ironwork

Thanks Guys ! A pair of useful books, the left one to know the various changes in tooling fitting, the right one has some interesting pictures about earliest tigers unloaded from fahr prahms in tunisia All details are then added with plasticard / pressed tin rods / aluminium food shelves. Tow cable fitting of first tigers was reversed, with loopholes fitted on the back, so all hull hooks are different from the kit's ones. Back mudguards were of a narrow type, without external hinged plates. Also muffler's armored caps must be omitted, and hinged covers added. Another typical feature were the bent metal strips on lower hull to support spare track sections.

As told, the first thing to do is to change tracks for early pattern ones. Modelkasten are easy to build and realistically workable. Then all tool and mudguard supports are puttied up / deleted. Early style mudguards followed the lower hull line. This way they were slightly bent downwards. Hull too needs some putty. This one is waterbased, and all excess is then removed with alcohol, with no sanding.

Hi Fellow Modellers, I have to thank a friend, Alessandro, who unfortunately has stopped modeling for too much work (yes, in that there is still someone in Italy ...). He gave me this stuff, already with correct modelkasten early tracks. I found this picture on the internet, too intriguing. From there to throw myself over was a snap. But the Italeri is a middle way between the initial version and later. Duty to do some improvements. Due to the recognizable cap on the gun armour, this is the No. 112, still running but with the burnt bow, but I have no reference to how and why.

Hi Claudio, sure, the italeri kit you see has orpheus and transport pod, wing tip sidewinders, and the sidewinder catamaran support under the fuselage. Both c2 or mb seats. It also has fins and wing supports for S and following versions. I think that, provided with correct decals ans sparrows or aspide, you can do an S or an ASA.

Jonathan, you're making my whole job look sad, with those amazing pictures ... Thanks to you all Guys, But be care, F 104 is dangerously infectious. You make one and you immediately want another. They call it mach 2 fever...

Thank you all Guys for the nice comments, this was the start kit.

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Hi all Guys, i've been for a long time on tanks, and now i'm in a sort of aircraft-fever. If you need to go, get started with the right foot they say. And i feel starfighter is a remarkably good option for this task. Italeri has just released the 1.32 big brother, but I'm trying to convince myself that I can still see well.. No aftermarket added, just some plasticard for ejection seat and wheel bay detailing. Apart from the base colors ( i mix my acrylics directly from the raw materials, so don't ask me the brand..), a subtle shape enhance and paneling job was done with True Earth products. I apologize for the prominent copyrighting, due to some recent bad experience.

This one is not a vinylic formulation, thus it can be sanded, with dry sandpapers or files, as told into the tutorial. It also adheres much better to plastics.

Stunning, one would expect that a sailor jumps off the hatches...

Great, and great pictures...

Really sharp paint job

Nice job, a lot of work with decals... Beppe

Ciao Valerio, gran bel pezzo e gran belle foto Hello Valerio, great piece and most beautiful photos Beppe

Museum quality model Beppe

The first of many ones i hope ! Beppe

A simple but really effective layout Beppe

Thanks again to all for your attention ! Gone also with parts 5-6, for anyone likes... TRUE EARTH BLOG

Thak you all Guys ! Too kind... ... in the meantime i published also parts 3-4 : TRUE EARTH BLOG

Hi All ! This is my latest stuff, almost complete. Who'd like to see the weathering tutorial, that's in progress here : TRUE-EARTH BLOG

I'm following this topic with a lot of interest, since i've got the same kit for a future work. Greatly inspirational work ! Beppe

Thank's God you had a long time break... what could you achieve when well trained ??

Thanks all Guys ! The water effect filters will be soon available. As asked, some more pics here while still in progress, with no aircraft nor boats

Realism is stunning, you have a great painting sensibility. (it's a gauntlet to the superdetailing-sets obsessed people.....) Good pictures and background do the rest

Hi Ray, Thanks. Well, -watercolor-card must be soaked in water, then left to dry on to a plain surface with adhesive tape on borders to avoid rolling. (painters suggested method) -When dry, glued on base (vinyl glue) -Cut away exceeding borders -Painted gloss white -then applied filters in progressive layering (the whole still to be released, surely for september) - a layer of a purposedly studied transparent paint Sorry i have no pictures of the process, it was just a test