different forces on the airframe, all of them tending to make the aircraft turn left (supposing the propeller turns clockwise as seen from the cockpit).

imageh1n.jpg

On a standard design this effect is counteracted by the use of the trims. The purpose of the asymmetrical design is to remedy this tendency in a more definitive way, making the aircraft more stable and offering other advantages as well, such as improved view for the pilot (except on one side but then you can't have everything...)

w_asy_1.jpg

w_asy_2.jpg

In accordance with the above and as strange as it may seem, the B&V 141, which flew during WW II, was stable, maneuverable, fast and easy to pilot.

I'm not sure the same could have been said of the B&V 194 as far as the last point is concerned, not because of the asymmetrical design but because of the two engines, a piston engine and a jet engine, placed side by side on different axes. Jet engines being what they were at this time I don't think the 194 would have been any pilot's plane. But let's suppose this problem could have been overcome and we are looking at an aircraft that would have had the following advantages:

Good visibility

Good weapons concentration

Good low level speed

Good climbing speed

That at least is what B&V claimed. We'll never know how right or how wrong they were.

The asymmetrical design reappears from time to time, the most recent example (to my knowledge) being the Rutan Boomerang, designed in the 90's by Burt Rutan the aeronautical engineer famous for his eccentric designs as well as his record-breaking creations. His Model 202 Boomerang is powered by two piston engines, one at the front of the fuselage, the other one on the left wing.

RutanBoomerang.jpg

Noteworthy is the fact that the Boomerang has a higher speed and greater range than the Beechcraft Baron 58 on which it is based (same engines, same number of passengers).

That's it folks. Next post: the Euro, ear-plus and White-Out.

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Thank you guys for the nice words! :)

Unless one is especially interested in the Luft 46 subject he usually doesn't know much about the German "paper planes," those that existed only on paper, never built because WW II came to an end before they had the time to. And yet the largest part of this documentation along with the German scientists that authored it was shipped to the USA after the war and served as a basis for many of the designs of the early jet era. The history of the jet plane is literally rooted in the German research from before and during WW II.

There is a plethora of such "weird and wonderful" designs on the Luft 46 site.

Cheers!

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Using every day objects during my builds always gives me a strange satisfaction. I don't know why. :)

Here are 3 examples I used during and after the assembly of the airframe.

assembly026.JPG?width=737&height=552

1) Earplugs

To mask small openings like gun ejection ports. It's easy to cut and takes back its shape after it's been compressed (it's supposed to work that way, ain't it?), which allows for a very tight, paint-proof joint. Cut a bit bigger than the hole, compress it, stuff it into the opening and let the memory foam do the rest.

assembly044.JPG?width=737&height=552

Let's plug the small holes on the sides.

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And while we're at it why not plug the large holes in the front and in the back?

assembly033.JPG?width=737&height=552

BTW, that's not recommended when using them as plugs on the human body! :rofl:

2) White-Out

Works well as a filler. Fast drying time. Very liquid, it flows into recesses easily. Easy to sand, it can even be scratched off with a toothpick. These make it the ideal filler for hard-to-reach areas like this one:

assembly042.JPG?width=737&height=552

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3) Coins

If you have some left after you bought all your modeling goodies, you can use them as a spirit level.

assembly024.JPG?width=737&height=552

I had to used that because when I put the stabs into place they were at an angle. I had to take off plastic to loosen up the joint and straighten it. But after that I had a very loose joint and the problem was how to keep the stabs in place, horizontal while I applied glue. What I did is:

- Fix the fuselage to the cutting mat with some white tac.

- Make sure the fin is vertical with a square.

- Put coins under the stabs, same on each side to get the horizontal.

- Apply Tamiya Extra Thin.

To get the correct height just play around with the denominations.

I did it with Euros. I heard that it can be done with dollars as well but I never tried it. B)

Cheers!

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The build is getting on with the last step before painting: assembly of the engine part.

I'm talking BMW 801, the Lufwaffe's workhorse, one of the two engines that powered the B&V 194, the other one being the BMW 003 turbojet.

The exhaust pipes were made to look like pipes by drilling them out and the cowling's edge was sanded to thin it down to a fine edge.

BMW801007.JPG?width=729&height=600

Next came a base coat of Vallejo Black over the exhausts and dirtying of the inside. A quicky job with no precision whatsoever as only the ends of the exhausts will be visible after final assembly. (Revell provides for an open cowling option but I decided not to follow that road for several reasons. One is that the engine would require more detailing, which I was not willing to embark upon. Another is that the open cowling somehow spoils the very special lines of this bird.)

BMW801004.JPG?width=737&height=493

The rusty aspects of the exhausts was rendered with Mig pigments (Old Rust) and lead pencil powder both fixed with Mig Pigments Fixer.

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The double row of cylinders is attached.

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Closing up the cowling goes without a hitch, the pieces falling into place just as they should.

BMW801008.JPG?width=737&height=552

Before gluing the fan in place I simulated airflow streaks on the vanes. To do this I:

- daubed on Mig "concrete" pigments

- made the streaks with a fine brush dipped in water

- sealed everything with Mig Fixer

BMW801018.JPG?width=729&height=600

Final result:

BMW801010.JPG?width=601&height=600

Not much to be seen once it's all closed up but it looks quite busy in there, which is what I wanted.

Same goes for the exhausts:

BMW801012.JPG?width=737&height=495

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  • 3 weeks later...

Haven't had much time for modelling recently. Managed to throw together some exterior details, though.

The pitot tube was redone with hypo needle and wire.

Extdetail032.jpg

Oddly enough, Revell hasn't included any antennas in this kit so I scratched all of them.

Antenna mast: PE leftover.

Extdetail020.jpg

Whip antenna: piece of Evergreen and some copper wire.

Extdetail026.jpg

Let's not forget the panel that will receive the whip antenna on the wing's underside.

Extdetail019.jpg

For the gonio I used this this picture from this forum as a model.

First I cut a band from a piece of copper foil and gave it its shape by bending it around a small screwdriver.

Extdetail023.jpg

For the base I put a blob of epoxy glue onto a smooth surface and inserted the antenna.

Extdetail025.jpg

Let cure, unstick and voila!

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To be able to unstick the epoxy base easily the trick is to use a non-porous surface, namely bakery paper, the very one I use for my wet pallet. If pastries don't stick, neither does epoxy!

Extdetail028.jpg

The shape of the base is not perfect but it'll do.

More soon. ;)

Edited by Michel C
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Coat of primer, done. Mr. Surfacer 1200. Small step but for me this is the point where bits of plastic turn into an airplane.

Painting026.jpg

Some sanding, some touch up, some more spraying and we're good for polishing toward a very smooth surface before base coat.

:)

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  • 3 weeks later...

Oh my God, is that fan pressure? :rofl:

OK, joking aside, thanks Chris for asking.

Truth is there's not much to report. Given that I'm not set up right now for airbrush use I'm kind of dawdling. I have polished the Surfacer, though, with a set of Micromesh clothes to a high shine for extra smooth paint finish. This weekend I'm supposed to tackle the painting proper and then there'll be pictures.

I've also started a new build in the meantime so as not to lose my touch and I'll post pics soon. The kit? Well, watch out for the new thread!

And if I get around to it I'll re-upload the pics of my B&V thread, which apart from the most recent are all gone. They disappeared when the image hosting site I was using shut down.

Summary: some catching up to do.

PS I've also been reading some very interesting books lately, which also helped filling the gaps.

So long,

Michel

Edited by Michel C
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Chris, Kevin, thank you guys for the kudos. You’re going to make me blush!

I’ll try and get you more ASAP. In the meantime you want to have a look at my new build

Michel

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This weekend I had the opportunity to break out the airbrush and pre-shade my model!

pre-shading005.jpg

pre-shading009.jpg

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I used Gunze Flat Black.

With the camo I have in mind there won't be much opportunity to lighten the panels after the camo's done so I did what I could beforehand by lightening the center of the panels with Tamiya Flat White.

pre-shading002.jpg

I hope I'll be able to continue with the paint soon. :)

Michel

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Let's cover these ugly black and white scribbles with a nice coat of RLM 76 Hellblau (Gunze H417) and here is what we get:

RLM76-005.jpg

The light blue covers both upper and lower surfaces.

RLM76-003.jpg

Pre-shading comes through nicely.

RLM76-004.jpg

I'll add some more colors this weekend. :)

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The RLM 04 Yellow (Gunze H413) went on this weekend.

Lower wing tips:

RLM04-005.jpg

RLM04-008.jpg

Rudder:

RLM04-004.jpg

RLM04-003.jpg

Engine cowling: due to the low covering ability of the yellow paint I gave the engine cowling an undercoat of RLM 76 which toned down the contrasts of the pre-shading/pre-lightening and made it possible to have the same final rendering of the yellow on all parts.

RLM04-014.jpg

RLM04-018.jpg

Next step: digital camo on all upper surfaces. See you in...not too long a time, I hope! B)

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Digicam! What a hell of a thing to let myself into! :bandhead2:

Who's the &*8#!=@**$ again who talked me into it, I'll be around his house with a baseball bat! :fight:

Oh yeah, it was me... :whistle:

All joking aside it's a lot of work but with a little bit of patience and determination, nothing's impossible. It is time-consuming, that's for sure, but I think the result is well worth the effort invested.

I have still a long ways to go but I thought I'd give you a preview: one wing done!

That's all I got done the entire week, including the weekend. But! I have a plan and doing the rest should be a piece of cake... But I'll let you in on it in my next post with the exact method I use, which, as you can see, consists of doing it area by area rather than wrapping up the whole thing like a mummy with strips of Tamiya tape before hitting it with the paint.

So for now some pics of the wing in RLM 74/75/76 digital camo:

RLM7475-003.jpg

RLM7475-005.jpg

RLM7475-006.jpg

Cheers!

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  • 3 weeks later...

After more masking sessions than I can count the end is finally in view! :D

Some areas like the engine cowling still need some work but the bulk of it is done. I think it was worth the effort but I'll let you judge.

Here are the pics and a question for you at the end.

RLM7475-028.jpg

RLM7475-034.jpg

RLM7475-032.jpg

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RLM7475-036.jpg

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RLM7475-048.jpg

Looking at the overall effect I'm wondering if it's not a bit on the light side. What do you think? Should I add more pixels?

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