Luft46's Blog

Yes this is the wonderful 70’s era Revell Arado 234 kit. And yes I may well build it. But why you ask…… I was at the Wollongong model show in early March and snapped this up for the huge sum of 10 Australian dollars, now worth a piddly 7 dollars US compared to last years high of around 10.50 USD, gotta love exchange rate movements. I bought and built this kit in the late 70’s , yeah I’m that old. I recall it was a pig with much filler  and fettling needed. In those days my latest technique was sprue mixed with glue as a filler, extra smelly that combo. So i have resolved to build it just as badly as the box cover art depicts. It’s riddled with inaccuracies but I am resolved to build this as OOB as possible with the exception of the filler and maybe decals. It should at least be quick but not pretty.

Just

The thought occurs to me that some new tiles as background to my modelling efforts might be nice, people must be getting sick of the same tiles. The Rammer is mostly done except the nose section needs a second PSR cycle. The BV40 now has wings on with the tailplane to be added tonight. This did need a little carving of the indent to conform to the plans, essentially you want the front of the tailplane to be level with the first upward step of the tail area. The underwing sponsoons went on ok but will need a PSR cycle to look finished.
In other news I am off to Melbourne for the model expo next Sunday preceded by some shopping at Hearne’s and Hylands Bookshop on the Saturday. Hopefully i will bring back some kits books and photos, if I find a Dragon 1.6 Aerosan I may be stretching a friendship getting it on as carry on luggage 🙂

Above is the Brengun Zeppelin Rammer and the BV40 after some Milliput has been addded. The BV40 needed a bit of fettling on the cockpit base to get a good fit. Otherwise no major dramas in getting these kits going. Hopefully more updates soon.

Yes I am having a run on Brengun kits. The Natter just needs the canopy to be attached and a little filler and it will be ready for painting now I have finished putting Future on the canopy. I will have a shot of this in the next post. In unrelated the A bomb has exploded – well not literally – getting the fins into the tail section has proved impossible in terms of getting them properly lined up. Rather than throwing it against a wall it has been dismantled and the parts put in the parts drawers.
Also in the mail this week was the Takom Ratte and the Bronco P178 – both nice kits that may get started soonish – we’ll see anyway. If the rain can go away and I can get some spare time I may airbrush the backlog or failing that I may get a new airbrush as I was becoming quite discontented with the old one’s performance.
Below is another  photo of the Rammer boxtop and instructions – it comes as 2 kits but I am only going to make one. Someone else may get the other one.

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Have made some progress today after very little modelling lately. The A bomb is now ready to have the fins added soonish and the Natter is marching along. All major parts are now added for the body and I’ve done work on the canopy and rockets. The front rocket piece is too wide for the body, should have test fitted this earlier so it’s back to Milliput to smooth this in,. The canopy needed a reasonable bit of fettling and the rear rockets are fun, essentially the nozzles need hollowing out as well as shortening to duplicate the photos in the Classic Publications Projekt Natter book on page 128. Below is the current state of play on the benchtop.

My son’s girlfriend recently went to Paris and bought us back a small gift, she didn’t quite realise how special it would be for a modeller…. an etched steel Eiffel tower.

On the more usual front I managed to finish closing up the Natter halves ready for filler.

No not a talk but the Brengun Bachem 349 rocket plane. I bought the whif in a box version with Japanese, Czech and Israeli decals. Frankly the latter 2 are beyond unlikely, as the primary mission of the Natter was point defence against a bomber stream which was unlikely to happen to either the Czechs or the Israelis in that time scale. OTOH if the Japanese had have got the Natter they at least had a mission for it in attacking the B-29’s fire bombing their cities. Yes it is unlikely but at least vaguely possible.
When I bought the kit I also bought Brenguns detail set. This consists of etched brass and resin parts. The brass details are mostly to add some detail in the cockpit and the exhaust area. The resin pieces are for the rockets and the exhaust area. I chose not to use the rockets as I will use them in some other project and the kit ones are adequate. The rest I will use. Like the old Heller kit this kit goes together pretty quickly even with the extra cockpit detailing. Like the Heller kit it also includes a faux wood stand. The photo below is my work to date before I join everything up.

And below is my other current project. This is also Brengun and a 1/144 Fat Man atomic bomb. This should also be a quick kit of brass and resin.

This is the Ace limited run kit from the Ukraine with all that implies. The main body is now part assembled using my patented Dual Bond technology, that is I used a little super glue to get the initial join followed by some Mr. cement limonene glue for a larger bond. This was done on the middle bit and both ends will be done tomorrow but there will definitely be some filling and sanding needed. I also used some instant “Air turns Blue” spray (otherwise known as swearing ) to get this to all assemble on about the fifth attempt.   The butt join nature of this was a little frustrating. I have also started on the engine for which 5 pieces of 4.5mm guitar string wire will be attached as per the instructions, it helps to know someone who plays. The engine was painted in Citadel Bolt Gun metal followed by a wash of Lifecolor Oil though a second coat of oil may be needed.

Being a typical Sydney summer it has been hot and moist most days which does not agree with airbrushing acrylics. I have done all I can in prep work for both the Hanomag and the E-10.  Now i just have to wait for a dry day. In the meantime I will be starting my next Aerosan being the more basic Ace kit.