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A long time in the making but now finally finished, this is the 1/48 Kinetic FA.2 Sea Harrier. It’s depicted in 801 NAS markings as seen at RAF Waddington circa 2001, hence the ACMI weapons fit. The only added extras are the access ladder, ACMI pod, scratch AIM-9 acquisition/ballast rounds, intake blanks and home made decals for pilots/ground crew names. Paints were in the main from MRP. Andrew

Hi there, I did not build any models for 10 to 15 years but last year the boxart of the GWH TBD-1a Devastator floatplane 1/48 caught my eye. It was this model that got me back into the hobby. So I had to buy new tools and paints and learn new techniques. So here is the result of my doomsday model after a year and four months of working on it...... I seem to have lost some experience in modelling after so many years because everything that could break of did... multiple times sometimes... The TBD-1a was a one off and was in fact the first example of the Devastator that came from the production line. A set of EDO floats was produced and it was used to test torpedoes. The aircraft was modified in its life, first it had an antenna before the windshield but on other photographs it was removed. Same for the forward machine gun. Some photographs show the code X2 but others do not so I made an educated guess. On the internet I found a lot of cockpit photographs of the Devastator and thought it could use more details so I used the Eduard big edition set and scratch build the rest of the details. I soldered the ladder from a Nickel Silver rod of 0,6mm. I hope you like it 🙂 Here is the model: Take care

I present the Zvezda Boeing 737-800 in Malev livery circa 2006. The model is OOB apart from some Daco PE and one or two small details. It was straightforward although there were a few minor annoyances such as finding one of the side struts for the main undercarriage broken when I opened the box. I somehow missed a couple of nasty sink marks on the rudder until the dark blue showed them up, a mistake I won’t make twice. That said, the positives hugely outweigh any negatives. It has the correct window line, accurate engines and accurate winglets with the options of plain wingtips and split scimitars. The Zvezda undercarriage is exquisite if a little fiddly and gives the correct stance - no more cutting down the Revell main gear! You even get a choice of cockpit clear sections with and without eyebrows and the spare could probably be donated to an Airfix 727 or 737 as an alternative to the Daco part. As usual paint was Halfords Appliance White and Racking Grey. The blue is Mr Color 35 Cobalt Blue. It has a slight purple cast (which doesn’t show up well in the photos) and it was the best off the shelf match I could find for the elusive Malev blue. Metallics are by Revell and Tamiya. The titles, fin logos and registrations are by Drawdecal. Detail decals, including replacement door outlines, are from the spares box. They are mainly Revell and Daco in origin. To my surprise and disappointment I had problems with the Authentic Airliners windows due to a significant mismatch between the window spacing on the kit and on the sheet. As usual I had made tiny pin marks on the front and rear windows of each cabin and the emergency exits to guide decal placement and I had also masked the blue paint by reference to the rear cabin windows but when I came to apply the window decals I found it impossible to get them to fit properly. I tried a bit of bodgery but the result just looked wrong. I checked an unbuilt kit and found that the decals were significantly short, for example 24 windows from the aft emergency exit to the rear window measured 85mm on the kit but only 82mm on the decals. The original Drawdecal windows and several other 738 decals in my stash agreed with the kit and it was pretty clear that either I had got a rogue set of window decals or AA had got it wrong. Off came the AA windows and on went a Daco set which fitted perfectly. The Daco windows were then carefully overlaid with the non-framed windows left over from the AA sheet which had to be applied individually, all 84 of them, a lengthy and tedious job which taxed my limited patience (non-existent according to my wife) and my ageing eyesight. I‘m not convinced that the result really justifies the effort, certainly not close up, and my next 738 will probably have PAS or 8aDecs windows. The decal issue had nothing to do with the kit and I thoroughly enjoyed the Zveda 738. I’m already planning another one, probably Luxair with scimitars. I’ve also just received a Zvezda 737-700 and it will hopefully appear as Westjet’s tartan-tailed C-GQWJ which was a regular visitor to Glasgow a couple of years ago. Thanks for looking and as always constructive criticism is welcome. Dave G

The second of this years finished Phantoms and this one is from Eduards Good Morning Da Nang kits. This one is VF111 'Sundowners' from the USS Coral Sea March 1972. These kits from Eduard are great - with all the aftermarket you need and a great range of options as regards schemes. I bought this for £39 at the time! Back in the day when I was collecting die cast I had the Corgi version of this machine but I never thought it did it justice and always planned to try and do a version in 1:48 The decals are great although as with any phantom the stencils are tedious! Paints are Mr Color and Alclad for the metal parts. It is number 6 of 6 F4's I have built and I have two more to do at some point

I am like many of you a huge Phantom fan and have built a number of the years. This is from the Eduard Rockin Rhino kit that I have been meaning to build for a couple of years. I chose this scheme as I think it looks great and it is VF-92 'Silver Kings' from the USS Constellation in 1973 and is a J model Phantom. Its a great kits with no issues. Paints are mainly Mr Color with some Alclad and all the aftermarket came in the box.

