IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review Day 8

Day 8 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build 

Step 25 - adding the flaps and ailerons. These all slide into place beautifully, along with the elevator. Only I'm not too sure how to position them. Looks like the Gotha has flaps that are both inboard and out-board of the booms. See the ECPA-D photos below by PK Gremelsbacher. Note Gremelsbacher was KIA during March 1944 so his images are public domain.  

A view of Steps 26 and 30 in the instruction booklet  - the various PE details to be added to the wings and tailplane. That just leaves the steps covering the landing gear.

IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review day 7

Day 7 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build. 

Almost finished masking the glazing - no getting away from it, there's a fair bit of work here. 

I found that a smear of Perfect Plastic Putty was required around the canopy. Dry fit of the cargo ramp/tail in the open position using metal rod to replace the plastic attachments. At least I can get it to sit open without too much help. I know absolutely nothing about how the ramp door operates. Note in the image of the real aircraft below, the door opens much higher than I have it positioned here. Note too that this image appears to show one of the aircraft on the decal sheet  - or finished in a similar scheme. Mottles are brush-painted.

Building the wings. Perfect fit but I still managed to break one of the supporting struts by trying to force it into place - should have drilled open the locating hole. No issues with the tail booms - although the instructions have the boom parts numbered incorrectly. Take care fitting the tailplane  - I was not 100% not sure which way is 'up' - although part 'F21' does need to be on the lower surfaces ... 

Steps 25 - flaps and ailerons - and steps 26 and 30 - the various PE details to be added to the wings and tailplane - still to do.

Steps 32 and 33 - the undercarriage and skids  -can probably be completed once painting and decaling is done. 

Another image of a Go 242 seen here at Heraklion on Crete, en route to North Africa. Check out the ECPA-D website (imagesdefense.gouv.fr) for more like this..there are useful images in the DAK 238 file which show plenty of details. I particularly needed to look at the lower forward fuselage window - which in this image appears to be partially over-painted.

IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review day 6

 

Day 6 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build. 

Not much to show today. Some work on seams - there is a bit of one on the lower surfaces where the sides fit - and finishing off the canopy masking. Two cockpit decals applied - these are noted in the instructions with the grey inverted triangles. Here's a rear view looking at the internal details with the roof etc cemented in place. Note only two MGs placed - the rear-most two positions can be reached through the open ramp door. I've left the seats out, as ideally I want to show the cargo door open with a Kubelwagen or similar being loaded. It has been suggested that I leave the roof off until painting is completed to avoid breaking the MGs but that would make for a rather fragile structure, like a box without its lid - the Gotha is after all merely a 'glorified' box with wings..

IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review day 5

 

Day 5 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build. 

In fitting the fuselage sides we have completed the first 7 steps of this build.

Step 8 Installing the MGs. Still undecided how to do this as they will obviously interfere with masking the windows. Some modellers install them and then cut off the barrels. I don't see really the point of doing that - I'll just try and exercise extra care..

Step 9/10 Building the seats for the troop-carrying option. I'm not planning to glue these permanently in place. 

Steps 11 and 12 cover the roof framework and fitting

Steps 13/14/15/16 adding details to the canopy and glueing the glazing in place. Some of these steps involve just a couple of parts and are probably best left to the end of the build. The pilots' instruments are glued inside the glazing before attaching to the fuselage (Step 15)

Go 242 cockpit with pilot instruments and two control yokes..

Step 17 and 18. Building the cargo tail ramp. Nicely detailed floor and tail gunner  position. Whether 'open' or 'closed' Step 20 would have you install the cargo door now before construction of the wings or booms. It will be far easier of course to paint and decal it separately if posing it open, especially as the attachment 'struts' seem so feeble. Those on my kit were bent/warped. In fact I doubt they will be 'solid' enough to support the weight of the tail in the open position which is a disappointment. Not sure what to do here - will probably have to cut off the plastic struts and use some rod. (one of my daughter's hair clips perhaps.. )

Cargo door/tail ramp in the open position for the unloading of a flak gun 

That's Step 20 out of 32 - minus one or two details -  essentially completed. Well over half way through. Thanks for looking in...

IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review day 4

 Day 4 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build.

Day 4 of this build has mostly been 're-visiting' steps 5 & 6 from yesterday.  I worked out how to fit the frame parts into the fuselage sides - the aerofoil-shaped part slips into the aerofoil-shaped recess - and ultimately this seemed an easier option for joining it all together. The frames for the rear fuselage are also fitted at this stage.

I made another error - as I knew I would - by getting two of the  'open' fuselage 'portholes' the wrong way round so these had to be removed and swapped around. I also looked at the MG 15s as supplied in the kit. Not bad. They are going to have to be inserted into their mounts before the fuselage roof goes on.

Here everything is stuck together and I'm putting it aside to dry. 

