Search the Community

Hello to all of you.This will be my last finished model for the year 2020.I made new seatbelts,gunsight and pittotube for this one.The paints I used are ak real colors and the decals are from Hi Decal Line.If you wish to see the full build process follow the youtube link bellow. Happy holidays to all of you and stay safe.

Hi guys, I finally finished this build. It's HobbyBoss Panzer I Ausf. A, kit No. 80145, superb kit, with great details and quite well engineered. There were few frustrating bits, like super small photo-etched parts (and when I say super small, I mean SUPER small), quite a lot of cleanup of indy track links, but it's worth the fun. You can find more about this build in the WIP section here. I decided to build DAK version, Vehicle number 833 from the Regiment 5, the one of vehicles that arrived with the first batch of DAK units and that participated in the first actions until it was probably lost sometime around first fights around Tobruk or soon thereafter. There were quite a lot of research involved and this was the most fun part of this build, because information about Pz Is present in NA theater is quite obscure. The biggest dilemmas I had were which version of Pz I was this and how to paint it. I figured out with quite certainty that this was Serie 3 vehicle, but with many modifications. And regarding the paint, the safe bet would be to leave it painted in RAL 7021, but most of the initial vehicles from the Reg. 5 received a very light "mysterious" paint, early in the campaign, so I decided that it would be more fun to go in this direction. There is no definite answer which paint it was (the only fact that is quite certain is that it's not RAL 8000), but there's a big chance that it was Italian paint, so I decided to go with Giallo Sabbia Chiaro. This paint was used at the time and there is a good chance that stocks were present around Tripoli at the time when Reg. 5 arrived. Here's some pictures: And on the white background: And some details: And finally interior, before I sealed it. I must say that this kit provides really nice interior. Cheers and have a great weekend! Nenad

My entry will be ZE967, a Tornado F3 of 23 Squadron, based at RAF Leeming. This Hobbyboss kit was purchased at least five years ago and it's time it was built: The Xtradecal sheet covers this airframe, Mosquito FB Mk VI (Mediterranean Theatre GB), Lightning F6 (Interceptor GB?) and two Phantoms (RAF Leeming and Falkland Islands) - the latter are part of my own KUTA build. The Tornado won't get started for a couple of weeks at least as I'm also building two Phantoms for the Vietnam GB.

Hi all You wait ages for a D-13, then two turn up at the same time This is my attempt at D-13 '>>' - photographed at Pilsen, Czechoslovakia at the end of the war, unservicable, partially stripped and (I believe) with the engine/power egg removed. There are two (possibly three) recorded D-13s, one is 'Yellow 10' and this is the other one. There is also a pic of a burnt-out wreck which was identified as a D-13, but doesn't really give much away. Considering that 'Yellow 10' and '>>' had consecutive W.Nrs (836016 and 836017), the differences in finish are quite stark, even without Yellow 10's field-applied camo. Anyway, here we go. Bonus cat picture also included for free...

