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Hey folks, not finished anything for a l-o-n-g time hence not been around. Bought this in 1991 in a wee model shop my mate owned in Southport and it's been on the shelf ever since. Dragged it to the bench before Christmas to keep me out of trouble over the holidays - which it pretty-much has. Other than the ALQ pod and the mid-1980's Microscale decals, what you see here is exactly what came in the box. Definitely not my best work, but wonderful nostalgia trip (even painted it with Humbrol enamels). All comments, criticism and questions welcomed - Happy New year everyone. Ian.

This is the great Viking from Hasegawa. Good oldie from the seventies. I rescriped all panellines and added some detail from scratch. It will be an aircraft stationed on the USS Ranger. Cheers, Bas

Happy New Year; could be a bit of a mistake, but while waiting for weathering to dry on Phantom I started decals on the F-104S which was the reason the FG.1 ended up on the SOD. These Wolkpak Decals go on very well, even the 2 part roundel, and nice density, never used them before. There are a lot of stencils for the tanks and upper side roundels and the only instruction is one side view. Chris

Another 2023 build I'm catching up on posting is this Revell boxing of the old Hasegawa Mirage F.1C. Despite its age, I think this kit holds up well in terms of shape and fit. I augmented mine with a Pavla cockpit (which is a huge improvement on the very basic kit cockpit), ResKit wheels, Master pitot tube, a CMK jet exhaust and Quickboost air scoops. The air scoops and the exhaust are for the Special Hobby kit, and just a few simple mods were required to the Revell fuselage to get the latter to fit nicely but is a nice addition I think. The Hasegawa/Revell kit has raised details so I rescribed some of the most noticeable panel lines. Colours are Ammo MiG Mirage Blue over Vallejo white aluminium. Again, apologies for the quality of the camera phone photos

This is the 3rd plane included in the Hasegawa 1/48 "Pearl Harbor Attack" limited release. The other two planes in the kit were a B6N2 Kate and a D3A1 Val which I have already completed. B5N2 Kate: D3A1 Val: The Box and kits within: The A6M2 included in the kit is offered in the markings of EII-102 (Mobile Task Force over sky direct support unit from carrier Zuikaku) or AI-110 (Pearl Harbor 2nd Attack unit from carrier Akagi). I will be going with AI-110. Along with the Hasegawa kit, I also purchased Eduard detail set, Eduard seat belts, and Eduard mask. Rivet work complete: Cockpit cleaned up for paint and PE parts: Cockpit painted in Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green IJN: Next up will be addition of the cockpit PE parts followed by weathering.

Greetings to all. The Hasegawa model is of venerable age, with perhaps its typical pros and cons: very poor detailing, but excellent execution of the panel lines, perfect joining, razor-thin edges. Some technological aspects of the assembly are of course also outdated (hello from the 90s), but all this did not disappoint at all, the model is pleasant and, in my opinion, is definitely the best for the 520. I didn’t photograph all the improvements in the process, and there weren’t that many of them, so I collected what was left in the photo into collages. The cockpit in the model is completely empty. I had a small etching board from Eduard, it is the same age as the model, so it also has a lot of shortcomings, but it helps out quite well in combination with available materials. Another relatively significant omission on the model is the landing gear niches (I see that these are also “family features” of Hasegawa models). Firstly, they have an irregular shape in cross-section (in the part where the stand is placed they are rectangular in cross-section), and secondly, the filling of the niches themselves is fictitious. Here, too, it was corrected partly by etching, partly by polystyrene. The rest of the modifications are already in the category of small things: tubes, hoses, technological holes, thinning of the edges, navigation lights made of colored plastic, etc. The tail unit has been “revitalized” a little - in photographs of the D.520 the rudders are often in this position. In addition to the mentioned etching, I used exhaust pipes from Quickboost, a vacuum canopy, a landing light from Elf, wheels from Kora (very low quality, I do not recommend). Riveted. Perhaps it was unnecessary, but I decided so. Painted with Tamiya acrylic and Hobby color. I mixed all the colors myself. Color accuracy is an extremely complex and hardly provable issue. Decals from Print scale. The unit of the pilot Rene Pomier-Layrargues, famous for the fact that he managed to shoot down Werner Melders, although the French pilot died in that battle, but Melders survived and continued his “career”. I painted the tricolor on the keel. Unfortunately, this time too there were some shortcomings, but overall I was pleased with the result, which is what I wish for all modellers. *Sorry for automatic translation

