Gotha GO 244 by Rick - "And That's A Wrap!!!"

[venom1]

Ahh, very good. Couldn't figure out what the blue masking was, so that explains it!

Cheers,

Sam

[406 Silverado]

Rick nice clean work so far. This is one wingy that you don't see being built often. Can't wait to see the finished model.

[fightnjoe]

it is always a good sign when you build something with working parts...............and they work when you are done.


she looks good from here. clean and crisp.




joe

[DeafStuG]

Looking good - Deck wooden floor and interior weather !

[Rick]

It's been a week of disruptions but did manage to make some headway on the Gotha. I wanted to get the interior same as finished and closed up so I could get the exterior worked on. Here we go:

Attached the landing gear so it could stand on it's own legs. About a five minute job:


Here's the sparsely decorated office so far. Kits from 1974 left a lot to be desired on details. Might try to come up with some seat harnesses though it looks like the seating wasn't much more than a lawn chair based on what was provided. There's not many interior pictures of one of these as you might guess. I guess that leaves an open license to improvise! Gotta remember too, The GO244 started life as a glider so there probably was not to much added due to weight limitations.

By the way, have I ever mentioned how much I despise masking windows and canopies...

Here's the back end with flooring inserted. The model I am building operated in Crete and North Africa. Dust will be a key part of final weathering.


Here's what the loader might have typically have seen, other than the yellow masks across the canopy. Yes, wings and booms are attached now. Filler for seams comes next in the assembly.


Had a break today after filling the wing seams so I felt a little Kubel was needed:


I did say "little Kubel", right? Just for giggles, here is the 1/72 Kubelwagen posing with one of the wheels from my not quite finished 1/6 Schwimwagen. Same wheels were also on the Kubels too.


That's it for today. Thanks for stopping by. Rick

[Rick]

Almost forgot, here's how she sits today. Big wingspan, short stubby fuselage, underpowered engines.

[wbill76]

Nice work on the flying crate there Rick, I hear you on the masking, a necessary evil with something like this!

[deafpanzer]

WHOA! That 1/6 wheel is HUGE! Wingy thing looks so ready for the paint job! Nice work on the interior!

[venom1]

Looking good Rick! The level of detail (or lack thereof!) certainly shows up the age of the kit, doesn't it?

I don't think you are alone when you talk of your "love" of masking. All us wingyists feel your pain, mate!!

Cheers,

Sam

[thug626]

It's been a bit since i've popped in. You are certainly breathing life back into this old kit. Your work here is most impressive.
This wingy beastie looks to be about two steps away from a glider.

Dave

[Rick]

Dave, you're closer to that than you might realize. Two motors and two skids instead of wheels and you've got a glider. Only reason I did the powered version is because the skid supports were damaged on the sprue. I appreciate your comments. Rick

[Rick]

Latest progress on the Gotha. Sprayed camo Friday and Saturday. Worked on the Kubelwagen as well. Trying to wrap this one up this week if possible. Would like to take it to an IPMS show next weekend if I can get it done. Next step is to get some gloss on it and add decals. Just a few parts left add once decals are in place so I'm on the home stretch now. Here's the latest progress pics:

Front and rear views. Canopy still has it's masks on it. First time I've added the canopy in order to paint it. Given my history of painting canopies, I'll have toys and fingers crossed there will be no ugly surprises when the masks come off. Windows still have the mask film covering them. Not very happy with the fit of the windows, but it is a very old kit. Trying to decide how to best try to fill some gaps. It didn't look to bad until the paint was done.







Here's our cargo package. The kubel is ready for markings and they general dust and grunge. No windshield was included so I will cut one from clear plastic. It will have Afrika Corp markings as this plane helped support Crete and North Africa campaigns.



That's it for now. Next pics I hope will be the completed build. Thanks for checking in. Rick

[deafpanzer]

Dig the camo!!!! More please...

[wbill76]

Nice progress with the camo pattern Rick and the little Kubel looks right at home in the rear. I hear you on the paint-revealing headaches that happen at times, been there and done that many times.

[thug626]

Hello RIck,
What? You despise masking dozens of window glazings? How can it be?
Yeah! I do feel your pain on that.
As to the paint revealing oopsies...... Anybody who's built wingy thingies has encountered this at one time or another. A trick I have had luck with, mind you it takes patience, is to carefully lay in some white glue into the offending gaps. What I'll do is spin a Q-tip in my fingers to tighten the cotton head on it (you'll know if you're going the wrong way.....it will start to look all unraveled...like a troll doll hairdo), wet the head with water. I'll dip a toothpick in the white glue, getting a drop (not too big of a drop) on the end and, run it along the gap. Using your wet Q-tip, carefully wipe up the excess that ends up outside the gap. Let this dry. This is where the whole patience thing comes into play. When it's dry, if the gap is sizable, there may still be a bit to fill in, as the glue will shrink. Fill in the remaining bit as before.

Dave

[Rick]

Thanks for the tips Dave. Sounds like a worthwhile approach. I'll give it a shot Rick.

[Deleted]

Nice mottle effect on the fuselage Rick, she'll look very nice when you've finished tidying up 

[Rick]

"And That's a Wrap!!!" Finished up last Friday morning early. Friday night headed to the IPMS show in Little Rock were she landed a solid silver. Overall I'm pleased with the outcome. For an almost 40 year old kit, I was honestly surprised how well it went together. Window and canopy fit are this girl's major shortcomings in the fit category. I used model master enamels throughout and weathered with AK washes and artists oils. Dust was applied using Tamiya weathering powders as was the exhaust stains. Chipping was done with alclad iron on the landing gear and model master aluminum on the nacelles. Since this aircraft began life as a glider, to reduce weight the fuselage was doped canvas over a metal frame and the wings were wood. Hence, chipping was limited only to the nacelles and landing gear.  Here's a couple pics. I'll start a new one with her final portraits over in the gallery. Thanks to everyone for stopping by for a look-see and also for the encouragement and comments along the way.

Rick

[deafpanzer]

CONGRATS!!! No matter how old kits can be its all about us modelers turning old kits into award winning builds. Beautiful build... again I like the yellow tail!

[wbill76]

Nice one Rick, enjoyed watching this come together even with the fight it gave you along the way.

[Rick]

Thanks for the comments and kind words gents. I enjoyed this one I think mainly because the subject was a bit different than the typical. That and first shot at German mottled camo so I learned a few more tricks along the way. Appreciate everyone for looking in along the way.
Rick

[DeafStuG]

Cool, Excellent ! Rick, I enjoyed  read on this topic. Thumb up ! 

[Leon]

Rick,Fantastic finish on the old kit and congrats on the silver .Well done Sir.

[fightnjoe]

fantastic work all the way through.



joe

[thug626]

Catching up on builds this morning and, was reminded of this "almost a glider" build. A very nice finish Rick and, congratulations on the Silver.
Dave