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Ahoy all, I have a question. I've just purchased the RealColors NATO set and I'm wondering how suitable they are for U.S. vehicles. As we know, Tamiya does the three colours as well, which I normally use. The reason I ask is because in the past I'd heard there was a slight difference between the U.S. version of the tri-colour scheme, and say the German one. Looking at the paint codes on the NATO set, they aren't FS numbers but RAL, and they look a bit duller/darker than the Tamiya equivalent. A Wikipedia search IDs the green as RAL 6031-F9 'Bronze Green', the brown as RAL 8027-F9 'Leather Brown' and the black as RAL 9021-F9 'Tar Black', and mentions these were specifically a Bundeswehr combination. So would these ones still be accurate for U.S. vehicles, which often appear brighter, or more suited for the likes of the Bundeswehr? Cheers, Gaz

Hi all. I've been thinking of purchasing the AK interactive NATO wash, but I'm curious to know if my Mig Thinner for Washes will work with it, considering the latter is for enamel washes (and Mig washes are a pain to locate) and the AK wash is enamel based. I'm hoping so, as this would avert the need for the AK thinner and let me use the cash for another product. But I'll defer to the expertise of others. Any help would be greatly appreciated, thanks Gaz

Hi Folks here is another of my occasional forays into 1/48, the Airfix Gloster Javelin FAW9. I have been wanting to do this particular aircraft for quite some time as it was the only operational Javelin to have a natural metal finish (for the last few years of it's career at any rate) and a Javelin was the first ever aircraft I can remember seeing flying over Brechin when I was a nipper. XH898 was the personal mount of 228 OCU's CO, Sqn Ldr George Beaton, when based at RAF Leuchars in the mid 1960's. The kit is without a doubt the best Airfix kit I've ever made, it almost fell together and the engineering of the kit is quite amazing. It does have some areas that are tricky to assemble, I had a bit of trouble getting the front fuselage to line up properly with the aft section so ended up with a step and I would liked to have left the exhaust cans off until after the painting was completed to save a bit of masking. I added some seatbelts made out of foil and a pair of Master pitot probes as I broke the kit ones but other than that it's OOB. I was going to add the aerials that Airfix didn't provide but couldn't confirm which ones were fitted so left them off for now. Paint is AK Interactive's Extreme Metal paints and the roundels are from an Xtradecal sheet as the Airfix ones were very thick and wouldn't play nicely. Airfix got the colour of the canopy framing wrong on the instructions as they say it should be black when the colour photos of XH898 show it to be Dark Green with the same colour band around the rear of the radome. This is by far the biggest kit I've built since returning to the hobby (how the guys that build 1/32 B17s etc do it I don't know!) and found it quite a handful during the build as the space I have for modelling is really geared up for building 1/72 Bf109s and suchlike. I also found taking the photos a challenge and Mrs B is suitably unimpressed with it taking up a lot of room in the display cabinet too. I hope you like her. And one for the Lineys, there's always one joker! Duncan B

Ref.AK148001 Source: https://www.facebook.com/AKinteractive.official/photos/pcb.1062704810417911/1062704483751277/?type=3&theater V.P.

Ref. AK148002 Source: https://www.facebook.com/AKinteractive.official/posts/1062704810417911 V.P.

Hello all Haven´t done much modeling lately but stll manage to finish this 109 in Galland´s colors. Last year I bought AK´s Luftwaffes camouflge color sets and wanted to try them out and a had an old 1/48 hasegawa 109E kit in my stash for ages (not my scale),so i give them a go and here is the result: Also used some items from the Eduard photoetch an decals came from a techmod sheet because the kits decals were to yellow and broke apart in the water. Nose yellow is humbrol 154 and True Details tyres. Really liked AK´s paints. Enjoy the photos. Hope you like it!! Regards FBorges

