Final Flight of "Chevron Dot"
Comments
22 22 September 2021, 02:13
Jim JThis aircraft was one of three Fw 190D-9's that flew to Fürth, Germany to surrender on May 8, 1945. It's exceptionally well documented in both black & white and color photos as well as some movie film of the "surrender" scene, where an unidentified pilot exits the plane into the custody of US troops. The camo scheme is unique, particularly on the wings, with unusually shaped areas of RLM 75, 81 and 82. Previous markings are painted out with markings for the Stab II./JG 6 Technical Officer applied.
It's OOB with the addition of brass tubes for gun barrels, Eduard seat belts and decals from Eagle Editions. Mr. Color paints were used for the main camo.
Since there are so many photos of this aircraft from many angles, I've tried to replicate the coloring and camo pattern as closely as possible. I've had to rework the camo details quite a bit on the fuselage sides and tail, but i think it's fairly close at this point.
I've attempted a number of new techniques for me on this build. First, I took a crack with AK worn effects fluid over silver paint on the wing roots to simulate chips and scratches. I'm impressed with how this turned out. Second, I used some scotch brite as a template for randomized pre-shading. I'm happy with how this worked but I think it was most effective for the lighter colors and not the darker colors. Third, I tried the "salt" shading technique to weather the prop and think it came out OK. I could have been more bold with the contrast, but it's a good start.
The main camo for the wings was applied using paper templates and the fuselage was all freehand. Gloss coat is now on and decals are next. Thanks for following along.
22 September 2021, 02:38
Sebastian MeynerWow, that's quiet something already! I really admire your speedy aproach....you finish three kits in the time it takes me to finish one 😉 At the same time your building and paint jobs look absolutely fanrastic 👍
22 September 2021, 03:28
Jim J"Chevron Dot" is now complete. Since the last update, decals were applied followed by a gloss coat with no issues.
For the first time, I tried an oil wash for panels and really liked how it turned out compared to my usual Flory wash. Drying time is much longer but the colors are more bold and the ability to fade the wash a bit is nice. I also experimented with some dot filtering and shading on various areas to change the colors slightly. More learning to do here.
A matte coat was applied and then some more weathering with black-brown mix, oils, pastels, pencils for exhaust, dirt, scratches, etc. The plane was reportedly relatively dirty when it arrived so I spent more time than usual on the belly and landing gear for mud and dirt.
This time I decided to have the canopy closed for tension on the antenna cable. Infini Aero rigging was used for the antenna cable this time and it's a winner. EZ-line is too thick and has a flat profile compared to Infini.
Overall, I'm happy how the project turned out. Reviewing the final photos, a few things struck me: 1) It's interesting how the camo scheme blends with the background and base I chose for the photos; 2) 25-year-old Tamiya looks decent but is noticeably less detailed than the Eduard kit; and 3) weathering is still a challenge. After comparing the finished model to the original photos, I don't think I weathered it enough in terms of localized surface texture, scratches, stains, spots, etc. I still have more to learn to increase the realism here.
Thanks for looking. Comments and critiques are more than welcome.
28 September 2021, 23:36
Gary VictoryReally lovely build Jim. Although the Eduard kit is arguably the better kit, this is still a really good one and your build and paint job do it justice. Top job Sir. 👍
30 September 2021, 06:21
Album info
Fw 190D-9, II./JG 6, W.Nr. 211934, depicted as it prepared to make its final flight to Fürth, Germany, on May 8, 1945, to surrender to US troops.
