Jump to content

Search the Community

Showing results for tags '1:32'.

  • Search By Tags

    Type tags separated by commas.
  • Search By Author

Content Type


Calendars

  • Community Calendar
  • Group Builds
  • Model Show Calendar

Forums

  • Forum Functionality & Forum Software Help and Support
    • FAQs
    • Help & Support for Forum Issues
    • New Members
  • Aircraft Modelling
    • Military Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Civil Aircraft Modelling Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Aircraft
    • Ready for Inspection - Aircraft
    • Aircraft Related Subjects
  • AFV Modelling (armour, military vehicles & artillery)
    • Armour Discussion by Era
    • Work in Progress - Armour
    • Ready for Inspection - Armour
    • Armour Related Subjects
    • large Scale AFVs (1:16 and above)
  • Maritime Modelling (Ships and subs)
    • Maritime Discussion by era
    • Work in Progress - Maritime
    • Ready for Inspection - Maritime
  • Vehicle Modelling (non-military)
    • Vehicle Discussion
    • Work In Progress - Vehicles
    • Ready For Inspection - Vehicles
  • Science Fiction & RealSpace
    • Science Fiction Discussion
    • RealSpace Discussion
    • Work In Progress - SF & RealSpace
    • Ready for Inspection - SF & RealSpace
  • Figure Modelling
    • Figure Discussion
    • Figure Work In Progress
    • Figure Ready for Inspection
  • Dioramas, Vignettes & Scenery
    • Diorama Chat
    • Work In Progress - Dioramas
    • Ready For Inspection - Dioramas
  • Reviews, News & Walkarounds
    • Reviews
    • Current News
    • Build Articles
    • Tips & Tricks
    • Walkarounds
  • Modelling using 3D Printing
    • 3D Printing Basics
    • 3D Printing Chat
    • 3D Makerspace
  • Modelling
    • Group Builds
    • The Rumourmonger
    • Manufacturer News
    • Other Modelling Genres
    • Britmodeller Yearbooks
    • Tools & Tips
  • General Discussion
    • Chat
    • Shows
    • Photography
    • Members' Wishlists
  • Shops, manufacturers & vendors
    • Aerocraft Models
    • Air-craft.net
    • Amarket Model
    • A.M.U.R. Reaver
    • Atlantic Models
    • Beacon Models
    • BlackMike Models
    • Bring-It!
    • Copper State Models
    • Freightdog Models
    • Hannants
    • fantasy Printshop
    • Fonthill Media
    • HMH Publications
    • Hobby Paint'n'Stuff
    • Hypersonic Models
    • Iliad Design
    • Hobby Colours & Accessories
    • KLP Publishing
    • L'Arsenal 2.0
    • Kingkit
    • MikroMir
    • Model Designs
    • Modellingtools.co.uk
    • Maketar Paint Masks
    • Marmaduke Press Decals
    • Parkes682Decals
    • Paulus Victor Decals
    • Red Roo Models
    • RES/KIT
    • Sovereign Hobbies
    • Special Hobby
    • Test Valley Models
    • Tiger Hobbies
    • Ultimate Modelling Products
    • Videoaviation Italy
    • Wingleader Publications
  • Archive
    • 2007 Group Builds
    • 2008 Group Builds
    • 2009 Group Builds
    • 2010 Group Builds
    • 2011 Group Builds
    • 2012 Group Builds
    • 2013 Group Builds

Find results in...

Find results that contain...


Date Created

  • Start

    End


Last Updated

  • Start

    End


Filter by number of...

