Small Wonder Models
@smallwondermark.bsky.social
Model maker and lover of all things miniature. Avid watcher of anime and it shows in my work! Pursuing a post-carbon life & very anti-fascist in outlook. (I only post hobby-related stuff.)
Gouging out the plastic from inside the wings of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS to fit the Eduard photoetch flaps. I am using a power tool for this. One wing done.
December 22, 2025 at 1:55 PM
Gouging out the plastic from inside the wings of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS to fit the Eduard photoetch flaps. I am using a power tool for this. One wing done.
Starting the fit of the Eduard photoetch flaps for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. I have finished the Armory resin engine pods but cannot recommend them as they fit very poorly against the kit. If doing this again I would use kit parts with Eduard photetch.
December 21, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Starting the fit of the Eduard photoetch flaps for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. I have finished the Armory resin engine pods but cannot recommend them as they fit very poorly against the kit. If doing this again I would use kit parts with Eduard photetch.
Having joined together the halves of the resin Armory engine pod set for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS I still had force the front together. It was impossible so I had to cut the fronts off, reshape them, then super glue back into place. It won't be as strong but I had no choice. Dreadful.
December 20, 2025 at 2:30 PM
Having joined together the halves of the resin Armory engine pod set for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS I still had force the front together. It was impossible so I had to cut the fronts off, reshape them, then super glue back into place. It won't be as strong but I had no choice. Dreadful.
Yesterday I finally joined up the resin halves of the Armory engine pods for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. Massive gap at the front due to warpage. So I poured in 5 minute epoxy for strength because I might have to force the sides together so didn't want the back popping open.
December 20, 2025 at 2:26 PM
Yesterday I finally joined up the resin halves of the Armory engine pods for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. Massive gap at the front due to warpage. So I poured in 5 minute epoxy for strength because I might have to force the sides together so didn't want the back popping open.
A pin wash of black and grey/green is enough to make the interior of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS come alive.
December 18, 2025 at 2:41 PM
A pin wash of black and grey/green is enough to make the interior of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS come alive.
I temporarily taped together the fuselage halves of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS in order to fit the last few cockpit items. She just about fits together although all that photoetch inside makes it a tight squeeze. It may need a little shimming here and there.
December 16, 2025 at 4:51 PM
I temporarily taped together the fuselage halves of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS in order to fit the last few cockpit items. She just about fits together although all that photoetch inside makes it a tight squeeze. It may need a little shimming here and there.
Applying a few interior placards from decals around the undercarriage, cockpit and engines to the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. I will seal with Klear before pin-washing.
December 15, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Applying a few interior placards from decals around the undercarriage, cockpit and engines to the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. I will seal with Klear before pin-washing.
I think the trick to assembling colour printed photoetch cockpit details is endless patience and a spare set of the photoetch to replace all the bits that fly away during assembly. This on the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS.
December 14, 2025 at 10:24 AM
I think the trick to assembling colour printed photoetch cockpit details is endless patience and a spare set of the photoetch to replace all the bits that fly away during assembly. This on the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS.
A whole lot of stuff flowing through the spray booth this afternoon for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. I was going to do more assembly at this point but found there was a heck of a load of stuff yet unpainted. Mind-boggling parts count.
December 13, 2025 at 2:28 PM
A whole lot of stuff flowing through the spray booth this afternoon for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS. I was going to do more assembly at this point but found there was a heck of a load of stuff yet unpainted. Mind-boggling parts count.
Practically everything from the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS is now back in the spray booth for a shot of Klear. Next we start detail painting, applying colour printed photoetch and a few decals for placards. I will also start on fitting the Eduard photoetch flaps.
December 11, 2025 at 2:42 PM
Practically everything from the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2VS is now back in the spray booth for a shot of Klear. Next we start detail painting, applying colour printed photoetch and a few decals for placards. I will also start on fitting the Eduard photoetch flaps.
After pulling my hair out I managed (by some miracle) to shoe-horn together the kit engines from the Xuntong 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2VS. I got nearly all the kit pieces in but some of Eduard's photoetch was simply too impractical to fit.
December 10, 2025 at 4:17 PM
After pulling my hair out I managed (by some miracle) to shoe-horn together the kit engines from the Xuntong 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2VS. I got nearly all the kit pieces in but some of Eduard's photoetch was simply too impractical to fit.
Gluing together the kit engines from the Xuntong 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2VS. It's a slow process due to the very limited joining surfaces and poor fit. You have to ensure a good strong bond before proceeding to the next step.
December 6, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Gluing together the kit engines from the Xuntong 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2VS. It's a slow process due to the very limited joining surfaces and poor fit. You have to ensure a good strong bond before proceeding to the next step.
Various engine components from the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 flowing through the spray booth yesterday.
December 1, 2025 at 9:59 AM
Various engine components from the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 flowing through the spray booth yesterday.
