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  1. Hi fellows, this is my rendition of the Hurricane MkIIc from Arma. Superb kit with brilliant details an rivet lines. The fit is superb, no need for putty. I added some handles at the canopy. The typical colors came from AK Real colors. No big issues, but one have to pay attention to the tube construction of the cockpit frame. Weathering with all current things, like oils, pigments, watercolor pencils and so on. Enough waffling on to the pic’s
    103 points
  2. Hello! Here goes my first model on the forum - an F4F-3 Wildcat. It's one of my favourite WW2 planes, I've built a bunch of them in various paintings but I have a soft spot for the pre-war yellow-wing birds 🙂. That particular 'cat' belonged to VF-41 on the USS Ranger. I didn't want it to be very "tired", it's a rather new machine that hasn't seen any action yet. Enjoy!
    88 points
  3. Hiya! It's been some time since I had a chance to share anything here. I started Airfix's 1/72 Beaufort in fall of 2022 but wasn't really feeling it, so it went back into a box for a long time. This weekend I opened it up and realized that the thing which was really irritating me; the poor fit of the glazings - which required CA - which in turn led to stress fractures on the clear parts if you look to closely (please don't look too closely!), wasn't that big of deal. Life is too short to get hung up about some imperfection on a plastic toy. So I added the final details. Did some touchup painting, and here it is. This is presented as a no. 217 sqn machine in 1941. I typically don't weather my aircraft this much, but I wanted to capture the look of similar Beauforts shown in period color photos. This was done with many different thin glazing coats of acrylics. By the way. all weathering and detail painting on this model was hand painted with Model Air acrylics.
    87 points
  4. First one off the bench for 2024. This is the first of 2 Gladiators I am building Simply a very enjoyable kit to put together Ive added a Yahu Instrument panel and Master Detail gun barrels. Flaps are from an AIMS PE set. The markings are painted on using a mask set from 1 Man Army out of Belgium Rigging is from EZ line. There's nothing easy about it!! Probably the most frustrating part of the build for me. Thanks for looking Bruce
    87 points
  5. Dora Wing's much anticipated kit of the Fairey Delta FD.2 in 72nd scale was worth the wait! A lovely little kit which went together with absolutely no issues. My only problem was when the carpet monster fancied a snack and snaffled one of the etched yaw/pitch probes. So some swearing (lot of swearing!) later I managed to make a passable replacement. For the colour I used Xtracolor X030 RAF Post War Roundel Blue. All Dora Wing's should do now is to upscale it to 48th! Thanks for looking Angelo.
    87 points
  6. What a kit. It all just fits together. The wings are still just a dry fit. I need to give a massive shout out to Airfix and their customer service as they replaced my clear sprue after i'd cracked two of the canopies whilst polishing. I can't say enough about this kit it was a joy to build with absolutely no issues other than ones I created for myself. Primed with Mr. Finishing Surfacer Black 1500. Painted with. Colourcoats Sky S Type, Extra Dark Sea Grey and FAA/RAF Yellow. Tamiya Nato Black, Rubber Black, Flat Aluminium, Flat Blue, Flat White, Medium Sea Grey, Flat Orange, Olive Drab, Clear Red and Clear Green, Molotov Chrome. Washed with Flory Dark Dirt. Oil Work with Windsor & Newton Graduate Oils. Finished with Windsor & Newton Satin Varnish. WIP Here. Thanks for Looking, Cheers, Alistair
    87 points
  7. I’ve been focusing on small scale armour for the last while, so thought it was time to do an aircraft for a change. This is Airfix’s 1/72 Jet Provost. I added some missing details like the scoops on the upper fuselage and nose, as well as the landing, navigation and anti collision lights, and the Eduard PE interior detail set. This particular aircraft seemed to be kept quite clean, so weathering was kept to a minimum, and was largely washed out anyway by the lightning when taking the photos. Hope you like. Wayne
    86 points
  8. Hi all. After the recently finished Sea King, it was time to continue with Italeri's Wessex. I finally managed to obtain a couple of very rare Eduard pe sets which arrived just in time. Even better, on this forum I found a post by 'Hendie' here, who produces some excellent 3d printed detail sets which contain engine bay details and other parts. In the meantime even more parts are available from him. Check it out! The interior walls were detailed with plastic strips, Eduard pe, and some scratch built parts. The seats that are visible through the cargo door, were modified to look a bit more like the real thing. The cockpit was mostly built up with Eduard pe. The 2 pilot's seats are the nicest parts of them all in my opinion. The resin engine bay and engines are real gems and the fit is quite good, considering the inconsistent thickness of the plastic parts. Overall the fit of the kit wasn't too bad and most details are present in the kit. The model was painted with MrHobby paint over AMMO by Mig Jimenez A-Stand black primer. Aquagloss clear coat and metallic paints on the exhausts from the same company were also used. The blade fold parts are from Scale Warship and are essential if you want to save space in your cabinet. And it looks cool too as a bonus. Thanks for watching. René
    85 points
  9. Here's my recently completed Kinetic TF-104G. Despite a few niggles I really like these Kinetic Starfighters. This is my second and there will be more. For those interested, there is a full build report here with all the details but onto the images
    79 points
  10. Hello All, I thought I would share some new indoor pics on a beautiful carrier deck I won with this TBD-1 at a contest. The deck was donated by Tony Quartaro for the best folded Wing Aircraft. For those that perhaps did not see the natural light pics posted here I will add the original write up. The Douglas TBD-1 Devastator was the US Navy’s premier torpedo bomber when hostilities broke out on December 7th 1941. Six months later it was completely obsolete and removed from combat operations. The subject of my build is from the USS Yorktown VT-3 aircraft (0303) crewed by Harry Corl and ARM3 Lloyd Childers. One the morning of the 4th at approximately 1200hrs Petty Officer Childers spotted smoke 25 miles away to the starboard. Machinist/pilot Harry Corl was able to get the squadron skipper Lt Cdr Massey attention. The skipper made a course correction to head for the nearest carrier (Hiryu). It was reported that at this time the squadron was jumped by approximately 30 Zeros. VT-3 was lucky enough to have 4 F4F Wildcats with them to help fend off the attackers. After what I could only imagine as an agonizing 20-minute slow approach, they were able to release 5 torpedoes. Corl and Childers 0303 had been badly shot up on the approach and the only way to keep airborne was to jettison their torpedo. The following is from Machinist WO/Pilot Harry Corl Mission report date 6-15-42: The free gun had jammed during the fight. Childers, Arm3, my gunner used .45 automatic during the 10 minutes of the attack. Childers was hit in the right ankle causing a compound fracture of the same. He received two hits in his left leg above the knee no broken bones in that leg. I arrived at the Yorktown at 1425 circled it twice and saw that there was no chance of getting aboard. (Yorktown was bombed by Hiryu Vals) So I proceeded over the Enterprise. I attempted to land aboard, but discovered I did not have enough tab control on the elevator to keep the nose up. I landed in the water head and to the starboard of the carrier alongside the destroyer USS Monaghan. The time of the landing was 1510. Ensign Harry Corl was KIA(VT-3 TBF-1) 25 August 1942. Lloyd Childers survived the war and became a Marine Aviator and retired as a Lt Col. This is the Trumpeter 1/32 TBD-1 Devastator from VT-3 USS Yorktown on June 4th 1942 Midway. I added Air Scale products such as the Photo Etch, propeller set, wheels and the single .30cal machine gun. I highly recommend their products. I did bits of scratch building such as adding cockpit wiring, relief tube, two internal windscreen braces (removed the molded on external windscreen braces), wingfold braces and leather pad for the bombardier under the pilots area. I used AK real color for the light grey bottom Model master Blue/grey for the top and AK for the interior green for the crew areas. I have seen some debate on-line about this, what color? But for me seeing the pics of sunken TBD’s aircraft from the discovery of the USS Lexington at the battle of Coral Sea. Interior green is also stated in TBD’s Devastators in action book(The Old One). Another debate is whether what squadrons carried the twin .30’s. It is very obvious that VT-8 for sure had them and I have seen some documentation that VT-6 (USS Enterprise) may have also had them. After many hours of research, I came to the conclusion that VT-3 only had the single.30. I came to this by listening to several recorded interviews With Mr. Lloyd Childers. And in the end, there is just no conclusive proof they carried the twins. I also used Hawaiian Air Depot masks for the A/C numbers and the insignias. I had previously bought the Gold Medal decal but figured painting over the corrugation would be far easier then decals. But I am glad I purchased it because they come with aircraft data. If anyone has seen what Trumpeter did with their data decals….well. Rod
