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I've been encouraged by a respected member of this forum to provide some of my work for others to see. The last number of years I've struggled to finish and complete a kit. My building started in the 70's and the 80's and 90's, completed many and reaching a quality level that I was really pleased with. I have a good feeling working on this kit, I do see the finishing line relatively speaking. The LTV A-7 aircraft has been a favourite of mine for some time. And 2 seat versions of normally single seat aircraft as well a favourite. Yes the Hobby Boss Corsair has its warts, but I don't really see another on the horizon any time soon. My local hobbyshop had only the TA-7C available but it did include all the parts to build as an Air Force version. The South Dakota Air National Guard is one units markings I've admired with the Mount Rushmore art on the top of the tail. Those markings are included on a Xtradecal release. One aspect of the kit I disliked were the numerous rivet/screw details engraved everywhere. Most were filled with Tamiya surface primer, leaving just a hint of a few here and there that will show slightly after painting and weathering. The boarding ladder and steps will be made. I viewed the main wheels as a bit thin looking, so I sandwiched plastic card between the halves. The ejection seat seemed rather narrow and I've started to adjust it with Milliput. My work keeps me from progressing everyday and I am not sure how many installments I will have but my goal is to show my completed work in the finished model section.

I got this a couple of weeks ago and although I've lots of things on the stocks, a few KUTAs, a Wessex, a Fulmar to photograph and my 'Find the Bismark' Maryland. I couldn't resist starting it. I've also got another but a double start is probably too much. There are a lot of well moulded parts, no resin or etch, and markings for two Operation Tungsten birds, one form 829 squadron and one from 830. More later on but I do like the box top illustration with Furious and Victorious in the background. Mind you torpedoes weren't used against the Tripitz.

On a recent trip to one of my local model/toy shops, I came across Italeri 's 1:72 Dakota Mk.III. I had recently watched a programme about the RAF's role during D day, so was instantly drawn to this kit. I have to admit however, that I had never been that keen on the Dakota. That was until, I had the luck of witnessing one display at Abingdon airshow with my family. Having seen the aircraft in action, I was very impressed, and realised it deserved a lot of respect. So, wanting to build a slightly larger aircraft (in prep for the Lancaster and Halifax in my stash) I am about to begin the Dakota. On opening the box I was greeted by a very impressive decal sheet (the box doesn't lie....it is pretty super!) There are 3 grey plastic sprues, all with a lot of detailing, and a small clear sprue. There seems to be minimal flash and it all looks pretty good (if rather big!😬). I am planning to use the paint scheme of 233 squadron of the RAF, which was based in Swindon between 1944/1945. I am a brush painter, the body of this aircraft is rather large however, so I will be relying on the trusty rattle can to get me through. So here goes, my first BIG build!!!

Hi All, As threatened / promised in the chat section of this GB I'm in with a WW1 themed aircraft - The Fokker E.11 "Eindecker" Box Shot Not many parts to the kit but they are beautifully moulded IMHO. First off - start the cockpit - Glued together then primed. Half an hour into the second lunchtime working on it I was here... Airfix had listed out a couple of colours for the wooden interior but I went with what was in my travelling toolbox which is Humbrol 93 (Desert Yellow) with a Citadel Agrax Earthshade wash over the top. The seat was painted in Vallejo Hull red in lieu of a leathery colour and a tape lapstrap added. Fuselage has been closed up now but no photo yet as I was interrupted by a colleague who somewhat inconsiderately wanted to talk about work. KR's IanJ

Hi guys, As a few of you might know, I did a 1:72 Airfix Vulcan with a full interior a while ago. It was an "interesting" build filled with research and frustration as I delved into my first experience with photo-etch, rescribing and resin; but it produced a half-decent model of a Vulcan B.2: So, with a new-tooled Victor B.2 in my stash (as of yesterday ) I embarked upon this build in the hope that it will be a less stressful build than the Vulcan and with the hope that I can utilise everything I have learnt since that build. The Kit As stated previously this a new-tool kit from Airfix in the £50-60 range- there has been much discussion of the cost of this kit but I would state (in my opinion) that for the amount of plastic you're getting and the level of detail, it is entirely worth it. My plans for the build: -Construct the kit in either a conventional bombing or Blue Steel role (I haven't decided yet, what do you guys think?) -The camo paint scheme will be used (I can never get a clear dust-free white paint job on any large kit) -EDIT: This will be a flaps down, crew door open, gear down, airbrake open model -Weather the model moderately with some new AK interactive washes that I would like to test: The Build And so it begins! I started work on the cockpit first and despite the high possibility that barely any of this would be seen, I would like to detail every part of this kit as much as possible That's it for now, thanks for having a look! Kind regards, Sam

To run alongside my Dakota Mk.III build, I wanted a smaller kit to crack on with, and looking in my stash I decided to opt for a kit I've never attempted before. This is a first in 2 ways, my first Special Hobby kit and my first Helicopter! I picked the kit up on holiday along with a Special Hobby Sf-1, it was cheap and although I don't usually build helicopters I fancied the challenge. So here goes on 2 firsts! The box includes detailed colour instructions, and a small but detailed sheet of decals, for the 4 options of paint scheme. There are 5 grey plastic sprues, all very detailed with panel lines, rivets and the like, and one clear sprue. I am planning on painting the aircraft in the scheme of Candy Ann, as flown by CW2 Randy Zahn and SP4 Marshall Maring of C- Troop, 1St squadron, 9th Cavalry, in Vietnam August 1970. Let the fun begin!

Ready for your inspection I have Airfix's Nakajima B5N2 'kate.' The aircraft is painted in the colours of one from the Imperial Japanese Navy carrier 'Shokaku," which was involved in the attack on Pearl Harbour. I also opted for the folded wing version, partly because I wanted to experiment with cutting the plastic, and partly because I think they look rather mean with wings folded. The build went well until the painting stage, I always brush paint, and tried experimenting with thinners to enhance my painting techniques. I have since learnt that I achieve better results using distilled water to thin my paint. That said, this model making lark is a constant learning curve and I'm pleased with the final results I have achieved.

For my next build I have decided to attempt the Airfix Nakajima B5N2 'kate.' As one of Airfix's new tools, the sprues are all very clean, and there is lots of detailing to the cockpit and fuselage, because of this she will be an out of the box build. I love the look of this aircraft with its wings folded in, and am toying with which paint scheme to choose. I am looking forward to using my modelling saw for the first time, and developing new techniques.

Ready for inspection I offer Airfix's 1:72 Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX. She is painted in the colours of PS888, the aircraft that carried out the last operational sortie, by a Spitfire. Once back at the Base George Travers painted the words 'the Last! ' on the left side of her nose. Having done a little research I decided to add the inscription to my model to really bring it to life. The kit went together with ease, it was only when my decals began to bubble after I'd sealed them in with gloss varnish, that I hit a snag. I'm putting it down to the depth of the panel lines (trenches more like), this however was rectified by smoothing them down again with cotton buds. Finally I painted the famous inscription by free hand, to her nose, and gave her a coat of Windsor and Newton matt varnish (I prefer the finish matt varnish gives). I have really enjoyed this build, and have fallen totally for the Spit (I now need another for my stash), you can never have too many Spitfire's.

I couldn't decide what kit from my stash to build next, I wanted a nice straight forward kit to work on alongside my other build. So going with my son's choice I'm about to start Airfix Supermarine Spitfire PRXIX. The box includes 4 sprues (and a clear sprue), all are clean with nice detailing and panel lines. I decided to do a little research on the aircraft, and discovered that one April 1St 1954 PS888 flew the last sortie of an RAF Spitfire. When the aircraft landed the ground crew inscribed the left engine cowling with the inscription 'The Last!' I am tempted to add this little tribute to my build.

Here we go, a month late starting due to unfinished business with a Foxbat in the Made In Russia GB.... ( oh alright, I also forgot I signed up to this one ! ) What shall I make next...hmmm... maybe a Mig-29 of some kind.... Here's the "look ma, I haven't started it yet" photo

Two of the just released AZ Models Chipmunks arrived from Mr H in Lowestoft yesterday. I have been thinking of what to build for this GB and this little treat of an aeroplane is a goood start. Although a De Havilland Canada design, the majority of Chipmunks were built in the U.K. by De Havilland first at Hatfield and then at Broughton. So this should be OK for this GB. I will complete it as one of the Navy T10s. The Fleet Air Arm received a number from the RAF and indeed still have some in flying condition for the Royal Navy Historical Flight. I'm not 100% sure which aircraft it will be but I'll work on that. Anyway here's the box and sprue shots. Not a lot of it and a tiny little thing. But the detail is a lot better than the old Airfix kit and no Rosie the Riveter! Unfortunately none of the options are for a FAA aircraft or even one that got transferred.