Well, it’s time I started to write up where I’ve got to with my first Tomcat build having spent the last few weeks pre lockdown, and the most of the time since lockdown, gathering information, drooling over others’ work and finally (I wish I had one)... set about and went and bought some. Intial (re) inspiration was an Airfix world mag article (Nov 2019) describing building the Finemolds F-14A as a Sundowners bird (was always my favourite) and it reminded me of when I’d made my last F-14A in “about” 1986 when I’d used some xtradecals to present the Hasegawa kit as a low viz sundowner. It suffered the problem that, as several have since, with the overall gull grey being a bit dark making the markings more low-viz than expected... but I made it nonetheless. However, that was lost n moves ago, and it wasn’t that brilliant. The Finemolds kit article looked interesting, so I found one on line and looked at a few additions to go with it. I then started conversing with a mate who also expressed an interest in the big Grumman feline and between us we started to investigate various other offerings (the new Academy one had just become available – or not), and Tony Oliver’s legion of Tomcat articles of seemingly all models proved so useful in admiring what could be done. Yup, it’s all inspirational stuff indeed. So, before I really start – thanks to all on here that have provided gen on the type and the kits, especially Tony Oliver for his monumental works and detailed threads on here, and to my mate Brian who, whilst living about 200miles away, has been a source of ideas and inspiration too... especially in these unusual times we find ourselves in at the moment. So, what better way to keep the motivation going than to have a good read on here, compare notes and ideas with a good mate or two and then crack on with a kit or two. It’s a great distraction from everything else that’s going on around us. So... a few books were acquired – the Detail and Scale two-volumes on Kindle (for inspiration), the Daco book (needs no introduction – does it) and the SAM MDF F14 book. A few older books were dug out of the loft from the 80s... and armed with these and the internet... I hoped I’d have enough references. No, probably not. In the end I ordered a GWH A model (and just order a D last week), a Hobbyboss A and D and a Ka A model. Despite the huge amount of detail offered my the FM and GHW kits, I thought that a simpler model might be best to start with so I opted for a Hobbyboss A model, and my chosen scheme would be of VF111 BuNo 161621 painted up with Miss Molly nose art. Yes, I know it’s a “bit bling” and I’ll probably produce something more tame with later models, but given that the HB kit lacks the pilots steps and doors, I thought that it offered a good clotheshorse to hang the simple scheme on... and give me something with a bit of a wow factor once finished (I hope). I still have questions, but I’ll either look into them as I go, or hide my ignorance somewhere. e.g. I’m sure that somewhere there’s a description of the differences in intake paint demarcation (grey-white) ... but I’ll guess for this one as the intakes will be fitted with blanks. I also plan for this to be my first model painted in acrylics, having previously stuck (doggedly) with enamels that, whilst I was comfortable with these, I often found myself swearing at them (and my poor attempts) when trying to get a good finish. My Phantom FG1 had been persevered with and got there in the end, but blimey it took a while. So, I thought I’d have a go at these new-fangled paints; which ones ... well, more of that to come. And again, it was useful to read a number of articles on here, as well as seeing Tony O experiment with a few different suppliers’ paints. The chosen bird is simply overall light gull grey... so how hard could it be? Having found a few “oddities” with the HB kit – more to come, one very noticeable point was that the fin was a little smaller than the decals that I’d acquired that were sized for the Hasegawa kit. Why are all the fins different sizes.... is it really that hard? Anyway, the Furball tail markings will be a bit wide, so I might opt to use the kit transfers for the fin... although they’re just the red bits (with the right ray shading) but on a grey fin (clear decal). So, I’ll paint my fins white first. Should work... I hope. IMG_20200508_080127304 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr There were a few items to improve upon ... so I bought a few aftermarket items that are spread out here, and more were to follow. Masters probes; Aires exhaust and seats (not shown here); Quickboost nose gear doors, ECM/TCS chin pod (as it wasn’t in the kit although I noticed there’s one in the D kit after I rdered) and ventral fins (latter two not shown here); Eduard internal, external PE and mask set; Armory weighted wheels, and; Flighpath access ladders and intake screens. I won’t be using the access ladder on this kit, but I can save it for later. I may use the intake screens (or the ones in the eduard PE set to make up for the lack of details inside the intakes... but we’ll see how it goes. Finally, the colourful Furball decal set... lovely. I’ll not express too much of an opinion on the Eduard sets just yet, but in the build so far, I’ve used fewer bits that I thought I would simply because some of them seem a little pointless... but more to come. I started off