Here I present my Air New Zealand built using the Zvezda A320 kit. I really like this scheme, which was my inspiration for the build, to make a change from most of my White fuselage Airliners. The build was OOB with the decals were from Ascensio. I am very impressed with the Zvezda kit, it fits so well together and minimal work is required with the ‘wing box’ as the additional flap tracks are already removed, unlike on the Revell Kit. The Winglets are also the correct scale, in comparison to the Revell Kit. Like on my Swiss A320 kit, the option for flaps extended was there which I have opted for on this model. The fuselage was painted using Humbrol Gloss Black straight out of the spray can, engines gloss white, and greys are from Revell’s Aqua Range. I was was very impressed with the Decals, they came with an additional ‘white underlay’ to help the white to really stand out against the black fuselage. They went onto the model with ease and were supplemented with decals from the kit. The only thing that I would like Zvezda to improve on is the Decals, but as most people use after market options, this isn’t really a problem. Overall I was pretty happy with the result, although again being an early build I have missed some minor details which I could rectify now when I get the time amongst other builds. Thank you for looking and as always any feedback is greatly appreciated. Alistair

Here's a RAF twin seater in 1/48th scale. Nice kit, accurate overall shape but very very poor surface details. All the rivets on the wings and tail are handmade... Took modeler's liberty to keep the air brake deployed, which is something you do not see when Typhoon's parked but adds to the beauty of the aircraft on the ground I think... Thanks for looking and happy modeling... KillerMig

Latest off the bench is the Airfix 1/48 F6 Lightning in the markings of 11 Squadron, RAF Binbrook 1987. This is the last lightning I intend to do as the collection has now reached 9. Great kit. Plenty of markings and really the golden age of jets in my view. Hope you like. Please feel free to comment etc. Pic's of the collection at the end. Thanks for looking Dick

Here I present my Swiss A320 built using the Zvezda kit. The kit is OOB except for the decals being from DrawDecal and the Sharklets from BraZ. This was one of my first builds getting back in to the hobby, so apologies if it’s not the best with detail etc. I am missing the Antennas which I may add now that I have some better tools and patience 😂. The Zvezda A320 kit along with the A321 is a great one, as you get the option for flaps extended or retracted, and it comes with different landing gear options to simulate the lack of suspension applied to them when the Aircraft is on finals. The model is painted using Halfords Appliance White, Greys are a variety of Revell Aqua Colours. Red for the tail was Revell Red. I went for the flap extended option on this model, but want to get more tips/practice with ‘weathering’ for the wings etc, as it’s not something I have done before. Would be good to find out what others do to achieve this effect? The decals fitted the model excellently and would have been complimented by AA decals to give that extra ‘real’ effect. Overall I am quite happy with a ‘simple’ livery build for building up experience etc. Thank you for looking and as always any feedback is greatly appreciated. Alistair

This one has been around for a while and I can't comment on its accuracy but it goes together quite well with decent fit all round. Not a lot of detail for its size and it is big. Sprayed with Vallejo undersides and medium sea grey on top. 20190731_205755 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr 20190731_205734 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr 20190731_205713 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr 20190731_205700 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr 20190731_205647 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr 20190731_205612 by Derek N.Ferguson, on Flickr

