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Hi a recent spitfire mk vb by tamiya i completed i built this as a group build on facebook and it has a quickboost resin seat with moulded in belts ENJOY The underside i decided not to grime it up although i faded paint A nice view of the side and tail showing the nice preshade affect

I've decided that I'm definitely going to finish a GB for once with this one. Hence the ridiculously simple choice of a Tamiya 1/20 Porsche 936. Lashings of Halfords Appliance White all over, when it comes to the paint, so even I can't get bogged down on the masking, which is usually where I start to lose the will to live. Looking forward to this one! If I finish quickly, I might just take a stab at one of my pile of 956 or 962s...

Well this one was ten years in the making. I started it and then went to university, New Zealand etc. and only finished it last month! I must have had a very relaxed approach to sanding and filling back then as the seams are awful but I painted it up anyway. I did attempt a scratchbuilt engine rear/oil header in place of the incorrect 'dimply' wheel wells. Historical accuracy is out of the window - I had some EagleCals decals for a D-11/13 and I really liked the scheme so did it despite the kit being a D-9. Paints are all humbrol/xtracolor enamels and some oil wash, with white for the fabric control surfaces. Radio mast long broken off in storage and haven't bothered to replace it! The decals sheet reckoned top colours of Dunkelgrun and Grauviolett on the wings although I reckon that is rubbish considering the fuselage colours so went with Grauviolett and Lichtgrau. Feel free to correct my wild guesses! Thanks, Chris

Pink Panther Update Set (for Tamiya) 1:35 Legend Productions Tamiya's SAS Pink Panther Land Rover kit has recently been re-released, which should please a lot of folks, and Legend have also re-released their excellent resin update set that improves both the basic kit, and adds the stowage that was typical of these highly personalised and heavily loaded vehicles, which sometimes had to stay out in the desert for extended periods. The set arrives in a small cardboard box, with a picture of the stet installed on the top side. Inside is a large bag of resin, which also contains another bag, to reduce breakages during transport/handling. Additionally, a separate bag containing a Photo-Etched (PE) fret of brass, a length of brass rod, some flexible brass wire, a short length of chain, and a length of braided string/rope. Pouring the contents of the resin bags onto the desk gives a good sense of the sheer quantity of parts included, and you'll be spending plenty of time removing all the casting blocks, which are generally on the mating surfaces, which simplifies the task somewhat. Remember to protect your lungs from the fine dust by wearing a mask, and if using something less than a respirator, do it outside, weather permitting. The instruction sheet is quite small compared to the part count, but it is printed on full-colour glossy paper using photographs to show where everything goes, which should make progress pretty easy. The front end of the Tamiya kit is showing its age, and as such the Legend PE is put to good use here. The radiator grille it removed from the fender part, and is replaced by a more realistic PE part, to which a pair of resin headlights, a Land Rover badge and army style number plate reading 10 FG 67 are added. The front smoke dischargers are mounted on the bumper, and these are replaced by PE mounts and resin tubes with grenades in situ. A new shackle for the front spare wheel is also added, and a short length of the supplied wire is inserted through the shaft to hold everything together. In the cab, two posable searchlights, extinguisher, map holder, compass and a pair of new resin crew seats are added, together with radio gear and stowage between the seats. In the rear, another pair of searchlights are installed on resin mounts, compass, stowage, water/fuel cans, the crew's webbing belts, bedrolls and PE racks in which to keep the cylindrical containers supplied with the set. Smoke dischargers are mounted on the rear of the vehicle, and the tail gate is posed open and festooned with stowage, being held horizontal by the retaining chain that is supplied in the set. The two weapons mounts supplied in the kit are given detailed resin GPMG machine guns atop new resin mounts, with resin ammunition cans attached to the mounts. The rear feed is enclosed in a feed-chute, while the front is exposed, and a trio of lengths of link are included to place between the breech and box. Any spare could be heat deformed to drape over the vehicle, or used to decorate the tops of open boxes if you have access to some PE ammo boxes of the correct type. On the bonnet/hood, the tripod for the range-finder is given realistic PE tie-downs, a mounting plate for another spare wheel (unused), a large tarpaulin, and two dust-proof holsters for weapons stowage, with more equipment lashed to the upper surface. Additional jerry cans are carried outboard of the driver and passenger "doors", which are replaced by resin items in their brackets. Conclusion What a comprehensive set! The sheer volume of parts will give you all the detail you need for the chassis, with perhaps only a set of replacement wheels needed to give the ultimate detail. Resin casting is first rate, the casting blocks are sensibly placed, and there are no bubbles evident on my review samples. A must have for anyone serious about creating a super-detailed model of this iconic Landy. Very highly recommended. Available soon in the UK Review sample courtesy of

