AMC DH9 by davec - Wingnut Wings - 1/32

[davec]

I’ve been working on world war 1 airplanes at the same time I was working on the Sharpie.  I tried build logs on one of the WW1 airplane sites, but wasn’t very good at keeping up with them there.  I’ve been watching the great work on plastic non-ships here and thought maybe if I put my logs on one site I’d be better about maintaining them.  I particularly like the Wingnuts kits.  I had purchased around 15 while they were in or phasing out of business, then inherited many more when my dad, who collected but didn’t build them, passed away two years ago.

I started the AMC DH9 on New Years.  I have a few aftermarket things.  I’m going to build the lobster scheme:

Wingnut Wings - 1/32 AMC DH.9

 

There is a little history here.  I tried building this scheme a long time ago when WNW was still in business.  I had just gotten a stencil cutter and thought I would make stencils and paint instead of using the decals.  It turned into a little bit of a disaster with a lot of paint bleeding under the masks.  I ended up tossing the incomplete kit not realizing wingnuts would go out of business.  I got another DH9 from my dad’s collection so am giving it another try, this time with the decals.

 

I find on the WNW kits that getting going with the simulated wood and leather on the interior takes a while before anything starts coming together.  I've been putting some time in for the past month between work on the display case for the Sharpie and just reached the point where I thought there was anything worth taking pictures of.

I started putting together the photoetch instrument panel, but decided it wasn’t as nice as the one that came with the kit.

 

[Paul Le Wol]

Hi Dave, glad to see that you are starting this log here. What do you think of the GasPatch accessories. Are they a lot nicer than the kit parts?

[davec]

Hi Paul - The guns that come with the kit are extremely well detailed.  The gaspatch ones are even more detailed, but you have to look really closely to appreciate it.  I bought the Vickers gun when I tried to build the model before, so I already had it.  Given how good the kit parts are, I'm not sure I will keep upgrading them, although I would definitely use the gaspatch guns if I was building another company's kit.  I like the HGW fabric belts as an alternative to the photoetch ones that come with the model. I also like the masks - I find making my own masks for windshields and other clear pieces really tedious and high risk for failure.  I end up using some of the photoetch detail parts but not others.  This was my first experience with one of their instrument panels.  I got about three quarters through putting it together and decided it wasn't as nice as the molded one that came with the model.  I used the instrument levers.

[Paul Le Wol]

Thanks Dave, this will be a very interesting build to follow 👍

[RGL]

I also have this kit for a ‘one day’ build 

[Javlin]

On 1/28/2024 at 4:07 PM, davec said:

I end up using some of the photoetch detail parts but not others.  This was my first experience with one of their instrument panels.  I got about three quarters through putting it together and decided it wasn't as nice as the molded one that came with the model.  I used the instrument levers

Dave you did a real Nice rendition of the wood grain there as to the PE yeah I am the same way will be following along.

[davec]

Thanks everyone for the comments and the likes. Javlin - special thanks for the compliment about the woodgraining, which is something I put a lot of time into.

 

The cockpit is starting to come together.  This part is always slow for me.  The parts fit great with no paint on them – WNW kits have amazing tolerances.  Wood graining takes four coats of paint (basecoat/oil streaking/clear tint/clear flat).  The streaking is brushed and adds extra thickness. When two wood grained parts get attached to each other, there can be 8 layers of paint in between (4 on each side) before cleaning. In the past when I haven’t paid enough attention to scraping paint, I’ve had fit issues getting the fuselage halves together.  Tamiya has a clear flat base that I might try adding to the clear yellow or orange tint to see if I can drop a layer (and save time – for parts where I have to paint the two sides separately, it can take a week of painting to get the parts wood grained).  So far, so good, but I won’t know for sure until I button up the fuselage, hopefully this weekend.

[CDW]

Indeed, your woodgraining is superb.

 

On 1/28/2024 at 5:07 PM, davec said:

Hi Paul - The guns that come with the kit are extremely well detailed.  The gaspatch ones are even more detailed, but you have to look really closely to appreciate it.  I bought the Vickers gun when I tried to build the model before, so I already had it.  Given how good the kit parts are, I'm not sure I will keep upgrading them, although I would definitely use the gaspatch guns if I was building another company's kit.  I like the HGW fabric belts as an alternative to the photoetch ones that come with the model. I also like the masks - I find making my own masks for windshields and other clear pieces really tedious and high risk for failure.  I end up using some of the photoetch detail parts but not others.  This was my first experience with one of their instrument panels.  I got about three quarters through putting it together and decided it wasn't as nice as the molded one that came with the model.  I used the instrument levers.

I agree 100% with what you say here. Far more often than not, many of the photo etch pieces included with sets intended for a particular model, particularly the WnW's kits, go unused as they are either not as good or no improvement over the kit parts.

[Old Collingwood]

Lovely work  - really nice.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

Fantastic work so far - looking forward to watching this one come along.

[DocRob]

Like others said, the woodgraining looks beautiful, as does the leather, Dave. You are right, it takes time to put the innards of a WWI plane together, but I always find it very satisfying work. Tolerances are especially tight with WNW and I recommend regular test fitting with the fuselage halves.
This will be a beauty, with the lobster livery. I´m still thinking of buying one (there are still some available, new , for a reasonable price) but would choose the Greek color scheme.

 

Cheers Rob

[davec]

Thanks everyone for the likes and comments. 

 

Rob - great advice - I have been test fitting the fuselage halves as I add parts to the cockpit and am optimistic that it will come together OK. The Greek color scheme is neat - another nice variation from the usual olive drab and tan DH9 colors.

 

Progress continues.  I'm working on the seatbelts and engine- more pictures soon. I'm not much into weathering.  Plane should look like it is ready for its first flight when done.

[davec]

Engine finished and the rest of the cockpit and engine compartment complete.  Dry fit of the fuselage halves looks good. I spent a few hours cutting most of the rest of the parts off the sprues and cleaning them up, drilling holes for wire reinforcements for aileron and stabilizer attachments, and drilling holes for the rigging attachments.  I didn't take pictures - just looks like a pile of parts.

[Danstream]

Very nice assembly of the interior. 

Following your progress,

Dan

[davec]

I’ve been working on the model for a few minutes every few days.  I got the fuselage closed.  Tolerances are always so tight that despite being really careful to clean up the glue joints, I end up with a little step at the joint that requires some sanding and filling.  I had a few mistakes when priming and sanding, especially not masking far enough away from where I was working and getting some overspray on the instrument panel, which was very frustrating.  I always find masking world war 1 models with the exposed engines and open cockpits really challenging - please let me know if you have any suggestions.  I’m painting the model red, so used white primer. 

 

 

I just sprayed the red paint, which went down pretty well.  The lobster scheme has decals over nearly the entire fuselage, so I sprayed gloss paint, which should let me put the decals on directly (do I need a clear gloss coat over a gloss finish?).  

 

 

It looks pretty toylike now, but with the decals on and a clear flat coat, should look as intended.  I’ve cleaned up the overspray and touched up, and am feeling better about the progress.  I’ve always had difficulty getting a good finish brushing Tamiya paint and had my first revelation of the project – I highly recommend Tamiya retarder.  Mixing a drop of retarder with a few drops of paint in a palette completely changes how it brushes – all of a sudden it flows really well.  I’ve got a lot of the rest of the parts cut out and sanded and most painted.  I masked and primed the wings this morning.

 

[Canute]

Your gloss red paint turned out well. And no, you don't need a clear gloss over it to decal.

[davec]

Ken - many thanks!  That will save me a step and decrease the chance that I have another painting mishap.

 

Sprayed a lot of red paint today.  The wings are drying.  I went back to the fuselage, pulled off the rest of the masking, put a wash on the leather around the cockpit, and did more touching up.  I also finished painting the tail.  The stabilizer doesn't lie flat, so some of that area may end up visible.  I'm very pleased with the instrument panel touch up.  I didn't take a before picture, but the overspray was pretty significant.  This is a vast improvement and I think this is the best I'm going to do - it isn't that easy to reach with a brush.  I'll touch up the red on the edge (didn't see that until the picture).  The red tinge on the middle upper instrument is probably reflection.  It wasn't there when I went back to the model.

[chadwijm6]

Really coming on and looking great. Excellent work. I'd love to try a Wingnut Wings kit but they're so expensive that I can't quite trust myself to do it justice. Maybe one day. In the meantime it's great to follow your build.

[davec]

Hi James - It was very disappointing to see WNW go under, and then the big spike in prices.  I was lucky to buy a number of their kits at list price (including when there was free shipping from NZ).  I really enjoyed my first one, a Fokker EIII which went together relatively quickly, so I bought the other ones I liked, then bought some more when they had their water damaged kit sale and their final warehouse clearance sale.   Then I inherited my dad's very substantial stash.  I have enough models to keep me busy a long, long time. The kits were a little expensive at their original price, but spread over the 2-3 months it takes me to build one, it stays an affordable hobby.  My skills don't really do them justice, but I bought them to build, not collect.

[chadwijm6]

2 hours ago, davec said:

Hi James - It was very disappointing to see WNW go under, and then the big spike in prices.  I was lucky to buy a number of their kits at list price (including when there was free shipping from NZ).  I really enjoyed my first one, a Fokker EIII which went together relatively quickly, so I bought the other ones I liked, then bought some more when they had their water damaged kit sale and their final warehouse clearance sale.   Then I inherited my dad's very substantial stash.  I have enough models to keep me busy a long, long time. The kits were a little expensive at their original price, but spread over the 2-3 months it takes me to build one, it stays an affordable hobby.  My skills don't really do them justice, but I bought them to build, not collect.