Hi all, something a bit left of field that takes me firmly back to my 'Project Cancelled' interests. Here's Freightdog's excellent all-resin 1/72nd Supermarine Type 327 that I finished recently for Junes issue of Airfix Model World. Colin asked me if I'd like to build it for the magazine and I happily obliged. As expected, everything went together without fuss, though one had to get a wee bit inventive when it came to adding enough nose weight to prevent it becoming a tail-sitter. Liquid gravity was used in the hollowed-out nose area and the large nose gear door closed so that enough weight could be added into the bay. Thoughtfully the gear legs were manufactured from hardened resin to ensure that things didn't give over time, (the model's quite weighty). Finished using MRP paints, Abteilung oil washes and AMMO MIG pastel powders the model depicts a 'what-if' PR Mk.1 of 544 squadron based at Benson in March 1945. Tropical filters are included in the box so subjects don't have to be restricted to the European theater, opening up all sorts of possibilities, all in all a great package... Brief history... Air Ministry Specification F.18/37 called for a Hurricane and Spitfire replacement, a high-speed single-seat fighter capable of operation in any part of the world. The Supermarine company tendered a series of designs to meet the specification, including the Type 327 twin-engined fighter armed with six Hispano cannons mounted in the wing root, powered by two Merlin's and fitted with a tricycle undercarriage. In 1938, a full-scale mock-up was completed, combining features of three different designs, Types 324, 325 and 327. Several variations were proposed; including a pusher design and an alternative Taurus radial powered option. Unfortunately, the Type 327 did not progress beyond the drawing board. The name 'Shrew' was suggested by well known modeller Mike McAvoy as it was R J Mitchell's preferred name for his legendary Spitfire and seemed appropriate, (the name refers to a scorned and rather ticked off woman rather than the small furry Soricidae of the genus Eulipotyphla). This was a lot of fun to build and finish, providing a relaxing break from the heavy stuff I've been working on recently. Now all we need is the pusher version to sit along side it. Thanks for looking and hope you approve, Melchie

Afternoon folks - been on something of a Tonka project this year and this one is a Saudi Air Force version built straight out of the box from Italeri in 1:48. I think I have the measure of this kit now and enjoyed the build with no real issues. The main bit to watch out for is swing wings and the front section where the fit is a bit off. I used Tamiya and Mr Color paints with some Alclad. The Tonka looks great in that desert wrap around camo I reckon and it goes with a similar scheme I did for a Lightning a couple of years ago.

Searching for something different to build whilst recuperating after a nasty dose of pneumonia I came across Brengun’s 1/72 ‘Messerspit’ which immediately piqued my interest. The real aircraft was an amalgamation of a captured Mk. V Spitfire and the front end of a Messerschmitt 109 (G?) complete with Daimler Benz engine and in-line canon. The kit itself is not particularly accurate, especially in the canopy area, and the fit of parts leaves a lot to be desired, but then sometimes half the fun is beating a kit into submission. Having said that the decals supplied were really excellent being well printed, very thin and easy to apply. Anyway, it’s built out of the box with only the addition of some photo etch seat belts to enhance the cockpit. All paints are Tamiya acrylics sealed with Humbrol gloss and Matt lacquers. The yellow (XF-3) was toned down slightly with a drop of light grey and weathering kept low key as I don’t think the real aircraft saw too much action. Then again I may well be wrong. 🤔

Here is my completed Zvezda 737-8 Max in WestJet livery. I chose this scheme as I had flown with them when I was positioning on an internal flight when I was Cabin Crew from Toronto to Halifax. The kit is OOB with the decals from DrawDecal. The kit itself is a great build, and fits together really well. I really like the extra details on the LEAP engines with the 2 part fan blades. I wish I had brought some window and cockpit decals from AA, but I had already applied these before I had found out about them as I am still quite new to the hobby again. The paints used were Halfords Appliance White for the fuselage, and engine nacelles. Wings and horizontal stabilisers are Revell Light Grey 371 with Revell Silver 90 leading edges. The decals went on really well, and the only thing to adjust was the slight trimming to fit on the tail and winglets. I like the new WestJet Scheme they have brought out for the 787 and would like to make a model of this in the future. As always thank you for looking and any feedback is always greatly appreciated. Alistair