Aces High Magazine. WW1 Centenary. Perhaps best known for their paints and weathering products, AK Interactive have now moved into publishing their own aviation modelling magazine 'Aces High'. Issue 2 is themed 'WW1 Centenary' and is devoted to models from that era. Five different aircraft builds are featured in 1/32 and 1/48, these being the DH.2, Sopwith Pup, and Hannover CL.II form Wingnut Wings, and Fokker DR.1 and Nieuport 23 from Eduard. More than this though, there is a feature on figure painting, a 1/32 fuel cart, and a 1/72 Mack Bulldog truck. This is a great idea, as although many of us are primarily aircraft builders, we like to add accessories and figures to our showcases. The magazine seems to be squarely aimed at people who actually build their models, as there is only minimal text to introduce each subject. The bulk of the pages are reserved to explain and illustrate how to achieve some of those tricky results that you see on top class models. Sequences of photographs are used to show step by step how to build and paint an engine for example, or wooden propeller, or wheels, and so on. I particularly like the section explaining how the Wingnut Wings Hannover was rigged, as this is an area I know I need to improve on myself. I really like this method of explanation, several times I found myself thinking 'oh, so that is how it is done' as I read through the articles. Each finished model is shown from several angles, the DH.2 is a particularly impressive piece of work. The printing throughout is on good quality glossy paper, with full colour photographs and supporting text keyed to each picture. 72 pages are provided, of which only 6 are used for advertisements, and that includes the back cover with a rather nice Wingnut Wings ad on! 'Aces High' is available through AK Interactive's own website, and I notice that Amazon and EBay also list it. The 'Next issue' teaser at the back of issue 2 tells us that issue 3 will be themed on late war Japanese fighters, figures, and vehicles. This is a very impressive new magazine, clearly written by modellers for modellers, and I wholeheartedly recommend that you get hold of a copy and see for yourself. It's a good read and you are almost certainly going to pick up some very useful new tips. Review sample courtesy of

Luftwaffe Colours 2 AK Interactive Paints can be a very personal item to the modeller who can and will stick with one particular manufacturer or at the very least a specific type. The choice of paint in the current market is huge. Well, now there is another set of acrylic paints to choose from, released by AK Interactive, who are probably better known for their weathering products and are also increasing their line of paint. The set comes in an end opening box, with the 17ml plastic bottles contained in a plastic tray inside. This set has been designed for German aircraft, and contains eight Luftwaffe colours, RLM 72 RLM 73 RLM 78 RLM 79 RLM 80 RLM 81 RLM 82 RLM 83 According to the blurb on the bottles they can be both brushed or airbrushed which please a lot of modellers. Once the bottles have been shaken very well colour density looks pretty good, and if they are anything like their armour colours they spray and cover well. Although I haven’t used them with a brush, I cannot see why you shouldn’t be able to get a good finish with them. On the back of the box there is a useful colour chart of which colours go together and depict six aircraft in various schemes. These being two desert schemes for the Me-109, one for an F and one for a G, one scheme for the Arado Ar-196, one for the Junker Ju-52, (the float equipped version being shown), one for the Arado Ar-234 and one scheme for the Fw-190D. Also included in the package AK interactive sent to us were two bottles of thinners. The standard thinners, in a 60ml bottle is specifically for thinning the paints when using an airbrush and, according to the information on the side of the bottle has been designed to prevent clogging and jamming. The second bottle contains 100ml of what AK Interactive call their Nitro Thinners, a nitrocellulose based thinners which can be used with, again, according to the information on the bottle ,any other brand of acrylic paint. It can also be used to clean brushes and air brushes after use. How well either of these thinners works will only be known when I use them, which will probably be on my next build. After which I will be able amend this review accordingly Conclusion This is another set of very useful and well thought out selection of paint colours. The ease of use I’ve had with their previous paints should mean that when I get to use them the results will be just as pleasing. Since my next build will be for a review, it will be good to try these products at the same time. Highly recommended, subject to testing Paint set Thinners Nitro Thinners Review sample courtesy of

I just got this link for AK's allegedly better than the best metalliser thing ever: http://www.ak-interactive.com/ak/NEWSOCT2014/TRUEMETAL.pdf It looks way useful, anyone got their steely mitts on yet?