Joined

  • Start

    End


Group


AIM


MSN


Website URL


ICQ


Yahoo


Jabber


Skype


Location


Interests

  1. This was just meant to be a cheap fill in whilst waiting for the Mi-17 to arrive but actually was quite a nice build in the end. The fit of some parts was as you would expect from a 1982(or possibly earlier, Scalemates say 1972!) model whereby it fitted where it touched! But other bits went together nicely. Detail is a bit sparse and there are lots of inaccuracies for an in-service aircraft but if you look past that then for 30€ you can't really complain. The decals were OK but the large roundels on the intakes had to be sliced into sections to get them to mould to the shape even with Micro-wotsit... I added a few details here and there, most of which can't be seen(!) but it was good practice. I must say I'm quite taken with this bigger scale but it does take up a lot of shelf space! Here's the WIP... Most of these pics were taken before I added the matt clear coat, but the ones I took after are even worse quality than these😜 Oh, and I was going to add the anemometer thingy in front of the canopy...but I broke it getting it off the sprue😬
  2. Someone implied that I must be a glutton for punishment taking on these Airfix car kits and there may be a grain of truth in that assertion. While I was waiting for the filler to set on my Aston Martin DB5 build I thought I'd have a look at the Airfix Maserati Indy that's been on my shelf for a few weeks. It's a starter set, but I'm not sure I'll bother with the paint or glue although the brushes might be useful. Slightly inaccurate paint guide on the back, the sills on every Indy I've seen are finished in stainless steel so should at least be painted silver. The two largest parts are the upper and lower halves of the body, which on first inspection are quite nicely moulded. The lower part of the body, thanks to it's shape, feels impressively stiff (not sure why that impresses me as it's of no practical value to the kit). However, the first dry fit suggests that this might be a bit more of a challenge than it first looks. More to come soon.
  3. Having recently finished the Mig-29, I was looking for something different and a little bigger. After a lot of deliberation I settled on the Trumpeter 1:35 Mi-17 and promptly ordered one before Easter...By Friday all I'd heard was that the order would be shipped when it was complete, which I took to mean they didn't actually have it in stock! The weekend was looking dire weather wise so I was going to go stir crazy with nothing to work on🤨 A lot of model shops shut at 1300 on Saturdays in Germany, but there's a shop in our nearest city(Trier) so having persuaded the missus we needed a couple of hours out we headed over. They're basically a toy shop but do have a reasonable modelling and railway section. I was only really looking for something to keep me busy for a few days and their stock mainly consists of Revell mainstream kits and some Tamiya 1:35 tanks etc. As I'm on a budget due to no guaranteed summer work and very little winter work, 150€ for some of the big kits was a bit much, and even 50-60€ seemed a bit steep for a fill-in project. I then noticed a huge box with a Harrier on it for 30€...A quick look on Scalemates told me it was a very old kit (1972!!) so it was going to be a challenge, but it was cheap😜 You'd think I'd have learnt my lesson with the MiG, but no...🙃 Anyway I bought it, looked in the box and a few swear words passed my lips as I saw how much detail there wasn't...I then started doing some research and thought I might be able to do something with it, after all it was cheap...
  4. I started this build in August last year but my enthusiasm started to wane due to difficulties with the build. But I felt I ought to complete this build as I don't like to give up. Why this kit? This was chosen because I wanted to see what a new Airfix car kit was like and to try something outside of my comfort zone, i.e. a racing car with lots of decals. Why the loss of enthusiasm? Unfortunately this was the flip-side of choosing a subject outside my normal sphere of interest; I'm not that into racing cars and definitely not relatively recent cars like this. Is it any good? On the whole, yes. It's reasonably well moulded, not too much flash and nicely detailed. What's wrong with it? The biggest issue is the front bumper and the way the body attaches to the chassis. It doesn't help that the instructions call for the bumper to be glued to the chassis before the body goes on. It would probably work better to glue the bumper to the body first, that way you could do most of the decals and clear coat the body before it goes on to the chassis. How were the decals? A nightmare, the one for the front grille is particularly tricky. It's taken a lot of setting solution to try and get it to conform to the shape of the body. Getting the two parts of the stripe to join up and lie flat nearly broke me. The rear stripe isn't great either. What do you like? This is probably my favourite view. Anything else? I've not even mentioned the fun I had with the wheels, which are moulded integrally with the tyres and are a pain to mask. Despite all the moaning above, it is still a model I'm pleased to put on display. from a distance it doesn't look too bad and it is now part of my modelling journey. If you've not seen it, the build thread is here:
  5. This is a bit later than I hoped, because I was having problems with my photo hosting service. The idea was to build the kit just using the supplied paint, brushes and glue (plus a few basic tools) in the Airfix starter set, which is something Airfix itself promotes as the Starter Set Challenge. Pure adherence to the challenge lasted about as long as it took to apply the thick, toothpaste-like gloop that masquerades as white paint. The model itself is really sweet, I'm not the biggest Triumph Herald fan but there is something about the kit that just made me smile. Most of the details are done with the standard kit paint, hence the silver paint clogging the grille (despite using a pin to try and open up the holes. Also there was no orange paint for the indicators. Also note that the person who produced the number plate decals had no idea about the correct size, letter type or the fact that (IIRC) Z wasn't commonly used on mainland British plates. You do get a reasonable level of under bonnet detail although the wheels and the hub caps in particular are nothing like the ones Triumph fitted (which are shown on the box art). Paint was Tamiy Racing Red and Halfords Appliance White. The bonnet fit isn't great and I wonder if the windscreen is a bit too shallow? Because there is no clear red or orange supplied I had to make do for the tail lamps, when viewed directly from behind the use of red paint on the back of the clear part is quite convincing although it is less so when seen from the side. Detail on the underside isn't bad, but you can see how the back axle doesn't quite line up properly. Overall this was a fun build and I'm happy with the results given the self-imposed constraints. It was also probably the quickest build I've completed in a while, taking about a week from start to finish. Not quite as speedy as the good old days where you'd buy one of these as a weekend project that you start on a Saturday morning and finish by Sunday teatime, but the models I produced back then were seldom as good either. Of the AIrfix car kits I've worked on, this is probably my favourite to date, although the Maserati Indy may turn out to be better. This is certainly the first Airfix starter set that I would actually recommend to a novice modeller although I would advise them to invest in some decent paint.
  6. A week into the GB and I've finished deliberating about which of my numerous fails will get another chance. What I really need is a KUTA of KUTA GB😬. I've dragged out the Matchbox Spitfire First started in the &5th anniversary GB and being in memory of my Dad it's a long overdue commemoration. AND it was a Christmas present from my children many years ago, so that should add up to KUTA enough and this time I'm really going to do it! Be that as it may, my resolve is flagging already; I'd forgotten just how much of a child of its time the moulds are- at least the sink marks on the bottom of the fuselage are symmetrical. So, it's going to be a very basic out of the box build as the many defects in this kit are listed elsewhere and there's better modellers than me spent a lot of time to correct those. Next is the inevitable head-scratching trying to work out what I'd done and why and just how much of it was necessary! As dad was a mechanic rather than a pilot I'll probably leave all the hatches etc open to show what he worked with plus it'll save the problem later of how many of those same hatches don't fit. Per ardu ad astra, I'm going to do it!!
  7. Hi folks, Firstly - I'm aware of the great build threads (with fix observations) that have been posted here on BM - the some excellent thoughts and input - you there Bill? What I'd like to get together here is a definitive list of errors - with dimensional/photographic proof. So - looking out for theories/physical measurements/photographic evidence... Reason - I *really* love the Lightning and I doubt we'll ever get another in 1:32. And IMHO there is a lot that's good - we've got injection moulded 1:32 Lightnings for one! Sooo - am looking at making up some 'correction' patterns for these kits - possibly... What I have on the list at present is: Fuselage plug (5 mm to fuselage length) - This is something I will be double checking with a real airframe. Nose ring Intake/nose gear bay Replacement fuselage tanks (all versions) Fuselage cable ducts (as required per Mk) Rear fuselage cross section Possible narrow chord on fin (F2A/F6) Canopy - I have a gut feeling looking at a few completed models that the canopy is somehow wrong - gut feeling is far too wide - again - to be confirmed Wheels/Refuelling probe available elsewhere and main gear can be shortened. Anything missing from list? Any further observations? Iain
