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  1. Flight Lieutenant Ian Howard Roediger served with 3 Squadron RAAF for two tours of WWII. Married to my Grandmother’s sister, F/L Roediger was my great uncle. Family folklore held his exploits with the Kittyhawk in high regard. He is on the far left of the second row in this photo. F/L Roediger performed a textbook wheels-up landing in Kittyhawk IV FX639 on a whizzer strip, on the 13th May 1944, after being hit by A/A over Cassino. The aircraft was not badly damaged and was returned to service. A few months later on the 13th June he bailed out of Kittyhawk IV FX713 at 800ft, after again being hit by A/A. He was rescued by a forward stretcher bearer patrol. For his airmanship, he was awarded the DFC. When Rex Bayly completed his second operational tour and went on leave on the 21st October 1944, F/L Roediger was made Commanding Officer. On the 29th, Murray Nash returned to start his 2nd tour and resumed command as Squadron Leader. 3 Squadron was the first RAAF unit to be equipped with the North American P-5l Mustang III. From reading through the Operations Record, it’s clear that F/L Roediger initially flew Mustang III FX942, later Mustang III KH613 during November 1944. For the final mission of his second and final tour, on 6th December 1944, he flew Mustang III KH615, code CV-B. The op was an armed reconnaissance run over Sarajevo, and it’s this Mustang I will be building. The Arma Hobby 1/72 P-51B/C will comprise the base on which I will be working. The decal sheet for 3 Sqn. FB244 has everything I need for KH615, apart from the correct codes and serials. In a spot of good luck, one of the other options has the serial KH516, so I’ll chop that up and rearrange it! For the codes, I will utilise a ‘B’ from the Ventura sheet V3279. White 8” serials in 1/32nd scale. 12" 1/48th, 18" 1/72nd. Because I haven’t been able to locate any definitive photos of KH615, I’m making an educated guess on the shape, but there’s a nice blocky ‘B’ that matches the ‘CV’ quite well. One aspect of the KH series of Mustang IIIs I have noticed in photos is that they all have a fin fillet, so I’ll be sure to choose that option. I’m otherwise assuming the camouflage pattern and colour (Ocean Grey / Dark Green over Medium Sea Grey) should match the FB244 diagram, but would love to have this confirmed by anyone in the know. I would really appreciate any input on other details that may be relevant. I'll likely start this a few weeks late, as I've committed to quite a number of group builds this year. It's a special one, so while I'm aiming for the deadline, I'll be happy enough to continue later in the WIP if that's ok. As a final note, the Operations Records above have been copied and posted from my personal Flickr account, as they are now out of copyright and in the public domain. If this is a problem I will willingly remove them.
  2. Hi fellows, this is my rendition of the Hurricane MkIIc from Arma. Superb kit with brilliant details an rivet lines. The fit is superb, no need for putty. I added some handles at the canopy. The typical colors came from AK Real colors. No big issues, but one have to pay attention to the tube construction of the cockpit frame. Weathering with all current things, like oils, pigments, watercolor pencils and so on. Enough waffling on to the pic’s
  3. Source: https://www.facebook.com/ArmaHobby/posts/3462056447158021 Considering it'll be most probably a WWII period a/c and in 1/72nd this will be uninteresting to me... My (Polish) wishes - 1/48th plastic kits from: TS-8 Bies, TS-11 Iskra & PZL-130 Orlik. V.P.
  4. From the latest newsletter: In November we will announce a completely new model kit, but for now, it's a secret! I hope I don't offend anyone of you 1/48 people, but I have a bad feeling it's gonna be another 1/48 kit.
  5. I welcome everyone with another craft - Hurricane Mk.2C from Hawker. Arma Hobby set in the Expert Set version. If not for a couple of shortcomings, it could be called a recreational set. Perhaps the most unpleasant thing about the set is the canopy; its thickness is very unpleasant even for the closed position. In the open position, again due to the thickness of the canopy, the manufacturer made a cut on the gargrot so that this very canopy could be seated. Therefore, we had to adapt the vacuum canopy from Rob Taurus, remove the selection on the gargrot, and simultaneously develop its complex shape. In addition to the canopy, additional elements were installed with resin exhaust pipes from Quickboost and brass machine gun barrels from Master. To the best of our ability, the design of the landing lights was refined - the ones in the kit are a bit rough, the rear pillar is also made in a rough way, some rods were added - on the keel, in the radiator scoops, and other little things. In general, the Arma kit is one of the best that I have ever owned, there is a lot of external detailing, impressively done, but it required more care, especially when riveting the model. Prototype - pilot Michael Rook, Algeria, December 1942. Enjoy watching, and I apologize for the automatic translation.
  6. After the P-51B/C (link), Arma Hobby is to release the 1/72nd North American P-51D/K Mustang bubbletop versions. Source comments: https://www.facebook.com/ArmaHobby/posts/4796445153719137 V.P.
  7. I am wondering if anyone can comment on the accuracy of DKD decals and Arma Hobby markings as they pertain to Arma's latest Mk.IIc Sea Hurricane? I came across a 1/72 Sea Hurricane sheet on Hannants from DKD: One of the markings is the same as Arma Hobbys' new Sea Hurricane Mk.IIc: On the starboard side, underneath the engine exhausts, DKD has a small marking (I can not make it out), Arma Hobby does not (at least that I could not see on the decal sheet). I am also curious if this Sea Hurricane would have been out fitted with rockets as depicted by DKD - IMHO, it certainly adds to the look of the plane.
  8. Good day, Here is the Arma Hobby P-39N Airacobra. Highlights of this kit are as follows……… 1. Airframe colors A. Mission Models Olive Drab ( MMP-024 ), Model Master Neutral Gray 2. Landing gears struts : Mission Models Green Zinc Chromate MMP-068 3. Interior : Mission Models US Interior Green MMP-054, Vallejo Green Zinc Chromate 4. Misc colors : Tamiya Yellow Green XF-4, Life Color Gray, Mission Models Tire Black, Tamiya Flat Black XF-1, Tamiya metallic gray, Polly scale burnt aluminum, MRP Traffic red, Gunze silver 5. Photo Etched seat belts 6. Washes : Vallejo dark brown ( airframe panel lines, upper & lower ), Vallejo light gray, Vallejo light rust 7. Uschi bobbin thread antenna 8. Aeromaster “Stalin`s Cobras” #72-037 decals 9. Pastels : Brown, dark gray, medium gray, black I know that I will receive some pushback upon my review of this particular offering from Arma Hobby. While the kit has beautiful detail it comes in a complicated assembly process. There are no alignment pins especially within the cockpit parts and nose landing gear. Assembly of the main landing gear was a matter of mating the tire, strut, and covers together. The cockpit and nose landing gear bay come in no less than 13 separate pieces. The nose landing gear requires a separate piece to be “bent” into shape and then placed within the gear bay without the use of any alignment pins. This complicated system made for a very fragile and somewhat weak support structure. There are three small metal balls to be placed within the nose to use as ballast to have the Cobra sit correctly. Similar to some Eduard kits, great care needs to be foremost when assembling this P-39. The slightest misalignment will result in considerable problems with fit of the fuselage later. I had to return to the cockpit and sand down certain parts to have the fuselage and windscreen fit properly. Despite having the Aeromaster decal sheet for nearly 30 years now ( egads!!!! ), the decals went on well and did not react negatively to setting solution at all. In closing, while this is a good kit in regards to size, dimensions, and detail, I found it to be a bit disappointing when it came to having everything align correctly. At a price in excess of $30 US, one would come to expect a better engineered product however with some extra patience it does build into an accurate replica of the famous Airacobra. I can only recommend this kit to those with more experience in the hobby. Thank you in advance, Mike *Upon further inspection of my submission of this Arma Hobby P-39, I noticed that I had completely forgot to install the main gear door actuators. Instead of resubmitting the entire posting, I went back and installed the actuators and stil used these pictures.
