Pete's BV141

[stillp]

The fracture in the clear canopy doesn't look any better after a dip in Pledge. I don't want to go any further with fitting the canopies until I hear from Airfix - I don't want to use the Eduard masks before I know if I can get a replacement or not. I've glued the cockpit nacelle together though:

I wish I hadn't glued that seat in place, I could have made it a bit more like the one in the photo Tim kindly posted, just by filing away a lot of the plastic. Oh well, too late now.
Also fitted the asymmetric tail, the port wing, and the stub wing that the crew nacelle fits onto. There's a step between the wing root and the wing surface on both sides.
More fill/sand/repeat!

The tape is to protect the raised rivets.

Thanks for watching.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Good news - Airfix have out a new canopy in the port to me, for £3 including postage!

Pete

 

[Mini Me]

That is good news Pete. As this most critical element of any aircraft build is in most cases the center of attention. Happy landings, Rick H.

 

[scottie3158]

Pete,
Nice work so far. Pity about the canopy but I'm sure a man of your capabilities will sort it.

 

[stillp]

That is good news Pete. As this most critical element of any aircraft build is in most cases the center of attention. Happy landings, Rick H.

Thanks Rick. The canopy is especially important on this aircraft, being in the middle of the starboard wing. Full marks to Airfix for having a spare in stock for a 48-year old kit!
Pete

 

[stillp]

Pete,
Nice work so far. Pity about the canopy but I'm sure a man of your capabilities will sort it.

Paul, nothing for me to sort out as Airfix have posted a replacement. Wonder if they'll send the entire clear sprue? I should have asked them about decals as well!
Pete

 

[stillp]

Replacement canopy arrived today - well, yesterday actually, but I missed the postman. Unfortunately it's not a great deal better than the one I already had!

It is better - if the original one had been like this I'd have just got on with fitting it, but having ordered a replacement it's a little disappointing that it isn't as good as expected.
I've emailed Airfix, so will see how they respond.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Reply from Airfix - this was the only one left in the box, the kit having been out of production since 2012. They offered me a refund, but I declined - I'll use this one, and it would have been greedy to ask for my money back when they've been so helpful. At least having two canopies solves the dilemma about what to do with the slot for the machine gun - I can use one, stuck with Maskol, to close the cockpit for painting, paint the better one separately, then swap them over.
Now to get on with it!
Pete

 

[stillp]

Managed to get a little bench time in between gardening duties. The crew are in, as is the rear gun. There are two rear canopies supplied, one open to allow firing, and one closed. I'm going to use the closed one, since I'm going to have the undercarriage down. The gun has a horizontal pivot pin that fits between to hole in the nacelle sides - I'd glued the nacelle before fitting hte gun, so had to trim a little of the pivot pin. Of course I trimmed a little too much, so had to glue it in!

Also fitted the pilot, and the co-pilot/bomb aimer/observer. The pilot's feet looked a bit silly flapping about in the air, so I made up a couple of rudder pedals for him. Bit of a waste of time, as you can't see them, but I know they're there! Front and rear canopies are fitted, as well as the clear access door.

The main part of the canopy (the damaged one that came with the kit) is now glued in with Maskol so I can remove it later to fit the new one that Airfix sent, which will be painted separately. Maskol is quite effective as a temporary adhesive, since it can be removed quite easily.
Now for a masking marathon:


I may be some time...

Pete

 

[Deleted member 7181]

Looking great, but that's a lot of clear parts to mask. Good luck!

 

[scottie3158]

Pete,
Looking good, not used maskol as a temporary fix before.

 

[stillp]

Looking great, but that's a lot of clear parts to mask. Good luck!

Thanks Andy. I bought an Eduard set of pre-cut masks, but that still means I have 84 tiny pieces of tape to persuade into the correct positions!

Pete,
Looking good, not used maskol as a temporary fix before.

Paul, someone suggested it to me at a show last year. I tried it on my Eduard 1/72 Spit and it worked well.

Pete

 

[stillp]

32 pieces fitted - time for a lie down in a darkened room. After a beer perhaps...

Pete

 

[stillp]

More progress today - finished the canopy masking! Gave them a whiff of Pledge to seal the masking, then a coat of the interior colour, RLM02. Did the new canopy separately, and
a few undercarriage bits while the paint was in the airbrush.


Tomorrow's main task will be to add the nacelle and the remaining part of the starboard wing. Should have painted the wheel bays today, then they could have been masked for the underside to be painted RLM65.
Anyone know what colour the bombs would have been? Tim, are you still watching?
Pete

 

[minitnkr]

Dark gray, dark green or light blue. It seems manufacturer, weight & type made a difference sometimes & once in the field could be repainted depending on method of delivery eg. black if on or in a night bomber. PaulE

 

[stillp]

Thanks Paul.
Pete

 

[Tim Marlow]

Hi Pete, still here but had no internet for a couple of days....the book doesn’t reference bomb colour I’m afraid....but it looks like Paul has nailed it....

 

[stillp]

OK, thanks Tim. They're now dark green. Wheels are painted RLM02 with Tamiya rubber black tyres. Nacelle is on, wings are joined, prop & spinner RLM70.

I was going to take my Triumph to a car show today, but it's raining, so I might get a bit more modelling done.
Thanks for watching.
Pete

 

[stillp]

Been a bit busy in the 1:1 world, but I've managed to get the underside painted in RLM65, then masked and painted the topside overall in RLM70. I'll give that a couple of days before I mask for the splinter camo in RLM71.

Conveniently, the upper surface of the cockpit nacelle is entirely RLM71. I'm a bit worried about creepage under the masking, as there is a lot of raised detail on this plane, so I sprayed the underside colour round the edges of the masking before applying the upper colour. The engine cowling is held on with blue-tack, as it seems easier to paint it as part of the fuselage before adding the engine and prop.
More soonish.

Pete

 

[scottie3158]

Pete,
Looking good no wonder you needed a beer after that masking.