German War Colours 1937 - 1944 AK Interactive There is a huge choice when it comes to German armour kits, with almost every manufacturer having a good selection in their portfolio. But what do you paint them with? Now, AK Interactive are well known for their weathering products and are increasing their line of paint. This set has been designed for German Armour from 1937 – 1944, and contains six Wehrmacht colours, • Polizei/Waffen SS grun, • RAL 7021Dunklegrau • RAL 7017 Dunklebraun • RAL 6003 Olivgrun Opt 1 • RAL 6003 Olivgrun Opt 2 • RAL 7028 Dunklegelb According to the blurb on the bottles they can be both brushed or airbrushed which please a lot of modellers. Once the bottles have been shaken very well colour density looks pretty good, but until I’ve used them I cannot definitively state how well they spray or cover. On the back of the box there is a useful colour chart of which colours go together and depict five armoured vehicles/tanks in various schemes. Conclusion This looks to be a very useful and well thought out set of colours from AK Interactive and will prove a boon to both the beginner and expert alike. Without actually trying them though I can only recommend them with from my use of other products in their range. When I get to use them I will amend this review accordingly. Review sample courtesy of

Weathering Techniques AK Interactive If you’ve ever wondered how some modellers create their works of art when building and finishing model ships, particularly Kriegsmarine subjects, then this DVD will help show how you can do the same. Released by AK Interactive, and produced by two great names in the manufacture of paints and weathering systems, Fernando Vallejo and Mig Jimenez. The DVD lasts around sixty minutes and takes you through the methods of weathering, adding high and low lights in a simple and easy to follow way. Whilst there are some Spanish subtitles the narration is in English. The narrator, whist actually American is very clear and concise in his diction making it very easy to follow. After the introduction of some excellent wartime footage of battleships, cruisers and destroyers, mainly Kriegsmarine, but some British there are four chapters covering the basics of weathering. The first chapter, Preparing your model covers how to paint the main colours and in what order. The second shows how to paint wooden decks and give them structure and depth. Painting and weathering the hull from top to bottom and stem to stern is covered in the third chapter. Whilst the fourth describes how to add dirt and rust to the hull and around the anchor cut outs of the heavy cruiser being built. The last two chapters cover more advanced techniques using a damaged Kriegsmarine destroyer as the subject. The fifth chapter covers chipping, using AK Interactives own worn effects fluid and rust set. The last chapter describes how to create special effects, in the case of the destroyer, bomb damage, blast effects and the resulting change in the surrounding paintwork. Naturally all paints and weathering effects are either Vallejo or AK Interactive but the techniques used by the modeller Fran Romero should be able to be repeated using your own favourite paints. Conclusion This is the first time I’ve seen a DVD like this and I have to say I am very impressed. I’ve not really thought about weathering my maritime builds to such an extent before, particularly as I generally don’t do seascapes, but this has inspired me to certainly give it go on my current and future builds. This is a great way to learn new techniques and the production of the DVD is superb. My only concern was the background music, which at times sounded like something out of a 70’s porn movie. If you’re like me, you don’t normally do weathering, then have a look at this video and give it a go. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Weathering Oils AK Interactive Continuing their apparent goal to dominate the weathering market AK Interactive have released six new weathering oils. They look like they’re designed mainly for the maritime modeller, although they could probably be used in numerous other applications. Each colour comes in an orange 20ml tube, with the name of the colour printed in white, which makes it very difficult to read. The six colours are:- AK-500 – Light Grey Highlight AK-501 – Dark Grey fading AK-502 - Shadows for Grey ships. AK- 503 - Light Rust AK-504 – Dark Rust AK-505 – Black Smoke These are artist quality oils with a very fine pigment and can be used individually or mixed together or with other oil paints to create the desired colours. The greys can be used to create highlights or change the tone of an area on a grey background, whilst the rusts are ideal for rust effects, or change the tone of an oxidised area. The black smoke is ideal for smoke effects or used to accent the dark washes used in shadowed/obscure areas of a model. Conclusion This is another great batch of weathering oils from AK Interactive. The fineness of the pigments makes them easy to thin down and not look gritty or lumpy when used. Recommended Review sample courtesy of

