Roden 1/48 D.H.4 USA

[jdog102398]

Hi guys for my second SiG i'll be building Roden's 1/48th scale (Dayton-Wright license built) D.H.4 USA. Before I show the sprue shots here's a little history on the D.H.4 and the (Dayton-Wright license built) D.H.4.

D.H.4:

The Airco DH.4 was a British two-seat biplane day-bomber of the World War I. It was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland (hence "DH") for Airco, and was the first British two seat light day-bomber to have an effective defensive armament. It first flew in August 1916 and entered service with the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) in March 1917. The majority of DH.4s were actually built as general purpose two-seaters in the United States, for service with the American forces in France.

The DH.4 was tried with several engines, of which the best was the 375 hp (280 kW) Rolls-Royce Eagle engine. Armament and ordnance for the aircraft consisted of one 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun for the pilot and one 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis gun on a Scarff ring mounting for the observer. Two 230 lb (100 kg) bombs or four 112 lb (51 kg) bombs could be carried. The DH.4 entered service on 6 March 1917 with No. 55 Squadron in France.

Role: Light Bomber/ General Purpose
Manufacturer: Airco
First Flight: August 1916
Introduction to service: March 1917
Retired: 1932 (United States Army)
Primary Users: United Kingdom, United States
Number Built: 1,449 in UK; 4,846 in USA
Unit Cost: $11,250 (about 6,626 GBP)
Variants: DH9, DH9A, Dayton-Wright Cabin Cruiser

Design and Development

The DH.4 was designed by Geoffrey de Havilland as a light two-seat day bomber powered by the new BHP engine. The prototype first flew in August 1916, powered by a prototype BHP engine rated at 230 hp (170 kW). While the DH.4 trials were promising, the BHP engine required major redesign before entering production, and the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine was selected as the DH.4's powerplant. The first order for 50 DH.4s, powered by 250 hp (186 kW) Eagle III engines was placed at the end of 1916.

The aircraft was a conventional tractor two bay biplane of all wooden construction. The crew of two were accommodated in widely spaced cockpits, separated by the fuel tank. It was armed with a single forward-firing synchronised Vickers machine gun and one or two .303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis guns fitted on a Scarff ring fired by the observer. A bomb load of 460 lb (210 kg) could be fitted to external racks. While the crew arrangement gave good fields of view for the pilot and observer, it caused communication problems between the two crew members, particularly in combat, where the speaking tube linking the cockpits was of limited use.

As production continued, DH.4s were fitted with Eagle engines of increasing power, settling on the 375 hp (280 kW) Eagle VIII, which powered the majority of front line DH.4s by the end of 1917. Because of the chronic shortage of Rolls-Royce aero engines in general, and Eagles in particular, alternative engines were also investigated, with the BHP (230 hp/170 kW), the Royal Aircraft Factory RAF3A (200 hp/150 kW), the Siddeley Puma (230 hp/170 kW) and the 260 hp (190 kW) Fiat, all being used in production aircraft. None of these engines could match the Rolls-Royce Eagle; however, there were simply not enough Eagles available.

In American production, the new Liberty engine proved suitable as a DH.4 powerplant, although the engine produced a slightly inferior performance to the Eagle. The Liberty was also to eventually power the British DH.9A.

Production

Production was by Airco, F.W. Berwick and Co, Glendower Aircraft Company, Palladium Autocars, Vulcan Motor and Engineering, and the Westland Aircraft Works in the UK. A total of 1,449 aircraft (from orders for 1,700 aircraft) were made in the UK for the RFC and RNAS. SABCA of Belgium made a further 15 in 1926.

In the United States, the Boeing Airplane Corporation, Dayton-Wright Airplane Company, the Fisher Body Corporation, and the Standard Aircraft Corporation produced the DH-4 with the Liberty L-12 engine for the American air services. A total of 9,500 DH-4s were ordered from American manufacturers, of which 1,885 actually reached France during the war.

