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My first build for the GB will be Tamiya's venerable Mosquito FB,VI in 1/48 scale, this will be my second build of this kit as I did one in 418 Sqn RCAF several years ago, I also built an older Airfix 1/48 one for the last "Less Than A Tenner GB" which was actually a nice build. Here's a picture of this time's box and contents; I have worked for Rolls Royce for more years than I care to remember and before some idiot decided to close it I was on their Ansty site just outside Coventry which was used by Standard Motors during the war to produce around 500 FB,VI's so when I build an FB.VI I like to build one that was built on that site, which means building one from either the HP, HR, RF or TE range. Now Warwickshire (my home county) also has a Royal Auxiliary Air Force Squadron and during the later stages of WWII it flew Moqsuitos on intruder missions and bomber support missions as part of 100 Group and after a couple of months on F.II's it was equipped with FB.VI's and I have found some of their serial numbers that include aircraft built by Standard Motors at Ansty so the build would have two local connections. I have found serials as I say but as of yet no photographs and if I can't find any I will need to either just build one in it's known codes and serial in the squadron's standard camo or build another Standard Motors built aircraft that I do have both the markings for and photographic evidence. I have several options in the decal stash to choose from and also have an Eduard Brassin Look set that I picked up at Telford somewhere, I shall post pics of this and any final choice of airframe later. Off topic but important to me is the fact that this will be my first build without my modelling buddy for the last 13 years, Mabel my black lab who we had to say goodbye to on Wednesday. I tend to do a lot of my modelling in our front room sitting on the floor and she would come and lie next to me, or actually sit on me which is about as comfortable as you imagine, to keep me company. It has been difficult losing her and sitting on the floor to build something will be very strange without her, so this will be for her, Mabel's Mossie if you will. This is her towards the end; Sorry for going off topic but thanks for looking in and any help, comments or criticisms will be gratefully received. Craig.

Good day, With additional time off from the job along with a rather simple kit, I was able to squeeze in another completed project for the calendar year. Here are the highlights of the Tamiya Ki-61………….. 1. Colors used : A. Airframe base : Alclad Aluminum B. Tail : MRP Traffic Red C. Cockpit, landing gear bays, and doors : Tamiya Desert Yellow XF-59, Tamiya Brown X-9 D. Propeller : Polly Scale IJA Brown, Model Master Earth Red E. Landing Gear : Tamiya flat black XF-1 F. Ailerons & wheels : Tamiya Titanium Sliver G. Anti glare panel : Tamiya Flat Black XF-1 2. Washes : Vallejo Desert Dust ( airframe panels ), black, light rust, AK Oil Stains, Tamiya black & brown 3. Pastels : Brown, black, dark gray 4. Uschi bobbin thread antenna I built this one straight out of the box including using the colors as outlined by the instruction sheet. To try something different, I used Tamiya camouflage pattern decals for the unique green pattern on the upper surfaces. The entire set of decals are excellent!!!!! While I normally paint the yellow ID bands, I went thrifty and used the kit decal. I cannot say enough good things about the quality of this kit. Fit, detail, ease of construction are all outstanding. My only minor quibble is that the windscreen only comes in one piece. I would recommend this lovely kit from Tamiya for all skill levels. Thank you in advance, Mike

Hey all, This is Tamiya's Bradley. The kit was originally released in 1985, but this updated version was first released in 2003. I initially got hold of this kit to build it as an example used in Operation Iraqi Freedom, but seeing some of the other schemes, I had a change of heart to do it in European markings for a unit based in Germany at the time. The kit was built out of the box, but this time I took the oppurtunity to drill out the muzzle of the vehicle. I painted the vehicle using Tamiya Acrylics, and Humbrol Enamels. I weathered the vehicle with oil paints, and Acrylic mud effects by Mig. I also used all of the stowage handily included in the kit, which was painted with acrylics and oils. As a finishing touch I added Mantis Miniatures branches. They look fantastic, and are easy to use. However, they are quite expensive, and looking at them, you could probably achieve the same with a large tub of mixed herbs and some roots pillaged from the garden. I have seen techniques where you use PVA to dab the areas where you want the 'leaves' to stick and then sprinkle mixed herbs or similar over them to create some convincing albeit fragrant tree branches. Many thanks for looking! Sam

