Hi, John... thanks for looking in. Yes, the wings are rather heavy. I'll need to be careful when fitting them. I only went and dropped the fuselage three times this afternoon! No major damage that hasn't been sorted, but I don't want to be doing that when the wing is on.

Thanks, George... much cursing and swearing was indulged in earlier, I can tell you. Some small engine pieces detached from under the cowling but as that is now permanently attached, no-one will see the missing parts. The engine assmbly started rattling about under the cowling, though, so a small amount of super glue applied through the forward intake attended to that. The only other things to need reattaching were part of the dashboard, the control stick and the entire cockpit floor, although everything on the floor stayed in situ... I suppose that was something!

I test fitted the undercarriage legs, too, and found the lower pin was loose on one of them so just spent some time correcting that. I have quite a few concerns about such small support pins being able to cope with the weight of the entire model once the wing is on. I'll need to think about a Plan B just in case. I spent some time in the afternoon printing off the unit emblem, which seems to have gone well, so that will add a splash of colour. Back to work tomorrow, so a bit of a slow-down ahead until the weekend, perhaps. Maybe I'll spend the time until then doing that old favourite 'punishment' from my early school days, writing out a hundred lines: "I must NOT drop my model kits, I must NOT drop..." You get the idea... :-).

Good progress! Very interested to see how this will come together. One of the more elegant parasol planes.

So, some more photos of my current build...

After applying and gloss varnishing the black undercoat, I applied the silver on top. This is the first time in many, many years I've attempted a silver finish on a kit, as opposed to a natural metal finish - many Fw56s were painted silver prior to leaving the factory. The reason, if you don't know already, for applying the black and glossing it, is that it gives tone and depth to the silver.

This worked very well, in my opinion, especially for someone who hasn't done this type of scheme for a while. There are some iffy aspects of the process which are really all my fault rather than the kit's. The main one is the need to be extra vigilant when checking the surfaces, because silver will show up every bit of debris that may have made its home on the surface of your model. When I applied the black, there were a couple of areas that needed attention, but there appear ot have been quite a few I missed out. Nothing so bad as to make me hide the model away, but let's say experience for future resin-manufactured kits in the future. One area of the kit that does require attention are the leading edges of the main wing struts. these are quite noticeably pitted with rough edges and small indents and required filler to be applied and sanded smooth very carefully once dry.

Surface detail is pretty limited but there wasn't too much on the real thing either; what there is, however, is good, especially the areas where fabric is represented. My modified undercarriage has seen the light of day, these items made from scrap pieces out of the spares box. While I acknowledge their aerodynamic benefits, I didn't really like the flared undercarriage fairings although they are well-executed as parts of the model.

I'm also pleased the legs held up when I sat the wing on top of the cabane struts to see how the weight management would go. Three of the four strut tops meet the wing with one falling short of the mark, but it could've been worse. That issue will get attended to in due course; the wing does sit at a slight slant, so I expect the adjustment to the offending strut will bring it into alignment. The delicate attachment pins at the ends of the undercarriage legs have also held out well with the weight applied to them.

Yesterday evening, I manage to get the yellow lower wing tips and the fuselage band applied. A feint overspray of yellow onto the silver necessitated a bit of tidying-up work, but seems to have come good. Then earlier today, an application of Future and once dry, the unit codes and national markings were added; my homemade unit emblems disintegrated on contact with the water I dipped them into, a sure sign that I hadn't coated it enough with clear laquer. The replacements are going through the lacquering process as I type and should be ready to apply later this evening. Their red and white colours, along with the yellow markings on the airframe, will give the model some colour to breack up the overall silver finish. All markings are from the spares box, although from their appearance, I would imagine the kit-offered items are very good in their own right.

So, over the next few days, I will hopfeully get the wing attached and securely supported by the main wing struts, and complete the minimal amount of rigging and some of the other sundry processes. I hope you like these images of the build so far.

Regards,

Paul

6 attached images. Click to enlarge.

Hey Paul thanks or the earlier responses - I'm even more tempted now! Although I have to say the quality of your build has sparked my interest in one of these kits way more than the news about how they are packaged. Looking outstanding!

John, Paul, Ronnie... thanks for your comments. I hope to have more photos for posting soon. I think I've got the wing on the way I want it now - several attempts and some tidying up to do but off to start that now... ;-).

Might I join in on the praise of the paintjob. It looks nice on my screen, and the all-silver is made a lot more interesting by the markings. You seem to have eliminated the dust nicely. Now, I shall be looking forward to your homemade decals too.