Gaia1984

Ok I dont know what happened there. The images should be displaying properly now. This was weird, I have just repeated the same thing I did the first time and now they show up correctly. Many thanks Badder for letting me know and also for the suggestion to work with moss. I never have thought of using glycerin for fixing the moss. I had in mind was first to dry it for some days and then fix it with hair spray, do you know if this would work? I have to say that painting the 1/48 figures is being a good fun! Although it is sometimes challenging to get some detail done onto them. All the best, Alex

Hi everybody, I just wanted to share with you some of the preliminary work I am doing on a Battle of Normandy diorama on 1/48 scale. This project started as just a single tank from a very old Academy kit I found from when I was young, which had remained forgiven for many years. Then I developed the idea of the diorama of a tank travelling somewhere near the frontline and encountering by surprise some enemy troops nearby in the horizon across a hedgerow. The troops were jumping off the tank and starting to take positions on top of the hedgerow and the tank with the turret already aiming starting to rotate its hull. As this project started with just a single tank built I started a topic in AFV section of the forum but I did want to share here as well for those people who may not check the other channel. I will post a link below to the other topic for easy access. Please if you have any comment / suggestion do not doubt to share it. All the best, Alex LINK:

Hi everybody! I am bringing you quite a lot of updates regarding this project! Very exited about this! I have almost finished the paining of the tank. I will have to do some work in the rear part of the tank and paint a few details. As you will see in the pictures I have changed the position of the turret (although I have not fixed it properly yet) and I will have to do some painting in the newly exposed regions that were previously covered by the turret in the old position. I may also have to cut the barrel lock in the fornt and have it in horizontal position instead of vertical. The reason for the change in the position of the turret is because I want to place this model in a Battle of Normady diorama, a bocagge style type of scene. About the painting, I have done this using a Badger sotar 20/20, this is my first time for painting a model with an airbrush and I am quite happy with the results. I have also added some more detail with the brush (rust, chipping, battle damage). I have also got the Tamiya 1/48 Panzergrenadiers set for the diroama. I have been painting some of the figure during the past weeks. They are not finished yet but they are at the point I am happy to show them. I will be finishing the undercoating of the uniforms in brown and I will be adding the pea dot camouflage pattern after it. As for the diorama concept, you will see that there is a bocagge road setting. The idea is that these guys were travelling somewhere when they spotted some enemies in the distance over the hedgerows. The troops which were supposed to be travelling on top of the tank are in the process of taking positions and the tank is aiming under the cover of the hedgerow. For making the base, I have used a square wood base, which then I have covered with a layer of cork. This will be the dirt road surface, I used a large file to create the ditches on the margin of the road. I have also done the hedgerow structure using layers of cardboard. I will cover the hedgerow and the "soil" section on the other side of the road with DAS clay to give it some texture and cover it with some grains of sand, small pebbles, etc. I will also add some trees along the side of the road and on top of the hedgerow, for this I will be using some old dry heather branches. I did some spring clean up of the garden and I managed to collect some moss that came off, I collect this to simulate the dense hedges from the bocagge. I will also use some of it for the folliage of the trees. There is still a lot of work to do but I can feel that the end is coming a bit closer! I would like to bring this diorama to a show once it is ready. Any way I will stop writing and give you some pictures. It would be great to hear your thoughts and please if you have any comment/suggestion, I would be great to hear it/them. All the best, Alex

Hi everybody, It has been a long long time since I have post anything in this thread or in the other I have opened. It is amazing how quickly time flies! Most of my models have been sitting on boxes waiting for me to sit down with them and finish them off. A lot has passed since my last post but I am coming back to the hobby and I am trying to invest some time in the models I have already started before beginning new project. Anyhow, hands to businessm! I have been preshading the Panther tank, using primarily Vallejo model air paints. I would like to try the B&W technique as described by Jose Luis Lopez. I will add a few more shadows to the darker regions. I also need to add the armour skirts to the tank and the machine gun to the commander's cupola. I was thinking of using the stripped tricolour pattern for this model. I don't seem able to use Google Photos with the "Insert other media" button so I will just copy the links if you have any suggestion on how to post pictures stored in Google Photo please let me know. https://photos.app.goo.gl/d9Luq9aK37nQn7kH6 https://photos.app.goo.gl/RCXXnNT6j3huXFoEA https://photos.app.goo.gl/yexQBGW4Qmr3E16v5 https://photos.app.goo.gl/3gVQAJeLcWmCuHrm6 All the best, Alex

