Focke Wulf Ta 154

[Bigkev]

Cockpit completed using the Airwaves set not up to Haddock's standard but I'm getting better!!! The FuG 212 shroud is white metal and came from some spares somebody gave me, apologies I can't remember who, I had to shorten it and fit a blanking plate over the hole in the floor as the seat had to be moved back into it's proper position. The front cockpit shroud is a spare adapted from the Me 309 kit but needs further work after checking the canopy fit.
The tail plane is a one piece slid through which causes enough problems in itself re gluing in place and as per the rest of the kit it fits where it touches.

As long as you can make it touch where it needs, that's all that matters.
Bigkev

[cph64]

With the cockpit combing altered to allow the canopy to be fitted I tried both the kit part and a Falcon vacform one. The Falcon canopy, though thinner and clearer, required the rear of the cockpit to be raised so I went with the kit one. I fixed it in place with 'Glue and Glaze' (the first time I've used this) and also partially filled the resulting step. After leaving this to set overnight I roughly hand painted the canopy frame so any white filler wouldn't show through into the cockpit. The sills were smoothed with water but the rear has now been left to set thoroughly.

[cph64]

After having spent the morning at the Opticians in Bridlington, which gave me a chance to call at Croppers, Boyes and Mighty Lancer, where the latter was the only pace I could buy some Acrylic Varnish. Covid 19 must have used up all the supplies, no-one seems to have any Humbrol AV, except online and then it has to come by Courier, it was back to the Moskito.
There are no weapons in the kit so I used spares from the Me 309 to show the exposed parts, these have to be fared in fully yet. Behind the cockpit was partially sanded and then the wing/engine nacelles were fixed to the body, followed by yet more filler so there's still a lot of work to do in that area.
The main wheel oleos had a very loose fit so they had to be glued, then reinforced with superglue and the holes for the front leg were too big so these had to be filled and drilled with superglue being used again. The photo shows how shallow the front bay is. Now the bad news. Despite cramming every possible space with shot and blue tack it's still a tail-sitter!!! The real a/c had a nose up stance when fully laden so I'm going to have to work something out along the lines of the oil drum, seen in a photo, under the tail of an Me 323.

[chriswil42]

Looking good though Chris.

[MSea]

Will you do the same colour scheme that is on the box ?

[cph64]

Hi MSea, I'm doing it based on the one mentioned in the reference book. RLM 74/75 (Graugrun/Grauviolett) solid upper with RLM 76 (Lichtblau) over-painted with RLM 22 (Schwarz - black) lower surfaces.
After looking closer at the photos in the book I realised why I had a 'tail-sitter'. The model's nose undercarriage is based on the V1 and V7 aircraft which had full extension of the leg in some photos so it was removed and shortened (twice to get the correct sit!!). As this had to set fully, glue followed by thin superglue, it was put aside for the rest of the afternoon until cured.

[Red Lancer]

It's looking really good, Chris. You've done a great job there!

[Bigkev]

Hi Chris,
Once you had shortened the nosewheel leg, did it want to sit properly, or does it still need some sort of 'external' support.
Always liked the TA154, your build is coming along nicely, pitfalls and all.
Cheers,
Bigkev

[cph64]

It depends which way the winds blowing Kev. Most times it behaves, but..... Hopefully once the props and spinners are in place they'll tip the balance.

[cph64]

Primed and further filling carried out then the undersides were airbrushed NATO black, as RLM 22, to above the camo demarcation line. The tail was hand painted RLM 82 Hellgrun and the undercarriage and wells hand painted RLM 02 with the wheel centres gloss black and the tyres tyre black.

[chriswil42]

Looking good Chris.

[cph64]

With the underside painted it was time for the top in Humbrol RLM 75 and Xtracrylic RLM 74. The spinners and propeller are Xtracrylic RLM 70. The masking on the cockpit was removed and then it was time to fit the fiddly bits. The FuG 218 aerials were super-glued into the pre-drilled holes having been cut from the etched brass FuG 212 fittings. The lower ones are black, like the under surface but the upper ones are RLM 76 reflecting the original camouflage colour. The landing light was trimmed to fit with silver paint used to simulate the lenses and held in place with Glue and Glaze. The pitot tube is a spindly affair so was fitted last and it is meant to lean down at an angle.
The head-on shot shows the FuG 218 aerials as per the photo in the Technical reference I used and there are two photos of the raised wingtips. To get to this stage took a lot of time and effort with the PM Models kit but it has produced something that is not available in the mainstream world of kits, so I'm happy with the result (which is all that matters I suppose!!)

[chriswil42]

Ex ellent model Cbris.

[zak]

Nice backdrop on the photos.

[MSea]

Good model and good photo