    79 points
  11. Hi All, My third completion for 2024 is SH's Barracuda, finished as LS503 of 815 Sqn FAA, flying from HMS Indomitable in August 1944. Although I have not been able to find a photo of LS403 here is a Barracuda from Indomitable from around the same time: The build was OOB - here is the WIP if anybody is interested: And on with the photos: I couldn't resist a couple of companion shots, both with 3-crew FAA brethren: And one with a stable-mate: I have to say I've really enjoyed this build, and it's nice to have a Barracuda in the collection. Thanks to all of those who have added kind words and encouragement along the way - it has been much appreciated! Thanks for looking, Roger
    78 points
  12. 1/72 Monogram F-105G with Hasegawa missiles, LP Models ladders and Caracal decals. Painted with Hataka Orange Line paints (after having to strip off my original attempt with acrylics) Really enjoyed building this old kit, and now toying around with the idea of having another go with the Monogram 1/72 A-10 from the 70s 🤔 Four from the top: ...and a profile shot to finish off Thanks for looking mike
    78 points
  13. I am glad to present my first model completed this year. The construction took several years, as I made a significant portion of the fuselage interior from scratch and made several modifications to the bomb bay and landing gear. Initially, I planned to use a set with CMK engines, but unfortunately the content of this set and its quality are very low, it required many modifications. some WIP pictures
    78 points
  14. Hello all, This is my DHC-2 Beaver, as operated by the Royal Lao Air Force, in the '60s. I came across pictures of this aircraft, in its gunship configuration, on these 2 sites: https://aviadejavu.ru/Site/Arts/Art9878.htm https://dhc-2.com/id855.htm Thakhek West was also used by Air America, being designated "Lima Site 40". The armament of this aircraft, described as 4 small underwing bomb racks and a .50cal machine gun in the port cabin door, is also mentioned in the recent Warpaint Series publication on the Beaver. Here is another photo of a different RLAF Beaver, better showing the bomb racks: http://www.wings-aviation.ch/73-Laos/2-Aircraft/DHC-Beaver/Support.htm This Airfic classic has a pretty good fit, considering its age, but I did rework a few items: Removed most of the raised rivets and panel lines and rescribed the model; Added a few simple details in the cabin: a bit of floor structure and seat belts mainly; Replaced the entry steps on the landing gear struts and those below the main cabin doors; Sanded down the clear parts (except windscreen) as these were very badly molded, then polished them to get the clarity back - not perfect, but better than it was; Thinned the engine cowling; Scratchbuilt the pitot tube, a few small fuselage details and various antennae on the roof/bottom; Added a machine gun from a spare Hobbyboss H-34 kit. Paints were Tamiya/Gunze acrylics mostly, with a bit of Alclad on the engine parts. Markings were put together using bits and pieces from several decal sheets as well as a few stencils from the kit. Weathering with oil paints and pigments. Hope you enjoy the pictures: Credits background picture: freepik, photo by Kireyonok_Yuliya, https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/nature-background-dense-tropical-vegetation-palms_24172944.htm Thanks for looking and comments always welcome! Cheers, Patrick
    78 points
  15. Why I Hate Building Airplanes! (Tamiya Focke Wulf 190A8 1/48) Ready for some aircraft builder tongue and cheek? Hey everyone. First off, I want to say how many of you aircraft modelers I admire and respect. You're crazy. You have way too much time on your hands. You seem to like really difficult, frustrating and repetitive tasks. But seriously, there are some ridiculously well done modelers on this aircraft forum, and I am not one of them...at least in aircraft. You see, I'm an armor guy for 40 years and although I did a few planes when I was a kid, (A-10 warthog and ME109), I was not really any good back then, nor were the models. My mum liked'em, but she had to because I was her little boy. She's dead now, so I have to find someone else to like my stuff. So here I am, ready for you to like me...and my stuff. But seriously, I've always loved aircraft and still do today and although I have tanks running through my blood, I aspire to someday fly. I have flown a plane actually. I hated it. Surprised I didn't crash. The instructor said the same thing. I love building models. I always have. Now, that being said, I have to be totally honest...I flippin' HATE the aircraft building and painting process. Hate hate hate. Double hate. Loathe entirely. Sorry. You guys are nuts or maybe have some defective disorder. Maybe that's why I don't usually do aircraft. WHY? Oh man, let me count the ways. First, the darn cockpit. I mean seriously, so much work and detail and frustration and for many builds, it's not even visible! WHAT?? AND you have to do it first, paint it, weather it, then seal the thing inside and then cover it up with fifty pieces of tape. Speaking of which....the TAPE!! The masking. OMG. Kill me now. I put less clothing on to go out in -10 C. I had less plaster around my leg when I broke it. Then, if that wasn't enough, you can't really "finish" the model as a complete build and admire it naked like you do armor. That's the best part!! And it's just not really possible. What's wrong with you guys?? You're missing the naked parts!! So here I am with a half cocked model "kinda done" and meanwhile, I have the fuselage covered in tape. The landing gears flopping over on the desk. The cockpit which I can't even see anymore. The bombs. The things that hold the bombs. The things that hold the things that hold the bombs. "No, no, you can't put those on until it's all painted piece by piece and weathered and then you can put it on." PLEASE. Don't even get me started on the decals. I mean seriously, how many little dots and bits can you put on a plane?? I feel like I'm back in college and I just got back from a rave. I'm still seeing "Nicht Verstatten" in my mind after all the decals I put on the wings today. So, why did I build this Tamiya 1/48 Focke Wulf 190 A8 you ask? Great question! Well let me tell ya mate, it's because my wife bought it for me thinking I needed to try something different. Yah, the irony? As I was building it over the past two days and painting it and swearing and cursing, and spitting and writhing, she kept saying, "I don't think you should build planes anymore." Yah. I came close to smashing it a few times I gotta tell ya. I wanted to take one of my King Tigers and just run it over. Yah, but I didn't. I wanted to get on the "aircraft forum" and nothing was gonna stop me. Well, not really, but I kept at it. So, you wanna see it? My plane I mean. Pervy. How bout a tank first... OK, that's not a tank per se, it's sturmgeschütz iii G, but we'll cover that another time. OK seriously. My Tamiya Focke Wulf 190 A8, which I built completely OTB as I had no interest in spending any real time on it. Wink. I'll show you a few shots first and let you squirm a little as you notice I deviated from any historical markings and painted it how I like it. I know, I know. You'll survive. After you collect yourself I'll show you a few more pics and let you tear me open. Yah yah, I know. The markings are wrong. Not accurate. Made up. Well, I had my reasons. You know, you can't use decals after you spill coffee on them. True story. At least not the one's you wanted to use. Plus, the Tamiya markings on this kit were not so great. Thick. And no matter how much I tried, I got silvering. So, I had to improvise. Truthfully? I like doing my own thing every now and then with models anyway. For 40 years I've done historically accurate depictions of subjects and models just like the cover art tells us to. You know what? BORING!! I