Thanks, Aegis. I had to cut the Shapeways console from the section that fits between the seats (all one unit), then shave the front off it so it could fit behind the front-facing section. It was lots of nerve-wracking work with a saw, and a lot of test-fitting and re-cutting. If you rotate my cockpit, you'll see a ragged mess underneath - completely invisible when installed! The original Shapeways console also has a lot of pretty levers that I accidentally destroyed in the process.

Your scratch built wall section looks fantastic! If you didn't say anything, I'd be inclined to think it was part of the original kit.

That is some really nice detail work there. Well done.

First stab at painting the underside. I've changed direction since starting the kit; now, it'll be a combination of airbrush and oil. There's no oil weathering on it yet, but the airbrush adds a lot I think. I'm mixing all my own colours, using a range of Tamiya paints as a palette.

Excellent job! What color are you using for the exterior red panels?

If you take a look at the Fine Molds, colour all out card there it suggests Mr Colour Aqueous (similar paints to Tamiya) Russet as the colour to use.

However in issue 48 we should start receiving colour references using Tamiya codes.

Thanks again for looking and commenting.

Another couple of pics; no massive changes, but I thought I'd try pushing a couple of areas towards near completion, using oils to add streaks and shadows, rust and splats. Nothing screwed on yet, so it all looks a bit rickety. I'll add some unifying stuff once it's all together, but I think this is a fairly good impression of what I'm trying to achieve.

Looking great my friend... can't wait to see more!

Staring at the underneath for months, and it's far from done. I've learned many things as I've painted it, and my technique has changed from one side of the hull to the other - hopefully not too visibly. Gone back and forth on pre-shading, and have decided to do it selectively to emphasize certain areas.




The most important thing I've discovered is to keep as inconsistent as the original; there's no one-size-fits-all solution to painting or weathering. I can't even define where painting ends and weathering begins. It's an absolutely seductive process, and I've lost days just figuring out how to layer it.

You've got that spot on, great colouring, superb paintwork. One of the best I've seem.
Keep up the good work
Mark