A quick 'dry-fit' of the roof and the cockpit glazing. Again, a pretty good fit, any gaps you might notice here will disappear when it is all glued down. Next, detailing the canopy. There are etch control levers and the pilots' instrument panel to be inserted inside the cockpit glazing before securing to the fuselage. Note the open section is another gunner's position which can be shown either open - with MG - or closed. There's also a PE harness for this section...

That's it for Day 4. Thanks for looking in...

IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review day 3

 

Day 3 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build

At the end of day 3 the cockpit has been 'detailed' with the kit PE harnesses and I've done a little 'chipping' by scratching the 02. Not really a fan of etch but IBG have done well here with some excellent scale details in etch that is thin and flexible. The forward internal frames  have been fitted along with the fuselage glazing.

Thanks to Jerzy (George) for answering the question about the Gotha's MG 15s that we asked yesterday.

Jerzy writes.." a diagram of the MG mountings in the Gotha from a friend. The MGs were mounted vertically, supported from the bottom in boxes - you can see them in the drawing below .."

Step 5

Deals with the fitment of the cargo hold/fuselage lattice-like frame as seen in the manual drawing above. As another modeller appears to have done, I deviated slightly from the instructions which would have you fit these pieces into the side of the fuselage halves - where placement is a little uncertain - to mount them directly on the side of the floor where there are recesses designed to accept them. This method has the advantage of allowing you to concentrate on installing the window/portholes into the fuselage halves.

Step 6

The fuselage halves are finished in a red-brown (doped canvas) not unlike the interior of the Swordfish for example (a build on my modelling blog). It does appear that IBG missed some information about interior colors in the manual. I've painted  these areas slightly less red-brown than others - more of a 'filter' over the 02. But the frame is steel rod, so I've picked this out with a silver pencil. 

The windows are easy to install being mounted in a frame which appears that it should be of wood - although this may just be IBG's method of ensuring the window fits securely. There are obviously options to fit open windows at the MG mount locations easily identified on the internal framework.

BMW 801 'power egg' being unloaded

This image taken inside the Gotha shows a gunner at his window..the spent cartridge 'collector bag' is a separate part on the cockpit and tail gunner's positions.

IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A - German cargo glider new-tool 72nd scale. Build review day 2

 Day 2 of the IBG Models Gotha Go 242 A kit build

 Step 1. Assembly of the cargo/hold floor and location of the wing spar. The floor parts 'lock' the spar into position. First part to be glued 'H5' is a transparency in the lower forward fuselage. I opted to leave this part until the two fuselage halves are ready to be joined. All internal parts to be painted in 02 are sprayed in black 'primer'. I use Halfords 'Volvo Dark Grey' from the can.

 Step 2. Detailing the cockpit. Part number 'F27' is the pilot's yoke/control column. F10 is a 'stick' for the right-hand seat.  There is a second control column, part number 'F28'  - which is not mentioned in the instructions. I'm guessing this is for the 244 motorised variant. The 242 requires the 'F10' stick. In the end I put both yokes in. Part number 'F22' the trim wheel and lever is difficult to get off the sprue. Mine broke. No idea what F25 is. Seems to be a gunner's position in the lower part of the forward fuselage.

Step 3. Adding the photo-etch rudder pedals and straps. I've left the seat harnesses until after painting. 

Step 4. Having located the cockpit 'module' to the fuselage floor, I'm testing the fit of the fuselage sides. No issues with the spar or floor clipping into the bottom of each side. The internal framework next. 

Below; internals sprayed in 02.  Hold floor (pin) washed around the details and streaked with Raw Umber oil paint. I note that at least one Polish modeller has painted the cockpit in 66 - although there is nothing in the painting instructions. He has also painted the (presumably) doped canvas internal finish a red-brown. I did not know if the internal framework on the fuselage sides was wooden or metal because it needs to be picked out in the appropriate colour..Becker highlights " die Stahlrohrkonstruktion des Rumpfes zeigte Stoffbespannung.."  or in other words 'the tubular steel construction of the fuselage was fabric covered..' I think this is self-evident from the image posted yesterday showing the open Rumpfheck, while this PK photo (below) shows a Go 242 wreck in the Cholm Kessel ('Wrack eines zerstörten Lastensegler Gotha Go 242' by PK Fotograf Muck). This picture appears to show the Gotha tail section on its side with the large clear 'window' being one of the MG 15 positions on the roof of this section. Which raises another question..how were the MG 15s (as many as eight) stowed in the hold when not in use?

Below; cockpit layout for the Go 244. The lower panel is a set of engine instruments. The upper panel of instruments is mounted in the cockpit ceiling as per the Go 242. 

Note the cockpit  inscription below is decal 1 on the instruction sheet indicated with an inverted triangle. Nearly missed it.  Frst part"..Bei vollem Fluggewicht nur langsames Abfangen.."  -  'only slow descent at max. flying weight' - ie on landing from the approach (descent) into a parallel flight along the ground.

End of day 2.