  9. What seems like eons ago, I completed a kit - a Mistercraft Albatros, during August. I was left with an empty space in front of me. I thought what's new, likely to be a decent fitting kit, that I can exorcise the prolems I had with the Mistercraft Albatros (and the Mistercraft Sopwith Camel before that)? I went to the stash, my hand reached out, and picked the new-ish Arma Hobby 1.72 Hurricane IIb/c. I thought - yes! This is likely to actually fit in all those important areas! It comes with Etch and masks! And I'd bought a Yahu seat and seatbelt set. And Master cannon barrels. This can't go wrong, surely? Painting started the kit, on the sprues. That went well. Then I put the wheel well together, and dry fitted it to the wings. Result - the wheel well parts were too big for the wings to fit together.. I had to cut some of the wheel well walls off, and sand the rest to within an inch of its life to get the wings to fit. Then dry fitting the wings to the fuselage; that didn't fit too well, either. The rest of the kit has gone together nicely, but that darn wheel well/wings/fuselage fit - plenty of sanding and filler needed. Oh well, it's over now, painting went well, tamiya and humbrol rattle cans for the medium sky grey and dark earth/dark green. I chose the pacific area livery as I hadn't done one before. The livery is a Hurricane IIc, from 34 Squadron SEAC Dergaeon, in Spring 1944. This was actually a most extraordinary Hurricane; the only 5 cannon Hurricane in existence. Okay, it's a 5 cannon hurricane because one of the master gun barrels went into the hole I'd prepared in the wing and carried on into the wing itself. So every time I pick it up, the kit rattles. I ended up buying another set of master gun barrels to finish the kit with a fourth barrel! Decals went on fine, but given I'd been on this model for 3 months I decided to give the stencils a miss. Will I try another arma hobby kit? Yes, now that I know there could be fit problems, so I'll be on guard, so to speak. Here are the photos, you will be able to judge for yourselves how bad a job I did, or conversely, how well I overcame difficulties !!
  10. This build was completed yesterday. It was done OOB, with the addition of Eduard seatbelts. Paint is Vallejo Model Air, applied over a black base mottled with gray shades. I bought the Arma Hobby FM-2 "Training Cats" edition, initially with the intention of using some aftermarket decals to build a deployed, combat area aircraft. I decided against that, and set about building a "Training Cat." Deciding which one to replicate proved very difficult! Ultimately, I chose to replicate LS03, unit unknown. The mix of the Atlantic camo scheme with a mismatched cowl grabbed my attention. The build was a pleasant experience, and assembly went very smoothly. Thankfully, I researched the kit and read about a build technique that greatly simplified assembly of the landing gear. This would have been very difficult just going off the instructions. I noticed the landing gear, as supplied, seemed to be missing a strut on each side. I cut some styrene rod and added them- 5th photo, circled in red. The cockpit was washed with Flory grime wash, and the wear was done with Vallejo Metal Color dull aluminum applied with a sponge. The exterior weathering was done with Flory washes, oils, and Tamiya Weathering Master. I tried a new (for me) airbrush technique for the exhaust staining. I built up a layer of "engine soot", followed by thinned NATO black, and finished with a thinned mixture of a grayish tan color I made by mixing Light Gull Gray and "yellow sand". I included a photo of the actual aircraft at the end. If anyone knows anything more about this aircraft, such as where it was stationed, I would like to hear about it. Thanks for looking, and feedback is always appreciated.
  11. Hi Gents, P-39 !! What a sleek and fine design from Bell corp engineers ! So many innovations for that time, engine position, tricycle landing gear, heavy armement .. canopy etc.; Was a very good combat plane indeed, ( just to see what the russians pilots did with it on eastern front .) but like its contemporary friend the P-40 , he lacks efficient compressor to get good performances at high altitude. I liked this aircraft for long , and once again Arma Hobby provides us with another little gem in 1/72nd (please don't stop !! ) very nice replica, probably the ultimate one for this scale.. Large choice of options for L through Q series, Three types of blades, two types of nose armement cover, different wings armement options, nose wheels .. In fact you find everything in the box to build a very nice model without trouble. Last point to add, anyone can say that these guys from AH have balls... Three in fact , no kidding 🤣 ..and they put them in the box to help this elegant plane to hold on its three legs .. that's a very nice and good point ! Just a regret for me, the lack of a four blades propeller, to build last Q series one ( that were put in use by French AF 😉.) To go to my build now, I've decided to build an " air-A-Cutie " since I was a kid .. long time ago now .. so I took a chance to have this nice model to build it .. Some surgery on the nose guns cover, no landing gears covers as seen on pictures, just add the Eduard drop tank accessory very fine 3D printing stuff that fits perfectly well with the model. Air-A-Cutie had a long operational life ( considering the period ...) some evolutions were made in markings and nose art during its front line " career".. Mine represent it at le last time of its use. means, white reco markings on wings leading edges and tail , with bars added to the US markings roundels. and change in left side Pin-Up arm. I really had pleasure to build this one, may be another one , one day ( what about the four blades props guys ??? 😄) Now on to the pics hope you'll like this one , Take care all of you and , happy modeling !! cheers ! François
  12. Hurricane Mk.IIc Trop (40005) 1:48 Arma Hobby The Hawker Hurricane was one of Britain's foremost fighters of WWII, and although overshadowed by the more graceful and slender Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, it was a capable aircraft that was available in large numbers, and achieved more than its fair share of kills during the conflict, usually from going after the bombers while the Spits kept the fight cover busy. It went on to see service to the end of the war, but was relegated to less onerous tasks as technology leapt forward resulting in faster, more agile aircraft that came on stream on both sides of the conflict. The type originated in the early 30s and first took to the sky in 1935, despite the Air Ministry’s tepid reaction to monoplanes at the time, and it was eventually an aircraft that set standards for fighters that followed it, being a monoplane with a predominantly metal airframe, retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit and of course the delightfully powerful and throaty Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Compared to the Spitfire it was a little old-fashioned, starting out with a fabric-covered ‘rag’ wing that was eventually replaced by an all-metal aerofoil, and it was less aerodynamically streamlined, with a thicker wing and overall chunkier, blunt appearance. Although the wing was replaced by a metal aerofoil later, it retained the fabric rear fuselage and as such was able to have minor damage there repaired quickly and easily, compared to the Spitfire that would have to go back to a repair facility for structurally insignificant through-and-through bullet damage. A fabric patch followed by a few coats of dope, and the Hurri would be back to the fray, which endeared it both to its pilots and ground crew alike. By the time the improvements to the airframe resulted in the Mk.IIC, it was tasked with ground attack, hunting German tanks, which weren’t as easy to crack as first expected, because 20mm cannon shells would often ricochet off the frontal and side armour, and bombing a relatively small target such as a tank was a matter of pure luck, all while the enemy poured rounds in your general direction. It was withdrawn from front-line fighter service at this stage of the war, as by then the enemy aircraft outclassed it in most respects, but it carried on in ground-attack, night fighter and intruder roles where it excelled, without unnecessary exposure to enemy fighters where top speed might be a disadvantage. It was succeeded by the D that mounted a pair of 40mm cannon in gondolas under the wings, increasing its offensive power appreciably, at which point it acquired the nickname ‘The Flying Can Opener’, adding additional frontal armour to the airframe that was exposed during dangerous low-level attacks. They carried on in that role until the Typhoon came into service, which carried out the job faster and more efficiently without having to worry about being bounced by enemy fighters, partly because their numbers were dwindling due to attrition, but also because the Typhoon had additional power that allowed it to hold its own. The Kit This is a reboxing of a brand-new tooling from Arma Hobby that many 1:48 modellers were waiting for, as their 1:72 kits have a reputation for excellent detail, with the inference being that in a larger scale the detail would be even better. It came as no surprise that it is, and this new boxing reinforces that. The kit arrives in an end-opening box with a sturdy tray inside that prevents the box being crushed in the stash. The painting of a cannon armed Hurricane dropping bombs from its wing stations while firing its cannons, and like the initial boxing, it is dramatic and well-executed, with the side profiles of the decal options on the rear of the box. The package has the same design cues and layout as the 1:72 boxes, which makes it feel larger than it really is when handling it. Inside the box is the tray that contains three sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-tape masks (not pictured because it’s pointless – just imagine a featureless yellow square), instruction booklet that is printed on glossy paper in colour, with each decal option getting a full page of colour profiles at the rear of the booklet. Detail is everything we have come to expect from Arma, with crisp engraved panel lines, fine raised rivets, restrained fabric scalloping effect on the fuselage rear, and plenty of raised and recessed features that should result in a superb model if care is taken during building and painting. If this is your first Arma kit, you should know that they have a technique of adding stiffening ribs and stringers inside their kits, and they hide away their ejector-pins in places that won’t be seen, usually with a circle of tiny turrets around them. They are usually positioned so that they can be left intact without affecting assembly, but if they do need to be removed, you’ll be told in the instructions. Their instruction booklets are incredibly well detailed, and will help immensely, so take note of the minutiae and add your own remarks to help you remember if you need to – I know I do. Construction begins with the lower wing for a change, drilling out holes applicable to whether you intend to fit bombs or drop-tanks under the wings of your model. The holes are marked in red for tanks, and blue for bombs, which is helpful, and the diagrams are accompanied by a little explanatory text that advises that the tanks can be used in the third decal options of this boxing. The gear bay is created from a well-detailed section of spar that has a pair of retraction jacks and a pressurised cylinder applied to it, then it has the remaining walls and their ribs mated to it and is covered by the bay roof, feeding a brass-painted hose through the bay once completed. Attention then shifts to the cockpit for a moment, building the seat from four parts, which is supplied with decal seatbelts and is glued to the rear bulkhead after painting for later installation in the cockpit. We return to the wing again, removing the drop-tank