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Ok gang, It took me a LOT of thought on my decision to arrive at this build. First, I was going to go with the newly released IBG 1/72 Fw190 D-9 but there's no engine cowlings or engine firewalls available for that one yet (hopefully they are coming because I do want to try my hand at a 1/72nd scale build), then there was the 1/48  Dragon Ta-152 C-0 that I've got in the stash but I'm still on the fence about that one.

 That lead to me selecting another version in the Ta-152 series....the H version with a wider wingspan. 

I'll be going with this one from Dragon and will end up opening it all up to display the engine and maybe an open panel .....or two. 

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 I decided to break the first few bits of this kit out and start doing something with it. I've got the base interior cut out and removed injector pin marks from the flooring. I'll more than likely go with an aluminum plate silver for the floor and seat as a base and then put a super light coat of RLM 66 over that. I'll weather the flooring and seat back some to account for a little bit of wear and tear in the cockpit and then start getting those Quinta decals put on the IP and side consoles. I've got enough Fw190 PE to last me a life time so I'll be using some of that here and there on the build as well.

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Next is the fun part. rimed the flooring with Model Master Aluminum Plate and then shot a coat of Model Master Acrylic RLM 66 over that. After that step I airbrushed a coat of MIG dark wash over the whole thing and then scuffed the areas on the flooring where the rudder pedals are to replicate the worn areas on the floor. After coating the consoles and IP backing with RLM 66, I busted out with the Quinta 3-D decals. I really like these things!!!

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  • 1 month later...

I managed to make a couple of changes so far to the interior. One of which was the usage of PE rudder pedals from Eduard. Kit parts are kit parts and the plastic ones just didn't look right. Same goes for the control column as I robbed that from one of the spare Fw-190 A kits that I had in the stash. Flip switch / guard for the button at the top of the column hand grip was added using a PE strip that I had and I added the column wiring retainer at the bottom of the column shaft made from a BMF strip and given a coat of flat clear to tone the chrome effect down into a metallic look. Pilots seat is all painted up, detailed and weathered and is ready for the seat belts that came in the mail yesterday.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Been a while since the last update but here's after I put these fabric seat belts from HGW together and I've gotta say that I'm impressed with them. Not only do they look a lot more realistic than the PE ones that I've seen (and used), but they can also be lain pretty much any way you want them. I laid these out in a bit of a non-traditional way that I've done in the past so a lot more of the details on them can be seen and for a more natural "lay". 

So far....

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 I've now moved on to the powerplant section of this build for now because I'm going to have to get the fit right with this before I close the fuselage halves together. I built up the OOB Dragon Jumo 213 along with the 213 from Zoukei-Mura and set out the Aires 213 next to them. I've got them all next to one another in the following photo to check the difference in dimensions as well as to show the differences in details from one kit to the next because they are dramatically different. Dimensionally, the ZM version is only slightly larger and has a TON more detail than either the Dragon OR the Aires version. I'm really wanting to use the ZM 213 in this build provided that it will fit in there. I'll be test fitting things soon to find out what my real options are. If the ZM wont work then I'll use the Airies offering as it's next in line for detail. 

Left to right. Dragon, Zoukei-Mura and Aires. 

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I see what you're describing Joe with the ZM engine. A lot more to work with, hopefully it fits well for you.  Great subject on a pretty rare plane. Will be sure to follow your progress too.  cheers, tim

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6 hours ago, Codi said:

I see what you're describing Joe with the ZM engine. A lot more to work with, hopefully it fits well for you.  Great subject on a pretty rare plane. Will be sure to follow your progress too.  cheers, tim

   Thanks for taggin' along Tim and it's good to see you again bro. I was pretty surprised to see that the ZM had more detail than the Aires counterpart given the fact that Aires (at least in my experience) has it ALL goin' on.  I was again surprised to see no less than 25 parts to this 1/48 scale engine. WOW!! 

Engine fit into the Dragon fuselage and paint up processes coming soon......

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  • 3 weeks later...

I really Like the TA-152. I like where you are going with this. I am not surprised that the Z-M engine is the best. They do some really fine work on their kits.

Keep up the good work.

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  • 1 month later...
On 4/17/2024 at 5:34 PM, Madhatter said:

I'm going to have to check out those belts now - hope they have some 48th scale HE-111 belts!

Looking awesome though Joe!  Got a paint scheme in mind?

