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-This another of Mr Paul COUDEYRETTE model, the Monogramm 1/48 old B 58 kit, He is spenting a few holidays in Spain but he have seen your comments about his F 100, he thanks gratfully everybody for their comments on his model . Now the Hustler...... -Enjoy...

The performance properties of coatings cannot be generalised. For example lead pigmented paints darken with exposure to atmospheric sulfides. Ruths of Hamburg reported their belief that the artificial resins manufactured by W&B used sulphur in the process which was efficacious in improving their adherence to metal alloys. The use of such resins might have been catalytic to darkening paint and as a result revised pigments, intended to offset these effects, introduced. The only way to truly understand what nachdunkelnden implied would be to read the output report of the scientific analysis of the phenomenon by the paint technicians concerned which led to the change - if that has survived. It might be possible to get some clues from an understanding of the constituents of the paints concerned but even that is fraught with difficulties. Some W&B formulae have been published but that for 1942 RLM 70, for example, lists pigments only by generic colour and (presumably) a catalogue or stores number - 'Blue 1152', 'Green 719', 'Black 1297', 'Yellow 420' - with no indication as to their actual chemical composition. RLM 71 contained Chromium Yellow (a lead chromate) which does darken significantly when exposed to hydrogen sulfide in the atmosphere. Colour is only one attribute of paint coatings and there is a tendency for modellers to discuss that attribute in the one-dimensional visual terms of apparent appearance with such generalisations as 'fading', 'UV', etc., as though these were a constant. This is not surprising as the different types of damage typical of UV, light, and IR result from their different photon energies. The photochemistry that underlies much of the disintegration of materials and the production of yellow by-products typical of UV exposure requires energies greater than about 3 eV, whereas the photochemistry typical of colourant fading, as well as the operation of our retina, occurs in a range between about 2 eV and 3 eV. We are fated to see in the same band as that where sensitive colours fade or degrade, given the related photochemical phenomena. However, the constituents of the paint film, including pigment, may react to environmental or exposure factors in different and divergent ways and not always consistently. "Coatings fail because of irreversable changes which occur in the film as a result of exposure to a variety of possible stresses. The changes in a coating leading to failure are almost exclusively physical and may include phenomena such as gloss loss, colour change, dirt retention, chalking, cracking, delamination, blistering, fouling and corrosion. The stresses that give rise to failure may be large and short lived (e.g. impact) or small and long lived, often cyclic in nature. Moreover, the changes in physical properties of the coating are often a consequence of underlying chemical processes occurring in the coating." (The Chemistry and Physics of Coatings by A R Marrion (RSC 2004)) Nick

Finally got this one finished. Airfix 1/48 B-57 with a CMK cockpit and Two-Mikes corrected tail.

Well i have stepped away from my usual 1/32 comfort zone and delving into the smaller scale of 1/48 , specifically the 1/48 Testors YF-12A I bought this kit about 6 years ago and it was pretty rare then but you can not accurately turn the standard SR-71 into a YF-12A, there are too many differences in contour and shape in the forward fuselage section alone. I have to admit this it was with some reservation I broke the sealing film on the box as there is no way back then. I could hear the collectors cries from my study, I calmed myself with the knowledge I buy models to build not to horde in an impossible stash. The only extras for the kit would be the Afterburner decal sets, True Details wheels and Cockpit Set. Considering the many changes made to the airframes and the fact that many bits where removed and spurious bits added before they were taken to the museums makes fact a dubious area indeed for these planes . The plan was to lightly sand all the raised panel lines so they are not quite so pronounced, leaving just a trace of them that will show through the gloss black undercoat. From there I can spray an overall Titanium finish Tamiya X-32 then mask individual panels and alter the shades of titanium to give it some depth. the Chines will be finished in Tamiya black, German Grey and Nato black as the black surfaces didnt stay that way for long. No specific Metalizer paints, I have done quite well with the Tamiya Metallic paint in the past. From my own Titanium Bike exhausts I have had over the years I know that Titanium does not polish up like Chrome or Aluminium, It has a dull finish so I think the Metalizers would be wasted here. 2 weeks to complete, finished mid March 2013, also completed recently my A-12, http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234938133-lockheed-a-12-oxcart/ Regards Danny Attree

Pro 3532, 1/350 Vickers 0.5" Quad Machine Gun is now available, priced at £4.55 for a pack of 4 mounts. Resin castings plus PE, and the usual clear instructions by Peter Hall. Order now: https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/p/WEM+1350+Royal+Navy+Vickers+Mk3+05+Quad+Machine+Gun+x4+Pro+3532/19227/#.UZVYKcpQ2Hg

Hi all, here my Swiss Tiger in 1:48. Its from the AFV Club F-5E. Added the Aires cockpit and some PP`s by Eduard. The Decals are out of the box (be carfull with them)