just be looking at the kit parts, starting with the forward fuselage halves, but comparing what Hobbyboss gives us in comparison to Finemolds (my GWH one was still in the post). Quite striking really... the Finemolds one really is rather fine... but showed what I could do to the HB one to perhaps add a little detail before starting. Forward fuselage Tony O had highlighted the reinforced RIO side step, so that was sanded off and re-engraved (not as cleanly as I’d’ve liked, but I managed it to a degree. The next item that caught my eye was the Vulcan cannon nozzle; it looked a little crude, and just a hole. I looked at this wondering if it could be improved and settled upon a representation made from two pieces of plastic rod (that I really struggled to photograph); one for the cannon and one for the shroud inside the port. IMG_20200508_112500605 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200508_113359012 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr By tidying the coaming outside and cleaning up after, it looks reasonable... but we’ll wait for some paint and look again. Note that the hole in the face is a quarter arc rather than a single circular hole; it doesn’t really show up in the photos... it might look better with some paint. IMG_20200509_134333465_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr I drilled out the smart probe hole to fit a new one (shown test fitted before going back in the bag for the time being) and drilled out the shell case ejector chutes too. IMG_20200509_143147827 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr In comparing the kit parts with photographs (and primarily the FM kit) it was clear that a little additional detail on the outside, especially the forward fuselage may be appropriate. I set about adding fastener “holes” with a needle in a pin vice (my standard tool for such) and with careful attention to photos, I added marks where I thought they would be worth doing. Once applied, I gave the whole a brush on Tamiya thin to settle any edges. Once it’s got some primer on, I’ll take another look. IMG_20200510_125441821 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Main body One point that Tony O notes is that the external fuel tanks are mounted too far forward; I couldn’t find where in his thread he’d mentioned by how much, but with some measuring (once realising that the fuel tanks’ tips should align with the engine intake lips, I estimated that they needed to move about 4mm aft, and about 1mm outboard. I made up a small plasticard template and marked where the existing holes would fall, drilling these out, then added a further pair of holes, 4mm aft and 1mm “out”. By placing this carefully over the half holes on the inside of the trunking, I was able to mark (and drill) the new holes. For the other side, I just flipped the template over. I think they’re ok... I guess we’ll see. IMG_20200511_140934226_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr The ventral fins lack any detail, no NACA intake nor panel lines (why oh why?) So I opted for the Quickboost ones (that still needed the panel line engraving on the opposite side to the NACA duct). I removed the existing fins and files smooth, replacing lost panel lines carefully. I drilled two 0.4mm holes in each fin (you’ll note that they’re different spacings – so that once I get one aligned, I wont mix them up. Each has a 0.4mm wire piece added, and a corresponding hole drilled in the body underside. Once one hole is in, I can “scribe” the spot for the other hole with the shorter wire piece in the other hole, and drill to fit. IMG_20200515_150249904_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Paint Then some paints arrived. I plan to give the Mission Models paints a try as they’ve had some good reviews and the system seemed quite well explained on websites, others’ threads and with all the videos on YouTube... I felt comfortable enough in trying these as my migration from enamels. I ordered some suitable colours, the thinners and polyurethane additive. IMG_20200516_124341524_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr I tested my clumsiness and ineptitude at airbrushing on some spare phantom wingtips, testing the black primer and a mix of the greys once that was dry. It seemed that no matter how I tried to abuse it, the paint flattened quite nicely. That’s good. IMG_20200517_191212407_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200518_181430920 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Nose gear bay I decided to try to improve the detail inside the nose gear bay; normally a plethora of pipework, hoses, pistons and boxes, the kit offering was a little basic. The Eduard bits added some items, but it was still a relatively empty box. I know that normally, nobody will see this... but I thought I ought to try something... just to lift it a little. The most obvious omission was that big pressure vessel (Air tank? Hydraulic reservoir?) that I fashioned from some sprue turned in a minidrill, cut with a scalpel... still in need of finishing in this photo. IMG_20200520_185337578 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr A bit crude and rough, but size wise it’s probably about right (compared to the FM kit item) and bulks out the bay a little. The brake units were made from bits of plasticard and various wire pieces added along the sidewalls and in the roof of the bay. My