AndyRM101

If you've never heard of Xinshi Hobby before, then you're not alone. I first saw the kit in the listings of a Chinese seller on ebay while ordering the RR armoured car (which came from the same seller). On first sight, I thought the kit was a dodgy knock-off of the Meng toon Tiger, but looking at the photos more closely, it was clearly an original kit. I figured 'what do I have to lose' (10 quid actually, but I was prepared to risk that), and ordered the kit along with the Royce. When you see the box art, you'll understand why I was a little dubious at first It turned out the kit was actually rather good (as far as it goes - it is a cartoon tank at the end of the day). I built it up in the background while doing the Royce, and added a few extra details along the way. If you pick one of these kits up, don't be shocked when you lift the lid, as the kit is moulded in pink, purple and yellow plastic. The parts are actually very well detailed though, especially the tracks, which are pre-assembled indi-links, although they could do with being a couple of links longer. The Zim was done with Meng resin decals for speed, and the only other significant additions were the scratch built shell and side skirts, and a bit of metal mesh for the engine screens. Thanks for looking Andy

That's a fantastic looking Lee, Dennis, and a fitting tribute to your Grandad. Andy

Thanks everyone, Thanks Steve. I don't know that much about it myself, although I've read a few of Mike's magazine articles on Caunter. It's such an iconic scheme though, that everyone needs at least one model finished in it. Andy

I know. It's down to my creaky old desktop monitor that I use for post-processing. I can't really calibrate it properly anymore. The backgrounds look pure white on that screen, but when I view them on my chromebook or tablet, there are still murky areas in the corners. I'll hopefully be getting a new monitor before too long, and upgrading my photo lighting to LED at the same time. Andy P.S. I like Cyclorama - a very fancy way of referring to the manky old sheet of white card, covered in cat paw prints, that I use for a backdrop

Fantastic build Nick. Love the dusty highlighting on the tread blocks. Andy

That sounds rather interesting Pete. Looking forward to the wip. Andy

As I mentioned further up the page, that original poster was due for an update with some of the more recent builds. I've finally gotten around to doing that now and you can find the result below. Adding the Falcon (Stellar Envoy) has resulted in the other ships looking a bit on the small side, but I felt that the poster was more complete with it included. There's a varied assortment of model scales, from1/350 up to 1/48, but they've all been sized here to be (roughly) in scale with each other. Kits from the usual suspects, i.e. Bandai and Finemolds. The poster's in a 16:9 ratio, so if anyone wants to use it as a screensaver/background feel free. You can find the full resolution image here Andy

Thanks @Andrés S. I'm glad you like the build. Andy

That's a lovely conversion job, and I agree, it looks great in its clean, unweathered state. Andy

That's a really beautiful build Bruce. Andy

An amazing piece of scratch building, and the base sets it off perfectly. Andy

That's a fantastic looking Leopard. Love the tight demarkation you've achieved on the camo, and the weathering looks excellent. Andy

Thanks everyone Andy

It's looking excellent. The yellow warning stripes on the bumper make a great focal point. If I were to suggest anything, it would be a light over-spray of road dust over the wheels and chassis. Andy