hate doing things like every other modeler can do. At least sometimes. Just remember boys, in the end it's YOUR MODEL and moreover, it's PLASTIC!! Love ya. The build was just OK. No, that's a lie. Tamiya is usually my go to for stress free builds. But this one is a little dated obviously. Soft plastic. Old school Tamiya instructions. But, it was simple and since I am trying to find my wings, it was overall a good starting place. I really wanted to just get to the painting. I've always loved the 190 as the camo patterns are really unique and interesting. Yes, I mottled. Yes, I kinda did it my own way with the coloring. BUT, I like it. My mom would have liked it. So, you know....like it. I used the BW technique for the undercoating. More like "mottling". Yes, I mottle too. I think it's a great way to build a base of shadows and contrast and then begin to add color, tone and saturation. I use this technique a lot in my armor building as well. I'm not showing these to boast, I'm showing to let you know we armor guys do some of the same stuff you flyboys do. I know many of you do both. But....I don't think this is the time or place. Anyway, here's a few examples: I think the undercoating of BW makes the weathering process so much easier and if you "glaze paint" like I do, it makes it really fun to slowly build the color and tone. However, it comes with a serious price and I paid it on this build. If you recall how I stated how I HATE building airplanes. Well, here's why. I am use to mottling and then glazing all at once on one subject, but with the plane, I had to mottle like 10-20 different individual pieces and well, I didn't do that at first. I did the main fuselage and overall paint scheme and totally forgot to mottle every little add on piece and because I used a glaze for my colors and with many colors mixed in, I had to go back, mottle, mottle again and then glaze again and color match without remembering all the ratios I used to achieve the color. I know, idiot. Bad modeler. Bad mottler!! But, I blame beer. It happens. However, I still managed to make it work I think... As you can see I used a lot of post shading as well as the pre shading. One of the reasons I do this is I don't particularly like using washes all that much. Sure, I use them and I used an overall wash and filter on this plane. BUT, many times I run into issues with decals coming off even after serious clear coating. This was no exception. I clear coated before decals. I clear coated after. I used future. I used satin. I used flat. I did everything right and sure enough, even with a light enamel wash, I had several decals break and have issues. You notice the crosses on the wings? Yah, I know, supposed to be all white. Well, they were. They stunk...bad..and trust me, I want to use so many other adjectives, but the forum rules won't let me. They silvered. Bad. Worse than bad. I worked them for hours and prepped perfectly. Still silvered. Focke-ing Tamiya decals!! So bad I had to do something. I however had no more crosses in this scale for a plane. Lots for tanks, none for planes. So, I had to use a black cross from my AHH 1/16 Tiger tank. Yah seriously. That black cross pathetically put over the white was my only way to save the model. Ironically, these decals stunk too. In fact, the right one broke into like 20 pieces in less than 5 seconds in water. So, I had to piece them together. All of you veterans know just how hard and frustrating piecing together a broken decal can be. It's not perfect, BUT it had to be done. Plus, I like to pretend maybe the maintenance crew was drunk or something when they painted them. Works for me. You can still see silvering here and there on the decals. Yah it stinks. BUT, I built this one for me and I'm ok with it. My mom would be ok with it. So, yah. Stop being so negative. OK, last few shots and then I'll wrap it up... Look, I know I said I hated building planes, and I do. BUT, I really like this plane and even though it's far from perfect, it's stirred something in me to try new things. Like maybe drinking beer in the morning instead of the early afternoon. Like, maybe I'll be nicer to telemarketers. Or maybe I'll try not getting mad at inanimate objects. That would make my wife happy. I finally made it to the aircraft forums. The BIG BOYS. We poor armor folks only have a mere pittance of views you guys do. It's ok. We know we can still run you over anytime you land in our space. I hope you enjoyed the tongue and cheek commentary. And if you didn't, well...you know, just read the title. Cheers, Graeme P.S. I just ordered the Eduard ZERO A6M3 profipack. Yah, I'm now a mental defective just like you. P.P.S. I also just ordered the Tamiya Corsair. The wings are just sooo cool. Don't tell my wife.
    77 points
  16. Here is my completed Sword 1/72 Vought RF-8A Crusader Crusader over Cuba boxing, what you get in the box is not a an RF-8A but a RF-8G so a bit of work is required to backdate the kit to the RF-8A mainly sanding the extra lumps and bumps on the kit I tried my best, but on checking references I have missed a couple but I know next time, the wheels as supplied in the kit are not correct for a RF-8A but there is no alternative to replace them with, I changed them for Reskit items anyway as i find them easier to paint. The instructions with the kit are confusing in places and the decals supplied do not match whats depicted on the box. So not perfect by any stretch but I present my Vought RF-8Aish. 1/72 Vought RF-8A Crusader by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought RF-8A Crusader by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought RF-8A Crusader by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought RF-8A Crusader by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr 1/72 Vought RF-8A Crusader by Phillip Wilmshurst, on Flickr
    76 points
  17. Something a little off the beaten track, possibly, and I have fond memories of building the tiny 1/72 Airfix kit of this aircraft when I was a young lad. Here we have the 1/48 ICM kit of the Cessna O-2A 'Skymaster' and a neat kit it is too, with nice recessed panel lines and ample interior detail and of course lots of separate cockpit glazing parts which fitted very nicely indeed. The only concern I had was the main undercarriage strut for the rear wheels, below the rear fuselage, moulded in plastic of course, and not surprisingly for aircraft of this nature I suspected that it would probably sag over a period of time. To avoid this problem I bought the SAC metal undercarriage set for this kit, but soon wished I had not, because it is cast in some kind of white-metal or pewter, and is, sadly, very soft and 'bendy' and is not much stronger than the standard injection moulded kit plastic undercarriage strut! So I binned the SAC set, and ordered the Aerocraft set instead, which is cast in solid brass and is MUCH stronger than the white metal set that I threw away. Problem solved. To stop the model tail-sitting, I added approx 10g of thin sheet lead, cut to shape and fixed to the space inside the roof of the nose leg bay. More than enough room in there to add suitable nose weight. For the cockpit interior I added only seat belts, although I did toy with the idea of adding lots of etched parts, but did not bother with that in the end. Model was airbrushed in a combination of Humbrol and Xtracolour enamels for the main airframe (thinned with Cellulose thinners). Applied some reasonably discrete panel lining/weathering mainly using Paynes Grey artists oil-colour, thinned with White Spirit, and a tiny amount of pastel-chalks here and there. I did not want to go too heavy handed with weathering and such. The noses of the underwing mini-gun pods were finished in Alclad Stainless Steel, giving a nice metallic finish, and the main bodies of the mini-guns and the underwing rocket pods were finished in Olive Drab. Decals used were mainly kit ones, with a handful also taken from the spares box , such as numbers and small stencils, all of which settled down snugly using Micro Set and Micro Sol solutions. After decals were dry, an overall coat of Winsor & Newton acrylic Galeria matt varnish was airbrushed on, to finish things off. Various antennas, aerials and static dischargers on trailing edges were made using fine fishing-line. The final touch were some RBF tags, cut from printed paper, added to the underwing stores and the pitot tube. Quite chuffed with how the model turned out, and must admit I do have a bit of a soft spot for aircraft like this, something of a cute little thing, and slightly esoteric with it's 'push-pull' double-engine layout! Also, I must add a word of thanks to @Mike H for laser-etching the brass name plate on the base board, sets it off nicely. Cheers Mike ........
