Roger's "Horten Ho 229 Exposed"
1December 26, 2014White Metal Landing Gear
2December 26, 2014Copy of Instructions to Highlight & Scribble on.
3December 26, 2014The Washing of the Sprues
4December 27, 2014First bit of building, did both turbine shafts together after having fan blade breakages, which will be consigned to the engine that will be closed. That's the one that's not painted, no point!
5January 2, 2015Dry fitting of all 8 Stator Blades, in the correct order!
6January 2, 2015Setting up a "tackle box" to help keep things orderly. There's 4 of each of the 8, over the 2 engines.
7January 2, 2015Perhaps I could substitute the Aires Jumo engines........Nah! they're 48th scale anyway!
8January 2, 2015I think I must be a bit anal about this - not content with the tackle box, I've finally found a use for Roman Numerals. My History teacher would be pleased!
9January 2, 2015It's like being on an engine line - Snip, Snip, Snip, Snip, Snip - Trim, Trim, Trim,Trim, Trim - Scrape, Scrape, Scrape - Label - Repeat x 32!!!
10January 3, 2015Lots of 'em - all painted now!
11January 3, 2015Some other sub-assemblies to do with the engines - fore and aft of the compression chambers, awaiting painting!
12January 3, 2015Horten Ho-229 Promo Art, pre-release.
13December 13, 2023Stators & Rotors prior to assembly
14December 13, 2023Snug fit, but they do fit........just dont try to rotate the rotor shaft
15December 13, 2023All that work hidden - thank goodness for rubber bands
16December 13, 2023not much to see now!
17December 12, 2023A pre-requisite to restart the Horten is a clean, clear & organised workbench.
Who knew there was a workbench under all the S#!t I had accumulated. (no before photos - too ashamed!)
18December 12, 2023All that work on the internals...................to be sealed up - Sigh!
19December 12, 2023final 2 1/2 pieces joined on each engine -next step masking
20December 12, 2023The rear-end
21December 12, 2023The Front-end
22December 13, 2023I dont think there are enough SMALL pieces in this kit for me?!?!
23December 13, 2023But then again, this is only the 2nd step in the engine pipes section...
24December 13, 2023Had a workbench thought - an extension to hold various round objects, and a wooden work surface for hammering, etc
30 mins carpentry....vioila, with clamps inserted ready to install
25December 13, 2023Installed with accessories & upside down Dremel if you canb't work that one out!!
26December 13, 2023Revised whole work area
27December 19, 2023Some detailed pipe painting & masking after some serious seam filling - ready for the scary bits, then un mask & re-mask.....
( I'm using some 0.7mm paint-pens, by the way - "uni POSCA" & "Sipa PAINT")
28December 19, 2023More detail on the tiny pipes & such - not a lot of colour details to go on, so have added some colour licence, just to brighten up the steely pipes - the rivet counters will kill me!! !;^)}
The red is a bit too "pink" - will address that!
29December 22, 20233 tiny & thin pieces to make each set of pipes
30December 22, 2023Then painted - 3 colour pens used here - Posca gloss black 0.7mm - another black which is almost matt - then sharpie silver
31December 22, 2023pipe sets install on the mount - one for each engine
had to scrape off some of the previously applied "pink", it now looks like gaskets!!
32December 22, 2023flipside - added and extra drop of glue to improve stability - the background squares are 1cm, by the way!
33December 23, 2023Jumo's painted ready to install piping, etc.
Combination of masking & spraying x 2, Moltow Chrome pen & Silver Sharpie
34December 24, 2023PIPING!! - Step 1 - please dont ask me what they're called or used for - refer to the instructions!!
35December 24, 2023Step 2
36December 24, 2023Step 3 - Black pipe structure added
37December 24, 2023Step 4 - and on the other side of the motor.
I would have to say that the engineering of this kit is superb - everything fits!!!
38December 25, 2023What else to do on a rainy Christmas night???
Put the piping on the other Jumo - That done, moving on to the airframe!!!
39December 30, 2023Decided that I'm going to try to emulate the timber where it appears in the Horten - using as a guide the Marek Rys, Marek Murawski book "Horten Ho229 - Monographs in 3D" #96004 - If you can manage to get a look at it - you'd be amazed!!
I'm thinking that the lower left of the 4 wing stubs is what I'm after - Also added canvas texture to the brake chute bundle.
