Marauder Destroyer Info from Mithrax

Here are some info and pics from Dakka poster Mithrax!

I can't figure out how to get photos to download from Flickr (I've gotta be missing SOMETHING simple), so here's a link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66979547@N00/sets/72157600301082754/

Here are his comments:

(Post 1)

Marauder Destroyer.

I've built a lot of model airplanes over the years, and in looking at the pieces, I don't even need to look at the pictures to see where they go. Looks pretty standard.

Packaging.

Very well packaged. They grouped the parts by size so the smaller stuff was with the smaller stuff, etc. Very nice to see. The Large peices were seperate from each other.

Parts Inventory, Cleanup.

All parts were here (hey, you never know). To clean the parts I just soaked them in moderately warm water with a bit of dish soap, air dried overnight. Very impressed with how all the parts look, highly impressed with the detail of the human figures. Love the 40's-50's stylings of the uniforms. Will be a real real pleasure to paint.

Fitting, Cutting, Sanding.

Having had my lessons with resin from the FW Sisters Rhino doors a few years ago I am now taking my time with the cleanup and fitting.

Minor Issues:

1) Minimal flash for the most part except around the cockpit windows and gunners turrets.
2) Minimal mold lines for the most part, except some near the middle two halves near where the wings join.
3) Moderate mold lines around the wing ends where they abut against the fuselage.

Major issues:

1) Engines. The 4 engines come in 3 pieces each. In my test fittings I've found that there is a curve in the middle of each engine nacell which makes it wobbly against the wing. None of the engine pieces line up straight against each other, creating a curved engine look. The rear part of the engine, the exhaust ports, are ALL over the map. Some covered in mold lines all over, if you line them up with the engines they don't even line up properly....ugh. Greenstuff, a level and luck to get these looking alright.
2) The Engine compartment fusilage is about 1/8th to 2/5ths of an inch too long. Will just have to be very patient with the jeweler's saw.

(Post 2)

Now, from the last time I left you, I had started to put the body together. I needed to cut off about 2/5ths of an inch from the top front fusilage to eliminate any overhang in the front. Well I did that, straight lines...and then the damn turret wouldn't fit up top. *sigh* so I sanded down the inside of the turret ring, and cut 1/8th off the front. Seems to work ok, but needed some greenstuff.The wings went on...decently. They're not at a full 90 degrees because of the way the model was designed (about 94 degrees actually). BUT, the right wing was thicker than the left (wtf?). So there was a difference about 1/6th of an inch between the two wings. It was noticible enough so I am greenstuffing a slight slope down the front so it's not as noticible (can see it in one of the pics).

The engines went together better than I had anticipated. Mostly because I sanded down all the edges and cut off all the parts that were supposed to stick them together and glued them. Worked like a charm. You can see in the pics that they're surprisingly detailed and big.The nose and tail sections are actually smaller than the fusilage by about 1/6th to 2/5ths in width. Rather than play around I left it as is, and it keeps the Imperial boxy look without looking too bad. The tail sections need another soak and scrub, it's just not staying glued together. Minor issue imho.I will be painting the cockpit, figures, autocannons, top HB turret and rear autocannon turret seperately for detail's sake.

I've NO idea what colour scheme I'm going to paint it. I'm toying with the idea of using a wwII mosquito paint scheme to honour a mentor of mine who flew them in the war, but I'm not sure if I'm going to like it.

(Post 3)

Behold! From the depths of hell known as Work, sub-sector Life's a Bitch, I bring you updates!Well gang, I apologise for the delay, life came up and bit me hard in the groin, and wouldn';t let go for a while, but now that 4 weeks of holidays are here, and I finally got my airbrush (badger single action, with a compressor)

I'm getting down to the nitty gritty:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/66979547@N00/

I'm using Tamiya paints, with their thinner at about a 2 parts paint, 1 part thinner ratio. After two coats, the dark grey is looking pretty spiffy. For the camo scheme I'm going with a WWII German nightfighter theme
(see link below for a minimal pic: http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/6/61/300px-ME-110G-2_at_RAF_Hendon.jpg

It shouldn't be too hard to do with the airbrush, and going slow and steady shouldn't have any probs. the figs are being worked on, but I'm not happy with their colours so they're going back into the workshop.

(Post 4)

The destroyer is 90% done.
Just need some touch ups, and will have pics as soon as flickr gets back to me about the stupid ass yahoo id that won't seem to work.

Answers to questions:

I sprayed using GW black, and really didn't have a problem with it. Especially if it's scrubbed...unlike the damn titan.....Used Tamiya paints in the airbrush and they worked like a charm.

Size:
The FW wingspan size is wrong in their pamphlets. The true wingspan is 15.5" (FW says 16", that's only if you bend the tape measure across the top), the length from asscannon to nose is between 16.5 and 17"

(Post 5)

It's done. Got some stuff sorted through irl and flickr got back to me! yay!

Placed second at my local Artificer Cup. Few more touch ups and it's all ready to go.

The weapon pylons are empty because I'm waiting for my rare earth magnets to get here so I can either kit it out with hellstrikes or bombs!

And yes, I did fly it around the room going "pew pew" a few times.