Andrew J

Very clean and tidy build, well done. I'm just finishing mine, but I don't thing I achieved the clean finish you have Andrew

What an excellent and delicately prepared Spitfire, well done! Always good to remind ourselves how much the brave Poles helped Britain in WWII. Whereabouts are you in Oxfordshire? Regards Andrew (nr RAF Benson)

Thank you guys for your kind comments. The decals are from Xtradecal, so if they look odd it is more likely to be the lighting. There is a very impressive interview on Youtube with Gp Capt Cheshire on his career and he was impressed with the solidity of the Whitley but not its speed. His career started with nearly being shot down in one of 76 squadron through flak damage Regards Andrew

Dear Colleagues Thanks for your kind comments I submitted the post and then got a message it had failed from the server so submitted it again! I think the server is suspicious of me, it keeps telling me about things are going wrong and do I remember the antiques road show?? I recommend you don't do a Miniart kit straight after a Tamiya one! You will get frustrated with knock out pins in annoying places and assemblies sprayed across several sprues. BUT you will love the attempt at detail fidelity. You will be annoyed that some parts snap. But once you are in the 'Miniart Zone' you will enjoy it. The interior kits are an insight into the problems the designers had to solve. That base is my usual backdrop with DIY trees I bought at the UK Nationals (wire armature, putty and scrim) Regards Andrew

Thank you Guys I forgot to mention that Trumpeter forgot the oil cooler pipe that snakes in front of the radiator and is visible through the front grill. However, easy to replace with lead wire. Youtube has a series of films by CustomTruck by an old army Russian truck restoring Guy. they are good for the inspiration Крупнейшая и последняя в 2021г. РАСПРОДАЖА техники с хранения, огромный выбор!!! - YouTube regards Andrew

Dear Liizio Yes, the designers really went out on a limb with this design. One of the reasons I like ship modelling is the enormous diversity of ship warship design. The Germans knew they would not have a fleet in the near future, so rather than going conventional and building 'ships of the line' they went for this amazing raider cruiser (pocket battleship) Regards Andrew

Interesting thought about the Ark Royal as a companion piece. I have noticed that Trumpeter have a new kit out on the carrier. I haven't seen any reviews although I think I saw a blog start and it seemed a little underwhelming. Problem is Flyhawk really spoil you! Regards to snowy Arkhangelsk! Andrew

Hello Ryedale Wolf For the rigging I used Uschi van der Rosen medium rigging thread For the sea I use Liquitex medium viscosity acrylic gloss medium on blue painted water colour paper Glad you liked it Andrew

I love the scene here for HMS Calcutta, particularly the officers on the bridge! Would be interested to hear more about your water technique? Seems like you carve your foam sheet and then use some product or glaze to make the seawater and foam? Thanks Andrew

Wow Haneto, you and your colleague are truly the 'King Neptunes' or 1/700 ship modelling! I remember these ships from my childhood too. Such a bewildering range of weapons, I can't work out if this is an assault ship or an anti-submarine carrier or what it was supposed to do? Regards Andrew

Thank you Fellow Modellers You are very kind. For camera I have an old digital SLR from Canon, set it to 100 ASA and fix aperture to about F20, it then decides on the exposure of about 1/4 sec. Then use a photo editor to lighten the exposure further. The model is about 12 to 16 inches from the camera with the sky backdrop a further foot or so away Regards Andrew

Dear Colleagues Here is my ICM LaGG-3 series 10 with a refueler from UM Models. Performance wise not much better than a Hurricane and having to battle the deadly Bf 109-F. Armed with one 23 mm cannon and a 12.7 mm machine gun, so similar in hitting power to the Friedrich in some respects. Hope you like it? Andrew

Thank all for your kind comments Yes, she is called Jill if you are a Westerner! I like your B6N1 Wolfpack, and where did you get that deck from?? Regards Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Haven't made a 1/48 aircraft in 10 years. Found this box in the attic and thought I'd have a go. I scratch built the radar aerials as the kit ones were too clunky. On the ground I added the Tamiya kurogane car and the UM models refueller Hope you like it? As you can see I like a bit of drama in the photo! Andrew

This is the Miniart kit with markings from Archer and Bison to represent a liaison vehicle of the HQ squadron in 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, 20th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division as they trained in the UK in 1941. Typically, each squadron commander would have his own Dingo to whisk him off to HQ for orders. The Dingo might also tail him in action and switch him to a new tank if his own was knocked out (assuming he survived). The Dingo was also a useful reconnaissance vehicle when fitted with a radio. The Mk1a had steering on both front and rear wheels. The Dingo was powered by a 2.5 L Daimler 6 cylinder petrol engine of 55 HP. Hope you like it? Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers This is the Miniart kit with markings from Archer and Bison to represent a liaison vehicle of the HQ squadron in 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry, 20th Armoured Brigade, 6th Armoured Division as they trained in the UK in 1941. Typically, each squadron commander would have his own Dingo to whisk him off to HQ for orders. The Dingo might also tail him in action and switch him to a new tank if his own was knocked out (assuming he survived). The Dingo was also a useful reconnaissance vehicle when fitted with a radio. The Mk1a had steering on both front and rear wheels. The Dingo was powered by a 2.5 L Daimler 6 cylinder petrol engine of 55 HP. Hope you like it? Andrew