Ah, Steve, I'm afraid you have me at a slight disadvantage in terms of cool points. I spent the late 1980s telling my fellow preschoolers that Santa Claus didn't exist and getting sent home for it. So please understand how painful it is for me to have to contradict you, a bit like Job arguing with god. I'm sure the F/A-18s were pretty cool in the 1980s, but I've always had room for nothing but hate in my heart for the two cheap-looking 1980s wonderjets that replaced the Phantom for the USN andv USAF. I'm referring, of course, to the F-16 and the F/A-18. The F/A-18 is however by far the worst offender. From its rude, disgustingly small jet exhausts (fig.1) to its curious resemblance to a police sketch artist's composite drawing of every other jet fighter of the 1980s. the Hornet doesn't spark joy. That's aside from a very compelling argument which recently fell into my hands, and which is reproduced below as (fig.2) with appropriate emendations; I trust you'll find it as masterful a display of ontology as the world has seen since St Anselm penned the Proslogion. How much of this is down to the fact that the F/A-18 displaced my father figure in the form of the F-4, I leave to you closet Freudians amongst us. (That said, I have a RAAF and a RCAF Hornet in the stash to build, plus one of those dorky Super Hornets for the RAAF, as well.) Figure 1. An affront to god and man. Figure 2. Unanswerable. Not you too! I feel like the guy at the end of Ionesco's Rhinoceros. Despite this horrid outburst of pro-Hornet sympathies -- here! in my own damned thread! -- I managed to get some work done tonight, and primed part of the Lanc with Mr. Surfacer 1500 diluted with Mr Levelling Thinner. I only did one pass and didn't get all of it covered, not even all of the underside, but at some point a fella has to move past the theorizing and start making his ideas a reality, no matter how ham-handedly.

Hi there, so I built this kit alongside my recently finished Me262 and thoroughly enjoyed it. This kit is quite cheap to buy and in my opinion great value for money. I can see myself building more Mustangs as i just like the overall look of the aircraft and the many different schemes available for it. Thanks for viewing

I plan to display the aircraft “on-flight” so I need to make a stand and support for her. I’ll be making a base from a small photo frame and some plastic-card and will be using a square rod as a ‘support*’. *if you want to read a decent “how to” follow this link for Gary Wickham’s feature… https://www.scalespot.com/reference/stands/stand.htm The square rod fits into a plastic box which I’ve made by gluing pieces of plastic-card together using the square rod as a former. I want the aircraft to appear to be ‘banking’ so I’ve cut an angle at the top of the ‘box’ which will allow me to fix the box to the inside of the fuselage at an angle. A hole was cut into the bottom of the Corsair lower wing to allow access to the box… …the support box can then be fitted to the lower wing. Next the lower wing and support box are attached to the fuselage, I’ve added some thin plastic-card to fill some of the gaps. Once they have fully cured I trimmed the ‘box’ flush with the lower wing. Here’s a photo showing the angle of the airframe on the ‘stand’ Next I’ll be filling (and lots of sanding) the gaps. until next time as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received. rgds John(shortCummins)

Suddenly I am feeling quite sane.

My latest finished build is the Hasegawa 1/48 Royal Navy Sea King for a group build. Used: Eduard interior/exterior set UMP Primer MRP and Tamiya paints UMP and Tamiya washes Uschi van der Rosten rigging wire Thanks for looking

Standing on its own five feet So far this poor old model has had to spend its entire life lying flat on it's belly, how humiliating. Let's give this thing some legs so it can sit up and look around a bit. The main undercarriage structure on an Avro 504 K is quite complex and at first glance looks like a model builder's nightmare. However having studied it in a bit more detail I think this might prove to not be too bad.. Start by carefully measuring the angle between the vertical centreline of the aircraft and the main weight-bearing undercarriage struts. Here the angle is shown to be 13 degrees. Sorry about the rather rough graphic on this occasion. Now I must set my drill press to 13 degrees and drill a couple of holes in the bottom of the aeroplane. This will allow some 1.5mm carbon fibre rod to slip into the hole. Now drill the second hole - also on 13 degrees from centreline when viewed from the front, but also dead parallel to the first undercarriage leg when viewed from the side. Woo-ho! Now it looks like one of those weird fish that walk around on the bottom of the ocean on the tips of it's fins. A gurnard I think? Perhaps this is the 'long oleo' Avro 504 - adapted for aircraft carriers. Carbon fibre is very strong and tough - but this good set of scissors snipped this thin rod without too much worry. I have however learned the hard way to carefully select which tools to use on carbon fibre. It's harder than it's flexibility would suggest and it can be very damaging on some edged tools. The photo above looks like a good start - but the Avro does not have a single strut in each UC leg. As shown below, the single strut from above enters a little box arrangement (where the shock absorbing rubber sits?) and then splits into two. So let's make those little boxes. This will need to be made from very strong wood because all of the forces involved with transferring the weight of the model from the one strut to two will pass through these blocks. Here I'm using Sapelli which is the same hard-wood I used to construct the wings. Drill one central hole in the top of each box... and two offset holes in the base. Cut the little blocks out, sand them to the correct shape and glue the struts into place using two-part Araldite. To create these. Which fit nicely into the previously drilled holes. So here it is. An Avro sitting on five little feet. Two at the bottom of the each of the main undercarriage legs and one tailskid - made a long time ago - at the rear of the aircraft. The 'stance' looks much better now. No real issues encountered with undercarriage so far and I am hoping that the rest will go together without too much hassle. At this point it is looking like most of the weight-bearing structure will hold with no real worries, although I still have to work out how to deal with the wheels. I think that will be the next post. Best Regards, Bandsaw Steve

