KB's Arado 196 **FINISHED AT LAST**

[Kevan Bailey]

I've been meaning to start on this for the last couple of days:



But first I've got to deal with this:



I'm intending to do an OOTB build, even though there are some very nice bits of PE for this kit. We'll see how it goes.

I've had this kit just about since it was released; I was really intending to build the Airfix Typhoon for this GB but when I told Mrs. Bailey that I was taking part, she asked me why the hell I wasn't going to make the one she bought me all that time ago, especially after I'd kept going on about it and she'd gone to so much trouble to get me one.

So here we are.

[iggie]

I was really intending to build the Airfix Typhoon for this GB but when I told Mrs. Bailey that I was taking part, she asked me why the hell I wasn't going to make the one she bought me all that time ago, especially after I'd kept going on about it and she'd gone to so much trouble to get me one.

So here we are.

Wise man.....

Plus, I keep having a look inside the big tiffie box, and get scared by the volume of plastic staring back at me.....so I gently replace the lid ans tip-toe away

[Kevan Bailey]

Funny, that. I'm having the same problem, but the thing that's really bothering me about it is the fact that my head tells me to build it wheels-up and hang it from the ceiling as I usually do, but my heart says, How can you let all that detail get covered up?

The Arado's going to get built wings-folded, panels open as I've shelf-space for it.

[splash]

Nice choice of kit I fancied that kit when it first came out but chickened out when I saw the size of the box.

[Kevan Bailey]

Don't be fooled by the box, Splash, there's a pretty high air to plastic ratio.

What's really surprising, though, is the lack of any sort of decals for the instrument panels. You'd expect something in this scale, especially as they're so visible in the Arado's big, open cockpit. Looks like a job for MDC, which immediately blows my OOTB approach. I could always hand paint them, of course, but I'd like to finish this build before I die.

[Kevan Bailey]

I suppose it's time I actually got started on this, so I've put in four hours this afternoon. The alternative was to help Mrs. Bailey paint her shed. Doh!

Anyway, I've made a start on the interior, surprise, surprise, and got this far:




Here's the obligatory close-up (but don't look too close!) of the instrument panels:





I used life-saving decals from Model Design Construction for the instruments; for two quid a sheet they're the business. The interior is messed up with Citadel Necron compound for the bare metal scuffing and Artitec powders for the sad, worn look. The paintwork has been subjected to Vallejo washes. It's all a bit quick and dirty, I'm afraid.

I still haven't decided which version I'm building, the only difference is a white fuselage band on one, which, if I decide to do it, I'll paint on rather than use the decal.

[Kevan Bailey]

Ugh, those pictures are a bit horrid. It's better than this really, honest.

[iggie]

Actually, I think it looks pretty good; I like the effect the overspray has given

[Dazzled]

Very nice work. It may be quick and dirty but it's certainly effective

[splash]

It looks good from here

[JohnRatzenberger]

Great start on a nifty looking float plane - it deserves a catapult, maybe even a crane -- all OOTB, of course

[JohnRatzenberger]

You didn't get hauled off to help Mrs B paint the shed after all ?

[Kevan Bailey]

It's true. I have been neglecting this build but my excuse is that the weather has been very decent and I've been getting on with my garden railway project, but nothing at all to do with Mrs. Bailey's shed. Anyway, she's now moved on to building a dovecote. This is how far I've got with the plastic:




Don't look much, do it? That engine was a bugger; took me two days solid.





However, the rains have arrived again (just as I'm in the middle of building a curved viaduct to get the main line round an apple tree) so I'll be pressing on this afternoon





I was quite surprised by the amount of work I had to do to get the fuselage to fit properly; not exactly a filler-fest but on the way. It was probably me, though, not Revell, but there is a lot to fit inside the two halves.

[Kevan Bailey]

The thing I like best about these big fellows is the way they suddenly come together.




I'll give this a few hours to dry out, then get it primed. I've got the feeling that it's going to need a fair bit of rubbing down.

Wasn't quite sure what to weight the floats with; I normally use .22 but something this size needs a bit more umph so I settled for a couple of .588 Minie balls........

[Kevan Bailey]

OK, so here's a sticky one. I've just spent the last couple of hours thinking about paint.

These planes were 65/72/73. Mr. Hobby (always reliable for shade, apparently, but I don't really like them) don't do 72 and 73, or so Miserable Git in the L(ish)MS tells me. Humbrol do both colours, but Hobbycraft only have the 72. Vallejo (my faves) only do 73.

So we have this:




The Humbrol 72 seems really dark, especially against the Vallejo 73. However, these are from different manufacturers. V73 seems to work well from an artistic point of view with V70. I put on the Mr Hobby 70 and 71 to get some idea of the contrast between the two greens. Maybe I need to try the Humbrol 73. I am, however, intending to finish this model as a rather tired specimen and I like the idea of V73 as a faded base coat. I'll probably use this as a starting point.

The scruffy mess on the V73 patch, incidentally, is an experiment on using grey primer/Humbrol rattle can aluminium/Maskol/grey primer/RLM73 and then scrubbing it over with Mrs. Bailey's toothbrush. It seems to have worked.