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After having had a break away from flying things, in favour of motor car and motorbike things, I have returned to aircraft and here is my latest effort. Probably my favourite World War II fighter in my favourite scheme. The kit is the 8th Air Force Aces boxing of Tamiya's 1/48th P51D Mustang and this is truly straight OOB. No aftermarket, no fancy etched stuff or resin, just as Mr. Tamiya intended. There are still a few small things to finish off, but I'm getting ready for the trip over to Telford and they will have to wait until after the weekend. Hope you like the pics and as always, don't be shy to criticise and comment as that's the way we all learn.

***if you are of a weak disposition or a wingy thing builder, DONT read this*** Oh please god, please dont let it be ANOTHER Spitfire. Woohoo, it'll be a hot new product, Ill open the thread on BM, wait tensively for the pictures to download, and as soon as I see the begining of the wings downloading, that 'ah crap' feeling will come back and Ill just have to go outside and punch the dog again. Hot new products suck when they have wings attached to them... However, there is a small silver lining. Cant wait until the new kit gets onto BM, and its famous for about 37 minutes until some Herbert decides the doofangle is 2mm too short, the wings are the wrong colour and the decals are 2mm too short. Add to this,'wish they'd done it in whatever scale instead of this one, why didnt they do the B variant and why didnt they release it with Burmese decals or its not a flipping Beaufighter.... The box art will be wrong, the cardboard on said box will be a) wrong colour & 0000.78 microns thicker and worst of all, the instructions are not printed on tree hugger friendly paper..... and all this information will be amassed without actually having the kit in front of them! Roll on Saturday This was, chaps, of course a parody. A joke, just a little laugh.... Steve

I have thankfully 99% finished both of the JP5 SRPCSAEEMs (if you're up to date with Cheshiretaurus's Cherokee build you'll know what I mean) and they're in the cockpit tub ready to go into the fuselage. With bang seat no 2 (the instructors seat) I tried to put bend some slight folds into the lap belts to minimize the 2d effect. But really the PE is rather too small and stiff for that and the pre-colouring starts to peel off almost as soon as you put a proper bend in it. The bottom ejection handle fell off No 1 and got eaten by the carpet monster - so I've left them both off for now. I found a second hand spare one in the attic - but somehow I don't think it will fit: Luckily CMR give you a spare lower seat handle on the PE fret. Someone was thinking how cack handed modellers can be.. On the cusp of zipping up the fuselage. I'd like to get it done before the weekend as I'm going to Telford on Saturday morning (be hanging around there between about 10 and 1) and then off to Guernsey for a few days break. Only got tomorrow night to do it though so may not happen. Wouldn't want to actually make more than snail's pace progress after all Steve

Last night I completed Airfix Javelin (at around 1:30 am) , it was a massive rush but it is ready to grace the Romsey Modellers table at Telford this weekend. It's a great kit and I thoroughly enjoyed the build ( apart from the last few days which have been a bit frantic ). Build OOB apart from a set of Eduard Canberra seatbelts ( which are pretty close to the MB Mk 2 seat, and look much better than I could have achieved with foil)

Hi all, after a few weeks with no modelling activity due to an illness disrupting my modelling, im finally back on track with regards to making models. Here is my mitsubishi zero which im over the moon with; im very happy with the heavy weathering. I hope you like it, regards

Gold 5 from Fine Moulds

Hi guys after 18 months work I got the B-17 diorama finished a couple of weeks ago, just in time for the IPMS UK Nationals at Telford this weekend - I was going to wait until the last minute to post in 'Ready For Inspection' but I don't think I'll get a spare moment before I head off down South on friday, so here are some photos of the finished diorama. You can find the build thread here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234919436-132-scratchbuilt-b-17-fortress-diorama-update-1009-995-complete/ Without getting all mushy about it, I would like to thank everyone who has helped out and more importantly kept me going on this project! If you're going to Telford, I hope to see you there Rich

I have just finished my Spitfire Vb in 1/48 scale from Tamiya. Cockpit is from Aires, propeller and exhaust pipes are from Quickboost and wheels are from Barracudacast. The model represents Spitfire Mk Vb, AB184 "Joe II" which was with 332 Squadron in 1942. Decals are from Vingtor. I have used Xtracolor, Tamiya and Vallejo paint for airbrushing. Humbrol enamels are used for painting details.

This is my first started and finished model after the birth of my Daughter, and first post in BM. So thanks to my wife and mom for all your work and allowing me time to build =) This is Tamiya's 1/32 mustang (no intro needed i'm sure), straight out of the box. Scheme is from The Dominican Air-fore During the Trujillo Dictatorship. Markings where painted on using masks custom masks. NMF was done with CItadel paints. I used Tamiya acrylics for the markings and topped it of with Flory's washes. Comments and critiques are welcomed. thanks for looking! comments and critiques are welcome!