 Thanks Simon. I'm still working on the scheme I want to go with. 

On 5/5/2024 at 11:08 AM, stavanzer said:

I really Like the TA-152. I like where you are going with this. I am not surprised that the Z-M engine is the best. They do some really fine work on their kits.

Keep up the good work.

Thanks Alan and sorry for the late reply gents. That ZM engine really is all that. Thank you for the encouragement bud. 

My time has been VERY limited at the bench and on posting here as of late because there is a ton of stuff going on behind the curtain but I did manage to shoehorn the ZM engine into place using the Dragon engine mounts and firewall parts.

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Well gang......this isn't a stall out. I'm spending a TON of time now so that this will all go together without a hitch later on in the build. After taking off some of the inside edges and thinning the fuselage around the top of the engine area and removing a little bit of detail from the top of the engine I think this is going to fit in there well. I'm going to have to be careful with the added details on the engine so as not to contact the fuselage but I'm feeling good about it all so far.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just to show you all that I am in fact building on this bird I've got a bit of an update. I now feel comfortable enough with the fit of the engine and mounts in the fuselage to go ahead and put some paint and weathering on the ol 213. Along with the references that I did have already, I have a friend that supplied me with some VERY good reference shots of one of these powerplants.

Here's with the base engine built up and some light weathering put down. Still got A LOT of assembly to go with this engine as there are a good number of parts but I wanted to get a good start on it:

KCM9fI.jpg  

MgqYWB.jpg

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I spent a good amount of time on the engine weathering and adding details to this 213 to bring out a bit more realism by adding worn effects as well as dirtying things up in a subtle way to give a good used effect to the engine without going overboard.

Where we are now:

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I've been spending a good amount of time with this Jumo 213 and getting everything to work together. I've still got the cannon on the back of the engine and mounting everything to the engine mounting framework but here's the ZM engine so far with the Dragon engine attachment fixtures, exhausts and other tidbits now in place.
 

0wkXDv.jpg  VMQINB.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...
On 7/4/2024 at 5:06 PM, Madhatter said:

that's some really nice metal paint work there Joe - very well done. You going to wire it all up? Go on - you know you want too ;)

  LOL!! Thank you Simon. I'll put a few details on there. I dunno how much but I'll invest a fair amount of time up front.

On 7/15/2024 at 1:33 AM, bisc63 said:

Beautiful detail work on this. Looking forward to more.

Thanks Rusty! Great to have you along buddy.

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So the build process goes onward with test fitting the engine, firewall and ammo boxes into the fuselage and test fitting the lower wing into place to make sure everything is going to go together. 

Yeah.....I can work with this:



TclHmA.jpg  aZ5YaC.jpg

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  • 2 months later...
On 10/2/2024 at 10:03 PM, rv1963 said:

Nice work on the interior and engine, that kit looks really good.

Thanks Rob!! 

I just recently finished this section all up with the addition of the engine mounting framework, 30mm cannon and ammo boxes at the rear of the engine. Slooooooooowly coming together.

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I've been working like crazy on the fuselage and wing seams and FINALLY......after a few weeks......I've got some black primer on this bad boy. I've just got the fuselage set on the wings right now because I've still gotta install the interior and the engine before joining the two. After that I'll have some more seam filling and sanding work to do but wanted to minimize handling the whole thing with the interior and engine installed. From there will be a gray marble pattern and then we're off to color coats.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've now applied the marbling to the black primer and will be working on getting the cockpit and engine into place so I can marry the wings and fuselage and do all of the necessary body work. A little backwards from the normal building and painting processes but I wanted to minimize handling with the pit and engine in place. 

6scJDI.jpg

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No color applied yet but believe it or not there's been a ton of work going on as of late. The wings are now mated with the aircraft and after a LOT of working them in with the fuselage by way of sanding and filling, I'm about done except where the wing roots join the fuselage at the top of the wing at the leading edges (you can see the putty at the wing root). All I have to do is work that in and that part will be complete. I also got the nose piece attached to the front of the aircraft and after looking at the prop and spinner out of the Dragon kit and not liking what I saw, I went with the ZM prop assembly and spinner. This was a massive improvement because the spinner in the Dragon kit is the wrong shape and size and the blades on the ZM kit are proportioned more accurately than those that the Dragon kit offers. 

Next up, engine cowling and landing gear door prep and then I think we're off to masking the engine & cockpit off for color.

 

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