Tyabb Airshow

Held at the picturesque Mornington Peninsula airfield, the bi-annual Tyabb Airshow is a must for anyone who really loves the sight and sound of Vintage, Veteran and Warbird aircraft, but doesn't mind the inclusion of a few more modern types just for good measure.

The weather was perfect for most of the day with sunshine and a light breeze, however by mid afternoon the clouds and a strong breeze had started to roll in, which made it quite challenging for some of the pilots. Despite this the organisers still went ahead with the full flying program and delivered yet another superb show without incident.

 

Meng 1/48 Messerschmitt Me-410B-2/U4 'Heavy Fighter'

Aircraft of the Luftwaffe are definitely not my subject of choice, however I'd read a lot of good reviews about this kit so when I was asked to build one for a customer, it wasn't a hard decision to make.

As expected the kit went together without any problems and is as good as anything that is produced by Tamiya. The only areas that required a some care during assembly were the engine cowls and cockpit glazing's, but other than that the rest of the build was an absolute breeze. Little if anything needs to be added to this kit, however the one addition I did make were some German seat-belt's from Eduard, which just helped to finish off the cockpit nicely.

The model was then painted in my usual fashion of primer followed by the base colours, using Gunze Mr Hobby Colors as per the instructions. For the first time ever I'd also bought a set on Montex masks to do the national markings, instead of using the decals, and I was so impressed with the outcome these that I've since bought additional sets for all of my future builds.

With the painting done I then did some panel fading on the upper surfaces only, followed by a coat of Future and some Mig washes to enhance the panel lines. The model was then sprayed with AK Interactive Satin Varnish, the exhaust stains were then applied and lastly the aerial leads were attached. It was then just a matter of removing the canopy masks, attaching the moveable sections and brush painting the individual panes with a little Future, which really makes them shine.

This was a most enjoyable build and the final outcome is a very pleasing model of what is quite a unique Luftwaffe aircraft.