Hi everyone, It has been a long time since the last update. I have been working on the panel lines, there are almost ready to go. I have been working on independent pieces so I decided to join the main two pieces of the fuselage when the wings were ready. Now I gotta tell you, this thing has bolts! It has been tedious getting them done with either the riveter or with a steel glass scribber. I am now joining the lines and rivets from both part of the fuselage. I have also been working in the cockpit section, I have done from scratch all the instruments on the dashboard using: Milliput, plastic card and lead wires. It was easy to get the bulky stuff done although there are almost no pics of the Mig-27 cockpit, and specially almost nothing of the dashboard section so the cable work was totally at discretion of my imagination. Also as you can see I have been painting the avionics in the panel I opened in the nose. I decided not to open more panels as it is already taking its sweet time to be built. 1) I think next steps will be to finish off to join panel lines, rivets etc etc from both sides of the hull. 2) The machine gun has a couple of guards on both sides of the nozzle. I will be scratch building those 3) Working on the landing gear. The is plenty of work to do here! 4) I really wanna do something with the engine exhaust. It looks as dull as it gets, although not sure exactly what or how to do it. 5) Start doing some painting on the beast! Anyway guys as always comments / suggestions are always welcomed! All the best, Alex

Hi everyone, Just a quick update on the Flogger. I keep on scribing and riveting the whole thing. I have been having troubles riveting some parts with my riveter tool (the trumpeter one) as the wheel does not reach some places. Any suggestions on this? I also have to figure out how I am going to detail the engine as it looks too flat at the moment, any model/thread for inspiration? I also want to thank Dave for letting me use his canopy as I manage to loose mine! THANKS SO MUCH! Cockpit is already mounted, I still have to scratch-build the electronics on the dashboard Front wheel bay has been primed in light grey and will do the painting soon I have also mounted and started to paint the avionics on the side. I will add some minor cable work once finished. The green stuff on the panel is the cushioning on the avionics, it was made and sculptured with Milliput. On with the panelling and riveting I have also carved out the gun bay so it does not look it is sitting on the top of the hull. As I expanded the front wheel bay to its correct shape, I had to shorten the gun as it was too long for the current dimensions... I will add the lateral guards of the gun once I finish with the hull. Also as you can see I have painted the main wheel bays. Primed in light grey and painted on the top with GW Boltgun metal. Will start to do the landing gear soon and will apply some washes to the bays. Another thing I will have to make from scratch in this lateral holder (see the ref pic) as the piece provided by Hasegawa is just literally a handle... REF PIC: Hope you enjoy it. As always if you have any comments/ suggestions please do not hesitate to post! All the best

Ohhh calamity!! It seems I have miss-placed the canopy!!! I will keep with it and hopefully it will appear at some point! I have sent an email to AMERANG to see if the can supply a spare but no answer back so far.... Upper section of the fuselage is done, cockpit assembled and will start with the lower section of the fuselage.

Great Job! Looking forward to see it through!

Hi everybody, I am just bringing you a quick update. I keep on working in the paneling and riveting; most of the upper hull has been re-scribed I may open some of the avionics bays on the top of the hull by the cabin. upper part of the wings and ailerons have been scribbed and riveted. I still have to finish the tail and will move to do the lower side of the hull. I want to do some scratch build of the flaps, does someone has a reference link to a thread where someone has done some scratch-build work on similar flaps? As always thanks for following and comments are always welcomed! Cheers, Alex Lower side of the wings (before and after) Upper side of the wings (before and after) upper general view Aileron detail Wing detail Tail detail upper hull detail

Looking great! Awesome ref pics for a later build on my own! All the best, Alex

The panelling in this plane is a nightmare!!! And I haven't even started with rivets!

Tom, I was thinking on a nice shade of pink or violet maybe! ;p I still haven't decided on the paint scheme, I'll have to do some research glad you like it!

Looking forward to see this!

Hi everybody! It has been a long time since I could dedicate some time to the build. Anyhow I was doing some research and trying to get some more detailed pics of the Mig-27, which is proving difficult... I decided to scratch build the air-brakes and I have done the wheel bays. I am thinking whether to scratch build the parachute hub and definitely want to do something with the engine exhaust as it looks flat as a table, I am working on something regarding this but I am not sure if it will work out at the end... we will just have to try and see. I will also start to do the paneling, I got a pretty good idea now on how it goes. So far I have sand down the raised panel lines and do some preliminary drawing with pencil on where are they going to go. I have also started to paint the cockpit but I will have to do some last minute fittings to get it done. I will also start soon to prepare the avionics from the nose. This should be relatively straight forward. Here are some pics: (Hope you enjoy them) AND as always comments are always welcomed! Upper Air brakes: I had to saw through the fusselage piece to get the sockets done. The internal structure of the bay is done with plastic card. Upper and lower air brakes: Air brake: I will have to do from scratch the hydraulics of the fin. Main wheel bays: I will add the cable work and the piping once painted. Paneling: Cockpit: