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Mike

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Everything posted by Mike

  1. I have one of those that I used to use in my "shows" toolkit when I occasionally took models along. I don't now, and didn't really like the feel of the handle, and the proximity of the casing to the blade, so I gave it to my SO for her craft work. Just so you're aware - they're not as well formed for the hand as the #3 handles. I've got 3 of them with different blades installed, which are attached to the side of my spraybooth on a magnetic knife rack I only stab myself with them occasionally when I'm being clumsy
  2. B-25B/C/D/G Mitchell Wings Air Intakes Correction Set (P48009 for Revell & Academy) 1:48 Special Hobby The Revell/Academy B-25 Mitchell kits have been around for a long while now, and the sprues were first seen in Accurate Miniatures boxes as far back as 1999, but it’s still a great kit. It does have some simplifications and minor issues however, and one such simplification is the intakes found in the leading edges of the wings, and their corresponding outlets in the trailing edges. This 3D printed set from Special Hobby intends to correct this deficiency, and does it very well. As usual with their resin sets, it arrives in the familiar clear vacformed blister pack, with the resin parts safely inside, and the instructions sandwiched between the header card at the rear. Photo-Etch (PE) parts are separated from the resin parts by a clear piece of acetate to prevent scratching and damage during transit. The four 3D printed resin parts are surrounded by an open-sided box with perforated top and flat lower that protect the delicate parts admirably during shipping and in storage. The “lid” is easily removed where there are nicks in the uprights around half way between top and bottom, allowing the modeller to either nip or (more safely) saw through them and uncover the parts within. There are two deep intake trunks, and another pair of outlets, plus four circular PE meshes, linked into pairs by a connector, making installation and gluing a breeze. Once the 3D parts are cut from the finger-like supports, a little sanding removes the pips on the rear, and reveals the groove between the two round intakes that corresponds with the shape of the PE parts. The first step however is to remove a small section of the wing leading edge next to a stiffening strap outboard of the engine nacelle, and another small section in the trailing edge just forward of the elevator line. The areas are marked out in red on the instructions, with widths given to assist you with accurate cutting out of the surface, which is best done gradually, cutting a smaller section out and enlarging it until the new parts fit snugly to reduce any making good of the area around the inserts. The PE meshes are glued into the rear of the intake part, which starts as a single ovalised slot in the leading edge, and bifurcates deep within the wing where the air is filtered by the mesh. As deep as it is, the meshes will be visible to the intrepid viewer, so it is well worth the effort, especially when comparing it to the kit’s approximation of the intakes, which are barely a few millimetres deep as you can see below. The outlets are similarly shallow on the kit wings, so the new parts are equally worthy, and have a ledge on the leading edge to assist with location of the part within the wing, which should simplify the process significantly. Painting the intakes is best done carefully from both ends of the intakes before applying the mesh parts, taking care not to allow pooling or sags, which will mar the vastly improved new parts. It’s an excellent set that has been well-engineered, and will appeal to anyone with one or more Mitchells in their stash, and they’re at a very pocket-friendly price. I think I need a few more sets. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  3. We've just posted our review, with some nice close-up pics of the interesting bits
  4. U-2R ‘Dragon Lady’ Senior Span (81740) 1:48 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd Back in the 1950s, extreme high-altitude anti-aircraft missiles weren’t yet available, and aircraft could over-fly foreign nations with a degree of impunity, as long as they could stay high enough to keep out of range of enemy fighters and less capable missile batteries. Lockheed’s Skunk Works were tasked with creating a new aircraft on reasonably short notice that could fly higher than any previous aircraft or missile, virtually on the edge of space, to accomplish the task of gathering intelligence on America’s Cold War enemies, predominantly over-flying the Soviet Union. They took the fuselage of the new F-104 Starfighter that was then in development, adding massively extended wings more suitable to a glider, and shortening the fuselage, leaving sufficient space to carry high-definition optics and/or electronic intelligence gathering equipment. Developed in secret using black project money from the CIA, the airframes were developed in close proximity to the engineering staff, embedding them in the factory to quickly resolve any issues that came up, which resulted in the initial order coming in on time and under budget. New high-altitude fuel had to be developed, and the custom optics were designed specifically for use in the aircraft, which garnered the designation U-2, the U standing for Utility, to confuse anyone hearing about it, thus delaying its discovery a little longer. Once flights over the USSR had begun, it was discovered that the Soviets were regularly tracking the aircraft, which led to a project to reduce the type’s radar return, which was initially unsuccessful, but later was revisited by covering the skin in a Radar Absorbent Material (RAM) that was a matt black colour on application. There have been many upgrades and alterations to the type since it was initially fielded, leading to an aircraft that looks somewhat like the original, but is hugely different in terms of capabilities, especially when it comes to intelligence gathering. They still jettison their wing-mounted stabiliser legs on take-off however, and are stalked on landing by a muscle car to improve the pilot’s situational awareness from his cramped cockpit, which is worsened by the pilots having to wear a space suit due to the altitudes involved that would have a fatal effect on anyone flying whilst wearing a standard flight suit. The largest change other than building two-seat airframes for complex tasks and training of the elite pilots was the U-2R in 1967, which increased the size of the airframe by around 30% and introduced the wing ‘Superpod canoes’ that could be filled with intelligence gathering equipment and gave the aircraft a greater range by the enlargement of the fuel tanks. Despite the age of the basic premise and the march of technology, the U-2 has persisted attempts to retire it, even surviving the introduction of the un-manned Global Hawk, which is capable of many of the same tasks with extended loiter times due to the pilots being ground-based. NASA use a few U-2s, redesignated as ER-2s, which are used for high-altitude civilian research, painted white with the blue NASA cheatline as no-one is likely to want to shoot them down. The Kit This is a new tooling from Hobby Boss that was released late in 2023 and has only recently arrived this far from China, with another boxing depicting the U-2S expected soon(ish). The kit arrives in a top-opening box with a painting of the aircraft flying high, which is what it does best, with the stars visible in an inky black sky. Inside the box are seven sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, Photo-Etch (PE) sheet, decal sheet, instruction booklet, plus a colour profile sheet in A4, printed on both sides. Detail is excellent throughout, and incorporates some intelligent use of slide-moulding, particularly to create double-wall, single part intake trunks with detail on the interior and exterior. There are also a ton of aerials, antennae, a dorsal pod, and optional flat-spotted forward areas to the Superpod canoes under the wings. There is also plenty of detail in the cockpit, gear bays, and even a pair of detachable wing support wheels on their banana-shaped struts, plus air-brakes that can be fitted in the deployed position with a suitably well-detailed bay behind each of them. Construction begins with the two long fuselage halves, drilling out several holes in the top and bottom, and inserting the air-brake bay parts toward the aft end of the parts. Attention then turns to the cockpit, starting with the ejection seat, which is made from seven styrene parts plus four-point PE belts, which is installed in the detailed cockpit tub along with a two-part control yoke, fitting a bulkhead to the rear, and the instrument panel in front of the pilot, with a decal to depict the dials. Two side wall inserts are then fixed to the top of the consoles to finish the tub, moving on to the rear gear bay, building it from individual wall and roof parts, locating the gear strut between the side walls, and adding small diameter wide tyres to each end of the cross-axles. The exhaust is a simple tube made from two halves, and it is capped by a representation of the rear face of the engine after painting everything a suitable shade of burned metal. The front gear bay is moulded in excellent detail, showing the shape of the merging intake trunks within, to which the front strut and its retraction jacks are fitted, adding another pair of larger wheels to the stub-axle ends, painting both bays a grubby white. The merging intake trunks are made in two stages that are joined together to create a Y-shape, which is blocked at the rear by a part that represents the front of the engine, gluing it to the roof of the front gear bay, then fitting the cockpit, both wheel bays and the exhaust between the two fuselage halves and gluing them together. A forest of antennas is dotted around the underside, adding sideways opening front gear bay doors, a tail-bumper, and the actuators for the air-brakes into the bays near the rear. Yet more antennae are fitted along the belly, a sensor dome is mounted in front of the front gear bay, and the rear bay doors along with the air-brake panels are installed, flipping the model over onto its wheels to fit the instrument coaming to the cockpit, plus another antenna and light to the spine. The canopy is moulded in two parts, fitting a small exterior rear-view mirror on the port side of the windscreen, and PE interior rear-view mirrors to the canopy, gluing both into position, the canopy hinging to the port side if you plan to pose it open. The two intakes are an impressive piece of slide-moulding, having inner and outer surfaces provided as one part, with a hollow interior that reduces the likelihood of sink marks, whilst providing plenty of detail, each one gluing into the openings behind the cockpit. There is a slight seam around the intake lips that is easily removed, but the detail is well worth those few seconds of effort. The dorsal pod is made from two halves with a small raised blister on the pylon added to both sides, fixing it to the spine over the wing roots on pins, while the tail fin is built from two halves plus a single part for the rudder, which has a corrugated surface that is a little too deeply defined. Check your references and either fill the depressions, or sand back the raised portions as you see fit, although several coats of primer and some light sanding of the high spots might be better to retain the original thickness of the part. This also applies to the ailerons and other flying surfaces, so you might as well do them all at once, unless you’re upset by this minor issue. Each wing is made from top and bottom half, adding the majority of the Superpod body to the underside, with the top half of the tail cone a separate part, and the forward section that uses either two halves to create a cylindrical section with tapering nose cone, or by using different parts to create the nose cones with a flat-spot on the outer face, both styles having an optional L-shaped antenna installed on the top. The flying surfaces along the trailing edge are all separate, and are glued to the rear of the wing, with the possibility of deflecting them if you wish. Note that the black RAM isn’t painted under the extended flaps, so take care to check your references to help you paint this area correctly. A spoiler is also fixed to the upper wing around mid-span, near the jettisonable stabilising gear legs that are made from curved struts with a wheel glued to each side of the bottom end. These locate in a socket under the trailing edge of the wings, and of course the same process is carried out in mirror-image for the other wing. The wings are glued to the fuselage sides on three separate slots, and here it will become obvious that they have been moulded with a slight sag, which is correct for wings of this aircraft, so don’t be tempted to correct this. The two-part elevator fins have separate flying surfaces, and these fit to the fairing under the fin using a relatively small tab and slot, taking care to achieve the correct dihedral by checking your references. There are several nose modules used in U-2 missions, and this boxing includes a simple more aerodynamic nose that is made from two halves, plus a single cone tip, with two PE probes fitted to small depressions in the rear edge of the nose. It is glued in place to complete the build phase of the model. Markings Any U-2 after the early days is painted in black RAM, with very few markings, unless it’s one of the civilian airframes. There are three options included on the sheet, predominantly stencilled in red, and most of the decals are applied to the tail fin. From the box you can build one of the following: Hobby Boss decals and the decaling instructions can be a weak point of their products at times, and they are generally printed anonymously in China. This sheet is printed in this manner, but is suitable for purpose, particularly as the majority of decals are printed in red. Registration where it occurs is good, as is colour density and sharpness, with a clear backed decal depicting the dials and switch-gear for the instrument panel. Conclusion The moulding and detail included in the kit is excellent, and other than the excessive corrugated texture on some of the control surfaces, there is little immediately visible to grouch about, although some are still trying. Other than making sure you have enough space in your cabinet to accommodate the enormous wingspan of the Dragon Lady, there’s no reason not to have one. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  5. Mike

    Hi Everyone

    aboard. It's good to have a hobby, and this one can be fun/frustrating/expensive. Did I mention fun? BTW - As I'm a Mod here, I've binned off your email address from your profile, as that kind of data in the public domain is going to result in you getting more spam. I wouldn't wish that on you I've put your rough location according to the forum software in there instead (you have to have something), but if that's wrong, just go into your profile and edit it
  6. It seems that because my post wasn't in red that people are already ignoring it. Calm down. It's a model. Not worth stressing your blood pump over.
