Tim R-T-C

Superb WIP updates, really interesting detail and useful reference. Looking forward to seeing more.

A delightful project to watch and definitely the sort of scenes I really enjoy. Looking forward to seeing more.

To be honest, at a provincial UK show the competition sections are pretty small with broad categories, so you are not going to get strictly followed guidelines, its more down to judge's personal preferences. I did help with judging at an event once and it was just a discussion between the judges allocated to that category to pick a winner, no specific guidelines followed. Diorama is a particularly hard category to judge as some of these scenes can be gargantuan with hundreds of figures.

My modelling bench has been rather quiet of late, but I'll lend support to a 2024 bid.

Excellent work to recreate the weathering on the real thing and that must be a pretty good sized bit of hardware to go on the shelf judging by the markings on your cutting mat!

Lovely build and nice choice of scheme.

I thought these figures might have some interesting post-apoc type potential - after a little head swap with some Zvezda mountain troops, this was the result

Infinity plus one for me I have heard these Humbrol bases mocked before as not being for 'proper' modellers, but I have used mine for two years (although rarely cleaned it) and find it quite useful for keeping some stuff more easily to hand, holding instructions as well as being more comfortable as it lifts the modelling surface higher on my table. Since I mostly use Vallejo and AK 3G paints, none of them fit anyway!

Quite remarkable. An often attempted subject on model railways but never captured so well.

I had a nice place opposite my work when I was in one of the colourful parts of Leeds - turned out it had a 0 health rating! The 'lamb' schwarma was nice though Looks like an interesting build, seen this kit advertised a few times but never yet seen anyone actually build one.

For me aside from the usual mix of contemporary Boeing and Airbus types, the most interesting was the 1980-built Airbus A300 on an Iran Air service from Schipol to Tehran in 2016. Definitely a very retro experience from booking the tickets via a dodgy German travel agency, to manual checkin at an unbranded desk, the welcome aboard non-alcoholic beer, 2-4-2 seating and genuine leg room! Funny think is that when I booked the flight, lots of people said I was crazy to risk Iran Air and I should have just gone via Turkish Airlines. However on the day of the trip was the "coup" in Istanbul that closed the airport and cancelled all flights. Therefore we made it through fine but my fellow traveller ended up rerouting via Aeroflot on a hideously expensive ticket!

Somewhere in Korea, Autumn 1951 A pair of M4A3E8s in convoy slowly make their way through heavy mud. 1/144 scale Arrowhead Minatures whitemetal tanks and jeep. Read more in the thread

And here she is complete.

The Armstrong Whitworth F.K.10 was possibly the only quadruplane to ever enter production. Built in 1916 to compete with the Fokker Triplanes, the RFC ordered 50 before discovering that its performance was inferior to the Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter that was already in combat use. So only 5 were built for the RFC and only used for training, as were a small handful that ended up in RNAS use. The model is a 3d print from Decapod. https://www.shapeways.com/product/2QWFXCY2T/armstrong-whitworth-fk10?optionId=167258515&li=shops It comes as a single piece except for the prop and is nicely detailed - a seated crew are moulded in, avoiding worry about painting the interior. I definitely wouldn't relish the challenge of making up a quadruplane kit, particularly with etched struts like the Valom 144th scale biplanes - although the single piece model did add the challenge of painting the wings through the small gaps provided. It terms of paint and finishing I didn't have much to go off - the handful of photos of the type show a few different variations and obviously give no hint on colours. Profiles online vary between khaki and green so I went with the latter. I decided to go with an early model on a test flight near the Armstrong Whitworth factory in Jarrow, a photo believed to be from then shows the aircraft with roundels but no serial number. Decals are from a Blue Rider RFC sheet and spares from some Valom kits. Of course I had to rig it, again based on the photos and a couple of large scale models seen online - it appears as though one of the bracing wires passes directly through the middle of the wings so I decided this would be near impossible to replicate well, but I did try to represent all of the other main wires visible. The truck is a Leyland 3 tonne from Ray Rimes models. https://rayrimesdesigns.com/shop/ols/products/leyland-3-tonner A lovely detailed 3d print that comes as a single piece with mimimal cleanup required. Painted in War Department green. Some Brengun etched tools add fine detail. The figures are Preiser unpainted model railway staff who are suitably dressed to be RFC officers.

Alas this one got delayed but finally completed now with addition of some prototypical loads, ladder and crewman. Weathering was with brown Oilwashers. Unfortunately I was not able to pose the cockpit open as planned as the Academy transparancy only covered the glass part of the cockpit - the second, metal, portion was moulded into the kit body. If I had realised at the start I probably could have cut this out but it was too late so I just sealed it up. Crewman is from Heroes Models and steps are from the Brengun MiG-21 accessories set.