I know I shouldn't... I'm lagging behind on the campaign builds but I can't resist starting these! I and a friend each bought an Eduard 262 kit, in each box there are two kits so we swapped so that we each have a two-seater and a single-seater.

The kits are nothing short of magnificent when it comes to quality, when it comes to size they are horribly tiny...


Eduard really manages to convey a "premium feeling" with their boxes. And it works very well on me! This is nothing short of beautiful...


Box contents... Each 262 comes on two sprues. The only difference is a mould insert that makes either two-seater or single-seater fuselage halves.


And this is the result of one evening at the workbench!

There are four beautiful marking alternatives in each boxing but as usual I am not entirely content with that: does anyone know of a source of either aftermarket decals for 262s in 1/144 scale or generic Luftwaffe sheets with numerals and possibly squadron markings in this scale?



Magnus

They look great. It would be nice to see a size comparison.

At your service Alistair!


That's your average 1/72 Airfix Spitfire overlooking the 262:s. It is probably thinking that they really don't look any dangerous that size...


Current state of affairs! Stabilisers have been added. It pays to be careful when building, this is not a kit that you would want to use massive amounts of filler on since there is a real risk that you won't find the kit again underneath it!



Magnus

I've carefully added Tamiya liquid putty to the fuselage seam. I sand it smooth with a nail polishing stick. I've also built a bunch of engine pods, they look like a tricky fit to the wing. The one who lives will see...



Magnus

Soon primer time! Not much construction work on these even if I needed a bit of filler here and there.





Engine nacelles are a tricky fit but can be overcome with a bit of patience. Again, huge amounts of filler isn't advisable on kits this size!

After asking at the IPMS Stockholm forum, I got the following three links to possible sources for more 262-decals in 1/144:
MYK Design
Unknown Japanese decal manufacturer!
Peddinghaus



Magnus

Primed!



Work will continue after Easter!



Magnus

Hi Magnus,

That last picture looks like a great idea for a diorama!

Been thinking about picking up my 1/144 work again. Maybe even propose a campaign (the "tiny" campaign). I recently picked up some übercool detail sets from Griffon for the Zero and the Me 109F. We are talking about some serious "pilleriarbete"*.



* Pillery work

Cheers // PolarBear

Oh my! I'm lagging behind in the detail race. You've ruined my day Björn!

If you propose a tiny scale campaign I'll support it, this was a lot more fun than I had expected. A 109 or a Wildcat would fit my bill perfectly, or one of each. I'll ask my friend Rickard and see if he is willing to swap like we did with the 262s!

I've done a second round of filling and priming today, everything ready for paint after Easter! With a bit of luck I will find time to do some pillery work on my Fokker G.1...



Magnus

I'd be up for a 1/144 scale campaign. That PE looks like the stuff of my nightmares!

Looking forward to seeing these 262s with some paint on.

Hi all
I would be up for a tiny campaign. I have just bought a Revell 1/144 Starfighter. No idea why, other than I love Starfighters. My chosen scale is normaly 1/48 - 1/32. The kit is lovely though and I may acquire a few more. Me 262's are looking great!
tim

Ben! Me too! It worries me a bit though... I never thought that half the size of my Hasegawa 262 in 1/72 would be this small...

Tim! Revell has made a bunch of real jewels when it comes to 1/144 scale, another kit that springs to my mind is the Hawker Hunter!



Magnus

Okidoki! I will apply for a 1/144 (or smaller!) campaign as soon as I get back from our Easter vacation. Since Magnus won't mind, I will post a notice on this thread as well. I'm almost certain that we'll get enough participants. Problem is that the campaign schedule seems packed for quite some time. Even though I hope that people will put in some extra effort in a campaign, most 1/144 are rather quick builds, so I will try to get it squeezed in as soon as possible.

Personally, I have quite a few of the extraordinary Sweet and Platz kits in my stash. I will probably go for a tiny Akagi diorama...

Ps. The ribbon will of course be smaller than usual!

Cheers, and a great Easter to all! // PolarBear

Björn! Do you have a good source for that überpillery and horrendously tiny photo etch of yours? I really feel tempted...



Magnus

Looking good so far. I'm on a Me262 kick right now and would love to try one of these. Check out this link and jump to page 12 and check out what this guy did with the same kit you have. Unbelievable. I look forward to watching your build

http://www.ww2aircraft.net/forum/group-builds/unofficial-group-build-after-battle-ju-87-stuka-litte-diorama-19846-12.html

That little diorama is just great and the attention to detail is impressive!

Stay tuned, work will continue on the 262s on Tuesday!



Magnus

Painting has started on the single-seater. Looks a bit messy right now but things will improve when it gets the first coat of RLM 76!





Magnus

It's coming along great. I can't wait to see what's next.

Painting has now started in earnest! I will use Gunze paints exclusively on these two.


A first coat of RLM 76...


...and RLM 75 on the wings of the single seater.

Hasegawa included great mixing recipes in their kits from the eighties and nineties. RLM 76 is a mix if 50/50 H61 and H67 with quite a lot of white in it while the RLM 75 is H331 with a tiny amount of H90 "Transparent Red" to give it a reddish tint and quite a lot of white as well. After all it was called "Grauviolett" in German! The reason for using a lot of white is the small size of the models, they need a bit of help to stand out in the crowd!

Thanks to Rickard for scanning two old Hasegawa painting instructions for me!



Magnus

Hi Magnus,

I've found some überpillerei stuff from Griffon (full upgrades for Sweet kits etc) and Brengun (seperate details). Modelimex used to have the Griffon, but seem to have run out (I only bought three sets!). They still have some of the Brengun stuff Brengun stuff.

Cheers! // PolarBear

Wings and stabilisers have been camouflaged. I have also made an early attempt at freehanding the mottling on the fin. I'll have to practice a bit more on something else before I continue with the rest of the fuselage!



Björn! Thanks for the link!



Magnus

I've been in mottling-mode lately, below is the result! I haven't decided yet if I am calling it a day or if I dare to do some careful sanding and touch-up to get rid of paint splatter. I was very unhappy with the result when I hung up the airbrush the other night, when I look at it now it looks quite nice. The paint fields are a bit on the large side but it is tricky doing them smaller in 1/144...


Not perfect but the mistakes are almost impossible to see in real life since you can't get close enough to the model to see it and still focus your eyes!


Painting of the two-seater has been started. More work to be done tonight.

Next time I will be more careful with the paint/thinner ratio. If I get it exactly right (verified by test spraying) I can do incredibly fine details. A bit to thick and it splatters, a bit too thin and it gets runny...



Magnus

They both look fantastic. You are extremely talented. Impressive work.

Magnus, I think the mottle looks great for 1/144! The two seater's green makes a nice contrast with the almost mauve greys of the single seater. Is the two seater masked with parafilm?

Just the kind of thing I love to hear! Thanks!



Yep, that's Parafilm. I use a lot of that stuff, it is a very simple precaution since overspray tends to find its way around everything and end up where it is least expected! And thanks for the comment about the mottle, the two-seater has an even finer scheme that I doubt I will be able to freehand...

I've painted the basic camo on the two-seater tonight. I will have to wait for the wings to dry before I can do the top of the fuselage!






Magnus

I agree, great work Magnus, small scale even for me a 1/72 scale modeler. Keep up the good work. Russell