location points for one decal option, and cutting a new rectangular hole nearby, filling in the original with a piece of scrap styrene or filler whilst you are there. The gear bay assembly is glued into the full-span upper wing along with another short spar section to the rear, then joining them together after removing a short portion of the stiffener behind the landing light bays to achieve a better fit for their inserts, finally covering the lower wing with the two uppers. Now we learn why we didn’t start with the cockpit, as it is built in the space between the wings once they are completed, starting with the control linkage and frame under the pilot’s legs, with the foot rests/trays over the top, and a small lever glued to a cross-member on the left. The sidewall frames are painted and added to the sides, locating in slots in the wing centre, and these are joined by the rudder pedals on a central mount, and a V-frame that stiffens the assembly at the rear. The control column is built from three parts and includes the linkages that lead under the pilot’s seat, which is inserted last over the V-braces at the rear, locating on more slots in the wing centre. Flipping the wing over, a pair of rods are inserted into the bays, their location shown by another drawing that highlights them in blue, although these might be best done before starting to add parts to the cockpit to avoid breaking the parts. The instrument panel is next, with raised details depicting the instrument bezels, plus other switches and controls, with a decal included for it and the compass that fits between two brackets under the panel. It is glued into the starboard fuselage half with a pair of small pieces of equipment, with four more in the port side, and the option to pose the foot step on the exterior skin pushed inward, which is a nice touch. There is also a decal for a pair of dials moulded into the fuselage sidewall. With that, the fuselage halves can be brought together, seams dealt with, and then carefully mated with the wings, taking care not to damage the lovely detail in the cockpit. If you are closing the canopy, it could be best to remove the rails on which it slides before you start assembling the cockpit within to avoid damage. The underside of the fuselage has an insert with the tail-wheel fairing moulded-in, which will be useful for the Sea Hurricanes that are being released in the future. The central radiator housing has its core made from front and rear sections with the matrix texture moulded-in, and a circular insert with hosing, all of which is glued to the underside of the fuselage and covered by the cowling that is made from body, intake lip and cooling flap at the rear, locating in a shallow recess in the lower wing that has a horseshoe flange with fasteners to add to the detail. You have a choice of painting the tail wheel strut silver or azure blue depending on your decal choice, inserting it in the recess under the tail, which is made next from a two-part full-span elevator panel with separate flying surfaces that fills the depression in the rear of the fuselage, adding the two-part fin to a step in the fairing and fixing the rudder to the rear, allowing all the tail surfaces to be posed deflected if you wish. The main gear legs are made from the strut with a lateral retraction jack moulded-in, and another added to the rear, plus a captive bay door that fits on the outboard side, and a two-part wheel on the inward-facing axles. There is a choice of two styles of gun camera fairings in the starboard wing leading edge using two different parts, two options must be sanded back flush with the surface of the wing. There are clear lenses for the gunsight on the coaming in the cockpit, and more clear parts to cover the landing lights. Helpfully, the clear wingtip lights have a recess in their mating surface that you can add some green or red paint to depict the bulb before you glue them in position. There is also a choice of one or two cannon barrels per wing, and you guessed it, it depends on which decal option you are building, so the outer holes will need filling and sanding back flush for one decal option. While the model is inverted, a pitot probe and crew step are added to the port underside, and a clear recognition light is inserted just behind the radiator, painting it a clear amber. The rest of the work on the airframe is done with the model resting on its wheels (if you’ve fitted them yet), installing the fishtail exhausts and blister fairings in the nose, and an aerial mast in the spine behind the cockpit, cutting off the little spur near the top for all options, and removing the short post on the tail fin. The tropical filter is made from two halves, and is glued together first, fixing it under the nose once the glue has cured and seam has been dealt with to your satisfaction. The windscreen is glued in place with a square rear-view mirror added to the apex of the part. To close the canopy, part T2 is used, but if you intend to leave the canopy pushed back, a slightly wider part is supplied, marked T3, with pre-cut masks supplied for all options, as well as the wheel hubs and landing lights. Two styles of prop spinner are included for the different decal options that use the same blades, but substituting different front and back spinner parts, plus a washer that can be glued carefully to allow the prop to remain mobile after building. Drop-tanks are built from two halves that trap the linked location pegs between them, and there is a small stencil for one side, only to be used for one decal option. The bombs are built up from four parts each, along with their pylons, but you can only fit bombs or tanks, as this isn’t an F-16! Markings There are three interesting options on the decal sheet, each having a full page of colour profiles at the back of the instruction booklet, with letter codes corresponding to a table on the front page that gives codes for Hataka, AK RealColor, LifeColor, AMMO, Humbrol, Vallejo and Tamiya ranges, which should be sufficient for most of us. From the box you can build one of the following: Mk.IIc Trop ‘Hurribomber’, LB792/C, 34 Sqn., RAF/SEAC, Dergaon (Assam) I Imphal (Manipur), Spring 1944 – Pilot: S/Ldr C P N Newman Mk.IIc Trop, HL885/AX-Z, 1 Sqn. SAAF, Egypt, September 1942 – Pilot: Lt. Stewart ‘Bomb’ Finney Mk.IIc Trop, HL851/GO-P, ‘The MacRobert Fighter, Sir Iain’, 94 Sqn., RAF El Gamil Airfield, Egypt, 1942-3 Decals are by Techmod, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion I’d been waiting for this new tool Hurricane for a while since it was announced, and was not disappointed. It’s a fabulously well detailed model that shows amazing attention to detail, and deserves to be the new de facto standard in this scale. The tropic fittings give it a different look that is accentuated by the desert and pacific colour schemes. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  13. Hurricane IIc (40004) 1:48 Arma Hobby The Hawker Hurricane was one of Britain's foremost fighters of WWII, and although overshadowed by the more graceful and slender Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, it was a capable aircraft that was available in large numbers, and achieved more than its fair share of kills during the conflict. It went on to see service to the end of the war, but was relegated to less onerous tasks as technology leapt forward resulting in faster, more agile aircraft that came on stream on both sides of the conflict. The type originated in the early 30s and first took to the sky in 1935, despite the Air Ministry’s tepid reaction to monoplanes at the time, and it was an aircraft that set standards for fighters that followed it, being a monoplane with a predominantly metal airframe, retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit and of course the delightfully powerful and throaty Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Compared to the Spitfire it was a little old-fashioned, starting out with a fabric-covered ‘rag’ wing that was eventually replaced by an all-metal aerofoil, and it was less aerodynamically streamlined, with a thicker wing and overall chunkier, blunt appearance. Although the wing was replaced by a metal aerofoil later, it retained the fabric rear fuselage and as such was able to have minor damage repaired quickly and easily, compared to the Spitfire that would have to go back to a repair facility for structurally insignificant through-and-through bullet damage. A fabric patch followed by a few coats of dope, and the Hurri would be back to the fray, which endeared it both to its pilots and ground crew alike. By the time the improvements to the airframe resulted in the Mk.IIC, it was tasked with ground attack, taking out German tanks, which weren’t as easy to crack as first expected, because 20mm cannon shells would often ricochet off the frontal and side armour, and bombing a relatively small target such as a tank was a matter of pure luck, all while the enemy poured lead in your general direction. It was withdrawn from front-line fighter service at this stage of the war, as by then the enemy aircraft outclassed it in most respects, so it carried on in ground-attack, night fighter and intruder roles where it excelled, without unnecessary exposure to enemy fighters. It was succeeded by the D that mounted a pair of 40mm cannon in gondolas under the wings, increasing its offensive power appreciably, at which point it acquired the nickname ‘The Flying Can Opener’, adding additional frontal armour to the airframe that was exposed during attacks. They carried on in that role until the Typhoon came into service, doing the job faster and more efficiently without the worry of being bounced by enemy fighters. The Kit This is a complete new tooling from Arma Hobby, and one that many 1:48 modellers have been waiting for, as their 1:72 kits have a reputation for excellent detail, with the inference being that in a larger scale the detail would be even better. Spoiler Alert: It is! The kit arrives in an end-opening box with a sturdy tray inside that prevents the dreaded crushing in the stash. The painting of a cannon armed night fighter with additional fuel tanks being illuminated from beneath by a recent kill is dramatic and well-executed, with the side profiles of the decal options on the rear of the box. The package has the same design cues and layout as the 1:72 boxes, so you almost feel like you have shrunk when handling it. Inside the box is the tray that contains three sprues of grey styrene, a clear sprue, a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-tape masks (not pictured), instruction booklet that is printed on glossy paper in colour, and a small errata sheet relating to a few tips for successful completion of your model that were missed from this initial run of booklets. Detail is everything we have come to expect from Arma, with crisp engraved panel lines, fine raised rivets, restrained fabric scalloping effect on the fuselage rear, and plenty of raised and recessed features that should result in a superb model if care is taken in building and painting. If this is your first Arma kit, you should know that they have a technique of adding stiffening ribs and stringers inside their kits, and they hide away their ejector-pins in places that won’t be seen, usually with a circle of tiny turrets around them. They are usually placed so that they can be left intact without affecting assembly, but if they do need to be removed, you’ll be told in the instructions. Construction begins with the lower wing for a change, drilling out holes applicable to whether you intend to fit bombs or drop-tanks under the wings of your model. The holes are marked in red for tanks, and blue for bombs, which is helpful, and the diagrams are accompanied by a little explanatory text that advises that the bombs aren’t used in the decal options of this boxing, catering to the off-piste decal users. The gear bay is created from a well-detailed section of spar that has a pair of retraction jacks and a pressurised cylinder applied to it, then has the remaining walls and their ribs mated to it and covered by the bay roof, feeding a brass-painted hose through the bay once completed. Attention then shifts to the cockpit for a moment, building the seat from four parts, which is supplied with decal seatbelts and is glued to the rear bulkhead for later installation in the cockpit. We return to the wing again, removing the drop-tank location points for one decal option, and cutting a new rectangular hole nearby, filling in the original with a piece of scrap styrene or filler whilst you are there. The gear bay assembly is glued into the full-span upper wing, adding another short spar closer to the rear, then joining them together after removing a short ridge behind the landing light bays to achieve a better fit for their inserts. Now we learn why we didn’t start with the cockpit, as it is built in the space between the wings once they are completed, starting with the control linkage and frame, with the foot rests/trays over the top, and a small lever glued to a cross-member on the left. The sidewall frames are painted and inserted to the sides, locating in slots in the upper wing centre, and are joined by the rudder pedals on a central mount, and a V-frame that stiffens the assembly. The control column is built from three parts and includes the linkages that lead under the pilot’s seat, which is inserted last over the V-braces at the rear, locating on more slots in the upper wing. Flipping the wing over, a pair of rods are inserted into the bays, their location shown by another drawing that highlights them in blue. The instrument panel is next, with raised details depicting the instrument bezels and other switches, with a decal included for it and the compass that fits between two legs under the panel. It is glued into the starboard fuselage half with a pair of small pieces of equipment, with four more in the port side, and the option to pose the foot step on the exterior skin in the lowered position, which is a nice touch. There is also a decal for a pair of dials moulded into the fuselage sidewall. With that, the fuselage halves can be brought together, seams dealt with, and then carefully mated with the wings, taking care not to damage the lovely detail in the cockpit. The underside of the fuselage has an insert with the tail-wheel fairing moulded-in, hinting at Sea Hurricanes probably. The central radiator housing has its core made from front and rear sections with the matrix texture moulded-in, and a circular insert with hosing, all of which is glued to the underside of the fuselage and covered by the cowling that is made from body, intake lip and cooling flap at the rear, locating in a shallow recess in the lower wing that has a horseshoe flange with fasteners to add to the detail. You have a choice of two styles of tail wheels depending on your decal choice, which inserts in the hole under the tail, which is made next from a full-span elevator panel with separate flying surfaces that fills the recess in the tail, adding the two-part fin to a step in the fairing, and fixing the rudder to the rear, allowing all the tail surfaces to be posed deflected if you wish. The main gear legs are made from the strut with a retraction jack moulded-in, and another added to the rear, plus a captive bay door that fits on the outboard side, and a two-part wheel on the inner. There is a choice of three gun camera fairings in the starboard wing leading edge that uses two different parts, the third option achieved by sanding the insert back flush with the surface of the wing, and your choice depends on which decal option you have chosen. There are clear lenses to cover the landing lights, and the clear wingtip lights have a recess in their mating surface that you can add some green or red paint to in order to depict the bulb before you glue them in position. There is even a choice of two styles of cannon barrels, and you guessed it, it depends on which decal option you are building. While the model is inverted, a pitot and crew step are added to the port underside, and a clear recognition light is inserted just behind the radiator, painting it a clear amber. The rest of the work on the airframe is done with the model resting on its wheels (if you’ve fitted them yet), installing the fishtail exhausts and blisters in the nose, and a pair of glare-hiding strips in a straight line between the exhausts and the pilot’s eyeline, and an aerial mast in the spine behind the cockpit, cutting off the little spur near the top, and removing the short post on the fin for two of the options. The gunsight is a two-part arrangement with clear reflector lens, and is fixed to the coaming before gluing the windscreen in place and adding the square or round rear-view mirror. To close the canopy, part T2 is used, but if you intend to leave the canopy slid back, a slightly wider part is supplied, marked T3, with pre-cut masks supplied for all options, as well as the wheel hubs and landing lights. If you close the canopy, you should remove the rails from the sills, as per the errata sheet. Two of the decal options have a pair of IFF aerials running from the elevators into the sides of the fuselage, which are marked in red on the diagram for your information. A two-part intake is fitted under the chin, and a choice of two styles of prop are included for the different decal options, using the same blades, but substituting different front and back spinner parts, plus a washer that can be glued carefully to allow the prop to remain mobile after building. As already mentioned, drop-tanks are included for this boxing, which are built from two halves that trap the location pegs between them, and have a small stencil for one side, only to be used for one decal option. The instructions also show the bombs being built up from four parts each, along with their pylons, even though they also tell you they’re not used for these three markings options. Again, if you are using aftermarket decals, these may be of use to you. Check your references to be sure. Markings There are three quite different options on the decal sheet, each having a full page of colour profiles at the back of the instruction booklet, with letter codes corresponding to a table on the front page that gives codes for Hataka, AK RealColor, LifeColor, AMMO, Humbrol, Vallejo and Tamiya ranges, which should be sufficient for most of us. From the box you can build one of the following: ‘Night Intruder’ BE581/JX-E, No.1 Sqn., RAF Tangmere, May 1942, Pilot Flt.Lt. Karel Kuttelwascher LF644/WC-D, No.309 Sqn., Polish Air Force, Drem, Scotland, May-July 1944 Z3152/FM-A, No.257 Sqn., RAF Coltishall, May 1941, Pilot Sqn.Ldr. Robert Stanford Tuck, DSO, DFC & Two Bars, AFC Decals are by Techmod, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. In case you wondered, I adjusted the arrangement of the decal options so the one facing the opposite direction was in the middle. Conclusion I’ve been waiting for this new tool Hurricane for a while now since it was announced, and I am NOT disappointed. A fabulously well detailed model that shows amazing attention to detail, and deserves to be the new de facto standard in this scale. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  14. Hi folks, I have received a box in the post from @GrzeM at Arma Hobby containing an early example of their new Hurricane IIc kit, and I'm building it. The parts on the frames are exquisite, and known subject matter experts have their fingerprints on the kit so it should prove to be accurate. It's not until one tries to build it that we see how it really is though. If the parts all fit properly, then it's just my own skills that might let it down, but let's begin and we'll see how it goes... Attractive night fighter box art The box includes detail fit instructions and decals for 3 distinct schemes; a night fighter in Special Night (i.e. matt black), a Temperate Land scheme and a Day Fighter scheme option The wings come in a single top and bottom half with good use of under-gating to help the careful modeller minimise or eliminate damage to the exterior surfaces of the parts The kit features raised and recessed rivet detail The rivet detail is extremely fine, which should look superb with subtle highlighting effects over a lightly airbrushed finish. Fire-hose airbrush users, aerosol can users and brush painters will need to take care not to drown the subtle detailing. Internal detail is likewise very fine. The tail surfaces feature very subtle doped fabric waisting between the ribs, but the kit has not attempted to portray fabric texture which in my personal opinion is a very good thing as even the best I've seen has been grossly overscale. Another view of the interior parts and tail surfaces. The fuselage features more excellent surfacing to portray doped fabric shrunk over stringers, whilst metal panels feature beautifully fine raised rivets. Internal view of the fuselage parts. Ejector location is thoughtfully placed to avoid spoiling anything you're going to be able to see. The surface detail on the radiator parts is excellent. Clear parts are crystal clear. Instructions are given in Polish and English. There is one small sheet of corrections/additional notes which I shall cross reference. I've since this photograph gone through the instructions with a highlighter pen picking out the detail fit notes for the chosen scheme. Lastly, canopy masks are included in the kit. On to construction then... The gating isn't bad, but it's slow going as the surface detail is so nice I'm trying really hard not to cause the need for filling and sanding. Construction starts with the wheel wells. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the fit, but the joints circled in red will fall apart without glue so full dry fitting to check the wing closes up requires a couple of blobs of blutac or some other solution of your own devising. On my one here, it does all fit though. I did find that despite care, part A47 (landing light insert) on my example did not let the wing halves close up properly... There is a sheet with correction notes enclosed which says to remove this stiffener behind the landing light which I had already done. I tried part A47 (landing light insert) the instructions say goes in the starboard wing over in the port, and it fit perfectly. Likewise part A48 actually fits the starboard wing perfectly. I marked up the instruction sheet to remind me what I intend to do. I suspect there is a typo on the instructions or maybe something happened between the 3D modelling and the final parts layout and numbering, but swapping the lights over achieves a perfect fit on both sides. Here's that dry fit I wanted to check before painting... All good, I am happy to report. The leading edge at the wing root is nicely designed, leaving minimal seam clean-up along the leading edge. The wing faring joint is where the joint is on the real thing so no work needed there. So far, I am impressed. A base coat of aluminium (my C05 aluminium enamel) airbrushed... I think this may be a kit where excessive paint thickness on internal parts may give some issues, but so far the location of parts has been good but not tight, so perhaps no need to worry there? Still, it's good practise not to plaster the kit parts in thick paint. As you'd expect by this point with the wheel well assembly glued in to the top half of the wing, it closes up nicely and remediation work along the leading edge should be minimal. There are some areas of slight softness where sharp corners should be on the leading edge around the guns and landing lights. I believe this specific kit Grzegorz sent me may be pre-production, and perhaps this can be fixed for the main production. As it is, I can deal with it but in the interests of showing integrity having had a nice kit arrive at the door courtesy of Arma Hobby, I'll continue to mention anything I find so you don't all think I'm a shill So far, I really like this model kit. Thanks for reading!
