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£2.99 on Kingkit but….missing the fuselage sides. However not impossible to fix, the plan is to CAD and prints a replacement otherwise the kit will be pretty much oob. Solidworks time….

My contribution to the Group Build is Heller kit No.150, the Messerschmitt Me 163 "Komet" in 1/72 scale. I have an original 1977 boxing that I bought for £5 about 25 years ago from a stall at the Duxford Airshow. Since then it has been been shuffled around the back of my stash waiting for the right moment. This GB has provided the prefect opportunity/motivation to finally build this kit, the Soviet BI-1 rocket plane I built during the recent Blitzbuild is also looking a bit lonely and could do with a fellow rocket powered friend too.

Let me entertain you with my other build, which took some 6 months to complete - I give you the Autobus parisien by Heller! Few words on the kit itself. It's quite big, as you can imagine, with a ready model 40 cm long and 10 cm wide. What's more impressive, some parts of it go in one piece - it's not every day that you detach a detail of whopping 40 cm length from the sprue. That comes at a cost - numerous push marks are everywhere. Heller engineers did their best to cover it up, but at certain areas it really spoils the visual with chickenpox, especially on the passenger compartment roof, that initially got a nice wooden texture. Some marks even go to the clear parts of the driver cabin, making it really unacceptable. Well, challenge accepted, so it turned out to be my most heavily modified model so far. Balsa ceiling, pneumatic brakes, wooden handrails, workable driver doors, windshield wipers, cornucopia of nuts, bolts, and rivets everywhere to mention a few. The kit is rich in years and it feels, with door handles and wipers made as a bumps on clear plastic and the manual giving you advices to fix the end of the bar with hot knife. Another issue - unlike the Citroen HY this kit decals are much more disappointing, mismatched sizes and overall pretty dull. So I took an opportunity to replace each and every, moreover adding some floral pattern to the walls. So there's little to nothing from what it meant to be out of the box. But don't get intimidated, this kit is a perfect canvas to paint your dream model on! The scale allows you to modify and upgrade without stretching your skills to the max. It's really very friendly in terms of assembly, since the whole passenger compartment is assembled as a separate capsule to be mounted on the chassis at the finishing stage. I especially enjoyed the ingenious solution of the roof - it's double in fact, first you attach the inner roof of passenger area and then you cover it with an outer roof, that closes the whole length of a model. That really simplifies the matters, Heller engineers did their best to assist. The model was painted with Alclad II enamels and Vallejo acrylics, all airbrush. Details highlighted with oil-based markers and Quinta studio rivets really saved me a lot of effort. Now, with all the modifications I can go on and on with recollections, but what speaks better of itself than the photos? Here they come and I do hope you will find it interesting. Cheers! Some images before the thing was completely covered: And a tiny bonus, brief history of Paris buses in 20th century:

Greetings builders of vehicles! I've wandered into this part of the forum to share my latest finished project and part of the 'Give peace a chance' Group Build. For something different, I built Hellers Ferguson TE-20/FF-30 although both are built as the TE-20. Build log is here: As my first Heller kits, I found them nice to build, and as always subject quite enjoyable. The only problem was ejector pin marks in the wheel arches and some minor fit problems. I added some extra details - fuel line, battery and ignition leads for extra interest too. So, on with the pictures: Thank you for looking! Comments are welcome, particularly as this isn't my usual kind of build! Keith ☺️