 

Yeah a real shame that they don't exist anymore although I understand that a number of ex-staff have started Kotare models now but as yet only have a spitfire in 1/32 available. I'd have been happy to pay the original WNW prices but in the UK they are on eBay for £200 currently.

 

I'm a bit jealous of your stash!! 😀

Edited March 25 by chadwijm6

[davec]

James - I'd promised myself I would never accumulate a stash. I had 13 or 14 wnw kits on the shelf, which was more than I ever planned. My father was a big time accumulator.  When he passed he had several hundred models in his attic (and a house packed full of other things).  I brought home about 50 of the models, so now I have a full utility shelf worth to build. Makes me feel guilty having them sit there when a new model comes out that I want to build more.  It was funny you mentioned the Kotare Spitfire, because I got a great deal on one at the local IPMS show in February and will probably build it next.  Most of his other models got sold to a wholesaler.  Lots of lessons about what our families have to deal with when we leave our treasures behind.

 

I'm travelling for a few days.  Before I left I got did some more work on the DH-9.  I have finished painting, other than some touch up where I pulled off the masking.  I will start decaling as soon as I get home.

 

Dave

[Landlubber Mike]

Looks really great Dave.  Must be an interesting experience dealing with well-made kits that have tight clearances.  Most of the ones I've worked on recently have had big gaps to fill!

[davec]

Mike - I am really enjoying these kits.  I have vivid memories of building kits in the 70's and 90's and spending a lot of time and frustration trying to get things together.  I've been watching your builds and have been really impressed with how you solve whatever building issues come up with your kits.  There are a few downsides to the great engineering.  The tight tolerances make cleaning paint off joints really important, and I have created my own gaps and filling by not doing this well enough.  The other big gap is between my skills and getting the full potential out of the kit, but I'm getting better with each one I build.

 

Some more progress on the DH9.  This model has a lot of decals.  Not as many as DocRob's AEG, but still a lot.  I've been plugging away and have most of the applied except for one side of the fuselage.  Overall, they have been going on well.  There have been a few challenges, especially the roundels where there are some ~5x5x4 mm small nacelles sticking up under the edge of the decal, which I've had a really hard time getting the decals to settle over.  They seem too big for the decal to fully conform to.   I've got some splits in the decals and a few place where I cut them and am touching up with paint.  The tamiya blue matches well and I'm pleased with the lower ones after touch up.  The upper roundel has a white stripe around it.  I'm going to try to touch that up tonight.  There was a gas cap on the side of the fuselage that was almost as big, and I was able to get the decal to settle over it with 6-7 applications of softener and heat.  Not sure it would have worked with the bigger bumps.

[DocRob]

The lobster is coming together nicely, Dave. I like the vivid scheme and good to see, that the decals worked well. With persistent decals, you can use a hairdryer as well as the usual softening solutions.
You asked about masking in an older post. It can be a real pain, specially with these WWI planes. I use whatever comes to mind, mostly Kabuki tape, but I like liquid mask for the strut connectors. You don´t want to have any color there. for the strut holes in the wings and fuselage, I use parts of toothpicks or styrene rod, glued in temporally with a tiny bit of diluted white glue. Damp kitchen paper is heavily underrated, as it can be pushed in tiny crevices and around complicated contours, like engines and it stays in place.

Cheers Rob

[Landlubber Mike]

That's looking really really good with the decals on.  I agree with Rob - glad the white was opaque enough to not have issues with the red bleeding through.  Good to know the Wingnut decals hold up well in that regard.

 

That's going to be quite the eye-catching model in your display case!

[king derelict]

11 hours ago, DocRob said:

Damp kitchen paper is heavily underrated, as it can be pushed in tiny crevices and around complicated contours, like engines and it stays in place

I would not have thought of that but it has teh potential to solve some of my masking problems. Thank you for the tip.

Alan

[davec]

Mike and Rob - many thanks!  I've got the lower wing and stabilizer on, so the model is beginning to look vaguely like an airplane.  I am pleased that the decals worked.  This was my second attempt at the plane.  I tried to do this with paint as a first effort with my new (at the time) stencil cutter.  I had an even a harder time with paint bleeding under the masks at the surface irregularities than I did with the decals conforming.  I also had problems with the bulldog paints I was trying at the time.  I ended up so frustrated I threw the model away.  That was back when the models were list price, had free shipping from new zealand, and we all thought WNW would be around forever.   Thanks for the masking advice.  I wasn't consistent on masking the strut mounting points, but should be OK here.  This was not a place where the tolerances are incredibly tight and I think I have been able to get the surfaces adequately cleaned up.

 

[Old Collingwood]

Striking build and paintwork  - really Pops.

 

OC.