  15. Welcome to the 3rd instalment of my modelling rehabilitation. [Heaven's preserve us, he's off again! 🙄] Having re-learned and extended a few skills on the first 2, I’m hoping to take the process further and do modelling things I’ve never tried before, namely using PE parts and doing most of the painting with an airbrush. I foresee potentially much use of olde englishe language, carpet monster feeding and camo on next door's cat if he gets too close. This all started when I was grateful to receive from Mark @2996 Victor the highly regarded 1:72 Arma Hobby kit of the Hawker Hurricane IIb; which he’d started, but didn’t wish to continue because of his move to 1:48. He had been aiming to complete an example of a Polish Hurricane based at RAF Church Stanton, which is near where he grew up. One of the kit options satisfies this. Mark never stipulated that I should complete it this way, but I’m more than happy to go with his approach. From the instruction booklet the option is WX-B/Z3675 Hurricane MK IIb based at RAF Churchtstanton August 1941 ….. Allied with the Polish theme, many years ago, one of my parent’s friends and neighbours in Brighton was an ex-WWII Polish pilot who lived there with his English wife. To my regret, I never managed to sit down with him and quiz him about “what he did in the war”. Rather belatedly, this projected build will be a little tribute to Stan and his fellow Poles, as well as hopefully satisfying Mark’s aims. I have written some extended notes for myself which document all my ramblings and research mistakes, (if you think this post is bad you should try that!!! ) but here I will just cut to the key bits for (hopefully) interest and as context for the eventual modelling. I much prefer to know a bit about the subject, but sometimes wish I could skip the research as it would be simpler. Unfortunately, the chap on my shoulder just won’t stop asking questions ……. For various reasons I ended up looking at the operations of both 302 and 316 Polish squadrons in some detail, being the first 2 tenants of the then-new RAF Churchstanton (approximately south of Taunton, north east of Exeter). While I remember, thanks here to various people who helped when I posted some questions in the discussion forum including @GrzeM, @KRK4m, @JWM, @Bigos , @303sqn, @Troy Smith and apologies if I missed someone. According to the 316 sqn ORB (Operations Record Book) the squadron transferred to Churchstanton from RAF Colerne on the 2nd August 1941. On that date it flew into its new base with · 12 Hurricane IIa · 4 Hurricane IIb (Z3573, Z3586, Z5078, Z5080) · 1 Fairy Battle (R7410) · 1 Miles Magister (T9871) As an aside, an entry in the 316 ORB for 31/08/1941 states "The squadron took part in a Gudgeon operation .......... Nothing of interest was seen during the flight and all aircraft returned safely to base." Not having heard of it before, I posted a separate question about Gudgeon and an interesting discussion ensued https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235126804-what-was-a-gudgeon-operation/#comment-4714645 But back to the main story … This is what I found for 302 Squadron and is my summary from the squadron ORB. The squadron moved to Churchstanton on the 9th August 1941. It flew entirely Hurricane IIb until it converted to Spitfires after leaving Churchstanton. There is no mention of any other type of aircraft flown (eg Battle and Magister by 316 sqn) at this time. The ORB is very helpful during August 1941 as in the records it dispenses with the Z of the serial number (just retaining the numbers) and replaces it with what I take to be the code letter of the aircraft. So the kit subject WX-B/Z3675 appears as B.3675. [This was changed in subsequent months where the code letter was not noted, just the full serial like Z3675] The entries are, however, quite terse with little detail. The summary section records just the major actions. Like 316 sqn, as well as training 302 carries out Convoy Patrols and Sweeps. Forward bases mentioned include Bolt Head (near Salcombe), Exeter and Ibsley (near Bournemouth). On one sweep starting from Exeter the sqn lands at Warmwell (near Dorchester and Weymouth) before presumably returning to Churchstanton later in the day (it doesn’t say so specifically). I looked at the usage of the kit subject aircraft throughout August and into September (ie. the time at Churchstanton). In August the sqn was involved in 2 Bomber escort missions and 4 "sweeps over France" but our a/c did not take part. It carried out several uneventful Convoy Patrols. From the Gudgeon discussion noted above @303sqn noted No 2 polish Fighter Wing began to organise at Exeter early August 1941 and formed on the 18th of that month. The wing comprised of 317 Sqn at Exeter and 302 and 316 Sqns at Church Stanton. The prime task was to provide daytime protection to the South Coast ports and Exeter. The wing made its first operation at 3 squadron strength on the 4th September taking off from Warmwell under the command of S/Ldr Stefan Witorzeńc, flying high escort for 6 Blenheims on Gudgeon VI - an attack on ships and docks at Cherbourg. 302 Squadron engaged Messerschmitts over the target area, Witorzeńc accounting for one destroyed and Kazimierz Sporny one probable. This is how it is reflected in the ORB In early September the subject aircraft is mentioned on the 4th when there was a squadron operation out of Warmwell. It lands over 20 minutes after most of the rest of the squadron. The reason appears in the operations notes. [Explicitly linking the aircraft and the action noted requires 2 extracts. Pilot noted in paragraph, then pilot and aircraft combination in second item (see items highlighted in red by me)] [The aircraft mentioned in the entry above for the same operation as the one highlighted and flown by the wing leader S/L Witorzeńc is WX-A/Z3425] Just for completeness, from the ORB the following is a summary of the squadron permanent bases in the second half of 1941 – they were an itinerant bunch…… - 9th August 1941 from Jurby (IoM) to RAF Churchstanton [ORB] entirely equipped with Hurricane IIb - 5th September 1941 from RAF Churchstanton to RAF Warmwell (near Dorchester and Weymouth) [ORB] - 6th October (probably) from RAF Warmwell to RAF Harrowbeer (north of Plymouth) [Harrowbeer local history site] Unlike earlier moves, there is no explicit mention made for this move in the ORB. It just starts recording the place of events as Harrowbeer. Finally, just to box-off this Hurricane mini-saga, commencing 11/10/1941 and completed 15/10/1941 302 sqn was re-equipped with Spitfires (18 Mk Vb and 2 Mk IIa). If I get around to modelling a Spitfire Vb (quite possible) I might follow this further, but for now I’ve a Hurricane to build…… Having laid the background, I’ll get on with some modelling next time. But first a quick look at what Mark sent me. I know there have been lots of sprue shots of the estimable Arma Hobby Hurricanes, but this is a little different because it's been started I think I could get used to the pre-painted internals status – would save some angst on my part! To someone used to traditional Airfix renderings (some good, some bad, some indifferent) the parts on this kit seem very delicate and crisp. I just hope I can build it accurately enough that almost no filling and filing will be needed so that I don’t lose any of the fine surface detail which I think looks marvellous. Will do my best to keep the Bodgemeister at bay! Having looked around the subject of PE parts, this kit doesn’t appear to go over the top. Even so, I think I can see that there may be several items that I just wouldn’t bother with. But this time I will try some just for the challenge of seeing whether they work for me or not. Full marks for persistence & tenacity if you've stayed with it. Wouldn't blame you if you went I thoroughly enjoyed finding out all this stuff, and having never seen an ORB before I just felt the need to share it. Apologies if this is all "old hat". Thanks for looking – future posts will have less text!! Rob
  16. This all started when I was grateful to receive from Mark @2996 Victor the highly regarded 1:72 Arma Hobby kit of the Hawker Hurricane IIb; which he’d started, but didn’t wish to continue because of his move to 1:48. He had been aiming to complete an example of a Polish Hurricane based at RAF Church Stanton, which is near where he grew up. One of the kit options satisfies this. Mark never stipulated that I should complete it this way, but I’m more than happy to go with his approach. Allied with the Polish theme, many years ago, one of my parent’s friends and neighbours in Brighton was an ex-WWII Polish pilot who lived there with his English wife. To my regret, I never managed to sit down with him and quiz him about “what he did in the war”. Rather belatedly, this projected build will be a little tribute to Stan Lewicki and his fellow Poles, as well as hopefully satisfying Mark’s aims. WIP here with detail of research and various discussions on techniques and tools etc.. The Hurricane was done with Colourcoates enamels and kit decals. I used Humbrol Clear acrylic gloss varnish before decals. Humbrol Decalfix helped with those. Decals sealed with more Clear. Both then received some oily, smoky bits using grated artists pastels and a touch of water. This was followed by a very gentle lighter fuel/oil paint wash and a final coat of Tamiya TS-80 flat clear. This was my first proper use of PE parts and using an airbrush. Not totally sold on PE, I think it's "use with care". With the airbrush I found it a lot easier than a trad brush to achieve a finish that didn't obliterate all the surface detail - with which the Arma kit is blessed. Thanks to everyone who supported and helped me during the build. Pics below. My main disappointment is that I seem to have overdone the oil and gunfire effects on the underside. Oh well, another lesson learnt ..... Thanks for looking. cheers Rob
