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I see models as not
only a hobby but as a way to learn a great deal about a craft. Part of that is
the kit itself, and part is the instructions. Having built the Pro Modeler
bf-110G night fighter previously, I've been somewhat spoiled by Pro Modeler's
instruction booklet. The bf-110 had a set of instructions which included
real photos of the aircraft and very detailed instructions. When I opened up
this Stuka, I was a bit shocked to find two pieces of paper folded in half over
each other.
The kit itself is very detailed. I liked the cockpit, compared to some kits I've
built. It's got no rear bulkhead, but you can't see that far inside anyways. The
panel lines are all recessed, the rivets are not oversized, and the kit in
general is one which looks good. It's got some problem areas which I'll point
out for future builders.
The largest problem is the lack of detail in the instructions. It has an image
of the pilot's seat, for example, and a seat cushion is shaded in but it merely
states to paint the entire seat dark grey. Same for the stick. No black grip on
top. Go figure. I'm putting faith in Monogram here, and doing it OOB (as all my
models are). It does dictate some
instructions on the instrument panel, but I ended up using the colors on the
decal and painting them on myself. There is an upper fuselage section where two
small halves combine, the instruments are put on this, and then the entire unit
is put into the top of the proper fuselage halves. It takes some shaping and you
have to insert the setup at an angle, and rotate into position once the
instrument panel is inside the cockpit. Let me say this: On this model, dry fit,
dry fit, DRY FIT!
The wings needed
some shaping at the trailing edge, the fuselage blend (the areas of the fuselage
that touch the wing and smooth the transition from plane to wing) were too large
for the wings. I've heard similar problems on a Hasegawa kit as well. Wing roots
and the rear cockpit deck cover will take some putty, as will the non-engine
compartment nose. The floating flaps/ailerons have large plastic triangles, but
I'm no good at ripping them off and redoing them with wire. Besides, this is an
OOB
kit. You may wish to do that if you tackle this kit. The wing trailing edges are
thick. Very thick. They could be thinned a lot, and with more than just sanding.
The outer surface is the thick edge, so don't sand the inner surface or you'll
have gaps to deal with later.
The drop tanks were
a pain as there is no guide of any kind on how to place the "pins"
holding them to the wings. Tip: Angle them "in" slightly, just a bit,
and you'll be much happier than I was. There is no guide indicating how far back
the gunner's canopy can slide (or did slide on the real craft). The forward
canopy requires a slit be cut out
of it if you wish it all the way back (there's an aerial on top). The canopy
parts are in a lazy inverted "U" shape, and tend to spring outward. I
used superglue to keep them in place, and it seems to have worked. If you wish
the forward canopy closed, you will need to make sure it doesn't spring out too
far, as it is noticeable.
The kit comes with two decal sets, naturally, and each has the same paint job
save for the prop spinner. I chose one from the Mediterranean theater mostly
because of the rhino marking on the nose. (Hey, it looks cool, okay?) The decals
don't seem to silver, but they are temperamental. Make sure you trim all the
clear decal off of the under-wing Luftwaffe crosses, and the bars that go on the
dive brakes. You'll need to trim a small corner of the same crosses so they fit
near a "plastic triangle" holding the floating flaps in place. It's
just a small trim. Also the decals dry with a gloss. If you have a flat topcoat
and wish to use it (I did not) that would make the model look much better in the
end.
All in all a very fun kit to build, with enough work to make it rewarding, but
not so much you hate it. I'm just really disappointed in Pro Modeler for putting
out such a pathetic instruction booklet. For example, it didn't say what to
paint inside the oil cooler housing
(which you can see into visibly from the rear), or which air siren tip to use
(those round units on the spats). The sirens were literally omitted from the
instructions altogether, but are molded onto the spat halves. The painting
instructions proved faulty with regards to the gun mount (do don't blame
me! It was too late by the time I found out!), and
I could not tell exactly where the splinter pattern continued onto the canopy
frames from the instructions.
I'd like to note this is the first kit I've ever done with an airbrush, and for
a life-time brush-painter, I'm somewhat proud.
Mark
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