  8. OK, so here's my entry. I have to admit she's probably the biggest thing I've built since my RC days so we'll see how she goes!!
  9. Fokker D.VII (OAW) Seven Swabians 1:32 Wingnut Wings Got a week off work so plenty of time to pull a 'big' build out of the stash and make a decent start. I've been itching to do the Wingnut Wings Fokker D.VII (OAW) for a while now, but had a massive problem in that I could not decide on which colour scheme to finish it in. It is a problem in a good way, because there are so many really attractive ones to choose from. For sure I want to do 3 OAW versions, Franz Buchner's and Willhelm Leusch's...... ...and the 'Seven Swabians' from Wingnut Wings own 'aftermarket' decal sets. I knew that if I chose just 1 of these schemes and stared the kit, I would regret not choosing one of the other 2! I solved this problem by dipping my hands deep into my pockets and ordering 2 more of the OAW kits. 'A modellers got to do what a modellers got to do' and I can't get enough of Fokker D.VII's. Anyway, good progress has been made, and this week has reminded me why I enjoy Wingnut Wings kits so much. This has been pure modelling pleasure, such a beautifully engineered kit. All this is out of the box, apart from the stretched sprue bracing wires & control runs, plus the ignition leads on the engine from black and yellow twisted thread soaked in white glue. Cockpit & engine bay; Daimler-Mercedes 200hp D.IIIau engine; Engine & Prop in place; In one fuslage half. Note the 'faded interior' side of the external lozenge fabric. Although this aircraft has a painted pale grey fuselage, it was delivered in lozenge fabric which was the overpainted on the outside. Wings will be covered with lozenge decals, but I have undercoated these with sutable base colours. A painted finish is essential to give the decals something to bite on to. The 3 builders of the D.VII (Fokker, Albatros, & OAW) all had their own distinctive cowling panels. I've prepared the OAW specific ones, and airbushed the insides with Citadel 'Runefang steel'. Next stage is to zip up the fuselage. Thanks for looking, John
  10. Good day to you all from glorious Nova Scotia! Hope you are all doing well. This is my latest release, built as part of the Corsair GB which finished last month. Although I did manage to get it up in the gallery, it wasn't 100% finished so here she is in her (technically!!) finished glory. This is the Tamiya 1:32 Birdcage kit, done up as a Fleet Air Arm Corsair Mk I JT190 of 1837 NAS, based on the Eastern board of the US. This particular aircraft belonged to Squadron CO and Fighter Ace Lt Cdr Jackie Sewell DSC RNVR. Ultimately the aircraft claimed his life during a training flight when he collided with his Senior Pilot S Lt David Watson RNVR in JT198 over Yarmouth, Maine. Both pilots lost their lives and they both now lie at rest at the Military Cemetery in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The kit was built more or less from the box, I added some fabric harnesses as they looked better than Tamiyas steel versions which aren't very flexible. I also added some cockpit stencils to add a bit of realism and interest to the standard cockpit. Points to note on the aircraft. JT190 didn't have clipped wings as it was a US based training aircraft, it also retained US harnesses and didn't have the rear view windows common in most Birdcage Corsairs. The aircraft is displayed having been pushed back for maintenance hence the tail wheel is meant to be reversed! The engine is a thing of beauty and really should be displayed so left the cowlings removeable. I added some ignition harnesses to the engine from wire. The insignia markings are painted, which was a great journey of discovery! The Royal Navy JT190 was from Xtradecal and I used the kit stencils. The internal paints were Mig Ammo, external were Vallejo for the sky, Model Master Gunship Grey from the EDSG and my own mix of Olive and Green for the Slate Grey. I used very fine thread for the aerials (if you can see them!). I think the weathering is slightly heavy but I am claiming artistic license for that! I also took liberties with the flaps which by rights should be stowed and the cowling flaps are closed where they should be open but the detail looked too complex and time consuming for this build! All that is remaining is the tape for the gun ports and also on the nose cowling there should be some sealing tape but I couldn't decipher the exact layout so left this out This kit was a truly wonderful build, the parts just fell together and the joins were nice and tight. In fact id anything didn't fit right it was down to me not fixing it in properly! If you want to follow along the build the link is below. Now the pics! JT190 in glorious technicolour (with a backward tailwheel!) And finally the Lt Cdr Jackie Sewell who inspired this build, RIP. Bob
  11. Good day all, hope you are all safe and sound where ever you are. I'm just setting up my page for this GB. Really looking forward to this build and I have chosen Tamiya's epic 1:32 kit of the Birdcage Corsair. I came across the kit just after Christmas and was really looking forward to a later mark as I wanted to do a MkII but due the stock having a great price this was the last remaining and I couldn't turn it down, it worked out at around 60 quid! Now I prefer to model Fleet Air Arm aircraft and they did operate this type of aircraft as a MK I, it never really saw much operational action as it was mainly used as a trainer and was stationed mainly stateside and Canada. This particular build will be of JT190 which was flown by the late Lt Cdr Jack Sewell a FAA Fighter Ace, based at NAS Brunswick in Maine. I still have much to learn about the pilot and aircraft and will hopefully share that over the course of this build. The kit is quite huge and there is a lot of detail in there. Its the first time I've really tackled something in 1:32 so I hope that I can do it justice. I'm building straight out of the box with the exception of a fabric harness (I am assuming that the Mk I's still retained their American harnesses as they were based in US and hadn't really been British-ised yet), I also ordered a set of cockpit label decals to add a bit more depth to the cockpit, they haven't arrived yet so hoping they are not far off. As for the decals, well I haven't had any luck in getting a set in 1:32 so another first for me is painting the markings as opposed to sticking them on, we shall see how that goes! I do have a 1:48 'Royal Navy' and serial letters that work out to roughly the correct size so the serials wont be a problem. Just need to find some colour matching for the roundels. This aircraft was also marked up as '7M' and that will be slightly easier to mask and paint as opposed to any other number/letter combo. Here is the obligatory box top I wont go into every sprue shot as there are a lot of them and this kit has been well reviewed elsewhere on the web so I will save my Flickr size but heres a little selection of parts post washing, there are a fair few to count! It all looks a little daunting at the moment, I just hope I can complete it in time and do it justice, but we shall see. Until later, stay safe! Bob
  12. Here it is, some fancy photos of my Airfix 1:32 Jaguar E-Type Open Two Seater. I was going to build it as it came from the box but had to change the wheels and add a few extra details. The colour scheme is inspired by Jaguar E-Type registration 77RW, which is the first OTS E-Type although this isn't quite an exact replica. Added bits are: Mitoos Classic treaded 20x6mm tyres and 16.5x6mm wire wheels supplied by Pendle Slot Racing (very happy with their customer service). Nickel silver wire gear lever, hand brake lever, windscreen stay and windscreen wipers. Plus a rear-view mirror from a bit of sprue and a whole lot of styrene sheet underneath to close off the under bonnet area and cabin. Link to the WIP thread here. This it the first build that I've both started and finished since joining the forum. Enough chat, enjoy some photos. The backdrop for some of the photos is a picture of the British Motor Museum Collections Centre taken from the builder's website and the car is sitting on a sheet of wet and dry paper as the roadway.
  13. I was given this kit today by my team at work as an early birthday present. It was such a lovely and thoughtful gesture that, despite vowing not to start another build until I'd completed one that I'd already got in progress, I've decided to make it a project to get it built in the course of my week off next week. I'm sure the Airfix Jaguar E-type Open Two Seater needs no introduction. I built one of these in my adolescence and so I'm quite keen to go back and have another bash at it. It seems somehow appropriate that the bits come in a plastic bag, even if they are contained within a cardboard box. Limited set of decals but they look pretty nice. And the parts themselves, very much a case of "flash! Aaargh!" As recommended by the instructions, I've given the parts a wash in warm, soapy water. I'll leave them to dry overnight before attempting to start the build properly. I'm not quite sure how to tackle this build as you can't assemble the body without also assembling most of the interior and suspension. The various parts of the body don't seem to mate terribly well, so it's going to be a challenge to get it all together to paint. I'll probably use an airbrush rather than spray cans and I think I'll go for green, rather than the red finish that the box art suggests.