After the war, a number of firms, most significantly Boeing, were contracted by the U.S. Army to re-manufacture surplus DH-4s to DH-4B standard. Known by Boeing as the Model 16, deliveries of 111 aircraft from this manufacturer took place between March and July 1920, with 50 of them returned for further refurbishments three years later.

In 1923, the Army ordered a new DH-4 variant from Boeing, distinguished by a fuselage of fabric-covered steel tube in place of the original plywood structure. These three prototypes were designated DH-4M-1 (M for modernized) and were ordered into production alongside the generally similar DH-4M-2 developed by Atlantic Aircraft. A total of 22 of the 163 DH-4M-1s were converted by the Army into dual-control trainers (DH-4M-1T) and a few more into target tugs (DH-4M-1K). Thirty of the aircraft ordered by the Army were diverted to the Navy for Marine Corps use, these designated O2B-1 for the base model, and O2B-2 for aircraft equipped for night and cross-country flying.

Operational History

British Military Service

The DH.4 entered service with the RFC in January 1917, first being used by No. 55 Squadron. More squadrons were equipped with the type to increase the bombing capacity of the RFC, with two squadrons re-equipping in May, and a total of six squadrons by the end of the year. As well as the RFC, the RNAS also used the DH.4, both over France and over Italy and the Aegean front. The DH.4 was also used for coastal patrols by the RNAS, one, crewed by the pilot Major Egbert Cadbury and Captain Robert Leckie (later Air Vice-Marshal) as gunner, shot down Zeppelin L70 on 5 August 1918. Four RNAS DH.4s were credited with sinking the German U-boat UB 12 on 19 August 1918.

The DH.4 proved a huge success and was often considered the best single-engined bomber of World War I. Even when fully loaded with bombs, with its reliability and impressive performance, the type proved highly popular with its crews. The Airco DH.4 was easy to fly, and especially when fitted with the Rolls-Royce Eagle engine, its speed and altitude performance gave it a good deal of invulnerability to German fighter interception, so that the DH.4 often did not require a fighter escort on missions, a concept furthered by de Havilland in the later Mosquito in World War II.

A drawback of the design was the distance between pilot and observer, as they were separated by the large main fuel tank. This made communication between the crew members difficult, especially in combat with enemy fighters. There was also some controversy (especially in American service) that this placement of the fuel tank was inherently unsafe. In fact, most contemporary aircraft were prone to catching fire in the air. The fire hazard was reduced, however, when the pressurised fuel system was replaced by one using wind driven fuel pumps late in 1917, although this was not initially adopted by American built aircraft. The otherwise inferior DH.9 brought the pilot and observer closer together by placing the fuel tank in the usual place, between the pilot and the engine.

Despite its success, numbers in service with the RFC actually started to decline from spring 1918, mainly due to a shortage of engines, and production switched to the DH.9, which turned out to be disappointing, being inferior to the DH.4 in most respects. It was left to the further developed DH.9A, with the American Liberty engine, to satisfactorily replace the DH.4.

When the Independent Air Force was set up in June 1918 to carry out strategic bombing of targets in Germany, the DH.4s of 55 Squadron formed part of it, being used for daylight attacks. 55 Squadron developed tactics of flying in wedge formations, bombing on the leader's command and with the massed defensive fire of the formation deterring attacks by enemy fighters. Despite heavy losses, 55 Squadron continued in operation, the only one of the day bombing squadrons in the Independent Force which did not have to temporarily stand down owing to aircrew losses.

After the Armistice, the RAF formed No. 2 Communication Squadron, equipped with DH.4s to carry important passengers to and from the Paris Peace Conference. Several of the DH.4s used for this purpose were modified with an enclosed cabin for two passengers at the request of Andrew Bonar Law. These aircraft were designated DH.4A, with at least seven being converted for the RAF, and a further nine for civil use.

