1/48 Tamiya He-219

by Kay Koglin

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Heinkel He 219-Diorama

Prelude

To write an article about the construction of a model that lies 3 years back is not simple, therefore it is possible that a few gaps in my memory will appear. But I love the Heinkel He 219 and the finished diorama still looks impressive. Unfortunately, 3 years ago I wasn‘t able to prepare construction work photos of the model. But the advantage of this report is that it will focus on the more memorable parts of this model. For me it is very important to know when I have built a model in order to be able to understand my own further development as a modeler.
I remember that in Germany the He-219 was available shortly before Christmas in the local hobbyshops and consequently I bought one. When I opened the box I was overwhelmed from what I saw. The outstanding quality of the parts that left no wishes and when I examined the three-side-drawing for the paint-scheme I realize the whole size of the impressive model. I wanted to begin immediately with the construction of the model, but some time passed before I could really begin. The He-219-kit was an invitation to modify the basic kit to build a highly-detailed model. This highly-detailed model should become a representation of her Nickname "The Venus of Rostock". I tried to begin with the investigations about information over the interior, like detail photos of the motor, the armament and the cockpit. But I landed in a dead end because I didn’t find the information that I needed in a book. Therefore I began the long wait for a detail-set that offered the details that I would like to realize in the model. Verlinden was the first with his Update kit, but unfortunately this update couldn’t meet the present-day claims, little content to a high price and moreover still with some mistakes. The CMK detail set was better, but with the appearance of the AIRES-Kit all other was no longer interesting. Already on the same day I started with the construction work. I can remember well, there was an inexhaustible quantity of parts in a quality never before available and at a fair price!!!

For me it is important to say that the finished model looks beautifully and simply on the first gaze, it is nevertheless a big piece of work and a long way with problems up to the finished model. During the construction work I came to the point where the desire to finish an outstandingly detailed model leaves one stuck at the point seeing no light at the end of the tunnel. This is the time to put the model aside to collect new energy to finish the construction of the kit. If the fun passes, from my point of view, it is wrong to set yourself under pressure to finish the model, because you will soon realize that the result doesn't fulfill your imagination.  

The construction of the model

Essentially, I would not like to write about each part of the kit, because of the high production-quality of the Tamiya kits that have no evil surprises that must be remembered here!

Processing of the detail-sets

Through the installation of a detail-set, the way of the assembly of a kit will change and some tactic is in demand in order to stand not in front of closed doors. First, all doors and bays that will be shown open must be cut out. I use for this a small saw. Before I cut with the saw, I use my Dremel tool and drill in every corner of the door a hole,  this makes the cuts with the saw easier and avoids you cutting the wrong way.  To get the  opened door in it's final shape I again used my Dremel tool now with a cutter. To reproduce the thin sheet metals used on airplanes skins, I used again my Dremel with the cutter and mill the plastic of the kit from the inside. The thinned plastic looks after this like the real thin sheets of metal used on aircraft’s. For this work, much time should be taken because is to be corrected mistakes only heavily and harms the total-impression of the model. Turned out as difficult part of the assembly of the model, the mounting of the Wheel well, the engine compartment and the engine. There are many hours cutting, sanding and dry fitting of the parts. As I mentioned earlier extremely time consuming was my intention was to represent the thin sheet of metal used for the skin of an aircraft. Sometimes my desk looks like a bakery.
For the wiring of the engine you need good references, otherwise you'll have to rely on your own creativity and imagination. For the first step of wiring the engine I drill the holes. For wiring I use thin cooper-wire, don’t forget to anneal the copper-wire. "Why?" many questions become themselves, now through it the metal-structure is changed and a trouble-free bends the own-stability of the metal is possibly. These procedures are also necessary when you work with photo etched parts, but be careful with the annealing, to much will destroy the thin photo etched parts!!!
Caution must also be taken in gluing the Resin parts, often  the glue is exactly there where it shouldn't be. For the gluing of these parts, I used a thicker gap filling cyanocrylate glue. The thicker glue serves also as filler to close the gaps between plastic and resin parts.

For gluing the plastic-parts I use liquid-glues and the "Sqeeze-Technic". The big advantage is that sticking takes place quickly and free from remains. The process is simple, it needs only a thin brush. Hold the two parts together and with the brush, soaked with the liquid glue, brush along the seam. Through the capillary-effect, the liquid-glue flows into the seam by itself. The rework is very easy, it is only necessary to sand the seam slightly.