Naval Weathering Sets AK Interactive So, you’ve read the review, bought and viewed the weathering DVD reviewed HERE and now you want to start trying out the techniques demonstrated in it. To begin with you need to get some weathering effects and AK Interactive has released two sets just for the maritime modeller. Each set has three 35ml jars of weathering colours. They are to the usual AK Interactive standard, being easy to use straight from the bottle after a good vigorous shake. The only downside for some modellers is the need to use white spirit to reduce and clean up the areas being weathered. The first set, naturally named Naval 1, (AK 555), contains a wash for grey hulls, (AK-302), a wash for Kriegsmarine ships, (AK-303) and a brown streaking grime for red hulls, (AK-304). The second set, Naval 2, (AK 556), contains a dark wash for wooden decks, (AK-301), streaking grime for light grey ships (AK-305) and salt streaks for ships, (AK-306). Using either a combination of colours or the whole set, with care and attention some really great effects should be manageable for the weathering beginner. Conclusion These sets are a very welcome addition to AK Interactives product line as maritime modellers seem to get left behind when it comes to products like these. Being easy to use and very effective I can recommended them to all maritime modellers, whether you build as a mounted display or a seascape the look of a model can be transformed. I will certainly be putting these to good use. Review sample courtesy of

AK Interactive - Weathering Magazine - Issue 2 The 2nd issue of the AK Interactive weathering magazine is now available in the UK. The first issue sold out very quickly and we are unable to get anymore so if you would like a copy of issue 2 we would suggest ordering quickly. Issue 2 concentrates on the appplication of Dust, Dirt and Earth and once again has some stunning pieces from Mig Jimenez. It contains 63 colour pages. This time we will study the effects of Dust and Dirt using a wide range of products and painting techniques demonstrated by some of the world's best modelers. The magazine explains in depth how to apply these effects on all types of models including figures, helicopters, trains, sci-fi and of course tanks. We will also enjoy again the company of our workmate Akatsya. The modeler will want to collect each issue to create a bibliography of techniques, effects, references and inspiration. If you enjoyed FAQ2, then this is the magazine that you are searching for. Full details can be found here We have also received a selection of other new books from AK AKBOOK403 - AK Interactive Book - German Colors, Camouflage Profile Guide, Volume 1 - £20.99 This book analyzes original, eye-catching color variants and camouflage patterns introduced by the German Army late 1944 as used during the last year of the war, 1945. Throughout the 72 pages the modeller will find inspiration for the next project. The book contains more than 180 color renderings showing the many camouflage patterns used on common vehicles, and oddities used by the German forces. It inclues vehicles such as the Panther, Pz. IV, Tiger I y II, Stugs, Artillery Guns, Halftracks and more. A special section of the book will help us interpret black and white photographs, and also a chapter about What If and Paper Panzers. We also include a section where we observe taking renderings to finished models. The perfect complement for new acrylic set AK 554 German Late War Colors. AKBOOKLEB - Military Vehicles in Lebanon 1975-1981 - £25.00 In the 90 pages of their book the modeler will find hundreds of interesting photos full of information and inspiration. In this tragic civil war period there could be seen a large variety of vehicles in use by the different factions displaying many different camouflage schemes. This book will also be of great help not only for a model or diorama set during this period in Lebanon, but it will be a useful reference for ideas in other areas of the Middle Ease such as Syria, Iraq, Egypt or Iran. This book is a necessary resource for modern era warfare enthusiasts. AKBOOKP40 - Panzer Aces Magazine - Issue 40 - £10.99 This is issue 40 of the Panzer Aces Armour Modelling Magazine. Writen by the best modellers you will be guided though step by step processes as they demonstrate their techniques and explain their modeling tips and tricks on a wide range of diverse subjects, all shown in exceptional quality images. This first issue that AK Interactive is distributing will be dedicated to the latest Tamiya kits and Tamiya itself.