40December 31, 2023Looking like a spider versus stick insect at the moment
41December 30, 2023Mounted on the main fuselage truss is the battery mount & case
42December 30, 2023Preparing the Landing Gear Hydraulic Cylinder - kinda cute?!?!
43December 31, 2023close up on the brake chute
44December 31, 2023continuing the "fake Timber" development
45December 31, 2023The spider - from right-rear
46December 31, 2023adding bits to the spider (close up)
47December 31, 2023spider - from left-rear
48January 1, 2024Working from reference books is very helpful.....
Unless you look at them in too much detail.....
49January 1, 2024Being in 1/32 scale, allows you to do so much detail...............................yeah, I should get a life!!!
50January 1, 2024Looking more like an airframe. . . . . .. . . . No, not really!?!?
51January 4, 2024Adding "after-market" detail - metal MG Barrels.
Careful removal olf existing barrels, then exact centering for new barrels
52January 4, 2024Like so - then etch-primed the barrels, prior to painting with "Gun Metal"
53January 4, 2024All "between-deck" components (linkages & stays) in place - lots of fiddly manouvres & connections
54January 4, 2024Close-up of this mess
55January 4, 2024Clearer view of central linkages
56January 7, 2024MK103's and Magazines in place - attachment points seem a bit flimsy, until the final connection (outside of the frame) of the ammo chute between magazine & MG. - I continue to be impressed by the quality engineering of this kit!!
57January 7, 2024Preparing the Heat shields that sit under the engines - I was going to have them "smoke" coloured, rather than the specified Black, just to continue my "Visible Horten" theme, but wasn't happy with the smokiness, so stripped them and just outlined them instead.
58January 7, 2024Jet engines mounted in bottom frame - have to be very careful with stay, pipes, mounts, etc
59January 7, 2024The engine heat shields are only mounted in 2 rear points each, and the engines sit so well in the shields that I haven't glued them in place.
60January 7, 2024Now to matching top frame to bottom, here showing the unpainted item.
61January 7, 2024There are 40 attachment points between the top frame & the airframe!!!!
62January 9, 2024There are NOT 40 glue-points - more like 50 - I have created this composite photo to illustrate better...
63January 9, 2024Ever thought of using PE to replace the kits' cockpit details?? Here's the YAHU Models replacement.
The Yahu product is great, but the instructions are..........NOT - Have to remove the existing detail first
64January 9, 2024Making sure every part of the dash was glued to the backboard
65January 9, 2024Then glue the Yahu in place - Superb end result
66January 9, 2024Same with the side panels, but here I used the Z-M (Eduard) PE - Two layers to glue on
67January 9, 2024and on the other side - Two layers to glue on
68January 9, 2024Tried the PE pedals, which fit very nicely around the pilot's boots - don't quite know how I'm going to do up the buckles in side the cockpit????.............. solution! I cut off the buckle straps!
69January 9, 2024Pilots after initial painting - Metallic Blue , White, Brown POSCA paint-pens.
70January 10, 2024Broke a part today - have to say that this part was under-engineered - when fitting PE pedals.
Had to resort to some "Bugatti" repair skills - should be OK!!!
71January 13, 2024Cockpit frame assembly - a bit fiddly and awkward as you have to do it in the airframe between the engines. Cant assemble it outside then move it in.
72January 13, 2024pedals in situe.
73January 13, 2024decided to replace the canopy rails as the plastic ones were very thin (1mm) and pretty flimsy. various tests trying to get the bend right. finally used sidecutters as the vise to get the end sharp enough. Also used 1mm s/steel pipe with 0.6mm bronze core to get a shaper bend.
74January 13, 2024in place - gonna leave these as is - no paint for now - also the dash is now installed
75January 13, 2024front view
76January 13, 2024does anyone els have problems with gluing 2 pieces of enamelled PE together - 2nd time the face has come off this panel, using a thicker CA this time.
77January 13, 2024More of the cockpit in place
78January 13, 2024Control column in place
79January 13, 2024Oil tank in place - meant to look like the unpainted resin/fibre it was made from
80January 19, 2024This is the front wheel hydraulic assembly, which connect to the FW trailing arm, and a key point in the airframe.
'I RECKON' this part should have been installed earlier in the instructions.......
