1/32 Wingnut Wings Salmson 2-A2 USAS a reflection on my build
Posted: Sun Jan 29, 2017 10:59 am
I decided to do a build thread on this project that I finished a few months back. Needless to say, this one was an adventure. I've had several other modelers ask what it takes to build a WNW kit. First I must say that it's not rocket science. It fits together very easily like a Tamiya kit. But here are several things I think one should have a pretty good handle on:
1. Mastery of basic modeling skills: This includes several things. Preparation of parts, Gluing skills, Putty work, surface prep, Knowing how to properly apply decals are all a must. (decals were all applied using mark setter and mark softer. Cartograf decals react very well to these mediums.) Paying attention to detail is important. There is no room for sloppy workmanship.
2. Know your way around an airbrush. While the paint scheme isn't that hard, a modeler should know how to use an airbrush well. This includes pre and post shading skills. Although one's preference will determine the use of shading. This also includes masking techniques. Masking tape as well as paper masks were used often in this build.
3. Bristle brush skills: There is a certain amount of hand painting involved. This includes detail painting as well as dry brushing. This skill requires practice and time.
4. Rigging: Patience and a willingness to not take no for an answer with this. Study different tutorials before you attempt it. It will make the process much easier. WNW's method is insane. I don't recommend it.
5. Photo etch: These kits usually have some photo etch in them. So, some experience with it is helpful.
6. Weathering: WWI planes have quite a bit of weathering so knowing how to use washes and other techniques is helpful. As well as different shading techniques will come into play here.
7. Patience in general. We all want more patience. But this kit will probably take a minimum of about 150 hours to complete.
And one last point: With any complicated build such as this it's always important to be thinking ahead. Check and re-check the instructions. Dry fit, dry fit, dry fit as much as possible before you glue. Don't get in a rush. It's not a race. Focus on each sub assembly as you build and get them right. Take your time and you will be successful.
I hope you enjoy this thread. So with that being said, let's begin.
In these shots you can see the initial sub assemblies. In any kit like this it's good to focus on a sub assembly as each is treated like a kit to itself.
1.The engine was painted using MR. Metal color paints. Also, ignition wiring was added using EZ line.
2. The wood effect on the prop and instrument panel will be explained later. You will notice decals already applied on the instrument panel and prop. They are pre-cut to the size of each instrument. Mark softer adheres them like butter. I then painted a couple of coats of Tamiya clear to simulate glass but it doesn't show up much.
3. There is also a small amount of rigging on the machine guns. Also Brass photo etch is folded and glued. Dry brushing was also applied to the guns. The guns although they are small took several hours to do. The brown was hand painted. Also some hand painting was done on the instrument panel as well as some of the piping on the engine. You will notice some pre shade on the cowling for the later paint job. This is an example of what I mean by thinking ahead. The main paint job won't be done for some time. But I've already started on the cowl in this step.
4. The seat has PE seat belts folded and attached. All PE is also primed before being painted. A chocolate wash was added later to simulate dirt.
In the above photos you can see the internal construction of the cockpit area. Internal rigging was put in following the rigging diagram in the instructions. Wood effects were done following this basic process:
1. Paint a base coat of sandy brown.
2. Streak a darker brown enamel over it. I use a wider brush for that step. Oil paint works too. It probably streaks better. But I've found it takes too long to dry in a humid climate and I like the effect created on this prop in particular.
3. Mr. Color clear yellow is airbrushed to give a polyurethane type of effect.
4. In the case of the cockpit formers, a dark wash was applied as well which gives it a darker finish than is required. But it was my choice.
At this point there was a certain amount of hand painting done. In particular the instruments and other various things. Dry brushing is implemented quite a bit on metal fittings and such.
These photos show some dry fitting of the fuselage. Also the inside of the fuselage halves were pre shaded and painted a buff color and later a chocolate wash was added. (Note: all primer in this project is Mr. surfacer 1000 and 1200 and it was used on everything). The inside of the top of the fuse as well as all cowling pieces are painted silver. Although it isn't very visible in the final product. One of the photos shows the fuselage painted prior to decal work. and external rigging.
The seams in the fuselage were puttied using Tamiya basic putty and sanded with various grits of sand paper.
The camo scheme was painted by cutting curves on typing paper with scissors. The curves were then placed on the model and painted just holding them in place with my fingers on the wings. But in the case of the fuse I had to use some masking tape. Using the sausage method with sticky tack would work. But it's not necessary. I then went over the lines with smoke to soften them up a bit.
These shots show the rigging of the tail feathers and landing gear. The method of painting smoke over the rib masks was also used here. All decals were coated with Mr. mark softer and then painted with a clear coat. I used a 50/50 mix of Tamiya clear plus mr. color leveling thinner both prior to decal application and after.
These shots show the technique that was used to weather the ribbing. Tamiya masking tape was cut into strips and placed over the rib areas and then Tamiya smoke was painted over it. Simple but effective. As mentioned above, this was also used on the tail.
The above shots show the rigging process. The rigging diagram can be a bit confusing. So take your time and get it right. Here is what worked for me.
All rigging was done using EZ line. It's a great material. But it's fiddly to work with.
1. At one end drill a hole through the connection point. They are already pre-marked. I use a .5 mm drill bit. Most of the time it was the bottom wing. But in a couple of cases the top wing was drilled inboard towards the fuse because of how it attaches to the fuse. I don't have shots of it, but the cabanes are particulary difficult to rig. I rigged the center section and atttached it separate from the wing halves. In most cases in this build Tamiya thin cement was used. Rigging of course was CA.
2. Glue the EZ line to the undrilled end with CA.
3. Pull the EZ line through the hole and stretch it to the desired tension and apply CA with a tooth pick.
4. Trim it flush. It can later be painted or puttied to cover the hole. It will not be noticed if done correctly.
Also, the wing rigging was done in halves to ease assembly. I highly recommend this method.
After final assembly, little touch ups are always necessary. It was then given a flat coat of aqueous flat. It must be noted though that a clear coat was used over the decals prior to this step. A chocolate enamel wash was used overall and streaked and wiped off using paper towels and q tips. I dry brushed in a number of places with silver especially towards the engine.
In conclusion, this build was exhausting but worth it. I enjoyed the process. And modeling is about the journey not necessarily the final product. I hope more modelers will give these kits a go. They are very satisfying even though they are challenging. As always comments and critique's are always welcome. If I can answer any questions about this build please feel free to ask.
Happy modeling from Japan
Matt
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