Having become bored with my more elaborate builds, I thought it might recharge my modeling mojo to take on a simple Japanese destroyer – and perhaps actually finish it! Tamiya’s of the 1/350 scale IJN Kagero seems like a perfect choice. If it lives up to the Tamiya reputation of great fitting parts, assembly should be a snap. Just to keep things interesting I picked up the Infini brass upgrade set for it too. I’m hoping to complete this one fairly quickly with a minimum of the scratchbuilding which tends to bog down my projects. We’ll see, but this should be a fun, straightforward build! True to form, Tamiya’s Kagero hull parts fit beautifully and the hull went together quickly. My only quibble here is the split hull design. While the waterline/full hull option here is nice, molding the lower hull separately builds in a bit of extra effort to integrate the lower and upper portions. I definitely prefer the simpler single hull approach of their earlier USS Fletcher kit. That said, the join was pretty good and only a little Mr. Surfacer 1200 was needed to blend things.

Sometimes I cheat on my Luftwaffe planes with USN a/c, although, an F4F was actually my first ever 1/48 scale kit. Last effort: the Revell Dauntless. Besides my fascination with carrier aviation, I also wanted to use this kit to try out weathering with oil paints. It came out, well, let's say allright - with much room for improvement. and it goes nicely with my collection so far, especially on the flight deck (and YES I am aware that the flight deck is Japanese, but I couldn't get my hands on the US version ) As always, thanks for looking Cheers here's my collection from the "dark" side https://photos.app.goo.gl/od4agvy1tebuSm7L8

Have decided to build a second P-47 in this GB, so here are the obligatory photographs of the box and sprues. Kit is the Tamiya 1/48 Republic P-47D Bubbletop Thunderbolt The scheme is to be that of 258 Squadron in Malaysia during 1945. I fancy doing this scheme as its unusual to see a WW2 RAF aircraft in natural metal. Thanks for looking Many regards Matt

Greetings to all, as this is actually my first build in a long long time ( started at 6 y.o. stopped at 12 due to school ), I'd like to thank you for accepting me in the group and I'm happy to share with you my efforts in building an iconic spitfire , its nothing compared to what I see here but, it's a start! By now I'm 24 and finally have the time to enjoy perhaps one of the best hobbies in the world as I have already managed to create a respectable stash. I tried to improve the frames by drilling the holes , I avoided any kind of wires running through , although I do regret it now.. All comments / criticism / tips are more than welcome!

So this is my Tamiya halftrack diorama. It depicts a german infantry unit taking a bit of a break during the battle in France. You can find the buildlog here: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235132104-tamiya-hanomag-in-france-without-the-krupp/ It was a joy to build this model. In typical tamiya style all the parts went together really nice. The model lacks a bit of detail and i think i will build a second halftrack in the future using a kit with a bit more detail. I used figures from Alpine and Miniart. There is a difference in molding ( details are a bit crude on the miniart figures ) and also in size. The Alpine figures are much more refined and a joy to paint. The miniart figures are ok but need much more work to make them look half decent. The diorama base is a complete scratchbuild using styrofoam and various AK diorama products. My first attempt to make water flowing down looks a bit rough..... Overall i'm happy with the look of the whole scene. I kept the weathering light, a bit of dust and some streaking but nothing over the top. Thank you all for stopping by and taking the time to look at the photo's. All comments and or tips to improve are welcome. Still struggeling a bit with the photo settings. There is something to learn too. On to the next build. Something german named 'Moritz'

