Corrections |
When you finish it, the Hasegawa's Dora looks great. The straight-from-boﾓ will be fine, but I made corrections on some points that I noticed comparing model with photos of real birds. Most importantly, the dihedral angle of wing is too less. To remedy this, I curb wing root of the fuselage parts and carefully glued wing and fuselage keeping correct angle using masking-tape. (It seems that lacking correct dihedral angle is the Hasegawa models common problem) I also modified following points; form and angle of propellers, form of cowl and cowl-flaps, form of gun-cover of the nose, main landing gear (as kit, they have wrong angle to wing), wingtips (they are too thin). I added piping to the landing gear and substitute kit parts like Pitot tube with brass.
Motorization |
There is indent in the cowl flap parts (A20 or A21) just in size of Mabuchi FA130 motor(common motor for plastic model in Japan), so I cut it out and installed Mabuchi 130 motor and also installed resistance-box in rear fuselage. The base of loop antenna serves as lever to change rpm of propeller. Pilot figure is from the kit.
Reference for Camouflage and markings |
When I chose marking, I used Dainihonkaigaﾕs Modeler's Eye series as reference. Most of Doras are not colorful, but I still wanted colorful one. So I chose Yellow eleven of JG2. (I don't like red-berry Doras of JV44 by my nature.) Broken Eagles No.2 is the best reference for it
Camouflage colors |
As you know, the late war colors are still mystery, so I tried to represent my impression. I judged the lighter color of wing is RLM76 rather than RLM02 from the color-photograph of scrap-yard which appears in the Monogram Close-up. Middle tone is most likely RLM75 gray-violet. But darkest color of the wing is mystery. The engine cowl and gun-cover were painted dark color and seems they came from other birds. So I imagined dark color of wings was touch-up of RLM82 painted when it was repaired. I always make my colors by mixing primary colors and my imagination was principal guide of mixture this time too.
Brush painting |
Sometimes they ask me why I paint models with brush. The reason is simple. It is because I cannot paint well with airbrush. And also comparing with airbrush, brush-painting stinks less, uses less volume of color and thinner, makes retouch easier. When you paint one color over other color with brush, the result is different from you paint with airbrush. I have painted this Dora with brushes only. I didn't use any decal either.
Gross or Mat |
Gross or Mat, it's a problem: I suppose the German fighters were mat-painted when they rolled out from factory, but ground crew would polish the surface to the extent it shined. I have thought they were semi-gloss, but Luftwaffe In Focus Color changed my mind. Therefore I sanded the surfaces with #2000 sandpaper carefully. I didnﾕt polish surfaces with compound or clothes.
Riveting |
Focke-Wulf Fw190's wing has very complicated structure and I thoght that without rivets, it wouldnﾕt look real. I riveted with beading tool #0 (0.25 mm), #1 (0.3 mm), #2 (0.35 mm). I riveted freehand trying to rivet same number of real bird. It took one month.
