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Hall all, I have a bit of a thing going with T-33s...this Heller kit(which is pure retro modelling for me in terms of simple construction and not over laden with parts) was built to complement my Oregon ANG example in low vis greys which I posted back in January. The 5th FIS, based at of Minot AFB, is pure early to mid 80s coldwar to me, smacking of War Games, Red Dawn et al. The decals came from Wolfpak, a v.under-rated source of quality 1/72 decals for a very wide variety of markings. Get them while you can...I understand the producer is no longer with us, having gone to the great modelling den in the sky sadly. Anyway, the kit was delightful; I added a pva/tissue blind flying 'bag' stashed behind the rear seat, plus a scratch built frame for it as per Wolfpak's decal notes and finished in Xtracrylix ADC grey and Windsor andGalleria Satin varnish. I now need to the contemporary 5th FIS F-15a also provided for on the decal sheet, and to an immediately preceding F106 from the same outfit...at some point! I also have a Platz T-33 which I plan to do as a dayglo Norwegian aircraft, so it will be interesting to see how thd two kits compare. The veey petite raised lines of the Heller kit look more like the real thing, but we'll see. Anyway, pics... Ps...have just read that the USAF has just redesigned the 18th AGRS in Alaska as the 18th FIS...the first Fighter Interceptor Squadron for, what, about 30 plus years? Sign of the times...

Hallo all, I have an abiding interest in the ANG from the 80s onwards, and the Osprey series of photo books from the late 80s (of which I have a fair few) are a treasure trove of rare types and camo schemes. I recently got the book on the T-33, and I was particularly taken by the 'stealthy' Hill Grey scheme applied to one of the Oregon ANG's T-33 'hacks'. Not a 'plane I have modelled before so a bit of research showed Xtradecal had covered this scheme (albeit with incorrect national insignia and stencil placement....odd considering they referenced the images on this precise book?) and the the late 70s Heller and 21st C.Platz kits were the kits of choice. Given the cost of the latter (missed the Italeri reissue:() I went for the Heller kit. In actuality, of all the kits I have built within the last couple of years I think I have enjoyed this the most. Simple, accurate(from what I can make out), reasonably inexpensive and without a million pieces to download things up, it was simply great fun. It has incredibly fine raised lines rather than the engraved lines of the Platz kit,but honestly close up pics of the real thing the panel lines are barely visible. It was also a great fit. Probably also helped by an interesting but simple scheme and with minimal decals, I kept things OOB apart from nose antennas, pitiots and ej seat canopy breakers from plastic sheet. Oh, and I replaced the incorrect national insignia with light grey versions of the correct type from a micro decal sheet. Finished in AK greys and Windsor and Newton varnish. I've got some Wolfpack decals for a 5th FIS T-33 in overall all ADC grey, which will be part of a three plane project including a Hasegawa F-15 and Meng F-106 of the same squadron. Am debating whether to go for another Heller or splashout on the Platz kit...any thoughts? In the meantime, a few pics of the current bird, and my last for 2023. Ralph

When I skimmed 'Future Groupbuilds' a few months ago the Heller groupbuild caught my attention. Didn't I have an untouched Bf 109F deep in my stash? I had stopped building 1/72 models as well as German topics in the mid seventies and the kit is a left-over from this period, my first and only Heller kit which I purchased in 1972. It may be a nice experiment to travel back in time almost five decades. This project will be a two-fold challenge. Firstly, I'm not sure if my eyes and fingers are still willing to cope with the small scale, and secondly my knowledge of German WWII topics has long since faded away. In the end, the box art inspired me to do something relatively easy - a North Africa theme as I had imagined it in those bygone days. This 'Friedrich' of 1./JG 27, photographed towards the end of 1941, would be a worthy example - I like the all-yellow cowling and the neat sequence of colours and markings - quite Germanic, right? 