This D3A1 VAL is part of a 3 model kit that Hasegawa released a few years ago. The other two planes are an A6M2 Zero and an B5N2 Kate. All 3 planes presented in this kit took part in the initial attack on Pearl Harbor, and were launched off Imperial Japanese Carriers. I have already completed the B5N2 Kate which is featured in some of the forced perspective photos which were taken on a 1:48 replica of the IJN carrier Hiryu (24”x36”). Next up is the A6M2 Zero! Carrier deck photos: White background photos:

Greetings to all. The Hasegawa model is of venerable age, poor in detail but at the same time with excellent panel lines, precision joining, thin edges. Therefore, in a sense, it is great for those who want to work with their hands and apply dexterity. At the same time, the prototype itself is very rich in details. Therefore, during the construction, a lot of aftermarket goods and even more parts made from scratch were used, most of which I think can be seen in the photo. The prototype is Captain Franco Lucchini's unit, a well-known aircraft among modellers, primarily because of its unusual paint scheme, which caught my attention. The plane was reconstructed at least twice, both times changing its appearance, and ultimately received half a wing and a hood from other aircraft. *Sorry for the automatic translation

This is the classic 1/72 Hasegawa J2M3 Raiden kit supplemented with DEAD Design Models canopy masks. Mr. Color, Tamiya, and Alclad paints. Weathering with Tamiya and AK panel liners, Abteilung and Mig oils, and a touch of Tamiya pigments. The decals gave me trouble, wrinkling under my Solvaset regimen, and so I was forced to weather them: too much, IMHO. Here is one jacked up Jack. Thanks for looking!

Hi aviation modellers, as I haven't been able to start a project in a while I thought I would share a build from a couple of years ago. This model is built from the Hasegawa 2002 boxing of the Ki-44-II, or Army Type 2 Fighter, and represents an aircraft of the 3rd Chutai, 47th Hiko Sentai based on Narimasu airfield northwest of Tokyo in 1944-45, the same unit that @Toryu depicted in his superlative 1/48 scale build, found here: This unit was put into action against the B-29s that wreaked havoc against Tokyo and other Japanese cities on firebombing raids late in the war. Do correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that aircraft assigned to Home Defense can be identified based on the white painted wing and fuselage background for the Hinomaru (meatball) national markings. Interestingly, according to pacificwrecks.com, the airfield was converted post-war into the "Grant Heights Family Housing Annex" for American military personnel and their dependents, with the airstrip serving as the main street. The build presented very few problems and I would recommend the kit to beginners and vets alike. Happy days, Nick.

I'm a great fan of " Robotech" since I was a boy ( back in the eighties , I was born in 1979). I discovered later that Robotech was an adaptation of different Japanese Anime one of which was "Macross super dimension fortress". the Regult is the most common single pilot battle pod used by the Zentradi on that Anime. I had fun building this one. is much bigger than I expected. I added some dents , and bullet holes here and one little panel on the legs. But is mostly out of the box.

HI everyone!🙂 this is my HASEGAWA 1/48 Aichi B7A2 "grace" It's not famous,but I realy like the shape of this airplane.. the kit is almost 25years old,however,I think it's a good kit the IJN green has always been a challenge fo me.. try to build this beauty as good as I could.. hope you guys like it!

