Dr. Cranky

I hope you don't mind that I post a picture of your great build here, Jim. Just goes to show that there are infinite ways for having fun with this kit. Boy, if Revell paid me a dollar for every time I praised their 49 Merc, I'd be able to take everyone out for a scrapple sandwich.

Stuka on wheels! Yes, watch out! Next up is the display base, some salt flat dust.

Thanks, Jim. I appreciate it. Your yellow Salt Flats Merc has always been an inspiration.

All together now:

And introducing the: LUFTWAFFE 49 MERC:

All right, after a long battle with the flu/pollen/virus/bug/thing, I am done with these two Mercs. Yes, I am a Merc-A-Holic! You can be a Merc-A-Holic too! Introducing: SALT LICKER GEARHEAD/CRANKHEAD 49 Merc:

We are done with this one too. Check out the finished pictures in UNDER GLASS. Thank you.

Okay, I think I am done with this one. Check out the pictures in UNDER GLASS!

I sure am, Bob, I am a Merc-A-Holic! LOL!

Great details throughout. Waiting to see it with the painted body.

I'm really interested in your methods for thinning and using the Folk Art paints. You are one of the first builders I see get excellent results with them.

Thanks, Michael. I think Donn would be the first to say that the mixing of cheap lacquer and enamels is an old trick the real car painters have been using, but I call it the Donn Yost method because Donn was able to put it all together in a DVD on how to paint shiny car models, show quality models, using enamels. Donn's method, as he explains it in his DVD, is not just using cheap lacquer thinner. There are other important aspects to it like the way he actually applies the paint without stopping.

Yes, that's what I mean. Well, that's just a small part of his method.

Oh yeah, looking forward to seeing this one in paint. Great added details.

We are spending quite a bit of time gathering and applying decals and doing some of the finishing touches on the body. Stay tuned in for more.

A few more shots: The best part of working with enamels using Donn Yost's method is that you have to wait less time so a complicated paint job like this will not take weeks to finish.

Here is the result of a couple of days of having fun with enamels: One buddy on YOUTUBE mentioned adding a siren to the roof, so I scratch-built one just for fun . . . There's something beautiful about military colors, in particular with German and American planes.

Next we turned out attention to the paint. I used the color chart from the Stuka kit and went with enamels all the way on this one: You can have a relaxing time doing this kind of random camo pattern with tape.

Here are a few more shots of the naked styrene: Building like this is about as much fun as you can have building models.

I've always love those big WWII airplanes, and probably my favorite of all time was the bomber Junker Stuka. I had built a couple of planes in my time, but wanted to do a car this time, so one thing led to another and we immediately succumbed to the charm of the 49 Merc, another Salt Flats vehicle, this one with a bit of attitude. I started to rob some parts I liked from a Hasegawa 1/32nd scale Stuka, and I transfered them to the right places on the Merc: Scratch-built some rear wing spoiler thingies . . . why not? Added the landing wheel covers from the Stuka and used them as skirts.

I don't know about building with my eyes closed, but I probably no longer need the instructions. LOL.

Thanks, everyone. I really appreciate the kind words. By now you are way tired of hearing me say it, but the 49 Merc is the kind of kit EVERYONE has to build at least once. All that's missing now are the lake pipes and this one is as good as finished.

Here are a few more pictures before this one gets finished:

The vehicle is coming together nicely:

This kit goes together very well. After a great deal of time and effort, these are the last three elements of this build left to put together: