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Everyone knows this mythical model from FROG F137 (and other exotic brands) of this small English coaster in the equally exotic 1/130 scale. It saw the light of day in 1961, when I was barely born, so the model dates back a long way (and so do I ), as do the injection moulds, now the property of a Russian brand, which can no longer export this model, which has been virtually impossible to find since the start of the war in Ukraine. Personally, I put it together quickly some time ago, but I wasn't satisfied with this kit, which can be described as horrible to assemble, as there are so many defects, especially in the latest versions where the half-hulls are often warped and deformed. FROG has never had a good reputation for the accuracy of its models, as can be easily seen with this model aircraft, but it is no exception: F174 - Gloster E.28/39 (1/63?) The same applies to the Shell Welder, which is not very accurate when compared to the rare photos of the real ship. The original sheer is not present, an important feature of many old coasters, and the side profile is not respected either. So I want to make this 1/100 scale coaster completely in 3D, then print it. This 3D design project is a challenge for me, insofar as there are no longer any plans from the 'Willington Quay' shipyard, UK, which built her, to my knowledge and after extensive research with my friend Roland Grard, a good specialist in ship plans. So I'm going to use the hull of the 1/130 model, her deck plan and so on. We'll do our best to make it more credible in terms of the tank piping, etc., because it's been simplified. Because it's been simplified. 3D allows us to get as close as possible to reality. I sailed (as did Roland) on this type of oil coaster for many years, and I know them quite well: This one for example, once it's loaded, it's a bit like all submarines, in bad weather on the open sea, it's very impressive, it's dangerous to go forward: M/T Pierre Laffitte (1) originally 1950 tonnes: built at Chantiers de la Garonne & ACSO, Bordeaux in 1979. Mainly sailed in Marseille, but also in the French West Indies. http://bordeauxaquitainemarine2.fr/n-ch-acso.htm Originally a much smaller vessel when sailing to Marseille, she was quickly "jumbo-ised" at Le Havre, Normandy, France by adding a good section of tanks and 400 m3 butane gas balloons from SNCF ( Railway ) wagons, to accommodate the long-term contract signed with the SARA Refinery in Martinique. In the process of being extended (Roland Grard Collection): Cutting: The section is inserted: All you have to do is weld it together. 😜 Once extended: ________________________________ Name: "SHELL WELDER Type : Tanker Keel laying : 12/11/1954 Completed : 17/03/1955 Builder : Clelands (Successors) Ltd Shipyard : Willington Quay, Newcastle. Shipyard number : 193 Dimensions : 569 grt, 202 nrt, 170.9 x 29.7 x 10.5 ft ( Length: 52 m, beam 9 m, Draught 3,20 m ) Engines : Main engine, 2SCSA, 6cyl (Piston diameter and stroke; 265 x 345mm), 570 HP Engines by : Crossley Bros Ltd, Manchester Propulsion: 1 x propeller Construction: Steel Registration number: 186210 History : 28/03/1955 Shell-Mex & BP Ltd, London 1973 Purchased by Pounds Shipowners and Shipbreakers Ltd, Portsmouth 1974 Purchased by Northwood (Fareham) Ltd, London; renamed STEEL WELDER Comments: 1974: Converted to a dredger. 1991: Dismantled at Otterham Quay, UK First sketch of the bow. Don't expect any frequent updates at the moment, I have other 3D models to finish.

The decision is made. My next maritime project will be the 1/100 kit of L'Orenoque (1843) first made by the Italian company Mamoli in 1978, though mine is a newer edition, exact date unknown. The kit was designed by Luigi Volunte. [I'll need an abbreviation for that name so how about L'O?] I chose her from my stash of ten unstarted kits for many reasons: I wanted a different and harder rig to the cutters that I've been doing lately. The hull is nicely pointed so there's no bluff bow to make the planking onerous to me. There are no sails, no visible guns. The deck with the beautiful and complex deckhouses is an area of building that I enjoy very much and want to practice with. I'm new to Mamoli kits and they have a big range so I hope that I like them. L'O is much later than almost anything else in the stash and typical of that awkward period when sail began to give way to steam power so there's lots of history to explore; periods of change are usually more interesting than the stable years. There are paddlewheels and a chimney funnel. By the most remarkable coincidence, there's a whaling connection! (My last project to be finished was a whaleboat.) And most importantly, this one whispered in my ear as I opened the stash cupboard. “Buildez-moi, Monsieur!” I'm currently on holiday from kit building until Christmas day when I'm Blitzbuilding an aeroplane of all things, but at least it will have rigging. I plan to start L'O on Boxing Day, making it her official unboxing day, but I have peeped inside tonight and I'm very excited by what I found there.

Yes, it’s a bit of a cheat by being pre-painted. Yes it’s probably not the most accurate out there. But when you’re taking baby steps back in to the hobby because life is bombing you with lemons it’s a start. One Supermarine Spitfire Mk.Vb for your delectation... I think this is Airfix’s brief foray in to 1/100 modelling (a shame they didn’t continue) though it could also be Revell. I received it without a box, and Scalemates suggested the latter when I searched but the plinth does say Airfix so who knows!

This is my latest model off the production line, the French Navy's equivalent of the Fairey Gannet, the Bréguet Alizé. Another labour of love as I turned a very old and simple kit from the 1960s into a reasonable reproduction of the real thing. Along the way I had to construct out of plasticard and stretched sprue the wheel wells, a cockpit, some undercarriage doors, under-wing pylons, a new arrestor hook, and various aerials. It is all brush painted with Vallejo and Humbrol, and probably the most complex scratch building work I've done so far. Apart from its simplicity, the quality of the kit wasn't terrible, soft plastic that fit together quite well and decals that were still in one piece after 30 years. A fun build that was very rewarding. Thank you for looking

This is the 1972 NITTO kit of the DC-10. NITTO,later Doyusha produced a range of airliner kits in 1/100 scale,like the 747,TriStar,767,DC-9,707,727,737,DC-3 and Concorde. The quality of those kits is very nice,given the time when they were produced,with resessed panel lines and some fine details. The 747 kit was back then,the largest injection moulded kit ever and is very impressive,both in size and amount of detail. The DC-10 is also quite a good kit,considering its 50 years of age. In some places the fit is tricky and some areas need a bit of improvement/corrections. Things I added/ corrected or improved are Engine inlet on No.2 engine: plastic tube inserted to get a more realistic look and a seamless intake. Intake ring recreated with Evergreen plastic sheet to get a round inlet. Wing engines: Inlet rings recreated like on No.2 engine,top and bottom of the housing flattened to get it more round. Otherwise its egg shaped. Landing gear: Hydraulic cables, disc brakes on the main gear,struts added to the front gear Rudders lowered,these went in down position once the hydraulic pressure was off on the ground Intake on the left side opened up and the flap inserted diagonal as on ground operation Landing lights on the fuselage sides drilled open and recreated with white glue Position lights on the wings:drilled 2 small holes into the clear parts,clear red/green paint inserted and glued on the wings with white glue Cockpit:Front window /nose angle corrected as good as possible,otherwise its shape is like on the Caravelle with no step between window and nose. The decals for the Demonstrator come frome the kit. Despite their age they worked quite well,only the white between the red and blue lines isnt as white as it should be. I had no choice as to keep it as is because the silver framed window openings and cabin doors are printed on the stripes. To get the windows and doors alligned,I cut the decal into 5-6 sections and applied separately to avoid any discrepancies with the fuselage windows and door outlines. The frame for the cockpit was done with silver decal stripes, Paints are Gunze white surface primer 1000 for the upper half,Gunze grey primer 1000 for the wing box and inspar panels. Gunze metallics . Sealed with Gunze Premium Gloss. This DC-10-10 was delivered to United Airlines after completing flight tests on 3 june 1972 and went to FedEx on 22. october 1998.