first attempt used the wrong size wires, so I replaced these and started again. It’s still a bit crude, but a little weathering will help blend all the bits together. IMG_20200522_161626403_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200522_161638963_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr At this stage, I popped the cockpit tub and bay into the fuselage halves just to see how it sat. It seemed ok. Oh, and the additional piston was fashioned from sprue like the reservoir/tank... with a bit of wire added for the sleeve. I guess this is linked to the undercarriage doors (?) Oh, and I removed those... I’ll either use the quickboost ones, or the Eduard ones if my sanity wants to be tested on their assembly. None of this is perfect... but I think it’s better than an empty bay. Main gear bays Having done the nose gear, I thought I ought to do the mains too. The Eduard bits replace the upper roof of the bays, but lose the wire harness mouldings in the process (is it really worth it then?) The inside of the bay is open to the kit inside; the bay is not blanked off. I added plasticard inner walls and then held the two parts together and marked the plasticard with a pen where it lined up with the kit’s ribs. I then added microstrip pieces to continue the ribs on the vertical faces. IMG_20200523_095243050_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200523_135147145 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200523_141014829 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr As the rear bays were a bit basic, I added some additional ribs to these too, again with microstrip IMG_20200523_163256076 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Then with a series of small holes drilled into the sidewalls, I added lengths of 5A fusewire to represent the pipework and harnesses, along the inner sidewalls and across the bay roof. Looks untidy (and needed tidying up so as not to foul the wings when test fitted but again hopefully something a little better that the plain bays provided in the kit. Well, I hope so. IMG_20200523_164408070 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Wings Yup... I put these together and needed to fill that seam. Took a couple of attempts, but got there in the end. I was going to add the PE access covers... but there’s no point. These just go over the markings made on the kit and, as far as I can tell, the access covers on this kit are a work of fiction. The GWH and FM kits seem fine in terms of number of covers and positions, but these are just wrong. I will live with them and just try not to draw attention to them too much. Yes, I could fill them and rescribe the right ones if I had the patience and skill... but nah; I’ll have other F-14 kits with better wings that can show them off. For now, I’ll pretend I didn’t mention it. IMG_20200526_180801587_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Glove Vanes OK, they’re not the easiest part of the kit... and cutting the recessed slots from the leading edge was a bit of a faff, and in the process of opening the forward edge of each, I managed to break the locating pin; thus a new one was made from a small piece of wire, for each side. Getting the “hole” square required a bit of back filling and re-cutting ... again, a fiddly bit. Ok, it works... but a transfer for the holes would probably be easier. IMG_20200531_151718570_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr First Paint I applied a light dusting of Halfords primer to the intakes, and then white (and then light gull grey) using the MM paints. Black primer went on the insides of the upper and lower main fuselage halves (especially in the wing areas to hide any light areas once the kit it complete) followed by some white to cover the gear bays. Engine disc was black primed and then treated with Alclad II Stainless Steel (for shine), after which a dark enamel wash was applied, and the spinner painted a light grey. The opportunity was taken to prime and “grey” some other buts including cockpit parts. Now, for the cockpit grey, I used some MM Dark Ghost which seemed about right in colour. Maybe a little light, but maybe that’s right “for scale”. Unfortunately, the bottle I had turned out to be full of little lumps and took ages to re-shake and mix with thinners to get a little that was lump free. The foil seal had also not been stuck properly when I came to remove it. I got in touch with the shop as I’d intended to buy some more colours anyway, and they sent me a replacement foc with my next delivery. I’m pleased to say that the new one is fine... as are all the others I’ve tried so far. IMG_20200601_201516590_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200602_180855099 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Cockpit details OK.. so every kit begins with the cockpit... (?) so time to start with this then. I fabricated the part that sits behind the RIO seat from plasticard and microstrip – oh for a resin one of these (hint hint)... fiddly, but it’ll do for now. I based it on the GWH and FM kits and will work out how to fit it later. IMG_20200525_163154284_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr I’m using the Aires GRU-7A seats rather than the kit parts, but will add Eduard bits as I go; I assumed they’d fit – and per below... most did (with some fettling). Given that the seats in the kit sit a little low, I wanted to