Here is my first post. I made loads of little mistakes but then again that's modelling. The Decals are Model Alliance and the cockpit has Eduard coloured photo etch. There are almost no reference photos of this aircraft on the web so its really a shot in the dark. Now for the 15 hour bus journey from southern Ireland to Telford !

I like the idea - so much so, that if the GB idea doesn't float, I'd like to suggest the idea of a "Buddy Build". In other words, no formal structure or moderation by Mish, but a sort of loose collection of participants acting as a Zetetic Elench*. * Do you have any idea how long I've waited to get that phrase into a sentence?

Similar to Enzo's story, Mildenhall on a sunny show-day. USAF F-15A and Lightning line up at the end of the runway, they start moving, part way down the Lightning gets airborne by retracting it's undercarriage and square turns for orbit. By the time the F-15 was gear-up you couldn't even hear the Lightning anymore. I'm pretty sure that was the moment my then-girlfriends young brother decided on the RAF as a career, I bet he wasn't the only one.

Hi all, just finished my latest model: Italeri`s Wessex HU.5 in scale 1:48. Used all three phantastic sets by Eduard for further details, the rest ist out of the box. Hope you like it!

Hello, attended this show last Saturday, it was quite warm (30's) and heat haze was making photography quite a challenge, gave my new Nikon D800e body a workout (36mp) Here is a link to some of the shots i took Cheers http://www.flickr.com/photos/open_shutter_media/

Here is my first attempt at 1/48 scale with Academy's P40 Tomahawk IIb. The kit is an OOB build with a bit of detail added to the cockpit, wheels, etc. The paints used were Tamiya and Vallejo. The kit was a straight forward build costing only £7.99. Cheers Ian

build thread here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234944844-eduard-148-p-38h-skylark-iv-nuthamstead-1943/ Quite happy with how this one turned out actually. There's a few little mistakes: it's nearly impossible to cut the Academy clear pieces from the sprues without damaging them and me being somewhat clumsy damanged them quite a bit. Realized I also should have opened the top slot for the boarding ladder but oh well. Had very little difficulties with the Eduard Brassin parts - they fit perfectly. I did swap the Academy tails for the Hasegawa parts; Academy kit features the wrong kind of radiators. exhausts from Quickboost barrels also from Quickboost Thanks for looking! Feedback and comments are welcome!

'Right', Been told to get on with it so heres a start. This shows the port un starboard one ok and the other being redone. This is ok. This has been boarded up and when dry will drill/file new entrance. Also been busy with the netting on stairs from poop to Quarter deck. I used 1/72nd brass left over from a T34/85 build cut to shape. Cheers foxy

I think it's natural for people to want to take pride in national industry and homebuilt products. Certainly here in the USA, it's almost a religious mania, and in fact is to some extent enshrined in law. Ships are one of the biggest and most visible symbols of a nation's military, and just, as, for instance, the Lightning (the only "all-British" supersonic jet) is remembered with pride, I've no doubt that the British shipbuilding industry was and is viewed similarly. Will other countries build ships with the same distinctive superstructures of modern Royal Navy vessels? I imagine it's possible. After a while, it might even feel normal. But emotionally it isn't the same. On a more pragmatic front, when you buy and build your weapons at home, at least some of the expenditure on defence goes back into local jobs and local cities. Not many workers at Blohm and Voss will be pumping money back into the British economy.

Planes My Father Fixed - Part 5 5 Sqn Burma Oct 1944-Jan 1945 Thunderbolt II In the autumn of 1944, the Hurricane IIc and IId aircraft were replaced by Thunderbolt I and II - othewise known as the P-47D Razorback and Bubbletop. 5 Sqn and 123 Sqn converted to the type together at Yelahanka in sothern India and it was intended that 5 Sqn would be equipped with Thunderbolt Isand 123 Sqn would have Thunderbolt IIs, but both squadrons left with a mixture. 5 Sqn retained its Thunderbolt IIs until January 1945 when they were swapped for Thunderbolt Is from 258 Sqn. Here we see a Thunderbolt II of 5 Sqn on a muddy airfield at Nazir in what is now Bangladesh in early December 1944. This is the Tamiya kit with aftermarket undercarriage legs, wheels and cannon barrels. Decals are from the spares box. At this time, 5 Sqn were not using their "OQ" squadron code on their aircraft, just the individual aircraft letter. I used some artistic licence as I coudl find no information about specific Thunderbolt II serials for 5 Sqn, but this serial is authentic for the aircraft shipped to the RAF in India at this time. ... and here it is... and here is the cockpit

You say that like it's a bad thing...

