Another blast from the past.
Bought this model in 2010, just because I wanted to build some WW1 biplane. So it waited 6 years for me do find time and space to build it. Lucky for me, I didn’t even start it in 2010 except for gluing two engine halves together, so it wasn’t ruined and I had no problems with old paint.
Model quality
I’ve built it right after BA-10, and the quality difference was drastic. Clear, crispy mold lines, good clear instructions. The only problem with model itself was big amount of flash.
As for the decals, it was a disaster. Maybe because they’ve spent 6 years in a open box, but they were extremely fragile.
Build notes
I’ve already had some experience with airbrush, so it was a nice easy build. I’ve tried pre-shading for the first time - painted wing frame using a pencil, and then sprayed several light coats of Tamiya Deck Tan. You can see the result on the upper wing, while lower is still clear on this photo.
I have had only two major problems with this model: setting up the upper wing (because it’s based on 4 very thin poles, very wobbly and fragile), and decals. The latter went just terrible - they were very thin and fragile, and kept tearing while I tried to adjust their position on the wings. And that’s with Humbrol DecalFix, I’m scared to think how bad it is with water. Eventually I ended up painting over cracks in the decals, and some of the markings are almost completely reconstructed this way.
Also I’ve tried pin wash on the model for the first time, loved the result.
Conclusion
The model itself was great, I enjoyed the build (especially on a contrast with BA-10). I’ve learned a lot, tried pre-shading, pin wash, and Tamiya Extra Thin cement.
Gallery
P.S.
I’ve added a water base and a display case. The ‘water’ is made using silicon sealant for bathrooms, and the display case is laser-cut from 3mm transparent acrylics sheet.
