This is my second Tamiya 1/48 Dora. This is the JV44 boxing of this kit, but I used EagleCals 1-48 to do Werner Zech's "Black 8" from JG 26. There was no way I was going to try the red bottom with white stripes that the kit decals would have required.

I don't recall any particular problems with assembly. I used the usual of Tamiya XF-63 German Grey for the RLM 66 in the cockpit and my Tamiya mix for RLM 02 in the wheel wells. For the greenish RLM 76, I used Tamiya XF-14 JA Grey. I thought it turned out well. Others have recommended XF-21 Sky, which is a bit lighter, but would have worked well also. One thing I did not do that I should have was prime. There were a few places where the JA Grey rubbed off, something I have not experienced with Tamiya flat colors before. For the RLM 82 and RLM 83 on top I used Model Master enamels.

Rather than trying to freehand the mottling, I used a technique I read about some time ago. I took a piece of a thin cardboard (from a flyer I got in the mail), punched random holes with a knife, and then used it as a mask. I put the side I had punched from against the model. I was rather pleased, especially since the method was rather painless.

The tires are Polly Scale Grimy Black, which really isn't dark enough. The propellor blades are Tamiya XF-27 Black Green, which I have also had adhesion issues with. The spinner is Tamiya X-18 Semi-Gloss Black. The guns were painted with Testors Gun Metal from the 1/4 ounce jar. Thinned a bit, it brushed very well.

I used Model Master Acryl for the first gloss coat. It went on rather well, but didn't seem too glossy, so I put on a coat of Right Step Gloss Clear. It still didn't seem that glossy, but I figured more coats wouldn't improve things. The decals went on well with Micro Set. After they were dry, I added a bit of Micro Sol in a few places. I did notice that the wing surface was still rough, even after several coats of gloss clear. I just can't seem to get smooth coats. For the final flat coat, I used Future with some Tamiya X-21 Flat Base added. It went on very well. For some reason, this mixture sprays much better than straight Future.

As is often the case with 190's, I had trouble attaching the landing gear. I always have trouble attaching the activating rod, but on this plane I even had trouble attaching the gear itself. The struts are terribly misaligned. I should have filed the square ends that insert into the bay before attaching. Also, on my next kit, I will try attaching the strut to the plane before attaching the cover to the strut. I have always attached the cover to the strut before mounting the gear, and I'm thinking it may be a bit easier to do it the other way around. The bottom photo shows the misalignment - it is quite severe.

Page last updated August 2, 2024.