charlie-mike-six

Hello I should have been more clear, My interest is more on the Tusk 1 and Tusk 2, Maybe a SEP 2 one. I was station @ Fort Knox back in 1980 and trained on the M60A1 and A3 , Gunner, and then we went into the Abrams, Big Red 1, Station at Fort Riley Kansas, I have the Panda kit only because I was there when the M1 first came out. I cannot tell you how many times I got kicked in the back of the head for not listening to the TC LOL. It is the only time being a short in height person paid off, My call sign in basic was Candy Man, because I got caught sneaking to the PX and buying candy and selling it. I think I was the only person that had to guard a vending machine all night in full combat gear with a rubber M16, Now those were the days ! Anyway, Thank you for your help !. CM-6

Hello With the price of Model kits the way they are I want to pick the right kit. Which is the best 1/35 Abrams ? or what do you recommend. Thank you CM-6

Hello I purchase a Merit 1/350 USS Enterprise off Evil Bay, The kit is missing the instructions, I have email Merit with no response, if anyone might have this kit and can make me a copy of the instructions, I would be happy to pay for them. or better yet email them to me Any help please. Thank you Tony

Thank you , If there is one thing I have learned from this, it is putting Photo Etch on a Aircraft or Armor is nothing like putting Photo Etch on a 1/350 scale ship, I would hate to try a 1/700 Scale one, What started out as just a simple build has turned into a full blown build, at the rate I am going I will be lucky to build one a year, I just have to stop adding stuff , LOL . Like that is going to happen !!!!

Well, I finally got the North Star Port Holes, I have been working on them all day today, Until my eyes got tired, and had to take a break, Keep in mind that port hole has two tabs to file down from the fret, What was I thinking !!!!, But anyway, The first photo is the North Star Photo Etch packs, This next photo is the tools I am using, Tamiya Clear Gloss, Tamiya Photo Etch File, Pick up Pencil, I could not have done this with out it, Next, Is the front of the hull, I know the ladders are not correct, But in my old years of 55, I shake to bad to do the correct ladder steps, If you look closely you will see some white dots, that is putty where I drilled the holes for the ladders, So I did try !!! like I said , the ladders are wrong big time but it is better the molded on detail, when it is painted, it should be ok, I hope anyway. The next two photos are just pictures of the work so far. Well, That is it for now, One thing that I did not think about, Masking the hull with out taking the detail off, , So I thought about it and, I will have to paint the hull from the bottom up ! instead for the top down, So the red first, then the water line, then the Gray, But anyway, I hope to have another update next weekend,

Just wondering if anyone has heard anything,

Super Job. Its a great show, just got done watching the 3rd season. Already have this kit and some goodies,

Hello. Not much work done over the last couple of weeks. dealing work and life ! LOL. I got to looking at the hull of the Academy Graf Spee, and looking through some books, and noticed, if you look at the first picture, you will see a ledge or lip if you will, running across the top of the hull, according to the books I have, this is not on the real ship, the fear I had was if I remove it, I mite loose some the port hole details, and they are just about 400 port holes on the hull, So after thinking about it for awhile, I decided to remove it and replace the port hole details with photo etch replacements, I know, like I said just about 400 of them, each port hole is just about 1.2mm, I was lucky enough to find some from North Star Models, So I ordered three sets, The first picture is the hull, notice the lip running across the top. the second and third pictures are after the mod, Oh ! in case you are wondering , I changed my mind to do the full hull model instead of the water line version, I just have to practice doing seascapes Well, All for now, I hope to have a better update by Sunday.

Oh Man !!! This is going to be good !!!

Awesome Work ! I wish I could do 1/700, Just don't have the eyesight for it anymore, But out standing work !!!!!!

Thank you for the comments, All day today I have been sanding all the raised detail off the sides of the Hull, I am going to replace the rain shields over each port hole with photo etch, yep , almost 400 of them, I had to order them through Northstar, so it will take at least a month to get to me, $24.00 worth of port holes, I know now I have lost my mind, But it has been a blast with all the back ground work, Learn the history of the ship, I figure this build will get me ready for the Revell 1/350 Bismarck and Pontos set, I have the Tamiya Prince of Whales, The Trumpeter Hood, and the Turmpeter Prinz Eugen, so my goal as you might have guess is to build the Capital ships that was in the Battle of the Denmark Strait, If someone would do a 1/350 Rodney, I would do both the Rodney and the KGV, But if not, I have enough to keep me busy for along time, Not to say, I still have 1/350 Gambier Bay to build as well, So again thank you for the comments. I will post updates as I get to them,

I have been toying with the idea of getting one of these !, You have just about talked me into it. Super Job !!!!!

First off let start by saying, My hat goes off to the ship modeler's, I on a norm just build aircraft and armor, but I thought I would give a ship a try, it has been the hardest model for me to build, photo etch railings !!! OMG, even 1/350 scale, but anyway, when I started this I could not make my mind up between the Trumpeter or Academy Graf Spee, I got some opinion's from the different forms, and did alot of online study between the two, the way I see it, it depends on the person, The Trumpeter kit to me if better detailed, even though some of the details are over scale, at twice the price of the Academy one, So I picked up the Academy one for $25.00 U.S. I purchased, the Master Model Barrel set, KA Models PE Set, Eduard PE Set, and White Ensign PE Set, The KA Set came with Wooden Decks, I also picked up some Veteran Models Light Anti-Aircraft Flak Guns, and about 4 sets of Northstar 1/350 Figures, and alot of other details set that would work on the model, and every book I could find, I wish that Trumpeter or Academy would not have done the same version of the ship, It would have been nice if one of them would have done one as she was in 1937, I was going to back date but I could not find a HE-60 aircraft in 1/350 scale and there are some changes to the Citadel that was outside of my skill set, So I am doing her just before she got a camo scheme, I have not made my mind up if I want to do a seascape or full hull , I did purchase two of the Academy kits, Just in case, as you will see, The first three pictures are work on the funnel, Still in progress, I have to finish out the top of the mast. based of pictures I have. I painted the railings first before adding them , It will be easier for me at least to touch them up afterwards, Next is the Rear deck, Work in progress, Next pictures , The First Picture is what the kit gives you on the 10.5cm guns, with Master Barrel brass barrel's, The Picture after that is the Veteran Models version, The next Picture is the Main Gun, I sanded off all the detail, added Master Barrel's, Some Rivets, Modified the Range finders and added PE Parts, may not completely correct but closer than what the kit gives you . next picture is a family shot of the light anti-aircraft guns, This almost killed me , seem like it took forever to do, The Graf Spee had 8 , then 10 and finally 12 of the Flak C30 20mm guns at different times, also in the picture is the Flak 37mm Doppel C30 guns, these are all Veteran Models , they are a huge difference is what the kit gives you, The next picture is the AR-196a Float plane, after I changed something's, anyone who has had this kit knows the floats look nothing like this, This is after I changed them, but it is the kit parts, I sanded off all the raised detail, way over scaled, and did my mod on the floats, The plane appears to be over scaled, I have the Trumpeter one and and 1/350 Resin one, I will build all three and see which I like better, The Resin one appears to be more in scale than the kit one. I will post some pictures of all three once I get them built and primed. The last few shots are the full hull progress and if I go with the sea scape, I still have not made my mind up, Do the sea scape and load the ship up with figures or do the full hull static, I just cannot make my mind up. On the sea scape pictures , that is Tamiya masking tape around the edges. Well, That is all for now, Please let me know advice, Comments good or bad, and most of all Ideas, at the rate I am going I hope to have this finished by Dec of this year, I hope, then it will be off to the Revell 1/350 Bismarck and Pontos set. Lord help Me !!!!! LOL. Thank you

I just got this ship myself, I have ordered the Flyhawk PE Compete set and the Flyhawk Resin set, which has the corrected turrets. The HMS Hood was a great ship, and I cannot wait to get started, Your work is outstanding , keep going !!! and please post updates !!!!

I have all of them, They are nice, better than the Tamiya ones. but you pay twice a much for not as many, But I had to give them a try.