  7. Nice to see some sensible perspective in this thread, which has delved deep into hyperbole about PR "demanding" money with menaces from people. It's about time everyone took a deep breath, reviewed what they posted and realise how it comes across to people who aren't quite as fixated on the Vampire. You'd honestly think that innocent lives had been lost the way some of you are going on. Buy one or don't, just quit harping on about it over and over, as nothing you can say now will change the shape of the molds - they're not susceptible to vim and vitriol
  8. Yep, me too. I made a canopy for my 1:48 Stirling, and the first one was pulled from something like 0.5mm sheet, which was horribly thin and wobbly once it cooled First pull with thicker sheet
  9. Bergepanzer BPz3A1 Buffalo ARV (84565) 1:35 Hobby Boss via Creative Models Ltd The Büffel as it is known as in its native Germany, is an Armoured Recovery Vehicle based upon the chassis and lower hull of the well-liked Leopard 2E Main Battle Tank, which itself is a variant of the 2A6. Most of the lower hull is identical or similar to its progenitor, but the turret is missing, replaced by a casemate and crane, a winch and a bulldozer blade that allows it to retrieve damaged or immobilised tanks from the battlefield even if the fighting is still ongoing thanks to its armour. It is also equipped with an MG3 machine gun for self-defence purposes, a set of smoke grenade launchers to hide itself and its charge from those that wish it harm. It is powered by a large 12-cylinder diesel engine from MTU Friedrichshafen, a division of Rolls-Royce, that outputs almost 1,500bhp that allows it to travel at good speed across all sorts of terrain, but also to pull its immobilised compatriots, whether they were retrieving Leopards or PzH2000 SPGs, or anything up to a similar tonnage. The BPz3 was a joint project between Rheinmetall Landsysteme of Germany who produced an initial 75 for the Bundeswehr and a further 25 for the Netherlands, where its name lost its umlaut over the U in translation. It was also sold to other countries including Canada where it is known as the L2-ARV, and Spain where it is known as the Leopard 2ER Búfalo, with Switzerland a surprisingly large 25 export, and Sweden taking a number on charge after adapting them to their specific needs to improve armour and customise their electronic systems. For service in Afghanistan, the German vehicles and some Canadian machines were upgraded with new high quality vision systems by Karl Zeiss for the drivers that would give them 24/7 visibility, no matter what the conditions. The crane is electrically driven, and can operate independent of the power-pack, so even the unusual sight of a Buffalo replacing its own broken engine isn’t outside the bounds of possibility, presuming they have enough electrical charge in the vehicle. At time of writing, the type is in the middle of another extensive upgrade programme to give it more capability on the interconnected battlefield. The Bpz3A1 is up-armoured to work under enemy fire, and included the addition of mine protection equipment, and slat armour that is intended to reduce the effectiveness of shaped charge weapons in key areas. The MG has been changed to a remote mount, and the driver’s vision is enhanced by a thermal imager and low-light TV system that are combined as a single picture in front of the driver, improving their situational awareness. The Kit This is a partial retool of a retool of the 2015 release from Hobby Boss, adding yet more new parts to depict the differences between the early Buffalo and the improved variant that is depicted here. The kit arrives in a typically sturdy top-opening box with a painting of a Buffalo at work on another tank, and inside are fourteen sprues and two hull halves in sand-coloured styrene, a small sprue in black, a clear sprue, two trees of poly-caps, a length of braided wire, two Photo-Etch (PE) brass sheets of parts, two flexible black lengths of track, decal sheet and black and white instruction booklet that has the colour painting guide sheet inserted between the centre pages. Detail is good throughout, as we’ve come to expect from Hobby Boss’s armour models for the most part, although there is some thought that the hull is around 4mm narrower than it should be, but that’s a question for your micrometre, not mine. Construction begins with the lower hull, which has the suspension and return roller details added after cutting small sections from some suspension units, while the road wheels are prepared, consisting of fourteen pairs of main wheels, two drive sprockets and two idler wheels, all of which have a poly-cap sandwiched between the two wheels. Once the swingarms with stub-axles plus return rollers are glued in place, the road wheels can be pushed into place for removal during painting if required, thanks to the friction-fit of the flexible polythene sleeves. Quickly, the bulldozer blade is built from large, bulky parts, adding supports and pivots, plus an oversized towing eye at the front of the blade. It is joined to the hull by a pair of large pins that you should leave unglued if you wish to move or remove it later. The track runs are of the “rubber-band” style, but have good detail throughout, and you are advised that they will accept standard plastic glue and paints during construction, however a test with Tamiya Extra Thin glue reveals that this isn’t the case, so test your preferred glue on the short length of sprue at one end of the tracks before proceeding. There is an overlap of two links per run, and once the glue is dry they are slipped over the running gear so that attention can turn to the highly detailed crew interior that is included. The interior is begun by taking a floor panel with a lip around most of the edge, and detailing it with three crew stations, their equipment and comfortable-looking seats. The completed lower half (there is more to come) is glued into the bottom of the hull along with an insert against the lower glacis plate, and at the same time the rear bulkhead with towing eyes and shackles are put in place along with the convoy-light shield that has a PE lighting bracket over it. The next stage of the interior begins with the upper hull half, which first receives an insert over the front that has two holes in it, creating the roof of the casemate in which the crew sit, opening a few small slots in the front of the hull, and drilling out six holes in the short section of roof that is moulded into the upper hull part. A very detailed insert is made up into a four-sided assembly with a lot of equipment placed inside over the next five steps, including tools, some PE parts and stencil decals. That is glued into the casemate and backed up with a box and some brackets, then more equipment and wall panels are dotted