    73 points
  18. Hello to all! here my last work... an Air America PC-6 C/H2 from Roden (one of the most challenging kit that I ever faced). I converted the base kit to a "no car doors version" adding a new and corrected vacuformed windshield. Pilatus_15 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_100 by Valerio, su Flickr I also used some aftermarkets like Quickboost propeller, corrected nose and exhaust, Eduard photoetched set and Wolf3Dresin.com main wheels and tail wheel 3D resin parts. Many other parts has been scratchbuilt or made by turned brass. The model has been completely riveted with Archer positive rivets. Pilatus_130 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_132 by Valerio, su Flickr Decals from Mike Grant's, except for the registration marks painted using home made plottered masks. Hope you'll enjoy! Pilatus_END 1 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 19 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 18 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 6 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 4 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 17 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 20 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 5 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 16 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 14 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 15 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 13 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 12 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 11 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 10 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 9 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 8 by Valerio, su Flickr Pilatus_END 7 by Valerio, su Flickr Cheers from Rome!
    68 points
  19. Hey All, I found this kit in the clearance bin at a Canadian Tire- overlooked and unwanted, and most importantly for just C$10. I started on it way back in August 2023 as an quick weekend attempt to break out of a 3 year long modelling dry spell. The detailing devil crept in starting with a riveting pass. Having recently purchased a 3d printer, I took on the challenge of modeling and 3d printing out the landing gear, main rotor head, tail rotor, hydraulic winch, sand filter and other bits and bobs around the aircraft. The build thread can be found here. The success of the build is largely in part due to the wealth of reference photos here at britmodeller.com. I also received a lot of helpful suggestions and hints, and even some in-depth knowledge of Sea King operations from user Jonners in the build thread. Hugely appreciated! I initially planned on modelling the helicopter in flight with rotor blur, however main rotor droop was a problem that I was unable to solve despite multiple tries over as many months. I finally bit the bullet, downgraded plans and posed the helicopter on the ground. Decals were from the kit, along with PRINT SCALE decals for the 202 sqn logo, and ZE370 serial number from spares Spring has come early with gorgeous golden hour light, perfect for photography. The (real) grass is still dormant though I used AK's Hyper Thin Rigging line for the antenna rigging. This particular aircraft had sea grey on the port landing gear with a white hydraulic actuator, and white on the starboard landing gear. Painted with Tamiya X-8 Acrylics and weathered with oils. Preshading on the rivet lines was done in brown over a white primed plastic Scratch built rear view mirrors. Antennas on the bottom made using fishing line 3d printed tail rotor, and static discharge rods using fishing line. Ventilation grates on the tail boom were added using wire mesh inserted in cutouts in the plastic Figures posed from purchased pilot figures. Injured woman downloaded for free from cults3d.com Black caulking on the pontoons made using a fine tip marker. Red emergency release tabs on the windows were made using Enamel paints. 3d printed rotor head with cabling and cap. Handles on the air intake hatches made with copper wire. Handles above windows made using copper wire. The grey trim around the cockpit windows was painted with enamel grey that allowed for sharp outlines (using enamel thinner to wipe the imperfections away) 3d printed winch. Hook from kit part. Steel cable from fishing line 3d printed landing gear and wheels/ tires. The landing gear was installed in the un-weighted position due to the 'lofty' plans at the beginning of the build. However, they were glued in place and I was unable to switch to the weighted landing gear after grounding the build. 3d printed sand filter, and wire mesh for the grates installed after making appropriate holes in the plastic. Looks way better than the supplied kit decals. Some images of the 3d printed detail parts: Motion blur effect on the tail rotor tests R What a difference a riveting pass makes. Worth the extra effort. If you've made it this far, here's an image of the rotor blur tests I did: note the warpage in the rotors. It got progressively worse within a few hours. There was a sense of relief in completing this build, more than a sense of accomplishment and joy. Sitting unproductive on a project for months does that to you. Good thing is that the mojo is back, and I've got some other fun projects (albeit without the 3d printing) on the table now. Thanks for watching! Cheers, Alex.
