One great thing about the Falke and the Ma.k Universe is that, ‘anything goes’. So, for me, there is no wrong way to do things. In this section I will be showing you how I detailed the Falke to my kind of style (or noob detailing on what-ifs)
DETAILING: THE LEFT BOOM POD
On the left boom of the Falke, there is a piece of shaped plastic or pod which looked very bland. I believe it’s used to house some sensors within and therefore, like the real World, its access panel needs to be opened and the instruments inside serviced often. So, it’s time to start scribing some new panels and lines!
Using the Dymo tapes as guides, I scribed a new curved ‘panel’ for the pod using a metal pencil scriber. Next, I enlarged and deepened the line further with an acrylic scriber (yellow) and for the corners, a John Vojtech’s UMM-02 micro-scriber.Using a scribing template, I created a square panel with round corners for the front of the pod. Once the lines are deep enough, I used a 1200 grit sandpaper to remove the raised edges and the few drops of thin cement to melt away any stray cuts and makes the walls in the trenches more pronounced.Tools of the trade (details of the scribe intentionally highlighted with Tamiya Panel Line Brown to show the effects): Scribing template Acrylic scriber John Vojtech SCR-02 micro scriber Metal scriber DYMO tape, and Sandpaper
DETAILING: MAKING RIVETS
The Falke is based on a 1/32 scale WW II aircraft namely the P-38 Lightning, and so, like all aircrafts, it is riveted together. There are certain areas of the model which either does not have the rivets or if there is, had very soft details on them. What is needed now is a small round cookie cutter/marking tool which is almost the size of the original rivets. Which is a good excuse as any to use my new tool; a stainless steel hypodermic syringe needle I picked at a Pharmacy. But just like any real aircraft, it would also have stress skin, something which is beyond me.
First you need to remove the sharp point of the needle and to do that, I grinded it away. This will leave a nice cut and also, by turning the cut edge around on the grinder, I got a sharp cookie cutter…How it’s done Holding the other end of the needle, I pressed firmly onto the plastic piece to make sure it does not slip. Using the thumb and second finger, I swung the needle a few rounds, but pivoting on one spot until I got a nice deep circle.In some cases where the surface is curved, I would rest the part on some object so that the rivet cut would be perpendicular. Yeah, this detail cannot be seen but I just want to try. Do not use too much downward force on the needle as it can bend easily.Here is the result of the rivets. I used Tamiya Panel Line Brown to highlight and show you the new details.
In the end, I added a lot more rivets, especially to the rear of the Falke and redid some original rivets which has soft details.
PREPARING THE STAND
Earlier, on, I was quite undecided on how to display the Falke. The original concept was to place the Falke in a diorama as if it is being tested on its engines. However, to do this, I would require more 1/20 figures and accessories, plus a large base. At this point in time, I do not have all of them. The best option would be to mount the model on a stand first. I can look for a suitable base later.
I have successfully used CCTV camera stands on other models before and I loved them as they are quick to mount/dismount. It allows me to place the models at any angle too. The only shortfall was that the screw was never hollow which means I could not pass any power cables through. I also liked the idea of using those 5-pin DIN connectors but they have a severe drawback of being too big and I don’t have anything to hold them in place. Most important of all, they are NOT bendable. Any twist to the model might mean the pins bending out of shape as well. I suppose they are great for larger models but then again, I have never built any flying vehicle over two feet long.
Drill out a small hole on the Falke’s middle anti-gravity spherical pod. Using a modeler’s reamer (aka Widow Maker for mine), widen it to ¼” or about 6.3mm. This so that the DSLR or CCTV mounting screw can pass through snugly. I learnt that these screws have a specific thread size (1/4-20 UNC threads) which means it is 1/4″ wide (6.35mm) with a 20 threads per inch.Loosely bolt the screw to the 1/4-20 UNC thread nut (this means 20 thread to the inch). Before I start to mix the epoxy, I need to clean the area and degrease it. This will give a better surface grip. The Epoxy I used was JB Weld.Fill the area with JB Weld so that the nut is secure. You might want to remove the mounting screw before the epoxy dries completely, or you’re in big trouble. Luckily I did that about 6 hours in while the soft epoxy is still curing.I do not have an earlier photo but here is the Falke mounted onto a pre-painted CCTV stand. The electronics you see are further up in the series. I used Krylon Fusion Satin Black for the stand and the Fusion series has primer mixed in, which is great for plastics.
