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Trumpeter is to release a 1/48th two seats MiG-21UM "Mongol-B" kit - ref. 02865 Source: http://tieba.baidu.com/p/2804557302 V.P.

Trumpeter is to release a 1/32nd Focke-Wulf Fw.190A Würger family - ref. 03234 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-6 Würger - ref. 03235 - Focke-Wulf Fw.190A-8 Würger Source: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1Ug4y1S7Sh/ V.P.

This is a neat little kit. It has about 17 parts in a very oversized box, and it's quite expensive in the UK: I was inspired by this video of the 1/35th scale kit: ...to try to create a well-used agricultural tractor. Let's see how it goes. John

Hello there! Let me introduce you to my latest completed model from Trumpeter - the mighty Spiteful. The kit has many flaws and a few really serious problems too, which were discussed here before. I tried to cover most of them, but some were just really tricky to repair (eg. wheel bays or wing roots). I wanted to recreate the actual machine from the photos which I have, so please don't be taken aback with the surface finish - those prototypes and testing machines were really shiny and clean. I tried to recreate the oil leak from the engine on the starboard side of the fuselage and, of course, on the belly. The most difficult part were remaking of the canopy rim with the aluminium tape and reducing air intakes almost half of it's height. The airscrew is also adjusted to a better shape. Roundels are from Xtradecal and Tamiya acryl paints were used. Even though the kit is not perfect by far, I still quite enjoyed building it. I hope you'll like it. Thanks for watching! Cheers, Andrew

Hi all! For this build I'm going large with Trumpeters 1/24 Fw 190D-9. I'd been umm-ing and ahh-ing about getting this kit then I saw one on display at the model show last weekend and it looked fantastic fully built and like I said in my K-4 post I'm very much into my late-war german aircraft at the minute. Upon opening the box I immediately realised I'm going to struggle to find somewhere to display this when I'm done, its some size- though it doesn't look any more complicated than my 32nd scale kits which is nice. I have the Red Fox Studio instrumental panels on the way and some Montex paint masks as I don't want to risk decals silvering on something this size, the scheme is 'Brown 10' of 7./JG26 flown by Waldemar Radener- I was able to find some useful drawings by Arkadiusz Wróbel. And some artwork I found on twitter posted by The Aviation Art of this Dora. Excited to start- thanks for looking in!

PLAN Wuhan project 33G, 1/144 bit of a beast, the flood holes just had to be opened out, or did they LOL. Still going, one hull half done, half the other, mid casing started on one side other to do. Opened and glazed with kristal clear wheelhouse in the sail. Missile tubes done, building OOB with the exception of flood holes etc. All the best Chris

Completed photos heres wip All the best Chris

Blackbird Models is to release 1/32nd Douglas A-4B & A-4C Skyhawk conversion sets for the Trumpeter kit. Source: https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid033AwVdJQKcj2Sv4eGG5MuR8kq5WgYcHD4gHM3FvreajTvZAicZBH2ZdZSu7Ssjuigl&id=100046220576815 parts V.P.

In my eyes, the WZ-10 belongs in the top ten of Science Fiction looking hardware. This is the new Trumpeter 1/48 kit; the quality is overall excellent with an abundance of surface details and good fit. What started as straightforward OOB build got a bit bogged down when I stumbled upon a thread on SinoDefenceForum with an abundance of high resolution photos from every angle. In the end, I added only tiny details: Brake lines for the front legs, support struts for the wire cutters and the antenna along the spine. The rest of the detail work was all about painting & decal placement (the instructions are somewhat vague here). Some details were added in the cockpit, including pilots carved from Hasegawa Navy drivers. The main rotor head is slightly inaccurate, but once treated with painted details and a wash looks convincing enough. I think it is a french desing, so there might actually be aftermarket parts for it. The mechanism of the tail rotor is a simple disc, and I cut it into kind of an X-shape to bring it closer to the real thing. Paints are custom mixed Tamiya acrylics over a black base coat and Vallejo Metal Color. Thanks for watching & all the inspiration.