around the left side of the casemate after being detailed in rather busy steps around the main diagrams. Similarly, the right side is built around a long insert with five steps that increase the level of detail substantially, and includes PE and styrene parts as well as some more decals for stencils and dials. The driver’s console with D-shaped steering wheel is inserted into the glacis plate, then the assembly is turned over to detail the exterior, first cutting right-angled notches in three of the six triangular supports at the rear of the casemate, using the accompanying diagrams to measure them before cutting. The upper hull’s rear is boxed in with a wide bulkhead that includes rear mudguards, adding another small box on the rear deck, removing a few tiny raised areas and filling depressions nearby. Front mud guards, a front hatch and two side crew hatches are installed with handles, adding an armoured cover over the new rear view vision block. The two hull halves are joined, and a gaggle of small parts are scattered around the engine deck and the casemate, then the side doors are shown being installed again – oops! This time the rear door is fitted with styrene and PE parts inside, while in the front of the engine deck, two PE strips are bent around a pair of raised cylinders on the deck surface. The driver’s almond-shaped hatch is given clear vision blocks before it is inserted into the hole, and at the rear bulkhead several detail parts are fitted. A frame is fitted over the two circular vents, adding three PE mesh sections to the rear, and fitting a foldable panel to the left side, plus more detail parts on the visible part of the deck. The next few steps are incredibly busy due to the upgrading of the type requiring many more parts, creating an L-shaped box that is covered in PE mesh before it is located on the rear right corner of the deck. The top hatch with remote MG3 machine gun station is first fitted with six vision blocks in the toroidal lip, making the hatch from three layers for installation along with another vision block, then adding two bracket-like armoured covers over the top, and fixing the five-part gun and its mount onto the rear edge of the cupola. This is mounted in the socket in the roof, then a huge stowage box is built from styrene parts and PE mesh, installing it on the rear deck over the mesh cover, and fixing smoke discharger packs around the left rear corner and on the back edge of the deck. A lifting brace is detailed with eyes and a large shackle at the top of its sloped upper edge, connecting it to the right side of the engine deck via a pair of pins that mate with supports at each end. Two spare wheels are made and mounted on bobbin-like fittings, attaching it to a shallow tray with brackets around the edge, inverting it and fitting a four-part sled over it and fixing it to the dwindling open area in the centre of the engine deck. A stack of stowage boxes that bear a resemblance to coolers are made with separate lids, mounting two of them on the left side of the engine deck, adding two appliqué armour panels over the glacis above the dozer blade. The main crane is built around a single three-sided jib, the hydraulic lift cylinder is mounted at one end within the three sided part, then closed over by fitting the fourth panel, with a V-shaped cut-out to allow the movement of it and its ram, which is attached to a two-part base and ram with the turntable beneath it, mating them by inserting the ram into the cylinder and positioning the pivot-points at the bottom of the jib with those on the base so that pins can be inserted without glue. Even the crane doesn’t escape the application of pioneer tools, with several items on one side and slat armour at the aft end on the other, plus more details and of course the block and tackle that performs the heavy lifting. The pulleys are assembled with the supplied wire linking them, so some care will be needed, gluing the outer parts and the lifting hook in position, then locating the top pulley into the end of the jib, securing it with a pin from each side, again without glue. Another two towing rods are built in a V-shape with eyes glued to the ends and located on the rear bulkhead by a pair of clamps. The side skirts of the original vehicle have been replaced by new boxy assemblies that are fitted over the forward wheel stations, and have narrow slat armour panels at the bottom, spaced away from the skirts by triangular brackets, using two or three depending on the length of the section. The left skirts have a sloped top-section, while the right are box-shaped, but have the same slat sections on the lower sides. The next two pages are again incredibly busy, adding dozens of additional slat armour panels above the skirts, around the deck and casemate roof, and behind the built-out skirts toward the rear. Additional smoke grenade launchers are mounted on stations in the front corners of the glacis, adding more equipment and towing eyes to the rear of the vehicle, and a pair of antennae on the casemate, one with a flasher unit at the top that should be painted clear orange and used only when the vehicle isn’t on active duty. The quantity of small parts requires concentration and careful study of the instruction steps, as they aren’t always totally obvious, and could easily be missed by anyone skimming the steps. Markings There are two options available from the sheet, one wearing a two-tone green/sand camouflage, the other in all over sand. There are further decals on the main jib that can be found on the instruction booklet, which you will want to refer to during painting. From the sheet you can build one of the following: As usual with Hobby Boss, there’s no information on the vehicle’s location, date or user, so a bit of Googling will be in order if you’d like to know a little more about your model. The decals are well-printed, in good register and sharpness, and are suitable to the task in hand. The instrument decals for the interior equipment with dials has a grey background, although much of the interior is painted white or NATO green. Here, Google is your friend. Conclusion It’s a well-detailed model of a low-profile, but extremely important vehicle in the Bundeswehr and other operators, with a lot of attention paid to the interior, as well as a huge level of detail to the exterior. You don’t get the engine, but that’s not a big deal, and could be a relief, given the already high part count. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  10. 2mm sticky foam sheet to apply to my model jig. Not very exciting, but useful
  11. You usually start with a thicker sheet to allow for stretching over the mould while it's hot and malleable. If you started with something very thin, you'd probably end up with one too thin, if it formed without tearing or puncturing.