Cheers Daddy M. (Must catch up with sundry Rocery and Fauvettism over at your place....) Steady on Giorgio. Mere absence of tentacles does not render us second rate life forms you know! (I think it's in here somewhere...) http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html The less glamorous truth in my case Benedikt.... (Arrives at 8.30am tomorrow and will whine throughout the day like an ever hungry infant wanting to be fed.) 'tripped on a cloud and fell eight miles high.' <sigh> I miss being young sometimes.... Down to the optician's this morning to pick up a new set of occupational (bifocal) glasses. Having lost the previous pair on the very first day of the holiday I'd been reduced to scutinizing everything through reading glasses for the last three weeks - which hasn't helped concentration, or indeed eye-strain. I've started seeing a small independent optician in the local town and found her miles better than the popular 'chain' I usually 'should have gone to'. A brilliant woman interested in cognitive psychology, neural image processing and such like so what should have been a 30 min appointment turned into 1 1/4 hours. Plus she's into her tech and gave me a tour of all the amazing testing instrumentation: I always thought those machines that take the photo of inside your eye were a custom camera mount but it turned out the bit on the other side you don't normally see is just a standard DSLR camera back that takes the photo. Anyway. Wonder was that part of the problem the last few days of having to squint up close at the kit and not liking the posture... Here's the aileron designs etched into some 0.2mm brass: The deep cut blade of the Silhouette isn't really designed for this sort of work (you can see where it skates around some of the corners) so I've been in contact with the Chomas people over in the States and am going to bag one of their precision tips as I I think this kind of process will prove invaluable in future in terms of transferring these kind of designs to metal. As per His Hendaciousness' tip, these lines were then subsequently deepened by stroking with a razor blade I can't remember what this split metal cylinder was originally from but found it lurking around the studio; whatever it used to be it's made up of two halves that worked for clamping the scored brass between to bend along the fold line: I've an old length of steel somewhere I might cut in half and try and make a proper set of bending bars from (see - I have been reading that link you sent @hendie! ) With both blanks popped free they were then hammered (gently) flat on the anvil to get a nice crisp fold line: The excess on one side of the fold is to give me some wiggle room on width when these were opened up to give the tapering aerofoil shape along the length of the aileron. Eventually there was a Port: - and a Starboard: These took a while to get done, what with repeated offerings-up, bending open, checking for angles, clumsily bending shut again between fingers without noticing and then subsequently having to open out again (a ruler and razor blade were the best way I found of progressively prising open the wider flare of the aileron shape from wingtip to inboard). Pleased with how the final profile integrates into the trailing edge: Overall apearrances: Can live with that. In that shot you can see I've started laying down some tape along the interface between wing and aileron in preparation for marking out on each wing the positioning of the three hinges and what the manual refers to as the 'aileron operating lever' top and bottom (those rather Victorian bits of engineering surmounted with a mass balance). The latter features I reckon on soldering to the ailerons themselves as the most robust way of securing them, and will have a thinks as to whether this is feasible also with the (rather flimsy at this scale) hinges too. Relieved to have got those ailerons done now: certainly I feel that they're better formed than anything I'd have been capable of wringing-out of a piece of plastic and has opened up a new methodology to me for making such features from metal now. Anyone else on here find sometimes that it is the part telling how you need to build it? Concrete day tomorrow. Expect radio silence until nearer the weekend. Hope you guys are doing well - I really need to take a trawl of your recent posts and see what marvels you've been up to! Tony

Hi all. I recently finished AMK's fantastic MiG-31 kit. The detail and fit is incredible but I also used the Eduard pe set for extra details in the cockpit and inside the engines. The landing gear was detailed with 0,2mm brass rod to simulate hydraulic piping. As usual, I painted the model with Gunze Aqueous paints over a black primer from Alclad. Weathering was done with Abteilung oil paint and Tamiya panel liner. Thank you for watching. René.