A big session in the spray booth with so many components to the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. Either blue for the engines or the A-14 Grey for almost everything inside the interior.
November 25, 2025 at 1:59 PM
A big session in the spray booth with so many components to the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. Either blue for the engines or the A-14 Grey for almost everything inside the interior.
This weekend we finally broke out the airbrush to start painting the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 starting with black primer for the interiors. Items destined for a metallic finish got a coat of Humbrol Gloss Black.
November 23, 2025 at 9:59 AM
This weekend we finally broke out the airbrush to start painting the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 starting with black primer for the interiors. Items destined for a metallic finish got a coat of Humbrol Gloss Black.
Lines and lines of components from my build of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 all mounted onto cocktail sticks with blobs of PVA glue. Nice to finally move on into the painting phase, even if it is just the interiors.
November 18, 2025 at 4:48 PM
Lines and lines of components from my build of the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 all mounted onto cocktail sticks with blobs of PVA glue. Nice to finally move on into the painting phase, even if it is just the interiors.
Completed assembly of the second engine mount in the Armory resin engine pods for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. Extremely tricky. You just get to a point where you have to glue it together and hope for the best as it is impossible to dry fit the whole thing. Too much warpage of the resin.
November 16, 2025 at 10:48 AM
Completed assembly of the second engine mount in the Armory resin engine pods for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. Extremely tricky. You just get to a point where you have to glue it together and hope for the best as it is impossible to dry fit the whole thing. Too much warpage of the resin.
After what seemed like hours of butchery I finally shoehorned in the Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 engine mounts onto the resin firewall supplied by the Armory engine pod kit. I have no real idea if the engines are going to end up in the correct position vertically or horizontally as this is a bastardisation
November 15, 2025 at 10:54 AM
After what seemed like hours of butchery I finally shoehorned in the Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 engine mounts onto the resin firewall supplied by the Armory engine pod kit. I have no real idea if the engines are going to end up in the correct position vertically or horizontally as this is a bastardisation
Applying the photoetch inner straps to the engine cowling on the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. These are from the Eduard set. This took a surprisingly long time!
November 13, 2025 at 3:37 PM
Applying the photoetch inner straps to the engine cowling on the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. These are from the Eduard set. This took a surprisingly long time!
After a week's work carefully sanding down the Armory resin engine cowls I got them to be thin enough to fit around the engines. These for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. I sanded the undetailed insides by rubbing over a 25mm dia rod covered in sand paper stuck down with double-sided tape.
November 13, 2025 at 2:17 PM
After a week's work carefully sanding down the Armory resin engine cowls I got them to be thin enough to fit around the engines. These for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. I sanded the undetailed insides by rubbing over a 25mm dia rod covered in sand paper stuck down with double-sided tape.
The resin engine covers for the Armory engine pod set for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 are way too thick so I am thinning them down. On the right: the before/on the left: the after. Difficult and it is too easy to over-thin as I have already done.
November 9, 2025 at 3:23 PM
The resin engine covers for the Armory engine pod set for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2 are way too thick so I am thinning them down. On the right: the before/on the left: the after. Difficult and it is too easy to over-thin as I have already done.
Applying the Eduard photoetch rocker covers to the cylinder heads on the Xuntong engines for their 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2. I filed the originals down a long way but my dry fitting suggests the finished engines will not fit inside the Armory covers. They are way too thick for the scale.
November 6, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Applying the Eduard photoetch rocker covers to the cylinder heads on the Xuntong engines for their 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2. I filed the originals down a long way but my dry fitting suggests the finished engines will not fit inside the Armory covers. They are way too thick for the scale.
Xuntong were ambitious with these detailed engines on their 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2 but poor fit really lets it all down. You need to be experienced and extremely patient to get these together. Even so I find it tiring!
November 2, 2025 at 3:24 PM
Xuntong were ambitious with these detailed engines on their 1/48th scale Tupolev Tu-2 but poor fit really lets it all down. You need to be experienced and extremely patient to get these together. Even so I find it tiring!
Slowly crawling along through the engine-build on the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. Lots of parts. Very fiddly. Poor fit. I find that some of the Eduard photoetch & Quickboost resin is not suitable for this version of the kit. Frustrating. Some tough calls here on subassembly breakdown.
November 1, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Slowly crawling along through the engine-build on the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2. Lots of parts. Very fiddly. Poor fit. I find that some of the Eduard photoetch & Quickboost resin is not suitable for this version of the kit. Frustrating. Some tough calls here on subassembly breakdown.
Armory neglected to include the engine mount holes in their resin undercarriage pod bulkhead. So I took the kit bulkhead and carefully cut it to be used as a template then drilled the holes. This for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2.
October 29, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Armory neglected to include the engine mount holes in their resin undercarriage pod bulkhead. So I took the kit bulkhead and carefully cut it to be used as a template then drilled the holes. This for the 1/48th scale Xuntong Tupolev Tu-2.