  17. Hi gents ! After my post on IJN Zero, I've received a claim from IJA saying , "Easy to go on with Navy ,buddy ! But what about serious people ? " ( these guys really don't like each others 😄 😉) So , Here is my answer to this request .( Hope that IJA Headquarters would like it , and more important to me , you too !! ) Arma Hobby offers us what is in my opinion the definitive Ki-84 kit in 1:72nd scale. Waiting for it for so long ! This is MY Favorite IJAA fighter ever, began to build the Revell one when I was .. A Kid ?? 🙁 you remember ? , this box After that I went on with Hasegawa one with the same deco. Now back to Arma Hobby one, Their first Boxing included this scheme , and they add a good ( in my opinion ) study on 104th Sentaï operations records won't copy it here, but if you're interested in go to their blog ( don't have any stock of this company 😉) The kit is real gem ! we are happy 1:72 nd guys to have such a good maker for our scale models. Please guys, don't go for a Ki-43 serie !! This will burn out my Visa !! I decided to not do "heavy weathering" as these planes did not see intense use , (were based out of main active pacific/ CBI theaters of operations) Painted with MRP " WW II Japanese range of paints " I liked to build this one , and I'm glad too, to share it with you all ! Hope you'll like it ! best regards to all and .. good modelling !! now the pics : cheers !!
  18. Arma Hobby is to release in 2021 a 1/72nd North American P-51B/C Mustang kit. Source: http://armahobbynews.pl/en/blog/2020/12/30/arma-hobby-new-kit-announcements-for-2021/ Sprues design & 3D renders V.P.
  19. Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate Special Attack Units (70053) 1:72 Arma Hobby Founded by Chikuhei Nakajima in 1918, the Nakajima Aircraft Company was Japan’s first native manufacturer of aircraft. The company produced a number of successful designs for the Japanese Armed Forces, not least of which was the Nakajima Ki-84 Hayate (Hurricane). Known as the Army Type 4 Fighter in Imperial Japanese Army Air Service, and simply as the ‘Frank’ by the Allies, the Hayate was widely regarded as the best mass-produced Japanese fighter aircraft of the war. The Hayate originated from a design competition instigated by the Air Headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Army for a fighter aircraft assembled around a licence-built version of the liquid-cooled Daimler Benz DB601A engine. Although Nakajima’s design lost out to the Kawasaki Ki-61, many of the lessons learned during the competition were applied to the design of the Ki-84, although the engine didn’t. Powered by an indigenous eighteen-cylinder Nakajima Ha-45-21 radial engine, the Hayate possessed excellent all-round performance including a top speed in excess of 400mph and outstanding manoeuvrability. Unlike many previous Japanese fighter aircraft, it was also fitted with armour and self-sealing fuel tanks, thus enhancing combat survivability. Although an effective fighter, the Ki-84 arrived too late to have much of an effect on the war in the Pacific, even though over 3,500 examples rolled off the production lines. It was plagued by reliability problems throughout its service life, thanks to poor manufacturing and quality control standards late in the war. The Kit This is a reboxing of a brand-new tooling of the Frank from Arma Hobby of Poland, and it arrives in a small end-opening box, which has a dynamic painting of the type on the front, and the decal options on the back. Inside are just two sprues of grey styrene in a resealable bag, clear parts in a Ziploc bag, a sheet of kabuki tape pre-cut masks (not pictured), plus a portrait A5 instruction booklet in colour on glossy paper, with an additional sheet interleaved between the pages. The surface detail is very finely engraved with a clean matt finish to the outside, showing off the recessed panel lines and other raised details to great effect. It’s one of those surfaces that makes it seem a shame to cover it in paint. Construction begins with the cockpit, which is based upon a slightly curved floor onto which the rudder pedals and throttle quadrant are placed, then from beneath, the control column and another lever are pushed through. The rear frame has the seat-frame moulded-in, and unusually for styrene, you are incited to pull the mount out at the bottom to give it the correct slope to fit the seat on later, held in position by a pair of holes in the cockpit floor. The instrument panel is made up on a short frame, and has the main panel and an integrated side panel, both of which have decals provided to detail them up. Incidentally, colour call-outs are given in blue circles that correspond to a table on the front of the booklet that gives colour names, plus Hataka, AK RealColor, MRP, AMMO, Mr. Color, Vallejo and Tamiya codes to give pretty comprehensive coverage of brands. The two frames are added to the floor and joined by the seat, which has a pair of lap-belts included on the decal sheet, and another dial decal for an instrument embedded in the floor. Before the cockpit can be glued into the fuselage, a styrene throttle quadrant is added to the ribbed sidewall. The engine is also required before the fuselage can be closed, and this is built from two rows of nine-cylinders, a two-part push-rod assembly at the front, and axle that pushes through the bell-housing at the front. A scrap diagram shows the correct location of the pins on the engine and the holes in the fuselage into which they locate once it’s painted in the port fuselage half along with the cockpit and the tail-wheel, which should also be painted per the scrap diagram. Turning to the wings, the lower is full-width, and has the top two halves placed on top after drilling out holes for the bomb mounts, the uppers having the main gear bays moulded-in. The fuselage is inserted into the gap, and a cowling insert covers the top of the engine with moulded-in gun troughs, while at the rear the elevators are glued into the tail using the usual slot and tab method. Underneath is the two-part chin intake, while the rest of the cowling underside is inserted along with the finely shaped intake lip. The canopy is placed into position over an insert that depends on whether you plan on building your kit with open or closed canopy. Additional diagrams show their location and where the glazing parts fit accordingly, and when to open a small hole in the side. Before installation of the inserts the gunsight and some stencil decals should be fitted into the interior of the surround after painting. There are pre-cut masks included for the canopy, although they’re not documented. It isn’t exactly difficult to figure it out though, so no problem! The main landing gear legs are supplied as single struts with a captive door on the outer, and a wheel with masks on the short perpendicular axle at the bottom. The inner bay doors have good contact points and fit on the inner edge of the bays, with a pair of smaller doors on the retractable tail-wheel, and twin bomb-shackles under each wing, to accommodate either long-range tanks or 250kg bombs that are included in the box. The fuel tanks also have decals for the details on the top side. The remaining parts go to make up the cooling flaps with the separate exhausts protruding from within, the gun barrels and clear landing light in the wing leading-edge; pitot probe in the port wing, an aerial mast on the spine, and the four-blade prop that is covered in the centre by a curved spinner cap. Markings There are three markings options on the decal sheet, and they offer substantially different looks due mostly to their unit and personal markings, depending on which one you choose. From the box you can build one of the following: Pilot: Tadashi Kono, 57 Shimbu-tai, Miyakonojo Airfield, Kyushu, Japan, 1945 Pilot: Lt Toku Ueda, 58 Shimbu-tai, Miyakonojo Airfield, Kyushu, Japan, 1945 Pilot: Lt Fujiyama Nobuho, 195 Shimbu-tai, Awaji, Yura Airfield, Japan, 1945 Decals are by Techmod, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a good-looking kit of the type with some interesting decal options, and if it wasn’t 1:72, it would have made it onto my bench later today. It’s an excellent kit that should allow the modeller to build a great replica of this powerful late war Japanese fighter in some fancy markings. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  20. P-39N Airacobra (70056) 1:72 Arma Hobby The P-39 was the result of Bell’s response to a specification for a fighter from the USAAC, which was to be a high-altitude interceptor. With Bell’s usual left-field approach to aircraft design, the team produced the world’s first tricycle landing geared prop-driven aircraft, as well as the first aircraft to site the engine behind the pilot, while the airscrew remained at the front. The prop was driven by a long drive shaft that ran under the pilot’s floor, with a coaxial 37mm cannon firing through the centre of the spinner, in a quest for high penetration and accuracy. Ancillary armament varied depending on model, from nose mounted .50cals to four 7.62mm machine guns in the wings. The Airacobra had limited internal space for fuel thanks in part to its tapered nose, and the lack of a supercharger substantially limited its abilities at higher altitudes. Despite these drawbacks, and the likelihood of engine failure after hits from a rear attack, the Airacobra flew in most arenas of combat, but distinguished itself best on the Eastern Front in Soviet service, where almost 5,000 were flown with some notable aces racking up victories whilst flying them. The N model started life as a G model, but due to changes on the production line, were designated N instead, with around 500 made. In fact, no G models ever left the factory, being superseded and re-engineered as later marks. The final variant was the Q, which