  12. Good job on the painting My only criticism is that the pics look a little dark on my phone
  13. I had the opportunity to peruse a Classic Airframes Vampire T.11/T.22 that a friend brought round tonight, and did a bit of comparison between the two. I'm not massively fond of comparing kits, as they can both be wrong in different ways, but here's what we found: Fuselage Using the wing root as datum for the tape-up, which led to all the panel lines and exhaust fairing lining up perfectly, we got the following: If you line up the nose tip, the rest of it is well out of line, so there's a good chance of them both being a bit wrongish there I'm not sure what to make of it really. There's a hump behind the canopy on the PR that isn't there in the CA kit, and I don't mean the teardrop shape of the rear canopy fairing, if anyone's gonna be smart Canopy The Classic Airframes part has a similar curve to the Pilot Replicas windscreen, although I've had to ink the PR curve in red because it barely shows up in my photo. Where the PR comes in ahead is that you won't need to do any surgery to fit it. The CA canopy is closed-only, and the leading edge of the canopy part is curved, while the fuselage where it butts up to is square. An addendum note tells you to sand the leading edge of the canopy. That'll be fun! Anyway, the CA canopy is also a fraction of a millimetre wider than the PR, but the Flightpath PE part for the windscreen is bigger still. Who's right? Dunno. I like Mr Parker, so we'll say it's him Wings the thickness of the wings is neither here nor there - less than half a millimetre, and less than a millimetre in chord, so not too far out. Where the differences lie are in the curve of the leading edge, as everyone's already noted. My surmise (as I said in my review) is that some sanding and re-riveting would resolve this with less than huge effort. The difference could be lost in the intake parts, although I didn't bother to add those to either kit, as I'm intrinsically lazy I'm not gonna pontificate on which is better, as I'm far from an expert. Quite literally There's a T.11 nearby though, so we might wander down there and take some pics at some stage.
  14. They look like a pair of sad eyes Keep on going
  15. Mike

    Tecnikit?

    The Mods say "read the heading at the top of the Rumourmonger area - that's all the info you needed to make the correct choice".
  16. Vampire T.11 Trainer in RAF Service (48-A007) 1:48 Pilot Replicas The De Havilland DH.100 Vampire was built to fulfil a wartime requirement for a small, lightweight jet fighter for the Royal Air Force, but although the prototype aircraft flew almost two years before the end of the War, the production aircraft arrived too late to see service in the conflict. Despite this, well over 3,000 examples were produced overall, and the aircraft enjoyed a relatively long service life by the standards of the day. Powered by a single De Havilland Goblin turbojet that was regularly upgraded, the diminutive and low-slung Vampire was capable of almost 550mph and had a service ceiling of over 40,000 ft. In common with many other fighters of the day, it was armed with four 20mm cannon, as reliable missiles weren’t yet in production. The two-seat T.11 trainer was a private venture that was equipped with an improved Goblin 35 power-plant, and while it wasn’t initially built at request of the Ministry, over 500 airframes were produced, seeing extensive use with the RAF as a conversion trainer to assist pilots transitioning from prop to jet engine aircraft at this pivotal point in aviation history. It continued in service into the 60s, after which it was replaced in RAF service, although some airframes continued in foreign hands, the remainder going into private hands or to reside in museums around the world. The Kit Many modellers, particularly those of British or Anglophile aviation enthusiasts have been waiting for a newly tooled Vampire T.11 for a while, and on its announcement by Pilot Replicas, there was a great deal of happiness evident, particularly on our forums. Once photos of the early renders, and then photos of a test build began surfacing, there were concerns voiced on the accuracy of the model, but you must bear in mind that these have been from aviation enthusiasts, some of whom have exceptionally rigorous standards compared to most modellers. We will look at the issues raised after the main portion of the review for those that would like to know, and they can decide how they feel about those raised, and whether they would deal with them, or ignore them and build it anyway. It’s all a matter of perspective after all. The kit arrives in one of Pilot-Replicas’ shiny top-opening boxes with captive lid, with a painting of a Vampire on the runway, and the three decal option profiles on the side. Inside are five sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, a small Photo-Etch (PE) fret, two decal sheets, instruction booklet printed in colour, a separate painting and decaling guide in high-gloss coated paper, and an A5 sheet that gives extra information for decaling of the lower wings, and a clarification of the use case for the ejection seat pull handle between the pilot’s knees. Apparently, these were not fitted in-service and were a later adaptation, the pilots using the loop above their heads whilst in RAF service. Pilot Replicas have a reputation for finely crafted models, and this one is no exception, with plenty of detail moulded-in, and more to be had if you opt for the additional sets that Pilot Replicas themselves have designed and produced. Construction begins with the cockpit, where the pilots sit side-by-side in what is a very cramped space that wasn’t really intended to seat two. The floor has a hump where the nose gear bay intrudes, and the rear bulkhead has a pair of frames located on holes in the floor and rear, fixing a double rudder pedal box into the front of the cockpit. There are two ejector-pin marks in the centre pedals, but whether they will be seen is debatable, especially as the cockpit is so cramped and will be painted all black, so only fix them if you feel the urge. The instrument panel is a wide cruciform shape that receives a pair of gunsights, one per side, and as the completed panel is lowered into position in the floor, a lever and two control columns are also fitted, with plenty of detail painting throughout the process, with help provided in each step. This extends to the detail that is moulded into the inner sides of the fuselage pod, the aft deck behind the cockpit, and the coaming that is installed over the instrument panel during closing of the fuselage. The exhaust is made in anticipation of closing the fuselage, fitting a representation of the rear of the engine to the forward end of the tubular trunk, and this assembly is painted with various burned metallic shades. A PE trim wheel is fixed to one of the side walls, and the cockpit assembly is installed in the front of the two fuselage halves, fitting the exhaust assembly to the rear, and using at least 10g of weight into the nose to prevent a tail-sitter. The afore mentioned coaming and aft deck are added once the glue is dry, leaving the pod to one side after dealing with the seams while the wings are built. There are twin whip antennae on the outer wing panels, which require a pair of flashed-over holes to be opened from within the upper wing, so take care to carry this task out before gluing the wing halves together. Each wing is made from top and bottom halves, the lower wing having the main gear wells moulded-in, while the bay roof detail is moulded into the underside of the upper wing. The jet intakes are separate inserts at the wing root, with a cleverly moulded length of intake trunking moulded as three parts that minimise seamlines, built and painted aluminium before it is installed behind