Hi, some quick shots of a recently built Tamiya Mustang III, one of Horbaczewski´s mounts. The paints are a mix of Tamiya sprays, Humbrol and Citadell acrylics while the decals are a mix of Tamiya´s and AJ Press "Polish Mustang Units". I managed to destroy the correct decals for bombing missions so had to use the ones for Horbaczewski´s other Mustang though....

One from last year. Apart from an aerial or two and some more clutter its done. Tamiya 1/35 Bren Gun Carrier Sprayed with Tamiya acrylics & finished chalk wash. IMG_2937 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2938 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2939 by Snapper_city, on Flickr IMG_2941 by Snapper_city, on Flickr

Grumman F-14A Tomcat - VF-84 'Jolly Rogers', USS Nimitz, 1981 Tamiya 1/32nd scale kit built for the Swing Wing GB - build thread can be found here: http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234937822-tamiya-132nd-f-14a-tomcat-update-1552013/ Tom

Hi all, Sorry for the dodgy photo's - My digital SLR is about to have a foot to sensor interaction! Had to pick up my old point and press and see what I could come up with! Ok, so the kit... This was the Tamiya 1:48 F117 and Humvee box set. Picked it up at Waddinton airshow for significantly less than what it should be and was not disappointed when I opened the box.. Usually Tamoya quality, made of black plastic (in case your feeling lazy and cant be bothered to paint it, ha ha). If I'd have stuck to the OOB stuff I reckon it would have gone together a dream, then I decided to get the Aires cockpit and it all went horribly wrong. With that cockpit in you have to sand the bottom of the 'pit tub and the top of the front wheel bay. Or in my case sand THROUGH the cockpit floor so the seat falls through, then sand almost through the top of the wheel bay! NIGHTMARE. Anyway, I eventually got the two halves together after much sanding, glueing and lots of swearing, then after that it was plain sailing. Not alot else to talk about with it really from the build point of view, given the simple nature of the exterior of the aircraft it never was going to be difficult. You can build it bomb bay open or close, with or wihout LGB's, and that's about it. Painting was done with a can of black Halfords spray paint and some dry brushing along the panel lines, which I hope has come out in a couple of the photo's. Decals are pretty good (when you don't put them on over a Matt finish, oops) and that's about all there is. The hummer is pretty good, and comes with a couple of different options for painting and decals. Again, it went together pretty easily with good comprehensive instructions. I finally popped my airbrush cherry with the hummer and I think it came out ok for a first timer. A little bit of light weathering and 2 MP's later and the kit was finished. The ground crew and generator came from a Hasegawa set which I bought spare of the moment and the dio' base was made from Tamiya texture paint and some DIY concrete stuff from model zone. Again apologies from the outset for the dodgy pictures but lighting was pants and the camera worse (a good workman always blames his tools, I think). Anyway...

My Hurricane build has come to a bit of a stand still, I was spending too much time messing around with it that I lost interest, its not been relegated to the shelf of doom, just put on the back burner for now. So to get my enthusiasm back I decided to have a go at the Tamiya Mk 1 Spit in the markings of 57 OTU, RAF Hawarden 1941/42. I believe the plane that I'm building was flown by FO Ginger Lacy. I have used elements of the eduard zoom set for the cockpit plus fuse wire, I replaced the seat with an Aires example that I had floating about and I'm using Quickboost exhausts and propeller. So some pictures...(infact they are chronalogical from when I started painting to where I am as of tonight). So there we are, I'm happy with how it's going. Tomorrow I hope to get the serial number sprayed on, the leading edge sprayed yellow and a gloss coat applied. Let me know what you think. Yours aye Iain.