Thought id upload my latest aircraft. The kit went together with no problems however the fit of the canopy caused a bit of trouble. Its not my best model but im fairly happy with it as i had a few problems with the gloss coat being a little bit patchy in some places. Painted with Tamiya Acrylics, humbrol acrylic clear sprays and weathered using humbrols new black weathering powders. Any thoughts welcome. Cheers

Lublin completed. WIP here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234937416-lublin-r-xiii-d-mirage-hobby-148/

The old Airfix Gladiator is awful, so I threw it away without putting glue to plastic. I did keep the decals and used them on the Revell Gladiator... ...and only then did someone remind me that Airfix were releasing a new tool Gladys. D'oh! And in a sudden change of direction... No it's not Barry White dressed in Evel Knievel's jumpsuit. It's a rather butch looking Melody Angel

Brilliant Idea! I will look forward to the imminent release of the Tamiya Spey Engined Toom in 1:32 that will be announced within 8 hours of you breaking the back of your build odyssey!

Hi! Here is my last build. The buils was fast forward. Almost no improvments. But the Revell model would need some extra work to stick to reality, because it lacks some details. Hope you enjoy it! Cheers Romain

Hello, here is my Copersucar Fittipaldi FD-04, GP Brazil 1977, the kit is from Iritani in scale 1/20th. John-w

Hi guys This is my Tamiya 1/35 M1A1 Abrams that I finished last week. RBM barrel replacement and picture wire to replace cables but otherwise out of the box. Finished with Vallejo acrylics, Citadel wash, Mig pigments, AK Interactive streaking washes. This was my first build using Vallejo and AK products which I am impressed with. Slightly over weathered in my eyes but happy with the results all the same. Enjoy. IMG_2957 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2961 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2955 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2967 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2969 by Snapper_city, on Flickr

Hi there, here are some pics of my recently finished Sunderland. Painted with tamiya acrylics and finished with Alclad flat, which the jury is still out on cant make my mind up if I prefer peobo which is more flat. the alclad is far easier too spray, but be warned it does react to white spirit, and i did get into a mess, and the thing still feels a bit sticky even with the final coat on. thanks to BM for helping me to sort out color issues with extra dark sea grey and dark slate grey, think i should have put the slate grey on first ??!!. Hope you like, thanks for looking.

Hi all... Just a couple of pics of my latest build, which I finished today. I got this kit a few months ago as I thought it would be a nice little kit to do, something different. At first I was only going to do the Drone, but in the end I decided to give the base and figures a go as well. Academy have an interesting way of doing the digital camo on the figures, it's all decals. It works ok, as long as you don't look too close. Anyhow, here are the details and pics: Kit: Academy RQ-7B UAV Scale: 1:35 Paint & Weathering: Brushed painted with Revell Aqua Colour, Citadel Nuln Oil Shade, Promodeller Wash Extras: None

Hi All, this is the last of my three calibration B.57's This one was the only B.57B used for the satellite trials. The kit is the Italeri 1/72 scale B strait out of the box except the markings of course! The three amigo's Thanks for looking! John

Sorry if somebody has already posted this:

A few more updates from last Sunday morning before all hell broke loose... Now the weathering needs to start once I have painted the cannons and I have brought some of the True Earth products to try out.

Taking shape Arnold

Hi guys This is my Italeri 1/48 Bell 47 that I finished earlier in the year and build oob just for a laugh. Painted using Humbrol rattle can and enamels Decals are from kit and spares box. She was going to be all over OD green but decided on this at the last minute after seeing something like it on the net. Enjoy. IMG_2976 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2975 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2974 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2972 by Snapper_city, on Flickr

