Ian

Other than the Voyager etch grills and RB Barrel, this is straight from the [Tamiya] box. Only the second German AFV I've completed in forty-nine years and eleven months of modelling ! - as ever please feel free to ask questions, make comments or hurl criticism. All the best from the Land of the Long White Cloud. Ian.

Don't know how this one got past me... no matter, superb build and incredible workmanship. Ian.

Beautiful build & presentation. Really like this. Ian.

Superb work excellent weathering, I will buy / build a BM21 some day soon. Ian.

Outstanding photography & museum quality modelling. Ian.

Yeah the pink Air Recognition Panel was / is a bit of a gamble. Mostly you see orange or red ones, but pink and yellow were also issued. The idea behind not weathering it like the rest of the stowage was / is to imply that it's recently issued and rarely used. Not sure that I pulled-that-idea-off. No matter, thanks [everyone] for the feedback. Best from NZ Ian.

Kit - Italeri 1:35 (re-tool). Paint - All acrylics. Decals - Kit & Star Decals Extras - Verlinden & Voyager resin stowage, lead foil, Jordi Rubio turned aluminium barrel. M24 Chaffee 3rd Armd Div Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg February 1945. Started two-and-a-half years ago, then parked on the 'Shelf of Forgetfulness' until about four weeks ago. Kit is the old but still OK'ish' Italeri kit - but the later re-box with the WWII tracks. It went together fairly well, but the suspension arms are surprisingly delicate and don't stand-up well to rough handling and the tracks are waaaayyy too thick and generally un-co-operative, if I ever build another I will definitely be investing in a set of AM tracks. Two 'firsts' on this - First time using MIG's US WWII OD set - but only the base tone and the first lighter one, and first time attempt at the Rinaldi hairspray chipping method. BECAUSE it's my first time using this technique, I'm sincerely asking for feedback, because it's the only way I will get better, right ?. So that's pretty much it, as ever thanks for taking the time and effort to comment or criticize, have the rest of a great weekend, folks. Best from NZ Ian.

That is 'special' really nicely done, however I do agree with 'Codger' the radio aerial is too prominent. Bravo Zulu sir. Ian.

Started in August, Andy but didn't bother with a progress thread here on BM (whenever I've posted them here in the past, nobody seems interested). I do have progress photos on a couple of FB modelling pages if you're interested. Ian.

Thanks Darryl (how are things up on the Fylde ? - used to fly Microlights off the sands), and everybody else, really appreciate the feedback, never taken for granted. Have a great weekend, best from NZ. Ian.

Tamiya's superb T-55A (Czech built), finished with Star Decals for an Afghan Northern Alliance vehicle in 2001. Only extras are the grills which are from the Eduard kit-specific set. Camo is Tamiya Olive Green and RAF Cockpit Green. Weathering is as you would expect - pin washes and dot filters with W & N oils, rust is red/orange/yellow and raw umber oils stippled with Vietnam Earth and Yellow Ochre pigments. Dust finish is Migs' Beach Sand mixed with AK European Dust, applied very sparingly on the hull & turret and thicker around the running gear and tracks. Still need paint and fix the tow cables and yes I know the tracks on the left side are a little 'off' in the photos I've already repaired that ! Thanks for taking the time to look and / or comment. Best from NZ. Ian.

Started in the (NZ) summer and then sent to the 'Shelf of Forgetfulness'. Brought it back to the bench last weekend and grabbed thirty minutes here and there through the week to get it finished this afternoon: Everything you see is what came in the box, I mixed my own (contemporary) JGSDF camouflage colours using the always (un)reliable Mk.I eyeball method and possibly some witchcraft. And to be honest there's not too much else to say - typically Tamiya, a two-weekend project that took ten months ! - Please feel free to hurl abuse, make any suggestions / comments or ask any questions. Have the rest of a great weekend folks, best from NZ. Ian.

Thanks your Lordship... you still can find the Eagle Strike sheets (they did four from memory) on eBay - mostly in the US, but postage and prices are usually reasonable. Give my best to Cheshire (my cousins are in Lymm & Wilmslow !). Ian.

To be honest, this nearly was a West German aircraft using the RoG decals, but I couldn't resist Sqn. Ldr. Hutchinsons' 'special' and I've had the decals since they first came put, so.... (and I've got a second kit stashed away). Thanks folks, appreciate the feedback and comments. As ever, never taken for granted. Ian.

Kit - Hasegawa 1:48 Paint - Cockpit, seat etc all acrylics - Camouflage all Xtracolour enamels. Decals - Eagle Strike Extras - True Details resin seat, Eduard kit-specific 'Zoom' set. Fuse wire, fibre-optic cable and plastic card details in cockpit, air-brake and undercarriage wells. Canadair Sabre Mk. 4 Assigned to Sqn. Ldr. T. H. Hutchinson C/O 3 Squadron RAFG Geilenkirchen, 1955/56 So, a thirty year old kit, painted with thirty year old enamels and wearing twenty-five year old decals.... bit of an 'old skool' project wouldn't you say ? There honestly isn't too much to say, the kit really does fall together and is (happily) typical of those superb Hasegawa releases from the early 1990's, crisp detail, faultless molding with fuss-free engineering and construction - I really wish they would tool-up again and release some new kits, I know that's not going to happen, but there's nothing wrong with hope is there ?. The Eagle Strike decals behaved as if they were printed yesterday - utterly flawless and superbly printed by Cartograph, again, a company I really do miss. That's just about it. Please feel free to criticise, ask a question or make any sort of comment. Have the rest of a great weekend folks, best from Middle Earth. Ian.