    68 points
  20. Hello folks, Finally finished this one. It was my most challenging build so far, and I must say I am happy I can call it done. The model should represent an early version of the AEC Matador, used as an artillery tractor, towing a 6-inch Howitzer. It's based on a reference photo taken in February 1941, near Giovanni Berta, Lybia. It probably belonged to the 234th Battery, 68th Medium Regiment, HQ Middle East Command. However, at the time the photo was taken, the battery was temporarily attached to the 64th or 7th Medium Regiment under the XIII Corps, while the rest of the 68th was deployed in Sudan. It was taken during the opening stages of Operation Sonnenblume in some godforsaken place in Libya. Having no experience with artillery units it took me quite some time to figure out the unit, marking, etc. More info here. AEC Matador kit is AFV Club No. AF35236. I can say the same about all the AFV kits I built so far. They are all very quirky, but they can be built into nice-looking models, and there's always some amount of frustration involved. Instruction errors, and fit issues (which vary from perfect fit to no fit at all on the same model), are usually over-engineered... However, the details are generally fantastic. This kit had all of that and more. On top of everything, the plastic was a bit brittle, which combined with fiddly parts meant a lot of time spent on fixing broken parts. Despite all the issues, it is still a great kit, and I can recommend it. The 6-inch howitzer is a resin kit from Resicast. Never built a resin kit before, so it was a challenge of its own. But the kit is relatively simple so I think it's a good choice for a first resin kit. Here's the model: Only the wheels were replaced with the AM Panzer Art resin version. The wheels included in this kit are vinyl ones, which I hate. I was considering scratch-building all canvas sheets, but in the end, I only replaced rolled sheets and kept the plastic version for the rest. The reason for this is that I had to mask the Caunter camo, and I am quite sure that paper canvas sheets wouldn't survive this. The plastic sheets included in this kit are almost completely flat, which is a pity because everything else is super detailed. So it will be something left to be desired. The rolled canvas and canvas cover used on the howitzer are made of paper using a VMS paper shaper. The camouflage net was made from medical gauze, impregnated with paper shaper as well. This was my first try to do a vegetation. The result could be better, but it is what it is. It's made from Green Stuff World Seafoam trees and leaf litter. Decals are coming from 3 different sets. I was struggling a lot to make the model fit isometric photos. The model is painted mainly with MRP paints, although I used Real Colors for canvas (cause it's easier to do chipping), and Vallejo, Gunze, and Hataka for brush and detail painting. Masking it for Caunter camo was a project itself. Including an incident in the middle of painting when I dropped the model and spent a few days fixing it I did just some basic weathering with washes and pigments. And here are some detail shots. And the reference photo I used. Overall, this was an adventure. Cheers, Nenad
    68 points
  21. Hello! In this article I would like to describe the build of the Clear Prop 1/72 Mig-23 MLA model (CPA72030). You can find detailed photos of the kit contents on the manufacturer's website here. A few words about the model. The basic kit includes: Sprues of the model with highly detailed surface. Pane lines are clear, thin and neat. The riveting is imitated well. Sprues with armament, for nearly all underwing combinations available for Mig-23MLA; Transparent elements sprue. The canopy is given in two versions - separate for the open cockpit option and one-piece, if the cockpit is closed. Two photo-etched panels, one for the model and the other for R-60 rockets. Decal is made by silkscreen printing method. It consists of four sheets: technical stencils of the aircraft, pylons, armament, and identification marks for 4 variants (two Czech, one Soviet, one GDR). The decal has a thin lacquer underplayed and works well with fixing fluids. Detailed colour instructions. The model itself has a number of features, which I think it is important to dwell on in detail. The first thing I would like to mention is the wing. As you know, all Mig-23/27 aircraft had a variable sweep wing. Literally all manufacturers of these planes made the wing movable. But Clear Prop has chosen a different approach. The kit allows you to set the wing in one of two wing positions: 16 and 72 degrees. For each wing position there is an individual set of parts covering the hole in the fuselage where the wing fits. This approach provides the best possible match to the prototype and takes into account all the kinematics of wing movement, which is impossible to achieve on a model with a movable wing. This is the only model of this plane for today that offers such precision. Another important advantage of the kit is the duplication of early and late modification of the aircraft, such as the front landing gear strut, rudder, keel fin, front cockpit instrument panel sight. Thus you can select a set of parts to match your chosen prototype exactly. To complement the kit I used the following aftermarket from Clear Prop, designed specifically for this model: Cockpit canopy and Wheel Mask Set CPA72077 Set of landing gear doors CPA72096 Set of wheels + dirt shield on nose strut CPA72079 Set of exhaust nozzle + combustion chamber exterior + external air intakes CPA72080 In addition to the aftermarket from Clear Prop, the following third party aftermarket was used: Nose Pitot tube by Master AM-72-040 Pitot set + antennas + cannon by Mini World A7292 Missile set of AIM-9D ResKit RS72-0233 In order to give a complete picture on aftermarket for this model, I can add that Clear Prop released 2 more sets of add-ons specially for this model, namely a set of cockpit parts + cannon (CPA72098), as well as a set of masks for exterior (CPA72099). However I didn't use them in this build because by the time they were ready I had already finished these stages. I chose Czechoslovakian Air Force (Czechoslovakia) Aircraft No. 4850 as of February 1983 as a prototype. Final photos of the model Building process In the article I will summarize the main stages of the build. If you want to know as much detail as possible, you can go here. Cabin One can assemble a great cabin straight out of the box. Assembly starts with the front instrument panel, which includes PE parts and decals: I hardly refined anything on the instrument panel except for the sight (black panel on top centre). The rest of the cockpit is pretty much untouched except for the space under the front canopy visor. These parts ended up looking as follows: Next, I assembled and installed the seat and also installed the front canopy visor: The final stage included the tilting part of the canopy. Changes here mainly concerned the of the blind screen, I also added a few details: I should note that a set of masks for the canopy makes it much easier to paint it. Nose landing gear niche and strut I made a number of modifications here, which caused me to change the assembly order suggested by the manufacturer. Below are some photos of the process: The nose chassis strut was reworked according to the prototype photos: Main gear niches and struts Out-of-box version of main landing gear niches are quite highly detailed. The left niche in the OOB version may look as follows: Next I made some changes, with the following result: The right OOB niche version may look like this: Here is what we got after the modifications: General view of the main niches: The main landing gear struts and landing gear flaps have undergone a number of refinements: Air intakes The air intakes are in my opinion one of the most difficult steps in the assembly of this model. I recommend to be especially careful when fitting all the parts, and double-check the assembly several steps ahead. To start with I added some of the trim lines, riveting, and holes: Next I advise to paint some elements beforehand, otherwise it will be problematic to paint them later on the assembled model: After that I continued the assembly of all elements of the fuselage, and fixed the air intake. I painted the air intake inside at the final stage with a brush. A distinctive external feature of Mig-23 air intakes is its riveting, which I reproduced on the model. Also it is necessary to add a line of decking on the air intake cowling: The final stage of air intakes included internal imitation of the air intake cowling which I with the help of painted pieces of decals: Wing and tail unit I chose a wing position of 16 degrees. In the process, the wing was further riveted, and a few panel lines and other small elements were added. The fixed part of the wing is one of the challenging stages of assembly. At this stage extra caution is advised as well. General view of the wing and tail unit when assembled: Stabilizer The stabilizer and its base is made in one piece. I have separated them in order to deflect the stabilizer downwards by a small angle - typical parking position. Ventral fin Assembly of the ventral fin is easy, but some additional details are required: Nozzle and heat resistant panels The heat resistant panels should be riveted for better realism. Combustion chamber assembled from plastic parts, PE and parts from the CPA72080 add-on kit. As for the nozzle, its distinctive feature on the Mig-23 is the sagging of the blades in the parking configuration. This is imitated perfectly in the Clear Prop CPA72080 add-on kit. The nozzle from this kit compared to the plastic OOB version is shown below for comparison. Weapon carriage points and pylons The fuel tank is taken from the kit, I just added my own simulation of the outer welds using pulled sprue. I decided to make the following variant of the missile armament. 