Scalemates Schwalbe Group build 2021
I've been wanting to open this box for a long time. Thanks Scalemates Schwalbe GB 2021!
There's the sprues. This came in handy later when I needed to track down a missing piece. Directly below the top/central tail section sprue, there'a pair of gates that don't have a part attached to them. That's where the front, side landing gear door should be.
Let's start by spraying the interior with Tamiya XF-16 Aluminium.
Time for a quick dry fit to see how this is going to look. Yeah, that'll work.
8g of weight in the nose should keep her from becoming a tail sitter... I hope. I used white glue to secure the lead weight. I've heard that, over time, CA glue can react with the lead and create a white powder that will eventually pop the seams. Best not to head down that path.
Getting some parts ready for painting.
And voila! The wheel well assembly gets painted with Tamiya XF-16 Aluminium. The engines get a coating of XF-84 Dark Iron and the cockpit interior gets XF-63 German Gray.
Some detailing on the cockpit and engines.
All assembled. Probably overdid it on the putty, but I'm trying my best for a no seams/no gaps build her. The fit is very very good though.
A quick coat of Tamiya XF-22 RLM Gray reveals a few more spots in need of some sanding... of course!
Sanding complete, canopy in place...
Masked up and ready to go!
I want the red to be quite dark. So I'm going with an undercoat of XF-22 RLM Gray and some panel line shading using XF-1 Flat Black to give it depth.
Not bad... but this will need a few more coats.
There. Looking much better now.
A coat of Future to seal it up.
And a Tamiya panel line wash really brings out the contrast.
Assembled the landing gear... this is where I discovered I was missing a piece!
Scratchbuilt landing gear door ready... now to paint the wheels. The hubs were painted XF-84 Dark Iron and the tires were painted with XF-85 Rubber Black.
Got the decals on... a bit of silvering to deal with...
Decals on... another coat of Future to even out the silvering a bit... all that's left is the base and Hans von Hammer himself!
Comments
41 8 January 2021, 07:41
Greg BakerOk... Roland Gunslinger is a bad influence...😉
Everyone seems to be building these, but I bet mine is going to be a bit different than everyone else's.😉
8 January 2021, 07:44
Greg BakerNot much of an auspicious start though. After studying the Academy instructions, I discovered they have a typo and call for the front wheel struts to be painted yellow instead of grey. I knew that was wrong, but it took me a while to figure out why. That's the danger of reprinting old instructions. In the original kit instructions, 8 is grey... in the new ones 8 is yellow. Someone forgot to update the file.
8 January 2021, 07:46
Jan PetersFollowing 🙂
I see this has the early tail as well as the c1 and late tail. Which machine are you going to build?
8 January 2021, 09:10
Spanjaardi was checking the color schemes of this model in the instructions, out of curiousity, and I see that fuselage/wings are painted with colors 11-12-13 but the list of colors ends at number 12......
8 January 2021, 21:51
Julian Herrero aka YuriWelcomae to the group ,,,, but ,,,,, I don't recall any 262 in a Tintin book 😉 ,,,,, following
8 January 2021, 22:15
Greg Baker@Spanjaard - if you compare the paint call outs from the original tool box, you'll see the problem pretty quickly. Personally though, I doubt I will look much at the paint instructions anyway...😉
@Julian - Not EVERY model I build is Tintin.😉 This one is based on an American graphic novel that came out in 2001 called Enemy Ace War In Heaven.
Anyway, it's certainly begun now.
9 January 2021, 07:21
Greg BakerHaha!
I added 8g of ballast to the nose (as per the instructions). One thing ai recently learned was not to use CA glue with lead weights. Apparently over time the two react and cause a white powder buildup that can actually burst the seams. So, playing it safe, I decided to go with white glue. There's no real wiggle room in there once it's all closed up anyway.
10 January 2021, 01:18
Ben MI've been embedding lead weights in milliput. I wonder if I will have trouble later.
10 January 2021, 04:35
Jan PetersI have used ca glue in the past, but noticed that many of my models rattle when I pick them up, so the weights must have come loose. Goid tip to use white glue Greg, will do next time.
10 January 2021, 09:39
Greg BakerWell, the website I saw it one says it takes 5-10 years to build up to the point of bursting the seams... but it was ugly.
Anyway, I painted a bunch of bits... will begin some assembly tomorrow likely.
11 January 2021, 06:08
Erik De SmetI am not familiar with the comic , but I guess this will be the red Schwalbe of Hans von Hammer, inspired by the Red Baron Manfred von Richthofen.
