Dazzled's Floundered Floatplane - Finished

[Dazzled]

So first up there's this.



I know, it's almost complete, but it has been on and off the bench for over 2 years, including a period of over a year when I put it out of sight in the loft after a big issue with the paint .

But, it's been back out for a few months now and, before I went on my trip to Belgium, I made an encouraging amount of progress so I've decided to push this one to a finish before moving on to the Jagdpanther.

It shouldn't take long....although there is work... and the Telford weekend

[Stuart]

This'll be nice. Theres something about the Rufe that just looks 'right'. That engine looks supurb!

[Dazzled]

Thanks Stuart. The engine is quite a peach. And straight from the kit too.

I bought this in a small model shop in Aberystwyth some years ago, when Hasegawa kits were more reasonably priced. I just remembered that I posted a build thread somewhere too.

Hang on...here's one.

http://uamf.org.uk/viewtopic.php?f=19&t ... wa#p118108

I can't find any more though but I do have some pictures from the start of the build before I even joined the forum over 2 years ago. I'm sure I posted them because I remember moaning about the poor fit of the wing.







How I had to correct it with plasticard wedges and filler.



And how I had to ensure that there was sufficient weight in the float to keep it sitting in the right attitude .



That seemed just about enough .

[Ian]

What a lovely model! Still, it looks like you've beaten most of the fight out of it.

[Stuart]

Nice in progress shots - you can't beat plastic wedges and filler (well maybe potato wedges and mayo..yummm) and is that a bit of copper pipe?!? Good thinking.

[Dazzled]

No, it's a solid piece of steel. Should be heavy enough!

[ShaunW]

A Rufe, excellent. Those wing gaps look to be a bit of a shocker and not what one would expect from Hasegawa, even in the days when their prices were less eye watering than they are now. I've never built a seaplane and must admit, I'd never have thought to add ballast and would have therefore ended up with the thing sitting back on its main float!

[jssel]

Hard to believe that Hasegawa would make such an ill fitting kit as that. But at least you have a handle on it.

[Dazzled]

Despite the unexpected intrusion of Mrs Dazzled, in true enforced prevarication style , I did manage a little progress with the Rufe.



I got the remaining decals on before I was dragged off to do other "important" things. I did remember my own advice from my previous post about Microsol and was very careful in my ministrations with regard to it's use. I forgot to mention that the kit comes with a rather nice beaching dolly. It's built, painted matt black and weathered at the moment. I may add a little more weathering later. It's the main reason for the weight in the float as without it I'm pretty sure that the model would be a tail sitter when on its dolly.

I'm just getting the other finishing parts together and painted including the prop and cowling.



More progress soon....... as long as I can avoid any more of Mrs Dazzled's important jobs

[Stuart]

Thats looking super!

[Ian]

I'm lucky. I did all the 'important' jobs yesterday so I can do some 'proper' work today!

[ShaunW]

Nice one. The beaching dolly is certainly useful and saves displaying the model leaning over onto one of its wing floats or having to make a water dio!

[Dazzled]

I've just got home from my late shift, so I thought I'd relate this mornings progress on the Rufe.

First, a better view of the beaching dolly.



As Shaun points out, it's a good tool for displaying the finished model. In fact it's rather a nice model in its own right.

On the model itself.....it's time to say goodbye to the engine before it gets covered with the cowling.



And, after a coat of matt varnish and with cowling on, nose guns fitted, bombs and racks fitted, fuel pipe attached, pitot tube re-attached and a bit more staining and weathering, this is how it looks now.





I still have a few more things to do. it's a shame I had to go to work today as I could have easily finished. As ever, work is the curse of the modelling classes .

[AndrewR]

Time for a quick "Hello Dolly" joke I feel...



That's looking very good.

[Stuart]

Very good Andrew!

Looking Nice Dazzled - what Scale is this?