Operation Eiche!

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 9:03 pm

I developed a fascination for this plane after seeing one in the film "The Guns of Navarone" many moons ago. It was beloved by its pilots and for good reason, a truly excellent a/c. This Hasegawa 1/32 kit depicts the a/c used in operation Eiche, the rescue of Mussolini from his mountain top "prison" at Gran Sasso in Italy, 1943.

So, here goes. The kit is from 1979 & it shows, lots of flash & even jagged edges!!! But it should scrub up well with a bit of PE.....

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Wed Jul 06, 2016 9:06 pm

More pics...

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Thu Jul 07, 2016 5:57 pm

A lick of primer. Even though the fuselage is joined up in step 4 of 22, this build is all about the cockpit. The canopy on this is HUGE! I have placed a lighter in shot to give a sense of scale.

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:04 pm

Some touch-up work required. Engine is painted. Using PVA on the fiddly fabric seatbelts which takes forever to dry!

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Tue Jul 12, 2016 4:05 pm

Today's progress...

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:06 pm

So, the fuselage is together with the cockpit tub in place and the engine is ready to be fitted. The kit has some nasty ejctor-pin marks all along the wings so they have been removed. I lost an entire days work after I saw a tip to weather the seatbelts. The tip suggested soaking the belts in coffee, which I did. However it destroyed the PVA glue & they all came undone meaning I had to re-glue them all again

Still, they do look good

The build should go much faster now.

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:09 pm

Cockpit tub in place & fuselage halves are together...

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:11 pm

The engine has had a wash & is ready to be fitted...

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:13 pm

The build should progress much faster now...

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:16 pm

Some more pics..

Post by **Icemannique** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 4:17 pm

Intresting project ! Nice build so far !

Post by **Avgas** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:21 pm

Lovely build so far. The old Storch was an amazing bit of kit.

Post by **Nev** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:39 pm

My fav WWII plane ever! Loving this build thread mate... Must resist getting one myself

Post by **Willem** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:42 pm

Cockpit looking lush mate.

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Mon Jul 18, 2016 11:17 am

Thanks for all the kind words gents. Go on Nev, you gotta get one

I almost got the Rommel version so I could have a go at a desert camo scheme, but this stood out.

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Mon Jul 25, 2016 4:42 pm

Not much progress to report as a result of the high heat here in the UK I have been unable to do any priming as it just turned to tar in the cup

So, as it's much cooler today, I have been able to apply an initial coat of primer. Now I must turn my attention to the wings.

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:15 pm

Iv'e finally managed to move forward with this. The underneath is now Sky Blue & she is masked of for the splinter camo paint job. Shea's had one coat but that has proved to be to thin over the black primer, so another coat is needed.

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 3:16 pm

Underneath is painted.

Post by **Twokidsnosleep** » Tue Aug 09, 2016 7:58 pm

Pretty cool looking cockpit and engine work
I will follow along on the progress

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Tue Sep 27, 2016 2:52 pm

My apologies for Operation Eiche being on hold for some time.
Having re-sprayed the wings she has now had a gloss coat & decals. Some silvering is visible no doubt as a result of a poor application of the gloss coat

She has also had a wash & flat coat. So, coming close to the end

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Mon Oct 10, 2016 2:08 pm

OK, the wings are finally on, now for the awkward to align undercarriage...

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:31 pm

Operation Eiche is complete

STASH · Post by **Cymru** » Wed Oct 12, 2016 10:32 pm