I have always been a sucker for WWII halftracks and soft skins ever since I returned to the hobby, with Axis vehicles being a particular favourite. Over the last couple of years I have built a fair few Sd.Kfz.7 8 ton variants. Dragon (D) and Trumpeter (T) are the only manufacturers to offer the vehicle in 1/35 scale and currently offer eleven different versions between them. At last count both manufacturers offer twenty-six kits with both producing early and late towing vehicles as well as Flak variants. Both offer the same models with the odd variant being produced by just one. Dragon also offers combo packs including artillery pieces. Gun crew vehicles are available in initial (D), early (D & T) and late (D & T) Wooden bodied (Holzpritsche) versions are offered by D & T Self-propelled Flak versions carried four main weapons. The early and later armoured cab model 7/1 version Flakvierling 38, (D & T), and the three 7/2 versions; early and late Flak 37 (D & T), early Flak 41 (T), and late Flak 43 (D & T) Two kits that only one manufacturer offer is Trumpeter‘s 7/3 Feuerleitpanzer version which was used specifically at Rocket sites and Dragon offer the specific 1943 HL m11 version of the gun crew vehicle. Cyber Hobby released an early Flakvierling 38 variant in 2011 but I have no idea if that differs from the Dragon boxed kit #6525 of the same name that was released in 2009. An early gun crew Sd.Kfz 7 in North Africa As regards to builders, both the main ones were Borgward (designated HL) and Krauss Maffei (designated KM). The radiator housings received their emblems on earlier vehicles. An early model Sd.Kfz 7/1 version Flakvierling 38 One variant that is missing from range in offer is the earliest incarnation of the wooden cargo bodied (Holzpritsche) These were first attached to the 1943 Typ HL m11 which retained the old-style metal driver’s compartment. The Holzpritche bodied vehicles were a solution to save on limited and dwindling Nazi supplies of raw materials. The first Holzpritsche vehicles built of the final m11 design were installed by the manufacturer Saurer as early as November 1943 and this is the vehicle I am planning to build at the end of this build log. Early Holzpritsche fitted to the Typ HL m11 With both Trumpeter and Dragon only offering the final versions of the Holzpritsche which included the revised and larger wooden cab I will likely have to combine elements of different kits. It would be made far simpler if just one manufacturer got things right, but alas, both do suffer from their own inaccuracies and issues. To this end I am going to first begin by building both the final Holzpritche versions to see what will work best. Once completed I will attempt to create the early version with the best of what both manufacturers can offer. First up is Trumpeters 2009 released kit # 01507 which they simply brand as a KM m11 ‘late version. Having built this kit quite a long time ago not long after I returned to the hobby, I recall a few concerns that made it a less than pleasurable build in places, so let’s do a quick recap before I start the build. The main spoiler concerns the sprockets. First up, they look a little odd. That is because they have bevelled groves on the main face which were never present. Trumpeter don’t even show them in their own painting guide or box art, so something was at odds! The biggest problem however is that building them up as per the instructions means the tracks will not fit over the sprocket without leaving a nasty gap. The kit’s engineering lacks the important drive sprocket teeth offset (seen on many German running gear designs) which prevents the track from sitting evenly around the sprocket. In addition, the part containing the outer roller detail once fitted is hidden on the reverse side! Trumpeter never designed the teeth offset of the rollers against each track pad as per the real thing, so the track links do not sit flush against each track pad. Each sprocket is also ‘handed’ so any surgery will require removing the same part from each sprocket then a test fitment of a small track run will then determine how you re-assemble each sprocket. The recommended surgery is not complex and TBH re-fitting the small tabs that require removal for the modification to work are not completely necessary. The sprocket modification explanation with pics can be found here: https://www.perthmilitarymodelling.com/reviews/vehicles/trumpeter/tr01523d04.htm If you want the sprocket to resemble the real thing aesthetically the groves will still need to be filled in, which will not be an easy task. Even then the track pad inner fitting plates and bolts are missing so for the ultimate authenticity an aftermarket photo etch set will still be required. Even better still, try and locate a 3D printed pair. The second biggest kit failing is the omission of the wooden equipment rack in the load area. Although the equipment