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Does anyone use their completed model builds as reference for 2D fine art paintings in oil or acrylic etc as with the many talented folk who photograph their models with convincing backdrops. I've seen scale models used as references (I assume for dimensions) in the Youtube videos of Mark Postlethwaite or Darryl Legg, for instance. In some respects it might be useful, except the 'live' lighting would be very difficult to recreate...but in the absence of getting physically close to the intended subject it might be a better alternative than a photo... If this is a regular practice for us 2D artists out there, are there any tips or is it just a matter of applying the same principles as setting up a still life? Neil

Hawker Typhoon (inc. Tornado) 3rd Edition ISBN: 9781912932245 Valiant Wings Publishing Although the Hawker Typhoon was originally intended to be a direct replacement for the ageing Hurricane from their own stable, it never quite got around to fulfilling the role of medium altitude interceptor, but it did find its own niche before being replaced by the Tempest at the tail end of the piston-engined domination of the fighter era. It was tough, with a thick wing that could carry plenty of fuel and weapons, originally intended to fit 12 brownings, but ending up with two 20mm cannons in each wing, and thanks to its powerful Napier Sabre engine it could catch and keep up with the recently developed Fw.190 that had caused the Supermarine engineers to go scurrying back to their drawing boards to improve the Spitfire’s performance again. Its thick wing and other issues were to blame for its comparatively short tenure, to be replaced by the Tempest that bore a familial resemblance unless you were looking at the radial cowling variants that lacked the prominent chin intake. The Book This is the third edition of this particular book that we've reviewed, the second coinciding roughly with both the 1:72 and 1:24 offerings from Airfix, which weren't included in the original back in 2011, as well as the new car-door variant that was released in 2016. In the last few years we have had the Eduard reboxings of the Hasegawa kit too, and now after a seemly pause, the 3rd Edition of this useful and interesting book appears. Updates and expansions have been applied of course, although perhaps fewer than the differences between editions 1 and 2. It is perfect-bound and extends to 176 pages on glossy paper, with tons of photographs, diagrams and profiles, the modern pictures being in colour, while the contemporary content is black and white due to that being the predominant film format of the day. It is of course written by Richard A Franks, with profiles by Richard J Caruana, isometric drawings by Jacek Jackiewicz, plus smaller scale models by Libor Jekl and Steve A Evans, and two 1:24 Airfix kits by Dani Zamarbide and John Wilkes. If you're familiar with the series, you'll know that the content is broken down into the Airframe section that deals with the 1:1 real thing, and the miniature section that covers the scale models and has a number of builds, plus a host of photographic detail that will be of great help to the modeller. There is also information to be had on the Tornado (no, not that one), which was the progenitor of the Typhoon and looked somewhere between it and the Hurricane it was intended to replace – if you squint. The headings remain the same, laid out as below: Airframe Chapters Evolution - Tornado Evolution - Typhoon Typhoon Production Variants Drawing-Board Projects Camouflage & Markings Survivor Colour Profiles Miniature Chapters Hawker Typhoon Kits Building a Selection Building a Collection In Detail: The Hawker Typhoon Appendices i Tornado & Typhoon Kit List ii Tornado & Typhoon Accessory List iii Typhoon Decal List iv Tornado & Typhoon Production v Bibliography A set of fold-out plans in 1:48 are still there at the very rear of the book, and everything is up to Valiant's usual standards of research and print quality, the plans penned by Jacek Jackiewicz, and as you can see at the top, they have reused the cover illustration of a pair of Typhoons besting a German flying boat over the briny. Conclusion If you missed out on either of the original editions, are looking forward to building one or more of the newer kits, or just have an interest in the Typhoon in general, this book should be of great interest. As usual, my favourite section is the isometric drawings showing the variants and the projects that didn’t reach service for one reason or another. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I've recently become aware that there is a gap in my WW2 aviation library. I have books on British aircraft, American aircraft, Axis aircraft, but I don't have any books on the aircraft of the Soviet Union in the Great Patriotic War. I'm thinking of books like the Putnam or Harborough series, or even the Hamlyn books. Can anyone recommend any books that are readily available at prices that aren't too extortionate? Other than looking for generic "Soviet Aviation" I wouldn't even know what books to look for!

