The Nixe is a PKA based on the combination of a Fliege and a Gustav. Basically a Melusine with a Fliege window. The design fist officially appeared in the MaK Modeling Manual. The initial build by "Drunk Dog" is modeled after a Kow sketch. Drunk Dog released a limited run full resin kit in. I had enough parts in the spares bin to scratch build one. The model is built from a resin Melusine torso, a Nitto Gustav, and an old Fliege.
The detail bits are from the spares box. The model was painted with Tamiya acrylics and weathered with oil paints and MIG products. The groundwork is misc. rocks held with Acrylic Gel, painted with acrylics and weathered with oil paints and pigments.
Below is the build diary for the Nixe
I did have to sacrifice a good Fliege kit for the canopy though. The Melusine torso is one I had cast off the MoKa Melusine and has been sitting waiting for a project for years. It was full of pin holes and was a rather poor cast, so most of the work has been filling pin holes and then refilling them again.
The box exhaust cover is a model RR part the good Dr. was able to ID and find in Japan. After I glued it all in place I realized it should be recessed further but at this point I'm calling it good.
Most parts have been textured and primed. The resin bits have been textured and primed with Mr Surfacer 500 and the styrene bits have been textured with liquid cement and primed with Tamiya Gray Primer from a spray can. The joint covers have been sculpted with Milliput Epoxy Putty. The pilot is cobbled together from a couple of different pieces.
The Nixe has been based coated with Tamiya Black and clouds of Flat Brown and Hull Red. These areas will show through with the chipped effects from the Hairspray Method. The camo colors are a custom mix of Tamiya Acrylics. The chips were applied with the hairspray method. The HS method is basically; coat the base color with hairspray, wait until dry, paint the color coat over the HS, wait until dry, use a brush and water to scrub at the top color which causes the HS underneath to soften which can be scraped and rubbed off to create the chipped paint effect.
Weathering began with a couple of sprays of Testors Dull Coat. I swore I would never use the stuff again, but it was cheep and quick and the weather was only allowing me a quick dash outside with the rattle can. Filters and oil paints work best on a dull surface as the pigments feather into the "tooth" of the matte finish. I used a variety of MIG Dark and Neutral washes, a few different SIN filters, and then specific applications of straight oil paints blended in with Turpenoid. The result is a nice dingy appearance ready for more weathering. The pilot was painted with Vallejo Acrylics. Because of yet another mediocre face sculpt/cast, I was only able to paint black slits for the eyes which works in this case as it looks like he is squinting from the sun. The interior padding was highlighted and shaded with oil paints as they are easier to use for large soft curves than acrylics.
I should have taken in-prog images of the display base, but the garage was a mess of x-mas decoration boxes. I did manage to clear some space and set up the photo area for an afternoon. The flat-ish pieces of concrete are pieces of red flag stone, while the red bricks are either plaster castings or bits of epoxy putty. Everything was base coated with Krylon Semi-Gloss black from a rattle can, then "highlighted" with PlastiKote Gray Primer. The whole thing was then airbrushed with Tamiya Neutral Gray and then individual pieces were picked out with Vallejo Acrylics. The structural rod was a nice find of aluminum wire I found in the crawl space under the house while re-wiring the stereo. That wire must have been there for 50 years, so it has a very nice fade and patina, I only added a wash or two to bring out details.
A few more items are needed but those won't go in until the Nixe is set and I can evaluate what empty space needs filling.
It isn't a whole lot different than the SturmFliege I built back in 2003. 2003! Really. Yikes! Time sure flies when you're geeking out over models.
