Search the Community

#26/2021 Here´s my dad´s newest model. Tamiya kit, Eduard seatbelts, EZ line for brake lines and antenna wires, painted with a blue-gray selfmix /Tamiya XF-18 + XF-2) and Gunze H51 Light Gull Grey. Wanted to use HGW wet transfers. My dad tried them out for the first time. It´s a 50/50 chance to get them off the carrier paper intact, onto the model and the carrier film off again form the model without damaging the ink. In the end my dad only applied some stencils and half of the lady. The girl comes as two part transfer, a white background and the coloured body. Sadly only the background went on well, so my dad painted the lady. The rest of the stencils and the stars are from the kit, The dices, elevens and the kill marks are decals from the Kagero Monographs Corsair Vol.I. Usually my dad is no fan of heavy weathering. But these Marines Corsairs were flown until they almost fell apart. So my dad decided to do a worn, beaten and corroded aircraft, playing around a bit with paint shading, oilpaints and chipping. For the latter he initially tried the salt method but got no satisfying result, washed it off again, did some repainting and chose the hairspray method. Regarding the cockpit paint, we read too late, that the early Corsairs had a Dark Dull Green or Bronze Green cockpit colour. Build thread here https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235100054-flying-leathernecks148-vought-f4u-1-corsair-vmf-213-usmc/ Aircraft of 1st Lt George C. Defabio, VMF-213 "Hell Hawks", Guadalcanal 1943 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_0001 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0011 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0012 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0002 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_0018 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0019 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0020 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0022 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

To accompany the USMC Wildcat, my dad also started now a Corsair, using the Tamiya kit and wet transfers from HGW Models. DSC_0006 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0007 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0008 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr DSC_0009 by grimreaper110, auf Flickr

Hawker Tempest Mk.V Stencils – Wet Transfers (for Special Hobby) 1:32 HGW Models Special Hobby's new large-scale Tempest V is selling like the proverbial hot cakes, and if you're a fan of wet transfers like I am, they're an important purchase to get rid of those annoying and sometimes tricky to hide carrier film edges. Of course you can hide them with successive layers of clear varnish and some careful sanding of said varnish, but if you don't have to there's one less opportunity for you to spoil your model's paintjob averted. If you're not familiar with wet transfers yet, they are initially applied like ordinary decals, but with a clear carrier film remaining in front of the printed decals. After a couple of hours the clear carrier can be peeled off, leaving the printing on the model, as if it had been painted on! Now perhaps you can see why I like them so much? Although this set is called "Stencils", it includes a lot more than just the small stencils that are dotted around the airframe. It also includes the fuselage codes, tail numbers, instrument decals, and the detail decals that straddle the clear sections on the pylons. You also get a set of swastikas in whole or in halves for the kill marks on the side of the cockpit, with the former in a dotted box that can be cut off if the host country requires it. The detail of the decals is exceptional, and they are as crisp as can be, with the exception of a set of Balkenkreuz kill marks that appear to have been printed as a pattern of dots to achieve grey, which shows up under magnification only however. There is a small yellow 24 Volts stencil that also appears to have a little over-spill of the yellow, but again, that is very slight and can be fixed easily enough with either a knife or a dab of paint. Conclusion To me these wet transfers fall into the "must have" category, and with the lack of carrier film, I think they will start to appeal to more and more people as time goes by. This should also encourage Martin & Co. at HGW to produce more of these innovative products. Very highly recommended. Currently they're not showing on HGW's site, and as I picked these up at Telford I'm going to take a guess that they've either sold the first batch, or not had chance to put them on their site yet. Probably the former. Keep checking back with their site by clicking the link below. Review samples courtesy of

Mosquito Mk.VI Wet Transfer Stencils (for Tamiya) 1:32 HGW Models Decals or transfers as they're sometimes referred to are printed inks that are covered by a transparent carrier-film that protects the delicate ink layers against handling. They're a great way of adding detailed markings to any model (or anything else for that matter), but they have one inherent drawback, which is the thickness of the carrier film, which must also extend beyond the ink to offer complete protection. This can lead to ridges around decals unless you are pro-active and use a combination of layers of clear varnish and delicate sanding, which takes a lot of time as I found when I built my recent Mig-31. Other than painting your own markings using masks, which lends itself only to the larger, simpler shapes, you couldn't really escape decaling for many years. Enter Wet Transfers. These use a similar method to decals, but have a removable carrier film, which leaves only the inks after drying. How do they work? In much the same manner as traditional decals, actually. Simply cut the decal (we'll call them that for ease) from the backing along with its transparent carrier foil, wet it in hot water and apply the decal and carrier film to your model as usual, pressing it down in the usual manner to expel bubbles and to make it conform to the model's surface. Three to four hours later, remove the carrier foil and clean up any watermarks with plain old water. The result should be an incredibly thin layer of ink that is almost indistinguishable from the surrounding paint in terms of thickness. This reduces the need for any ameliorating of thick carrier film ridges, and speeds the modelling process. This set has been produced using Wet Transfer technology for the fabulous Tamiya Mosquito, to replace those myriad of tiny decals, the carrier film for which is most difficult to hide. The National Markings aren't included, as you'll probably use commercially available masks for those if you don't fancy hiding the kit decal carrier film, but the set includes everything else from nose to tail of the model. It also includes those NO STEP crosses in red that can be prone to horrible silvering due to the expanse of carrier film in the middle. No such drama with Wet Transfers! The stencils are provided in black, with a number of them also printed in red for schemes where contrast with black is poor, and every single word is legible if your eyesight is good enough. The stencils even include the visible parts of the aircraft interior, such as the gear bays; gun bay; mudguards; fuel and oil tanks; bombs; prop bosses; bay doors; crew access door and the throttle quadrant. Conclusion I'm sold! Having tried one as a demonstration to see if the process is as easy as it's made out to be, I can confirm that they weren't telling fibs! The carrier foil almost disappears into the paint itself, so take care when you are picking at the edge, but when it peels back, it's as if the ink has melded with the surrounding paint. Just be patient enough not to try to have a pick at the foil too early, or you run the risk of pulling off the ink, as I did with a "can I remove this now?" test I ran after half an hour or so. Patience is the watchword at this final stage. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Mig-31BM/BSM Masks (for AMK) 1:48 HGW Models The superb new Mig-31 from AMK has quite a lot of glazing, and some of the windows are an odd shape, so a mask set would be a handy tool to have on-hand. HGW have been working hard on this Wünderkit, and have a few additional items that will be along shortly. The masks are pre-cut to shape, and are made from a very thin, flexible film that has a translucent pale grey colour. Each part is numbered on the instruction sheet, and the diagrams show where each one fits on the corresponding kit part. The masks cover the full surface of each panel, and should be easy to fit due to their translucency, with each one fitting snugly down, but adding very little in the way of thickness, which reduces the chances of paint build-up around the edges. As well as every canopy and windscreen panel, there are also masks for the coaming between the pilots and both of the landing lights in the nose gear bay door. As the Foxhound often had liberal quantities of pinkish sealant goo applied around the edges of the windscreens, if you have the initial edition without the decals for this, try adding a thin strip of tape around the edges of the masks (once applied) after airbrushing some pink paint around the canopy. Remember to add some interior green first though, so it doesn't show through! Review samples courtesy of

Mask sets for Wingnut Wings Felixstowe F.2a and AEG G.IV 1:32 HGW Models Two new masking sets have been received from HGW models, designed for the recent releases from Wingnut Wings. Both are cut on yellow kabuki tape with very crisp edges to each element. Kabuki tape is by far the best material for making masks from, as it adheres well to the surface, has a litlle 'give' in it for compound curves, and easliy peels off leaving no residue. 632029 Felixstowe F.2a This set is most applicable to the early version of the F.2a with the fully enclosed cockpit glazing.Masks are provided for all the glazing elements and should make light work of it. The masks for the propeller tips are very welcome. Having struggled to do similar masking on my FE.2b 4 bladed prop, I know how hard it was to make 8 similar shaped masking elements. All the hard work has been done for you here. 632030 AEG G.IV Also finely cut on yellow kabuki tape, there are elements here for the propeller hubs, wheels, and glazing. The large clear panel (part C4) on the underside adn both the small cockpit windshields are provided for. The wheel masks will also be useful and make swift work of accurately painting all four tyres. Conclusion. These are very useful items, and I notice that HGW has quite an extensive range for Wingnut Wings kits. I wish I had known about the one for the Fe2b prop earlier! It is proving virtually impossible to photograph the yellow sheets and show the detail of the elements on them. The cutting is very fine and sharp though, so I would expect them to go onto the model surfaces and give very neat edges to the paint, particularly if you spray paint. Both those reviewed here are of excellent quality, and the set for the Felixstowe F.2a (early) will be essential for anyone building this kit, and the AEG G.IV set will make light work if some fiddly masking. Highly recommended Review samples courtesy of

Seatbelt and Mask sets for Tamiya F4U-1A Corsair 1:32 HGW Models As with the set for the Revell 1:32 Fw-190, reviewed HERE, this set has been released in HGW’s Basic Line. The quality is the same as the previously reviewed set, as are the components, i.e. a sheet of laser cut seatbelts, etched buckles and clasps for the seatbelts and a sheet of masks. Being laser cut, the edges of both the seatbelts and masks are as crisp and clean as you could want. Only the small join to the sheet marring the perfection. If you’re using a new No11 blade then you should be able to cut them out without the need for any further cleaning up. The buckles and clasps are quite small, even in this scale, but the seatbelts are stiff enough to pass through them with relative ease. The completed assemblies should be given a bit of a dark wash to tone them down a bit, and then just attached to their appropriate positions. They will probably need a bit of a bend to get them to sit correctly and realistically. Job done. As with the masks in the Fw-190 set, these too have suffered a little bit of shrinkage, which hopefully has been taken into account. The set includes masks for both the interior and exterior of the windshield and canopy, which is a great help, particularly for the interior. Just fit and, using your favourite paints and airbrush, spray away. Conclusion This is another very useful set by HGW, and can be used by any level of modeller. The masks are generally used for when painting with an airbrush, but I’m sure they could be useful for those who don’t. The seatbelts are little more fiddly, but with a bit of care and patience, anyone can have a good looking addition to the kits seat. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Seatbelt and Mask sets for Revell Fw-190 1:32 HGW Each of these two sets are for the new 1:32 Fw-190F8 from Revell. The smaller of the sets contains just the seatbelts, whilst the large contains the seatbelts and a set of masks for the canopy, on in this case canopies, as there is a choice of two within the kit. This will probably be the most popular set. The laser cut belts are remarkably beautifully cut, with no ragged edges to worry about. Being laser cut, you are left with just a small join between the belts and the fret. With each part removed, it’s just a matter of threading through the etched parts and gluing the joints over. The belts are ready to fit, complete with markings and placards, to the seat and cockpit and there is a nice clear diagram showing the positioning, although you may wish to refer to actual photographs to get the correct level of sag. The masks also appear to be laser cut and there appears to be a little bit of shrinkage, which hopefully has been taken into account with regards to fit and coverage. The instructions clearly show which masks go where and for which canopy. Unlike most over mask sets HGW have included masks for both the interior and exterior making it a whole lot easier to airbrush the appropriate colours. Conclusion HGW have released two very useful sets although I imagine that the mask set will be the most popular. That said, it’s always good to have a choice and for those modeller who either don’t like or don’t need masks then they can just use the super seatbelts. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Hawker Typhoon Mk.1b Seatbelts (for Airfix) 1:24 HGW Models Following our review of the new Airfix Typhoon here, HGW have released a set of superb pre-coloured, laser cut fabric seatbelts with Photo-Etch (PE) buckles and fixtures. Arriving in a flat pack with internal card stiffener, the pack includes a sheet of "micro-textile" and a fret of PE parts, with full instructions on the rear insert. If you've read any of my reviews of this new type of super-realistic seatbelt, you'll know I'm a fan, and the effort is really worth it. They can be a little fiddly at 1:48, but in glorious 1:24 they will be much easier to handle. Making them is very similar to making the real thing, as you thread each buckle and fitment onto the belts, securing the parts with super-glue. The fabric itself is supplied on a backing sheet that you peel off, and then scrunch up the fabric to make it pliable. Remove the PE parts from the fret as you need them, and follow the instructions carefully, using tweezers and lots of patience. This set is large enough to allow a PE insert to fit behind the main belts to depict the metal eyes that cover the ends. The un-etched rings project through holes laser cut into the belts, and should look superb once done. The top anchor threads through the seat armour and secures at the rear of the cockpit, while the lap belts affix to the sides of the seat. You can then drape the belts realistically within the cockpit, securing key parts with super glue to retain their position. Conclusion A brilliant & innovative product that I will use wherever possible in my models. It's not the sort of task you want to do after a bad day at work when next door's dog is barking incessantly, but if you approach it as a task that requires some time and attention, you'll be stunned at how good the belts look when done. The Airfix Typhoon's cockpit is highly detailed from the box, and these belts are just the icing on the cake. Extremely highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Bf.109F,G,K Control Surfaces (Hasegawa/Revell) 1:32 HGW Models This set of wet transfers (not decals in the traditional sense) is intended to replicate the ribbing effect on control surfaces of aircraft, and are tailored to specific manufacturers kits and variants thereon to ensure a good fit. They arrive in a flat pack, protected by a card insert, and inside are two sheets of transfers, both of which are protected by their own sheet of translucent paper. This paper is removed in preparation to use the decals, but be careful not to also peel back the carrier film from the sheet, as this will ruin your set. If you're not familiar with wet transfers and how they differ from traditional decals, read on. If you are, skip to the next paragraph. Wet transfers use water to release them from their backing paper, but instead of a permanent covering layer that we refer to as "carrier film", the carrier film is removable after the transfer has been allowed to dry for several hours. This gives a thinner, painted-on effect, leaving no embarrassing steps around the decals that need hiding with successive coats of gloss varnish and sanding to hide them. Once your transfers are completely dry, you just pull to remove the carrier film and wipe any glue residue away with a damp cloth. Seal them with a light application of varnish, and you're done. It may seem a little bit of extra work initially, but if you were to hide the carrier film of a traditional decal, you'd be involved in a lot more work as previously mentioned. I'm really looking forward to trying them, and have seen the finished article and it's definitely worth it. Will wet transfers take over? I hope so, but it will probably take some time for them to catch on with manufacturers as well as users. These decals (I'll use that word colloquially from here on in) mimic the raised ribs and frames that are present on a fabric covered control surface, and should be applied after primer and before the final top-coats of paint are sprayed. They give a microscopic additional thickness to the area they cover, and once overcoated with paint look great. The full set of control surfaces are covered including ailerons, elevators and rudder, with a decal for each side of each part, with alternative rudder parts for the G10 and G14 variants that have no mass-balance on the tip. For a more worn airframe, you could lightly abrade the paint with a fine sanding stick, simulating some of the paint wearing away on the raised edges of the ribs. Conclusion A little more work added to a "standard" build, but worth the effort to add extra interest to your models, and they are the easiest of methods to simulate the relief on your control surfaces. We could ask for a little more verbose instructions in the pack, and although all the decals are handed and different top and bottom, I'd still feel more comfortable if the decals were numbered against a key on a diagram, as I find mistakes easier to make than models! These are of course very minor nit-picks for a great product. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of

Seatbelt sets 1:32/1:24 HGW Continuing their selection of highly detailed seatbelt sets, HGW have released two new sets, one in 1:32 and one in 1:24. If you want super detailed seatbelts for your models then these will certainly fit the bill. The 1:32 set, for the Zoukei Mura Douglas A-1H Skyraider, contains a mixture of etched buckles and clasps with the straps being made of a very thin printed paper, whilst the 1:24 set, designed to fit the new Kinetic Republic P-27D Thunderbolt, consists of similar PE buckles and clasps, but with finely printed microtextile material. The paper belts are remarkably thin and the idea is that once you have decided which shade of belt you’re going to use, you carefully cut each one out along the dotted line, and trim it to length. You then scrunch the belt into a ball, flatten it out and thread it through the required clasp or buckle. You will need to use dispersive glue, such as PVA, to join the folded tabs together. Once assembled you then spray with a matt varnish, then add the belts to the seat and drape as appropriate according to your reference pictures. The 1:24 set appears to be quite a bit easier to use, in that the belts are already laser cut, leaving just a small join between the belts and the fret. With each part removed, it’s just a matter of threading through the etched parts and gluing the joints over. The belts are ready to fit to the seat and cockpit and there is a nice clear diagram showing the positioning, although you may wish to refer to actual photographs to get the correct level of sag. Conclusion Whilst these two sets are superb, even in these larger scales, the construction is remarkably fiddly with threading the straps through the various metal parts, but the impression given once assembled is quite amazing. The cloth material allows the belts to sag in a more natural way, which etched belts cannot hope to imitate without some expert manipulation. The paper ones are a bit of an unknown quantity with this reviewer though, but I can see what HGW are trying to do with the method of assembly. The quality of the two kits for which these sets are intended means that they really should be fitted with an accurate set of seatbelts, and you can’t really go wrong with these. Very Highly recommended Review samples courtesy of