United States Military Service

At the time of its entry into the war, the United States Army Air Service lacked any aircraft suitable for front line combat. It therefore procured various aircraft from the British and French, one being the DH.4. As the DH-4, it was manufactured mostly by Dayton-Wright and Fisher Body for service with the United States from 1918, the first American built DH-4 being delivered to France in May 1918, with combat operations commencing in August 1918. The powerplant was a Liberty L-12 of 400 hp (300 kW) and it was fitted with two .30 in (7.62 mm) Marlin machine guns in the nose and two .30 in (7.62 mm) Lewis guns in the rear and could carry 322 lb (146 kg) of bombs. it could also be equipped with various radios like the SCR-68 for artillery spotting missions. The heavier engine reduced performance compared with the Rolls-Royce powered version, but as the "Liberty Plane" it became the US Army Air Service standard general purpose two-seater, and on the whole was fairly popular with its crews.

Aircrew operating the DH-4 were awarded four of the six Medals of Honor awarded to American aviators. First Lieutenant Harold Ernest Goettler and Second Lieutenant Erwin R. Bleckley received posthumous awards after being killed on 12 October 1918 attempting to drop supplies to the Lost Battalion of the 77th Division, cut off by German troops during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive; while Second Lieutenant Ralph Talbot and Gunnery Sergeant Robert G. Robinson of the United States Marine Corps (USMC) were awarded the Medal of Honor for beating off attacks from 12 German fighters during a bombing raid over Belgium on 8 October 1918. The type flew with 13 U.S. squadrons by the end of 1918.

Following the end of World War I, America had a large surplus of DH-4s, with the improved DH-4B becoming available, although none had been shipped to France. It was therefore decided that there was no point in returning aircraft across the Atlantic, so those remaining in France, together with other obsolete observation and trainer aircraft, were burned in what became known as the "Billion Dollar Bonfire". With limited funds available to develop and purchase replacements, the remaining DH-4s formed a major part of American air strength for several years, used for many roles, with as many as 60 variants produced. DH-4s were also widely used for experimental flying, being used as engine testbeds and fitted with new wings. They were used for the first trials of air-to-air refueling on 25 June 1923, and one carried out an endurance flight of 37 hours, 15 minutes on 27–28 August, being refueled 16 times and setting 16 new world records for distance, speed and duration. The DH-4 remained in service with the United States Army Air Corps, successor to the United States Army Air Service, until 1932.

DH-4s were also used by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, both during World War I and postwar. The Navy and Marine Corps received 51 DH-4s during World War I, followed by 172 DH-4B and DH-4B-1 aircraft postwar and 30 DH-4M-1s with welded steel-tube fuselages (redesignated O2B) in 1925. They remained in service with the Marine Corps until 1929, being used against rebel factions in Nicaragua in 1927, carrying out the first dive-bombing attacks made by U.S. military forces. The U.S. Navy converted some DH-4M-1s into primitive air ambulances that could carry one stretcher casualty in an enclosed area behind the pilot.

Civil use

Following the end of World War I, DH.4s and 4As were used to operate scheduled passenger services in Europe by such airlines as Aircraft Transport and Travel, Handley Page Transport and the Belgium airline SNETA, G-EAJC of Aircraft Transport and Travel flying the first British commercial passenger service from Hounslow Heath Aerodrome to Paris Le Bourget on 25 August 1919, carrying a reporter from the Evening Standard newspaper and a load of newspapers and other freight. They were used by Aircraft Transport and Travel until it shut down in 1920, while Handley Page Transport and SNETA continued operating the DH.4 until 1921. One aircraft was used by Instone Air Lines until its merger into Imperial Airways in 1924.

DH.4s were also used by the Australian airline QANTAS, flying its first airmail service in 1922. Twelve DH.4s forming part of the Imperial Gift to Canada were used for forestry patrol and survey work, spotting hundreds of forest fires and helping to save millions of dollars worth of timber, with the last example finally being withdrawn in 1927.