Hi there, this is my latest completed aircraft build. The kit is good value for money and pretty straight forward to build. Still learning as I go regarding aircraft kits but enjoying giving it a go. Thanks for viewing

This is CSM's new version of their 1/35 Lanchester AC that was released in its original form a year or so ago. The updated kit represents the modified Lanchesters that were used during the Russian civil war, featuring a new rear deck with revised fenders, and the addition of a 37mm Hotchkiss gun in the turret. Aside from the new Russian specific parts, the rest of the kit is the same as the previous version, but with the welcome addition of clear lenses for the headlights, something that was missing from the first release. In common with the original release, this version went together with no issues, and was a lot of fun to build and paint. Speaking of paint, CSM are refreshingly honest about the lack of contemporary info regarding the exact colour of these armoured cars. They suggest British Moss Green or Service Khaki as the most likely colour, and I went with AMMO Moss Green for this build, albeit with a lot of additional shading, fading and colour glazes. Thanks for looking Andy

We have more additions and completions to celebrate! Let's put our hands together for @Carts who has not only added a Fw190 into the mix, but also completed a great looking He 219 into the Frog Squad GB Gallery, that's a cracking build mate well done. I would also like to mention a modeller who fails to deliver a GB build that is anything but drop dead gorgeous! Now if I had the choice to spend the night with a young Raquel Welch or @nimrod54's latest kit build, I know which Vixen I'd be likely to fondle!! Cheers and well modelled gents... Dave Build Tally Total Builds = 137 / Total Subjects = 103 / Gallery Entries = 29 / Completion Ratio = 21.2 %

Maybe he makes his own Mr. surfacer 1500 and concrete extra thin cement for all purposes now?

I recently went out for brunch at a fancy restaurant close to where I live. Since it was a Sunday brunch, I ordered Eggs Benedict. When the waiter brought our food, I noticed that, instead of porcelain, my plate was shiny and silvery. I asked the waiter about it, and he said, "Yes, it's made out of chrome". Puzzled, I asked why, to which he replied: "There's no plate like chrome for the Hollandaise". Igor and Svetlana, a married couple living in Soviet-era Russia, are out for a walk one winter's evening when a nasty winter mix starts to fall on them. They take shelter in a doorway for a moment, and Igor says "Tell me, my darling, do you think we should call this rain, or snow?" Svetlana answers "Surely, my dear, it is rain?" "Ah, but is not frozen rain snow?" "Yes, but then again..." Just at this point, Rudolf, a senior figure in the local Communist Party, walks by and the couple ask him his opinion on this weighty matter. "It is rain." He pronounces, "This is the official stance of the Party." and continues on his way. Igor is still not convinced by this and continues to argue. To which Svetlana replies: "Look, Rudolf the red knows rain, dear".

I have had in my stash, since it was first released, the Eduard Bf109G 1/48 Royal Boxing. I am aware of all its shortcomings, I in fact posted an article on Aeroscale ( https://aeroscale.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=features&file=view&artid=5612 ) correcting all the major problems of this kit. I eventually built the one kit in the boxing as a G-2 incorporating all the corrections. The remaining kit I decided to build as a G-14 version with all the Brassin sets that were available then, the engine set, the cockpit set, prop.& spinner and the radio set. After correcting the fuselage the kit was left in its box till now!! I purchased the new tool 109s which are excellent builds straight from the box but when I obtained the new tool G-2 version I had a spare set of wings which happily fitted the old tool 109. This negated having to alter the wings on the G-14 so eventually the build began!! I did run into some problems with this build i.e. for some reason the fuselage was too wide to take the front windscreen whether this was due to using the brassin cockpit I'm not sure. After some sanding down of bulkheads I manage to get a reasonable fit, although I'm not too pleased with the end result. I had some difficulty getting the engine to sit properly whether these problems were caused by me or the kit I'm not sure and the whole thing nearly ended up being scrapped. However I persisted and present the result for your perusal I'm not really happy with the end result ☹️. The machine depicted is a G-14 from 15./JG.5 Lister, Norway, May 1945 ( EagleCal Decal Sheet):- Cheers Andy

My No.1 back-up build Rules: What’s Eligible – 1. Any model kit subject that you can link back to your year of birth (e.g. 1969 - Apollo 11, Jackie Stewart’s Matra-Ford F1 car) 2. Model kits that were produced / released in your year of birth (e.g. 1958 - original Airfix Lancaster) The "Scalemates" website may help you, however please look carefully. Airfix released the large scale Coldstream Guardsman in 1959 Another kit I was given. He is missing the thumb section of his right hand. No instructions but how can you go wrong with so few pieces? This must be an early kit as his rifle is a SMLE. I know I built a later version and his rifle was an SLR - afair I intend to convert him into an Irish Guardsman. Mostly detail changes to the uniform ps, thats a mis-mould on the base part

Congratulations to Avis for their recent releases of charming civil planes, a welcome and refreshing change from what is usually seen in the hobby scene. The model took less than a week to be built, working a bit every day. For details please refer to the building post: This is a very nice little kit that will only require a few details to be added to shine. The Short Satellite was one of the many efforts by aviation companies to obtain a reliable, affordable, safe, reasonably performing light plane for the civil market, being aimed to individuals or Aero Clubs. The graceful, well-though lines look modern compared to contemporaries, and so does its "metal can" fuselage construction, whilst the rest was the usual wood and fabric.

Well, I got the 9" fully masked and then ran out of masking mojo here: Rats. I didn't want to leave the Oramask too long (I have a suspicion that it can lift a bit) so there was only one thing for it: Note that I'd used the BM technique (from PC I think) of applying the fuselage tape in two 'sides' and then pinching it together at the top and bottom. This greatly eases the problem of getting the tape to meet over the top and bottom curves of the fuselage. Of course I needed to see if all the hard work had been worth it: Happy. Of course nothing's perfect - I didn't pinch this enough: … but that'll touch up in no time.

It is underway again. After sitting for too long in the house of horrors it is underway again....... I just couldn't get my head focused on it. It is a bit like my Blenheim Mk.1 when I did it. It kept haunting me which made me hide in a deep dark corner in the house of horrors until one day I saw a glint of light from it's little canopy calling me to finish it and so it was.......... Not much, but it is happening now.

Nice, smooth Lanc PC, seamless. Sorry if you can't hear me but I'm standing over here, away from the argument about things of which I know nothing, in case it turns physical. My Dad always told me 'There's no such thing as an innocent bystander. Stay away from trouble'. Wise words.

This one was built from an initial Eduard boxing (2000) so I added their etch set to it and CMK exhausts, the heavy weathering was guided from reference of the same aircraft, these things got real dirty over in the Guadalcanal.

I had me one of those back on the old land. One of the best purchases I ever made or one of the worst if you consider that I had to use it almost constantly over the next 5 or 6 years bringing the old homestead up to scratch. It was great fun. To begin with. Some results of my handiwork can (barely) be seen here - walls haven't been capped at this point I gradually rebuilt all of the retaining walls leading up into the garden out of random sandstone, plus patio's, paths, steps, more steps and so on. Those ailerons look fantastic Tony, but I've come to expect nothing less from your builds. I'm at a loss to understand why more folks don't delve into brass work as it's really not that difficult - and sometimes easier than working with plastic. I'm sure I speak write for a lot of us as I type I can't wait to see what you come up with next!

The 'beest finally stands on its own two (out of three) feet:

In my Moth pair build thread I said that the Novo Gypsy Moth was the worst kit I had encountered. The B-47 is a delight, despite the lack of locating pins it just falls together, I have been away from this particular build for a while but two evenings work means I have reached this stage: The Moth is there are a size comparison note to oneself must look at that prop' when I go back to the workbench! On Friday will be visiting town with my LMS so will probably get some Humbrol rattle cans for the silver and white.

And ahhhh, the seats too...

To start fixing the holes I first applied some Tamiya masking tape and traced the curve of the original wing. The masking tape template was then attached to some sheet styrene and the shape cut. Two of these were made, one for each side, here’s one balanced on the fuselage. Rather than have a ‘slab’ of plain styrene, to create some interest I used a scriber to mark out panels. Rosie the Riveter was used for extra detail. To see the rivets I used a red permanent marker and then wiped it off. When the shapes were fixed to the fuselage I felt they were a little too think so I set about sanding them thinner. before… …and blending them with some putty… Next I’ll be making the stand socket and then attaching the wing. until next time Thanks for all of the encouragement with this build, as always, any suggestions, criticisms or comments will be gratefully received. rgds John(shortCummins)

Started the Airfix Hunter as a palette cleaner (TM) . Plus it is the 2020 NSW Scale Model Shows Airfix Cup subject. It's a very straight forward build (excellent beginners kit IMHO. After about 3 hours I've got the fuselage together. Fit it is excellent. My only minor criticism is that there is no pilot Airfix usually include them . I've used one from Hasegawa Hornet . Not accurate I know but close enough considering what you'll see, it's close enough. Plan is for in flight build, probably 12 Sqn wrap around camo

Hello Everyone, I decided to join this GB with this 1/350 kit from Trumpeter. With all those aviation topics I thought the maritime section needs some representation 😉 Born in 1990 I had some problems finding a suitable kit in my stash but settled on a Burke Class. As shown in the pictures, the kit does not come with other options then building DDG-51 wich started construction in 88, launched in 89 and started service in 91 so I asked Wikipedia and found that USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53) started construction in 1990! Now I only need to find some suitable decals... my plan is to use the spare numbers from my DDG-92 Mommsen kit but if anyone knows some decent AM decals for modern USN Destroyers I would be grateful. I also have the WEM PE set for flight 1 Burke class but as it turns out the set was designed for the Panda kit not the Trumpeter kit. I still think I can use at least some of the additional PE. last photo shows all parts laid out. I don’t think I’ll be able to start on Saturday but Monday should be fine. I am currently blessed with a lot of free time until I have to embark my vessel in early September so this should be a rather quick build, well it has to be😬 cheers Konrad

Some Italians in the US believe it makes good boots, but I'm not so sure..... Ian

Hmm. If I interrogate myself it turns out that I find only one of those two statements credible.........

Unless its got a flam'n big nose like this one! (sorry, shameless RL model plug.... well Pat does it!)

Well here is the off, sprue shouts, along with high quality instructions & the original Frog decals I had tucked away. Building two Vampires at once helps to focus one on the issues & although this kit is very different to the Revell one I'm doing in the Sharkmouth GB, a lot of the same solutions are needed, just more so on this one. I've let a floor into the cockpit to hold the nose weight in place, so far I've only filled under & behind the pilots seat & if I need more, there is space to drop it into the nose through the cockpit. A lot more filler on this bird than the Revell one, sink marks galore. The dark spots on the left wing above (also the port wing ) are not dirt or paint, they're in the plastic. Steve.

There a couple of unruly looking ladies at the door asking if they might be able to join that party

I'm not...

Whichever way I look at this cardiac output trace, I can only conclude that the patient dies at the end. RIP brave Hawk, you were a fighter. Well, sorta (with the Sidewinder fit).

Those do indeed look spookily alike. In particular, the same areas of detail [hull openings etc.] which are missing in 1/350 (& supplied by Tetra) are also absent in 1/700. The supports you refer to are actually for the aerial masts, which were horizontal for flying and vertical at other times. These are separate parts on the 1/350 kit, and mine will be Tetra PE anyway. The de-gaussing coil on your version is particularly perfunctory; it took me a while to work out that was what the diagonal line visible just aft of the fo’c’s’le openings is meant to be... but it’s the DG coil. I am in the process of sanding / scraping Merit’s off, so I can add it back on again from Tetra PE. This is partly because of better detail, but also because Merit’s is slightly wrong in places. At this stage the only other thing I’d say is that the square opening scuttle-cum-hatch jobs (each had a couple of rungs built into the hull beneath it, and I’m still trying to work out why) are much too stark in 1/700 - they appear to stand proud of the surface by about 3 scale feet, which is nonsense. [For example, the series visible above the double hull opening]. Edit: My powers of description seem to have deserted me today; I’m referring to the openings clearly visible starboard aft - you can also see the rungs. This is a curious image; the top half looks for all the world like a photograph, but the waterline area and the sea are obviously painted - the horizon doesn’t even line up! None the less, a great view for detail of stern lights, DG coil etc. She’s either at anchor or alongside, because the ensign staff is rigged. P.S. Edit: if you look really closely, you can see that she was being painted (a semi-permanent situation in harbour, I imagine); there is a paint stage [aka. a Pusser's plank] rigged port aft of the round-down catwalk, and what look suspiciously like paint pots attached to a rope on the opposite corner. I think the painted sea might simply be someone trying to turn a photo taken in the dockyard into something more ‘romantic’ as she sails into the sunset on a flat calm sea... No photos today, but I am continuing the process of correcting those, the DG coil and other surface detail in 1/350, before adding brass. Take as many notes as you like: there’s nothing secret here, and it all depends on how far you intend to go in detailing the smaller scale. Is there any after-market available for it?

Hi guys, Here are the pictures of the box and it's content. It will be big!!!! 114 cm high!!! It is a re-boxing from ten years ago when the model was made for it's 40 years anniversary of the moon landing. Here are two pictures of the box. and the content That is it for now guys. I hope to start it this weekend. Cheers,