Well i havent done a WIP for ages so i thought i would give it a go again. My Wife bought me this wheil we were on Holiday at my Parents in Devon. Actually we got it for a good price.Ive been wanting to build a Sturmovik for ages and i had been looking at the Hobbyboss 1/32 one. Im glad she bought me the Tamiya 1/48 one. I was blown away when i opened the box. Amazing molding , beautiful surfaces , great decals and even canopy masks! Fantastic! Work starts in the cockpit and as you would expect from Tamiya it litterally falls together. I have painted it RLM Grey and dry brushed with a lighter shade. The decals for the instruments settled down perfectly with some Klear. The front and rear interiors slide in from underneath so the fuselage can be assembled. The front intake and parts all fit perfectly. NO filler anywhere yet Thats it for now. I will post more pics later

Hello everyone. My contribution to this group build will be the Tamiya Seiran that I picked up on evilbay many moons ago. It's a great looking kit. I'll be building it from the box in an attempt to bolster the old mojo, so no fiddly photo-etch or scratch-building in this project. This will also be my first Japanese subject since I was a kid. Cheers Andy

Hello everyone, I'd like to have a play if that's all right. It's been the thick end of a year since I did any modelling at all, so am going for a relatively straightforward build of the first prototype Mosquito, which I've always loved since first visiting Salisbury Hall as a kid. My work probably won't trouble the judging too much, but it will be a valued addition to the collection so thank you for hosting this GB! I shall be using the Tamiya 1/72 kit of the B.Mk.IV twinned with the Paragon Designs conversion set with the short engine nacelles, early wingtips and different tail surfaces. I shall make my own decals for the serial code, and decide whether to go for the first registration of EO234 or her more enduring identity of W4050 during the build. The roundels and tail flash will be cobbled together from my various 1/72 leftovers - but any recommendations for the correct shade of yellow would be welcome - from a rattlecan if possible as I don't have an airbrush. I'm assuming that the props and spinners provided by Tamiya will be right for the job. I've heard tell that they're actually closer to those found on Lancaster kits, so this would be good to know. Sprue and box shots will follow as soon as Hannants have processed my order, so in the meantime here's a shot of the 1:1 aircraft back in late 1940. And belated New Year greetings to all - nice to be back!

Eventually finished the Tamiya 1/48 Dambuster. After starting this back in November, it's been a lot of work....... Decided to make it AJ-J in the end, using Xtradecal instead to get the right size wing roundels. More pictures to follow, good old Photobucket has just crashed! Again....

IJN Heavy Cruiser Tone 1:350 Etch sets The Tamiya 1:350 Tone kit has been out for some time now, but there have been very few, if any, aftermarket detail sets for it. This may mean that Tamiya got it perfect out of the box or that the aftermarket companies have missed it for some reason. Well this has now been rectified with the welcome release of these two sets by Eduard. The first set consists of two sheets of etched brass containing around 132 different parts. The largest sheet provides everything from the ships crane, crane hook, catapults, bollard tops, gratings, turret railings and masts, funnel caps, funnel wind deflector, inclined ladders, to the intake grilles on the funnels and superstructure. There are several wind deflectors for the secondary armament which are made up by folding the large etched segments on each other creating a suitably scale thickness. The kit searchlight towers, their mounts and turntables are completely replaced with new etched items. There are also numerous small details for the rangefinders, masts yards and bridge structure. All the ships boats have additional detail such as rudders, handrails, screens and stern rails. The second, smaller sheet contains many smaller items such as new doors and deck hatches, small deckhouses, inclined ladders, gun shields, boats oars and cable drum supports. The smallest and what look like the most awkward fittings are the hull ladder rungs. Templates are provided to get the holes drilled in-line ready for the rungs themselves. This is going to be an incredibly fiddly job, but worthwhile exercise as the moulded styrene ones are a little bit clunky. The second set, supplied separately, provides all the railings in pre-cut lengths for the whole ship, plus a range of platforms with pierced gratings. Two accommodation ladders are also provided, in addition to their deck edge covered platforms. A pleasant addition is the inclusion of the awning tripods often seen in photographs of Japanese naval vessels. Conclusion It’s good to see these sets being released as, while the 1:350 Tone is a fabulous kit, it still needs something to give it a lift. The quality of the etch is up to the usual standard we’ve come to expect from Eduard. Unfortunately, the instructions are still a little vague in part placement and particularly how parts are folded. If you have the Tamiya kit, then you need these sets. Review sample courtesy of

