Next, I scratch built sections of the steel truss, just to fill the empty spaces visible from the cockpit and the gear wells. I started with the parts provided in the kit and in the eduard photo etched set. Then I made the wooden panels in the rear, separating the landing gear well from the air brakes system and the drag chute encasing, by taking the shape and then cutting them from styrene sheet. Then, based on the fantastic computer drawings from the Murawski and Ryś Kagero Monograph, I used mechanical pencil leads of diverse sizes to build the truss sections visible from the gear wells. The pencil leads resulted very convenient, very easy to cut and trim to desired length, and their fragility was quickly compensated by the strength gained by the truss structural design (the Horten original design paying dividends even in this scale model!!!), and since it will be enclosed inside the model, it will not be exposed to manipulation or any stress.
Of course, the idea is not turning a 1994 Revell kit into a 2019 Zoukei-Mura one, but I think the result confirm the effort was worth taking. Perhaps the 1:72 Zoukei-Mura kit could be a future project, exposing the full truss and wooden wing structure… Dry fitting all the parts, I realised that from the main gear well the engines heat shields are clearly visible, so I add more detail with the circular openings directly exposed in the well.
Paul Ainsworth says
Hello,Ricardo – Full complements with all the detail work you’re doing with this fascinating build.It’s looking excellent.👏😉👍
Ricardo Barrientos says
Thank you Paul, hope you enjoy the remaining, perhaps, more interesting steps. Best regards,
Peter Legge says
Hi Ricardo, you have done a really good job on the panel scribing. Well Done ! Regards, Pete in RI
Ricardo Barrientos says
Thank you Peter, those panel lines really improved the look of the wings. Hope you enjoy the next steps. Best regards,
Ricardo.-
Andrew Rowe says
Hi Ricardo. Great looking build. What’s the name of the tool you are using that copies the shape and contours of parts? I’d like to get one.
Thanks.
Ricardo Barrientos says
Hi Andrew, you can find it as a Contour Gauge. Good luck and thank you for reading!
Albert Moore says
This is some incredible work and goes to show that with some elbow grease and TLC, this model can be built to the same standard of the Z-M Horten Ho 229 (or exceed it in this case).
Ricardo Barrientos says
Hi Albert, thank you very much for your kind comments! And yes, “elbow grease”, but above all, love, and passionate dedication to this hobby! Happy holidays and my very best regards from Guatemala!
Michael Michalzik says
Incredible. An absolute masterpiece!
Ricardo Barrientos says
Thank you very much Michael, extremely kind for your commentary.