Hey All, This is Tamiya's T-55 Engima. Somewhat iconic in its day during desert storm, you can still see at least five preserved examples worldwide, including one that I've been luckily enough to get up close and personal with at the Bovington Tank Museum. The outlandish look of the vehicle and the lack of definitive details surrounding it certainly means this T-55 variant lives up to its name, and inspired me to build one for myself. The kit was built out of the box. I painted the vehicle in Tamiya Deck Tan and then chipped it back with Humbrol 155, before using oils, pigments and thinned down acrylic filters to weather and dust the vehicle. Additionally, I used quite a bit of raw umber and burnt sienna oils to create the streaking effects. Thanks for looking! Sam

Greetings. The model was assembled several years ago. There was a desire to assemble "Emil" in exactly this camouflage variant - RLM 70/71/65, therefore it was necessary to strive for a modification of the E-1. The prototype for construction was “suggested” by the Czech company REVI, which had a decal for the side of Lieutenant Egon Trocha in the desired camouflage. It was decided to make a conversion of the Tamiya E-3 kit, especially since not so many visible modifications were required, because the differences mainly concern the wing armament. For conversion to the E-1, the wing cannon sockets, fairings and hatch trim for them were removed. Then, in the reverse order, the machine gun nests were drilled out, and the hatches for them were made in a new way. The most significant additions to the kit were the resin cockpit, brass machine guns on the fuselage, tail unit, and vacuum canopy. The rest is on your own. Painted primarily with Gunze and Tamiya acrylics. Two words about the homemade stand - photos of the German airfield in Königsberg were taken as a basis, the size of the slabs is to scale, from the German standard. *Sorry for the automatic translation

I just hand carried home a 1/32 Tamiya Mosquito from Japan. It’s a steal at 15000 yen tax free price. I had resisted the purchase from past 2 trips but decided to get it before it gets difficult to find one. I would like to ask the mossie experts here what are the mosquito books good for modeling? Is there a kit out there to convert this Tamiya plane to one with the window at the nose?

Evenin'. I fancied a break from sand coloured things (M2 Bradley and the IDF Zelda) and since I had a fair amount of AK's WW2 British paint set and I had just rattled through the Airfix Cromwell it seemed daft not to raid the stash and pull out Tamiya's Comet. It's Tamiya so you know it fit together with no issues, the instructions were spot on and there's no real "fiddly" bits. All hand painted using AK's SCC Olive Drab, Rubber black and the track and wheel paint set. The weathering is a mix of AK's Weathering (Brown Wash and Dark Streaking grime) which I've never used before and Tamiya's mud and flat earth weathering sticks. I will just point out that whoever decided to do the white star decal that way deserves a pay rise. I was pleased it wasn't just one solid piece like the Tamiya Cromwell was and hasn't been mangled. Thanks for looking.

Hallo The aircraft and operation of JG 300 are in many ways an interesting topic for me. In the first aspect of night navigation in the airspace of the big area of the Reich. The other one from the issue of flying in the hell of anti-aircraft fire. Finally to get a score and if lucky, to find home are find a suitable landing ground! This is my first Tamiya kit on the Bf-109. After a long series of 26 models of this type and scale. My verdict of the Tamiya kit is simple: Typical Tamiya. Build groups are complicated divided to get the magnets and metal in. Other detail is that way that installation is totally different from everything. But idiot save on the other hand! So you cannot get wrong. I stepped full in the 109 trap, since an open cooling hood does never work with a drop tank. They kiss each other. The surface, I used the decals, it was not intended to do so. I wanted to spray them, but the insignia masks I used were first time NewWare masks. If you stick with them once, you have no chance to reposition them. Different from his canopy masks, it is the size which distortion it. In opposite to Montex. Big masks of thin paper has Galaxy (for Sukhoi) but the material and the glue is much different! Well, so have a look and enjoy it. Happy modelling

