Search the Community

One of the most rewarding aspects of maintaining my modelling blog is from time to time family members of my subject aircraft or unit reach out. It’s a great honour when they do so, and I’m always humbled when they thank me for keeping their loved ones’ memories alive. A couple of years ago I did a piece on VF-34’s tour in 1944. Some time after it was posted, I received an email from Alex S. Bradley whose grandfather flew with VF-34. We corresponded, swapped what info we had on the unit’s tour, and my piece was greatly improved as a result (which reminds me, rather embarrassingly I’ve just realised in haven’t yet credited Alex s a source…). Alex asked me if I would build him a model of his grandfather’s VF-34 Hellcat and I agreed at once. Ensign Bradley’s Hellcat was #128 and I’ve got some excellent reference photos. I don’t know it’s BuNo though. If I can’t find it I’ll make it close in sequence to my previous VF-34 build’s number. Here’s a photo of Ensign Bradley and his Hellcat. It comes from Alex’s fantastic memorial website - https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/b507dbcc4f184a3c848612e01720ed20 Photo Credit: Alex S. Bradley I’m using Eduard’s excellent 1/48 scale kit and having built one previously I do not expect too much trouble in its assembly. There will be some interesting weathering challenges though. Alex has asked that the build reflect the condition seen in the photos. I also plan to enhance the base kit - though it already includes PE - with some Brassin wheel wells and turned brass gun barrels. Of course, we start in the cockpit and I spent a few hours today completing it ready for closing up the fuselage. Having spent the last six months focused on a Trumpeter 1/350 HMS Hood, even the smallest of 1/48 scale PE was relatively easy to manage! I still want to vary the finish on some elements of the cockpit as pictured above, but it’s effectively finished. Next up are the cockpit side walls and then I’ll close everything up. Cheers.

I built this as my contribution to the WW2 Twins Mega GB. It was a challenge for all sorts of reasons; fit was iffy in some places especially the engine nacelles and a short-shot canopy being the highlights. I spent a bit of time getting the camouflage as I wanted it. After my first attempt I compared to the original in b/w and found my contrast to be far too stark, it wasn't until I toned everything down quite significantly that a comparison in b/w to the original matched. The full and gory details can be found here, including a lot of verbiage and pics on howe I arrived at this camo finish. To be fair, the kit isn't actually that bad per se, it's just not as good as I'd have liked (having come off Eduard's exquisite Bf109F just prior). It generates a sense of missed opportunity though that's more visceral than cerebral. Anyway, I was quite happy with it in the end so it couldn't have been that bad. As is my wont, I built it in captured markings as it appeared at the Farnborough Exhibition in late 1945 (I've since found a photo that shows the "Air Min 30" to have been painted in more formal font with the "Air Min" above the "30"). Cheers.

I'm becoming a little obsessed with the captured theme... The thing is, Luftwaffe aircraft are such an interesting paint challenge and when you couple that with the captured markings and sometimes interesting stories of how the capture occurred, it's a very compelling subject. After a sojourn into jets it's back to a single engine prop, the Bf109F. This much I have decided. However, the specific airframe is still up for grabs. I've narrowed down my choice to one of these three: 1. 2. 3. 4. #1 offers good references and clear markings choices. However, there's a decal set for this one already, so it's a reasonably common subject. #2 is less commonly made and I have found three pics of it. I think I have info enough to replicate it and it's got some visual interest in the retention of some German tactical markings. #3 is my current favourite though; look at the weathering opportunities in addition to the markings! It's even got some new stencilling - "No Step" on the port flap... Unfortunately, this is the only photo I can find of it so there's going to be some licence necessary on its markings. #4 is a close second to #3 with the same attractions and challenges. What say you on the choice? I'm going to use the Eduard 1/48 kit for this one. I have only built two Eduard kits, a Mk.IX Spitfire and a Hellcat. I enjoyed the Hellcat but found the Spitfire tedious in its over-engineered-ness. Looking at the sprues for the 109, it's rather more like the Spitfire in its engineering than the Hellcat. For anyone interested, the kit is reviewed here (though my version is the ProfiPack.) - So, there's the intro, I will throw up some pics of my progress when I've something to show. Cheers.

Eduard's Dual Combo Limited Edition box from few years back. That's my choice of decals on the box art, the one in the front. Quite thick instructions and decals that have passed thru Germany at some point - only do-it-yourself swastikas are included. No worries, won't be needing those with this build as I will be doing a post war plane. This is my choice of decals. Finnish Air Force Mersu with some extra colour to make it more attractive for a reno-style air race, held at Utti airport midsummer festival in 1950. Big pile of plastic - as this is a Dual Combo so you can build two Mersus out of this box - a G2 and a G6. I will be doing the G6. And before you go all Enzo on me, no, I won't be building the other one as my dad owns this box, and he wants to do the other one. 'Aftermarket' that I will be using came with the box - as with normal for Eduard, all Profipacks and Limited Editions come with PE and canopy masks included. I just realised that this will be my first ever Mersu. I've painted a couple but I haven't completely built one from the start. So it will be interesting. Oh and in case you are wondering, 'Mersu' is the Finnish nickname for Messerchmitt Bf 109. Kinda obvious where it comes I suppose. Oh and 'Mersu' is also a nickname for Mercedes-Benz - but that's not related to this GB I've got couple other GB's on the works (and several other builds) so I won't probably be storming out of the gates with this build but I will get to it eventually.

G'Day All, this is Eduard's FW 190 D kit which has been in my stash for a long time before i put on the bench, build took a bit more time than expected but now it's done so here some pics of my ''Langnase'' Paints: Lifecolor, Tamiya, Gunze, MRP All the best for your current builds! Cheers Hans

Hello everyone, I want to share with you my last finished model F6F-3. The kit is from Eduard at 1/48 scale. The model was brush painted using Vallejo - Model Color. Thanks for watching!

After my previous efforts with Eduard's 109E's I decided to move onto their 109F's! I've had the Royal Boxing since its release but only now have I decided to build them, a lot easier than the 109E's I'm glad to say. I've had in my decal collection one of the Aeromaster 'Augsburg Eagle' sheets, this particular sheet featured a Bf109F-4 in an unusual scheme from JG5 which I was attracted to, so decided to model this F-4. A little research into this machine proved this was an 'Errormaster' scheme on the decal sheet! The aircraft was Yellow 3, but the style 3 on the decal sheet was wrong and was outlined in red -WRONG!! Eventually I only used the personal pilots badge and the rudder kill markings, the yellow 3 I cut from some spare decal sheet I had, the remainder of the markings were from the Eduard decal sheet. My research also showed that this machine was modified and had an interesting colour scheme. The modifications consisted of cameras in both wings and nose intakes as per 109Gs. The nose intakes, one per side, were a field modification to allow more airflow to cool the sparkplugs ( a not unusual fitting on these machines). I used two intakes from, possibly, a Hasegawa kit. These were large enough for me to slightly modify as the intakes used on the 109Fs were a different cross section. The camera ports in the wings were cut out and lined with Tamiya masking tape which I varnished over to prevent it lifting, why this aircraft was fitted with these cameras I was unable to discover. The actual camera ports were lined around in a light coloured metal or tape according to the photos I found on Asbiz JG5 section, so the tape allowed me to paint them more easily. The fairings under the cameras came from the p.e. in the Eduard kit as they appeared to match the ones in the photos. Rest of the kit was out of the box, camera glazing was U.V. glue ( a very useful item). Colour scheme was RLM70/75/78/79, these machines were F-4 Trops. redirected to JG5 in Norway and were delivered in tropical scheme of 78/79, which were then modified with the addition of 70/75. Yellow 3 was a Bf109F-4 Trop. W.Nr 10073 flown by Rudi Muller, 6./JG.5, Petsamo, Norway 1942:- Cheers Andy

Hi every body, this will be my last post for ´19. Its the Fw190A-4 Würger of Anton Döbele, one member of Walter Nowotnys Devils Chain "Teufelskette". Hope you will enjoy!

Heres my attempt at Eduard's MiG-21R. I've tried to replicate the weathering that was shown in one of the photos in the accompanying book from the Silver Arrows kit. As photography is not one of my strong points I had to make do with my camera phone, so they're not up to the standard usually seen on here. It's one thing I really need to work on. Oh, and please excuse the state of the workbench. Everything on it, under it and generally within its vicinity is a work in progress! And in company with Trumpeter's MiG-21F-13... All comment are very welcome and thanks for looking.

Here I will start in this forum with my MiG-21M from eduard backdated from the MF-Kit. I used the Brassin Cockpit, Exhaust and wheel set within phozo etched sets. Hope you like it...

thanks to all