11 January 2021, 12:24
Ben MJan, yes, I have found CA glue doesn't seem to hold lead in place long term. I thought it was mostly because I use bullets (just the lead part, not the whole thing, lol) which are usually coated with a light grease to prevent bore fouling when they are shot. Milliput seems to keep a hold of the lead and keep it in place.
12 January 2021, 01:06
David JanuskaNice one, watching. To add something to the discussion I'm using Uschi Flexible Nose Weight (item 4011). The advantage of this is that it also adds some weight.
12 January 2021, 07:19
Greg BakerThanks Cuajete. All fixed now, but I should've said "it's before and after" and see how many people can find something different.😉
14 January 2021, 21:26
CuajeteRight Greg
Maybe I should have said something like "I found the 7 differences. Will the rest of mates find them?" 😄
I see you spent half a pot of putty. Many fit problems?
15 January 2021, 18:55
Greg BakerNo, the fit is quite good. The putty was more me striving for a 100% score on this one. I didn't quite make it, but closer than usual. I also managed to glue the engines together incorrectly (ended up with one shorter than the other instead of two gradually fitting the wing sweep), so I had to pull them apart and fix the remnants of the error.
I 've got the sanding done, and the canopy masked, so we're set for some painting!
21 January 2021, 16:17
Daniel KlinkHm,with the putty i must say i just needed a bit to fill a very small gap under the belly
21 January 2021, 18:39
Greg BakerI had a bit of trouble with the underwing "arm pits" but I was also very careful about the alignment on the belly, so I was a bit unwilling to shove the wings closer together. Overall the fit was very good. No complaints.
21 January 2021, 21:46
Łukasz GlińskiDamn, that colour reminds me I got a Fh-104 "Hallore" kit for Xmas 😄
22 January 2021, 08:24
CuajeteRed looks great, Greg 👍.
Łukasz, are you hinting that you are going to build the Hallore? 😛
24 January 2021, 18:30
Greg BakerThanks guys!
Daniel, the late 60s/early 70s DC Comics "Enemy Ace" is about a character named Hans von Hammer, who is more or less a fictional version of Richthofen. Enemy Ace - War in Heaven is a 2001 graphic novel that continues the story with von Hammer coming out of retirement during WWII. So he paints both his Bf-109 and Me262 in the same "Red Baron" livery. He hates the Nazi's, so he also refuses to paint the swastika on either of his planes. So basically... I am😉
Oh, and Łukasz - we need to see it!
24 January 2021, 18:58
Erik De SmetManfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron, could hardly come out of retirement as he was killed in WW1. His cousin Wolfram von Richthofen also fought in WW1, and rejoined the newborn Luftwaffe when Hitler came to power in 1933. He fought in Spain, Poland, the Balkan and on the eastern Front. He was an admirer of Hitler, and a friend of Goring, so he could hardly be seen as an example for the imaginary Hans von Hammer.
PS : my egg 262 will not have the swastika either..
24 January 2021, 20:43
Greg BakerErik - I think similarities end pretty much with "German Ace" and "Red Fokker tri-plane".😉 I'm actually a little surprised that DC wouldn't have said "no way" to having a comic series based on an "enemy hero". They really played up the "code of chivalry of the knights of the sky" angle quite a bit. I kind of wish they'd revisit the character, actually. There are lots more stories waiting to be told, I'm sure.
Łukasz - Good old Tamiya XF-7 Flat Red. It's not an Italian hot rod, so I'm trying to keep it from getting too bright. That's also why I used XF-22 RLM Gray for the undercoat.
Thanks Roland!
25 January 2021, 03:42
Erik De SmetYes, Greg , chivalry is something that was present among fighter pilots. There is the story of a Belgian pilot Rodolphe de Hamecourt de Grunne, a nobelman who first fought in the Spanish Civil War on Franco's side with the Germans and Italians, flew for Belgium in 1940 at the German invasion and finally was KIA as a pilot of the 609 RAF Squadron fighting against his former comrades in Spain.
25 January 2021, 12:06
Slavo HazuchaWow, only discovered this now!
First, the theme is a great idea, this is definitely a new angle of view on the 262 and the red livery looks great!
Second, beautiful job on the shading... It may not be the Rosso Corsa of the Ferraris & Macchis, but it surely looks god, the fine shading in the darker/matter tone works perfectly... 👍 Schwalbe Trophy, maybe? 🙂
25 January 2021, 12:35
Greg BakerErik - That I believe. However, in the comic there are scenes where French pilots jump out of their doomed aircraft and salute the enemy on their way down...😉 of course, there are also many scenes when a fight ends because one of the opponents becomes unarmed, etc.
