My little Spatz

[Wedgetail]

I've been following this build closely and I'm like hrtpaul, a work of art Adam especially the work gone into the engine.
I can't decide if I like the aircraft or the engine best which I'm damn sure would roar into life with a bit of fuel.
Wayne.

[Adam the Akrodude]

Thanks very much Wayne. Like you I can't pick between the two - both had their challenges. The little Spatz was the worse fitting of all Tamiya kits I've built. Nothing major, but some small issues here and there requiring a little filler. The decals are terrible and way too thick. I won't use Tamiya decals ever again. I tried to build this kit with a minimum of AM bits. I only succumbed to the gorgeous Yahu instrument panel (kit has a very basic panel with a poor decal) and bought a set of brass pitot and gun barrels. I could have done a equal job on those though using brass tubing - anyhoo. All the rest is from spare box, wire and brass and aluminium tube. really got in

Painting process was complex for such a simple scheme. The thick decals complicated things further as I has to do my best to blend them in and this required masking the Balkenkrauz in particular. I've used oils and some dry brushing to liven up things to represent light variation, grime, dirt, oil/fuel leaks and added some gun blast soot as the real bird did fire its guns in anger and I have a brilliant photo showing this soot in the book by Robert Forsyth & Eddie Creek - the best He-162 reference book. One thing I've learnt from this book is the 162 was referred to as the "Spatz" (Sparrow) by its pilots - not the "Salamander".

Here are two reference pic's from NASM for the BMW engine. Both these pic's were my principle reference for colour - just back dated a bit to show less corrosion and rust.

NASM 2014-04782 by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

BMW-003 4 by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

[Adam the Akrodude]

Spent a little time mucking around with the camera on Spatz this morning. I like trying to reproduce images similar to how the real thing appeared at the surrender and beyond at Leck airfield in May 45. One thing I've learnt is by comparing colour and B/W images, it gives a good clue as to whether one has achieved the right tonal effects with a colours. There is a decent enough difference between RLM 81 (brown) and RLM 82 (green) in colour, but it's hard to make out the two in the original B/W images. The key is ensuring in particular the RLM 82 is not too light and this is easily verified by some existing He-162s that still sport the original paint. There were no doubt substantial variations in these paints during wartime, so in effect everyone is right and wrong. Throw into this paint fade and lighting/film effects so it's all very much guess work. Photos taken without a flash using long exposure and small aperture.

He-162 BW (1024x698) by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

DSC_2451 Colour (1024x728) by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

DSC_2449 (1024x610) by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

He-162 Colour RHS BMW (1024x610) (1024x610) by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

DSC_2450 (1024x583) by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

DSC_2448 by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

DSC_2446 (1024x723) by Adam Dormer, on Flickr

[Wedgetail]

Aircraft or engine, I still can't make up my mind which I like most. Still both subjects are flamin' great works of art.
I'm still suspicious of that opening B/W photo, I reckon you've slipped a photo of a real Spatz into the deck.
Wayne.