Sigh. The MiG-15 project was a big old fail, and the -31 just isn't drawing me in right now. I've been on something of an armor kick lately, so I'll try getting back into the group build mojo with this project. This is not your father's braille scale armor! The level of detail and finesse on the parts is simply astounding. Zoom in on that pic if you can. More close-ups of parts will come with build sequence shots. The complexity of detail comes with a complex build, but I like complex AFV kits. If I wanted simple, I'd buy diecasts. Tonight I finished one side of the suspension. Again, unbelievable detail, and for a killer price! I'm very excited about this kit. I also got Zvezda's T-90, but I don't think I'll have time to finish both in the GB time. So for now, just this.

This is my first RFI as a newbie member of the forum. When I decided to get back modelling I picked up a few cheap and basic kits to practice on with a view to trying out at least one new technique with each. In this instance the goal was rigging but I ended up trying out a whole lot more. Despite the age of this kit it was a real pleasure to work with and it's whetted my appetite for more! I've already started on the next two 'practice pieces' from the (rapidly expanding) stash. As I intend building another, more detailed, Swordfish in the future this one was was built in the radar equipped (pic 3), rocket toting, Mk III guise. WIP is >HERE< Swordfish RFI 1 by Martin Fay, on Flickr Swordfish RFI 2 by Martin Fay, on Flickr Swordfish RFI 3 by Martin Fay, on Flickr Any feedback, criticism and advice welcomed! While researching for the build I found myself intrigued by the aircraft, the missions it was involved in and the men that flew them. As a result I've ordered copies of "The last Torpedo Flyers" and "War in a Stringbag" to learn more on the subject. Cheers, Martin

The last of my recently built Soviet trifecta. This little BTR is the 1:72 kit by ACE. It is a beautiful kit, but a bit tricky to build. Some of the structures (e.g., smoke grenade rack) are multi-piece PE, all grab handles are made from bent wires, parts have to measured and adjusted to ensure proper fit, and the suspension took a very long time. This is essentially a short-run kit, but for once I felt like I was modeling and not just assembling. I've mentioned it elsehwere, an I'll say it again. I really like ACE's plastic. It reacts quite well to Tamiya Extra Thin, and disolving and then fusing into very strong structures. Great for all the butt-joints of fine tiny pieces. I finished the model as a Soviet machine serving in Jalalabad, Afghanistan in the late 1980s. Paint is MM Acryl. Weatheirng consists of a few washes, and pigment work. I have ordered some tank riders and crew figures, so stay tuned for more pictures sometime soon. As I said, this was an extremely rewarding build. I haven't built 1:72 armor in some years, but this relit that fire in me. I enjoyed this project much more than any of my recent 1:35 armor builds, and I think it looks much cooler on my shelf than the bigger tanks. Might be time to sell off that portion of my stash.

I got this a couple of weeks ago and rashly dived straight in. I do like Fulmar's and have quite a few done and more than a few in the stash. Although criticised as being a bit slow and not terribly aerobatic, it was a very effective fleet defence fighter. Remember, it was never designed to dog fight against fighters but defend the fleet against long range bombers and reconnaissance aircraft as well as acting as a spotter for gunnery. It did had a long range and could stay in the air for a long time, as well as being a stable and effective gun platform. Fulmars shot down more enemy aircraft than any other FAA fighter so it wasn't a failure and certainly was a major factor in the success of the Malta convoys. A nice set of well moulded sprues, although there is a little flash. Good cockpit and wheel well detail. There is a bit of paint on them already. I did say that I had dived straight in. Nice nice instructions but in traditional SH manner some locations are a bit vague. Clear sprue, a little bit of resin and some etch. Good transfer sheet from Cartograf for four versions I am going to do this version as it's a bit different. Happy modelling to come hopefully. I have also got a masking set. I recall the time it took to mask my previous attempts.