T-28 Super Heavy Tank Update Set 1:35 ET Model The T-28 from Dragon is a monster kit, and includes some nice detail from the box, not to mention a LOT of wheels! This set is designed to capitalise on that detail and improve it to give a more realistic depiction of various aspects. It comprises three sheets of Photo-Etch (PE) brass, sized 14.5cm x9.5cm, 9.5cm2, and 9.5cm x 5.8cm, the square sheet being of a thicker gauge to the others. Additionally, there is a replacement mantlet for the kit part, with a more realistic depiction of the cast texture, and six smaller resin parts that build up into a .50cal Browning M2 for the commander's cupola. The PE sheets contain parts for a complete replacement set of tie-downs on the vehicle, including all of the pioneer tools, which will need their chunky moulded on tie-downs cut away and sanded back before use. The spare track links also get a new rack, with tie-downs for each of the links, and various brackets on the hull and sponsons are replaced with PE alternatives. The light-cluster is covered with a PE cage, and various lifting lugs are added on the rear deck. The periscopes are all upgraded with PE detail parts, and the commander's M2 machine gun is replaced completely with a resin barrel, breech and cooling jacket, which is augmented with a PE mount and a highly detailed ammo box with sections of link included, plus the bracket into which the box is mounted. There are even short lengths of PE chain attached to the retaining pins, and a pair of handles for the gun, with one spare in case you lose one. The mechanism attaching it to the C-shaped rail is complex, and replicates the mechanism faithfully. On the large removable additional track sponsons that are used to spread the immense weight of the T-28 when it is on soft ground, sets of stowage boxes are built from PE sheets, with hinge and handle detail included. On the underside of the sponsons, a large box is added, which will improve the look of the sponsons if they are to be modelled detached for transport, which allowed the tank to get places that it otherwise wouldn't be able. In order to remove these sponsons, the crew used a pair of mini-cranes that were attached to the hull at the front and rear and could be moved around six points on the tank as the need dictated. These are supplied with the kit as 6-part assemblies, but are replaced entirely by a mixture of PE and short lengths of rod. The frame of the crane is built up from parts on the thicker gauge fret, with the block and tackle laminated from a number of linked circles to give the required thickness and the impression of the cable-ways build into the rollers. The use of rod is crucial to the task here, so don't assume you'll be able to muddle through, and I'd suggest investing in some brass rod to give the assembly some extra strength. A pair of scrap diagrams show how the cable is routed, and as only tow cable is provided in the kit, you'll need to source some braided cable of a suitable thickness from somewhere - perhaps some picture framing wire? Some spare 0.2mm, 03mm, 0.5mm, 0.6mm, and 1mm rod or wire will be required to complete some of the assemblies, so make sure that you have some to hand before starting, and as mentioned above, perhaps some brass rod would be advisable. Conclusion Another great set from ET Model, who continue to produce fabulous looking sets remarkably soon after the release of new kits. The green instruction booklets are sometimes a little difficult to fathom (I hate that word), but with a short scan of the kit parts, instructions and kit instructions, it all falls into place soon enough. You will need skill with the folding and gluing of PE parts to be able to do this set justice, but the quality of the resin cast parts is almost enough to warrant the entry price alone. The texture on the mantlet part is highly realistic. Highly recommended. Available soon from White Ensign Models in the UK. Review Sample courtesy of

PM sent also Regards

I finished this a few weeks ago and finally sorted the pictures out. This is the first Mig 15 I've ever made and being Airfix it was a nice and simple build. I brush painted with Humbrol polished steel metal cote. I managed to get a decent shine after buffing but when i sprayed new formula klear, it dulled a bit. Weathered with pro-modeller dark wash. Messed up the canopy that's why it looks cloudy, Still a lot to learn...... Here's the pics..............

The Revell SE5a, a lovely little kit, simple and went together rather well (apart from a seam that rivalled the Grand Canyon on the underside of the thuselage). I rigged her with 0.1mm fishing line - I'm having a lot of fun rigging 1/72 bipes at the moment...

You can't fool me that's a real F-5E! Stephen

Great looking job you've done there. I've got a couple of the SH kits and an old Airfix one so I'll coming back to this for reference. Often thought a what if model using the Whirlwind mainframe but with Meteor wings and engines could be quite interesting.

No - its a small spa town just outside of Timisoara, but the waters a little dodgy.... Vlad jonners

Eta June? Ah nuts, I'll be at cosford ... what to do if one appears there, in a very large box? Would it even fit in the back of a panda?? May have to leave my mate behind , or sell him to pay for it I think that's the kind of model that really would be a labour of love. Usually my level of interest lasts a max of two months, after that I just want the damn thing finished. However, if someone took a year to super detail one of these, it would certainly look impressive, and no doubt a knighthood would soon follow ( services to the plastic adhesive and enamel paint industry )! Mind you, I'd love to see a built up one for sale on evilbay, postage = airdrop from a Herc

If you hadn't have said I would never have nioticed. ..............................That will start the hand bags at dawn brigade...............

The Airfix Shagbat. A much nicer kit than I expected. I did a lot of work building up the interior, which makes the view through the windows a bit more interesting. On that score, it would have been wasted effort had I not replaced the cockpit canopy with a home-made version

That's really nice

She looks great, I do like the undersides. Just a shame the 48th one is hard to find . I have toes for fingers and can't get away with 72nd.

Very nice Mig-15, all the better for the lack of red stars!

A superb build of this Beagle bomber ! She looks great and the replica of this solid and long-serving Russian craft is presented wonderfully here in your images. Mike

mm! They do look nice (so far!). Like it or not, you can't beat photo-etch for fidelity at this scale.