My technology to the painting of the model

For painting the inside of the aircraft, like the inside of the cockpit, the Wheel wells and the opened parts of the fuselage and the wings I use Xtra Color RLM 02. In order to give the paintjob a three-dimensional finish, I use strongly thinned dark color and a thin brush. I point the brush in corners and because of the capillary-effect the thinned dark color flows in the corner and edges. After a drying time of 24 hours I use the usual drybrush-technic to highlight details with white artist oils. The advantage of the oil is, that it leaves soft transitions between the colors and in the case that there was too much oils on the model, it can be removed by a brush that is moisten with a little amount of thinner. This technology can be transferred on all parts of the model. The painting of the He-219 took place in accordance with the Tamiya instructions with Xtra-Color RLM76 which was made brighter with white however and the camouflage with RLM 75. Spraying of the camouflage can turn into the patience-test and pauses are often necessary.

The Decals

Application of the decals from the kit performed well with the help of the favorite decal softener Gunze’s Mr. Mark.

My technology for the finish of the model

Finishing technology is one of the most controversial discussion between modelers. My five cents to this discussion is, that I prefer less is better! From this comes my thought-impulse: Something original doesn’t look good on a model. Let the He-219 be an example. The He 219 represent a German high-tech weapon in the last year of the war, therefore she was well maintained and served from the Luftwaffe technicians, she had no strong effects  due to age and wear-track. Because the night-fighters had a high clear-continuances only to reached by perfect maintenance-conditions. That is the reason why I only darkened the engraved panel lines with the capillary-effect-method. I use again the strong thinned dark color and let it run from the cross-points of the engraved panel lines. Going over color was removed after when it was dry with Tamiya polish and the help of a cotton wool-small rods. After the coating of Matt-lacquer I accentuate the engravings by spraying a thin coat of a solution from Matt-lacquer and burned sienna. To the explanation: Matt-lacquer mixing with only a few drops of the dark color, but only so much that the entire solution was clouded dark. This filled into the airbrush and the wished effect must be reached by multiple layers of the solution over the engraved panel lines of the model. The advantage of this technique is that faults are less visible and it looks less exaggerated.

Click on images below to see larger images

The Diorama-Base

The airfield-diorama is not composed in the classic form as known from Military. As I  already mentioned, the He-219 was a high-tech weapon system, it is understandable that nobody had the idea to roll the airplane on a "dirty" meadow. Just like in photos before the capitulation shows that she was always on concrete, so also with me. The basis-plate consists of a wood-picture frame. I use these picture frames very gladly because I get them for little money and they provide a nice wooden framing for my Diorama. I leave the glass in the framework and replenish the framework with corrugated cardboard. In order to take the monotony from the concrete, I positioned areas  of grass and sand from the model-track-area. I spread white glue on to the cardboard and sprinkles this with the sand and grass. I leave this dry 24 hours. After the white glue is dry, I blow away loose material with a hair dryer. Subsequently the entire basis-plate, including the concrete-surface, were reworked with my airbrush.
The VW Kübelwagen comes from the resin kit of the Hungarian manufacturer FM in the scale 1:48. Beside the usual treatment of Resin parts, no particular difficulties are appeared. The painting of the model took place with the same technologies that I also use for varnishing of the Heinkel He-219. First I spray the model with the basic-color, then I have to deepened the shadows of the model that with dark color. After the model is completely dry I brightened up have the details with "Dry-Brushing". As a eye-catcher, I put map-material from a Verlinden-Set in the Kübelwagen. The figures come from Verlinden and Reheat. For painting the figures, I have adapted my paint technology, over the basic colors "Darkwash" and "Dry-Brushing". I think the result speaks for itself.  

I hope that I have mentioned all significantly items of the building of my He 219 Diorama and I also hope that I encouraged some modelers to build their own He 219 Diorama. 

Parts-list:

  • Tamiya-Kit Heinkel He 219

  • Aires detail-set

  • Reheat and Verlinden figures

  • VW Kübelwagen from „FM “

  • Xtra-Color-paints 

Kay

Photos and text © by Kay Koglin