Gotha GL.VII(Av)105/18 - Bat Project

Here start my adventure with this Bat Projects kit: it is a Limited Edition with Mercedes engines, and it is a good/excellent real "old time" short run kit.
The level of details is very good, but in some area they need some "help" to pop up, as here on the top wing radiator covers: on the right I have already scribed in the opening that is still blanked off in the left one.  

This picture clearly shows why I said that is a good kit: the sidewalls are fully detailed and are really in scale thickness, to the point that they are translucent!!! 

All interiors parts are cleaned and ready for painting.
I had to check an sand numerous times the two bulkheads and the pilot floor because they were too wide 

Painting stages started: I gave a light brown-yellow coat, then some oils red brown filter 

When the oils were nearly dry, I brushed in with an old scruffy one, to simulate some veins 

After some more filtering with red brown and black oil color I call the interior detailing and painting finished: I added a pair of Eduard's seatbelts and some levers but all the rest is from the box 

Dryfitting... it looks like is gonna be a hard fight! 

desperate times call for desperate measures... 

more desperate measures... 

whoever lasts it wins! Not quite straight or square, but I cannot do it better.
I have started working on the engine nacelles, wings are cleaned and ready.  

Finally resumed this project: some time ago I airbrushed some Mr. Surfacer and today, while I am waiting for a clear coat on my FW 190A-4 to dry, I polished all the surfaces and masked all the areas previously painted in "slate grey" ( I used Mr. Hobby RLM02...), ready for a white coat and preshading to go under my Aviattic Lozenge decals 

On the fuselage all is ready for some wood imitation... 

Oils on a Tamiya Dark yellow base...
Looks like wood to me... 

I do LOVE Aviattic decals: just add (warm) water, simple as that!!! 

Getting ready for the final lozenge decals session! 

Tailplane nearly done! 

I have found another use for uniPOSCA paint marker: rib tapes!!! 

Wings ribbed!!! It took me one hour, more or less...  

This markers are great, on a glossy surface you can wipe them away with a Q-tip if or wash them away with water when dried, if needed.  

Here I have already given a clear gloss coat to protect them and getting ready for the wing crosses, last decals to go on!

I am approaching the final assembly and rigging...
 

Slowly getting its shape... 

Easy steps done, from now on it is getting serious... 

See you next year!!! 

Struts and rigging finished! Now I can start breathing again!!! 

Tomorrow will do some touch ups here and there, then small bits and next days the final challenge: the flimsy undercarriage... 

Calling this one finished!
Had to use a new different photo set up, not quite happy with the lights used.
I will do some more practice in the next days, in the meanwhile I hope you like it 

Today I was finally able to take some pictures outside: this model is quite big compared to the fighters I usually build and I don't have a proper large scenery background, so I had to crop some of the larger images.
I hope you will like them anyway!