SPA Modeler

Thank you so much, John! Your work always helps clear away the cobwebs! Your ideas are so good and your examples are the definition of the real deal! Plus, your photography is stunning....

Duke, thank you, sir. I’m afraid I exist in a sort of state of overkill. That is an interesting admission.

Which is what Duke recommended before me! I got my reply in late!

The corrections on the spinner look great... getting there! My observations on Luftwaffe spinners is that the Germans appeared to apply these with great care and precision. I don't see many examples of sloppy or damaged spirals outside of wrecked/damaged aircraft. While in operational service, they would've appeared to have been kept in good condition and they were usually well masked and neatly painted. I'm talking generally speaking, based on the archive photos that I've seen... I'm sure there are exceptions.

Thank you so much, John! Here is my most honest but not brutal assessment of the weakest side so far: the brown arrow points directly to a spot which has a slight “bloom” from the “black” section; the red arrow points to a compound curve that has a fringing from my Payne’s gray easement, and the blue points out that the flash was removed from the corner of the scoop without losing paint. Eduard PE will be added within the rather empty air scoop. To be fair to the manufacturer, Fine Molds made a supplementary PE kit, however the pricing was out of reach. I opted for the Eduard version despite having searched high and low for an affordable FM one, which has belts, screens and wheel well details included.



I studied Disney’s Pinocchio in film school for an animation class, so my breakthrough here was traditional animation technique using thinned acrylics (as you know I prefer solvent base paints) with an edge from the Prismacolor pencil. It’s how cel animation is filled and outlined. I think I have “cracked the case,” so to speak. I do feel hopeful!

Your photos are amazing! I’m attempting to honor what was obviously a point of pride for the Luftwaffe. When I was researching your Ta 152 H-1 I found a note by Willi’s son that the spinner for Grüne 9 had no spiral when delivered to the unit but a new black green hub with spiral was added later. This makes me think that the spiral was created at the unit level. Do you know if this was the case? I really need to keep track of these discussions! Thank you again!

speedgraflex wrote:Your photos are amazing! I’m attempting to honor what was obviously a point of pride for the Luftwaffe. When I was researching your Ta 152 H-1 I found a note by Willi’s son that the spinner for Grüne 9 had no spiral when delivered to the unit but a new black green hub with spiral was added later. This makes me think that the spiral was created at the unit level. Do you know if this was the case? I really need to keep track of these discussions! Thank you again!

Based on the references that I have for the Fw 190D-9, Ta152H and Bf109K, I believe you are correct. The spirals were installed as the planes became operational, presumably at the field level. The D-9 and Ta152H spinners were painted at the factory in RLM 70 Black Green and 109 spinners in the same color with some being sprayed with a white quarter section. Interestingly, the photo of the preserved G-6 in Australia may exhibit a white spiral painted on a factory spinner that had the white quarter section.

That is superb investigative work, John! Thank you so much! I started a second version of the propeller hub after discovering that I left a chunk of the sprue gate at the bottom. This will be better. I am at the primer smoothing stage after attaching the hub assembly to a toothpick with PVA. Photos to come sooner rather than later just not right now.

Meanwhile—guns post Mr Surfacer 1500:



Reference for position:



Flashing to be removed:

Let me check my resources but I don't think the cowl guns are staggered on the K. I believe the guns above the engine were changed from 7.6mm to 13mm starting from the G-5 and at the same time, went from a staggered to non-staggered position.

Bf109K-4


Compared to
Bf109F-2



Bf109G-10

Mea culpa! FM separately bagged the K-4 parts.




Thank you, John!

Hub redo:



Yellow arrow *tricksy raised and rough section that I needed to sand smooth*

Looks excellent Bruce! I can't offer you the same information or background as others here, but I constantly admire the incredible work you do.

Duke Duke Duke!! All is well. You offer so much just so. I received a small gift for the holidays and purchased a Hasegawa Fw190 A-8 sealed in box, then I found the ancient Airfix Kingfisher in 1/72 from the 1942 Comet molds and went crazy. I found the USN Reheat set thanks to Carlos, and Aeroclub Hamilton Standard 2 blade prop, U.S. Browning .30 cal in white metal thanks to Marius! I did not forget everything else but for awhile there was nothing else except this really old kit and its aftermarket searches!

Kingfisher in 1/72 scale of and old Comet kit mold? I'd like to see a pic out of curiousity. That's a kit seldom found nowadays.