  14. Now that my 1:48 Hasegawa is well underway and approaching the final paint stage (primer is on, preparing the front cowling and spinner to have their colors), and I enjoyed this kit so much, I decided to add a larger scale Pony to my collection: the 1:32 Zoukei-Mura P51-D . An awesome kit with full interior. It really screams to be build. Ordered extra wheels, barrels and seatbelts. There are other sets available, but these together will more than double the kit price, so I will mak do with what is in the box and the 3 add ons. I hope I can finish it before the group build ends... Oh well, I'll see.
  15. Hello folks Been a long time since I asked for folks ideas here, but because I’m planning-on building the Tamiya 1:32 Mustang (and the implied ‘cost’ of this kit), I thought it may be a good idea to get some thoughts before I start hacking away at it. I’m going to build Bill Dunhams’ ‘Mrs. Bonnie’ as it was right at the end of the war in summer 1945. The aircraft is a P-51K-10 it's quite well known as it was featured in some publicity photos in August or September. As you can see, despite it being a Dallas-built ‘K’ it has the cuffed Hamilton props and spinner – the blade profile and decals give-it-away – also the whole of the spinner is painted red/yellow/blue & black (front to rear). This is fine as the kit I’m using is the initial Tamiya release, 60322 (which also has the ‘Dallas’ canopy in the box too). Now here’s the part where I need your insight & thoughts – Tamiya in their paint & decal instructions show ‘Mrs Bonnie’ with the ‘correct’ Aeroproducts spinner & blades but also would have you paint the spinner back-plate NMF, the colours being the same but compressed. Has anyone got a photo that confirms the Tamiya instructions – just being curious, I’m one of those folks who likes to have as much info as possible… Thanks in advance folks, over to you. Ian.
  16. Hannover Cl.II (Early) 1/32 Wingnut Wings. (32079). The Hannover CL.II was designed in 1917 as a two seat escort fighter to protect other two seat reconnaissance aircraft.Hannoversch Waggonfabrik AG were actually manufacturers of railway waggons who had branched out into license building Halberstadt, Rumpler and Aviatik aircraft. Their first indigenous design was the CL.II, which first flew in July 1917 and entered service in August 1917. Like the Roland CL.II the fuselage was a lightweight structure formed of thin plywood layers covered with fabric and doped, as were the wing centre sections. It makes an interesting comparison with the Bristol F.2b fighter as some of the design aims were the same. Most obvious was the need to give the gunner as wide a field of fire as possible. Frank Barnwell did this on the Bristol aircraft by placing the fin and rudder pretty much half and half above and below the fuselage. The CL.II achieved it by shortening the span of the tailplane but maintaining the surface area by making it a biplane unit, and locating the gunner very high in the fuselage. Also similar to the F.2b the top wing is at the crews eye level, giving them an excellent view above and below. Unlike the Bristol with its lower wing mounted below the fuselage on short struts, the Hannover simply has a much deeper fuselage to maintain the gap between the two wings. In service it was very well liked, being strong, fast, highly maneuverable and generally versatile. It also had the advantage of being smaller that most two seaters, leading allied pilots to think it was a single seater that could be sneaked up on from behind. Any pilot who did so would place himself at the mercy of the rear gunner. As the war progressed into 1918 the Hannover was also used in the ground attack role, and continued in front line service up until the November armistice. The kit. As always the artwork is beautiful, this time showing a Cl.II in the escort role fending off an SE.5a attempting to attack an Albatros C.X. Inside are eleven individually bagged sprues, three large decal sheets, a small etched brass fret, and a set of the outstanding Wingnut Wings instructions. The plastic parts are pretty much the same as in the previous release (32024), but the decal sheets are all new. Sprue A. This mostly holds the interior and tailplane parts. The main cockpit part is A42 which is the floor and fuel tank, forming the core around which much of the rest of the detail is built. It is a sobering thought that the pilot sat above the petrol tank, when the risk of fire through enemy action or accident was high. One of the interesting 'bonuses' of building Wingnut Wings kits is that they are so accurate, you get a real insight into what these machines were like. When building up an interior I can't help but drift into thoughts of what it must have been like to have been aircrew on machines like this. Great stuff! I guess it why we all enjoy this hobby so much. Enough daydreaming, and back to reality. The Observers cockpit for options B and E has the choice of fitting a '50cm Flieger Kammer' Camera, and a Telefunken Type D wireless (found on sprue G3). These are such lovely parts, that it really is very tempting to use the, both even have their own miniature decals to further detail them, the wireless alone has eight of them. Also worth mentioning here is that the etched brass fret has some bracket work that is used to further detail the Observers cockpit. The parts are beautifully moulded, with delicate frameworks, bulkheads, levers and switched that go to make up the pilots and observers cockpits. There are also the distinctive biplane tailplane, elevators and ailerons. As expected all are moulded to perfection with fine trailing edges and delicate rib detail. Also exhibiting superfine moulding are the wing mounted radiators, a choice of either a Mercedes-Daimler or a Teeves & Braun unit depending upon which of the marking options you choose. They come as upper and lower inserts that are fixed into recesses in the wing centre section. Further items are the pilots LMG 08/15 Spandau in both 'solid' or 'High detail' etched jacket form, Undercarriage legs, Observers gun ring, and engine bearers. The following 4 photos are from my build of the previous release of this kit, taken a few years ago. the give a good idea of how well this all assembles. Sprue B. The wings are moulded with beautifully sharp, lightly scalloped trailing edges. There is fine rib stitching detail and a lovely aerofoil section that cambers gently but definitely across the top and bottom. Substantial locating tabs on each wing will make their fixing very strong. Always impressive is the standard of moulding that Wingnut Wings achieve on large parts such as these. There are never any flaws such as sink marks or short shots, just precise, clean, and perfect mouldings. Sprue C. Traditionally the smallest sprue in a Wingnut Wings kit (because there isn't much glazing on aircraft from this era), the parts are still to the same uncompromising standard as the rest of the kit. Crystal clear, the pilots windshield even his tiny rivet detail along its bottom edge, where it is fixed to the fuselage. Also on this sprue is a camera lens for the observers 50cm 'Flieger Kammer'. Sprue D. There are two of these, sensibly each supplies parts that need to be duplicated, such as the main wheels.In addition to the wheels are various fine struts and brackets for the tailplanes, some tiny flares, and inspection covers for the forward lower fuselage. The inspection covers are moulded with real open louvers, and it is much appreciated that they are provided as separate parts rather than being moudled into the fuselage halves, when they would sit on the seam line and be impossible to clean up. Another smart move by Wingnut Wings. Sprue E. The Argus As.III engine is moulded with separate sump/crankcase and cylinder units, to which is added all the necessary pipework and anciliaries. Pushrods run from the crankcase to the rocker arms on the cylinder head on the left side of the engine. There area three types of propellers to choose from, Niendorf, Germania, or Reshke. You are given the option of using a set of cylinder halves with the pushrods moulded in (E14) but where moulding limitations mean that there is no gap between the rods and the cylinders, or cylinder halves with no pushrods moulded on (E13), and you provide your own 0.5mm wire to create them. Sprue F. The fuselage halves are most prominent here, along with the upper wing centre section, cabane struts, ailerons, and engine cowlings. The fuselage captures the shape of the real thing to perfection, and has very neat detail both inside and out. There are some light ejector pin circles, but they have cleverly been located in areas that will be hidden once the fuselage halves have been joined. The engine cowlings are amazing. All four of them feature delicate 'D' shaped cooling louvers, part F7 alone has thirty one of them within a small area, all perfectly formed. Alternate nose caps are provided with different cooling hole patterns, again depending upon which marking option you have chosen. One of them will require you to open a flashed over hole (part F10) for options A and B. The Upper wing centre section is made from upper and lower units, with big slots to locate the big tabs on the outer wing panels from sprue B. This will make for a very strong upper wing assembly. Three 'G' Sprues carry generic items that are applicable to several aircraft, so not all parts will be required for this kit. Sprue G1 carries the Observers armaments, a choice between a Parabellum LMG/14 or a Parabellum LMG 14/17. The main difference is in the cooling jacket for the gun barrel. The /14 has the familiar large fretted jacket (and there is the choice of a 'solid' moulded barrel, or an etched brass one), while the 14/17 was fitted with a much thinner air cooled jacket barely any wider than the barrel. Sprue G2. There two G" sprues which contain half a tail trestle each, that can be joined to make the complete article. Also present are some Granatenwerfer grenades and two types of flares, along with external racks to fit on the outside of the Observers cockpit. Wheel chocks complete the parts for use with this kit, but there are also some handy parts for the spares box such as oxygen flasks and 12.5Kg PuW bombs. Sprue G3. This is a real treasure trove of diorama accessories, with four types of reconnaissance cameras, three types of flare pistols, first aid kit, homing pigeon box, box of photographic plates, step ladder, barograph, and even a mascot Teddy bear! There are also propellers from Axial, Astra, Heine, and Wolff, which are not required for the model, but would be useful in any workshop diorama. Photo Etch As mentioned previously the etch fret holds air cooling jackets for the 'High detail' LMG 08/15 Spandau, and Parabellum LMG 14. The pilot and Observer are supplied with seat belts, there are the bracket assemblies for the Observers cockpit, and the shutter mechanism for the wing mounted radiator. A nice touch is the little embossed name plate for the aircraft, with the Wingnut Wings logo on. Decals. Three very large sheets are found in the box, only just fitting the length and width. Printed by Cartograf the first sheet covers all the individual markings for options A to E. There are also a mass of instrument, placard, stencil and other details, including those for the cameras and other diorama accessories. Two further sheets provide the lozenge decals. There are complicated combinations explained for the options, with four and/or five colour lozenge being used, sometimes with four colour on the mainplanes and five colour on the ailerons. Lozenge is also given for the tail group, up to where it blends with the fuselage. Options Hannovers often featured irregular hand painted lozenge shapes on the fuselage often over painted with a dark glaze, which is the case for options A to D here. It is not difficult to do, but in case any modeller is unsure Option D is given as simpler alternative of a pale blue machine with clear doped linen wings. There are a few minor variations within the given options, (A) can be finished as (A1) without the wing stripes and upper fuselage chevron, or (A2) with them. Likewise (B) can be done without the red comet on the side as (B1), or with it as (B2). A. Hannover Cl.II 9276/17 “White 5", H Bronner, Royal Bavarian Schusta 27b, late 1917 to early 1918 B. Hannover Cl.II 9280/17 “Comet", Grönhagen? & J Gfrör, FA (A) 282, November 1917 C. Hannover Cl.II 9301/17 “White 4", J Missfelder, Royal Prussian Schusta 12, March 1918 D. Hannover Cl.II 9398/17 “2", JKH Müller & A Zitzelsberger, Royal Bavarian Schusta 24b, March 1918 E. Hannover Cl.II (Rol) 622/18 “White 2", Bayerische-Fliegerschule 5, mid to late 1918 Conclusion. This is a welcome return of a kit that sold out rapidly in its initial release (Kit 32024) and then began to fetch large prices on the second hand market. It has all the hallmarks of Wingnut Wings kits, beautiful mouldings, excellent fit, exquisite detail, fabulous instructions, and high quality decals. It is also a very good looking aeroplane, having a tough sturdy look that was possessed by few of these early biplanes. I am able to confirm that it is a trouble free build with absolutely no pitfalls or things to watch out for, as I built the previous release when it came out a few years ago. Get one while you can, it was one of the fastest sellers last time it was available, and I wouldn't be surprised if that is the case again. Highly Reccomended. Footnote: As mentioned earlier, I have already built the previous kit of the Hannover Cl.II a few years ago, finished with markings from the aftermarket Pheon Decal sheet. I have a few photos of the completed model, showing some of the diorama ccessories that come with it.
  17. Stalled when my mojo was defeated by this kit. My dad, if not the kit deserves better, so off the shelf it comes; though I make no promises
  18. Sopwith Pup "Gnome" 1:32 Wingnut Wings The lovely Sopwith Pup from Wingnut Wings makes a return with some new parts and decals to enable building of the ‘Gnome’ powered version. The most common powerplant was the 80hp Le Rhone 9c engine, but the 80hp & 100hp Gnome and Clerget engines were also used. The Pup itself entered service in 1916 and quickly proved to be an agile and popular machine amongst those who flew it. The name was never official, but derived from the observation that it looked like a smaller version of the twin seat Sopwith ‘One-and-a-half Strutter’, as if it were its ‘Pup’. Wingnut Wings have previously released two kits of the Pup, 32013 for the RFC version, and 32016 for the RNAS machine. Rather nicely, this new release gives you a choice of two RFC, two RNAS, or one training school machine. This kit shares most of the main sprues (A, B, C, and D) with the previous two releases, but adds three new ones. There are two sprue E's giving a choice of two different engines, and sprue G which has the cowling specific to the Gnome engine, and a full set of Le Prier rockets. As always, the silver gilt edged box features a beautiful painting of the subject in action, this time RNAS Pup N6179 squaring up to an Albatros D.II. Instructions. You can't help but be impressed by the completeness of the instructions in every single Wingnut Wings kit, they are quite simply the best that have ever been supplied with any kits, ever. These are as good as always, printed in colour on heavy glossy paper, with a parts map, detailed assembly drawings, colour and black & white photos of the real thing to show details, and five sets of Ronnie Bar illustrations to show the finishing choices. One of my favourite features is the completed sub assembly drawings, showing how things should look on the completed interior. Plus another drawing showing how all the interior control cables run from the joystick and rudder pedals. They are superb reference documents in their own right. Sprue A. This hold most of the smaller detailed parts such as the interior fittings, prop and cowling choices, struts, and other details. All mouldings are very finely done with sharp detail, no sink marks or flash, and minimal contact points where they attach to the sprue frame. The Pup had a couple of different inspection hatch shapes on the forward fuselage, and both the square and oval types are supplied here as panels to attach to the cowling area. Two types of propeller are provided, the instructions noting which one goes with which finishing option. Sprue B. Here we have the tailplane, rudder, wheels, Vickers gun, and a few other smaller parts. Again the precision of moulding is evident. particularly on the Vickers guns (only one of which is applicable to this model). Sprue C. This is the clear sprue, with a choice of windscreens and the clear inspection panels for the wings. They are all crystal clear, and the frames even have incredibly tiny little screw heads moulded in, that I can only see under a magnifying glass. Sprue D. Both wings are on this, along with the fuselage halves. The wings feature beautifully fine trailing edges and rib tapes with delicate stitching. The real wings featured a small see through panel near each tip, that allowed instant inspection of the pulley and cable that ran to each aileron.These are nicely moulded, and the clear sprue has the clear cover to go on top of them after painting. Especially impressive is the 'quilting' effect on the forward fuselage, so typical of the Pup. It was where an interior 'grid' frame was built in to smooth the transition from the round cowling area to the flat sided fuselage. Covered in fabric it gave a sort of quilted look that Wingnut Wings have captured to perfection. Sprues E x 2. There are two complete and distinct 'E' sprues that cover the 80hp and 100hp Gnome engines. The moulding is amazingly fine with the cylinder cooling fins rendered about as finely as is possible, and all the nuts and bolts are beautifully sharp. The 80hp Gnome was precisely copied by the German Oberursel company, the only differences being in the pushrods. These are contained on the sprue but obviously marked as not required. I often start my builds with the engine because they are such lovely little gems of a model in their own right. 7 cylinder Gnome 80hp: 9 cylinder Gnome 100hp The 100hp option even has tiny little decals to replicate the brass data plates on the crankcase. Whichever engine you choose you will have a complete unused one for the spares box, or even better, for use as a diorama accessory. Hows that for value!. It is typical of Wingnut Wings that they take a 'no expense spared' approach to their kits, so that you get precisely what you need to build an accurate model straight from the box. Sprue G. To my knowledge, this is the first time that a set of Le Prieur rockets have been released in 1:32 scale. Looking like giant fireworks that you might buy on November 5th, they were attached to the outboard struts. Intended for use against observation balloons, they proved to be ineffective in use due to directional instability. I.e. they didn't particularly fly to where they were aimed. They were tried on Pups, as a period photograph in the instructions show, but it is also noted that it is not thought that any of the five options in the kit actually used them. Also included is the characteristic semi cowling of the Gnome powered Pup. This only goes around two thirds of the engine, with the bottom third left uncovered, and is a good identifying feature of Pups with this engine. Etch. A neat little brass fret supplies the lap type seatbelt, foot plates for the wings, gunsights and cocking lever, along with a chute for expended ammunition links. Options. A. N6179 “Baby Mine”, TC Vernon (1 victory)& AW Carter (17 Victories) B Flight 3(N) Sqn RNAS March to April 1917. B. N6200 “Bobs”, AM Shook, B Flight 4(N) Sqn RNAS, April to May 1917 (12 victories). C. B2192, HH Balfour and EL Foot, School of Special Flying Gosport, August to September 1917. D. B5904 “A 1”, 61(HD) Sqn RFC, September 1917. E. B5906 “Impikoff 5” 44(HD) Sqn RFC/RAF 1918. Decals. A large decal sheet occupied the full width and length of the box. Printed by Cartograf, it provides all the decals for the five finishing options, plus a myriad of tiny stencils and instrument faces. If you want to read any of this fine detail you will need a good magnifying glass as the printing is incredibly small, but faultlessly done. It almost doesn't need saying, because this is Cartograf, but the printing is in perfect register, beautifully sharp, with minimal carrier film and spot on colours. Option C, the unarmed training machine with a stripy fuselage, is provided with two sets of stripes. It is notoriously difficult to distinguish black from red in old balck & white photographs, and although this machine is thought to have black stripes, they may also have been red, so you get the choice. There are no stripes for the wings as these can be simply masked at each rib. Conclusion. It is nice to see the Pup back in Wingnut Wings catalogue, as it is one of their simpler kits to build. I have already built two of the RNAS version (32016) and bought an RFC kit (32013) when it was about to go out of stock, as I couldn't bear not to have one! I have the usual indecision over which of the five options to go for, as they are all attractive in their own right. I think the striped training machine might just edge in, as I don't have anything like that in my 1:32 collection. You can have hours of fun with any Wingnut Wings kit trying to decide which one to go for. It builds up very easily and without any faults or problems. Everything fits with precision, making it a delight to put together. The rigging is very straight forward and fairly simple, and not difficult to do with either fishing line or the elastic EZ-line. Add to this the choice of attractive finishing schemes, then this is one of the best 'starter' kits to introduce you the wonderful world of Wingnut Wings. With Christmas approaching you need to get this on your list, you won't be disappointed. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Footnote: This is one of the Pup kits I have built previously, from 32016, the RNAS Pup, which enables this 'In box' review to go a bit further and confirm that it does indeed build up beautifully without any problems.
  19. AEG G.IV Late 1:32 Wingnut Wings The AEG G.IV late first started to appear with front line units in early 1917 although it wasn’t until the summer that were available in useful numbers. Developed from an early concept of the heavily armed ‘battleplane’ which was designed to fight it’s way through enemy formations, it was the first of the line to be intended solely as a bomber. The battleplane concept was proven to be flawed after heavy losses were suffered, although it partly resurfaced in later years with the Me.110 ‘Zerstorer’. The G.IV is less well known than the Gotha series of bombers, but in fact was able to carry a heavier bomb load. It was also the most popular amongst aircrews as it was considered to be the easiest of the twin engine bombers to fly. At first it was used as day time bomber, but heavy losses soon saw it switched to night bombing raids. Another lesson that was re-learned in second world war. The kit was reviewed almost exactly 2 years ago, but deserved to be allocated sufficient time to tackle the build, which has taken until now. [Edit] Forgot to say there is a Work in Progress here.[/Edit] It is not one for begginers, but is not actually that difficult to build if you have a couple of Wingnut Wings kits under your belt. Of their bigger kits I would think it is one of the simplest to build. There are no wooden areas to depict, the rigging is actually pretty straighforward, being mostly 'X's of wires in the wings. And the fit is so spectacularly good it self aligns everything as you fit it together. The only thing to be wary of is whacking things on your workbench as it gets bigger. There are options to display the engines fully cowled or fully opened. I follwed the suggestion in the instructions to 'mix and match' to create a mostly open framework with the lower parts using elements of cowling. Almost any combination is legitimate, as period photographs will show. It is anothe winner from Wingnut Wings, as I thoroughly enkoyed the build from start to finish. It has proven to be more of a challenge to photograph, due to it's size. Hope you like it. To give an idea of its size, here it is with a WNW Albatros. Thanks for looking, John
  20. Gotha UWD (32053) 1:32 Wingnut Wings Developed from the Gotha G.1 landplane (Wingnut Wings kit 32045 reviewed here) designed by Oskar Ursinus, the 'Ursinus Wasser Doppeldecker' (UWD) was completed in December 1915. Only one was ever built and was given the serial number 120. It underwent trials with the German Navy in January - February 1916 during which time it was modified with balanced ailerons, extra windows, and a 'probiscus' device in the nose for dropping bombs through. Sometime during 1916 (possibly March) UWD 120 was used operationally on a raid on Dover. Little else is know of its use, until it was written off in October 1916. The low mounted engines and high fuselage was to minimise the effect of engine-out induced yaw, by keeping them as close to the centre line as possible. In turn this meant moving the fuselage up and out of the way. Another unusual feature was that the crew were located in an armoured ‘bathtub’ that formed the forward section of the fuselage. The kit. Presented in Wingnut Wings classy silver edged box, the Steve Anderson artwork shows the UWD in flight, possibly near the white cliffs of Dover. The painting shows it being escorted by a Friedrichshafen FF.33 floatplane, so I really hope that Wingnut Wings are going to release one of those at some point. As with the similar Gotha G.1, the large box is packed full to the brim with parts. It is interesting to note that although both kits appear similar, the only common parts in each box are the sprues A and B, all the others are different. Apart from the fact that the UWD is on floats rather than wheels, it is also powered by different engines. It used the 160 hp Mercedes-Daimler D.III rather than the G.1's 150hp Benz Bz.III engines. Sprue A. This large sprue only just fits the dimensions of the box, containing a variety of parts common to both the landplane and seaplane versions of this kit, mostly concerned with fuselage and some of the flying surfaces. The rear fuselage has been moulded as a three sided section, of the bottom and sides. The top section fits onto this, and at a stroke eliminates any fuselage seams. Well technically the joins are along the top corners of the fuselage, but they should be a doddle to deal with. Careful gluing with thin cement run along the join by capillary action should mean virtually no/almost no clean up will be required. Full marks to Wingnut Wings for this one, flat sided fuselages are always a pain to eliminate the seams from if they are done in the conventional manner. Some very fine items are also included, such as pilots seat, framework, pipework, the throttles, instrument panel, and gun type camera. Construction starts with the cockpit, which is where many of these items will end up. Sprue B. Here we have all four main wing panels, and the horizontal tailplane. Again all is faultlessly moulded with very fine scalloped trailing edges, and delicate sagged fabric effect. Strut mounting holes are clearly defined, as are some small holes showing where to drill for rigging attachment points. (The struts themselves are cleverly moulded with ends that will only fit into the holes they are destined for). The lower wings have large tabs on them that fit to the large single center section from Sprue A, and automatically set them at the correct dihederal Sprue C. The smallest, containing the clear parts for the windows and windscreen. A new approach to packing has these inside a heat sealed plastic bag, and inside that they are protected by a wrap around of a'cling film' type sheet. All parts are beautifully thin and clear. Sprue D. There are two of these, holding the floats, cowling parts, struts, and other duplicated parts. The floats are moulded as a single unit of three sides, with a separate top pice, in the same way as the rear fuselage has been done. Again this makes construction a simple task and practically eliminates any joining seams. What is really apparent is the sheer size of these floats. They are enormous. I had a recently completed WnW Sopwith Camel nearby when doing the photos, and couldn't resist showing a comparison. Sprue E. Again there are two of these sprues provided, for the Daimler-Mercedes D.III engines. These are different to those in the Gotha G.1 kit, which has Benz Bz.III engines. I may have mention in previous reviews that I often start building these kits with the engines. They are so beautifully moulded and everything fits precisely, so you quite quickly have a little jewel of