ScanmanDan

Progress? ; I cut down the vacuform base so that every things at a slight angle and then built up a base from thick balsa sheet. I'm slowly getting the balsa sealed and somewhat ship shape but I fear that it wash't the best material to chose as it is too soft and dings and marks very easily. I went big as I hate tiny thin bases under big heavy tanks and I want to try and use some stencils to hand paint the nameplate on this one. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Progress; Almost all of the little details are done. I just need to get a small photo etched set for the external fuel tanks and the pistol ports to finish. One more track length to struggle with too. Almost painting time Thanks for looking in. Dan

Francis - Thank you for your encouraging comments. While I'm enjoying the build I want to get on to the painting. Progress; Added an aftermarket barrel and resin mantle plus lots of little detail, more to come. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Had to do something different as a diet of only egg planes were getting me down. I saw a this monster at the shop and thought, "Why ever not." A nice complete kit with link and length track, photo etched grills and Tamiya's usual great engineering. I think I will only use a replacement aluminium barrel for the main gun and another for the MG and dispense with any other aftermarket. I did get some tank riders and I'm going to try some Hornet resin heads but that will be for later. Here's where I'm at after this weekend; The tracks will be interesting as I want to see if I can keep them separate to make painting easier. Thanks for dropping by for a look. Dan

Progress; Finished the base for this little critter. Experimented with some new materials, I'll do better next time. Here's the bf109e standing in for for the g6 Thanks for looking in. Dan

Back at this one. Finished a base for her to sit on; Just though some concrete would make for a change. Here is the unfinished Corsair standing in for the Mustang as she hasn't got any legs yet . I've prepared another base for my Me-109G6 conversion so we'll see how that comes out. Thanks for stopping by for a look see. Dan

Just an excuse to try out making tarps with Greenstuff. Not very successful but learned what NOT to do and so not a total loss. I think I can make it work once I get some paint on her. Pics; The model is in three pieces so I can paint it a bit easier. The gap in the front of the sidecar will disappear ) I'm always amazed at how fast these little Tamiya kits go together. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Thank you all for your encouraging comments. I tried really hard not to over weather this one and make it look like a well maintained, working vehicle. Paul - The driver is a bodge of the Tamiya Dingo driver with a white metal 28mm scale wargaming head. I don't much like the Tamiya heads and until I can get some resin replacements it was the best I could find. Maybe a tad too big but not too noticeable on the model. Heaps easier to paint as it had more/better details. I wish hornet would downscale a few of the head sets.

This one has been sitting almost finished for way too long, I have got to stop doing that. Bashed the last bits together and now she's headed for the display case. Lovely little kit by Airfix. I hope it was a success for them and they bring out some more soft skins in 1/48 (Tanks too!) I have another in the stash and some replacement resin tyres which are the bees knees I hope you like her. Dan

Superb build of a wonderful model. You did a great job on it and the finish is super. Airfix have a real winner on their hands with this one. I hope they bring out more trucks and other vehicles in 1/48 scale. This and a Dingo will make a fine pair and provide for some interesting diorama possibilities. Your photographs are top notch too. Thanks for sharing. Dan

Pete - Thanks! These little kits have renewed my love of building kits after getting very burned out building 1/32 scale planes for too long. CedB - Glad you like my bashing. The hose is just a length of 0.10 thick lead wire wrapped around a length of 0.20 thick lead wire then bent into shape and painted. I bought my lead wire from an online fishing supply shop. IHTH Dan

Finished / abandoned ; ( i could keep mucking about with this but i want to get on with other kits, like finishing the blinking Corsair. Overall Glamour/vanity shots A really fun kit with a super amount of potential. Would look smashing in RAF or RAAF markings, or early US markings with the red and with striped tail. I hope you like her. Dan

I have been building the Tiger Models Cute series of character/cartoon planes of late and in looking around to see what's available I found the whole range of Hasegawa Eggplanes. While I like almost all of the jets in the range I'm not too enamoured with the prop series as they are way too miss-shapened to my liking. The sole exception is the P-51D Mustang, this one I like very much and as the local toy store had it for the princely sum of $17 Oz I just had to take the punt. On opening the box I noticed straight away that while not as detailed or complete as the Tiger Models series they do fit very well and quickly make into a finished model. What I didn't like is that the cockpit detail consisted of a blank plate onto which is mounted an anime pilots head. So out with the plastic card & shapes and some lead wire to make do. Here's what I came up with; Instrument panel ( Please be aware that I'm just havin' a laugh and this is meant to be at best a cartoon.) A bit tight in there - ah the fun of cartoon physics! Anvils anyone? Not much of a view once the fuselage is all closed up but better than the anime pilot I think, and a lot of fun to build and paint The rest of the kits pretty basic. I'm just going around and tidying up panel lines, deepening the exhausts and generally just cleaning up the details. I do want to sling some 1/72 scale 500lbers under the wings instead of the drop tanks provided and make one of my silly little bases but should be doing the basic paint soon. I love these little critters to bits and I'm having more fun now than I have had in ages. I hope you like. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Wonderful !!! And so beautifully photographed. You have done her proud and I hope you try out some of the others in this range. I simply love these little critters and have one of these kits in my to build pile. Being not a fixed scale can I ask what scale decals you used? I would dearly love for some aftermarket decals for these and the Meng character planes. I kinda wish we could find a better description for these kinds of kits rather than 'Egg Planes' because they are more character/cartoony than eggy. Thank you so much for sharing this neat little kit and showing how to make it better. You've made my day. Dan