Hi folks, I started this last November and did most of the initial construction and painting in a week or so - not bad. But it's taken at least two or three times that long to actually finish it, and strictly speaking it isn't entirely finished - I haven't done the bomb seeker heads yet. But it's a nice day and I thought I'd take some pictures to share: (click for bigger) My first finished modern jet (although I've started one before) so I learned a lot: All the final assembly stuff is surprisingly tricky - I was slotting one of the bomb bay doors into place and using a little force because it had previously clicked into its spot when test fitting. Suddenly there was a loud and unhappy noise as the front of the bomb bay parted from the inside of the closed, painted fuselage Ouch. I added some more glue and took some more off the door before trying again Other than that the kit was pretty good to build. The main seam is hidden inside a step about 1/8" in from the edges of the fuselage, which is great because it gives you a good sharp edge, but does make for a lot of filling if you actually want to fill it - took about four hours of superglue and sanding. I opted not to fill the panel lines so that there'd be no risk of rounding off the sharp edges. I also found the black finish quite tricky - an easy colour to spray, but how to capture that blotchy streaky look of the real thing without making it look like bad model paintwork? I didn't want to go the false shading approach because while it looks really cool I don't think it looks that realistic. I ended up settling for an overall application of MIG neutral wash, mostly removed again in streaks, plus some panels touched in in grey following photographs. I also added a couple of (hydraulic fluid?) stains since I've seen those in several pictures. I was worried it was all very over done, but it seems really subtle, maybe too subtle, in the photos. The cockpit uses the Eduard Zoom set, mainly for the conspicuous HUD frame and the seatbelts. As seems to be the norm I had to carefully repaint the instrument panels because Eduard's dark grey was a dark blue. It's all a bit invisible now owing to the cramped interior: But you can just about see it if you look carefully. I really like Eduard's layered instrument panel here. Oh, and I added some rough and ready canopy latches, but the receptacles in the frame are painted tape and look pretty poor. I didn't feel up to drilling the holes today, but maybe I can go back and do that when I'm feeling braver since the tape will just lift off. I enjoyed painting the titanium exhausts, I think they could do with some more weathering - stains and soot in the slots, and patchy black paint wearing off the thermal tiles: Other jobs to do in future: * Add the canopy padding and make some mirrors. * Fix the mis-masked canopy frame - tsk. * Better canopy latches. * Detail inserts for the rear wall. * Repaint the front-most pitot tube, which is now mostly made of superglue and has got a bit glossy. * Various minor touch-ups - there are some white specks in the paint, and the left "Escape" decal by the canopy hinge has silvered. I really need to make a simple base as well, the better to protect all the breakable bits on the front Thanks for looking, comments and criticism most welcome. I've got some more jets in the stash and I like what I've ended up with (thought it could be better) but they do seem like pretty hard work compared to tanks and things. At least this time I remembered to work on the dangly bits (doors, bombs, gear) as I went along so they wouldn't come as a shock at the last minute. Cheers, Will

Hi all, Not sure if this has already been reported, but I spotted this tidbit on the 72nd scale aircraft forum. Tamiya are scaling down their 1/48 Il-2 to 1/72: http://www.hlj.com/product/TAM60781 Academy are finally releasing a two seater: http://www.academy.co.kr/eng/6q/frmBoardView.asp?pMenuId=BOARD00012&pCode=5351 The Tamiya kit's an "arrow" wing and the Academy one is a straight wing so at least both of them aren't duplicating the other entirely! Mike.