an engine ready for fitment later in the build. Note that the magnetos are not fitted until the engines are in place, as there are new ones with long control rods attached (G33 &G34) to reach up to the top wing. The only thing you may want to add is some ignition wiring from fine fuse wire. As this is an engine used by many aircraft, the same sprue appears in many of Wingnut Wings kits. This means that than half of the parts are not needed, including a set of four beautiful propellers that can go into the spares box. Sprue G. More floatplane specific parts, notably the forward fuselage 'pod' and a lot of struttery. There are various windows and openings in the 'pod' that make it quite different to that of the Gotha G.1. Page 21 of the instructions notes the parts to use or omit if making Option A1, in the 'as delivered status. It also states that you will need to fill in two of the nose windows, so a decision needs to made early on. The mouldings are absolutely beautiful, with sharply defined detail, great delicacy/finesse with some very fine parts, free of flash or sink marks, and no distortion or warpage. I showed them to a fellow modeller who was absolutely amazed, and speculated at how much work goes into designing and producing mouldings of this quality. Etch. For once this is quite small. The model only requires a lap belt for the pilot, and a cooling jacket for the LMG 14 Parabellum. A nice touch is a little brass plaque to display with the finished model. Instructions. If you have never seen a set of Wingnut Wings assembly instructions, then these will be a real treat. Printed on twenty four pages of heavy high gloss paper, it is as much a work of reference as it is an instruction booklet. The CAD drawings of assembly stages are interspersed with period photographs (thirty seven in all) of actual machines and their details. On thing I particularly like is the CAD drawings of completed sub-assemblies in full colour, as these are a great help in understanding how everything goes together. Unusually the whole biplane wing unit complete with floats, is built as single unit to which the fuselage is attached. Marking Options. Just one, as only one was ever built, but there are small variation if you wish. By leaving off the 'probiscus' filling in some of the nose windows, and using the unbalanced ailerons, you can build it as version A1. This is shown in the instructions, and represents the machine as it was delivered for trials. Version A2 is in the same colour scheme, and represents the aircraft as used in service. A. Gotha UWD 120, See Flieger Abteilung 1, March 1916. Decals. Printed by Cartograf, the sheet is dominated by the large 'cross pattée' markings, with dozens of smaller details for things like stencils and instrument faces. There are around twenty for the cockpit alone, and another forty four to go on the twenty two 10kg Carbonit bombs stored in the nose. The fine detail is beautifully printed and readable through a magnifying glass, and given that the cockpit area is highly visible on the finished model, it should all look fabulous. Conclusion. It must have made sense to produce this model alongside the Gotha G.1, but don't make the mistake of thinking that the only difference is that one comes with wheels, and the other with floats. This is a Wingnut Wings kit, so no corners will have been cut. If some parts differed between aircraft, then you get new parts on the sprue. So much so that only two of the eight sprues are common to both kits. Personally I really like this aircraft, it has all the things I like about early aviation. It was built at a time when ideas were being tried out,and 'The Rule Book' didn't really exist. Only now, 100 years later, do we find it strange looking, because we know what a conventional aircraft should look like. It will build into a large model, and is certain to provoke questions from anyone seeing it. It is not really one for the beginner, but if you have built any of Wingnut Wings two seater kits then this one should not give you any problems. It is just bigger, not any more complicated. Highly Recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Gotha G.1 (32045) 1:32 Wingnut Wings Well I don’t think many of us saw this one coming, or even knew anything about the actual aeroplane. What a fascinating and yet strange looking contraption it is, with low mounted engines and high fuselage. The reason for this layout was to minimise the effect of engine-out induced yaw by keeping them as close to the centre line as possible. In turn this meant moving the fuselage up and out of the way. Another unusual feature was that the crew were located in an armoured ‘bathtub’ that formed the forward section of the fuselage. Three batches of six G.1’s were manufactured, the first six fitted with the 150 hp Benz Bz III engines as supplied in this kit. The first production aircraft arrived on the western front in the latter half of 1915. Little is known about its service history, but as was often the case in the Great War, it was one of those aircraft that was obsolete almost as soon as it entered service. One example was built as a seaplane, the 'UWD' which has also been kitted by Wingnut Wings and is Reviewed here. The kit. Packed in Wingnut Wings larger sized box, the lovely painting by Steve Anderson shows a couple of G.1's being defended by an Eindekker against an attacking RFC DH2. The artwork cleverly shows a close up of the main body of a G.1, whilst showing a full view of another in the near distance. Lifting the lid reveals eight individually bagged sprues, with barely any space left for anything else. Two of them are duplicated, Sprue E for the engines, and Sprue D for wheels, struts etc. All are moulded in the familiar neutral grey plastic with pin sharp detail, flawless surface finish, and no sink marks or other moulding flaws. Also included is a large decal sheet and a small brass etched sheet, along with Wingnut Wings superb instruction manual. Nothing else gives you that sense of anticipation and delight that opening a Wingnut Wings kit does, and as always this one delivers in full. Time to take a look. Sprue A. This large sprue only just fits the dimensions of the box, containing a variety of parts common to both the landplane and seaplane versions of this kit, mostly concerned with fuselage and some of the flying surfaces. The rear fuselage has been moulded as a three sided section, of the bottom and sides. All the framework is in there, along with some ejector pin marks, but none of this will be seen once assembled. The top section fits onto this, and at a stroke eliminates any fuselage seams. Well technically the joins are along the top corners of the fuselage, but they should be a doddle to deal with. Careful gluing with thin cement run along the join by capillary action should mean virtually no/almost no clean up will be required. Full marks to Wingnut Wings for this one, flat sided fuselages are always a pain to eliminate the seams from if they are done in the conventional manner. Some very fine items are also included, such as pilots seat, framework, pipework, the throttles, instrument panel, and gun type camera. Construction starts with the cockpit, which is where many of these items will end up. A lot of detail is provided and I have counted nineteen little instrument and placard decals to be placed to enhance all of this, and that is not counting the sixteen decals to place on the optional internal bomb load. Sprue B. Here we have all four main wing panels, and the horizontal tailplane. Again all is faultlessly moulded with very fine scalloped trailing edges, and delicate sagged fabric effect. Strut mounting holes are clearly defined, as are some small holes showing where to drill for rigging attachment points. The struts themselves are cleverly moulded with ends that will only fit into the holes they are destined for). The lower wings have large tabs on them that fit to the large single center section from Sprue A, and automatically set them at the correct dihederal Sprue C. The smallest one in the box, in clear plastic this holds the single windshield. It comes wrapped in a small sheet of plastic, itself contained in small plastic bag, so is well protected. Sprue D. Throughout the build there are many items that are required in duplicate or multiple times, such as wheels and struts. Sensibly all these parts are collected together on one sprue that has half the number required. It is then simple to provide two identical sprues to cover the full amount of items needed. There are bombs, guns, cowling parts, tail fins & rudder, a choice of two different styles of wheels, and parts for a tail support trestle. All the mouldings are of the same high quality expected of Wingnut Wings. The two 'D' sprues are unique to this kit and not shared with similar looking UWD floatplane. Sprue E. Again there are two of these supplied for the Benz Bz.III engines. These are my favourite part of any Wingnut Wings kit and I often go out of sequence and start my builds with them, as they are such a pleasure. The mouldings are superb, with nut and bolt details worked out to perfection. If making it up with all the cowling panels glued in place, there is nothing more that you need add. But if you want to display one or both of the engines with the cowlings off, you may want to add some ignition wiring. This goes from the magnetos to a 'sleeve' channel along each side of the cylinder bank. Then individual lengths come out along the sleeve to each spark plug. The instructions actually have photographs from the original engine manual showing both sides, where the wiring is very well shown. Th rest of the sprue contains gun rings and propellers that are not