I'll be honest from the start; This kit very nearly wasn't going to get built. I bought it on a whim with a view to building a full set of the various interceptor generations. Lightning, Phantom, Tornado and Typhoon. I was so underwhelmed when I opened the box that I just packed it all back up again and pushed it to the back of the shelf. But then I bought myself an airbrush and needed a couple of mule builds to practice on and try out the various types of acrylics that were available locally. I looked through the stash and chose a Revell Fokker Dr.1 to paint with Gunze and Tamiya paints and this Tornado to paint with the much maligned Humbrol Acrylics. First up was the cockpit. Now when I say cockpit what Airfix supply isn't isn't so much a cockpit as a smooth, flat, featureless bathtub. After their delightful little Vampire model this was a real disappointment. Rather than try to make a silk purse from a sows ear by adding detail I've elected to fit the pilot figures and build this as an "in-flight" model with the cockpit closed and undercarriage up. Even so, I think it'll need a little more than a quick coat of 164 - Dark Sea Grey to be acceptable. Airfix-Tornado---cockpit by Martin Fay, on Flickr I've also made a start on the wings, replete with raised panel lines and enormous ejection marks. How very 70's. 2016-09-09-11.30 by Martin Fay, on Flickr Much slicing, scraping and sanding later and we're getting there. Airfix-Tornado---Wing-WIP by Martin Fay, on Flickr And finally I can actually glue something! Airfix-Tornado---Wings-WIP2 by Martin Fay, on Flickr

After a lot of thinking I've decided to build Revell's 1:72 Buccaneer for the Made in GB group build. This is a Matchbox kit that has been reboxed, and unfortunately doesn't have the signature folding wings and airbrake. However, ever since I saw the Buccaneer at the London RAF museum I've had a soft spot for the aircraft. the kit is made up of 3 sprues, all pretty clean and flash free, as well as a small clear sprue for the canopy. There is a small decal sheet, so the graphics will be minimal, but I love the mean appearance of the aircraft in its desert pink colour scheme.

Hi All, My first contribution/attempt to this GB will be this..... Can't tell you anything about the provenance of the kit - Only that it's short run and 1:72 scale A bit more about the actual aircraft can be found Here First job was to start the cockpit. The first casualty was the rudder bar which snapped while being removed from the sprue and had to be replaced with a bit of bent wire. All primed but can anyone confirm what the aircraft was constructed from so I can take a call on the interior colour? A cursory glance across the interweb hasn't really given any answers.. Thanks IanJ

Hi folks! Last year I built the wonderful Airfix Defiant as the famous N1801 "Coimbatore II", a nightfighter of 264 Squadron RAF, complete with lots of extras including Eduard photoetch, Barracuda wheels, Xtradecals, etc. You can see that build here. This left me with the quandary of what to do with my old MPM Defiant, built something like 9 years previously while I was still doing A-levels! I did take a photo of the model last year but it's gone astray so you'll have to make do with this one from 2008: As you can see, same scheme. I'll hope you'll agree it's not as good as the one from 2016! Anyway, having thrown all that AM at the Airfix kit left me with a lot of bits left over, including most of a decal sheet, a complete set of undercarriage doors, and two spare canopies. So I elected to strip down and repaint the MPM kit, and finish it as a Dunkirk/Battle of Britain machine - attempting to fix some of the worst inaccuracies of the MPM along the way. These chiefly involve the turret and canopy (both 2mm or so too high, the turret is also too large in diameter), and the undercarriage legs, which I'd already shortened by about 2mm back in 2008 shortly after the above photo was taken - but still looked too long. A quick test fit confirmed the Airfix closed canopy made the model look vastly better, and I combined this with sanding the turret down from the bottom. The undercarriage legs were quite badly damaged from being cobbled back together before, so I attached the Airfix door parts directly to the wing undersurface as a height guide and a solid anchor point, then having reattached the cleaned-up wheels I pieced back together and cut down the legs until the right amount of tyre showed underneath the bottom of the doors. This was another 2mm at least removed so the MPM legs are a grand total of 4-5mm too long. That's about a scale foot. I also had to scratchbuild some replacements for parts lost or too far gone to save, such as the rear undercarriage struts, radio masts etc. As usual it's brush-painted, although the Sky and the flat varnish come from a rattlecan. Decals were from Xtradecal stock, stencils I'd saved from the kit first time around (MPM helpfully provided two complete stencil sets, one in red and one in black!), and the fin flashes from the Airfix sheet. Scheme represents L7006 of 264 just after the Defiant's brief period of glory over Dunkirk. Hope you like it! I think this proves the the MPM kit can be made to look pretty like a Defiant without major surgery, although with the Airfix available it's almost certainly not worth the bother! Lastly a brief comparison shot. I think the MPM may still be touch plump around the centre fuselage, and it lacks some of the subtle shapes Airfix capture well, but the modifications make it look a lot better in my humble opinion

