1/48 Tamiya Focke Wulf Fw190 A8/A8R2

[Shinner]

Greetings and salutations. I have been lurking around the forums for a while drooling over the wonderful builds that are to be found in abundance here and wondering could I even come close to building something worthy of posting to the forums? I have not built a model for more than 30 years and then they were boyhood things to blow up and burn whilst playing army men in the backyard. I was left wondering should I just take my leave, pack everything up into a cardboard box, donate it to the Salvos so they can give it all to someone more worthy and go and learn to crochet so I can make myself a blankie to put over my knees whilst I watch TV for the rest of my miserable life?

Then I started to watch some ISM videos on UTUBE and stumbled upon Pauls wonderful Aircraft Techniques series detailing how to build an Airfix Bf109E - everything a novice like me needed from opening the box to displaying it on the shelf and sticking your tongue out and saying "nah nah na na nah I did that!" I was hooked and watched from start to finish.

This was my epiphany, the inspiration I needed. I can do that too I yelled at the computer screen on more than one occasion. Once I had finished watching the videos, full of plastic images, drunk on the fumes from Pauls wonderful spray painting, I jumped in my car, made a mad dash down to my local hobby shop and bought.............the wrong bloody model! So now instead of a Paul did it and I can to, this build log will probably turn into a "just watch Paul's videos and do not copy anything I do" build log.

But to salvage some pride I will be building this straight out of the box, but I have some ideas for adding a few scratch build things like brake lines etc. but we will see if I can do them any justice when I get to that stage. So sit back, grab a brew, have a good cry or a good laugh, even offer some encouragement if you feel so inclined. I will be asking some dumb questions so remember this is my first build so when I ask for advice on which do dad goes into which hoop de do please find it in your heart to cut me a little slack.


where good plastic goes to be butchered

the tools to do the butchering with

these paints will hopefully cover up my mistakes

box art - note the misspelling of Airfix and Bf109E!





sprues

decals

instructions - bah humbug who needs these anyway?

[AAC]

From one re-tread modeler to another welcome back. I think Paul has a lot to answer for, I saw the same videos and became inspired again. The only suggestion I can offer to you is get a bigger mat, it will help. Enjoy building the funny looking 109

[SteveW]

aboard bud. just remember that it is your model and you can do it how you want it. If some one doesn't like it, tough. just enjoy and have fun.

[Aliktren]

as a fellow noob, welcome and good luck , looks like a lovely kit - nice it includes the masks

[EasyEight96]

Thats a wonderfull kit there mate I got one in the stash too

[mincemeat]

Have fun with it! I'm not too much farther into this hobby myself as a reboot from a more youthful age. Every kit has been a learning experience with a failure somewhere, maybe I'm just unique that way? I too have fallen victim to Paul's videos and have ramped up my modelling activities in the past several months. I'm sort of surprised to see Swastikas included in a kit, Tamiya kits are great. Good luck and keep us posted!

[Shinner]

Hi all, I am back with the next thrilling instalment of my first attempt at making a model. Not a lot of modelling has been done over the last week as life has got in the way! Before going back to work after my holidays I "HAD" to do all the little jobs the MRS decided needed doing, I guess if I ever want to have sex again I had to do them. Then the big return to work. But enough of the real world. In the world of plastic I have completed step one and to my untrained eye the fit seems pretty good so far. It took a lot longer than you guys I would guess as I kept referring to various videos and techniques scattered over the interwebby thingy to make sure that I could at least have something half decent at the end. I pretty much followed the instructions to the letter like a good little boy, but I did not put in the dial decal and I am still debating in my feeble head about the seatbelt decal or I might do some more research on how to scratch build one as the decal looks too 2 dimensioned to me and I would like something that had a little body to it not something laying so flat. Can I put it in after the tub goes into the plane body? Obviously prior to the canopy being put on. All colours were applied in accordance with the call out but some Humbrol colours were used where I did not have the appropriate Tamiya one. Using an airbrush was not as hard or daunting as I thought it may have been. Obviously I am no expert but I am pleased with the results I have gotten so far. I guess time will tell particularly when I start painting the airframe and try to put multiple colours down and then there is the motelling to do too! Can a learning curve bend backwards? I am not going to use the pilot as he looks like a dog has had a good chew on him. But I might paint it latter to practice painting a figure as I have never done one of them either. The cockpit is now pictured below for your viewing pleasure. All constructive criticisms gratefully accepted in my pursuit of being a better modeller. Thanks for looking, regards Jason. p.s I noticed I have received a promotion - look out all you recruits - I might just go on a power trip....knew plenty of people who did that for real when I was in the Navy. We used to say so and so was a good bloke till he got promoted, now he is a power tripping (insert your own profanity here).


Parts removed from sprue and cleaned up ready for gluing


Glued up and primed


Painted in the base colour of Tamiya XF63


All painted and lightly dry brushed mainly to bring out the instrument dials

[Goose]

Hey,

Love your thread, full of humour and good sense.

Maybe a bit more dry brush on your instrument dials becoz the 'pit is very dark it will lighten it a bit.

See you

Goose

[Shinner]

Hi all, just a quick question for all of my learned modellers out there. I have joined the two halves of the fuselage together and have puttied up the gap and sanded it all flush and am now attempting to put the panel lines back in that were sanded down. My question is thus; where the seam that was left raised and uneven from the two halve joining together and now flush is this a panel line as well? I can not see a factory making planes in a rush to get them out for the war effort making a complete panel that goes from one side to the other as there would be some pretty complex bends etc. required to make a panel so large and would take a while to make in my untrained opinion. All expert advice gratefully appreciated so I can do it right and proceed forward with my model.

Cheers Jason

[UKguyInUSA]

Looks like a great kit from Tamiya, and one that is on my wish list, so I'll be watching close to see how this one comes together. Enjoy building her mate!

[frack]

looking great