Hi. This is my first time posting something here so i will try my best to follow the rhythm of the forum. I am currently waiting for a B-17 to arrive from Poland so in the meantime i bought the cheapest Zero i could find, which would be this A6M5 by a local brand called Modelex. Modelex basically uses old Heller tooling and is as good (bad) as you might expect. Even so, i have already built the SAAB Draken by them and i did quite enjoy the build, so i ended up buying their Zero just to have some fun, experiment without feeling the guilt of doing such in an expensive kit, and also to learn how to use the forum. 👨‍🦲 I will be updating this thread for as long as it takes me to finnish it, which shouldn't be long. Let's take a look at the box and whatever is inside of it. The kit: To be fair it looks quite alright, the part count is kind of low but it doesn't matter. There isn't as much excess plastic as one would expect and the details are alright besides a few minor roughness in the underside. Overall it's ok for the price (12000 ARS), although i will only find out if the fitting is proper when i start assembling it. The Instruction sheet: Nothing to say besides the fact that its quite poor, but it works since the assembly is so simple and the part count is so low. I didn't bother to take a picture of the paint instructions because they were so low res that it was not even worth it. The kit itself comes with only one possible scheme which is just your average green with gray underside A6M5. The Decals: The decals are what is commonly known as garbage. they look quite bad (although robust, so i dont think they will crack or dissolve), they are stained, and there is like 10 of them in total, of which most are for the meatballs (thank god) and the small tail markings in white text that read 3-114 (which does not match with the code shown in the box). Even so, i wont buy any aftermarket decals because they are expensive and i do not want to wait months for them to arrive, so i will use the ones Modelex provided, along with some heavy masking tape + thin paintbrush work, to get this to look as decent as possible The Plan: So as you may have noticed the title of this thread is A6M5 (or A6M2??) and that's because i plan on converting this model to an A6M2, just because i wanted to build a white/light gray zero but this is all i could find. It shouldn´t be too hard and the kit was pretty cheap so i wont feel terrible while toying with it. The biggest difference there is (atleast in a scale this small and with this level of detail) is the engine cowling, which i will try to modify by sanding and by making the air intake with leftover burnt plastic. The paint job will be done by brush, and i bought a thinner brush to be able to paint the markings that did NOT come as decals. I am currently trying to find an A6M2 with white tail markings so i dont have to use some leftover decals for that too, but for now, i will probably end up making it quite similar to the "51" from carrier Junyo. Paint scheme was found in this website about japanese aviation. It goes without saying, but even though i will try my best, historical accuracy won't be the strongest point of this build. If i fail to convert it to A6M2 i will keep the build as an A6M5 and paint it green, as God (Modelex) intended. For now i will focus on doing the primer base and painting the cockpit and other minor details. I will keep you updated. -Ramirez.

So, here's the placeholder for my entry for this Groupbuild, which is definately non military and very peaceful: A double kit with a flimsy bit of plastic that counts as the 'diorama', which I might see about casting in plaster using the said 'diorama' as the mould. I'm not sure yet if I'll build just one or go for both as a side by side build, but this will depend on time available. Anyway, should be fun to build..... he says optimistically! 😬 Keith ☺️

Good afternoon, dear fellow modellers! Here I would like to introduce a rather nice model by Heller, an iconic Citroen HY van. The kit itself is a fresh repack of an old Heller model (which is sadly common with this brand that definitely used to know better times), still the quality of the sprues is great and there were no major issues with the assembly itself. The only doubtful decision of the manufacturer was to make half of the parts in clear plastic - that is if there's a small window in the back door, the whole door will be clear. Same goes to the front doors and even the engine compartment. Probably that was made on purpose, to make engine and cargo bay visible, still, a bit of a headache with masking comes along. Yet it's possible and thus little to complain of. On the other hand I would like to praise the Heller for their effort with the kit itself - it comes in a colourful box, with a great model catalogue inside, individual packaging for every sprue and even a nice add-on of a door knob sign, showing "Do not enter, model assembly in progress!" on one side and "Come in, let me show you my models!" on the other. A small thing but it somehow adds to the general value. But the best part comes with the decals, which are present in 2 variants: Citroen service center and a Bakery van. So both variants aren't taken out of the blue, those are real companies, present nowadays, so in case one opts for a diorama or a reference, both can be found on the web and checked for inspiration. It varies greatly from the common attitude of Chinese model manufacturers, who tend to add utter nonsense for decals without any idea of historical reference or common sense so far. Heller got a whole chapter in my good books for resourcefulness. Now, this model was my first experience with airbrush painting, so I had a time of my life experimenting with masks and colours. The vehicle turned out to be a bit on the exuberant side, but I'm pretty happy with the results. I've used premixed airbrush paints of a local manufacturer (Skull color) that turned to be really good. Had some trouble with yellow colour, which is really tricky to get a thick layer of (turns out one has to arrange white or pink base coat for it to get the convincing results). Otherwise it was a bliss and a pleasure to work with, ended the model by adding some cargo to it (mostly handmade) to bring some life to the scene. Hope you will enjoy it!

Всім привіт! У цій команді ще один танк🙂. Купував цю модель на вторинному ринку. Перший власник почав її складати. Я хочу побудувати ранній Н-35.

Still no Heller 2025 catalogue but at least some news. A/c new tool kits programme for short - a beginners series, all in 1/72nd: three military & two civil. Confirmed Grumman E-2C Hawkeye (expected in March - thread) followed by C-2 Greyhound (thread) and a rumoured Sud-Aviation SA.342 Gazelle (thread) kit. And that's it for the moment. Source: https://www.facebook.com/heller.fr/posts/pfbid0328AB1serdT91Dv2HUC5dv44VjpqWrxNLuXjbY2727RFaGDgM1QQAvNqcHYm1T2L8l To be followed V.P.

Hi folk's,well first for the year in RFI is Heller's Tempest built for the Classic GB not long started on the forum,it's the Smer boxing which had three nice schemes including this D-Day period offering.Many thanks for taking the time to look.

Heller Gmbh is to release - probably in 2026 - a new tool 1/72nd Sud-Aviation SA.342 Gazelle kit Source: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235133543-172-grumman-c-2-greyhound-by-heller-gmbh-in-project/#findComment-5143493 V.P.

Hi everyone, I now intend to bring this Breguet 693 to completion. It was started in a previous Heller GB, and is still nowhere near the 25% threshold. So here it is. Some photos of the kit; Since then, I managed to get a PE sheet so full of small parts I am not yet sure where they all go. Bottom line I spent time on the fuselage inner structure possibly for nothing as everything is on the PE fret. Oh well. So little of it will be visible when the half fuselages are glued together that nobody will ever see my shoddy job. So here we go, another kit to finish in 2025. Very possible, as I am only entering three GBs this year. It has taken me a long time to finally understand what had to bee done. Have fun with Heller kits!!! JR.

Looks like after its still future E-2 Hawkeye (thread), Heller Gmbh is to release a 1/72nd Grumman C-2 Greyhound - ref. 82303 et 56303 (with brush & paints) Source: https://www.master194.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1652352#p1652352 V.P.

Hi everyone, For the umpteenth time, I am entering this great kit in the KUTA. Even the kit is embarrassed to be dragged once more in front of everybody. Only today have I made any inroad on my Airfix GB Spitfire... less than 2 weeks before it finishes... No pressure. So advertising this Etendard is preposterous. But nothing will be started in 2025 until it is finished. OK, I've said it. Just a few photos to show that it is not far from completion: Anyway, there you have it. A superbly beautiful plane. So this model deserves to be finished. Not to mention that @JOCKNEY, who offered it to me eons ago, is now sending me threatening messages. Is that what the British call "peer pressure"? Enjoy your KUTAs. JR

Hi all, this will be my entry for the 2024 Xmas Blitzenbuild GB, the venerable Heller 1/72 Hurricane Mk.IIc. Obligatory shots. This original 1977 release is now looking, shall we say, a little foxed: Although, in the words of the late, great Sir Terry Pratchett, it may well have been badgered, wolved and quite possibly beared as well. The contents were still sealed! 🦭 Let's have a look inside the plastic bag: Standard Heller instructions, a sheet of surprisingly healthy-looking decals, a nice transparency sprue with separate windscreen and canopy, and a shrivelled glue capsule with the kind of health warning I thought we only had in more recent years. Perhaps idiocy isn't such new thing after all..... Typically lovely Heller mouldings on four sprues: Raised panel lines, of course, but look at just how fine they are! The exhausts, however, are quite horrible This will be a completely OOB wheels-up build. I'm not even going to replace the exhausts because then I'll be tempted to "improve" other aspects like the cockpit, that's not the purpose of this build. I'm not interested in the dimensional accuracy of the kit. This will be a nostalgia build, a model like it would have been in my yoof (although I never built this kit "way back then"), just hopefully a bit tidier! The subject will be the all-black 253 Sqn scheme, Z3971/SW*S - I'm not heading down the markings rabbit hole, either! My airbrush is off-limits until my new hobby room is fixed up, so I'll be off to my LMS on Saturday for a selection of rattle cans to paint the thing once it's assembled! Cheers, Mark

One day long ago, a friend called me who, while on a business trip in border town, came across a here rare old Heller box. From behind the counter, he called me and said that a stunningly beautiful Polish plane is available, which you can't miss. At the same time, I googled and agreed and asked to buy it. pretty soon I felt a strong desire to build it. Part detail set is included I like Poland:) ps. the machine guns will have to be replaced at some point here.

Hello, a late entry here with quite an old kit: I have an Heller Mirage III which I tried to build in a previous GB as a 5BA but was aborted due to horrendous distorsions of the fuselage plastic. Now, after several months of treatment, I managed to reduce the issue to a manageable size and started the build a few weeks ago to see how stable would be the plastic ( I got some worrying cracks which I would like to repair BEFORE the painting stage 🙂 ). I also needed some references for the scheme I chose in an equally old Modeldecal sheet, see here my successful search: So, now I think I'm ready to do some real progress in this build. Thanks for looking!

hello guys. here is my last ( painful ) work job. So many pieces to re built and replace. This kit is a mess...never buy it. It was a poisonous gift from my "best " friend... anyway i did it !. My reference pic : My model :

This is the old and simple 1/72 Heller kit of the Mirage III, built once as Mirage 5 BR recce variant, and once as Mirage 5, both in anniversary markings of Belgian squadrons. I did not care about improving the kit details, since for me, they simply were the canvas for the gorgeous paint schemes, the "Mephisto" and the "Blackbird". The decals came from Daco and were old as well. Rather thick, they needed massive decal-setting employment to be convinced to settle down. That all decals had to be applied twice, the first time in plain white as a base, then the real coloured ones, so that the black paint base would not tone down the colours, did not make it easier. Especially the long and thin stripes on the "Blackbird" took some time and concentration to be well aligned with their white base decals. This were also the first models I used an airbrush on upon restarting modeling last year. I thought plain black could be no problem, well, it could. I was unable to prevent silvering on several decals, and trying out liquid masking on the canopy of the "Mephisto" resulted in a debacle. Somehow, the liquid did not protect the canopy from the paint, resp. it did not really come off the plastic, so I desperately scratched off some, but then I gave up. Meanwhile, I use masking tape. Marcus

These brush-painted bare-metal jets appeared nicer than they had under their dust layers. At least the F-84F Thunderstreak (on second thought this might have been a Monogram kit?) has found a space in my display area, the RF-84F Thunderflash has more flaws and will stay only as long its space is not needed otherwise. The decals are not from the kits, I cannot recall who was their manufacturer. Marcus

Hello fellow modelers. This is my last project, the Renault 4L in 1/24, by Heller. This model is the Renault 4L basic, (labeled "TL", ) which means that has no antenna for radio system, or side protect panels alongside the body. Year 1985. I have decided to represent it in a quite acceptable condition, without being excessively worn out. The built is totally OOB. Most of the time was spent in the engine bay, that I tried to reproduce according to the real thing. The front bonnet an the right door are not glued, in order to see the interior: A fun model, that I hope you like and enjoy, as I did during the modelling. If you want to see the bulidng process, this is the link to the WIP thread: Rhank you for watching! Josep

Joining with this kit.

Hello fellows, Here, my current project, the Renault 4L, in 1:24 scale, by Heller: The mould was released in 2015. The first impression is quite good. I only noticed that the frontal grill is a compact piece... ...and that windows and doors are indeed the same clear part, as tipically in Heller models. That means that you have to carefully mask the doors when painting. And neither allows you to depict the windows open. Following the instructions, I started with the engine: Here, the engine is already installed in the chasis. For practical reasons, I removed the air filter. I painted and put the sats in place. This pic shows a little test, in oder to fit the wheels... After this, I started the body painting process, masking the clear parts, etc... I liked my 4L in yellow. There are a wide variariy of tones, starting from an ultra intense yellow, others with orange or cream tonalities, untilI a very palid... Here, one example of the real thing, with the yellow I liked the most: To achieve this tonality, I used the Vallejo 71.288 UK BSC 64 Port. Stone, which in my opinion fits very well: The idea is to show the vehicle in an accepatble state of conservation; so I'm thinking only in a light weathering Here, the dashboard already painted, and put in their place over the chasis: After putting the decals and the steering wheel, the dashborad is also completed: After installing all the windows, I put the body and the chasis together: All fits quite well. In this part, I added the steering column. In this pic, the radiator is also in their place, altogether with some decals: The next step was to install the battery, accesories, additional wires, etc. According to the instructions, there are two bars that connect from the dashboard with the engine bay. The long one connects with the gearshift lever. But the second one (the short) I don't know what function has. You can see both installed in the next pictures: Surpringly, after checking in the Internet, I did not find any picture of this second bar (the short one)... So, finally I decided to remove this bar. I used the hole for adding some wires: This is the engine bay, almost totally finished: So, that's all for the moment. I hope you like it! Cheers, and thank you for watching. Josep

Royal Danish Air Force F-84G Thunderjet Esk 725, 1950s Heller kit / Lima November decals Worked away at the old Heller kit for this one. Wing top surfaces were re-scribed but I left all those fuselage panels as raised details. In hindsight I should have put in the effort and scribed them as I did in my previous F-84G build (USAF version - see photos). My inspiration was the release of those excellent Lima November decals. I was always going to do one of the camo options but I struggled to find out whether the undersides were in PRU Blue or Medium Sea Grey. There is a colour illustration in the decal instructions but it looks about mid way between the two so isn't much help. In the end I found a couple of discussion items on this forum and went for the PRU Blue option. USAF version built some years ago:

I thought that I would open my account for 2024 with something different and a subject that I am unfamiliar with, so I will get to learn something along the way. The moment I saw the Record I thought that curves typified the rounded shapes of many American and European car manufacturers of the 1950's, add to that the chrome enhancements and I was sold on the idea of building this. I am not sure how far I will get, it depends how I cope with my chemotherapy treatment, but I am hoping that it will keep driving me forwards and give me another target to aim for. Here are photos of the box and contents and I don't intend adding too many bells and whistles so it will be built more or less as it comes. The Box, by John L, on Flickr Body, interior and chassis parts, by John L, on Flickr the shiny bits and tyres, by John L, on Flickr and finally, a set of destructions. by John L, on Flickr Off to check the ol' tinterweb to see what I can find. Cheers for now. John