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Thread: 'Ares' "Kirschstein" to "Udet" - How I converted one to the other.

  1. #1

    Default 'Ares' "Kirschstein" to "Udet" - How I converted one to the other.

    While working on a quartet of 'Valom' Fokker Dr.1 kits, I received a second hand "Kirschstein" Dr.1 from an ebay listing.

    I decided to "rebadge" it as an "Udet" by simply adding the red "LO" letters to the fuselage sides, and also to join up the black/white stripes on the upper wing by overpainting the light blue leading and trailing edges; simple job, maybe a couple of hours or so....

    It didn't work out like that!


    Close examination of the mini revealed evidence of hard usage - in several places, the wing and tail stripes were damaged, so would need repainting.
    More obviously, the glaring blue wing edges, and the blue interplane struts (with a black/white decal on only one side of the square-section struts) and the simple overall-black wheels cried out for attention.
    Structurally, there was also the "hobbit" pilot, unable to see out of the cockpit, and the deep-set rudder, nestled much too far down between the horizontal stabiliser wings...UGH!

    A much more extensive overhaul was called for.


    METHOD:

    1) I carefully cut away the rudder using a medical scalpel, and cut away/drilled out the pilot, leaving space for a replacement.

    2) I painted the interplane struts with a black/white spiral, like a Barber's pole, wrapping around all four sides of each strut.

    3) I painted the cabane struts with 'Vallejo' "Sky Blue" - rather than try to mix a colour to match the too-pale light blue of the mini, I chose to paint over the light blue wherever I found it, including the underside of the two lower wings (carefully painting around the Balkankreuz decals) and the fuselage, but not the tail - that needed to be painted in black/white chord-wise stripes, matching the upper surface. The darker 'Vallejo' blue is closer in hue to the authentic "Fokker Turquoise" anyway.

    4) I repainted the wooden surfaces with my usual combination - 'Vallejo' "Yellow Ochre", overpainted with 'Vallejo' "Transparent Natural Wood". This fixed the prop blades, the two lower wing skids and the tail skid.

    5) I painted the underside of the tail, plus the leading and trailing edges, and the leading edge and trailing edge of the top wing with black and white stripes (also overpainting damaged areas of the decals on the mini).

    6) Now engaged in "Full Pimp" mode I painted over the 'Ares' flat dark green with a thin layer of 'Vallejo' "White"; it didn't need to be solid or even - it just served as a lighter background for the "Fokker Streaky" decals, as well as clearly marking how much of an area needed decal application.

    7) I cut pieces of ordinary paper to shape and size matching the areas where Fokker Streaky decals would be needed, and tested them against the mini; then I cut the mehusla 1/144 Direct Fokker Streaky "Dark Olive Brown" decals into shape and size, and applied them over the "White" fuselage and wing sections, including the rather thick leading edges of the wings, and also the upper surface of the axle "wing". The paper pieces were retained, and labelled, for future use!

    8) I painted the outer surface of the wheels "White" (leaving the inner surface in 'Ares' black), and painted the tyres 'Vallejo' "Cold Grey" (since the wheel covers will finish up as halved black/white, a black tyre would merge with the black half of the disc and look unsightly).

    9) I cleaned up and re-attached the rudder, mounting it much higher up (the correct position!) than it was on the 'Ares' original. Then I painted it "White". I also painted the cockpit rim in my Trademark 'Vallejo' "Cavalry Brown".

    10) I used a leather punch to punch out two halved black/white decal discs from a sheet of mehusla 1/144 Direct striped decals, and applied these to the centre of the wheel discs.

    11) I placed new, larger Balkankreuz decals to the rudder sides, and red "L" and "O" letters from a mehusla 1/144 Direct sheet of 1/200 Luftwaffe squadron codes were then positioned on the fuselage sides; also the weights table, and the aileron/elevator demarcation lines!

    12) I cut a pre-painted 'Peter Pig' pilot in half just above the waist, and glued him into the cockpit on top of the remains of the 'Ares' "hobbit".

    13) Unlucky for me! I went over the entire mini, correcting painting/decaling mistakes with the relevant paint colours.

    14) Gloss varnish over all, for protection.

    15) Matt varnish over all, for appearances sake.


    FINISHED!!!


    Before and After...

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Name:	Udet Fokker Dr1 (20).jpg 
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    The wing edges, struts, axle wing and prop.


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Name:	Udet Fokker Dr1 (23).jpg 
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    The tyres, lower wing skids, new blue wing and fuselage colour, and new black/white striped tail underside.


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Udet Fokker Dr1 (22).jpg 
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    Fokker "Streaky" wings, new pilot and cockpit rim.


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Name:	Udet Fokker Dr1 (17).jpg 
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    New wheels, fuselage decals and wooden surfaces.


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Name:	Udet Fokker Dr1 (19).jpg 
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    Pilot and rudder reworked; on the Left, the 'Ares' pilot has NOT YET been removed! He's WAAAY too small for the model!
    Also Left, look at the 'Ares' rudder - like a ten-year-old car thief, struggling to see over the dashboard! At Right, the new (correct!) position.


    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	Udet Fokker Dr1 (15).jpg 
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    Fokker "Streaky" wings, Pilot and cockpit details, fuselage decals and aileron/elevator demarcation.
    I laugh in the face of danger - then I hide until it goes away!

  2. #2

    Default

    That's an amazingly detailed conversation Tim thank you for the info on the paints used. and a brilliant end result.

    I've been trying to acquire a Kirschstein for some time on ebay but there always seems to be someone prepared to pay more than me. I'm rather pleased that I haven't managed it because after seeing all it's faults in your conversion process it doesn't have quite the same allure as it did.

    Humm Who am I kidding.

  3. #3

    Default

    Bravo, Tim, well pimped !

    "He is wise who watches"

  4. #4

    Default

    Tim, your patience is never ending. Your skill amazing. I would have just a red "LO" on it and been done.

    Great Job! Amazing!

  5. #5



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