An alarmingly large part of my job consists of spitting out meaningless headlines on command. Over time, a sort of jaded numbness descends upon one.

And very comfortable they look too!! You could always scratchbuild a slightly bigger JP around it....!! May hopefully see you at Telford, if you're passing the IPMS West Glamorgan stand I may be hanging about there, but on the other hand I could well be wandering around with a glazed look on my face - that's the usual Telford way! Be prepared to be overwhelmed Steve - and those 3 hours you'll be there are probably the most manic of the weekend ....!!

I use Sparmax one: http://www.air-craft.net/acatalog/SCP-700-Cleaning-Station.html Happy

ok have done a slightly better version of the Anti-shipping He-177Z-A6. I may as yet add a couple of Junkers Jumo 004's, these will be mounted on the inner side of the fuselage up near the nose. This is similar to the Ju-287, though at the moment I do like the very clean look at the moment.

<uberpedant> A true camel is any animal in the genus Camelus. That includes Camelus bactrianus and Camelus dromedarius. A wider definition of the term "camel" is that of any animal in the family Camelidae. This includes llamas, alpacas and vicuñas. A more accurate term to describe these animals is "camelid". </uberpedant>

Agreed, give it time don't want to risk spoiling it by rushing. Very good work with the masking - I've just spent the last hour masking the canopy for the Thunderbolt which was a bit tricky... oh bugger I've just remembered I'm supposed to be taking photos for the WIP thread... oops! I've just had one of my speciality snacks, toasted corned beef sandwich... stick the bread in the toaster and turn the grill on, stick a slice of corned beef under the grill for about a minute just to warm it up from the fridge rather than put it into the toast cold. Then slap it between the buttered toast add some Branston pickle and jobs a good 'un.

I am not saying its right or saying wrong but the rise of internet shopping has brought about at least in part the demise of the local model shop as it has the High St in general, its a bit ironic that as a result of our own addiction to the internet shopping experience we have contributed to the loss of one of the experiences most of us looked forward to ,, the rumage around the shelves. Speak about shooting yourself in the foot. I dont think however it would have been practical to expect the majority of local model shops to carry all the extras as its just not practcal, the cottage industries and the bigger specialists producers quite simly would not be able to supply the volume. As a retailer myself its clear that what the customer expects and what is possible ( due to sheer logistical/cost considerations) is sometimes not achievable in a store by store situation. For eg as a Jeweller I am often told that I should keep all sizes of rings.........mmmmmm......sounds simple but out of a range of 300+ rings that would require me to hold a conservative 3000 individual pieces of stock 90% of which would be dead stock not turning over....result ...bankrupt. The best we can do and expect any retailer to do is firstly give excellent customer service backed with knowledge and secondly have a cando attitude with the ability to source stock quickly when required for orders. Finally at the end of the day no point bemoaning the loss of the local stores if we continue not to support them with our business. I for one will be happy for WH Smiths to stock kits as its another option for me and a visible prompt for youngsters to get started. Just saying

So it's not a 1:350 HMS Ark Royal IV or HMS Hermes then? good, then I can get on with my scratchbuilds without the worry of a kit being produced as soon as I've finished! Mike

Whilst I am in a long lay over in Chicago on the way to Austin I thought I would upload some very slow progress of late (my excuse being that I have spent >50% of my time in the US since August). Please note that the ejection seat and cockpit are far from finished - e.g. I have painted in white all buttons and switches that are a variety of shades of black and gray etc, there is none of the correct striping on the ejector seat pull handles etc. Last but not least none of the instrument dials have the Airscale decals added yet. More to come next week after I return home.

Here's something that I drew a little while ago - 5 years, I've just realised! - and which has been my most ambitious drawing so far. It's an A2-sized 'type history' of 202 Squadron, RAF from its early days as 2 Sqn, RNAS through to its present-day role as a Search and Rescue unit equipped with the venerable Sea King HAR3. Next year will see the squadron celebrate both its centenary, taking into account its RNAS incarnation, and also its 50th anniversary as a SAR helicopter squadron, though I understand it will disband in 2015 as SAR duties in the UK are taken over by a civilian contractor. The top crest, by the way, was used by the squadron during its pre-war seaplane / flying boat days. I'd previously completed a similar drawing (to a commission) which covered 22 Squadron's type history, though that was rather more difficult to represent owing particularly to 22's multiple disbandments, re-formations and period between the wars as one of the Martlesham aircraft testing units. I wasn't particularly happy with that effort so resolved to do the same thing for 22's sister squadron and incorporate some 'lessons learned' from my previous attempt. Any constructive criticism is welcomed, though after 5 years I've managed to offer plenty to myself! I can't remember just how long it took to finish, though I do remember getting thoroughly fed up with it at one stage and putting it aside for about 6 months before I went back and finished it! Once again, this pic was taken using a pocket digital camera, hence (apols!) the change in brightness from left to right across the image. When I find/make the time (now there's a recurring theme), I have a few ideas for a similar layout but, for example, representing my local airfield 'type histories'. We'll see... Thanks for looking. Jon