the intake. The wingtip lights are supplied as clear parts that fit into a notch in the leading edge with a bulb moulded-into the wing, which should be painted red or green, depending on which wing it is. The same process is completed for the other wing, and the two tail booms are made from two halves each, adding the elevator panel with separate flying surface between them as you plug them into the rear of the wings that have already been fitted to the fuselage, the fairings for which are moulded into their trailing edges. Each boom also has a short, rounded winglet stub on the outer end, fitting with the same slot-and-tab method as the main surfaces. The nose gear bay is moulded as a single part that is glued into an insert under the nose, which also has the two cannon trunks installed either side, giving the aircraft a centrally mounted quartet of 20mm cannons for concentrated firepower. The insert can then be offered up to the cut-out and glued carefully to reduce clean-up once the glue has cured. The nose gear leg is moulded as two halves that trap the two-part wheel between the yoke, adding a small triangular part to the front. This is plugged vertically into the bay, adding the front gear bay door and actuator forward, and a side-opening door with moulded-in lightening holes to the rear, locating on a pair of guides on the side of the bay. The main gear bay has an H-shaped actuator and the outer bay door fitted, adding the chunky strut with separate oleo-scissor links, a retractor jack to the side, and a captive bay door on the inner side. The two-part wheels have weighting moulded into the bottom of the tyres, and the instructions show that they should be 79mm apart when fitted, as shown in a scrap diagram nearby. A clear lens is inserted under the port wing while the model is inverted, painting the interior silver before installation. Some T.11s were fitted with ejection seats, while others were not, and Pilot Replicas have included both for your ease. The ejection seats are made from two halves plus an L-shaped seat-pad, an ejection handle in the headbox, and the optional later handle between the pilot’s knees to depict a post-service airframe should you wish. The simple “tin” seats are supplied with PE four-point belts, while the ejection seats have the belts moulded into the cushion parts. Your choice of seats can then be installed in the cockpit depending on which decal option you have chosen, folding up a PE open-topped box to fix to the aft deck before the canopy is installed. The windscreen is glued to the front of the cockpit, adding a PE wiper to the bottom edge, and gluing the rear section over the aft deck. The central opener can be fitted closed, or it can be posed hinged up for the crew to exit, gluing it to the interlocking hinge portion that is moulded into the relevant canopy frames. A scrap diagram shows the correct angle for the open canopy, which sees the lower frame of the opener vertical to the ground. The final tasks involve mounting a pair of mass-balances under the elevator panel, and fitting the twin aerials to each wingtip, using the holes drilled earlier in the upper wings. The thread for this kit in our Rumourmonger area has been active with Vampire aficionados noting some issues with the kit based upon photos and renders that have been seen before the kit was released, and you can decide for yourself whether they bother you. To assist our readers with making their own decision, we undertook a tape-up exercise to establish the shape of an actual production model, using a 50mm lens that resembles the equipment fitted to the human eyeball quite closely, so that distortion is minimised. The thickness of the wing leading edge - or rather its bluntness has been called into question, and while our photo has a tiny gap between the wing halves, it could be argued that this is true. To remedy this, sanding the leading edges to a more prototypical shape could be done with little effort, although repairing the damage to the riveted surface would be required. Lower Windscreen Frame – Members cited the apparently square bottom frame with no curve visible on photos. Looking carefully at the windscreen part, there is a curve moulded into the lower rail that is perhaps not as pronounced as it could be, but is there, but might be lost if the modeller is too liberal with filler. Nose Shape – It is said to be not bulbous enough, which could be partly to do with the ‘missing’ windscreen curve on the test build, although it could well be off to an extent. Aft Wing Root Fairing – this is incorrect, as there is a slight change of angle between the wing and the fairing on the real aircraft. This means that the fairing is too long, ending too close to the exhaust. This could be rectified by careful cutting and sanding of the fairing to reduce its length and change the angle subtly. It may be wise of pack the interior of this area with non-solvent filler (epoxy putty for example) before attempting this in case you go through the styrene here. Wingtips – These are a little too curved, and should be sanded to a more accurate profile from above, blending the tip to create the correct shape. There are bound to be other minor issues here and there, but no kit is perfect, and neither is any modeller. Whether the issues mentioned bother you, or you feel you can either live with them or fix them yourself is your decision. We do regularly ignore canopies that are over 48mm thick if they were moulded in-scale, and many other aspects of our hobby too, but where to draw the line? We ask that the members that wish to discuss this kit continue to use the Rumourmonger thread, quoting photos or text there, rather than muddle this review thread. That way, anyone interested in investigating further can do so without subjecting everyone to their ruminations. Markings There are three decal options included on the extensive sheets, and all three choices have a base of aluminium (not bare metal) for the metal areas of the airframe, and silver dope for the wooden forward section of the fuselage pod. All but one have bright trainer yellow or dayglo red striping at points over the airframe, and large codes under the wings and on the fuselage. From the box you can build one of the following: WZ589 56 Sqn., RAF Waterbeach, 1955-58 XD429 RAF College, Cranwell, 1957-59 XD588 141 Sqn., RAF Coltishall, 1955-56 Decals are printed anonymously, but are of high quality, with good registration, sharpness and colour density, plus a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. The additional sheet provides alternate underwing serials for all the decal options, pre-cut around the main gear bay doors to simplify installation. They appear (under magnification) to be of a slightly lower resolution to the main sheet however, so it might be preferable to persevere with the main sheet decals and cut them yourself after they have dried. Conclusion There are caveats with every model, and because of the interest in the Vampire Trainer amongst our members, it has been examined with a fine-toothed comb. Putting those issues aside for a moment, the detail, ease of build and having three interesting decal options appeals, and it should sell well to those that aren’t put off. Recommended after reading this review. Review sample courtesy of
  17. Bum. he's a self-confessed technophobe, so let's hope he's watching and manages to reply here, or to your PM at some point. If we knew what kind of device he was using, we'd have a better chance of helping him out. I just hope it's not a Win XP machine. Those things just don't work with modern websites any more
  18. We've had a report from @David Patterson that I think he meant to post in your thread, as follows: If @Iceman 29 could help him out, I'm sure he'll be eternally grateful, as he doesn't seem to have much luck posting on the forum