Here, as promised, is my contribution to the GB - the T26E3 Pershing (Tamiya, 1/48). It's a lovely looking kit and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll be building "Fireball", which was knocked out by a Tiger 1 in February 1945 only to be repaired and re-fielded later. This'll be pretty much OOB with a little etch for the brush guards etc. and possibly some stowage. Here are the obligatory prep photos: Cheers Andy

Hi everyone. My first ever build, the 1989/90 spec Sauber C9 by Tamiya. Never build a proper model before, but I love this car, so it was a good place to start. Will hopefully end up as below, with some photoetch parts and carbon fibre/kevlar decals.. Firstly separated the front panel from the centre section, then also removed the front spoiler from the base. Whole front end separated. Only isse is on the later spec cars, they used a larger front spoiler lip which looks better, so custom making a new piece to fit out of some old plastic. Thats it for now, need to get some paints and order the p/e and scale carbon fibre.

I dreamed of owning one of the Tamiya 1/16 tanks when i was younger. The King Tiger was the one i wanted. It had a rotating turret and a strobe light in the barrel! Trouble was , it was very expensive , and then there was the radio gear and battery which were also very expensive. I ended up having the Leopard which was the cheapest but very much loved. This is the 1981 version of the KT with the single motor , twin clutch setup. I have not run it and im not sure i will. Its totally new built other than the modern 540 motor. I will be replacing this with the original old one soon. Im also hoping to get period radio gear , battery and maybe a kit box if im lucky. Ive airbrushed it in the ambush style , but i did not really follow a certain tank so its probably not 100% accurate. Well its taken long enough but i have the tank i always wanted and at a very nice price. Right 1/16 Leopard A4 next methinks! Nice shiny new internals

BT-7A Tank Detail Set S35-007 ET Models 1:35 The release by the BT-7A by Tamiya was very welcome as it was a much nicer and more accurate kit to build than the other examples that had been released previously. That said, theres always room for improvement and ET Models have released this latest set in their repertoire to do just that. The set is packed in the usual thick poly bag with a stapled cardboard header card. The four main etched sheets are taped to two sheets of black card, in one small zip lock bag there is another small etch sheet and a sheet of acetate, whilst in a second zip locked bag there are a pair of resin lights. The instructions are printed on the usual green paper, two sheets of double sided A4 and one small, (A6) sized sheet. The instructions start with the construction of the replacement side footplates, which consist of the main plate, strengthening beams, crossbeams, rear mudguards and grab handles. The distinctive front mudguards need to be carefully folded to shape so that they fit snugly to the forward hull and the upper plate with its associated cross bracing. Moving to the engine decking the access hatch gets a new mounting ring and hinges. The engine intakes have new grilles secured with very small, but well etched wingnuts. On the left rear slanted deck a new storage bin with two lids and their associated hinges and locking catches whilst on the rear deck there is a new exhaust protection grille, bracing and handles. The rest of the set provides new grab handles, hinges for all the hatches and, catches and tool clamps. For the front of the turret there are two replacement combat lights, cast in beige resin and attached to the turret with etched supports and fitted with etched protective griller and acetate film. Conclusion This is a very nice set, that may not be as extensive as some ET Models have released, but it doesnt really need to as there is more than enough to keep even the most rabid detailer happy. Recommended.Review Sample courtesy of available in the UK from White Ensign Models

Japanese Super Battleship Yamato Eduard 1:350 The release of their updated IJN battleship Yamato by Tamiya it was thought that it wouldn’t need any further items from aftermarket manufacturers, particularly as Tamiya has already produced some detail sets for the kit. This premise has been proven wrong with Eduards release of these sets that aim to improve this amazing even further. The first set, (53072) contains two medium sized sheets of finely etched relief brass. As is usual for these types of sets, some of the kits details need to be removed before the etched parts can be added. Sheet one contains14 new splinter screens with solid floors and 4 with open floors for the triple 25mm gun mounts, new breakwater hatch details, three different types of watertight doors which can be posed either open or closed, new vent grilles, liferings and cradles, AA director mount doors, aircraft trolleys and cradles, a pair of very fine Ohi Go 13 air search radar aerials, the rear parts for the main radars, 5” open gun mount footplate, sight and turntable, boat cradles, replacement flag boom, bridge platforms, catapult footplates, replacement catapults with additional details such as launch cable reels. There are also new handrails for the funnel and several director mounts. Sheet two is slightly smaller and provides the fronts of the main radars along with the rather fiddly separate dipoles, twelve of which are fitted to each side. Apart from a new bridge platform deck the sheets is filled with new handrails for use around the ship superstructure and the forward turret, along with new deck hatches, vertical ladders, new bridge windows, and deck shelters. To go with the above set Eduard have also released a separate comprehensive set of railings, (53073). The one large sheet is filled with railings of different styles and all pre-sized to the correct length for fitting in their respective positions. These will go a long way to finish what is a fabulous model, without the hassle of using Tamiyas own railing set which is made up of individual posts through which you pass copper wire to make up the completed railings. Conclusion Although the new Yamato kit is absolutely fantastic, these additional sets will take it to the next level of detail and able the modeller to really build a museum quality model. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Has anyone used these? Are they good and do they fit well, or are they undersized like others? Thanks Andrew

Since I've always liked the Mosquito and don't have any in my current collection this is a perfect reason to get at least one done. A visit to my LMS yielded two kits as a late Christmas present to myself. The 48th scale kits may become a Tse tse machine but in the meantime the 72nd scale one is going to be an OOB PR.IV as the simple PRU Blue colourscheme shows the aircraft off at its best to my eyes and will keep a couple of Spitfire XIX company in the cabinet. Two fresh new boxes; One set of unmolested parts and a reference CD kindly supplied by Woody37; May be a little delay before work starts as I'd like to clear a couple things off the bench first.

1/72 F-14A Tomcat (Tentative) 1/72 F-15E Strike Eagle (Tentative) listed here: http://www.tamiya.co...12THS_index.htm

A6M5 Zero Photo Etch Detail Set for Tamiya Kit 1:72 Eduard Tamiya’s superlative Zero marked a surprising and very welcome return to 1:72 scale by the well-regarded Japanese firm. The kit’s heritage in Tamiya’s larger scale Zeros was apparent through the superb level of detail and engineering. Now Eduard have attempted to gild the lily with a comprehensive set of photo etched detail parts A6M5 Zero (self adhesive) 1:72 Eduard The set is comprised of two frets of parts. The first is an all-singing, all-dancing pre-painted, self-adhesive fret of the type that has now become familiar to Eduard’s customers. It holds parts for the cockpit, including a multi-layered instrument panel and side consoles, rudder pedals, throttle control, and sidewall detail. Also included is a very realistic replacement seat, which fully demonstrates the advantages of photo etch technology over injection moulding. A full set of pre-painted harnesses are also included, as is the decking for the sliding part of the canopy. The second fret contains a handful of smaller parts such as the ignition wiring for the engine and fasteners for the engine cowling, as well as some larger, structural parts. These include a complete set of landing flaps which, thanks to Eduard’s user-friendly design philosophy, simply fold up to create a very effective finish. This fret also contains a host of parts for the undercarriage, including brake lines and parts to line the main landing gear bays. A6M5 Zero (Zoom) 1:72 Eduard The Zoom set is included just the pre-painted self-adhesive fret from the set reviewed above. Given the fabulous level of detail that Tamiya have crammed into their kit, this set would seem to be a wise choice unless you particularly want the landing flaps from the set above. Conclusion This is a great package that will allow you to take an already incredible kit to the next level. If you’ve already invested in Tamiya’s Zero, then you would be well-advised to take a good look at this set too. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of