The U.S. Post Office also adopted the DH-4 to carry airmail. In 1919, the DH-4B was standardized by the US Post Office, being modified to be flown from the rear cockpit with a 400 lb (180 kg) watertight mail compartment replacing the forward cockpit. The airmail DH-4B were later modified with revised landing gear and an enlarged rudder. DH-4s were used to establish a coast-to-coast, transcontinental airmail service, between San Francisco and New York, a distance of 2,680 mi (4,310 km), involving night flight, the first services starting on 21 August 1924. The DH-4 continued in Post Office service until 1927, when the last airmail routes were passed to private contractors.

Variants

UK variants

DH.4 : Two-seat day bomber biplane.
DH.4A : Civil version. Built in the United Kingdom. Two passengers in glazed cabin behind pilot.
DH.4R : Single seat racer - 450 hp (3406 kW) Napier Lion engine.

Soviet variants

copy of DH.4 manufactured by Polikarpov in the former Dux Factory in the 1920s

United States variants

DH-4 : Two-seat day bomber biplane, built in the United States.
DH-4A : Civil version, built in the United States.
DH-4B : Rebuilt version of Liberty powered DH-4 for U.S. Air Service. Pilot's cockpit relocated to behind fuel tank, adjacent to observer's cockpit. DH-4B-1 : Increased fuel capacity (110 US gal/420 L).
DH-4B-2 : Trainer version.
DH-4B-3 : Fitted with 135 US gal (511 L) fuel tank
DH-4B-4 : Civil version
DH-4B-5 : Experimental civil conversion with enclosed cabin.

DH-4BD :Cropdusting version of DH-4B
DH-4BG : Fitted with smokescreen generators
DH-4BK : Night flying version
DH-4BM: Single seat version for communications DH-4BM-1 : Dual control version of BM
DH-4BM-2 : Dual control version of BM

DH-4-BP : Experimental photo reconnaissance version DH-4-BP-1 : BP converted for survey work

DH-4BS : Testbed for supercharged Liberty
DH-4BT : Dual control trainer
DH-4BW : Testbed for Wright H engine

DH-4C : 300 hp (220 kW) Packard engine
DH-4L : Civil version
DH-4M : Rebuilt version of DH-4 with steel tube fuselage.
DH-4Amb : Ambulance.
DH-4M-1 - postwar version by Boeing (Model 16) with new fuselage, designated O2B-1 by Navy DH-4M-1T - Dual control trainer conversion of DH-4M
DH-4M-1K - target tug conversion
O2B-2 - cross-country and night-flying conversion for Navy

DH-4M-2 - postwar version by Atlantic
L.W.F. J-2 - Twin engine long range development of DH-4 (also known as Twin DH), powered by two 200 hp (150 kW) Hall-Scott-Liberty 6 engines and with wingspan of 52 ft 6 in (16.04 m); 20 built for U.S. Post Office, 10 for U.S. Army.
XCO-7 (Boeing Model 42) Two-seat observation version with Boeing designed wings, enlarged tailplane and divided landing gear.
XCO-8 Was a designation of one Atlantic DH.4M-2 fitted with Loening COA-1 wings and powered by a Liberty 12A engine.

Operators

Civil operators

Australia: QANTAS
Belgium: SNETA
United Kingdom: Aircraft Transport and Travel Limited, Handley Page Transport, Imperial Airways, Instone Air Line
United States: U.S. Post Office

Military operators

Belgium: Aviation Militaire Belge
Canada: Canadian Air Force (1918-1920), Royal Canadian Air Force
Chile
Cuba: Cuban Air Force - American built DH-4s
Greece: Hellenic Air Force, Hellenic Navy
Iran: Imperial Iranian Air Force
Mexico: Fuerza Aérea Mexicana
Nicaragua: Nicaraguan Air Force - The Nicaragua Air Force received seven DH-4Bs.[40]
New Zealand: The New Zealand Permanent Air Force operated two aircraft from 1919 to 1929. It was used by the NZPAF as an advanced training aircraft. The DH.4 has the distinction of being the first aircraft to fly over Mount Cook on 8 September 1920. It also set a New Zealand altitude record of 21,000 ft (6,400 m) on 27 November 1919.
South Africa: South African Air Force
Soviet Union: Soviet Air Force
Spain Kingdom of Spain: Spanish Air Force
Turkey: Turkish Air Force
United Kingdom: Royal Flying Corps, Royal Air Force, Royal Naval Air Service
United States: United States Army Air Service
8th Aero Squadron
11th Aero Squadron
20th Aero Squadron
50th Aero Squadron
91st Aero Squadron

United States Navy
United States Marine Corps

Survivors

DH-4B is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, Ohio. The aircraft is on extended loan from the Thompson Products Museum in Cleveland, Ohio.
Another DH-4 is being restored at Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. It will be powered by a rebuilt Liberty V-12.

