Suit Details
Unit Name: FNS465-Krachenvogel
Unit Type: Recon Drone
Operator: Shutoral Forces
Accommodation: None (automated drone)
Operational History: The Neuspotter NS465 had proved itself as a good scouting system and was superior in the field to other systems. The Shutoral Forces adapted this system for use in surprise attacks by mounting six semihoming missle launchers, a scouting radar and a large jamming plate in place of the usual equipment. Later other equipments was tried, with FNS465B-U2 having four large launchers and NS465B-U3 having eight Neupanzerfausts.
Unit Build
This is a rarity in the Ma.K. world because the story is that some parts of the mould were damaged and it has not been possible to re-release the model. I acquired this one as part of a job lot of 12 models when I first got interested in Ma.K. many years ago. Unfortunately it had a number of parts missing, and being a rare kit I was reluctant to start it.
What was missing was: the main round support from the bottom ball to the head, the front sensor on the head, a hatch cover from the top of the head, some of the springs and wires. However, it did have the essential parts such as the rockets and the brass tube to make the rocket holders.
I recently got some odds and ends of tubing and decided that now would be a good time to build this model.
29th November 2005-Assembly
The main upright was replaced with a brass rod, using a Neuspotter kit to get the right length. A smaller round piece on the front has been replaced with a piece of thick wire. The original was attached the main upright but I have run mine slightly separate because I though it looked better.
Some odds and ends of Wave Option Parts have been used to busy up the front of the head, and more will be added where necessary to busy it up.
The front sensor is still missing but I've now managed to make a Milliput mould from a Neuspotter one although I have only got the mould done so far and not the piece itself. The top hatch can't be seen in these pictures but was replaced with thin plastic and some Wave bolt-heads to make it appear to be a bolted down hatch. A hole has been drilled in the bottom and a piece of plastic tube put into place to accept a length of clear rod on which the model will eventually sit, to make it appear to be hovering.
The rocket tubes are brass, as is the large piece which sticks out on the right of the fourth picture, with the other part being etched. So this is a real mulit-media kit.
Still got to finish assembly and make the additional replacement parts. Colour scheme also to be decided.
5th December 2005-Painting
This is coming together quickly and hopefully wont be too much longer before it's completed. Few frustrating things though. The fragile looking structures which hold the rocker tubes to the upright are very fragile and I've damaged them a couple of times just moving them. This is worse because the polycaps that would have been with a new kit were missing. To get round this I filled the pocket with Milliput and drilled out a hole instead. The piece which was missing from the front sensor has now been replicated in Milliput as well.
Before painting I considered the "official" colour schemes which come with the kit. But none particularly appealed, so I decided to go with my own.
Painting was pretty smooth. Had to go over a couple of bits again with the dark green when the airbrush coughed but that didn't take much effort.
Have since given the model a coat of Future (aka Klear) so it is gloss coated and ready for decals. Still have to add the decals and do an oil wash.
5th December 2005-Decals and Finishing
Having got this one pretty much to completion it hasn't taken too long to get it finished. The decals were added from the original kit. These are pretty old now and getting them off their backing paper took some doing. However, once they were in place and allowed to settle in they worked out fine. I deliberately kept the decals to a minimum of this one. The only additional one is the girlie decal which comes from Starship Modeler's "cheesecake" decals. One they decals were all on a second coat of Klear was applied.
A wash of oil paint diluted with white spirit was applied into the nooks and crannies to make the detail pop out. Finally a coat of Klear with about 20% Tamiya Base was applied to give a matt finish.
The base was made from a standard wooden base with a circle of textured plastic added to it. A mould of this was made in silicon rubber and then it was cast up in resin. This is so I can use the same base for all the suit models I'm going to do. The Kranchenvogel was mounted on a short piece of clear acrylic rod to try to replicate it hovering. A couple of detail items will be added from Verlinden Productions but I wasn't quite happy with them and so did not put them in for the photos.
And that is about it for this one.