A year ago I made a start on this kit in the F-15 STGB but then ground to a halt. Time to get it going again - here is a link to my first attempt. One of the reasons I never finished it is because it was a release based on the very first few built with markings for one prototype and one development aircraft, It does come with a shedload of Rockeye bombs, but I fancy building it with a different payload, so may need to get some more decs. I also need to do a bit more research to see what if any changes I might need to make for a later service aircraft. More soon - hopefully. Pete

#25/2023 Next IJN subject finished by my dad. Hasegawa kit oob, only added brake lines with lead wire and antenna wires with EZ Line. The seatbelts are molded onto the seat. Painted with AK Xtreme Metal White Aluminium and Gunze H59 IJN Green with a touch of blue. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235130819-too-few148-kawanishi-n1k2-j-shiden-kai-george-ijn/ The Shiden Kai was a potent opponent for the allied fighters but not even 500 have been built. Aircraft of Lt. Takashi Oshibuchi, 343 Naval Flying Group, 701 Sqn, Matsuyama Airbase in March 1945. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 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_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0021 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0023 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0024 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0025 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0027 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr and together with the N1K1-Ja DSC_0028 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0029 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0030 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

This B5N2 Kate is part of a 3 model kit that Hasegawa released a few years ago. The other two planes are an A6M2 Zero and an D3A1 Val. The 3 planes all took part in the initial attack on Pearl Harbor, and were launched off Imperial Japanese Carriers. To stay with the theme; I decided to build a 1:48 replica of the IJN carrier Hiryu. I chose to build a 1/4th section of the carrier as it should be ample room (24”x36”) to get some photographs of all 3 planes together once they're all finished. This was the first time I utilized photoshops function to replace the background in favor of some real images and really enjoy how the photos turned out. I also just started using a 105mm macro lens. Overall, I am satisfied with the kit and am excited to start the next two planes.

After 2023 (link) newsletters, the Hasegawa news for January 2024. Source: http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/month/202401/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Of interest, the 1/48th A-4C Skyhawk kit - ref. PT22 - is coming back ! http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/product/pt22/ Also interesting for quarter scaler: http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/product/07529/ V.P.

Hi, Now that I have cleared the last troublesome kit I will build from my stash (AMT P-40N), it's time to get to the Corsairs. It started with the F4U-5, then I found an AU-1 (F4U-6) kit I didn't know existed, and recently I found an F4U-7. I thought I'd work on them all together since they are all related. As everything will be in triplicate this will be a slow build. Cheers, Wlad

I've long had a soft spot for the P-40. And so although this is not my normal genre (what's that spinny thing at the front?) and not my normal scale (in fact my first 1/48 build), I'm keen to make a second contribution to the GB by modelling 3 Squadron RAAF CO Bobby Gibbes' Kittyhawk IA ET953, code CV V. Arguably the GB doesn't need another Kittyhawk, but I reckon it does need a RAAF one! I'll use the Hasegawa kit. With its familiar sprues. Complemented maybe with some etch. And with decals from Novascale. (Anybody used Novascale decals before?) Of course there is a bit of conjecture and discussion online about this aircraft's markings. Some photos show the aircraft with what look to be white squadron letters and others what is thought to be blue or red. So at some point in the brief 3-4 month career ET953 had as Bobby Gibbes' personal aircraft (by about September 42 he was flying a Kitthawk II/P-40F) at least some of the markings were changed. And then there's the type A rounders under the wings but type Cs on the fuselage, which photos do seem to confirm. (I found a link to the IPMS NSW magazine with a great article exploring the markings of Gibbes' desert Kittyhawks here - https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ljyz_249Morhw_JOlF6CsrQeUL2bbmFD/view ) Here in Aus a Kittyhawk has been restored to represent ET953, which features white squadron codes but the undersides look to be light Mediterranean blue with period incorrect type D roundels on the wing undersides. Pics here. So I think I'll stick with the scheme as on the decal sheet (dated August 42), which seems to have a nice representation of Gibbes' famous nose artwork of a kangaroo kicking a helmeted daschund... It's getting late so I might post some more info about Bobby Gibbes (an ace pilot in more ways than one) and 3 Squadron as the build progresses. But for now, I've made a start with the cutting of some plastic, and am already paying close to attention to all the other terrific P-40 builds in this GB for guidance and ideas! Should be a fun build! Gerard

