Posting on My Forgotten Hobby III how I am progressing from day to day is the only way I have found to get going with building my collection of model kits before I get to be 100…

These are once again the complete instructions downloaded from Scalemates.

1012792-25-instructions

There are 116 steps and more than 300 parts in this kit.

Yesterday morning Steps 1 to 7 have been completed without any problems. I have learned by now to follow the instructions to the letter… A18, C13, A10, A19…

I have started using Tamiya extra-thin cement I bought a few months ago.

However I will have to figure out how to use it more carefully…

When I reach step 17, I will take Plane Dave’s advice installing the pilot’s seat after the rudder bars and the pedals.

Although maybe a few beefs with the instructions (seriously, they would have you attach the pilot’s seat then build and place the rudder bars and pedals that go under the seat. (?) Or you could improvise and build/attach the rudder controls, then glue the seat down over them… (!))

We’ll see what happens when I reach step 17, but before there are the these steps I will have to tackle with…

This is what Plane Dave had to say about ICM He 111H-3 with useful advice. The bold is mine.

I’ll say “wow”, but in a somewhat different sense than the pure joy I got from Tamiya’s latest.

ICM is a Ukrainian company that has staked their claim on German bombers. As is common with Eastern European model companies (ICM and Eduard especially) the complexity is dazzling.

There are many steps and parts involved in building interior detail, bomb bay and engines.

The quality of the engineering is excellent and I have no major complaints about detail or fit.

Although maybe a few beefs with the instructions (seriously, they would have you attach the pilot’s seat then build and place the rudder bars and pedals that go under the seat. (?) Or you could improvise and build/attach the rudder controls, then glue the seat down over them… (!))

COMPLAINT

My biggest complaint is a number of fragile assemblies that really do need to be put in place early (like guns and pilot’s station) then handled very delicately for the next several weeks of work!

Also, speaking as someone who is most interested in air frames, markings and colors I’m not really very interested in the engine and bomb bay details. Fortunately, it’s not a big thing to skip or work around those assemblies. Maybe on a later build I’ll choose to expose some of that, but for now I sure end up with a lot of unused plastic!

I do want to emphasize these are not BIG complaints! This is truly a beautiful kit and I am impressed with ICM as a modern provider of some bigger subjects. It is to their credit that my complaints are really only in comparison to the very best of the best.

DECALS

They are very thin! (modelers will know this is a mixed blessing, they meld into the finish better but are fragile and harder to work with).

They also seem to need a lot of time soaking in water before they are ready to work.

But over all, seriously no big problems. I was greatly pleased and relieved.

CONCLUSION
So in total a very satisfying kit that builds into an excellent model. A few somewhat unpleasant quirks but no big deal. I will happily work with this company again.

https://planedave.net/2020/04/17/heinkel-he-111h-3/