2 R-60 missiles under the fuselage, assembled from the box with some modifications. R-13M (Soviet copy of the American missile AIM-9D) missile under the fixed part of the wing. The R-13M missile is included in the kit, but I chose to buy AIM-9D missiles by ResKit and use them to make the R-13M missile. I spent a lot of time finalizing the pylons and beams for the missiles. General view of the weapons carriage: Exterior details I imitated a lot of different exterior details throughout the build. Some of them are from the kit, some are scratchbuild, some came from other manufacturers. Painting and filtering The main painting of the model was done with Mr.Color paints and varnishes. Most of the colours are available in their color range, but two camouflage colours have to be mixed independently. The main difficulty of colouring the model was to reproduce the shapes and positions of camouflage spots: Unfortunately, at the stage of colouring I made one mistake in weathering, which was pointed out by my ukrainian colleague Andrey aka palanbor: There was unfortunately no opportunity to correct this mistake. Well, there is probably no such thing as a perfect job. Respect to colleague palanbor for his attentiveness. Other traces of wearing and other artistic methods were carried out with the help of Revell enamel paints, oil paints and Tamiya pigments. Weathering is moderate, as the model was made for the period when the aircraft was just delivered to the troops. Conclusion The new Mig-23 MLA model by Clear Prop is in my opinion the best kit at the moment for this aircraft. The model is complex, aimed at modellers who already have some skills and experience. This project took me approximately 9 months. This time I spent to squeeze the most out of this kit, as well as my skills and capabilities. I would like to thank the team at Clear Prop for giving me the opportunity to work on this project. Moreover, I had the opportunity to start familiarising myself with this model even at the stage of castings testing. I am happy that in the final stage of the pre-production development before I was able to make a small contribution. I would like to thank everyone who supported me during the building of the model. My sincere gratitude to my ukrainian colleague Karpenko Bogdan aka bogdan777 for all information support at all stages of this project. Sincerely, Dmitry Ahopian aka DimaADA
    68 points
  22. This is the wonderful kit from Revell of the He 177 Greif. A model packed with detail and a really impressive piece of kit designing. Built out of the box. No fit issues at all. Painted as a machine from KG 40 based in Bordeaux-Merignac in June 1944. I used Xtracolor enamels for the RLM colours. For the RLM65 mottling over the RLM76, I used the etched stencils from Uschi Van Rosen. Thanks for looking. Angelo
    68 points
  23. 67 points
  24. Revell boxing. Good kit, little tricky here and there but great surface detail. Caracal decals, which were flawless. PJ Production pilots. Added an extra SCALP/Storm Shadow missile and added the Meteor missiles/pylons. Cheers Collin
    67 points
  25. Yet another little gem of a Kit From Arma Hobby. A pleasure to build with a fantastic scheme to paint her in. Primed with. Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black. Painted with. Colourcoats Interior Grey Green, Azure Blue, Middle Stone, Insignia Red, Dark Green and Dark Earth. Tamiya Rubber Black, Nato Black, Clear Red, Clear Green and Clear Orange. Xtreme Metals Aluminium. Washes used. Flory Dark Dirt. Citadel Nuln Oil, Seraphim Sepia and Agrax Earthshade. Windsor & Newton Graduate and Abteilung 502 oils for filters and staining Finished with Windsor & Newton Galeria Matt and Satin Varnish. WIP Here Thanks For Looking, Cheers, Alistair
    66 points
  26. Throwing my hat into the ring to join in with the recent 1/32 Gladdie posts. This is the Sea Gladiator version from ICM. As has been said already by MODeller and pacificmustang, on their lovely builds, it's a great kit to build. I used AIMS decals to create an aircraft of 802NAS aboard HMS Glorious. Paint is Tamiya Gloss Aluminium with Mr Hobby GX113 Matt to finish. I added etch seat belts and brake hoses. Exhaust and guns were drilled out as well. I was particularly happy with the finish on the collector ring. The heat staining happened by accident. I hadn't noticed a tiny drop of glue on my finger as I was holding the engine/cowl to attach it. On inspection of the damage to the paint, I thought how it looked like localised heat staining. I went on to replicate the 'damage' using the same method, until I thought my luck may run out! Not sure if I would try it again though, sort of got carried away in the moment. 🤭 Rigging (which I actually enjoy, at least in 1/32) is Prym Knitting in elastic. The friction pads are discs of thin card punched out and painted leather colour. Really itching to do an RAF version now. Atb, Steve.
    65 points
  27. Hi All, I had almost convinced myself that at 74 years old 1/72 models were too small for tired eyes then along comes Special Hobby with this little gem an aircraft I have wanted to model for many years in fact I have the C scale conversion from many years ago squirreled away in a safe place! The kit is beautifully engraved and has amazing cockpit detail as well as wheel bays. It does need very careful assembly and there are small amounts of flash and mould lines to remove. I found the engine bulkheads needed their diameters reduced before the wings would close up flush but generally the parts fit was very good. Painted in a mix of Tamiya acrylics and Revell Aqua then for the first time I used an AK panel line wash, The decals are very thin and settled down well but they need to be treated with care or they can fold over on themselves. Very pleased with the end result so maybe I can dig some more 1/72 kits out of the pile what do you think?
    64 points
  28. Hi all, my latest build is this Miniart P-47D-25RE in 1:48 (basic kit). Add the Eduard PE´s, Brassin wheels and Space Cockpit details. 3
    64 points
  29. First, the photos... Here's my attempt at the 1/72 Airfix S.2B Buccaneer. For a kit which has had rave reviews, I had mixed feelings on mine, not helped by the fact that one of the wings was quite warped in the box, and I never managed to get it entirely straight. A couple of other fit issues around the big fuselage components left a bit of a messy finish, though I'm sure a more skilled modeller would have done a better job. That said... some components went together really nicely and were quite cleverly engineered, and the surface detail is pretty good too. It was built almost totally OOB, with the exception of some Eduard etch for the cockpit, and those Quickboost intake FOD covers. Paints were Hataka acrylic, mostly airbrushed but a bit of detail added by brush. I wanted to weather it enough to represent a late-life, well worn example, and this was mostly done with oils (a little clay wash shading too). To get that properly worn, faded look, the whole thing was sprayed with Windsor & Newton Galeria matt acrylic varnish. When they say “matt” they really mean it! The flattest finish I’ve ever used. I deviated from the Airfix guide on the weapons colours, and went for 'live' markings on the Paveway and the AIM-9L. All photographed on the dining room table, as usual... the 'night' ones were done with just two torches for illumination. The hangar backdrop photo is courtesy of Nick Challoner, and the first generic airfield backdrop was a large print made after purchasing the shot from Shutterstock. Overall I'm fairly happy with it for the small scale - I think it was NavyBird who said how unforgiving close-up photos of small scale models can be, and he's right...don't zoom in too closely! Thanks for looking.
    64 points
  30. This is my first completion of 2024- the most recent reissue of the classic 1/72 Airfix F-80C. I’ve painted the aircraft as ‘Saggin Dragon, of the 16th Fighter Interceptor Squadron, 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, USAF. Based at Suwon in South Korea in the early ‘50s. I had a few goals for this. Firstly, I wanted to ensure the volumes were really nice, so I spent some time blending in the intake parts, and the wing join. This work necessitated rescribing, so I also had some good practice in that discipline. Secondly, I wanted to try out Vallejo Metal Colour paints. I can’t say I’ve got the hang of them yet, at the recommended PSI I felt they started to pool quite readily. More work needed on that front, although the end result isn’t too bad. Finally, I wanted to paint in the nose flash, and use the standalone dragon supplied by Airfix. Probably my highlight of the build. The final shape isn’t quite the same as the full flash decal, but closer to the stunning Roy Cross artwork, and we all know art is more exciting than reality! Big thanks to @Corsairfoxfouruncle for his useful reference and support. The KUTA WIP is here:
    64 points
  31. Hi Folks, After the build of the Japanese Nakajima B5N2 'Kate', next in line was her Nemesis, the infamous American torpedo bomber carrier aircraft Douglas TBD-1 'Devastator'. The kit is from the Chinese brand GWH (or Great Wall Hobby) from 2012. I was pleasantly surprised by the nearly perfect fit of the fuselage and wings. But things started to get complicated once I dry fit the canopy, not the closed one provided, but the seven-piece open canopy alternative. Lot of sanding and testing of the last 3 parts of the canopy was needed as for the radioman/gunner can show his 0.30 Browning M2 displayed. Except for that, the rest of the build went straight on. Black basing and pre-shading technique was used to 'break' monotony on the one colour top fuselage. Colors came mostly from Mr. Color 367 (Blue Gray) and AK RC 220 (Light Gull Grey). Figures came from spares, Tamiya for the pilot and an old Monogram for the radioman/gunner. I also used Eduard decals from they newer Wildcat kit to represent this aircraft used by VT-5 during the Battle of The Coral Sea, and I can tell you it was quite an adventure to peel the carrier film off! Nonetheless, the tail was masked and painted. A really nice kit, but it put to test all my skills developed in the last 3 years since I return to the hobby. Very glad on how it came to life. You can see all the building process at my instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/cris.oveja.negra/ All the best from Santiago, keep modelling, Cris.
    64 points
  32. When I first saw this kit previewed on the net over a year ago I said I want it!!! And I was very happy with it, hats off to Airfix for this one, great kit, well thought out construction and well fitting parts too. It took me just under three months to build and it was time enjoyed. I would like to thank all those who followed, commented and liked on the WIP. Paints: Tamiya, Mr Hobby, Alcad2. Varnish: W&N Galeria. Filler: Hardly none. Thank you for looking. Simon.
    62 points
  33. G'day Pals, it's been a while since i posted a Model in the Aircraft section, i started this build already in 2021 and for some reasons i completely lost interest after i started with the engine and cowling section.... After a complete break in 2022 i exclusively built Tanks in 2023... I went on with Kate this year but to be honest when i looked at the parts i realized that i also had started to rivet the model which didn't really increase my motivation... After a while i brought myself into a ZEN mood and took the riveting marathon as a lesson in humility...and once started it surprisingly went on quite fast. I build the model OOB except for the engine which was a donation from Vector Models, which by the way was significantly larger than the kit engine, so a good amount of work was necessary to make it fit into the cowling..... Thanks for watching & comments! Cheers Hans Kate's Belly....
    61 points
  34. Good day, dear colleagues! I present to you the next model from the Azerbaijan Air Force series.
    61 points
  35. Hi all. This is the first model with desert decoration that he has made in many years and the second in total. I hope that the mistakes I have made in this one will not be made again in an Arma Hobby 1/72 Hurricane MK IIC that I have in stock. I would have liked to have placed the ventral fuel tank but I realized that I had not placed it once I had glued the model to the base. Now I think it could cause damage that is difficult to repair and if it were, I honestly don't feel like undertaking it. I really enjoyed this kit from Special Hobby and I can't recommend it enough. Thanks to everyone who has followed the build and encouraged me with their kind comments. This can be seen in the following link. Andrés.
    60 points
  36. Italeri's 72nd scale Lockheed YF-12 built from the box, apart from the aircrew. I used AK Extreme Metal for the different shades of metal and the black is Tamiya acrylic. A straightforward kit, nice a simple to put together. I have always liked this over the SR-71, the huge radome give it quite a purposeful look! Thanks for looking Angelo.
    60 points
  37. From 1943 onwards there was a continuous increase in the number of night attack units of the Luftwaffe, which, initially armed with obsolete biplanes, were gradually rearmed with the Ju87. The SH kit allows you to build some of them. For the cockpit I used the Aires set, then moved on to modify and improve the rest of the fuselage and the undercarriage. The wings required a significant number of small, sometimes microscopic changes that make the kit more realistic. The choice of aircraft this time fell on a specimen of the 2./NSGr. 10, operating from Wels in April-May 1945. The camouflage is the classic RLM 70/71/65, with nose and rudder in RLM 04 yellow (typical of aircraft belonging to Luftflotte 4). ). The colors used are Humbrol Enamels blends and Gloy; the model is painted, as usual, entirely by brush and the decals came from the kit. The undersufaces. Hope you like it. Thanks for your attention. Giampiero Piva
    60 points
  38. Finished this bird yesterday. For an in depth look at the build, look here Enjoy and while looking at the pictures, keep Paint it Black of the Stones in your head. For context.
    59 points
  39. Good evening, Heller 1/72 kit, build OOB (except for few small details) as a gift to a firefighter who collect everything related to firefighting. Madafaka decals were used for Croatian bird markings.
    59 points
  40. A little ray of bashful sun allowed me to take outdoor pics of my last built. Lt Col William banks CO of the 348th at Ie-Shima in July 45. The 348th had switched the old "Jugs" for the Poney in Feb 45 and their decos were striking! Eduard's kit gives you everything you need and the only trouble was with the decals which I thought were from the "remove film after use" types but which obviously were not! Wings panel lines were puttied and painted a different Silver than the fuselage like in reality. on the pics of the unit the planes are already Matt from dust and sun and look rather dull. Wheel bay was equipped with a lot of tubes and lines, and there we have Sunshine IV of Lt Col Williams M. Banks. 830DDF4C-A9A3-4209-953D-19CC9CC60704_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr A125AA5C-C73C-49C5-8B67-437B06180AC8_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 95254226-36AC-4FC6-B3D4-B80CE735FB28_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 890BB21B-D557-4F5C-8031-6AD54C77CAFE_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr D3AA6F14-3DCE-4D88-8DB5-4411D8927736_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr 1128D6C4-2EA6-4CD7-B61A-1A97D0AB185D_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr A289F1FF-B092-4849-8408-4E15DBC32DDC_1_201_a by jean Barby, sur Flickr
    58 points
  41. An old Airfix Belvedere, before a rush of new Classic Airfix Belvederes. Some very light modification with white metal undercarriage, more correct tail surfaces and a cone in the front of the cabin air intake and better sized wheels from a Hasegawa Jaguar. I studiously avoided the correct shaped engine intakes, as that much cutting is beyond me. It also has the wrong coloured serials, which should be white, insufficient rudder and some lumps where it shouldn't have lumps. The base also needs more vigorous sanding, to remove laser burn. It does look like a Belvedere though, and sits well with the stick. It's fair to say that there will never be a Wingleader Belvedere Photo Archive Book.
    58 points
  42. Hello guys and gals, Here is my attempt at building Airfix's 2014 C-47 as a Colombian Air Force machine from the 80's. This build brought many "firsts" for me. First prop in 20+ years, first transport aircraft I've ever completed, first attempt at "chipping", first attempt at casting parts, first attempt at rigging. All in all it was a fun build, I made my life harder than it had to be by spilling varnish, glue and thinner in the very late stages of the build. It's a colorful addition to my display case and it dwarfes all the fighters and trainers I usually build. Here is the project inventory for those interested Airfix A08014 kit Quickboost QB 72 462 Exhausts and QB 72 490 Engines Plusmodel AL7045 wheels Eduard CX401 masks Some scratchbuild parts (anti collision light, various antennas etc. Mr Surfacer 1500 grey primer SEA schemes using Mr Hobby Aqueous H311, H309, H303, H310. Various Mr Hobby Aqueous and Tamiya XF for the rest. Mettalics from the Ammo A-stand range. GX112 for the gloss coat and GX114 for the final flat coat. Decals were sourced from AMK's Kfir kit + generic numbers from USAFline USF72-021 This particular aircrfaft is a 1944 built, ex RAF bird (KN605) which later on was rebuilt as a Basler AC-47T turboprob gunship. What a carreer! Thank you for reading this far, have a wonderful evening!
    57 points
  43. Flying Leathernecks decals, Wolfpack detail set, Reskit, Aires and some scratch.......
    57 points
  44. Just realised I've failed to post my build from 2020 of the old Revell 1:32 He 111 P-1. There's no build doc unfortunately but thanks for looking. I've painted it in the kit given KG54 Totenkopf-Geschwader and imagined it having just landed from a bombing raid over England in 1940 and waiting for a reload and a refuel. Not much time for cleaning down so it's a tad mucky. I've used the Eduard interior and exterior PE kits and HGW seatbelts as well as the Profimodeller oxygen system (never again!) Many thanks for having a peek.
    57 points
  45. Latest one for the shelf. The Airfix starter set. The canopy was badly produced and damaged (a common occurrence with this set, it seems), and that kind of spoiled the build a bit for me. Some of the moulding was unimpressive too. Despite having several simple kits under my belt now, I still feel as if I'm learning my trade and want to do the simple things well before anything more challenging. I want to improve on canopy masking and I'm still picking up the fundamentals of airbrushing. But in the end I'm happy enough with this one ☺️ and I really like that scheme - I'll look forward to doing something else in it soon. Despite being a small aircraft, the 109 is iconic, and so, what with the canopy on this being damaged and all, I've just bought the Tamiya new tool version, also in 1/72, to look forward to.
    56 points
  46. This is my latest build, Eduard's 1/72 Bf 110. This was overall an enjoyable build and resulted in my first proper Luftwaffe build in over 5 years, it was also my first attempt at battle of britain luftwaffe camo. The model was painted with Ak Real Colors acrylics and was weathered with Abteilung 502 oils and Tamiya enamel washes and weathering powders. This was a weekend edition kit, but Eduard PE was used along with decals from another boxing of Eduard's 110. Quickboost exhausts were also used. The FuBl antenna on the underside of the fuselage was scratch-built using brass rod and uschi standard wire. This was also my first proper attempt at doing exhaust stains with an airbrush, I used Ak Real Colors Nato Black. Happy modelling to all! Anna
    56 points
  47. Or, at any rate, I finally bullied myself into declaring something complete instead of endlessly "perfecting" the finish. . This is a Tamiya Matilda more or less out of the box except with, I think, Bronco tracks. I built and base coated it so long ago I am no longer 100% sure what tracks exactly 😛 When I picked this build back up I realized in hind sight that the Tamiya instructions and box art had led me into a Caunter silver grey rendition that was far, far too blue and I made some efforts to make it less offensive with filters. I rejected a do-over because I really wanted to finish something, having no less than 8 kits stuck at some point in the painting process. Feedback appreciated.
    56 points
  48. Evening all, Am making a concerted effort to clear the shelf of doom. This is Airfix's rather good Lightning in the blue spine and fin of 92 sqn. Great kit to build (aside from the multiplicity of stencils!)-finished with Airfix's stand and in flight for that retro look! Ralph
    55 points
  49. Hey Everyone. I wanted to share my recently (re)completed work of the Panther A Early from Das Werk in 1/35. I actually finished the kit and detail work in 2020 and then painted it and I could not stand how it came out, so it got shelved. I recently brought it back to life and wanted to share it with you. The Build This is the Das Werk Panther with several options for build of an Early Panther A. This is the first Das Werk kit I have built and if I am correct it's really a Takom co-produced kit, which is fine with me. In general I like Takom, so I was excited for the kit. The build was for the most part stress free. Good fit for pretty much everything. However, I wanted to do mine with Zimmerit, and although Das Werk had add on zimm apllication, I could not get it with the little problems we had globally in 2020. He, hem. So, I had to go about making it on my own. Zimmerit: I had done zimmerit a few times before on a 1/16 Jagdpanther and a 1/35 Tiger, so I was not new to it, BUT that doesn't mean it's still not stressful or challenging. Especially on the Panther as the zimm pattern can be quite unique and challenging. I decided to use Perfect Plastic Putty for the zimm coat. A water based option I had never done before and it worked pretty well I think and once cured and hardened and covered with primer, it was actually a great option. Maybe a little thin here and there, but that's ok with me. Upgrades: Obviously I "blinged out" this Panther A to a pretty high level. Friul Metal tracks, which need no explanation, they just rock. Quite a bit of resin stowage. Resin rear mounting brackets for the wood plank. The wood plank in resin. Both the track holders are resin upgrades. Resin rear fuel/water jerrycans. Resin turret holders for the tracks. Resin wheels for both the turret and side rack. And an espresso maker for the crew. (Just seeing if you're paying attention.) The ladder you see added I just did and made of brass rod. Painting and Weathering I wanted to depict a Normandy Panther, so it needed a light camo with some form of three tone application. My first round back in 2020 wasn't so good. Too washed out, boring and even though maybe more accurate than my current paint job...it just wasn't interesting or to my liking. This round I used a very light dark yellow (tamiya) pre and post shaded and highlighted. Simple red-brown and green swirly camo pattern. I purposely left these pretty minimal as I wanted the details to pop through and with too much camo, the details tend to disappear. Weathering was standard washes, some pigments, and some light airbrushing. The decals on the tracks were NOT EASY to do at all. I had to cut them into as many pieces and one at a time get them into position. But, I think they came out ok in the end and really make the model pop. The German Zeltbahn were done with green stuff and then hand painted. I did the best I could and have a long way to go with this type of camo, but I think for now it was a good addition and adds some unique things to the model. Here's some pics for your enjoyment and critique... That's it my friend. I hope you enjoyed it. Please comment, criticize, and share your thoughts or opinion. Cheers, Graeme
    54 points
  50. Howdy all, Hope you don`t mind if I trouble you with my latest effort, fresh from the kitchen table........ Another go at Eduard`s 1/48 P-400 `Profi-pack kit Finished as an aircraft from 35th FS/8FG based in New Guinea Built 99% OOB Only additions being brake pipes and antenna Tried to improve the look of the kit a bit by thinning down the trailing edges of the wings and tail appendages and..... .....rounding off the leading edges of the same as they`re a bit blunt looking otherwise Decals are the kits and worked fine Hope you enjoy the pic`s, thanks for looking Cheers Russ
    54 points
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