Hey all, So right off the bat, I know this isn't an IS-3M, I figured out the Egyptian's only used that variant after laying down the base coat. By then though, I was commited in my mind so just take this with a pinch of artistic license! The kit itself is self-explanatory for Tamiya, its a 90's kit but still holds up well today. My only minor gripe is that this is part of Tamiya's era of leaving the areas above the track open, though with the width and hefty nature of the track I didn't close the gaps as the track would cover it. The kit is built entirely out of the box. I painted the model using Tamiya Xf-55 Deck Tan, as I had read that the Epyptians used British Light Stone for their earlier stuff, and I liked the light tone. I then took a fine brush and Humbrol 155 Olive Drab and spent a good hour and a half chipping the vehicle. As the old saying goes 'No chip is too small!' I applied a thick home made wash of van-dyke brown oils mixed with white oils and thinned with white spirit. Once semi-dry I took the excess off and left the grime built up over the recessed areas. I then took a pin wash to the rest of the vehicle. I additionally used the wash mix, thinned further and misted over the vehicle with my airbrush to create a dusty look. For this vehicle I wanted to accentuate the 'blobby' look of it which for me is a classic design of the early Cold War Period. To achieve this, I left off the .50 and I had the vehicle buttoned up to show off the relatively smooth and flowing lines around the turret. I also didn't use any stowage on this vehicle, as the Egyptians for some reason travelled lightly looking at references. I think it has something to do maybe with all the internal stowage and lockers built into the skirts on Soviet late/post-war vehicles. The markings were sprayed on, and take strong influence from the Egyptian markings of the period, though I couldn't say if they were 100% accurate. As stated earlier, the vehicle's the wrong variant for those used by Egypt, so this vehicle more or less represents an inspired view of what the Egyptian's were using at the time. Thanks for looking, Sam

So my shelf of shame is getting a bit busy, a change of job and various other factors seem to have reduced my ability to get things fixed together. This is my entry (there are more to come for the GB, if I can get the time). I originally started it in the classic Japanese GB, thread here: Alpine Renault A442B Turbo - Big In Japan - Classic Japanese Kits GB - Britmodeller.com The kit is a pretty simple affair but seems to have been fighting me all through the build. The kit supplied decals have seriously yellowed over the years, though are actually usable (if a bit brittle), the aftermarket ones however had their own issues - firstly they didn't supply the larger area ones (for some of the white areas and black ones) and the white decals are somewhat less than opaque - especially on the bright yellow background. I used the kit decals for the black areas, decided to overpaint the logos (badly) and will attach the decals on top. The actual areas I masked seemed to come out relatively well (the large white areas at the front and rear) - though it was a bit of a struggle initially getting enough white primer and gloss white on to cover the kit plastic yellow, only to overcoat most of it with yellow! I should have masked up and airbrushed the black too, and done the smaller areas in white in hindsight. Here's a shot of the side, showing just how badly my brush painted black bits are on the sills, also the difference in colour between the white areas - the lower left one is just the kit decal (and appears to have a bit of a weird yellow/orange tint) - the other two however, I'd come up with a cunning plan.. As you may have noticed in the previous image there is a small piece of paper at the front. I used my scanner/printer to effectively photocopy the decal sheet - this can then be transferred (using masking tape, which takes up the print) to the backing of some white decal sheet, cut to size (slightly smaller to fit inside the black border) and applied as a second layer of white! The decal film sheet itself isn't completely opaque but together they do a good enough job. You can use the inkjet to print directly onto the other side of the decal film (I did try this) however I guess because the film is plastic and non-absorbent the ink never seems to dry and easily smudges - not a problem in my case as I was cutting off the exterior print and not needing an actual pattern. The reverse image method (on the back side) seems better as I don't need to worry about the masking tape ripping the film and it gets discarded when you water slide the backing off - for my needs it's fine as the decals are pretty much mirrored left/right on the car. Other than the white translucency the aftermarket Shunko decals have given me other issues - they supply the black stripes to go around the white areas painted which have been somewhat of a PITA as they are thin and prone to snapping but on the bright side they do distract the eye/cover any minor mistakes on the masking. In hindsight I should have probably just placed all the original Tamiya decals on and then over applied the aftermarket ones for most of the white areas (I did that for the decals on the air scoop and I think it looks fine). There is a reason some kits end up never getting finished but I'm hopeful I can at least get to the point of calling this one done, even if it has tested me along the way!

