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

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.

Looks ok so far. You should scan the manual though.

What manual?

Instruction manual? There ain't one.

Any pics forthcoming?

More Updates!

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

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.

Ideas?

Interesting blog... I had similar issues when putting together my gargantuan squiggoth. The two little boxes that hang off the howda for the big shoota gunners to sit in had huge gaps at the connection points. It was bad enough that I had to put a bunch of pins in and leave the gaps to be filled in with green stuff. Other then that it was a surprisingly easy kit to assemble.

From what I've heard these issues are most prevalent with older kits like ours. Apparently the more recent kits of this size have been better. Although I've heard some bad stories about the Valk gunship's hull.

One thing to note is that miscasts are readily replaced by FW, sometimes with better parts. I originally bought the Manticore tank kit when it came out waaayyy back in the old days and the missiles were heavily damaged. A few years later I met up with Tony and showed him my missiles. He replaced them with a new set that had a redesigned casting method (more parts) and no broken tail fins.

Perhaps your kit is a similar situation. A email with pictures of the damaged parts could net you some new kit

Yeah I agree with Drake about the older model issue.

I had real issues with my Shadowsword. I had to get miscast or broken components changed about 3 times.

There was also a big issue with mispacked contents. I had to send the tank back twice!

It's always worth checking everything before you touch the kit. If some monkey puts a marauder bomber gun turret set in the destroyer kit instead of the tail assault cannons it can not be noticable at first but will be a real bummer later.

However do contact FW, you paid good money for that kit so the least they can do is provide replacements (which they are always happy to do). Sometimes you even get free stuff.

More Updates! http://www.flickr.com/photos/66979547@N00/539608723/in/set-72157600301082754/

Work has gotten in the way but I had a real, REAL nightmare with the greenstuff. As in, it just wouldn't stay on the resin.

So I took it all off, rescrubbed the resin and thought that what I wanted wasn't the greenstuff, because I've never had any real luck with it on any models, but I just wanted some gapfiller.

I do a bit of woodworking too so I whipped out my handy tube of Elmer's paintable woodfill. Works like a charm, it's cutable, sandable and it fills in cracks very very nicely. So that's what I did as you can see in the three new pics.

I'm hoping to paint figs this week, so pics hopefully by weds.

Soory to hear that the plane is such a beeyotch to build.

I had the same issues with a tiger shark and two barracudas a few years ago. I am glad I got rid of those.

Nice models, not many pieces, but the fitting...oh.... the fitting... *grumble*

Oh don't get me wrong, it's not THAT bad. I just want the model to go together as best as possible. I mean for what I paid for it, I'm not gonna slap it together and say "yippiee!"

I want to *female dog*, complain, take pictures, THEN say "yippiee!"

Awesome! Keep the updates coming!

Lemer's paintable woodfill- great tip. Thanks!

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.

More soon, because as soon as I finish this beast I'm tackling the titan.

Keep up the good work.

Looking forward to:

A. This baby getting a paint job deserving of your hard work so far.

B. Starting on your Titan (I've never seen one being assembled before).

p.s. thanks for sharing

Hey Mithrax I'm liking that stippled camo, looks good.

What did you use as the undercoat? Is that citadel black spray or another company?

I've been using Gunzyos Mr Resin Primer on my FW tanks and kreig infantry recently and found it worked a charm.

Mithrax,

 Forgive me for ressurecting a slowmoving thread, but I've never seen anyone actually assemble a Marauder.

 Could you endulge me with a few bits of knowledge about the Marauder?

Might I ask how long this monster is?  Its hard to tell the width and length from the photos.  From the data at Forge World, it is stated that the wingspan is 450mm, but that looks awefully short for 45cm. 

Id liike to get one of these, but if its too big, the Mrs. would likely have a differing opinion on the "big plane thingy" sitting on the entertainment center, failing to have anywhere else to put it. 

 What a beauty she is, though.  You named her yet?

 

Hey Gang,

Sorry for the lack of updates, personal issues again, and some health issues.

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"

I enjoyed building it, a hell of a lot more than I am the titan ("blog" and pics to come soon).

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

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.

Damn that looks good. I feel your pain with the Titan as they are a pain in the ass to build. did you black line this model?

Not yet, I'm planning on it still, was just kind of leery to practice on it first. I'll get the thunderbolts finished first and have a go on them.