rack was designed to be removeable to easily convert into a flatbed the rack is an important element of this variant so why it is missing is a mystery. Trumpeter do offer some additional internal planking, but it is totally inaccurate. They do however offer a nice tarp for both the cab and load area, so there is a ‘cover up’ alternative. Another distinct anomaly is the inclusion of a Flak variant cab bench. The bench did not have an angled cut out on the passenger side and the driver’s seat cushions were much deeper with a cut out in the horizontal framework to accommodate. The Panzer Tracts book quite clearly illustrates the correct layout which also shows a battery box instead of the two exposed batteries that the kit offers. Comparing the kit dimensionally with the Panzer Tracts book 22-4, the overall length is a smidgen long compared to the drawings and the profile of the front fenders is slightly out. Neither warrants the amount of work which would be required to correct IMO. So, with the major fitment issue, the missing part exposed and a dodgy cab seating arrangement, what else can we expect? The kit offers these licence plate decals Even if accuracy is not a major concern, then some ‘interesting’ engineering and odd step sequencing is still worth highlighting. The chassis engineering is overly complex so rather than a nice strong one piece moulding that all the Dragon 8t kits offer, a multipiece affair will need to be cleaned up and carefully aligned together. Personally, I believe this is the main issue with all the Trumpeter 8t kits. Too many parts when one or two would have been perfectly fine. I guess Trumpeter never embraced slide moulding technology like Dragon did! To complicate matters, the instructions have you add some of the smallest and most fragile parts in the very first steps! Considering the amount of handling still required this is a recipe for disaster. These are kit’s where the builder needs to plan ahead. Kit content and sprue shots. To save myself a whole bunch of work they are all conveniently available to view here: http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=product&a=show&id=1250&l=en Compared to the Dragon versions the detail is a little ‘chunky’ in places and although there was no flash present there are a few pin holes, many of which will remain visible. There is also a fair bit of mould offset on many parts so seam clean-up will obliterate some detail. Along with the main problems already mentioned I will try and point out any further issues as I go along. The multi-part affair for the chassis is the same across all the Trumpeter kits with only minor differences across the variants. Whilst far more detailed than the Dragon equivalent it is a bit fiddly to assemble. Dragon kits sacrificed detail in this area but much of it is unseen once assembled and it is a much stronger sub assembly and saves at least a couple of hours of work. Following the instructions, we commence in step 1 with the gearbox. This is instructed to be fitted between the chassis legs. It is a heavy part and dangles between just one contact point on each side and does not actually provide any real structural rigidity. To make life easier it us far easier to construct the chassis components in step 2 with it left off. The flex in the chassis legs will accommodate it once the chassis frame is built up so let the assembly fully cure first. It is also recommended NOT to add the photo etch and plastic cab levers (parts D13, D38 and D54) until it is ready to receive the cab floor as they are easily damaged. The front leaf spring assembly connect the two chassis legs at the front and the flat rear tray (part WA15) connects them together at the rear. Part A41 shown in step 3 can be used in-between to aid alignment. The gearbox fits in-between, and it must sit perpendicular to the frame. It’s connection points to both chassis’ legs rely on just the tiny and imprecise ends of part A7. The weight of the gearbox tends to make it droop rearwards making both chassis legs in the middle bend inwards at the top! Not the best engineering as the gearbox needs to align in one direction to accept both winch and engine shaft in later steps! The only reference for lining up the gearbox straight is to sight it up using the two holes in the legs behind the sprocket housings. TBH the upper middle parts of both legs have way too much flex and don’t get any rigidity until the fuel tank in step 7 is attached. There’s plenty of manhandling beforehand so handle with care! Step 3 connects the myriad of parts that connects the suspension pick up points. Plenty of clean-up is needed especially on parts D23 and D24 so dry fitting everything before committing placement is recommended. There are also two small pieces of photoetch to add in this step and they need to be assembled correctly as the holes in them accept the winch housing. Progress to step 3 so far.

So the canopy that comes with the 1/48 is missing the central strut after some research it seems that the only mig-23 variant that has the canopy missing the central strut is the 23S which is an extremely early version, seems like trumpeter includes the correct canopy for all of their other 1/48 mig-23s but I couldn't find any of the other variants on sale without having to import from overseas. With only having the 23M as an option is there any (simple) way I could fix it so that it's the correct shape? Considered using 0.3mm styrene sheets or the left over material from photoetch. Did also try to see if I could find any aftermarkets that could fix the canopy but alas no results popped up.

Trumpeter is to release a 1/32nd Douglas TBD-1 Devastator kit in 2016-2017 2023 - ref. 02226 Source: http://www.themodellingnews.com/2015/12/trumpeter-catalogue-2016-2017-lets-see.html#more V.P.

Hi, On my shelf for a while now is trumpeters UH-34. I am not a helicopter expert, but I believe this is the same as an S-58. I gather you should be able to build this as an S-58 as used by the Netherlands Navy. At the time I tried to get the “DutchDecals” sheet, but it had sold out. Did find a set from a company previously unknown to me by the name of Heli Scale. I also ordered a rotor folding set from Scale warships Ltd. designed for use on the Italeri kit. It is actually for the Wessex and I am not sure if they share the same rotor head as on the S-58. However, hopefully I can make it work. The trumpeter kit does allow to fold the tail rotor at first glance, so I hope to display it as shown in the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, The Netherlands. Also plenty of reference material on the IPMS NL website: https://ipms.nl/artikelen/nedmil-luchtvaart/vliegtuigen-s/vliegtuigen-s-sikorsky-s58 That’s all, thanks for watching. Rgds, Rob

Hello I managed to finalize one of my biggest project. Enjoy. Cheers

After finishing my Tamiya Archer spg I have decided to come more up to date vehicle so enter the 1/35 Trumpeter AS90 self propelled gun. I found on that well known auction site this Trumpeter AS90 advertised as having been water damaged but complete so having decided to take a chance made a silly offer which was accepted. As the pictures show the box and instruction sheet are water damaged but functional, the parts are still in there bags as was the decal sheet to there shouldn't be any problems. Hoping to scratch the interior as in the past as I was involved with the base overhaul of the AS90 so time will tell if my memory is still any good. If you have an interest please feel free to tag along, this will not be a fast build and as always comments and information welcomed Thanks for stopping by your time is appreciated Stay safe Roger

Something really new in quarter scale as unexpected ! Trumpeter is to release in late June a 1/48th Mil Mi-4 "Hound" kit - ref. 05816 Source: http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=232&l=en Box art V.P.

Ok, can't let Enzo have all the fun Here's my first entry into this little summertime clam bake. Trumpeters Supermarine Seafang But I daresay it won't be me last.

Hi All, Here is my recently completed Type 23 Frigate of the Royal Navy, HMS Westminster using the Trumpeter kit. Built mainly OOB that included a PE fret but unfortunately doesn't have any railings, so the Atlantic Models PE was used too and like London buses, Jon aka @Faraway supplied me with more railings, thanks Jon. Building the plastic wasn't a problem, some nice detail and went together well but the origami needed on some of this 1/700 PE took a bit of concentration and nimbleness. Painted using mainly Colourcoats paints, my go to paints for maritime. Kit decals were nice and thin and settled well. The build was completed by putting her on a simple calm sea base, it's not always roughers ya' know. Build log here: Thanks for popping by. Stuart

Hello all, Picked up Trumpeters 1/72 M2A2 Bradley kit recently after it was announced my country has donated a good number to Ukraine. I know very little about this vehicle, but my understanding is its an effective weapon and will be very helpful in the near future as Ukraine attempts to remove their enemy from their country. I've never built any Armor kits before, so this will be a first for me. I also plan to learn how to apply panel washes and weathering to the finish, something I actively avoid and have little experience with. However, 2 weeks ago was my local IPMS show, and a majority of the tanks there (well over a hundred) had weathering, which looked great. I've started watching some videos on youtube about it, but if anyone has advice, im all ears. Hopefully I can finish this before I have to add ERA 😆