Here is my latest maritime subject, the tug 'SA Everard' in 1/100 and with the exception of two items, she is scratch built. I started this back in 2018 and is built using mostly plasticard and rod, metal tubing, clear acetate for the wheelhouse. The windlass and anchor are 3D printed by @Iceman 29, thanks Pascal. Paints were wide and various, and the decals came from my decal bank. Figures are 1/96 from Deans Marine. WIP here: Stuart

This is a first for me, a scratchbuild, so let me tell you the reason why. The intention is to build a Japanese Steamer, the Fushimi Maru and that will be a scratchbuild. So before I start on that build, I thought I better 'cut my teeth' on something less demanding, like a tug: to learn some new skills. The deck plan, side profile and the build process of the subject was acquired via @ShipbuilderMN but this is in wood, I don't do wood, so plastic is going to be used. A quick search of 'tug line drawing' revealed these free plans: Although these are not of SA Everard, they are of a very similar tug and good enough for this exercise of boat building. The plans were scaled so as I can use a standard size sheet of plasticard and copies printed. It's going to be waterline, so we have a 'waterline' base cut to shape, marked with the frame locations and a spine fitted. A few frames fitted. Comments welcome Stuart

Hi, people. This is my first work that I will post as I make the model, one U-boat Type VII C, in 1/100 scale. The others modelings that I have int he forun are ready, and IO go posting the pictures that I have in computer. This model has been starting now. Its an old dream, and now I realize him! 😍. However my wife call me mad, I go on! In Brazil we say "I will not teach the priest to pray", when we know that the other people knows what is being talked about. (I hope that is clear... 🙄). So I dont explain about the u-boat. Lets go to the modeling. First I print a drawing in the correct scale. The model will be 67 cm lenght. I cut the deck in cardboard - three pieces was glued each other to give strength. ) Later, I make a reinforcement to the deck, with a thick cardboard (in Brazil we call him "parana paper"). The piece is glued in "V" and attached with a thin cardboard, like the picture. The reinforcement is glued under the deck. Others reinforcements was made and glued. You can see that the line deck isnt straight. The bow is higher than the stern. To attache the hull pieces I make lots of cardboard reinforcements. Them will glued in the border of under surface deck. The reinforcements was glued, but the photo is bad. But we have a comparison with my keyboard and mouse. Its so big! Now I make the strutural reinforcement - in portuguese we call him ship caves; I dont know the real name in english. With the figure I hope that you will understand. I build the pieces with foam. The pieces in correct local. In this photo we can see better the cardboard reinforcements. Everuthing ready to start the hull. I never build anything so big. Realy its big! I hope my wife doesnt make me choose between the marriage or the model!

Before I start, sorry for my english, guys. My english is horrible and my teacher (google translator 🙄) is lazy. I start my post in this forum with some models that I built. I do scratchbuilding, normaly 1/100, with paper, cardboard, balsa wood, plastic and various materials. I paint with brush and craft paints (very, very, very cheaps). I pretend post mounting step by step later. A-4 MB Skyhawk 1/100 - Used by Brazillian Navy Morane-Saulnier MS Tipe L 1/100 - Roland Garros aircraft

Hello, Guys. More one of the my models. I built military vehicles tooand this is one of my babies: the EE-9 Cascavel (Rattlesnake, in portuguese). This light armoured is a brazillian project, with hundred units in use in the Brazillian Army (a typical weapon to development countries) and was exported to some countries, like Iraq - where it is used in the Gulf War, during the Kwait invasion by Iraq. If anyone intersting by the vehicle, is many information in the net and lets go to my mounting. I translate when there are text. "Teto do casco" - hull roof; Dianteira: front. "Lateral": side; "Reforçoss": reinforcement (this is pieces that atached the parts) The turret. This is the roof of the turret This grey paper is a thicker cardboard, glued various pieces to give correct height to the turret A view of the model, with the turret. in lapse I put the turret facing back... 🙄. The front of the tank is in the left of the picture. But I dont glued, so, no problem. Detailing the hulll. A piece of balsa wood to give heigth in the part. Part in position. This is the engine fairing. The circle is the local of the turret. The engine grid is build with cooper wire glued with supercola. More details, with balsa wood and paper. In the front, I detail the hatch of the driver

Hello, people. I will post one of my mounting, in my thecnique. I build my models with paper, cardboard, various plastic parts (junk, waste, I dont know the word), metalic wires, balsa wood, schoolar glue, cyanoacrylate (super glue, or Lord know the name!!! 🤔 - the language is complicated). The model was build a few years ago, and now I cant found the arquives. The model is a CH-47 in 1/100 scale, used by US Army in the Vietnam War. Starting the fuselage. I cut the pieces in cardboard and I put them toghether using a thinner piece of cardboard and schoolar glue. I continuous the mounting glueing more pieces. You see how I forme the fuselage in the curved parts I'm go cut and adapt pieces of cardboard to fit the empty spaces

Hello, thought I'd show you this Master Grade Gundam Avalanche I built/painted last year. 1st Gundam kit and it is a beast at that! Painted using acrylics from Vallejo, Scale 75 & citadel, with weathering done by enamels and oils from AK & Ammo MIG (loosely following a tutorial by MIG Jimenez). I did attempt to add in extra panel lines, but this didn't fare too well - it looks much easier in the YT tutorials! For fear of ruining the model I decided to just concentrate on the paintwork instead. Overall I'm fairly pleased with the end result, although in hindsight I would have pushed the airbrush contrast on the various panels more. I would also go for a more white base for some of the armour panels, as it feels a bit too cold & grey in some places, & some of the variations in grey don't show up too well. The blade was a bit of an experiment, going for a NMM effect. It hasn't worked the way I planned, but I like it anyway! Thanks for looking, apologies about the quality of some of the pics, this wasn't the easiest to take pics of!

Retrieved from storage in the loft.... Is this "Big Ugly Fat Fellow" And the contents Let's face it, this is surely the iconic aircraft subject of Vietnam, represented by Tamiya's 1/100 scale B-52D that spans a mere 560mm or so when built. And no, I have no idea what I'm to going do with it once constructed 😂 Three markings schemes but only one that seems to fit the Vietnam time frame - Airframe 56-0604 based on Guam in April 1968. Searching for information about the airframe found this little nugget - "56-0604 11-5-72 Landed at U-Tapao. 333 external damage areas. Using horizontal stabilizer from 55-097. Estimated time in commission (ETIC) 2-1-73" Sounds like it was hit by a SAM-2, anyone know anything else about this? I'm off to do some more research..... IanJ

About 3 years ago,I found this desktop model on a aviation fair in Switzerland for about 45 Euros.Back then with Finnair markings. It was seriously damaged,as it probably "crash landed" .The rear fuselage was broken and had been glued back on somehow,leaving some nasty gaps and missing fuselage pieces. The rest of the plane was intact,just the airline markings showed its age and the white fuselage had yellowed in some places. Earlier this year I decided to finally repair and repaint the model. It was first planned to repaint it in Finnair colors,as it originally was.This decal set is offered by f-dcal,but as I usually have to wait "ages" for the decals to arrive from him almost every time ( my Aerolineas Argentinas 747SP decals are still NOT here,since early december),I decided to buy the Continental decals from 26decals. They are very nice to work with and Ray is very fast and reliable with the printing and dispatch. The original marking were large stickers as it was usual back then for such models. With paint remover everything was cleaned.Then the repair work started,reattaching the back and repair the gaps and seams using putty and superglue. The wings were pushfitted so the whole section could be repaired and painted as a separate unit. On the upperside of the wings I recessed the flaps and slats as well as the rudders on the fin and tailplanes. The whole model was primed with Tamyia grey and white primer and paints are also from rattle cans Tamyia pure white,aluminium and Revell light grey. The engine exhausts and wing engine intakes were brush painted with Gunze metallics. As the model was devoid of any details,such as cargo doors and airvents,I ordered the superb detail set from NAZCA to further enhance the appearance. Gloss coated with Gunze gloss from a rattlecan. This renovation took a bit more than a month and it was a fun task. The overall shape of the model is quite good and the new decals and added details breathed new life in this classic. Cheers Alex

I've spent last few years painting models for wargames. They are 1/100 scale, some of them resin+metal, some full plastic. Sometimes they are lacking details, obviously no fancy etched brass parts, etc. They have to be durable and quite easy to assemble (lots are needed for games). Few of them works as mission objectives - that's the reason for bigger bases and some scenics. Hope you like them. I had lots of fun painting them. Most of them are painted with MiG Ammo paints. Details with Vallejo, GW, Reaper, Kimera, Revell Acrylics, Tamiya, Gunze. Sealed with Revell Matt Varnish. There are quite few of them, I hope that's ok. Few plastic models from Battlefront Miniatures: Resins from Battlefront Miniatures: Heer46 resin+metal what if miniatures: Plastic Soldier Company plastic models: Zvezda: Forged in Battle resins: Normandy Miniatures plastic models:

I chose this 1/100 scale kit, originally produced in 1956 to show where plastic models of the venerated Heinkel 111 first originated. There is no disguising the fact that it is wildly innacurate. However, moulded in this multi-coloured plastic gives it a certain charm. As you can see, perhaps the worst part is the iconic glazed nose. I have been thinking that populating it with a couple of figures might help.

Hi all, I started building an MG Gundam kit recently - the Hyaku Shiki 2.0. It's the one with all the gold plated armour parts. Not much to show yet - I spent a few evenings cutting out and cleaning up pieces, and this week I've painted all the frame and detail parts. It took five airbrushing sessions - partly because I only have enough clips to do a few dozen pieces at a time, and partly because it just takes *ages*. Almost everything is painted with decanted TS paints over the plastic (no primer) and there are a few bits and bobs in Alclad. Hopefully that'll give a robust base for the rest. I haven't shaded the frame yet as I don't think it'll be that visible behind the bling bling gold, but I'll need to shade the panel lines and things at least. Sorry there's not much to see so far, it'll be more interesting when I start putting things together. Cheers, Will

I have been a bit busy getting my push iron ready to start a new job in 4 weeks, it's close to home so will be cycling to work, 7 miles each way..... Gulp. As I was rummaging through box's I came across this old kit I built years ago when it was first released, its the OVA version and I though it was time to show it some love. I have lost all the extra parts like the other unicorn horns and amo packs and the horn I have is bent and broken but we will see what I can do with it. The plan is to paint in a few shades of white and grey and re color the pink phycoframe green to match the 1/35 bust I have the same kit. Over the last few day I have dismantle the kit and painted the pink frames parts black and then a few parts clear green over silver. The parts I have finished seam to be going back together so I will carry on with the rest of the parts. What I have so far.

This is probably of the very earliest plastic kits of a Heinkel 111. To make it look a bit more like the aircraft I had to reduce the length of the canopy by 8mm. It was an awful lot of fun to build.

So starts another a scratch/bash of kits to make my version of an Ian mcque type sci-fi floating ship. Starting of with a revell harbour tug boat for this build and we will see if I can come up with something different but similar to what is already out there. Some very badly drawn ideas on paper but they give me something to work with. And a start I have made. I Have moved the cabin to the back of the deck, added the extra level and moved the railing (that I might or might not cut out and make new). Added a hand rail to top of the upper cabin and a few bits and bobs here and there......and so it begins....... Travel toothpaste lid and candle holder used to make the new generator. Thanks for looking.

Hi all, Been away for a long weekend so not had much of a chance so far, so this is a last minute entry. Quite literally. Two Zvezda Tanks - The PzII and the M3 Stuart. This was tea before I started - Linguine with Seafood... PZII built. It's only 5 parts though.... And the M3 is completed too - That was double the parts count at 10. Primer has now been applied and is now drying as I type this. More as it happens. If there's time.... IanJ

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Not sure on markings for this one yet, but I love these little Zvezda kits and couldn't resist adding one to the stash, and inevitably, also the GB. I have markings in the post so final finish will be something either Ostfront or DAK most probably in a single colour because I'm not very good at camo. This is the box: And this is what comes in it. Note the tight, brand new tracks on this one in comparison to the built in track sag on the PSC version. Detail is adequate and quite nicely done, and they take paint beautifully so this should be another fun little build. When these are done I have <deep breath> A Pz 38(t), Pz II, Pz III, Panther, Ferdinand, Jagdtiger and Sd.kfz 251 in the queue. And some more Russian stuff (both GPW and modern). Then the entire 1st Polish Armoured Division. Told you I was a fan Andy Finding his niche.

Product of a mistake, as I first printed the wrongly-sized (1/100th) plan and started to build the Flivver, I decided nevertheless to proceed and complete it as a Minime of the just posted 1/72nd Flivver.

I wasn’t on the list but hope it’s ok to join with this little badger.