If I wanted to build Battle of Britain specific Hurricanes in 1:72 what are my options in terms of available kits, or conversions of other kits? I don't profess to be an expert on the BoB or Hurricanes, but I think very few of the Mk I fabric wing version would've remained unconverted by July 1940 so the Hurricanes that flew in the battle would have mostly been the Mk.I with a metal wing but some Mk IIa and Mk IIb might have been operational before the official end of the Battle on 31st October. Am I right in my thinking here, and if so, what are my best options in modelling those variants? From browsing Scalemates there is a plethora of different older issues of the Hurricane Mk I and Mk II (especially the Mk IIb) but there's not a lot available in kits currently issued (curses to Airfix for making a fabric wing Mk I). I don't mind scouring ebay or second hand kit sellers; but narrowing the parameters of the search to kits that fit the BoB Hurricane would be helpful. Thanks MO

This has been in the stash for some time. I bought it as the Freightdog Models 'Brits at Sea' transfers sheet had an FAA Mosquito. The sheet has TE711 of 811 Squadron, based at NAS Ford in 1946. My Sea Hornet is getting close to completion and I thought another DH aircraft would be in order. Rather than fight a limited run like the Hornet or the resin Sea Devon I did for the airline GB, hopefully a Tamiya kit will go together fairly easy. Z Here's the transfers. I do like the Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey finish. Ii previously painted up the interior green but it's well under the 25% previous build.

I hope it's not too late to start with this little beauty. Special Hobby's boxing of the NF21. This is not a simple kit, the basic airframe is but it has to be cut up as it's the basic fighter airframe, there is a shed load of resin a little bit of etch, and the props need constructed. Here is the sprue shot The resin, having undergone an ultrasonic clean. Not a great picture but shows the cutting that needs done and the rather nice transfers. Transfers for three Extra Dark Sea Grey over Sky, whcich IMHO is a rather fetching scheme for this beautiful aircraft. I think I'll do one of the HMS Eagle options as it was one of the carriers my dad served upon. First up the chopping up of the fusealge. Out with the saw, knife and sandpaper. Pictures to follow.

Hello Finally I had some time to continue the work on my Ost-Front scene. I've finished the models some time ago: Ju 87G-2 Stuka 'Kanonen Vogel' and Heinkel He 111 H-6. Both in 1:72 scale. Now it's the time to build the diorama for them. The plan is something like that: So, here is what I've done so far: Ju 87G-2 Stuka 'Kanonen Vogel' from Academy Heinkel He 111 H-6 from Revell Perspex box base with both of them arranged: Some SC250 bombs from Czech Masters (6) and one left from Messerschmitt Bf-109 kit: Some SC1000 bombs. Four again from Czech Masters and two from the Heinkel kit. They are a little bit bigger. Not sure which are in correct scale but I've decided to use all of them. The sledges to transport the bombs I've made from matches. Cut, glued, filed, airbrushed, drybrushed and finally weathered with washes. Here is how they look with the bombs: And finally Kettenkrad to tow the sledges and Kubelwagen for pilots (who are not ready yet). Both from Academy kit. The diorama will have some boxes, barrels etc. plus of course ground crew servicing the planes and the pilots resting and waiting for the mission. Thanks for watching.

It's always an exciting time, having finished a build and choosing from the stash which kit to attempt next. I've decided to go for a (slightly) more modern aircraft, and am beginning the Tamiya 1:72 McDonnell Douglas Harrier II. This is my first Tamiya build, so I didn't know what to expect when unboxing the kit. i was surprised to discover the instructions only in Japanese, but as there is mostly only the numbers of parts and detailed pictures, I should be fine🙏. there are a minimal amount of decals, and not much detailing to the inside of the fuselage, but that means it's open to my own interpretation. So here goes!