test the Aires seats in the tubs before committing to them. A quick test. I think they’re slightly high, so I removed some of the inner tub frame to let them sit lower. They’re tight, but they do go in. I had similar issues with my Airfix Phantom seats after I’d fettled and added scratch details to those. Actually, the RN Phantom has MB Mk7s, and it’s interesting comparing the two seats... the similarities are evident. IMG_20200522_162128135_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Some colour went on the seats first, and it seems that I finally found a use for Humbrol 30 as it suited the seat base and back, with a mix of Humbrol 30 and 29 (dark green and dark earth) to make the colour for the cushions (chute). Some of the resin details were picked out in the appropriate colours (silver, red, yellow, white, etc) and these were set asides overnight to dry. IMG_20200604_151759042 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr The Eduard etch “bits” were applied using Bob Smith Industries Odourless CA glue, patience and a donation to the swear box. I didn’t use all of the bits, but most went on. Reference to the Daco book was very useful during this part of the build. IMG_20200604_195646651_HDR by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr The cockpit tub got its Eduard PE added in stages... The first bits had gone in before paint – the rudder pedals. Yes, these were fun and probably invisible, but I put them in anyway. Then, I started with the bigger bits covering the sidewalls and instruments panels one at a time. Take your time... there’s no rush. Some colour was added where it would enhance the moldings, such as around the throttle box, and a thin dark wash at the rear of the forward cockpit. The coamings got some paint too. I initially applied a light covering, using Humbrol dark earth, but then noticed in photos of BuNo 161621 in the Detail & Scale book that the coamings were dark green/olive drab and thus not faded at the time. I’m not sure how long the aircraft carried the nose art for, but I thought I ought to depict it per photos, so I applied a mix of Dark Earth, Dark Green, Black and French Blue and added darker and lighter shades of this to depict variation in the texture. The black was re-done with some matt black (may be tyre black). Later, I added a light dusting of satin/matt varnish to unify the appearance, which helped. These still need some wear added to the surfaces (worn metal) and the reflector dish for the head-up projector. IMG_20200606_151403238 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200606_151424641 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr IMG_20200606_151520644 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr At this point, the central coaming and IP are just balanced in place. The sticks got some paint .. again, making as much use as possible of the Daco book. They do look oversize... but not much I can do about that now. IMG_20200606_152324272 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Finally, I added some of the little etch bits. The throttle top, gear lever (down selected) and hook lever (up selected). Yes, they’re a fettle (and they’ll probably break off) but they’re there for now. I added the canopy pull lever for the rear cockpit (to the instrument panel) but haven’t photographed it yet. The front one will have to go in once the upper coaming is in place; that will be fun. Again, all parts secured with BSI odourless CA and then a little Klear added to provide a clear potting to the little bits. Seems to be holding, for now. Again – with apologies for the poor photos throughout – and this last one is just awful.. but the bits are there – just. IMG_20200606_160341518 by Jonathan Hughes, on Flickr Anyway... that’s all for now. Now that I’ve started with the build properly, it feels as though I’m getting somewhere; it’ll be nice to join the major components together and crack on with detailing the other parts and the project progresses. Thanks for reading. Jonathan

Hello all, Here is my first entry for this Group Build - 1/48 Hobbyboss A-6A Intruder, marked as BuNo 151585 of VA-75 in late 1965. This is a model I've been wanting to build for a while having seen many Intruders in museums across the USA and also having watched 'Flight of the Intruder' more times than I care to remember! Kit: Aftermarket: Will be using Hypersonic Models ejection seats, Eduard interior etch, New Ware masks and fantastic looking Furball 'Iron Tadpoles' decal sheet. A close up of the latter and scheme: I've also pinched a spare set of MERs (Multiple Ejector Racks) from a Hobbyboss A-10 as I'll be loading this one heavily with 12x MK.82, 8x MK.20 Rockeye and 1x fuel tank. I also picked up a copy of Osprey's Vietnam Intruder book: Cheers Dave