Hi everyone, this was the Queen of the Queens... of my personal collection of Queens of shelf, having bought and started it in 2003 😱 Between the starting and finish date there are not only 20 years, but 7 (yes, seven) movings. Now I'm in my current house since November 2021 and I'm slowly trying to build a nice workspace and resuming modeling. Kit is almost straight OOB. I've only improved the seats and cockpit with some scratch built details, and tried to reproduce the wing folding mechanism. Painting has been done with Gunze Aqueous and this was the first time that I tried to use oils for weathering and I'm quite impressed as I see a lot of potential! That's all, let's now post some pics...

I have in my stash some Hasegawa 1/48th Hurricanes one of which is the 40mm canon armed Mk.IId. I am going to build this kit with the hope that Arma will eventually produce this version of the Hurricane from their magnificent new 1/48th kit. This Hurricane kit is modular in design, with a separate nose section for the Mk.I and Mk.II different engines and wing inserts for the different armament that these aircraft carried. Compared to the Arma kit the fabric covering is rather overdone (too saggy) and the riveted wings are very smooth, I'll try and improve the fabric effect by a good coat of primer but apart from applying 3D printed rivets to the wings they will have to remain smooth. Here is the kit, Hasegawa kits from that period came with all the sprues in a single bag, only the clear sprue and decals were kept separate, so bag opened and sprues spread out. I am not using the kit decals but it will be finished in the 6 Sqn markings of HV594, aircraft letter P. Same camouflage colours as the box art, including the red spinner. I have bought some upgrades over the years. Some Aires separate tail surfaces, Brengun wheels, Eduard zoom set for the cockpit and a CMK resin cockpit seat as the kit one is too short. Let the fun begin, any advice or questions are most welcome.

It's been a while since I last posted something so I'm now about to make up for that. This has been my main "summer 2023 build" & unfortunately I just couldn't get into taking progress pics. It was mainly a matter of getting the chance to build as and when. Small bits here & there amongst whittling other kits. So here it is; General Dynamics F-111F Aardvark 70-2390 Miss Liberty II Lakenheath 01-1991 1/72 Hobby2000 Hasegawa kit. Armory wheels Master brass pitot Reskit exhausts Reskit AN/ALQ-131 Reskit 3D printed ladders Eduard cockpit set Eduard Brassin GBU-24 X2 Hasegawa GBU-15 X2 Hataka Vietnam War redline acrylics. All the decals were from the kit & were very good quality only the colour scheme in the kit isn't quite accurate to the actual airframe with the general three colour pattern. Hobby2000 have you put colours where they shouldn't go, then I even fluffed up on the forward starboard placing of the green which should have completely gone underneath the four squadron badges. There are photos of 2390 with munitions on while taxying out of a HAS, so I had to research what I was supposed to hang from the pylons. Should have asked here I know! I hope I've got it right. GBU-24's outboard from Eduard, I slapped the supplied yellow rings around them, but have been informed they should have two? The GBU-15's were from one of the Hasegawa weapons sets. I also sourced a decent AN/ALQ-131 from Reskit fixed to its rear station. Other than that, the kit goes together really nicely. I did have to scribe the details in for the wing gloves in the fuselage sides oh & for some reason I managed to fog the bottom of the windscreen, but it doesn't look too bad. I used my usuall Ammo Mig panel line washes. I started using a ground equipment set for my Tiger Meet Starfighter, so the rest of the box was used on this build & painted in the later NATO dark green, with a lonely pilot waiting for the rest of the ground crew to finish their breakfast! Thanks for looking. Martin

The late version of the George was an equal opponent for Hellcat and Corsair but not even 500 have been built. Soon to be started DSC_0008 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

#19/2023 Next Zero by my dad. Hasegawa kit oob, added Eduard seatbelts and EZ Line for the antenna wire. Painted with Gunze H59 IJN Green and Tamiya XF-12 JN Grey. The yellow wing leading edges are painted. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235128898-last-of-the-breed148-mitsubishi-a6m8-type-54-ijn/ Last produced Zero type. Two A6M5c were converted and fitted with the stronger Kinsei engine to replace the no longer produced Sakae engine in April 1945. The M8 never made it to serial production. At least one of the two prototypes fell into US hands. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 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_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0021 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0023 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr The First and the Last DSC_0024 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0025 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0027 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

Hello, I've not been posting here for more than a year which does not mean I had nothing to show. Looking back to my shelves I figured I have almost a collection of aeroplani dell'AMI which I never got posted here. So starting to fix this omission with the iconic aircraft of the jet aviation golden age - the F-104G Starfighter or il Spillone as it was nicknamed in Italy - the country which was able to keep the beast flying into the XXI century!!! F-104 is the airplane I always liked for it's extreme rocket-like shape that shows its power and speed. Super-strong engine with small wings, cabin, radar, tail attached. No surprise I wanted to do the most clean version of it without wingtip fuel tanks and without anything on the fuselage bottom. Clean sheer power! That is how I got to choose the first version used by AMI - F-104G and modelled it in the cleanest configuration possible. Just added two Sidewinders to show even more power. The prototype I chose was flying with 10° Gruppo, 9° Stormo at Grazzanise airbase in Campania. The location of the airbase is perfect for making superhot photoes of F-104 flying over the Amalfi coast above blue sea and rocks... Here is the photo that I used to inspire my project: http://www.916-starfighter.de/Large/Stars/wA9-05.htm The kit is the very well known Hasegawa set. I had the boxing for Luftwaffe and AMI F-104G/S. The kit decals for AMI aircraft are intended to build up an S version so I got couple Sky Decals sheets with Italian roundels and with multiple F-104 AMI badges to reproduce 9-05 s/n 6522 with il Cavallino Rampante on the tail. Unfortunately the Sky Decals set contained il Cavallino for grey schemes only so it did not have a white background which I sprayed myself trying to match the shape of the insignia as much as possible. I also used quite a bit of aftermarket staff. That included CMK interior set, Aires exhaust, Armory wheels, Master pitot tube. Of all these items I would say exhaust makes the largest difference as Hasegawa's is fairly simplistic. Also Master brass antennae is a must have for me anytime. So much better than kit parts for small price and very easily installed. CMK interior was quite poorly fitting to be honest. Of course it looks much better but not much of it is seen after you close canopy. As mentioned above - decals are coming from Sky Decals sets. Sidewinders are from Hasegawa weapons set. Paints are Hobby Color for camouflage and Vallejo aluminum metallic for underside diluted with a little bit of neutral gray to reduce shiny effect. Blueish tint for radome is self-mixed. I'm still not sure what the right colour should be there. At least I'm satisfied with how this part looks like. And some collage with close up shots: Thanks for watching! Dennis

#18/2023 My dad´s US naval theme continues, this time with something more modern. Hasegawa´s A-7 kit, first released in 1987, this is the P14 kit from back then. Aires A-7 late seat, TwoBobs decals used which were very thin and tended to wrap and tear. Painted with Gunze H311 FS36622, Gunze H310 FS30219, and Tamiya XF-69 Nato Black. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235126917-flying-gecko148-ling-temco-vought-a-7e-corsair-ii-va-22-fighting-redcocks-usn/ Around 1987/88, the CO and XO aircraft of VA-22 were painted in special camouflage. Whereas the CO bird was painted in a greyish camo, the XO one became brownish. At least the CO plane in its new clothes took part in Operation Praying Mantis in April 1988, a clash with the Iranian Navy, don´t know about the XO plane. Later in 1988 "302" wore single grey again. DSC_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0004 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0005 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0001 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_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0003 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0013 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0014 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0015 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0016 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0017 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0027 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr