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With two kits in progress at the moment, it's time to start another. I'll be using the recent Krovozávody Prostějov Spitfire VC with transfers left-over from a Sword kit to do another RAAF plane. I've made a start by removing the parts I don't need and storing them for possible future use, and painting bits with Humbrol 33 and Colourcoats Interior Grey-green. Thanks for looking.

As PST KVs are very hard to find I'm left with the question as featured in the topic. Which kit should I buy to build a better 1/72 model of 1941 or 1942 KV-1C - one of the Trumpeter new tools or the old ESCI/Italeri one? There are very few reviews over the web and all three tools (even the PST one) are mostly appraised. So what are your opinions about the abovementioned kits ? Cheers Michael

Lockheed-Republic F-800 Shooting Streak The end of World War II saw a rationalisation of the U.S. aviation with many companies merging or being swallowed up by bigger conglomerates. One such was the joining of Lockheed and Republic to make a joint venture into jet engine development. The F-800 Shooting Streak utilised existing, tried and tested design with innovative new systems. It was developed as an armed reconnaissance aircraft with extended range. The prototypes made its first flight on 8th January 1954. The Shooting Streak was shelved by the US, who saw better potential in the U2. A limited number were built for export. Sweden took six and they regularly patrolled, guarding against Soviet and Eastern Bloc provocation.

Digging here and there I'm unable to determine the production run details (numbers) od Centurion variants. Were the Mk.III and V the mainstream ones with Mk.I, II and VI-XII only short-run series? How many of the 4423 manufactured were "real" tanks and how many were just the auxiliary AFVs using the Centurion hull? And the second question - is the ACE kit still the best Centurion in Braille scale? What about the Dragon one (still not listed by Scalemates)? Cheers Michael

Hi all I have been doing a bit of this. I remember watching these fly in and out of Lydd Airport in the late 70s although not in Silver City livery along with Heralds and Viscounts. I am using the S&M Decals and the Aircraft is named City Of London. She is quite a biggie Here she is next to a Maquette 1/72 HP Dart Herald Sprayed with acrylic car paint, I don't usually spray paint but with something this large, I hope you will forgive me. Decals started This is the first time I have used the S&M Decals, They did crack in a few places but it might have been the sheer size of the decals or could well have been my fault. Oh dear This side went on better. I have been touching in the damaged bits to the decals with paint. Thanks for looking All the best Chris

This will be my next build: I'll be using the Sword kit: (Wish me luck with the stripes.) Here are the sprues: The transfers: Thanks to some advice from @LDSModeller, I won't be using the upper surface colours suggested by Sword. I've made a start painting the interior but there won't be any photographs until I've stuck some bits together.

Hello, Haven't had a lot of time lately, but just added one more to the collection, a 1/72 Monogram F-105F Wild Weasel, done up in Leo Thorsness's Medal Of Honor mission markings, courtesy of Wolfpak decals "Sambuster & Tyke" decal sheet. This kit is bone stock OOB except for the removal of wingtip antenna, wing re-enforcement panels, and the addition of Hasegawa weapons, plus a very slight amount of filling here and there. These are described over on the build thread on ARC: F-105FWW For the first time, I did not rescribe the raised panel lines, but it looks about as good as those to which I did. Without further ado, here are the pics: It was great fun to build a great kit with No fit problems, and no issues (except self-inflicted!) at all. Hope you enjoy the pictures. 'Til next we meet, Ed

The Fencer is undeniably THE combat aircraft of the hour, being in the news for it's role in the ongoing Russian involvement in Syria. My model depicts 'Red 42' of the VVS, 968 IISAP based at Lipetsk, c.2003 and is built from the Zvezda Su-24M kit. This one is built almost completely OOB except for the chaff flare dispenser fairings that were scratch built with some sheet styrene bits. Decals are a mix of in-box and Cutting Edge (not recommended!) The kit is not the best fit overall and nor is it very accurate. The nose radome is short by 5mm or so and the windscreen doesn't quite look the part. However, the Zvezda kit (unlike its DML originals) does have broad range of A2G weapons to choose from though I struggled to decide if they were period-correct and appropriate for a training bird like this one. I am not sure I would recommend this kit to anyone given the issues with accuracy and somewhat poor fit. It's perhaps worth a go for being relatively cheap compared to the new-age Trumpeter. Hope you guys like it. Lastly, thanks to fellow member @vivkulan who built one alongside mine making the pre-build research and the build itself more interesting.

Just now saw this! Be still my beating heart! Our prayers have been answered! @Sabrejet @Tailspin Turtleget your photo references out! I'm guessing the P-47N is a re-release? Mike http://www.hyperscale.com/2018/reviews/kits/swordpreviewbg_28.htm

Soon to be released in 1/72 AEC MK III and Humber Mk IV armoured cars see link (Just scroll down kits72035 and 72036). http://henk.fox3000.com/zebrano.htm

The image above, courtesy AIN Online magazine, is of a carrier based two seat J-15D. After all the considerations of how simpler could have been for the Russians to do the same thing rather than the 33UB abortion (thanks for THAT model Trumpeter, I am grateful). What is the best way to get to this without massive amounts of scratchbuilding, in view of Zvezda announced release of a canard equipped Su-30 variant? It seems as if their SU-33 does not share any parts with the SU-27SM or new SU-27UB. Calling the Brexident expert Ken Duffey.

Hi All and Seasons Greetings, My latest build is an Airfix 1/72 Tomahawk built virtually OOB apart from new wing gun barrels from 0.5mm brass tubing and some aerial wires from fishing line. This was a nice build with no major problems, bought it at Aldi about four years ago. The Azure and Dark Earth is Vallejo Model Air and the Middlestone is AmmoMig acrylic. some pastels and dilute colours were used for weathering. The photos unfortunately show how my canopy masking sucks 😪 Constructive comments welcome as usual !!! Next up Hasegawa SH-60B

3DBlitz kit of the Pilatus PC-21 in the new colour scheme of the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) based at Boscombe Down. The kit is very nicely engineered and fits together well with only a bit of filler needed. It's finished with homemade decals and Xtracolour Oxford Blue and Signal Red over Halfords Appliance White. Scratchbuilt pitot with yaw/pitch vanes Thanks for looking. Steve

Hi folks, With a big Zoid in the offing I thought I should build a small Zoid to figure out the process. I think I posted a picture of this snapped together a while ago, if not then it looks like this: This is the bombed-up version with leg-mounted missile launchers, extra giant wing cannon etc. Which clearly looks ludicrous! It's a bit better if you leave all that off: but then you have the issue that the legs are long and silly. I ended up transplanting the feet onto the knees to get something which works a bit better, and then put it aside because it needed filling and cleaning up. I pulled the box out this week and spent a morning with the superglue, file and sandpaper sorting out some seams and other bits and bobs. That all went quite quickly so I had two huge paint sessions yesterday and got it all primed and mostly base-coated: Ignore the Cute Tank bits and bobs. All the black parts are going to be metallic, the yellow is Chrome Oxide and the greys are Gunship Grey 2, USAF Light Grey, Light Ghost Grey and Insignia White (all Tamiya lacquers.) I'm not 100% sure about the ghost (blue) grey but it should boost the yellow and it is a very "Zoid" colour. I need to re-do the masking for the stripe on the head (it was late and I was rushing) and then mask up the wing knuckles and leading edges which are going to be a nightmare. But first I'm off to town for more Gunship Grey 2. And yes, this is a transparent attempt to show off my "look at me I'm a Pro Modeller" sticks-with-alligator-clips. They really do make the painting experience much much better Cheers, Will

Hello Here is my last build with this 1/72 Airfix North American B-25C from 83rd Bomb Squadron / 12th Bomber Group U.S. Army Air Force in 1942 somewhere in the North African desert area. Decals came from Xtradecal. Soon to be published in Tamiya Magazine French Edition. Patrick

Not a lot to show here, simply an old Shelf of Doom model finally completed, just to sort of "show the flag". Here is how it looked before I started back on it a couple of months ago: (It's at the top right). Pretty much the fuse and interior were all assembled, and all the primer and coats of Alclad were done. Just needed t add all the final bits and a little other painting. Since I never intended to post this was, I didn't take any pics along the way, but it's just your usual resin kit. Can't remember what I did for the cockpit -- may have used a modified F-84G. Everything else is stock kit, except for the pitot tubes are tiny tubing and wire, and the use of some landing gear doors from either an F or RF-84 kit. The supplied kit decals for the wing stars and bars are too small compared to the photos I used, and the kit supplied buzz number was printed in black. I scanned those into the computer and changed the color to Insignia Blue in Photoshop, and then reprinted two sets onto clear decal paper, using my Epson inkjet printer. The two sets of decals were kind of semi-transparent, so I installed the second set atop the first set, after the fist set had dried thoroughly. Sorry for no more photos, but I am glad to finally have her join the collection. Ed

Amodel kit of the CMC Leopard with homemade vacform canopy as the kit one had a flaw in it that I couldn't remove and homemade decals as the kit ones are for a scheme the aircraft never flew in. Nice kit but very fiddly due to the small size. Thanks for looking. Steve

Hi folks, Those of you who followed my build thread on this will know that it was built from the AZ Models 1/72 kit of the two seat Spitfire, and it was painted up and had custom decals and masks made to replicate NH341, otherwise known as Elizabeth. It will shortly be in the hands of the owner of the real thing, but I thought I'd take advantage of a sunny half hour this morning to photograph it before it goes... Cheers, Dean

Hi all, this is the matchbox kit pk-401 which I build a while ago. The kit has been rescribed, A scratch build interior and cockpit, Float struts replaced, Scratch build ladders, Mass balances made from wire tipped with white glue, Falcon nose, home vac formed main canopie. (falcon was too short for the matchbox kit & windscreen was curved) Aires mg's, Paints used xtracolor rlm 72,73,65. Streached sprue airials. Aeromaster & xtradecal national markings, squadron codes super scale, squadron badge from the kit. Thank you for looking, comments are welcomed. Nick

After having been active on this forum a couple of years, asking and answering questions, I thought it was about time I showed some of my work. Also my question in the Cold War forum about the Dominie generated some interest in what I have been doing. I had been tinkering on and off with this kit for a couple of years, not really knowing which finish I should choose. However some time ago I managed to get hold of the Model Alliance sheet 72129 with decals for the Dominie, and found the aircraft I want to build; XS728/E/470, 6 FTS, RAF Finningley in the late 70's. I have found two b/w photos of this aircraft on the net, taken at the Le Bourget Air Show in 1971 which leads me to believe that the big numbers 470 on the engines actually is the display number for the show. i seem to remember that the Swedish Viggens attending, also had similar big numbers on the fuselage just for the show. On to the kit. It is from an era when Airfix' kits definitly not were top of the line. Generally accurate but lacking in details and those that are included are rather simplified. Add to that raised panel lines, lots of sinkmarks, movable control surfaces, iffy fit and a few inaccuracies. But not to worry; this was just going to be a nice relaxinig OOB build just to use the beautiful decals. (Have we heard that before?) Nevertheless I have spent several hours comparing the kit with photos found on the net. There are lots of excellent photos of aircraft in the later black and white scheme, but not that many in the earlier red/white/LAG scheme. Unfortunately I don't have any drawings, but after a while I discovered that the Airfix drawings in the kit were not that bad at all. They certainly were more accurate than the kit! I enlarged them by 166% to get them to 1/72 and started planning my work. (Can you see where this is heading?) Since the kit would need a lot of filler in places, the raised lines would be lost. So I decided early on to rescribe the whole kit. I was lazy and just used the raised lines as guides. KInd of regret this as I think several lines, especially on the wings and the tailplanes, are far from correct. The cockit just recieved some paint and seatbelts from painted Tamiya tape. Nothing was done to the cabin, not even paint, since the door would be closed and nothing can be seen through the windows. Right now the wings and fuselage have been glued together, joints filled and sanded. So this is how it looks: Sorry for the bad photo, but I'm using a new camera and am not that familliar with it yet. Hopefully I will improve... The acorn fairing on the rear of the fin broke off (inevitable) but have been saved for later. The PC on top of the fin had to be added since the sanding of the tailplane to a better aerofoil section, made the tailplane much thinner. The black line on the wing is the correct position for the wing fence. More on that below. So, what to next? There are so many things that needs to be corrected and added, so I made a list of it. Partly for myself, but also for this thread hoping that someone else who wants to have a go at this kit, can benefit from it. Here it is: Decide on early or late (black/white) version. If late; blank off forth and fifth cabin windows from the front on the port side, and cut out two new windows on the starboard side forward of the existing four. Cut the clear parts to fit the revised window configuration. Cut tip of the tail cone. Rescribe the whole aircraft. Open up and detail the wheel wells. Note that the shape of the main wheel wells on the kit are incorrect. Make new and correctly shaped main wheel doors. Add a fairing to each door. Top wing fences are in the wrong position. Make new wing fences 12 mm (½") outboard of the old ones. Extend rear wing root fairings. Correct inboard aileron hinges. Add a length of stretched sprue just above the door. Add three flap actuator fairings on the top of each wing. Add landing lights and drill a 2 mm hole on the inner wall. Optional: Move the landing lights 3 mm towards the tip of the wings. Correct the wing tips. Correct the tailplane tips. Add a small wing fence under each wing tip. Add two small teardrop bulges under the belly, one on each side of the central strake. Ad IFF antenna (?) in front of the windscreen (just off to the port) and one on the fairing behind the nose gear. Add two NACA air intakes on each side on top of the nose. Scribe fan blades on the engine front inserts. Engines are too sleek. Add filler to make them slightly “fatter”. Undersides of the pods appear a bit more rounded. Refine the engine exhaust. Add details to the engine pods. Early aircraft had just one “towel rack” antenna (on the port side) on top of the fuselage. Late aircraft had none. Add (clear) anti-collision beacons on the top of the fin, on the fairing behind the nose gear and on the central strake under the belly. Check photos; all three not always fitted. Add windscreen wipers. Add trim tab actuator fairings on the rudder; on the port side for the lower half and on the starboard side for the top half. Add trim tab actuator fairings on the lower surface of the elevators. Replace antenna at the rear of the cockpit roof and move it forward about 2 mm. Notice early and late type of antennas. For a late aircraft add a square flat GPS(?)-antenna on top of the cockpit roof. Extend top of the fin about 2 mm. Detail gear legs (depending on finding good photos). Shorten main gear legs slightly to get a better sit. This is what I have come up with so far. The list will surely be added on. I have started withe the rear wingroot fairings. I first glued a small pice of PC on each side. Filler will later be added both on top and bottom, and then filed and sanded to shape. As you can see i haven't done anything to the wheel wells as this was going to be a simple OOB (Remember, huh?) I am a notoriously slow builder, so an update might take some time.

