Revell 1/48 FW 180 +Mistel TA154

[CJSomerset]

This is really only my 2nd kit, I've been learning by my mistakes, which means I've learnt a lot!

Revells instructions were terrible, the build order was wrong, which meant the wing roots on the FW 180 didn't fit at all. They referred to sprues that didn't exist! And the colour chart was printed in black and white, which is how I ended up with completely the wrong colour on the underside!
Also the box art and the pics of a finished kit showed the wheels down on the FW180, but there where no instructions for this option.

That said, I really enjoyed building the FW180, I tried to go for a dirty and worn look, as the TA154 Mistel was a one use unit and would have to look brand new.
Not sure why the tail looks blue in the top pic...




Okay! I made a complete cock up of the bottom! I saw RLM 65 on the list of paints so assumed it was on the undersides. In fact it should have only been on the nose cone of the TA154. I'd already decaled and weathered before I noticed If Revell had supplied a COLOURED colour call out sheet I would have seen my mistake before opening the paint. Bad decal silvering, but at least I learnt what went wrong.


HOWEVER!

The TA154 was a right pig and it ended up as test bed for rescribing ! The aircraft is supplied as a complete TA154 which you have to cut the front off and then throw away all the interesting bits!



My saw cut was probably the only bit fitted well! Theres so much filler needed everywhere else that there was next to no detail left. If I hadn't of got a new airbrush for Xmas (which I wanted to try) I probably would have binned it. I rescribed it as best I could and carried on but by this point my heart wasn't in it . Using the colour call out again, it was impossible to determine were the red dotted "no step" area should be so I ended up guessing.
The red stripes, were supposed to be decals but Revell "forgot" to put them both in, so I need up painting them.

Here it is assembled….

I'll update my thread in the "work in progress" section if you really want to see all the problems I had.
I'm off to B&Q now to see if they sell "Shelves of Doom"

[amsvkng]

That is one beautiful model, cudos, really like the camo pattern, how did you do this?

/Karim

[CJSomerset]

Thanks Karim, but trust me it looks much better in the pics than in real life!

At the time I only had a cheap airbrush so I masked it up with hundreds of little bits of card! You can see how on the build thread here.

http://www.intscalemodeller.com/viewtop ... =34&t=7453

But after getting a decent airbrush at Xmas, I had a go at touching up some of problem areas and it worked well enough that I would try to do it free hand if I was doing it again.

[patrickroos]

What du You mean, only my 2nd kit!??
As in 2nd build ever...naaa

I Think it looks awesome!!
The Mistel bombs were a totally crazy idea, but they do present some interesting subjects.

I Think You did a great job. Revell kits are a mix of heaven and hell thrown into a bag.
They dont provide instructions, its printed confusion, if you snooze your in trouble!

Good job mate, Clean, impressive and very nice to look at model!!

[CJSomerset]

Wow thanks Patrick.

But every time I look at it now I see another mistake! Like the rusty streak coming from the hole by the cockpit, which looks like tacky bullet hole with blood coming out!

I built models as a kid, ( I'm 50 and 3/4's now) and I've built a few that were given to me as presents over the years, but this is the second serious build I've done, since buying an airbrush and investing in the right colour paints.

[amsvkng]

Hiya Cj

I checked out the thread and I have to say regardless of the real life result it is an impressive model I liked the way that you did the camo with the raised masks.

/Karim

[sef]

Don't be so hard on yourself. That looks superb.

[JohnModeller]

Looks great mate. Really, it does not look that bad. I am surprised that Revell reboxed the Dragon kit. A more exciting mistel subject by dragon is the one on the Me 262. That looks really crazy! I do not know how that design even got off the drawing board...
John

[AchtungPanzer]

Very nice Set . Keep it up mate