  19. That's a bit slick Can you put a banana or a bean can in there for scale?
  20. WWII Soviet Tank Desant Troops (BR-004) 1:35 Border Model via Albion Alloys Getting a lift on a tank was a treat for the foot-soldier that occasionally turned sour if their lift came under fire from an enemy tank, especially if the turret started to rotate and the crew began using the main gun. Sometimes they’d ride into battle on the back of a tank, using the turret as temporary cover until it came time to dismount, usually off the rear avoiding the exhausts, other times it was a case of sitting somewhere flat on the hull of the tank for a well-earned rest, and saving some shoe-leather whilst still getting from A to Battle. During winter periods, especially in the freezing cold of the Eastern Front, a seat on the warm engine deck would be prime real-estate, helping to defend against the biting cold that required heavy uniforms and great-coats. In Russian tactical doctrine, Tank Desant is the act of riding into battle on the back of a tank, dismounting at the point of contact with the enemy to act as suppression of infantry, anti-tank artillery, or troops equipped with portable anti-tank weapons such as the Panzerfaust or Panzerschreck. The tactic persisted into early Cold War Soviet tank combat but has long since fallen out of use. The Figure Set This set of five resin figures arrives in a small rectangular box with a rendering of the figures in isolation and in position on a tank from behind. On the rear of the box is a picture of the box art of the T-34/85 kit from Border that this set is designed for, and if you haven’t got one already, you can pick it up by using the code BT-027 as your search term. Inside the box the figures are individually bagged in Ziploc bags, all surrounded by an additional bubble-wrap bag that is stapled closed, fitting snugly inside the box to reduce movement during shipping and storage. Each figure is cast in a dark bluish grey resin, the body of the figures cast separately from the arms, heads, and weapons. There is a number between 10 and 14 scratched on each of the casting blocks, but these will be lost when the parts are removed from their blocks, so bear this in mind during construction and keep the loose parts together with their body until you are ready to glue them together. Each figure has a separate head, arms, and weapon on the extra casting block, with square mounting pegs assisting with location of the parts on the body. Three of the figures are sitting down, one is kneeling, and the fifth is standing, resting one hand on the side of the tank’s turret, presumably peering into the distance to ensure they aren’t yet in range of the enemy. Parts breakdown is sensibly placed along clothing seams or natural breaks to minimise filling once they are built up. The sculpting is excellent, by Jason Studio, who are a common collaborator with Border Model, with natural poses, drape of clothing and textures appropriate to the elements of the figures and weapons. They have been mastered by 3D printing, and some fine layer lines can be seen on the surface, but they should disappear under primer and subsequent layers of paint. Conclusion A great addition to any Soviet tank to give it human scale, especially the T-34 that’s suggested, but the poses are generic enough to allow them to be used with anyone’s kits. Casting is excellent, and does the sculpting justice. Clean-up should be a breeze, making it quick & easy to get quality resin figures on your model or diorama. Highly recommended. Available in the UK in all good model shops. Review sample courtesy of
  21. You can delete individual messages by clicking/tapping on the three dots (ellipsis) and choosing Delete. It’s pretty time consuming if you decide to go on a rampage though. I’d just bin off conversations as a whole. The amount of space freed up will depend on how many messages were in that conversation, of course
  22. Here's the Revell scraper: I have one, and I've got its lid taped in place, as it comes off very easily, and the tip is razor sharp. I bled so you don't have to