ceased production in 1944 after a variety of sub-variants and one-offs were created. The Kit This is a reboxing of their recent kit, and detail is exceptional, especially for the scale, with finely engraved panel lines, raised and recessed details, and gorgeous crisp details within the gear bays and cockpit. There are two sprues in grey styrene, a clear sprue, decal sheet, masking sheet for canopy and wheels (not pictured), a bag with three ball bearings for nose weight, and the glossy instruction booklet in stapled A5 format with colour throughout. Construction begins with the cockpit, starting with the footwell, which has the rear of the breeches for the nose machine guns, and the rudder pedals fixed to the front, then the instrument panel with decals and gunsight are added to the top half. The rear of the cockpit has a horseshoe-shaped frame glued to the front to hang the pilot’s seat from, which has decals to depict the four-point seatbelts. The two assemblies are fixed to the floor at either end along with the control column, and a V-shaped support under the floor. A scrap diagram shows the location of the instrument panel, and the fact that the drive-shaft is painted a brass colour. The V-shaped part is actually a cross-member within the nose gear bay, which is beneath the forward end of the cockpit, and the bay is completed by adding the side walls, which also have two scrap diagrams to show their orientation, and that they taper toward the front. The forward roof of the nose gear bay is installed over this, and here’s where the ball bearings come in handy. There are three hemispherical depressions in this part that you glue the ball bearings into with super glue or epoxy, and this acts as the model’s nose weight. It’s always nice when a company includes the nose weight to take the guesswork out of the process, so it’s appreciated. The cockpit still isn’t finished, as there is a detailed side console on the port side, plus a small detail part on the opposite sidewall that has its own decal. The fuselage halves have a circle of neatly positioned ejector-towers inside, and the instructions advise removing them with a pair of nippers before proceeding as they will interfere with the internals. Then it's time to put the cockpit in position within, along with a long, ribbed shelf behind the pilot’s position, which should have two holes drilled out to receive the radio before it is glued in place. A bobbin is trapped between the two halves as they are brought together, which will allow the prop to spin if you don’t glue it in place. There is a small inspection panel under the nose on the starboard side and two smaller rectangles, which should be removed for this version, and these are ringed in red to assist with their location. The Airacobra is a low-wing monoplane, so the lower wing half is full span, with some optional holes drilled first if you are using the centreline bomb or fuel tank. The upper halves are glued over the top with a small inverted T-shaped stiffener in the centre, first installing the twin gun barrels, which are mounted in pairs on a backing support. The tail is a separate assembly that begins with the elevator fins, which have the fin fillet moulded-in, and has a separate elevator pair fitted across the span before it is glued in place at the rear, plugging the fin into the top, and a separate rudder panel glued into the rear. The wings are also added at this point, filling the three engraved recognition lights in the starboard tip, taking care to avoid marring the detail around it. There’s a nose insert appropriate to this mark placed in the gap above the prop, and the radio unit is installed behind the pilot. The Airacobra’s ground-breaking landing gear format revolved around the nose gear, and that starts with you bending a triangular frame and locking it into position with another strut to form the retraction mechanism for the front leg. The long leg itself is moulded with a separate oleo-scissor and wheel, and inserts into the front of the bay, supported by the cranked strut that fixes to the rear on four raised pips that give it additional strength, as shown in a scrap diagram. The main gear legs are comparatively short and have separate wheels and captive gear bay doors. Unusually, the inner main bay doors and their actuators are added first at the same time as the three cooling flaps under the engine, slotting the legs into the outer ends in the following step. While the model is inverted, a front nose gear door is inserted in front of the strut. With the model back on its wheels for the first time, the canopy is dealt with. The P-39 had peculiar car-doors on the sides of the canopy, with the rest of the glazing fixed in place, so the main part covers the whole cockpit aperture. The two side doors are painted inside and have a few decals added to the door cards to detail them further, so you can choose to leave them closed, leave one open, or both open at your whim. The exhausts fit into slots midway down the sides of the fuselage, but the prop is still in the front, so don’t worry. The blades are moulded as one, with the spinner fitted over it and the assembly glued to the bobbin you trapped between the fuselage halves earlier. In the centre of the spinner is a cannon muzzle for the coaxial 39mm cannon. There are two long bay doors to be added to the nose bay, the pitot probe in the leading edge of the port wing, a recessed landing light under the port wing, and you also get to choose what to hang on the centreline pylon. You have a choice of a two-part fuel tank, a three-part 250lb or 500lb bomb, both of which have a tiny arming spinner inserted in the rear. Markings The stencils are common to all four decal options, and those are described in the last step of the instructions before turning the page to see the profiles. The back of the box shows three decal options, but there are indeed four on the sheet, the last one shown as “Bonus” on the rear page of the instructions, and is a variant on the first Soviet option. From the box you can build one of the following: 42-9033 ‘White 01’, 100th Guards Fighter Regiment, Pilot: Grigoriy Dol’nikov, April – May 1945 42-18354, 345th Fighter Squadron, Sardinia-Corsica, Spring 1944 42-18736, Cdt. Jean Machet de la Martiniére, GC 1/4 Navarre Commander, Reghaia Airbase, Algeria, March 1944 42-9033 ‘White 01’, 100th Guards Fighter Regiment, Pilot: Ivan Babak, 1943 – 1945 Decals are by Techmod, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. It includes seatbelts, instrument panel and stencil decals where appropriate. Conclusion Another good-looking boxing of this unique WWII fighter that perhaps didn’t get the appreciation it deserved, although it was by no means perfect. High quality moulding with a choice of decal options from three users that gives plenty of variation. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  21. Some nice topics already in this GB, but sadly nothing Russian yet The new Arma Hobby Yak-1 fits the bill nicely as one scheme in the kit is from "Operation Berlin" 1945. I am talking about the Yakovlev Yak-1b from the 2nd Squadron, 1st Fighter Regiment "City of Warsaw" apparently flown by Sgt Patryk O'Brien! Looks like a very nice kit with some very delicate castings. So will be interesting to see how it builds. There is a bit of confusing information on white 13 which was donated by Professor Wolf Messinga which is the reason for the inscription under the canopy. The markings for this aircraft in the Arma Hobby kit are identical to the profile above. But in Polish Wings 20 on the Yak fighters, the date for this aircraft is given as May 1944 and not 1945 and the red stars are of a different style. But then I came across this picture of white 13 on the web. Compared to the pictures published in Polish Wings, the above picture shows the complete aircraft and also shows the same red stars as in the Polish Wings profile. Of interest is that Polish Wings has a picture published of white 12 and the setting, background and light conditions are identical to above picture and that picture is dated autumn 1945, so I assume above picture was taken also during autumn 1945! So it looks white 13 had a relative long life and I intend to show the aircraft as seen on the picture above - that is if I manage to finish it. Cheers, Peter
  22. Hawker Hurricane Mk.IID (70062) 1:72 Arma Hobby The Hawker Hurricane was one of Britain's foremost fighters of WWII, and although overshadowed by the more graceful and slender Spitfire during the Battle of Britain, it was a capable aircraft that was available in large numbers, and made more than its fair share of kills during the conflict. It went on to see service to the end of the war, but was relegated to less onerous tasks as technology leapt forward resulting in faster, more agile aircraft that came on stream on both sides of the conflict. The type originated in the early 30s and first took to the sky in 1935, despite the Air Ministry’s tepid reaction to monoplanes at the time, and it was an aircraft that set standards for fighters that followed it, being a monoplane with a predominantly metal airframe, retractable landing gear, an enclosed cockpit and of course the delightfully powerful and throaty Rolls-Royce Merlin engine. Compared to the Spitfire it was a little old-fashioned, starting out with a fabric-covered ‘rag’ wing that was eventually replaced by an all-metal unit, and it was less aerodynamically streamlined, with a thicker wing and overall chunkier, blunt appearance. Although the wing was replaced by a metal aerofoil later on, it kept the fabric rear fuselage and as such was able to have minor damage repaired quickly and easily, compared to the Spitfire that would have to go back to a repair facility for structurally insignificant through-and-through bullet damage. A fabric patch followed by a few coats of dope, and the