Good day gents, I was thinking on getting back to the “dark side” (modelling). So for the first model I’ve picked up Meng F-35A. I would like to build AF-01 the very first one Lightning delivered to unit. However I’m a bit struggling finding the 1:48 decals. Any suggestions? Also maybe anyone of You knows the best way to replicate those rectangular test markings along weapon pylons and fuselage? Or maybe someone of You knows a good walkaround? Any suggestions regarding finishing colours? Any information would be a great help! I’m looking forward to hear from You guys! Kind regards, Edgar

Hi guys I'm trying to hunt down some jadgtiger photos. Having spent a few hours on google I can only find the same photos circulating. It's kinda frustrating. Move lots of photos of the one down at the tank museum Dorset and the Aberdeen training grounds (or what was) but both these are Porsche types. Im particularly after winter camouflage schemes and intersting field alterations etc thank you so much

The other day I uploaded a number of photos of Typhoons. Here are some more for reference purposes, both general and detail shots. For those currently building or are about to build I hope these are of assistance. Regards Andy Nose gear looking king from the port side. It is worth noting that the colour is is pale gloss greys Undercarriage looking front to rear. Again note the angle from the vertical of the main undercarriage. Nose undercarriage age looking starboard to port Main undercarriage Looking from front to rear. Note the angle of the undercarriage from the vertical. Starboard wing tip Starboard main undercarriage Looking from rear to front The noisy end Flight line Flight line again. ZJ806 in the great British summer

The other day I uploaded a number of photos of Typhoons. Here are some more for reference purposes, both general and detail shots. For those currently building or are about to build I hope these are of assistance. Regards Andy Nose gear looking king from the port side. It is worth noting that the colour is is pale gloss greys Undercarriage looking front to rear. Again note the angle from the vertical of the main undercarriage. Nose undercarriage age looking starboard to port Main undercarriage Looking from front to rear. Note the angle of the undercarriage from the vertical. Starboard wing tip Starboard main undercarriage Looking from rear to front The noisy end Flight line Flight line again. ZJ806 in the great British summer

Chieftain Main Battle Tank Kagero Publishing The Chieftain MBT was the natural successor to the Centurian, and utilised the new armour to give it the edge over the "Red Menace" on the battlefield, which was envisaged to be the border between East and West Germany in the Cold War era. It put right the wrongs of WWII, when British armour had been under armoured and under armed by equipping the turret with a 120mm rifled gun, ensconced behind the aforementioned composite armour, although it wasn't the fastest tank on the battlefield as a result. The Book The subtitle reads "Development and Active Service from Prototype to Mk.11", which is an accurate description of this interesting tome. Part of the PhotoSniper range (number 7), the book is an oversize A4 size in portrait form, perfect bound at the left hand side as you'd expect. The thick card jacket is printed in full colour on the outside with a glossy picture of a Chieftain hull-down in camouflage on the front, and some profiles on the rear. The first 26 pages are devoted to the development and service of the tank, and it goes into detail from the beginning to the every end, interspersed with some interesting and relevant photos. There are also two scale three-view drawings of two marks of the Chieftain, in 1:55 scale, which I'm guessing was "page scale" to allow the drawings to be as large as possible. The next section spans the following pages to page 50, documenting the tank in derelict and in-service settings, with some interesting captions that offer insight into what the Chieftain was like to work on and crew. This section has a black background to differentiate it from the rest, which also makes it easier to find. Pages 50-62 are taken up with a detailed walkaround of both the exterior and interior, getting into nooks and crannies that you wouldn't normally see. The final 9 pages (10 if you include the back cover) show the variations in camouflage of the Chieftain in service with the British Army, Iran, Kuwait and even one found in Iraq in 2003, thought to have been crewed by defecting counter-revolutionary Iranians during the Iran/Iraq war. Conclusion If you're serious about the Chieftain, this is an excellent book for reference, but should also make for a good read. Written by Robert Griffin, it is entirely in English (some Kagero titles are mixed Polish/English), and with colour photos throughout (where the source material allows), plus some handy engineering-type drawings, it gives plenty of inspiration for the modeller and diorama builder. Now we just need a new mould Chieftain model that doesn't blur the distinctions between marks. Let's hope our friends at Meng are looking in! Also, don't forget that the Chieftain was often paired with a 432 for exercises, so you'll need to pick up one of those too, and do your bit for keeping model shops in business Review sample courtesy of