HMS Agamemnon 1:350 Hobbyboss History HMS Agamemnon was the pride of the British Royal Navy and the last of her pre-dreadnought battleships produced. Because she was of a "bridge" design between the ironclad vessels of old and dreadnought ships to come, her design and her fate were already established before she was ever launched. Coming along just after the turn of the century, she survived long enough to see action in World War 1 (1914-1918) but very little beyond that. HMS Agamemnon was of a dying breed of ship, though a capable design she was, perhaps appearing two decades too late. Her profile was dominated by a center superstructure, twin masts and twin funnels. Her battery of four 12" main guns were housed in two armoured turrets - one fore and one aft, two guns to a turret. This was augmented by 10 x 9.2" guns positioned in turrets around the superstructure. Her other armament consisted of 24 x 12-pounder cannons and an additional 2 x 3-pounder types centered around a quick-fire action. To compliment this armament, 5 x torpedo tubes of 460mm were provided with 23 torpedoes to spare. Crew complement totalled over 800 personnel and power was derived from her vertical triple expansion 4-cylinder engines powered by no less than 15 x boilers. This turned twin screws at 16,750 horsepower and offered speeds close to 19 knots. Once launched, the vessel undertook some basic operations before being called up to active service in the First World War as part of the Channel Fleet in February of 1915, serving alongside HMS Lord Nelson - her sister ship. Her main guns were brought to bear on inland Ottoman targets in the same month and provided cover fire for amphibious operations soon after including the infamous Gallipoli landings in April. During this time, HMS Agamemnon survived several direct howitzer ships but none were critical to underlying systems and her crew losses were manageable. The Agamemnon survived the war and had Ottoman representatives present on her decks to sign the Armistice. Beyond that, the class had reached its pinnacle and HMS Agamemnon was relegated to the role of a target ship in the middle 1920's. Surviving that affair, she was broken down and sold for scrapping in 1927. The Model We’ve yet to see many British ships in this scale from WWI, but it’s great that we are at last seeing some pre-dreadnoughts being released, and long my it continue as there are some great subjects that I’m sure we’d all like to see on our work benches at some point in the future. This kit of HMS Agamemnon comes in a relatively small box, as these weren’t the largest of ships compared with later battleships. It’s just a shame that they got the spelling of the ships name wrong though, both on the box and the instruction sheet. Fortunately though, they got it right on the nameplate in the kit. Inside there are nine sprues, one separate part and the deck all produced in light grey styrene, four sheets of etched brass, a length of chain and a small decal sheet. Since they got the hull right on the HMS Lord Nelson kit, it’s only natural that they got it right with her sister ship, at least, according to R A Burt and his excellent books on British battleships and also the constructors model which used to be on display at the Science museum. The rest of the parts are very nicely moulded with plenty of detail, although there will be some who will want to add even more. There are no signs of flash or other imperfections, but there are quite a few moulding pips, which means a little extra cleaning up of parts. Construction begins with the two piece hull being joined together and strengthened with the three bulkheads and two end beams. The single piece deck is then attached, making a pretty solid and strong hull. On the underside, the tow propeller shafts, A frames and propellers are fitted, as is the single rudder. With the hull upright, the three piece, fully PE, Admirals walkway is fitted to the stern, followed by the PE rails fore of A turret barbette and aft of X turret barbette. The myriad of windlasses, cleats, bollard and ventilators are then glued into their respective positions, as are the Jack and Ensign staffs and their supports. Amidships there are seven deck houses to be fitted along with four cable reels and three winches. The superstructure is made up from a single piece item to which twelve supports are glued to the underside before being glued into position over the previously fitted deck houses. Remember to add the pair of foreward mounted 12 pounders that fire from ports at the forward end of the superstructure, as you won’t get them in once the deck is glued down. The superstructure longitudinal bulkheads are then attached, as are PE four inclined ladders, four side mounted windlasses, two boat booms and the anchor chains. To the upper deck, four, three piece winches, sixteen 12 pounder guns and five deck houses are fitted. This deck is then covered by a two piece 03 deck, with the aft section supported by six vertical columns. The main bridge deck is then attached foreward and small mezzanine decks aft with two inclined ladders leading to the 12 pounder deck. Each of the two funnels are made up from two halves, a base and funnel cap. To these, PE funnel cap grilles are added, along with PE hand and foot rails, and two auxiliary vents. The three piece armoured bridge, two deck houses and the two piece ships wheel are attached to the bridge deck. The two funnel assemblies are then glued into place along with two vertical columns aft. The boat deck is fitted out with eighteen PE boat cradles and a rescue float. There are fifteen boats in total, most of which come with separate hulls and decks, and some also have separate rudders. The three steam pinnaces and eight rowing boats are glued to their respective cradles, and then two other rowing boats are crutched within a larger boat. The main mast is made up from lower mast section, a two tier observation top with PE support brackets, upper mast section and yardarm. The lower section is then fitted with