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George Johnson
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The 1/32 Zoukei-Mura Ho-229: The End is Near.

May 1, 2018 · in Aviation · · 22 · 3.4K

Here's another installment in the Ho-229 saga. Got the wings done tonight! That was a big accomplishment. Little fiddly parts that had to be attached. Actually, I thought I was done. It just occurred to me that I haven't put in the nav lights, yet. That will have to wait. I'll be posting more on my blog at http://www.georgesmodels.com The wings are only attached temporarily with brass pins. I weathered the tubular frame with simple pin washes of Ammo of MiG PLW. I used a dark brown, medium gray, and light rust. The metal parts were painted with AK Extreme Metal followed by application using a sponge lightly coated with Vallejo gun metal followed by a MiG wash. All very simple, but highly effective. I'll go through the entire model and touch any little mistakes and defects after it's all assembled and painted.

Reader reactions:
11  Awesome

3 additional images. Click to enlarge.


22 responses

  1. Wonderful stuff, George. Looks like a really satisfying model to build if you can survive the OCD-inducing 'life experience' of building it. Huge well-done to you.

    Now, what are going to do with the rest of your life post Z-M?

    • Good question, David. First off, I have to clean out the workshop. There are piles of junk everywhere, and little tiny pieces of decal film stuck to everything! Not sure what I'm going to build next. The rest of my stash pales in comparison to this kit.

  2. Yes it’s easy to see you’re ‘in the zone’. Very good.

  3. I followed this thread with a lot of interest. The level of detail and scratch-work (wiring, etc.) is breathtaking. I don't think many can finish a kit like this one at this level of detail and actually quite fast too.

    @ David LS: With this kind of modeling experience, there indeed seems a before and an after.

    Congrats George, a real beauty!

  4. Totally agree with all that's been said...jaw-dropping accomplishment, sir!

  5. Thanks, All. I appreciate your comments. I'm hoping to get this done soon. I plan on entering it at the IPMS convention in Arizona in August.

  6. Good luck in the show, George. I really hope she does well, if it doesn't make you crazy first. Make sure you keep us in the loop.

  7. Love the metal work and the wood work - both jaw-dropping!

    • Thanks Greg. I'm especially happy with the metal work, too. It really adds a nice contrast to the model. I think I've decided what I'm going to do with the top half of the right wing and the body coverings. They're going to be painted in Luftwaffe colors, but will be left off the model and placed on sawhorses/stands. Don't want to hide the dozens of hours spent on that great interior.

  8. That's looking like a show stopper!

  9. You have to take her on a trip to hungary.

  10. George. Come down the hall here - take a step into this nice padded cell, you'll find it's just where you belong. 🙂

    Amazing.

  11. George, Your work is just amazing, your skills got this fantastic kit to a higher level in my opinion. Furthermore, first time I read about using a sponge to achieve that worn or scuffed metal look...it is absolutely realistic. Thank you for pointing that here.

    • Thanks, Pedro. The secret to the sponge trick seems to be using a darker color metallic acrylic like Vallejo Gun metal followed by a Mig Neutral Wash, waiting a few minutes, then wiping with a lint-free cloth. I couldn't believe the difference this makes. I also used some lighter Vallejo metallics with the gun metal color and got fantastic results.

      1 attached image. Click to enlarge.

  12. Amazing job, George!

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