Hurri would be back to the fray, which endeared it both to its pilots and ground crew alike. By the time the improvements to the airframe resulted in the Mk.IID, it was tasked with ground attack, specialising in taking out German tanks, which weren’t as easy to crack as first expected, because 20mm cannon shells would often ricochet off the frontal and side armour, and bombing a relatively small target such as a tank was a matter of pure luck, while the enemy poured lead in your general direction. It was decided to mount a pair of 40mm cannon in gondolas under the wings, increasing the hitting power of the Hurri appreciably, and gave it the nickname ‘The Flying Can Opener’. Tests began with converted Mk.IIBs, but when it was finalised as the D, additional armour was added to the important frontal area of the airframe that was exposed during attacks. They became a feared opponent of German tankers, and a foretaste of what would come later in the war when the Typhoon and other formidable ground attack aircraft came into service. The Kit Arma’s Hurricane Mk.I was first issued in 2018, and has been reboxed in various guises since then. This new boxing depicts the ground-attack Hurricanes, and the type specific equipment that was fitted. The kit arrives in a small end-opening box, and inside is one sprue of grey styrene, a clear sprue, a Ziploc bag of 3D printed parts, a sheet of pre-cut kabuki-style masking material, a decal sheet and the A5 instruction booklet with colour profiles to the rear. If you’re a neophyte to Arma Hobby kits, the detail is excellent, with fine engraved and raised details, plus a generous quantity of components within the box that many companies would consider to be aftermarket. As a 1:48 modeller, I’m really quite envious of the quality of these kits. Before starting building the kit, the instructions have you adjusting the wing that is provided on the sprue to better reflect the D-type wing by removing the cannon fairings and various humps and panel lines associated with them. Additional panel lines are to be scribed into the inner wing with the aid of the 3D printed templates that are supplied on the closely packed 3D cluster. With that preparation done, construction begins with the main gear bay, which is made from two parts that form both bays in one D-shaped assembly, with a central tank applied to the front wall before it is inserted into depressions inside the wing, which is moulded as a single span part top and bottom. The gear legs and dividers are installed and painted, then the full-span lower wing is offered up and the assembly is glued together in a similar manner to the real aircraft. Work begins on the cockpit, starting with the rear bulkhead, which has an angular headrest, the seat and decal four-point belts. The instrument panel is also made from the styrene panel with raised details, and two decals, one for the panel, the other for the compass for enhanced detail. The cockpit sidewalls are detailed with framework overlays that fit into sockets moulded inside, adding a cross-brace under where the seat will go, and gluing the completed instrument panel into the front. On the top of the wing, the foot troughs are moulded-in and receive the control column and rudder pedals, and the fuselage is closed around the rear bulkhead and seat. The wings and fuselage can now be mated, taking care not to ping off the raised cockpit detail perched atop the wings as you bring them together. At the rear, the elevators are moulded as full-width fin and flying surfaces, and drop onto the back of the fuselage with the fin and moulded-in rudder inserted from behind to complete the empennage after removing the aerial peg at the top of the rudder, then adding the tail-wheel into its socket under the fuselage. The belly-mounted radiator is made up from the main fairing with front and rear radiator faces slotted into it, and covered over at the front with the oval intake for later installation into the grooves in the lower wing. Inverting the model will allow you to put the retraction jacks on the gear legs, and the wheels on the axles, with their captive bay doors fixed to the outer side of the legs. The radiator is installed with a circular light behind it painted with clear orange, and a chin intake in front. You have a choice of styrene or 3D printed exhaust stubs with fishtail ejectors that give a good impression of being hollow, especially for their size. Each wing leading edge gets a clear landing light, a 0.5mm hole drilled inboard, and under the port wing a T-shaped pitot probe is inserted into a small hole in the skin. A two-part tropical filter is supplied for some of the decal options, to use as necessary under the nose, then the propeller is made up, the blades of which are moulded as a single part, sandwiched between a spinner cap and the airframe, which has a tapering styrene washer and needs a little glue to keep it mobile within the spinner. The windscreen is fixed to the forward deck after adding the gunsight to the coaming, and has a 3D printed rear-view mirror glued on top. To pose the canopy open or closed, there are two parts, one patterned to fit the cockpit aperture snugly, the other widened slightly so that it can slide over the spine behind the cockpit, stopping just before the aerial mast, from which you’ll need to nip the aerial tab off the back. There are also a pair of wingtip lights in clear that have a tiny bulb-shaped hole inside for you to fill with paint to depict the red or green lamp within. The 40mm Vickers S cannons are supplied as 3D printed parts, and are made up from the completed gondola that has the barrel inserted into a hole in the front, and a small round “plug” inserted in the hole in the rear. They are handed, and a series of scrap diagrams shows the correct one for each side and where to locate them both under the wings. The last instruction tells you to paint over the landing lights with camouflage paint, at a guess to reduce specular reflections that might give the Germans a clue that they were about to be attacked just that little bit sooner. Markings In the typically generous Arma Hobby manner there are five decal options included, and you’ll need to decide which one you plan to depict early as it affects some of the details of your model. There is a wide range of marking options at your disposal, predominantly overseas in the Far East, and from the box you can build one of the following: Mk.IID Trop, BP158/JV-1, No.6 Sqn. RAF, Shandur & LG 89, Egypt, Autumn 1942 Mk.IID Trop, KX229/H Cheeta, No.20 Sqn. RAF, Nidania, Burma, February 1944 Mk.IID, HW721/BR-J, No.184 Sqn. RAF, Colerne, England, Spring 1943 Mk.IID Trop, KW704/R Christine, No.6 Sqn. RAF, Gabes, Tunisa, April 1943 Mk.IID Trop, HW874/X, No.20 Sqn. RAF, Monywa, Burma, Spring 1945 Decals are by Techmod, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin gloss carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion A superbly crisp model of the doughty Hurri in her ground attack role, with a comprehensive gaggle of multimedia parts adding extra detail and accuracy to the proposition, making the asking price more than reasonable. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of
  23. I should've kept my big trap shut, but no, I just couldn't help myself! And a contract is a contract, eh @TonyOD? This will be a double-build, a sort of vignette if you will, the idea being to display a USN Wildcat and an RAF Spitfire Vc on a section of the USS Wasp's flight deck, during the second operation to re-supply Malta, Operation Calendar. Now, as anyone who has ever had even the tiniest interest in the defence of Malta will know, the colours of those particular Spitfires are a veritable minefield. Recent research has thrown up a few curved balls but at the same time has perhaps added a greater degree of "likelihood" to the interpretation of their colours than some of the more off-the-wall ideas of the past. But interestingly, there is also a possible variation from the "norm" in the colour of the USN's, and particularly Wasp's, Wildcats at this time, so I'll be going slightly off-piste with that as well. All Good Fun!!! Anyways, that's about it until I get the kits on the bench (which incidentally will be a KP Spitfire Mk.Vc and and Arma Hobby F4F-4). Cheers for now, Mark
  24. Given my track record for completing builds, I must be out of my tree to even think about adding another one to my SSD list! And yet here we are...... This will be Arma Hobby's Yakovlev Yak-1b in 1/72 scale most probably finished in the markings of "25 White", 3GvIAP of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet Air Force, Lavensaari airfield, Jul-Aug 1943. The finish is the typical Black/Olive disruptive pattern upper surfaces over Light Blue under surfaces, plain stars in six positions with the code number, spinner and rudder in white. Come on Royal Mail Sleep? Who needs it! Cheers, Mark
  25. Hi all, quite late to be joining this year's KUTA, but while delving for other things I found my languishing Ki-84 that I'd started in the Turning Japanese Group Build. I'm not sure why I didn't finish it: its a super kit and OOB should have been a breeze. Anyway, here we are - the original thread is here for anyone who might be interested - there are a few photos but nothing profound as I really didn't get far. So over the last few days I've finished the cockpit details and assembled the fuselage and wings. Pics. Fuselage halves with added quadrants etc Cockpit tub with IP decals and PE lap belts Assembled fuse halves with tub added - the tub can be added after the fuselage halves are joined by inserting from underneath, which ensures everything is nicely level Wings panels joined I opted for underside colour for the wheel wells to save masking later Thanks for looking in, hopefully more soon! Cheers, Mark
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