FWIW, I really like the MIG productions pre-mixed enamel washes, applied to a surface glossed with Klear or similar. I run them into the panel line corners with a fine brush and let the panel line suck the wash up as per Duncan's description above. After leaving it for half an hour you can then edit the wash with the same brush barely dampened with thinner (dip it and wipe on paper). You get a lot of working time, which is good because this bit takes a lot of time. The neat thing about the MIG washes is that they have a pigment which seems to look like natural dirt once you've blended away any tide marks, so it's hard to go badly wrong even if it sticks to the surface a bit more than you wanted. I used to use a cotton bud to remove the wash, and still do sometimes, but it makes it easier to lift the underlying paint: A paintbrush lets you move the pigment into the panel lines as well as pick it up if you really don't want it there (blot the brush on paper from time to time and refresh the thinners). You get a lot of control from varying the pressure on the brush, and it stops you from scrubbing the surface. It makes a difference which enamel thinner you use to remove the wash - some are hotter than others, I think I prefer the MIG "thinner for washes", the Tamiya thinner seems quite a bit more aggressive to me. They all work well enough, but like the cotton buds some thinners are less forgiving if you're heavy handed or didn't seal the surface well enough. Oh, they also streak really well if you use a wide brush in the direction of airflow. And watch out for decals - you can get wash collecting on the edges if they're thick, which needs extra care to remove to avoid giving them naff outlines FWIW this little bugger was shaded with MIG dark wash, it works well on small surfaces because it's so easy to blend: HTH, Will

Oh if only that box art was for real. Nice job on it Iain. Now, about those few things you need to clear off the workbench, how am I supposed to berate you for not finishing the Super Connie & Lightning when I really want to watch these take shape!?!

Hells bells! That bit of reference I've sent you (if you know what I mean ), better get to you soon, or you'll have them after you! Sean

Somebody round here must also have the version you have I had a hell of a time getting used to 07 to be frank, the changes they make every time just spoil the user experience I suppose they get lots of moolah from corporate punters who pay to have their staff retrained when they mess it all up I wasn't trying to be clever you know. I don't have the essential raw materials for that Anyway, I digress, and the pubs are open... The new version has had its varnish coats (I used matt this time) and the whole thing looks cleaner and far more what I wanted I hope this concludes my feeble attempt to overhaul Xtradecals on the world stage Now trying to find a Humbrol enamel that will go with the Europe One scheme to lighten some grey areas where obvious painting retouches have happened. HB6 Humbrol Authentics Ocean Grey looks like the real deal to me Find out tomorrow after getting rid of the roof top hump No not the main one, the rubbishy bit over the drivers seats bill

Looking good now Brian.

Wow that's a great model, loved the weathered metal finish, brilliant!

Vallejo Model Colour do a French Mirage Blue.

Many eons ago, when I first attempted a line up of Lightnings (some serious Airfix/Hasegawa & Matchbox kit bashing!) my plan was to feature all nine of the frontline Squadrons with each of the nine marks (and sub marks). So : 5 Sqn (F3a), 11 Sqn (T5), 19 Sqn (F2-or F2a), 23 Sqn (F6), 29Sqn (F3), 56Sqn (F1a-Firebirds), 74 Sqn (F1), 92 Sqn (F2a or F2) , 111 Sqn (T4). (The plan never reached completion - funnily enough - I managed just 3 or 4 I think!!) Of course all of these front line squadrons used either a T4 or T5, or both in some instances. So the choice is large, and most if not all featured on Modeldecal sheets. But , being trainers, I always thought it appropriate to feature training units/OCU's etc., so The T5 would also appear in LTF markings or 226OCU/65(Shadow) Sqn markings and the T4 in 226OCU/145 (shadow) Sqn markings......... Having said that..The T4 I built all of those years ago was finished in 92 Sqn markings - with blue fin/spine etc., the best laid plans and all that eh? I will give it another go when Airix issue their F2a!!!

Looking good Stu

Nice work

I really like that, I've always thought it was an interesting design

Completed surgery on the undercarriage, and she is now standing on her own two feet. Need to be careful as the undercarriage is fragile. Already collapsed on me once. Folded wings are now attached an I am calling this finished. Will take some better photos for the gallery next weekend.

OK, so how did this get moved?? I thought a 1/16 build belonged in the 1/16 section?? Anyway, on with the wheels.. Here are the parts that make up each pair of roadwheels... You can see the phosphor bronze bearings on the left, they are as the kit provides. I have bought some ball bearings for the wheels, they are on the right... Here we can see the built wheels, ready for primer. If it's of any interest, the wheels are made of ABS, so require a strong cement to stick them. I went to the Gloucester show today, and Little cars.com provided me with a liquid cement called "Plastic-Weld". It claims to glue ABS, and certainly appears to do the job. I tried it out on some ABS sprue first.. Thanks for looking in Nige

oh SO tempted to buy this, have 4 different Mustang variants in 1/72 to build, I keep looking every time I go to Model Zone, but I know my missus would use my swann Morton #11 to remove my codlings