The Vickers MkVIb was a major component of the desert force of General Richard O’Connor which won perhaps Britain’s most complete military victory of the war at Beda Fomm against the Italians as part of Operation Compass. The 1st RTR was part of the 7th Armoured Division which faced the Italian Army back in 1940 as the Italians advanced into Egypt and then built their fortified camps. The combination of the new kit from Vulcan and the Echelon Fine Details markings for the MkVIbs’ of 1st RTR was a sufficient stimulation to get this project started. Following regimental tradition all the names of the 1st battalion RTR began with the letter ‘A’ and ‘Agrippa’ can be seen on the book on Beda Fomm by Kenneth Macksey. The MkVIb certainly soldiered on in N. Africa to the end of 1941 as they can be seen in photographs of 32nd Army tank Brigade which broke out of Tobruk in December of 1941. The Vulcan kit is excellent value with a full working suspension system and link and length tracks. I chose to replace the locking nuts for the suspension spring arms with some from Grandt Line. As I was making in the kit and looked at photos it was clear that 1st RTR MkVIbs’ were adapted from their European brethren. Most notably sand shields must be added. Fortunately there are 1/35 drawings of the desert MkVIbs’ provided in the book by George Bradford on British WWII AFVs from which scratch made sand shields can be designed. In addition, a unique tool box on stilts must be scratch built for the port side. The lever and shovel are then moved to the starboard side under the exhaust pipe. On the rear a rack must be added for 3 x POW cans. I was unsure of the smoke dispensers on the turret sides so replaced the firing mechanisms with cut-back Lee-Enfield stocks from my spares. Fortunately, a period plan paint scheme for the Caunter camouflage for a mkVIb is provided in volume 2 of the books on British vehicle colours by Dick Taylor. To provide a lively scene and give a sense of scale I prepared some RTR figures from Miniart and Masterbox but using Hornet heads with markings from Archer. We normally associate North Africa with heat and short trousers, but Operation Compass started in November and went on through the winter when temperatures were more typically 7oC then 40oC! Their cap badges and the pyrene extinguisher placard are from Inside the Armour. Hope you like it? Andrew

This is a beautifully detailed kit which seems very faithful (sometimes insanely so) to the original vehicle. There are few positive attachment points so the builder has to proceed slowly and carefully. My biggest problem was the front windscreen which still does not fit quite right. The vehicle is strangely appropriate to our age as it was sold in the pre and post war era of austerity where value for money was extremely important. The scene includes Miniart buildings, civilians and police, plus a couple of resin MK35 figures. hope you like it? Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Thankyou for your encouragement. not being able to get to shows these days it's nice to hear your enthusiasm! Most of the rigging is what is called UNI-Caenis thread from Uni products Inc which is sold by an online angling shop in Scotland, attached with super glue gel (Tamiya) The ratlines are photo etch and can be got from WEM. The water is acrylic modelling paste on top of water colour paper. The modelling paste dries slowly and so can be crafted to form splashes along the hull. Then painted with a range of acrylic blues greens and white. See http://steelnavy.com/ShipModelsFromKits.htm Regards Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Although the V&W class was numerous, the Tamiya Vampire represents one of the four leader versions with their unique oval fore funnel. Thus, you could convert your Vampire to another of these vessels in their pre-war guise with black gun barrels and polished steel muzzles such as HMS Valentine D-49. Only it probably requires another funnel band, oh well can't do everything. The WEM set is very helpful, but each V&W was slightly different so you do need to check your references. I used the David Griffiths approach to do the sea. Hope you like it? It was sunk by bombing off the coast of Holland in 1940 and apparently some of its steel work can still be seen at low tide. regards to all Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Here is the late war Dragon Sdkfz 7 which you build from the chassis up, literally! Hope you like it/ Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Here is the AFV Club Churchill IV as a vehicle from 9 RTR 31 Tank Brigade. Impudent was the troop leaders tank of 1 troop 1st Lt George Hendrie. Markings put together from Accurate Armour and Archer Hope you like it? Andrew

Thanks for your encouragement guys After the Minicraft 1/144 kits this massive leap in quality. Sweet kits must be amongst the best in the world Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Have you ever tried a SWEET 1/144 kit? They will make you purr with pleasure! Superbly engraved panel lines, excellent fit, great decals. This one comes with its own carrier deck. I modelled it as a Pearl harbour Zero from the carrier Soryu Canopy masking is the thing that takes the time! I couldn't resist adding a brass seat from the BRENGUN company and detailing the cockpit, silly me! Andrew

Dear Fellow Modellers Does anyone know if Gunze do a suitable colour for the RAF hemp scheme of the 80's and also the air superiority grey colours for a Tornado F3? Thanks for any advice Andrew