Specifications (DH.4 - Eagle VIII engine)

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Length: 30 ft 8 in (9.35 m)
Wingspan: 43 feet 4 in (13.21 m)
Height: 11 ft (3.35 m)
Wing area: 434 ft² (40 m²)
Empty weight: 2,387 lb (1,085 kg)
Loaded weight: 3,472 lb (1,578 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Rolls-Royce Eagle VII inline liquid cooled piston, 375 hp (289 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed: 143 mph (230 km/h) at sea level
Range: 470 mi (770 km)
Endurance: 3¾ hr
Service ceiling: 22,000 ft (6,700 m)
Rate of climb: 1,000 ft/min (305 m/min)
Wing loading: 8 lb/ft² (39.5 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 0.108 hp/lb (0.266 kW/kg)
Climb to 10,000 ft: 9 min

Armament

Guns: Forward-firing .303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun, Lewis gun on Scarff ring at rear
Bombs: 460 lb (210 kg) of bombs

That was just the D.H.4 itself, in the next post i'll cover the Dayton Wright built D.H.4

Sites used: Wikipedia

[jdog102398]

Hi guys time for the Dayton Wright D.H.4 and the sprue shots

On April 6th 1917 the United States of America declared war on Germany and soon the American Expeditionary Forces were organized for combat in Europe. The U.S. government's propaganda urged people to join the army and this appeal found a ready answer across the breadth of American society. But in fact the U.S. could then only support the armies of the Entente with infantry or cavalry formations this huge manufacturing powerhouse with such considerable industrial potential still did not have neither its own armored forces nor regular air units. The purchase of British and French vehicles to resolve this problem was immediately set in motion, and military authorities were instructed to consider the purchase of licenses to build various types of armament, including planes, in the U.S.A. itself.

The two-seat general purpose de Havilland DH.4 aircraft, designed by Geoffrey de Havilland in the middle of 1916, was ahead of its time in many respects, and it had an advanced construction with much potential for upgrading in the future. One major drawback was its engine installation different British firms installed a variety of engines in the airframe, each time leading to the appearance of numerous modifications; additionally, most of the British engines were beset with technical flaws. Together with various other British types, the de Havilland DH.4 was purchased by a special military commission which arrived in Europe from the United States in the summer of 1917.

After their arrival in the U.S. and study of their technical documentation, it was the de Havilland which was selected as optimal for the initiation of its mass production in U.S. factories; but the Americans straightaway rejected the Rolls Royce Eagle engine, preferring their own Liberty engine, similar in size and performance but much more reliable in use. Visually the plane was little changed except for the redesigned nose section around the engine installation. The nose featured a typical radiator shape, shutters for better ventilation of the engine, and a new upper fuselage panel. Otherwise, the British Vickers machine guns were exchanged for American Marlins. The Dayton-Wright, Standard Aircraft, and Fisher Body factories were all involved in production of the DH-4. These three companies managed to produce more than five thousand Liberty DH-4's in a short period of time.

While the Liberty DH-4 was being mass produced by the Americans, and being sent to the war in Europe, the British had improved on the design of the DH.4 and were soon delivering its successor the DH.9 to the front-line military. Geoffrey de Havilland had eliminated the major drawbacks of the "Four" the distance between the crew was reduced, by relocating the vulnerable fuel tank, which was between the pilot and gunner; and he had also improved the system of fuel delivery to the engine. At that time the U.S. machines, which had already entered the war and unlike the British DH.4 did not have substantial problems with the engine, incurred horrific losses due to burning fuel tanks, damaged during air combat and also due to persistent problems with the engine's fuel system. The plane quickly acquired the nickname of "Flaming Coffin" and the pilots of the Liberty DH-4 greatly envied their countrymen flying the Breguet 14 or the Salmson 2A2. The spirits of the American pilots were demoralized; they simply began to fear a dangerous aircraft.