Continuing the Madness; Still roughing in bits and pieces but it's beginning to look okay. Thanks for dropping in for a look. Dan

Another winner Andy. Oh, I hope you don't add the posters. I think your colour choices and composition will look so much better without any additional clutter. I'm alway happy to see your WIP's as you share so many great ideas and techniques, not the least of which is when to stop and not add every razzmatazz do dad. Thanks for taking the time and energy to share your talent and joy of modelling. Dan

Progress; Four months went by way too quick. Roughing in the main paint and working on the weathering. Just the kit decals ( quite good actually) and Tamiya rattle cans for colour. I do wish somebody would come out with alternative decals for this series of kits. I wonder how many sets of decals constiututes a normal print run? Still much tweaking to do to get the weathering right and start work on the groundwork for the base. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Just playing about with the camera today and thought I'd share these pics. Very nice kit, only added a replacement barrel, some photo etched grills and a new headlight. I really like these 1/48 scale kits as they go together very well and look nice once finished, oh and it doesn't hurt that they aren't very expensive . Thanks for looking in. Dan

Progress; Spent most of today on pulling three new canopies and fitting each one to the cockpit opening. This one is the best fitting and clearest of the lot. Not perfect but I will look okay once painted, I hope... Landing gear sorted, the new wheel centres are cut out from the wheels of an old Revell 1/48 me109g10 kit which are exactly the right size. I need to start on the cockpit so I can seal this one up and get to painting. I'm very happy the canopy is pretty much sorted as that bit was worrying me a bit. Thanks for looking in. Dan

Progress; Wing tips, wheel bulges and canon gondolas all on. Just need to sort the wheel hubs and the tail before I do the cockpit. I'm starting to look around for a funky paint scheme to finish her in. I'm looking for something suitably cartoonish. Any ideas? About time to get to some painting as too much grey going on round here Thanks for looking in. Dan

Mike - Thanks! Glad you approve. And yes I'm certified nuts Progress; More G6 bits, battery box, scoops and some work on the exhausts. Just about all I'll do to the fuselage. I'm working on the wing tips now. Dan

Progress? Comments on another forum got me to thinking about using 1/32 scale spinners. I had spent some time messing about with one before I went with the 1/48 scale one. The biggest problem was that I'd need to make a new prop as the 1/48 scale one would be too small to work with the cut down 1/32 scale spinner. This morning I went hunting through my spares boxes and found a 1/48 scale 109 prop made separate blades. This let me bodge something together and come up with this result. I think I like it better but I'll let it go for a while as I can always go back to the smaller one if needs be. What do you guys think? Thanks for looking in on my little madness. Dan

Yep, back from holidays with a raging head cold/flu and I had to get stuck into something as I have been going mad without building some kind of models . While I was away the Retrowings conversions and aftermarket bits for these little character planes can in from Belgium. The look nice with good casting and some useful bits and pieces. The Retrowings cockpit set for the bf 109 has a resin plug so you can pull your own vacuform canopies so I just had to try and modify it to make a late model one piecer for the G6. I made a mold and then cast a resin copy, then sanded off the cast canopy frames and used thin styrene strips to make the new ones. Then cast a resin copy of that to make a master to pull some vac canopies. All straight forward in theory but I haven't done this before and I've spent the whole weekend making a lot of mess and very nearly one okay-ish canopy. The not so gentle art of vacuforming will need some more practice before I can say I even know what I am doing. I think there is a subtle mix of heat, timing and the right kind/thickness of clear material which I haven't got quite right yet. In the end I had my best results with the cover of some fresh fruit bought from the local supermarket . I haven't used many of the parts from the Retrowings conversion kit, just the gun bulges and the neat little intake scoop. I have used the prop and spinner from an old 1/48 scale Revell Me109 G10 kit as I wanted some big paddle blades and the conversion has thinner prop blades. I will be using the new resin seat( very nice) and the rest of the cockpit set so still well worth the small cost. I have started to rough in some of the details, new scribed details and the armoured head rest from brass sheet. Progress; I am going to paint in a two tone grey scheme, with underslung cannon gondolas Thanks for looking in. Dan

Another weekend gone but I'm pretty happy with my results. I pushed the dark blue too hard but what ya going to do? Progress; Only some small parts left and then the final bits of weathering, add the nameplate and put her in the case Hope I'm not boring the pants off everyone with these little monsters. Dan

Today we are all squeaky clean, tomorrow we get dirty As far as I dare pushing today as the gloss is still only touch dry. Dan