DETAILING: WINDOWS ON THE HATCH
When I first saw the model, I was curious about how the Pilot would be able to see if, for some reasons, his visor stopped working or when the craft has lost partial power, etc. With no windows nor any backup visual ports, piloting the Falke at any time and especially during a battle could be fatal. So, I decided to give the Falke some visual backup in the form of… windows!
The design of the windows must allow the Pilot side and front views. I wanted to make the front view longer but the parts inside the hatch is obstructing it. I used DYMO tape as template for the scriber to make an outline before cutting the actual holes.Originally, I wanted to use a clear plastic spoon to replace the hatch but the ones I have found does not have the right curvature. And I did not have any facility for vac-form from the original. Through trial and error, I managed to cut out the curved parts of the spoon to fit into the original hatch instead.
After cutting the DYMO tape into shape and positioned it, I used a scriber to mark the outline. I did this by first using the metal pencil scriber to outline the basic shape before deepening the lines with a John Vojtech SCR-02 scriberThe rotary saw then made quick work of the basic shape. Slowly, using a sharp scalpel, I cleaned the windows as best as I can. You can see the Pilot’s helmet from here. To be more precise, I originally wanted to cut the windows below the hatch’s separation line. Unfortunately, this would mean lowering or removing the instrument cluster and the two side panels which for the poor Pilot, he would need to keep his elbows to himself.Here is the cutout pattern of the windows for the hatch. I sprayed both the hatch and the Falke’s interior with Mr. Color #116 RLM66 Black Gray. The windows did not obstruct the hatch’s upper piece nor the pilot. Maybe the next time, I would be braver and make a larger cut out…Using the hatch as template, I cut out some larger versions of the clear pieces and slowly sanded them to the right fitting.Using the cut hatch as template, I marked out the best curves for the clear pieces to be cut. Although it is not perfect, it more or less does the job. I quickly realised that this is a very bad idea. The cut out piece was very difficult to conform and also, if I melted it slightly, the warpage would distort the clear part until it looked like a toy piece when you try t view through it.After some trial and error, it was best to select the best curved area of the spoon and trim it to fit. Building the windows to follow the spoon’s curvature is much more difficult.
Some parts do not conform to the curves of the hatch so I need to get the best fit. When you use thin cement, make sure the masking tape is not there. The cement will get in and graze the surface under the masking tape including the clear piece. I’ll show you that mistake later on.Once the clear pieces are done, carefully mark the line where you need to remove the bottom part of the clear pieces.
Lastly, using a manicure sanding stick and Tamiya rubbing compounds, I did my best to polish the clear piece off its accidental scratches and cement marks.This is the the part where the thin cement went into the masking tape and grazed the plastic. I should have used normal cement, maybe. Using white glue or anything similar might solve the problem but they would come off if I moved the hatch too often. So, using Tamiya Rubbing compound, this was the best result I could get. I do not want it too perfect since the Falke is supposed to suffer a lot from battle damage.Windows on the Falke’s cockpit is now a reality!Once the lighting is in place, you can see some details. Although the clear parts are not a perfect fit, I am still quite happy. At least the Pilot can now peep out of his Falke. But I would stop at making window wipers and bird droppings.
THE ESCAPE HATCH
I was wondering if anyone would rescue or recover the Falke once it is down. So, it’s time to create some form of escape or rescue mechanism for the hatch. This is so that the Search and Rescue can quickly release the hatch to get to the Pilot.
Using the scribing template, I scribed a detailed escape triangular hatch mechanism for the rear of the hatch. Someone might want to rescue the Pilot and need to open the hatch, right?RIGHT This is the detail for the hatch’s rescue/release mechanism.Another shot, this time it is highlighted with Tamiya Panel Line Dark Brown to show you extra details I have added.The Hatch is finally done and once it is cleaned up further, it would look OK. As this is clear plastic from the spoon, the think cement might not work too well to smoothen the details.LEFT At this the critical time I realized that Mr. Tool Cleaner was too strong, not only in removing paints but also melting plastic! All the details are now spoilt!
MIDDLE I lightly sanded the surface again to remove some of the ‘damage’ but not completely. Only the basic lines of the original shape were still there
RIGHT I re-scribed the details in. It not only looked very rough and uneven, which is great because now I have excuse to give it a rusted look! Unfortunately, in the later painting stages, I total forgot to place some ‘RESCUE’ decals on the hatch….
LIGHTING THE HATCH
The next part to detailing is lighting the hatch. At first, I did not want to light it up (which after all the modifications with the windows, I was right) as it is a moving part. When it comes to model lighting, it is quite risky when the part moves. But the more I think about it, and with the plastic details in it, I decided to throw caution to the wind.
LEFT Slowly using the same drill bit, drill about 2~3mm into the 2mm x 5mm x 7mm reddish orange rectangular LED’s clear resin. This is how I will mount the two 0.76mm fibre-optics into the LED. The holes would be used to hold the fibre-optics (edit: during this time in 2016, I do not have UV Clear glue until much later).
RIGHT Again, using the same HSS Drill, I made two holes on the twin ends of the plastic part. This will be where the fibre-optic would be. The HSS Carbide drill bits are brittle but sharp so I have to drill them very carefully without bending the bit.Do not drill too deep into the LED’slens or the fibre-optics will not pick up the light effectively. Then, I stuffed some Aves Apoxy to the empty space (yellow lines) between the LED to keep it from moving and spreading the light too much.LEFT So, I now have a nice directed orange glow inside under the hatch.
MIDDLE A clearer shot on how I bent the LED legs and inserted the whole assembly in there. It is also function as a lock to the part.
RIGHT The Aves Apoxy used to fill the empty space.LEFT Using styrene scraps, I made some rectangle indicators, and other details. I also added some round PE grilles as vents (arrow) on the sides. The red/black wires were soldered to the reddish orange 2mmx5mmx7mm LED.
RIGHT The hatch’s release mechanism’s pull handle is some wire with white sleeve. The part was drilled, the wire slipped inside and then bent to lock into place. Some white glue was used too.So, this is how the two orange dots would look like from outside the hatch. I was just a whimsy idea and I do not know its function, maybe as some form of targeting scanner? Thank goodness the Pilot could still peep thorough. Barely.The hatch is connected to a small hinge which swivels up and down and is very loose. This is a last minute fix is where I soldered a resistor right in the hinge. This caused the wires to bunch up every time the hatch is closed. Later, I soldered the resistor deeper into the model but the damage to the wires were done and the hatch cannot close properly without leaving gaps. The problem could be solved with some small neodymium magnets which I do not have.
DETAILING: AIR INTAKE FINS
The Falke’s air intake looked nice and functional. Even without the hood, there is some details in case you have your own modification ideas. My guess is that this is the intake which the Falke uses for air-cooling the engine or something similar. I cannot say it’s for feeding into the engine as the twin front booms are already doing that. Sadly it’s still very bland and so, I need to have some details or some kind of filter system to keep the dusts away. Since I could not find any black mesh unless I buy a new car or military model kit, these scrap plastic styrene would have to do.
The aim is to cut the strips into place and glue them vertically. I realized there is no support to the underside of the air intake, and so, I made a horizontal strip as the base to hold the rest of the fins together. I wanted a thinner strip but this is the best I can do for the moment. But do note how I placed the horizontal strip slightly back so that it does not block the raised detail molded on the Falke.The new fin details with intentional odd spacing in place. It cannot be perfect but has some damage or looks as if it has been repaired. I wanted thinner plastic but I could not get them from where I was at that time.