required and can go straight into the spares box. Sprue F. Another large one that fills the box. Again this is unique to the G.1 and not shared with the UWD floatplane kit, as you might have expected. The forward fuselage 'pods' on the two types had significant differences, so in their usual uncompromising way Wingnut Wings have made completely different mouldings for the two kits. Etch. There are various permutations of LMG/14 Parabellum and LMG/08 Spandau machine guns fitted to the five marking options, so the etched fret contains jackets for all three, along with the sights. A set of seat belts are provided for the pilot, as the only crew member given them. A nice touch is the little brass plate with the Wingnut Wings logo and 'Gotha G.1' etched in relief. These look quite good if the lettering is painted with enamel as you don't have to be very precise with the edges. After a couple of hours just go lightly over it with a cotton bud soaked in white spirit, and clean off any excess. Hey presto! you have a neat little brass plaque to place by your finished model. Instructions. If you have never seen a set of Wingnut Wings assembly instructions, then these will be a real treat. Printed on twenty eight pages of heavy high gloss paper, it is as much a work of reference as it is an instruction booklet. The CAD drawings of assembly stages are interspersed with period photographs (thirty seven in all) of actual machines and their details. On thing I particularly like is the CAD drawings of completed sub-assemblies in full colour, as these are a great help in understanding how everything goes together. As mentioned earlier, alternative parts are provided for the guns (Parabellum, Spandau, Becker), early or late wheels, 20kg or 50 kg Carbonit bombs, Reschke or Integral propellers, different arrangement of cockpit coamings, dual or single core radiators, as well as several minor details. Construction is unusual, with the biplane wings & engines being built as complete unit, and then joined to the completed fuselage. A full rigging diagram is provided, with front and rear three-quarter views distinguishing between bracing wires and control wires. Marking Options. Markings are provided for five individual airframes, all in the same basic field grey with light grey forward fuselage pod. Choices cover machines from the start of the G.1's service in July 1915 up until it's last use in September 1916. Option A actually has 2 variations depending upon whether you fit the truly odd looking 'Bomb dropping cage' that it was fitted with for part of its career. A. Gotha G.1 10/15, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7 Sonderstaffel S.1, July to late 1915. B. Gotha G.1 11/15, Fliegerersatz Abteilung 7 Sonderstaffel S.1, late 1915 to early 1916. C. Gotha G.1 13/15, Feld Fleigerabtelung 37, September 1915 D. Gotha G.1 41/15, Kagol 1, late 1915 E. Gotha G.1 41/15 "Feodora", Feld Fleigerabtelung 37, September 1916? Decals Printed by Cartograf, all are in perfect register with good colours and perfect register. The majority of the sheet is covered with various Iron Cross and serial number markings. There are however a large number of small details, beautifully printed and readable under a magnifying glass. Conclusion As you may have gathered, Wingnut Wings have also released a kit of the Floatplane version, the UWD, and only Sprues A and B are common to both kits. Wingnut Wings have set something of a trend for issuing unusual and unexpected models alongside their more mainstream releases of Fokker, Albatros and Sopwith types. The Gotha G.1 must surely be the most unusual of the lot, like something Heath Robinson might have designed. For me this is a large part of the interest I have in Great War aviation, where design rules were not yet very firmly set and the only way to try out new ideas was to build them. The G.1 looks so odd to modern eyes because we now have a fixed idea of what a 'correct' aeroplane should look like. Perhaps only the Handley Page Heyford came close in replicating this layout, but even that had the engines on the top wing in a more conventional fashion. Full Marks to Wingnut Wings for producing such a wonderful model of this strange looking aircraft. It is well up to their world class standard, and I am sure will be a delight to build, if a little more involved than a single engined biplane. Get one to go with your Taube, Albatros B.II, and Eindekkers! Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  22. Hi all, A post this evening on using foam with large vac models has prompted the thought that I should post work to date here so that: a. It's more accessible b: I might actually extract a digit and crack on as she has become a bit of a running joke (well - the lack of progress anyway!) Early foto's quite poor I'm afraid - only digital camera I had to hand at the time - but you should get the gist... So - going back to Jan 2000 - in a Galaxy far, far away... Let me introduce you all to Connie - an elegant lady that I'm sure I'll be spending quite some time with ) Connie is the ID Models 1:32nd scale Lockheed EC121 Constellation kit (kit used in the loosest of senses - more a case of a set of reasonably accurate (so it would seem so far!) basic airframe shapes). This aeroplane is one of my all time favourites and when I came across the kit I had to have it. Needless to say, my fiancé Anne and myself are now house hunting - we need more space!! When finished she'll be resplendent in US Navy blue and white colours as an EC121K Warning Star. The moldings are reasonably cleanly formed on two huge sheets of polystyrene, roughly 60 thou thick. The box of Milliput placed next to the lower port mainplane should give you all a sense of size. This is the second of the two sheets. The first step is to fill the larger of the shapes with Polyurethane Foam, on order to provide some strength and rigidity, both during construction and once completed. Here's John Wilkes helping out by mixing up some foam - only use the two pack stuff, as the air drying type can continue expanding for a long period, causing real problems later! This was a big job and it's at times like these you need your friends (not just for the extra pair of hands, but also for the moral support and encouragement you need when starting a project this BIG!) First pour - port fuselage half. Don't use too much, this stuff expands like crazy! Starboard fuselage half - with foam in the process of expanding. All of this was done outside in sub-zero temperatures which slowed the process down and, we think, led to a denser foam. All the major components - fuselage halves, tip tanks, nose and radomes filled and curing. More foam was needed later! Port fuselage half and other bits removed from the backing sheet. Photo taken on my kitchen worktop on Sunday 9th Jan 2000 - UK readers will be able to compare Connie's size with the plug socket on the wall. Iain
  23. Im saving up money for model kits rn and I am constantly thinking about the HK Models 1:32 Lancaster, which is not on my list yet, what are your thoughts on the kit and if you have made it by any chance what did you think of the build? Thanks in advance. Levi
  24. Avro Lancaster Instrument Panel Upgrade Airscale 1:32 In preparation for the release of the huge HK Models Lancaster, we have Airscale providing a replacement instrument panel, which includes each individual panel, levers and shrouds for the throttle quadrant and a set of decals, and knowing Peter's penchant for detail, highly accurate. There are also two small sheets of acetate with exceptional optical quality. The etched steel parts should be painted and finished off to the modellers taste before assembly can begin. For the main instrument panel, engineers panel, navigators and circuit breaker panel the clear acetate sheets should be cut to size, using the panels as a template, the gluing the acetate to the rear of he panel followed by the decal, ensuring the instruments align with the positions on the front of the panel, the etched backing plate is then glued into position completing the assembly. Some of the instrument decals are for the front face of the panels such as the switch covers. For the throttle quadrant, you will need to make slots in the kit part before adding the various levers. The shrouds should be removed from the sheet separately in order to fit the correct to the correct position on the quadrant as there are left and right shrouds in addition to the main shroud for the throttle levers. Conclusion Peter's decal panels and Photo-Etched (PE) instrument bezels have rapidly gained a reputation for quality within our hobby, and Fantasy Printshop have done another fine job of printing his work. The big Lancaster will be a labour of love with as much detail as possible by most modellers who buy it and what better place to start than the cockpit. When I talked to Peter at Telford, he assured me this set will also fit the newly announced 1:32 Lancaster from Wingnut Wings. Review sample courtesy of Peter at
  25. My first foray into 1:32 after a long time. I don´t plan to build more 1:32 unless I get Revell's Bf 109G-6 and decals to build it as Erich Hartmann's all white plane while he was part of JG 53. The aircraft here is the second run of Revell's 1:32 Fw 190, the A-8/R11 nightfighter. The antennas were difficult to add because they didn´t want to stick to their support struts. At some point after the build the right hand mounting peg for the right wheel got damaged and the wheel slanted to one side. It was "fixed" by applying quite a bit of epoxy glue and letting it to harden during the night. The photos were taken with backlighting to give the aircraft a better nightfighter feel.
×
×
  • Create New...