Started this a long time ago... Anyway, decided that, given it was 80% done when I put it aside, to get it off the WiP shelf once and for all. I had originally weathered it the way I weather my aircraft - force of habit (pun fully intended) - so had to re-address this issue by going back and painting individual panels slightly different shades of grey and weathering each one accordingly. From my (extensive) research, I believe the Artoo unit is correct - white panels on a red dome - IF you go by the 1977 theatrical release, not the CGI-enhanced version where Red 2's Artoo appears to be an R2-D2 clone. Happy to be corrected! All the markings are painted as the decals were too thick.

Nigel Post the recipe as i want to see how it compares to mine I like corned beef with a creamy white parsely and horseradish sauce mmmmmmm getting Hungry Have fun at Telford !!

This evening's project was adding the rear sets..

The drawings used were probably based on Huntley or Spring IMHO. I'd like to see a proper side on shot and see what the dimensions scale out to. I can see three areas of doubt. But then what do I know! John Open carb air intakes- not on the ground!

A 1:1 Gnat for commuting? Or Ben Ainslies Finn, I'd buy one of those...

Well when it comes in to land it's a-lighting........ I'll get my coat........ Peter

FW little IW, I built the Trumpeter 1/48th scale MiG-15 just after it was released and used humbroll Acrylic 44 Pastel Blue for the underside. I see this particular shade has just been re-released by Humbrol. The acrylic version then was a matt equivalent of 47 Sea Blue, but I've no idea what the current incarnation looks like. The 44/47 certainly looked the part, but I've no idea if it was actually accurate. I used Lifecolor Middle Stone and Humbrol 86 Light Olive for the uppers, if I recall correctly. John

How did I miss this? Really nice - I have the resin nose and tail for the Hasegawa kit to do this version. You nailed it Russ

Very nice work, especially on the nose-art.

Ha! am I the only one to see what you've said there?.... It's a Typhoon! if so WOW! can't wait

That is one of the reasons why my Barracuda build stalled for a while; I needed to see and photograph the thing, however badly mangled, because 65-year-old B&W photos just weren't cutting it in terms of telling me what that funny looking bulge in the wing root was, or exactly how the engine bearers were configured. It ought to be good enough to build something plausible - and sometimes in the end we are all left with no option but to make educated guesses. I think many of us, however, do so through gritted teeth - and certainly where there is a chance of getting it right (e.g. by close examination of a tangled piece of wreckage in the FAA Museum), I for one will always go for it.

thanks mac i appreciate your comments' thought i may as well tag on the last of the tiger II pics for you guys to see. regards oz!.

I`ve never heard of that one but I`ve just ordered a copy as I love a good ghost story! I know an ex Vampire pilot who was flying back to the UK from RAF Wildenrath for an exercise when his engine cut out over the sea and he had to glide to the British coast and carry out a wheels up forced landing on a football pitch outside a school during a football match!! He said it was `rather scary' or words to that effect and he has a pic of his Vampire sitting on its belly on the football pitch (surrounded by tree`s!) with the local bobby guarding it and all of the school kids clamouring for a look at this silver thing that appeared from the sky! Good luck with your quest, Tony

Very neat & tidy.

Both Look to Windward and Consider Phlebas take their titles from the same couplet of The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot: IV. DEATH BY WATER Phlebas the Phoenician, a fortnight dead, Forgot the cry of gulls, and the deep sea swell And the profit and loss. A current under sea Picked his bones in whispers. As he rose and fell He passed the stages of his age and youth Entering the whirlpool. Gentile or Jew O you who turn the wheel and look to windward, Consider Phlebas, who was once handsome and tall as you.

Very nice work. Ahhh, those Matchbox box cover illustrations!!!!!

That was quick! Looks good as well. Always liked the shape of the B-26 but never got a chance to build this one back in the day.

I have never really been a fan of these speculative projects, believing that by '46 all of Germany would have been rubble. However, seeing the superb job you have made of this prompted me post a comment. Your model looks excellent from every angle and I fail to see what is wrong with the photography. Congratulations! Mac

More fotos. Here now with the rearview mirror glued. I had forgotten it. Hope you enjoy. Regards ajcmac