Big Kev

Do you have any photos of the finished model, Noel? Kev

Thanks for the nice review, Julien! Kev

In this 66-page eBook, Jan Gabauer tackles the impressive mixed-media 1/32 scale Fw 189 kit from HpH Models. The majority of the kit parts are cast in polyurethane resin, augmented with turned metal and photo-etched parts, paint masks, and HGW ‘wet transfers’. A set of HGW ‘fabric’ seat belts is also included, making for a complex kit and a potentially challenging build. Jan navigates the complexities of the build with aplomb, offering tips for working with resin assemblies, and overcoming the particular challenges of this kit. The process is very instructive, and results are quite spectacular! The book retails for AU$8 (8 Australian dollars), and can be purchased as a downloadable PDF from the KLP Publishing website: https://www.klp.com.au/product/building-the-hph-fw-189-uhu-in-132-scale/ Kev

Thanks for the review, Julien! Kev

I'm pleased to announce that Peter Castle's Building Race #80 Spitfire Mk XIVe in 1/18 Scale is now available! This 565-page eBook features Peter's award-winning conversion of the HpH Models 1/18 Seafire 47 to represent a Spitfire XIVe—specifically, Race #80, as flown by James McArthur in the Tinnerman Air Races at Cleveland, Ohio, on September 4th 1949. Peter rebuilt much of the airframe, scratch-built most of the detail parts in aluminium and brass, and covered the model in aluminium litho-plate for an authentic natural metal finish. Peter's model won the National Senior Champion award (among many others) at Scale Model World in Telford in November 2017, and its construction is presented here in forensic detail. Not only does the book contain a blow-by-blow account of every stage of the build, including how Peter fashioned many of the intricate details, but also: an illustrated account of the history of TZ138 by noted aviation illustrator and author Juanita Franzi; a 12-page tutorial on Turning Small Parts with a Rotary Tool; a 33-page tutorial on Designing Your Own Photo Etch Parts; a 16-page tutorial on Skinning Models in Metal; a 15-page tutorial on Forming Metal Around Compound Curves; bonus: seven full-page walkaround photos of a Spitfire Mk 19 seat. This book is a must-have for aspiring scratch-builders, Spitfire fans, and any modeller interested in learning from the best. The book is $22 Australian dollars as a downloadable PDF from our store. Please check out the sample pages below: Kev

Thanks once again for your review, Julien! This one is proving very popular, but luckily, I'm never likely to run out of copies! Kev

Hot on the heels of Julien's review of our Birddog book, I'm pleased to announce that our latest title has just been released: Building the Wingnut Wings AEG G.IV Late in 1/32 Scale The price is $15 AUD (Australian dollars), and can be purchased from the link above. The product page also contains some additional sample pages for you to try before you buy. Cheers, Kev

Thanks for the review, Julien! Your kind words are much appreciated. Kev

Thanks for the kind words of support, Julien! I'm pleased to say that the Birddog book is now available also: https://www.klp.com.au/product/building-macs-birddog-in-132-scale/ Within its 131 pages are Eric's terrific build of the Roden Birddog kit, modified to match Mac's aircraft as he flew it in Vietnam in 1968, along with Mac's own recollections of his 47 years in the RAAF, his citations for the DFC, and an exclusive 53-page, 95-photo walkaround of VH-FXY. And just like the Sabre book, it's only 15 Aussie pesos (that's 15 Australian dollars). Kev

Thanks for the review, Julien! Much appreciated. Kev

I'm pleased to report that I've finally been able to obtain an exclusive walkaround for the Birddog book from Rob Fox of Rob Fox Photography: The photos feature Rob's own Birddog, VH-FXY. Look out for a launch announcement soon! Kev

Me too, Des, hence my post. Kev

Des, my original post that you referenced had nothing to do with advertising in model mags. It was a post about my endeavours with KLP Publishing, and the steps I'm taking to address some of the issues raised in this thread. My entire post was replaced by a moderator with the phrase "No traders/advertising". No notification or warning, either. Kev

No traders/advertising

So, the cat is out of the bag, and the first of our Build Guide Series has been announced: More details can be found on our website or Facebook page. Kev

I just thought I'd post an update to this, showing the cover for our second book, Building Mac’s Birddog in 1/32 Scale: A Scale Tribute to Macaulay “Mac” Cottrell: I was hoping to have the book ready by now, but there's a delay while we arrange a photo shoot for some more walkaround content. Watch the website or our Facebook page for updates. I thought I'd also take this opportunity to post a teaser image from one of our upcoming titles in the Build Guide Series: Anyone care to guess what it is? Kev

Thanks, Martin! I have the Sword and Hobby Boss FM-2 kits in the stash, too, so I should tackle them some day. They'd look pretty neat in a trio with this one, I reckon! Kev

Thanks, Den. The process of replacing all those images is a pain, for sure! But I figure, if no one does it, then the modelling Internet has just suffered its first mass-extinction event, and that would be a real shame. So I'm putting my money where my mouth is, I guess. Kev

Apologies for dredging up this relatively ancient thread, but I've been working through the process of un-Photobucketing my build threads, and have just finished updating this one. All the image links now point to ImageShack. I thought I'd also add a couple of better photos that I took since finishing this build, as I think they show off the model better: It's still one of my favourite builds, even after all these years. And no, I never did get around to repeating it in 1/32 scale - though I still intend to! Thanks as always for looking in. Kev

Thanks for the plug, Mike! The Sabre book is 15 Aussie pesos (that's 15 Australian dollars for anyone north of the border), and is downloadable in PDF format. We're hoping to get the Bird Dog book out in the next few weeks, and it will be similarly priced. We've got a number of future titles planned, spread across three distinct series: The Build Guide Series, the Build Special Series (our first two books), and the Technique Series. Our books feature large font sizes to accommodate those of us with aging eyesight, and large format photos, with no more than three per page. The books are in PDF format, and can be read on any device that supports it. If you have any comments or questions, fire away! Kev

It's expected in 2016, but probably Q4 at the earliest. Kev

Thanks Den - always appreciate your support! Kev

Thank you sir. I really wanted to do the all-yellow RAAF scheme, but a friend was already doing that, so I went for something different with this one. Kev

Pascal, Angelo - thank you both for your kind words. Kev

Thanks guys, much appreciated. I've been working to improve my photography of late, though most of the improvements happen in post-processing it seems. Still, I'm getting there. Kev