Hello I have just finished this 1/72 Eduard kit of an East German Air Force MiG-21 MF from Jagdfliegergeschwader 3. at Preschen during the late 1980s. This will be published in the next issue of the French magazine "Avions de combat" Patrick

Q: what do you do when your in-progress biplane is drying? You start another. Only you make sure it's really really tiny. Enter Eduard's Nieuport 23 in 72nd scale. I got the dual combo, which comes with two whole models, PE details, and a bevy of Belgian, French, Tsarist Russian, and Czechoslovakian markings options. For the first build, I think I'll go with this Russian plane with Bob written on both sides in cyrillic. I'm digging the Russian roundels and the cool looking empty cockades. So far, I've given the cockpit parts a nice woody look. Base coat was Tamiya flesh. The grain is brown artist acrylic, all sealed with clear yellow and orange. The PE side framing has been primed white for now. And yo, look; I wasn't kidding when I said this thing is tiny. I would have included a coin for comparison, but this is an international forum and our coins vary. So instead I spoke in a language most of us will understand. beer. Flying Dog, the best thing out of Maryland since....maybe since ever.

I was reminded that I had these waiting for me to decide what to do with them. They're not based as I have a few more to add in the near(?) future. They're quite colourful little chaps.

Now that First of Class flying trials onboard HMS QUEEN ELIZABETH have completed with a flourish, fast jet flying has returned to the Fleet Air Arm with a vengeance! Time for another F-35B model, methinks. And, I just couldn't resist another speculative RN Scheme, after all, what exactly do the RAF plan to do with theirs? This is the Fujimi kit, which is better than Hasegawa in some respects, but less accurate in others. I now have both and I'm not sure that I have any preference for either. Decals (for 809 Sqn - which is the first RN F-35B Sqn) are a mix of kit and home made inkjet printed - I have toned them down slightly compared with my previous build as befits a more operational colour scheme. As my first one has its intake barn doors open and nozzle rotated, this one is relatively clean, although I opened up the weapons bays and added some AMRAAMs (as this option is missing on the Hasegawa kit). ... and then to finish the year, I have updated last year's F-35 build to include the badge of the Integrated Test Flight (another inkjet decal print) worn during FOC trials. Mine is a little larger than reality, and worn on the inside tail surfaces, but it makes the point! FredT

Douglas A-4B Skyhawk - Airfix 1/72 (03029) This is my first Airfix kit ever. Nice fit, good decals. OOB with some small corrections. Vallejo acrylics.