Slavo - I'm glad you like it. Roland was teasing me to join the GB, but I was. Bit hesitant until I ran across this subject. After that, I just HAD to build the red Schwalbe.
Thanks Jan, Daniel and Maicon (even if I don't know what "inusitate" means... but it sounds good!)
One thing that ticked me off is that I'm missing two pieces for the front landing gear. The support rod I must've sacrificed to the carpet monster myself, but after reviewing my sprue shot, I noticed that the side gear door was missing from the beginning. I scratched up some substitutes, but since I was really trying my best, it feels like a poor choice. I also started applying some decals. I've never had any luck lining up the little dotted lines on the wings. They always seem too long for the marking guide. Oh, well, artistic license I guess.
26 January 2021, 07:03
DanielThat looks cool 👍 i like the red baron hommage
Now open canopy, goggles and a long white scarf 🙂
26 January 2021, 08:29
CuajeteWow, Greg... This decoration looks great, so I hope that silvering don't cause problems.
26 January 2021, 18:38
Daniel KlinkThat shading is really great stuff Greg. Looking awesome that Swallow in Red 👍
26 January 2021, 18:44
Lode SchildermansIt has a sinister look in that matt red with the shading. Never saw a Me262 like that, but what beauty
26 January 2021, 22:06
Daniel KlinkYap Lode perfect descriptin!
Would easily fit as Hellboys Privat Jet👍
26 January 2021, 22:51
Greg BakerThanks guys! Hellboy's private jet is perfect! I couldn't quite put my finger on it until you said it. I'm quite please with how this turned out. Strangely enough, after spending a long time searching for the missing landing gear strut, I dropped one of the wheels while glueing them on... and there it was sitting on the floor just waiting to be picked up! I guess the carpet monster felt bad and returned my offer.😉
That made me feel a little better about it. Now, at least, the missing piece is not directly my fault. Anyway, the plane itself is done. The matt finish has left the decals quite silvered, so I think I'll try another coat of future to even it out and hen maybe a matt finish.
Other than that, just a paint job on my Hans con Hammer Luftwaffe figure to accomplish, and try a little something different for the base... and then I can get back to my Haunted Tanks and Tintin Jaguar Mk.X.
I am debating my next build though... do I build another "strange" Me262 for the GB? Or do I go with the Enemy Ace Fokker Dr.I vs. "The Hangman" Spad XIII project?
27 January 2021, 07:29
Lochsa RiverGo for the Fokker and Spad project and show Daniel how you rig as you go along....😎
Nice piece, bro....
27 January 2021, 07:42
Robin (WhiteGlint)Looks good in red! Nice work, Greg 👍
What kind of other Me 262 do you have in mind?
27 January 2021, 11:32
Greg BakerOh, man... I'm not sure anyone needs to see my rigging skills up close and personal. 😉
As for the other Me262, I'm thinking of the "Black Knight of Berlin" - Focke-Wulf Fw190D-9 & Messer..2A-1a (Hasegawa 64727, 1:72)
27 January 2021, 14:45
Robin (WhiteGlint)The Black Knight looks interesting, I would love to see you build it.
There are still some days left before the group build comes to a close, so no need to rush it. 😄
27 January 2021, 20:27
Greg BakerErik... They're ALL weird comic stories. That one happens to be written and drawn by Japanese artist Leiji Matsumoto.
27 January 2021, 22:16
Slavo HazuchaVery cool - I already revealed my feelings about the plane, so it´s time to mention the base which looks very cool too - after all the BW (meaning Black/Wood 🙂 ) bases of the 144-scale projects it´s like when my parents bought their first color TV!
Good stuff, big scale - big show!😉 👍
28 January 2021, 17:52
Lode SchildermansI fully agree, Spanjaard. A typical Greg build in his unique style
28 January 2021, 20:57
Slavo HazuchaYou certainly do... so under no circumstances choose one of your models as a murder weapon... everyone would know... 😄😉
28 January 2021, 21:36
Greg BakerSo great Clifford said it twice!
Well, by unpopular demand, I decided to dive into the second Me262 in my stash. I have to say, the Hasegawa kit leaves a lot to be desired as a follow-up to the much newer Academy kit. But since it's wheels up and a pilot in a closed cockpit I'm going to take the path of least resistance.
The Black Knight of Berlin (Me262) | Album by strobez (1:72)
29 January 2021, 07:23
Juergen KlinglhuberGreg - great model! congrats!
Looking forward to your next Schwalbe coming.....
29 January 2021, 14:40
Album info
Enemy Ace - War in Heaven (Me262)
Group Build
Scalemates Schwalbe Group build 2021
1. January until 31. December 2021
1. January until 31. December 2021