Hi, While I'm building the P-47M for the GB, I also have several Razorback P-47D's that I have started years ago. I'll have a go at finishing them (or some of them) for the inspiration gallery. There's one from the 353rd FG that would first in line. I think it will look great with those black and yellow diamonds on the cowling. My goal is to have (a couple of years from now) a fighter from each of the Fighter Groups of the 8th AF (including a P-47 of each Squadron of the 56th FG). With the "twin" GB of 2024, I could add a P-38 and of course a P-51 from that STGB. Cheers, Stefan.

Hello to all, Some time ago I decided to switch from 1/72 scale to 1/48, I sold the whole collection (around 80 kits) and start to build a new one. My goal is to build collection of main types of US NAVY and USMC planes from WWII until now. I am faster in buying models than building them, so my stash contains around 60 boxes (you can check my Scalemates profile), but so far I finished just one Another 3 are in WIP, all of them from Tamiya, A-1H, F4D and F4F. A-1H Skyraider, VA-25, 577 - I am after basic wash, semigloss varnish and final weathering is in front of me. Gunze H and Tamiya Acrylic colours were used and I used mask for main marking, the rest are decals from the box. F4D Skyray, VMF-114, 3 - Final semigloss varnish applied and I will start final weathering. Gunze H and Tamiya Acrylic colours were used and I used mask to airbrush main marking, the rest are decals from the box. F4F-4 Wildcat, VMF-223, 28 - Gunze H used on bottom surface and AK RC on top. I struggle with decals on sides of fuselage. Tamiya and Techmod didn’t work, so I tried Eduard from their F4F-4 Profipack but didn’t work as well. I will remove the decals, repaint fuselage and use mask to airbrush the signs. This is where I struggle.

I've been wanting to build this model for around 20 years, but I was never good enough with painting natural metal to attempt it. However skills improve and new products hit the market. I recently picked up some SMS Super Silver and wanted to give it a try. The kit itself from Tamiya is very nice, but it does lack a little detail and I had a small etch set to improve on the cockpit, undercarriage doors and other small items. SMS Jet Black was used as a base for the Super Silver and I'm pretty impressed with it's look and durability. I've handled this a fair bit and it has not caused any damage to the surface. The tail decals, excluding the fin flash which was masked and painted, came from Dying Sun II decals from Rising Decals, the US insignia was from the spares box. This particular aircraft was captured at Clark Field in the Philippines. Repaired to airworthy, she suffered a landing gear collapse and was grounded, with the intent to take her back to the US shelved, it's probable that 'S9' was scrapped onsite sometime after the end of the war.

Hey all, This is what apparently appears to be my 6th Sherman this year if my calculations are correct. I need a hobby... The Tamiya Sherman needs no introduction, its probably one of those kits that most have built. I built mine with the addition of two plastic card inserts under the sponson areas overhanging the track, as Tamiya left them open on this release. I additionally took my dremel to the turret to beat it up a bit and create some casting textures. I used a set from Star Decals to depict a Sherman Tank from the 746th Tank Battalion, which at the time was attached to the 4th Infantry Divison and came ashore with the division shortly before midday on the 6th June. I painted the model with Mr. Colour Olive Drab (1), and then used a mix of oils, pigments, and AK Interactive Mud Textures to create a vehicle that had been weathered by a mix of churning up the chalky/sandy beachfront areas as well as the generally bad weather that blighted the early days of the campaign. In this way I tried to create the effect of an active vehicle in relatively grimey enivronments, whilst the wear and tear (such as the chipping) was subdued under this layer as a nod towards what wouldve been generated during exercises in England prior to the invasion. The stowage as always is from the spares box, I tend to keep a ready supply of stowage available, notably eBay can sometimes come up trumps with random items in resin that sellers will box up as a mix of random bits for you to sort through and do as you please. With the stowage on this occasion, I tried to keep the front glacis clear through more of personal choice, whereby I could show off the large star on the bow. This was mainly due to the blood, sweat and tears that went into trying to get it to settle over the 3-piece transmission cover as I didn't particularly want to put all that effort in just to cover it up! Thanks for looking! Sam