😉, but also aesthetically pleasing. I'm keen to know how the model will look when it's finished. The following references will be consulted, most of which are from my early modelling days - Messerschmitt Me 109, The Aero Series 1, Fallbrook, 1965 The Messerschmitt 109 - A Famous German Fighter, Heinz J. Nowarra, Letchworth, 1966 Messerschmitt "O-Nine" Gallery, Thomas H. Hitchcock, Boylston, 1973 Luftwaffe Camouflage & Markings 1935-45 Vol 2, J.R. Smith & J.D. Gallaspy, Melbourne, 1976 Bf (Me) 109F, Luftfahrt International Nr. 26 and 27, Herford, 1978 Jagdgeschwader 27 'Afrika', John Weal, Aviation Elite Units 12, Botley, 2003 Messerschmitt Bf 109F, Robert Michulec, MMP Yellow Series No 6133, Petersfield, 2013 Chapter 1 - A fuzzy kit Only 31 parts but an extraordinary amount of raised panel lines and rivets. I need to reflect on how to deal with these. Not much detail either, and most is moulded on - another domain to think over. Out of the box it would be fairly easy - however... I'm very thankful to @Richard Humm and @Graham Boak for pointing out that the fuselage length and contour are faulty. After measuring all dimensions it turned out that the wing is also about 2 mm too short on either side. So, this venerable kit will need some enhancement. There is a solution revolving in my head which is not too complicated but still much more effortful than I had anticipated when I registered for the groupbuild. To top matters off I ordered a few aftermarket items - I wasn't sure if the example I want to build is in fact a Bf 109F-4 and not an F-2. Some very helpful fellow modellers advised that no F-2 were operated in North Africa. Remains to be determined if the wheel wells should be of the round or squared-off type. As both versions are documented for the F-4 I decided to keep the 'square' profile of the kit because the model will already be overloaded with modifications. Chapter 2 - In the carving chamber Don't we all love this early phase when we realise that the kit parts are only a proximate pattern of the elements that should eventually make up our model? Cutting, filling, sanding, re-scribing is a fun thing - honestly! Because you are still aeons away from losing tiny pieces to the carpet monster, dropping glue onto your fresh colour, and despairing over crumpling decals... The main parts are now cut for scale extension, the raspy rivet surface has been sanded and the wing re-scribed. The pink putty repaired some rash panel lines which would not have matched top-to-bottom after wing elongation. Chapter 3 - Wingdings Wingding [Am] - party or outburst of rage... Actually neither of the two is descriptive of this modelling segment. It was a diligent and enjoyable piece of work but took longer than expected. I was focused on another model, started long before the GB, which behaved very unseemly (I guess I did have a wingding about that one…) But back to my 109 - Internals added and wing assembled with a 1.5 mm extension at each end. The wheel well floor is a PE section of landing flap left over from an A6M3 Zero model and the side walls are trimmed paper strips, first slathered and fixed with plastic cement, then stiffened with super glue. More detailing ensued - And finally a coat of black Mr Finishing Surfacer 1500 - Chapter 4 - Cockpit claustrophobia This episode is dedicated to the pilot's office. Quarterscaler that I am, it was a new experience for me. When I built 1/72 models in my early years, interior detailing was not one of my concerns. The 109's cabin, not famous for offering a lot of space to the pilot (nor the modeller), didn't make it easier. Those of you who regularly indulge in this small scale have earned my highest respect by now, and I hope you will forgive that I will happily return to 1/48 kits after this digression. Very little detail is provided by Heller, so I made a cursory effort with aftermarket parts and some scratch-building. You can be assured that I'm going to mantle it with a closed canopy! Chapter 5 - Fuselage frenzy Heller misjudged the length and curve of the rear fuselage as discussed in Chapter 1. I'm trying to adjust it with a custom-made paper tube that fixes the correct dimensions for the following putty action. There are also a few small modifications and additions - On the following pictures the elongation gap is closed and the panels are scribed - This chapter ends with applying primer to the fuselage. The cockpit back plate and the air intake have been added. Unexpectedly, when try-fitting the Rob Taurus canopy (72036), it proved larger than the original (It was not meant for Heller). After a long hour of cutting and scraping I had the cockpit aperture deepened and the vacu part flattened so that it fits now. I hate playing Dr. Doom, the surgeon that operates on an otherwise healthy body, and the inevitable collateral damage to the cockpit innards happened... Chapter 6 - The bird gets feathers Let me begin this chapter with sharing my trusted method of increasing the wing dihedral, which is too flat on the Heller kit. A strong piece of filament connecting the two upper wing fillets is pulled down and/or backwards until the wings are tightened towards the right angle. With this done I completed the interior and joined wing and fuselage. The oil radiator is scratch-built whereas the instrument panel comes from Yahu (a perfect fit!) since I was too lazy to micro-paint the Brengun part. Further details were added after filling and sanding the extension gaps at the wing roots. At last the 'dirty' work is over and a final coat of Mr. Finishing Surfacer rounds off this section. This would also make a nice night fighter, wouldn't it? Chapter 7 - Accelerating airframe assembly I have recently finished my previous build, which is ready for inspection here, and can now concentrate my modelling energy on this project. It will hopefully lend supersonic speed to my Messerschmitt. - Shoulder straps and head armour installed. It was easier to fix the latter to the fuselage instead of to the canopy which will be closed anyway. - The windscreen frame girders from the PE set were unmanageable, so I took a strip of dark paper. The front window is cut out, it didn't fit the fuselage contour. - Removing it offered a chance to add a thicker armoured glass, an option that I dismissed after checking photo evidence. - The PE radiator flaps are very convenient parts that will make the model more interesting when half-open. At this point I deviated to scratch-build landing gear struts in order to test them before the more sensitive parts are glued in place. A different scheme of rooting them in the wing had to be devised by which the tubes are braced against the top inside of the fuselage. The airframe completed with canopy (Rob Taurus vacu), radiator doors (Brengun PE), landing flaps (home-made) and tailplane - built up in this sequence. Chapter 8 - The 'crackers' I'm again behind my schedule with painting the beast (what a stress modelling is!). At least I made good use of the breaks between colour layers in preparing the small accessories that round out our models and drive us nuts with their propensity to break and crack - - The propeller (painted 'schwarzgrün' here!) had to be sanded to a thinner profile. I guess that the original represented the paddle-blades for the 'Gustav'. An exceptionally smart idea of Heller's is the second backplate which fits into the open fuselage front - such an easy way of mounting a spinning prop at the last minute! Why hasn't anyone else adopted this trick in the last 50 years?? - The gear legs are scratch-built (see previous chapter) and the covers originate from the Airwaves PE set (72158), one of the few parts of this set which - with some lenghtening - is useful. - The wheels from Aires (7245) look nice but appear to be a tad too small. (The new Barracuda Studios 72438 set might be better). - Finally we’ve got the tailwheel and mass balances (both Heller), the antenna mast and port gun muzzle (both scrap box), and the pitot tube (a piece of wire). Chapter 9 - Colour crescendo and decal disappointment At last the model sports basic camouflage & colours now. I feel a bit melancholy that the stylish 'black-tie' attire has been wiped out - it had a certain ceremonious look about it... For RLM 79 'sandgelb' I used Mr. Hobby H66, and for RLM 78 'hellblau' I took H418. They both match the respective colour chips in Hitchcock's O'Nine Gallery and cooperate well with the hairy stick. Gunze's RLM 04, however, choked me. I applied four coats of yellow before the white primer (two coats) was reasonably covered. This makes six coats of colour which forced me to repeat the painful scribing a few times. Yellow is indeed difficult but enamels used to work better. As for decals, the Avalon 7009 sheet will do the job although I don't like the '2' which may need a thin black outline. I converted 'Red 2' into a white one via Photoshop and printer (displayed below, with cowling snap fasteners and steps/handholds). The white border of the swastikas is junky, too. I hope I'll find some in my scrap box. After I had applied the home-made number '2' I was indeed happy with the result, but then I thought that the form differed too strongly from the one on the photo. With agony I removed the shapely '2's again and reverted to the Avalon decals regretting the time lost to the preparation. Now the black outline is missing (?