After extensive use of the Liberty DH-4 in the main air battles of the second half of 1917 the U.S. armed forces began a gradual upgrading in favor of French two-seaters. In the middle of 1918 the Liberty DH-4 was used less and less and machines were transferred to reconnaissance units as well as to newly formed aviation units of the U.S. Navy. While there was growing aversion among the American pilots in Europe towards the "Flaming Coffins", designers in the U.S. tried to solve the problems with the fuel system. Out of this came the DH-4B this version having a changed fuel tank location and an improved engine fuel system. However, it was not sent to the war in Europe. With the end of WWI, in America as well as in Europe, a spirit of pacifism began to prevail, and Congress did not allocate any funds for new developments. A large number of Liberty DH-4's which were returned from Europe to the U.S. were rebuilt as DH-4B's, and the aircraft continued to be used by the U.S. Army into the 1920's. Many DH-4's fell into private ownership. Apart from barnstorming in the "air circuses", they were destined to play one more very important role: the DH-4 began to be used as a mailplane and a light transport. In the vast geographical area of the country it was a highly important innovation, instrumental in the development of commercial aviation in the future.

Performances

Length 9.33m
Wingspan 12.94m
Wing area 40.00m²
Empty weight 1239kg
Loaded weight 1946kg
Service ceiling 4800m
Rate of climb 295m/min
Max speed 193km/h
Climb to height 3500m 14min
Engine 1x400h.p. Liberty V-1650
Bombs 209 kg
Machine guns 0.303 Marlin, 1-0.303 Lewis on Foster mounting in rear cockpit

The Kit:

Boxart:

Contents:

Decals and instructions:





Will be doing top scheme


Clear parts:

8 sprues and a propeller:

Wings:

Propeller:

Duplicates:


Broken piece:

Top fuselage:

Nice instrument detail:

Cockpit floors:

Fuselage Halves:

Interior detail:



Inbox review:


That's all for now see you at the first update!

[jdog102398]

Hi guys i'm back with update #1

Well here you go:
Pieces for step 1

Sorry about the blurriness the pieces are very very small.
Drilled out a hole:

Pieces for step 2:

Steps 1 and 2 assembled:

Step 3:

Assembled

Step 4:

Assembled(seat cushion dry-fitted):

Steps 1, 2, 3, and 4 painted:

Paints used: Vallejo Model Air Transparent Wood, Rustoleum Aluminum, Testors metallic silver, and Vallejo Red Leather.
(bought a new Floquil brush and it works fantastically for detail painting)
Parts for step 5:

Instrument panel detail:

Assembled awaiting paint:

By the way Roden's plastic is EXTREMELY soft so be very careful(I took a chunk out of the fuselage top, will fix it later)


So that's it for now guys, I hope you're enjoying the build thread so far. See you at the next update.

Jonas

[UKguyInUSA]

Looks like a nice kit, I'm loving all these bi-plane that are being entered into the WWI SiG....lots of styles and colors. Good luck with the build, I'm sure you'll make a good repair of the piece you accidentally cut out of the upper fuselage

[jdog102398]

Thanks man! I'm loving this build because I haven't done a biplane in a while and at the same time it also encourages others to build biplanes and triples as well.

[jdog102398]

Hello all I'm back with build update #2! So far I'm really enjoying this build because it's my first Roden kit and from what I've seen so far I'm going to be buying more Roden kits.
Without further ado, here's where I'm at:

Fuselage top painted Vallejo Model Air Transparent Natural Wood:

Fuselage halves painted with Rustoleum Aluminum and Tamiya XF-49 Khaki:

Pieces for step 8:

Details added and painted Testors metallic silver and Model Masters Flat Black:

Step 8 assembled:

First cockpit floor added:


Quick Tip!!!!!!!!!:The way the kit is set up, only put the first floor in before joining the two fuselage halves...it is much easier to put everything else inside the fuselage this way.

Fuselage halves joined:

Interior parts added after the fuselage halves were assembled:

Elevator added:

Fuselage top added:

Had to drill a hole here:

Also had to drill one here:

And finally Vertical stabilizer added:


So far so good, there is a slight seam between the fuselage top and sides on both sides(shouldn't be to hard to fix)
See you at update #3.


Jonas

[Jamesday1998]

great work so far jonas it is coming along very well! hopefully my kit is as good

[Prop72]

A good looking bird and some nice progress. Enjoying the build blog

[jdog102398]

Hi guys sorry I haven't posted in awhile...ive been really busy with schoolwork and I haven't been feeling the mood to build any models but ive since started up again and I should have some photos up asap!

[Neils]

Looks a really nice kit and build so far. Love the box art on the kit.

[Deacon]

Hi guys sorry I haven't posted in awhile...ive been really busy with schoolwork and I haven't been feeling the mood to build any models but ive since started up again and I should have some photos up asap!

Great news mate.

I'm looking forward to seeing what you've managed to do when time permitted.

[jdog102398]

Update #3

Hi guys, its been awhile since Ive posted for reasons stated in an earlier post. I'm home sick today and I could think of nothing better than posting an update on the DH4.

I haven't done much but here's what I've done:
Front engine cover added


Cockpit floor added

Lower wing added

Tail gun and MG mount assembled

Front gear assembled

Filling

I use this for small seams. You have to apply it 2-3 times but other than that it works great and I recommend it highly.

Filed down

Front and rear gear added

Wings and horizontal stabilizers painted Tamiya XF-62 Flat olive drab

Bomb racks added. Look at back right of the aircraft. I broke a tail support.

Painted Testors cream, tires painted Vallejo Model color 70.992 Neutral grey

Underside

Fuselage struts added with touch ups required


That's it for now, hopefully I'll find time to finish this bc I'm planning on entering the Vietnam GB also.

Anyway, I'll be back with more posts hopefully sooner than this one.

Jonas.

[jdog102398]

Hi guys, I'm back with Update #4!!!!
The DH4 is coming together nicely and I should have the Final Reveal up either later today or in the next day or so.

Without further ado here she is

Masked up for olive drab on top

Struts and top wing added

Top view...Paint on top the wing is to bend the wing so the struts reach the top and bottom wing.

All 8 25/50 pound bombs ready for paint

Waiting for the struts to dry

Rear gun mount painted Rustoleum Aluminum

Guns painted Vallejo Model Air 71.072 Gungrey

Bombs painted Tamiya XF-49 Khaki

Bomb racks painted Testors Silver

Bombs added

Rear gun mount and gun added

Exhausts painted Vallejo Panzer Aces 301 light rust

Front guns added and paint chipping done with Vallejo Panzer Aces 301 Light Rust

Wing top things added

Prop painted Vallejo Model Air 71.077 wood and testors silver

Prop added and clear coat applied

The exhausts were also given a coat of Mig Light Rust

That's all for the moment
Thanks, Jonas

[UKguyInUSA]

Great looking build so far, looking forward to seeing her completed!

Will you be adding any rigging to her?

Cheers

Martin

[jdog102398]

Thanks Martin...i don't know if I'll do any rigging or not...we'll just have to see

[gaz45]

very nice work there mate top job

[martin57]

well done its coming together well now

[martin57]

well done its coming together well now

[jdog102398]

Final Update!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hi guys I'm going to keep this nice and short because I have to do a lot of Biology II homework...
Anyways, here she is all finished!
Decaling started:

Wing Skids added:

Ready for a flat coat:

Flat coat applied and drying:


Final Reveal!!!!!





















Well thats it... see you guys at the next build!!!!!