#14/2023 After the Peruvian Tucano, here´s an Ecuadorian counterpart for the Cenepa War between the two countries in 1995. My dad used the nice Trumpeter kit with Aztec decals. Painted with a lightened Gunze H331 BSC Dark Sea Grey, Gunze H303 FS34102 and AK Real Color Forrest Green FS34079. Tail antennas with 0,3mm plastic rods and the fuselage antenna with a 0,4mm one. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235123931-cenepa-war148-cessna-a-37b-dragonfly-fuerza-aérea-ecuatoriana/ Ecuador received their first A-37 in 1976. They came in SEA camo and stayed that way during the Paquisha War between Ecuador and Peru in 1981. Later on most of them were repainted in an EURO like scheme, some kept the SEA camo. Peru also used A-37s in both wars. Aztec stated in the decal instructions, that the FAE A-37s had large yellow triangles with black outlines painted on wings and tail to distinguish them better from the FAP ones during the 1995 war, but found no foto proof of that. The 1981 Paquisha was the one and only time when A-37 engaged against each other in an aerial combat/dogfight. In 2009 the FAE started to phase out their A-37s and replacing them with Super Tucanos. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0008 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0010 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

So, now that the Peruvian Tucano is almost finished, it´s time for an Ecuadorian counterpart. DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr using either Aztec or Armycast decals DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

From chinese sources, Trumpeter is preparing a 1/72 Sukhoi Su-24M/MR "Fencer-D/-E" kit - ref.01672 Sources: http://tw.weibo.com/supertomcat21/3751515812535600 http://www.arcforums.com/forums/air/index.php?showtopic=279455 Source: http://tw.weibo.com/supertomcat21/3748226886916265 V.P.

I had thought I had finished this GB, but today an item arrived in the post. When I was building the BMP-2 I mentioned that there was a considerable debate about the relative merits of the expensive tracked BMP and the cheaper wheeled BTR, and that in the end it was decided to use far more BTR than BMP. At the time I placed a kit on back order, and here it is. I decided against the original open topped BTR-60 and went instead for a late version of the improved BTR-70, and it seems I should just have time to build it before the GB finishes. Pete

Well I had some luck at the model show and picked up the Trumpeter Bf-109K-4 in 1/32 for this GB. Never really been much of a fan of second world war German aircraft but I've been playing a lot of War Thunder and the late Bf109s and Fw-190s are growing on me so looking forward to building this. Ordered the Red Fox studio 3D cockpit decals and a decal sheet by Aims with a few late Bf-109 schemes. The plan is to build this as Ernst-Dieter Bernhard's K-4. Be starting this soon, going to be quite an airbrush intensive paintjob which should be a nice challenge. I'm off work for two weeks so hoping to make nice progress with my builds for the GB. Thanks for looking in!

Well I’m not going to hold my breath waiting for someone to release a new challenger so I set about correcting the available kits. Fun fact #1 If you want a challenger that has been sat for a while, you need the Revell kit, if you want one that has been moving for a while, you need the Trumpeter kit. Anything in between the Revell kit will let you play with the wheel position. The Trumpeter turret is slightly better than the Revell in shape and some details (especially the TOGS housing) it is also slightly taller than the Revell one. To make a Mk2/3 the front upper glacis of both kits need to be altered, (although the kit is correct for an early model, and could be found on later upgraded models, they are rare rather than the norm) the step in the glacis needs to be removed. This is easier to do on the Revell kit as the Trumpeter has some internal bracing, the glacis should be straight all the way across, ( the RHS one is just one that I have been playing with as regards to paints and weathering. I have started the strengthening braces on the front joints, Trumpeter has them depicted on the turret sides but not anywhere else, Revell are totally lacking in any. I also started modifying and rebuilding the rear turret stowage bin. Fun fact #2 The cutouts marked in red on the kits, should only be there for tanks designated to carry a dozer blade otherwise they should be the full width and the moulded on tools were either located to the rear top of the turret or some bin somewhere but not mounted where shown.