81January 19, 2024Here's the upside-down airframe, with the rear wheels almost complete & in place, and the "HUGE" front wheel test fitted in place.
82January 19, 2024Here's a top view of the airframe circling where the FW hydraulic arm connects - you can clearly see there's a proper place for it....
83January 19, 2024Withe the Front Wheel gear removed, here's where the FW hydraulic arm goes.........
84January 19, 2024Closer.........way back there!!!!
Need to think about this some more!!!
85January 28, 2024There it is - IN!!
86January 28, 2024Not a lot to see for all that fiddling
87January 28, 2024Not much to see up here either
88January 28, 2024The bottom the bydraulic arm connects here - sorry about the blur
89January 28, 2024rear gear being CA glued & clamped with SMS fine reverse tweezers
90January 28, 2024Now on its wheels - lets see how the front body fits - this had better work.....
it did - happy with that test fit
91January 28, 2024Even the modified MG's fit where they should
92January 28, 2024How to fit the pilot into that seat
93January 28, 2024I reckon he's 1/28th scale - he's too big! too wide, too tall!
94January 28, 2024Had to take so much off with my knife that he started bleeding!!!
95January 28, 2024He bled everywhere!!
96January 28, 2024took 90 minutes of shaving & test fitting to get to this pose
97January 28, 2024and I'm happy with that!! - this was my final test fit using plasticene - some repainting required, after I clean up all that blood!!!
98February 15, 2024I'm wanting to keep the body mainly clear, however the ejector pin marks are alarmingly LARGE here - must work out a way to remove these discretely.... Disappointing though!!
99February 15, 2024The 'fuselage' body parts - each piece of masking tape indicates where I am going to "timberise" the panels.... new word, but I'm sure you get my drift...(wood) - sorry , poor pun!
100February 15, 2024Back on Photo 73, I mentioned that I'd replaced the canopy rails with metal - This isn't the reason why, but I'm taking advantage of that change - here are the "wheel" that the canopy runs along.........................hmmmmm
101February 15, 2024Into the tiny DSPIAE vice, perfect for this sized work - I'm wanting to remove the "wheel", but keep the mounts either side
102February 15, 2024There you go - some fine razor saw cutting and minute knife work
103February 15, 2024Have you ever tried manouevring a magnet into place with metal tweezers - bloody hell!!
Even worse when you get some superglue involved - anyway - done
104February 15, 2024A little easier doing the 2 forward "wheels" on the canopy.
This SHOULD enable the canopy to be placed in any position, and stay there - I do also need to convert the centre rear canopy rail to metal......Didn't really plan ahead on this bit!!
105February 15, 2024and it actually works!!
106February 15, 2024Both sides!! - I will add some extra timber detail alongside the rails which will help to keep the canopy "on the tracks", along with the rear rail conversion to metal.
107February 21, 2024This is the centre rail for the rear-canopy-wheel to run along - to be removed!!
108February 21, 2024Starting the cuts at the rear of the centre rail
109February 21, 2024The rail removed, I drilled a 1.0mm hole into the cross-member, to accept the new metal rail.
Black markings to be painted & excess glue to be scraped off too - this is at 4x magnification
110February 21, 2024Rear of the new rail glued in place, fitting in between the existing braces.
Again, cleanup required to neaten everything
111February 21, 2024side view of the canopy frame sitting on all 3 rails - arrows point to magnet-wheels
112February 21, 2024I mentioned earlier that I would use timber to contain the rails - then thought that perhaps the front bodywork might help.
In fact the edges of the front bodywork do exactly what I want - might detail that in timber colouring ??
113February 21, 2024see-thru view showing the rear magnet-wheel sitting on the centre rail.
The canopy frame slides nicely along the rails - NO - I won't be motorizing it!!!
114February 28, 2024With the front body in place, treated the edges to a faux-timber look as in the real aircraft - this also contains the canopy as it slide to & fro on its magnets
115February 28, 2024Started creating templates using tracing paper - a bit clumsy...
116February 28, 2024then used a mix of masking tape & tracing paper - still clumsy
117February 28, 2024switched to just using masking tape, initially drawing on that & then cutting it out...
118February 28, 2024Final solution is to just tape all the areas to be timbered and cut them into sections using the panel-lines as cutting guides.
The cut is IN the panel line, so not visible........so long as you're vewwy, vewwy careful!!!
119February 28, 2024All the wing surfaces taped up ready to template.
Thank goodness for 50mm masking tape!!!! (I have plenty of tape!!!) !;^)}
120February 28, 2024A brief glimpse of my work in progress......hmmmmm??!?!?!?!
121March 3, 2024Nose-piece decals completed - top view
122March 3, 2024bottom view
123March 3, 2024Marking out the wings for decalling - and yes, there's 2 more of these
124March 3, 2024Middle bottom fuselage decals completed - 7 on each side
125March 3, 2024Rear bottom fuselage decals completed - some decent curvature in the middle!!
Focus could have been better, sorry
126March 3, 2024One of Four wing surfaces decalled - took around 2.5hrs - that makes 7.5hrs to go....................to go MAD!!
127March 8, 2024a refeernce spread from the book I'm using, just to give you an idea of what's ahead...
The book is "monographs Special Edition in 3D #4 - Horten Ho 229 - by Marek Rys & Marek J. Murawski"
Worth a good look, if you can locate it...
128March 8, 2024Wing spar completed, painted pale timber, then 2 other "wood" colours to get what I want - now attached to the wing butt bracket
129March 8, 2024playing with the colouring of the fibreglass fueal tanks & control arms/links
130March 8, 2024Wing spar with almost-finished tanks
131March 8, 2024Completed Right wing top view
132March 8, 2024Bottom view - now to do the Left wing & get it to look the same.... just avoiding wood-grain decal time, can't you tell!!
133March 12, 2024Decided that the clear plastic pins meant to hold the wings in place would be too fiddly & not robust enough...
SO, this is the final iteration of the replacement parts - 1.5mm copper pipe, tapped at each end to 1.0m, to hold 1.0m bolts, with washers as the bolt heads are a bit small. The 4 top plastic pins have been turned into covers and glued to the upper fuselage cover.
134March 12, 2024brass pipe just poking through
135March 12, 2024Bottom bolts going in
136March 12, 2024ALL Bottom bolts IN
137March 12, 2024almost ready to fly off the workbench
138March 12, 2024Will be displayed on this lovely round mirror, thanks to Harry Edmond
139March 12, 2024and from the back
140March 15, 2024Still progressing on the wood-grain decal work, trying to be as random in the timber-pattern decals as possible.
Very slow work having to be very precise with the panel placement between panel lines.
141March 15, 2024I'd had 3 magnet pairs holding the fuselage top to the airframe, but that left a gap where the rear of the fuselage panels should meet. As I DON'T want to glue this down I improved the fit of the bottom panel & installed 2 more magnet pairs to pull it together. (circled to show their whereabouts - had to manufacture mounts for the back 2)
142March 15, 2024Side view show that it's just about right - I think I might leave "well-enough" alone.
Now free to work on the upper panel wood-grain.
143March 27, 2024Been having many problems with these Uschi wood-grain decals "silvering" - I've tried drenching them with every decal product know to man, well, me anyway! and no success - must be something I'm missing.?????????
144March 27, 2024It's weird, coz it's random - no pattern to it.....
145March 27, 2024Time for a diversion, as I noticed that the cockpit glazing and framing had come adrift - 7 clamps & several days later!!
146March 27, 2024For my next attempt at decalling this wood-grain, I decided to remove all the templates from the upper fuselage - now there's 40 minutes I won't get back!!
"Stan realized now which had stuck him like a smacker oh blurred
He never focused before...." or in Simpson's lingo "D'oh"!!!
So I have now painted the target surface with "Future" - remembering that "Decals must be on a gloss surface" debate.....
147March 30, 2024Now, to get these decals OFF!! - Research suggests that hot water & detergent will do the job...
148March 30, 2024Practise suggests that the research was right - although its by no means a speedy process - lots of refills of hot (straight out of the tap HOT) and plenty of detergent - all promoted by scrubbing with a fine short-bristled brush - I cut down a cheap one!!!
149March 27, 2024Also, as owners of this kit will know - the outer surface of the clear parts appears frosted, because the surface is minisculedly dimpled. - Hence, "Silvering"!!! - Geez, I hope I'm right on this...........and Geez again, so many decals to redo!!!
150April 6, 2024Ready to go - All the upper fuselage templates placed on various timber grains...