*) but I had to come to a compromise. * A black border is only present on the colourised picture, not on the original monochrome one - so it may just be a transposition effect. The main problem with the Avalon decals popped up when I fixed the Balkenkreuze: You get about 30 seconds to position them properly before they start to disintegrate (a kind of self-destruction mechanism to expedite the tardy modeller?). You bet that I was exceptionally careful with the only two numbers '2'. Finally some last-minute improvements, like aileron tabs, brake lines, and... Chapter 10 - Finis coronat opus Hooray, it's completed and exhibited in the gallery here! This was a fantastic group build. My cheering thanks to the moderators and to all fellow modellers who followed my progress. Without this initiative I would've never thought of pulling this Heller kit from the dusty bottom of my stash. I had a lot of fun with it, and as Ovid says: The end crowns the work*. * Only a few people remember that the Roman poet Ovid was one of the founding fathers of the IPMS 😀 Conclusions (1) The small scale was a challenge initially, and I struggled with my clumsy fingers. This is not for my age group... On the other hand (the one with less clumsy fingers), my usually cramped workbench appeared very spacious all of a sudden, and a fine model can be produced in less time due to a more limited opportunity for detailing and smaller areas to prepare, glue and paint. (2) My lack of familiarity with the subject was a lesser problem than I thought. A basic understanding could be obtained through a number of good publications and the help of our very obliging BM community. Many thanks to everybody who advised me! Me 109 experts will hopefully forgive the many authenticity crimes that I may have committed. (3) The kit has a few more glitches that I haven't attended to because they would have been too difficult to cure (at least for me). The biggest issue left is the landing gear spacing which is too narrow at the wing root. The tailplane span is too short by about 3 mm, and the fuselage spine from canopy to tail should be a little broader. I actually noticed this too late to insert a thin strip of plastic. To sum up my findings about Heller's 109F*: The general dimensions (length, wingspan, tailplane) are about equal to 1/75 scale, but not everything is too small. The wing chord, for example, is more or less correct; the fuselage is too short just behind the cockpit but height and width are OK; a few items are undersize, like the canopy, others are almost too large, like the air intake and the oil cooler (good for a 'Gustav'?). I guess you'll find one or another such imperfection on all kits, even the best ones. OOB or not to be - that is the question... * All measurements against scale plans by Dariusz Karnas for Mushroom Model Publications, the accuracy of which I have not verified Cheers, Michael

'White 2' was among the first 'Friedrichs' received by 1./JG 27 towards the end of 1941. This build was beyond my comfort zone. To participate in the Heller Classic groupbuild I retrieved this Messerschmitt from the stash, purchased in early 1972 when I was more accustomed to 1/72 models and Luftwaffe subjects than today. Not surprisingly this antique has its limitations. So I tried my best, which meant copious research and a considerable number of modifications. I'm rather happy with the result although Me 109 experts may still find many points that I overlooked. Alterations include sanding panel lines and rivets, re-scribing the airframe, elongating fuselage and wing, pruning the prop blades, detailing undercarriage legs and wheel wells. A complete WIP can be found here. Aftermarket parts were used for cockpit interior, canopy, radiator flaps, wheels and wheel covers. The decals come from Avalon (7009) and the scrap box. Last but not least, a colorised picture of the original - I hope you enjoy my venture into the unknown. A comeback to quarterscale is near 😀 Michael

I have started making the less obvious aircraft that were used by the USAF in the Vietnam conflict. The Trojan is the third aircraft so far, the others art the T37 and the A26. I like doing the SEA camouflage and have used the original Tamiya paints or acrylics as they are called. It is an aircraft flown by a SOS over Laos and only carried tail markings