Wet Transfer Stencils 1:32/1:48 HGW Models HGW are well known for their amazing range of wood decals, seatbelts and detail sets. Well, now they have released a new range of wet transfers, in the case of this review, they are for the 1:32 P-51 D, J and K, the Me109F, G and the 1:48 Spitfire Mk.IX. So, what’s the difference between wet transfers and the normal decals we find in most kits? The difference is that with the wet transfers you cut out the item you want to add to your model, place in hot water and wait until the decal becomes loose from the base paper. You then apply as per a regular decal, pushing the water from beneath the decal, then let it dry for three to four hours. When dry you then remove the transfer foil and clean away any glue stains with water, leaving the stencil in place, looking more like it has been painted on. It may be a bit more of a faff, but apparently they do look so much better than standard decals. 1:32 P51D, J, K Mustang (232008) – This sheet provides all the stencils, of which there are a lot, required for one aircraft. These include the placards that are applied to the drop tanks, bombs and main undercarriage legs. There are also the markings for aircraft serial No’s 473304, 411622 and 414151. These include kill markings, code letters and for 414151 the name Petie 2nd. 1:32 Me109G-6 (232009) – As per the set above this sheet provides a full set of stencils for possibly two aircraft with the stencils in either red or black. In addition to the stencils there are a pair of swastikas, black and white low visibility Balkenkreuz, Gruppe Commander markings, staffel emblem for JG-3 and the horizontal S markings for Group III. 1:48 Spitfire Mk.IX (248001) – this sheet only provides the stencils for one aircraft, but does include the wing walkways lines as well as the standard stencils for this mark. There are no aircraft insignia or markings for individual aircraft, but then there are so many sets already released that seem to cover most of the aircraft built that they aren’t really necessary. Conclusion Decals have been with us pretty much since modern modelling began, so it’s interesting to see a new variation on the theme. I can only go by those who have used these and have been extremely happy with the results. But I will be using them on my builds in the future and will update this review having done so. Review samples courtesy of

B-17 Flying Fortress Seatbelts (2 sets) 1:32 HGW Models The HK Models B-17 is a monster of a kit, with a decent interior on which to build a super-detailed model. There are no seatbelts included with the kit however, which these two sets from HGW intend to rectify in superb style. There are two sets available, one of which includes resin cushions for the front cockpit crew (132534), and one that supplies a fabric cover to glue over the original parts (132529). Each set comes in a flat pack with a card header that also acts as protection for the parts. The resin parts are found behind the card in its set. Seatbelt Set with Resin Cushions (132534) This set contains fabric belts for seven seats, Photo-Etch (PE) parts for their buckles and fasteners, and a pair of the prominent cushions for each of the pilot's seats in resin, with decals to depict the US Air Corps stencil on the cushions that can easily be seen through the windows on the yellow background of the cushions. The belts are described as a micro-textile, and come attached to a backing paper and pre-printed with colour and stitching detail to a very high standard. If you're not familiar with these style of high-realism belts, you remove them from the backing paper, crumple them up and kneed them between your fingers, and then glue the PE fasteners in place as per the instructions. The belts then drape naturally on the seats, and can be glued in place easily when compared to PE belts. The resin consists of two cushions per seat, one for the seat pan, and one for the back, which has ribbing pressed in, to ensure a snug fit with the back of the kit's seat parts. Waterslide decals are supplied for both cushions to complete the job once you have painted the resin yellow. Clean-up of the resin is minimal, as they are barely attached to the pour stubs, and will need a quick buff with a sander, being careful of course not to inhale the dust. Seatbelt Set with Fabric Cushions (132529) Consisting of a sheet of "Super Fabric" microtextile and sheet of PE the same as the above set, this is identical apart from the layout of the fabric sheet, the lack of resin and decals. Sufficient belts and buckles for seven seats, and of course the more slim-line cushions for the pilots' seats. If you're resin averse, or prefer the look of the skinny cushions, this is the set for you. Conclusion These are without doubt the most realistic seatbelts on the market at this time. In 1:48 they're a bit fiddly, but worth the effort. In 1:32 they should be much easier to build up, and should be at the top of everyone's list of upgrades for their monster B-17 (IMHO), and for their other projects too for that matter. Martin at HGW is a thoroughly nice guy into the bargain, so give him all your money! Review samples courtesy of