151April 6, 2024Upper fuselage wood-grain decals finished - all seem to show the same (Good!) level of adhesion!
152April 6, 2024Next to redo the templates for the 4 wing surfaces - 1 of 4..
153April 6, 20244 of 4 done (over a couple of days) including breaking out the hatches
154April 6, 2024Getting ready to remove the templates from the wings, and transferring them onto tracing paper.
I dont want them to be on the decals too long, as I have seem some lifting of the decal details where the masks have been on too long.
155April 6, 2024Voila - 1 complete wing done - systematically!!
156April 6, 2024Then the other wing.
157April 6, 2024Voila!
Now to "Future" the wing surfaces.... and I will be able to make a start on wood-grain selection while they dry...
158April 11, 2024First fit on the display I'm planning to use - USB Power bank powered, plus battery in a carousel base. Motion sensing lights....which are great, except when the carousel is rotating......
159April 11, 2024Fitted the pilot's windscreen and was absolutely amazed of the fit of this Zoukei-Mura kit, here shown with the canopy fully closed, and the nose piece "push-fitted".
160April 11, 2024Another view to show how good this fits . . . . . .however, it highlights something else I've been unsure of - The nose piece and canopy "wood-grain" decals are quite silvery...................OFF with them!!
161April 11, 2024Here's the canopy AFTER "FUTURE"ing and reapplication of really bold wood-grain decal.
That's Better!!
162April 11, 2024Another view, showing the ebenefit of FUTURE on the glazing and the wood grain.
163April 11, 2024So let's strip the nose piece too.
I used this Levelling Thinner & it works a treat without damaging the surface.
164April 11, 2024New decal templates prepared (on the nose-piece) and ready to apply to the wood-grain decal sheet, AFTER I FUTURE the parts of the nose piece.
165April 15, 2024Somewhere during my cockpit canopy build I left some excess glue on the front-left corner of the "glass". My thinking was that a coat of "FUTURE" would disguise this later on. - I was wrong, so it was time to fix that. After many minutes of chiselling to remove the glob, then gently smoothing the are with all 3 levels of Tamiya polish....
166April 15, 2024It's not perfect, at least under x3 magnification, but I think it will do!! Now back to those decals - the finished canopy here is after 2 coats of Future, bolder wood-grain decal, then a coat of MicroSol Satin Finish.
167April 23, 2024Left Lower wing fully decalled with wood-grain - I decided to break-out the hatches and accentuate them with a "dome" of future.
The "windows" to the soul of the Horten, so to speak!!
168April 23, 2024Left Upper wing get the safe treatment - will be brushing on a clear Satin finish when I'm done decalling the Right Wing.
169April 23, 2024it may look a mess, but there is a system - * transfer the masking tape panel shape template on to the most appropriate wood-grain template - * cut out the decal around the masking tape - * label the back of the decal with the same number as the template - gently remove the masking tape from the decal & tape the decal upside down on the wing plan with the masking tape template.
What could go wrong???
170May 5, 2024On a rough "stand", looking more like a Gundam, preparing to fit Air Brakes
171May 5, 2024Tipped over for a better angle
172May 5, 2024RHS Airbrakes in place
173May 5, 2024LHS Airbrakes in place
174May 5, 2024External view of deployed Airbrakes, from the rear
175May 5, 2024Found a large aircraft Jig, so putting that to good use
176May 5, 2024Shaving off the excess decals on the inside of the lower wing 1/2
177May 5, 2024Initial clamping to hold skin in place while gluing
178May 5, 2024latter clamping - gotta love the old clothes pegs
179May 19, 2024I can't believe how small these lights are
180May 19, 2024and fitted
181May 19, 2024and the RED one
182May 19, 2024and fitted
183May 19, 2024Penultimate photos on a small carousel
184May 19, 2024
185May 19, 2024
186May 19, 2024
187May 19, 2024
188May 19, 2024
189May 19, 2024
190May 19, 2024
191May 19, 2024
192May 19, 2024
193May 19, 2024and with the canopy closed!!! it can be positionedanywhere thanks to the steel rails & magnets
By the way, I had to abandon the magnetic wing tops - became too much of a headache - so all glued on!
Comments
7 June 2026, 20:04 -
Album info
Restarted late in 2023 after a 4 year delay - my brain!
Why am I making this MORE difficult???
Yahoo - She's finished!!
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