  23. What kind of scraper? We reviewed one from Revell a few years back, IIRC. I'll have a look for a link.
  24. Acrylic Black & White Primers 50ml (01.009 & 01.007) Water-Based Thinner (01.012) Jim Scale via HobbyColours Jim Scale is a Russian-based brand of modelling supplies that concentrates heavily on painting and finishing, with a great many products aimed at the modeller of Russian Federation or Soviet subjects, but with a broad range that will suit almost any subject. Their location might cause concerns for some of our members at the moment, but these products have come to us via HobbyColours from Greece, and might appeal to some of our members around the world, providing that supply doesn’t eventually become a problem. The range contains products that are water-based and alcohol-based, the water-based product codes beginning with 01., and with the colour or product number after the full-stop. This is good to know, as the packaging is written almost entirely in Russian, which isn’t a language many native English speakers are familiar with. Fortunately, our mobile (cell/handy) phones are becoming more competent with every generation, and translation from one language to another is the work of moments, simply aiming your phone’s camera at the text and tapping translate. To this modeller’s mind, a good primer is crucial for a fine finish on your model, as it unifies colour, texture and equalises absorbency of successive coats of paint, as well as showing up blemishes and other issues before you engage in the time-consuming act of laying down the top coats and subsequent modulation or weathering steps. There was a time when most primers were grey, but now we have a wider choice, some companies offering several different colours, but most providing at least black, grey and white primers in their range. The Jim-Scale water-acrylic range is thinned and cleaned-up with water, as the name suggests, and should appeal to those wishing to get away from malodorous lacquers or enamel-based paints, especially those modellers who ply their hobby in their homes, and must consider their family’s health and wellbeing more than they would in a separate outbuilding, shed or workshop. Both primers arrive in translucent polyethylene bottles containing 50ml of product, with a handy measuring scale embossed on the side of the bottle, capped off with a yellow screw-cap, and with a stainless-steel mixing ball inside, which usually starts to rattle after just a few shakes. The primer is finely ground, with its pigment grains filtered to 10 microns, which should ensure smooth spraying through any sized needle without clogging or spitting unless the temperature is high enough to cause drying on the tip, which can be remedied by adding a few drops of thinner to slow drying. As they are designed in Russia, the paint can withstand very low temperatures down to -35c, which would see most modellers running from their sheds down the garden for the relative safety of the house. It’s good to know that they’re unlikely to be spoiled by low temperatures however. It is suitable for painting plastic, metal, photo etch, and resin models, and is ready for action straight from the bottle, requiring no dilution, although if you get the bottom of the bottle and have been careless with recapping it, you can dilute it with water, or their thinner 01.012. If you’re wondering what the number 1500 on the front of the bottle means, it’s the equivalent of a fine surface filler-primer, such as Mr Surfacer 1500, although they are of course using an entirely different base chemical. Opening the cap reveals the contents, which has a very slight odour akin to artists’ paint if memory serves – it’s a long time since my art ‘A’ level. To smell it strongly however, you must put your nose within inches of the bottle, so the aroma shouldn’t travel too far in use, unless you undertake an extended spraying session. The paint pours cleanly straight into the paint cup of my airbrush, which for this test was one of my favourites, the Gunze Sangyo Procon Boy PS-270 with a 0.20mm needle, equal to or smaller than most airbrushes in general modelling use with a few exceptions. I sprayed the primers onto test spoons, which had been flatted with a fine sanding sponge in preparation, and I had vigorously shaken the bottles before uncapping them as per the instructions, although my Apple translation told me “It is recommended to shave before use.”. One must look one’s best when modelling, but that’s a bit extreme! I started with an experimental fine mist coat over the exterior bowl of the spoons, which involved an act of faith with the white primer, as the spoon was already the same exact shade of white. Another coat followed, then to test how it went down in heavier coats, a final thick wet coat was laid down soon after, changing the finish from matt, through satin to a semi-gloss finish, which toned down to satin and finally matt as the primer cured over time. It dries thoroughly in 24 hours, but will be touch-dry sooner, although initial handling is to be discouraged. Clean-up is with water, although I used a little of their thinners to clean the paint cup in between colours, which quickly cleaned the cup, even though that’s not its intended use. When cleaning or thinning with water, you do not have to use distilled or deionised water, and clean tap water should suffice for use. A short interlude of 24 hours ensued, after which the spoons were examined and photographed before some handling tests were undertaken. The photos don’t quite do the smoothness of the finish justice, especially as I had drawn a dusty finger over the black spoon. The surface was beautifully smooth, and robust at the same time. After taking the picture above, I tested the adhesive qualities of the surface against well-burnished Tamiya tape, which was firmly attached and pressed down, then left for 5-10 minutes before snatching it off without any regard for the paint whatsoever. As anticipated, nothing lifted, and apart from a little change to the edges where my fingers had overlapped onto the paint surface, there was no sign that the tape had ever been there. The next step that I feel is particularly important for any primer is whether it can withstand sanding, as it’s often the case that priming exposes flaws in your model, so making good with sanders and even filler is likely after first priming. If the primer peels off when sanded, it’s no use in this respect. Using a medium sanding sponge initially, there was zero peeling, and it appears that the surface is very strong and resistant to abrasives, which is promising for handling of your model during building, as the foundations are important on any model. When I finally broke through the primer, I then moved on to a finer abrasive, which smoothed out the surface nicely, leaving no sharp demarcations between the paint and the surface of the spoon, which is good news for re-priming. Conclusion I tried to approach the use of this primer with an open mind, but past experiences with water-based primers haven’t converted me to using them long-term. This primer however is a different story. It goes down well, creates a high-quality silky-smooth finish, can be sanded and polished in preparation for re-priming of blemishes, as none of us are perfect, and mistakes can get missed and only show themselves after priming. The only mild negative is the time it takes for the primer to cure, as I’m used to being able to resume work within a few minutes of applying primer, although my usual brand is lacquer-based, so it’s swings and roundabouts. It should appeal widely, especially to modellers that either can’t abide or can’t use products that emit strong odours, and anyone with the patience to wait for the primer to fully cure, which is a small price to pay for an excellent finish. Highly recommended. Since we received these bottles for review, they have been superseded by new bottles that are 60ml instead, and you’ll be able to purchase those when they arrive in stock with Hobby Colours shortly by following the links below: Black Primer (01.009XL) White Primer (01.007XL) Review sample courtesy of
  25. I've not seen it yet, but the trailers look visually impressive. I tend to wait until the series is finished before watching it, so no spoilers, eh?
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