Hey all, This is Tamiya's new(ish) M4A3E8 in its first iteration as the variant in use towards the end of the Second World War. The kit was built out of the box save for the decals and stowage, which came from Star Decals and the Spares Box respectively. The Model was painted with Mr. Colour Olive Drab (1), before being drybrushed, and then weathered with a mix of oil paints, Tamiya Acrylics and Vallejo Mud effect. The figure is included in the kit, and whilst its been seen almost everywhere now, I still think he's in a fantastic pose and Tamiya figures are some of the best in injection molding IMHO, especially with the new releases. I painted him using Tamiya Acrylics and Humbrol Enamels. Thanks for looking, Sam

Hi all As part of my FAA builds thread, I have been working on this one on and off for a while, it is the Tamiya 48th Spitfire Mk.Vb converted to a Seafire III using the lovely MDC conversion. This one fought me a bit as there were various parts missing so I had to raid my Spitfire spares box. I realise theairintake is incorrect but it is all I had and decided to go with it. I have corrected the kit elevators to the later type and drooped them. I have just added some Eduard seatbelts. The model was brush painted using Humbrol Enamels and weathered with an oil paint wash some dot filtering on the engine panels with warmer colours and cooler colours on the wing leading edge panels. Quite pleased with it and relieved its done too.i have just started another one using the Specisl Hobby kit. Anyway enough twoddle from me here are some pics I hope you enjoyed. Thanks to those who have followed along and offered support and encouragement along the way, always appreciated. Thanks for looking in Chris

Hi all, Just completed this P 38 from the Tamiya kit. What can you say? It exceeds any kit I have built before in the fit of its parts some very complicated assemblies that just click together amazing! I chose the markings that depict the aircraft as the one that downed Admiral Yamamoto after the Americans had cracked the Japanese codes and gave it some light weathering with different mixes of paint and a wash of Flory Dark Dirt most of which was removed. Paints used were Mr Hobby Aqueous and Tamiya finished off with a coat of Windsor and Newton Galeria Satin varnish first time Ive tried this and very impressed with the result. Due to the weather the pics had to be taken indoors on the phone camera so may not be of the best. MODeller

Seeing as someone said the other week that we don't get enough F1 builds here, I thought I'd pull one out of the stash for my next project. Tyrrell Yamaha 023 from the 1995 season. Can't remember seeing one of these built before, so I guess it'll be a learning curve as I go along. No progress as yet as I've had a clean and tidy of the mancave after my last build. So I thought I'd add my placemarker 😀

Hi everybody, calling all Corsair maniacs experts for this build, such as @corsaircorp and @Corsairfoxfouruncle just to name the two I'm more familiar with I always loved the Corsair, but know very little about it, so any help, hints, tips, references and pointers will be greatly appreciated This is more of a bookmark than an actual start, I still need to study some proper documentation about the subject, anyway here are a few pics. The kit: It's the well known Tamiya 1/48 box - I don't think there's much to say about it, anyway here are the sprues: The second pilot figure, in the "jumping on board" pose, is very tempting... Clear parts Decals (as usual, I plan to use very few of them ) and the scheme I want to reproduce, Jolly Rogers' BIG HOG Actual works to start soon-ish, I may venture into a foray in another field of modelling before/along this, we'll see. Meanwhile, I'm all ears Ciao Edit: I almost forgot to add that my friend @corsaircorp had sent me some resin bits to tart up this build: I'm not sure if I'll be using the whole engine or just replace the crankcase of the kit with the resin one - definitely going to use the resin seat, though

So...... time for a much needed Tamiya build. After the Bordermodel Stug i want to start a new diorama with some Tamiya builds and some leftover bots and pieces from other kits. i think these 2 models will make an excellent scene. I still have some resin figures in the stash but i also ordered some new ones: I'm thinking France early 1940 or Operation Barbarossa. The kits itself look really good for their age. The krupp got new molds in 2003 i think and there is an excellent driver figure in there. Anyhow, i think these models are just what i need, simple oob, tamiya fit. So let's crack on shall we? Cheers guys 🍻🍻🍻