three PE blocks, and the three piece goose neck for the boat crane boom, which is also fitted with PR blocks and a PE hook. This is then fitted aft of the boat deck and supported by two angled support arms, finished off with two PE vertical ladders. The foremast is of similar construction, just with a slightly small boat handling boom, three yardarms and a searchlight in the lower of the two tier observation top, it is then glued just aft of the armoured bridge deck house. The PE bridge house surrounding the ships wheel is then folded to shape and glued into place, with another deck above it supported by two PE braces. Two binnacles are attached to this deck and inclined ladder. Six 12 pounder guns and eight searchlights are fitted around the boat deck and the PE bridge wings attached wither side of the bridge deck. The bridge deck and aft boat deck railings are then attached, as are the two long ladders to the foremast observation platforms, and two pairs of davits to the aft end of the superstructure. Four more two part ships boats are assembled and fitted to the two pairs for davits either side of the quarterdeck. The anchors, fourteen anti-torpedo net booms are then attached to the hull, along with the two PE rear mounted accommodation ladders and the PE folded netting that is fitted to each side to the ship. Each of the two main gun turrets and six secondary turrets are made in the same way with the barrels fitted with separate trunnions and trunnion mounts glued to the base with the turret slid over the barrels and glued into positions. Some of the turrets are fitted with 12 pounders and some with 3” gun on their roofs and all have PE vertical access ladders attached. Once assembled, they are fitted into their respective barbettes. Finally the main PE railing is attached to the main deck, completing the build. Well, I say completed, but if you want to do a proper job you will probably spend more time with the complex rigging than you had done for the whole build. Good luck with that. Decals The single decal sheet contains just a pair of White Ensigns and Admirals flags. They seem pretty well printed, with good opacity and in register. Conclusion With the releases of her sister ship, it was only natural that they release the Agamemnon, or “Egg and Bacon” as it was known in the service. It certainly is a lovely looking kit and not too taxing to build and paint. The rigging will, however, be a challenge, to say the least if you want to go the whole hog, but will look good with a representative amount should you blanche at the idea. Review sample courtesy of

Leopard 1A5 MBT (84501) 1/35 HOBBYBOSS via Creative Models The Leopard project started back in the mid 1950s with the goal of producing a modern tank to replace the M47 and M48 tanks which where then in use by the recently reconstituted Bundesehr (German Army). The specification called for a tank weighing no more than 30 tonnes capable of surviving 20mm rapid fire cannon and having a power-to-weight ratio of 30hp per tonne. The tank had to be capable of surviving on a nuclear/chemical contaminated battlefield. Armament was to be the then standard NATO 105mm gun. For this design Mobility was the primary concern with firepower secondary, and armour being seen as low down the list as it was envisaged there was little possibility of standing up to modern hollow charge weapons. Three design teams competed for the Tank contract from Porsche, Rheinmetall and Borgward. The Porsche prototype was eventually selected as the winner. Production was set up with Krauss-Maffei in Munich and deliveries began in late 1965. In the 1980s research was done into upgrading the tank. The turrets were upgraded to store more ammunition, a new, and a new fire control system was fitted. Provision was made for bolt on Lexan armour, and the 120mm gun of the Leopard 2 (though this was never fitted) As well as the German Army the Leopard 1 would go on to serve with the Armies of Belgium, Holland, Norway, Italy, Denmark, Australia, Canada, and Turkey. The A5 with Germany, Holland and Chilie. The Kit This kit from HobbyBoss is a re-boxing of the standard Leopard 1 with different parts for the 1A5. The kit looks good on the sprues with lots of detail parts. Moulding is first rate. Construction starts lower hull. Various suspension components are fitted, and the ends of the main torsion bar system and its arms are fitted. The wheels can then be built up and attached, followed by the tracks which are individual links. While at first glance thy look good and there is a jig provided in the kit to make short runs of track however it will take some work to get them right; and the end connectors are moulded to the links so will not articulate like the real ones when the runs go round the end sprockets. The next step is a surprising one in that it looks like a full power pack is provided. While the engine has many parts and looks quite detailed there is no detailing for the engine bay, and the actual block is missing all of its hoses and connector, though there is nothing stopping the modeller going to town here if they want to do an open engine bay. Then the rear bulkhead is made up. There is virtually no moulded on parts here with a lot of small detail parts making up this bulkhead. The rear mud flaps are fitted to the bulkhead at this point. The bulkhead can then be fitted. Moving to the top main hull the engine deck hatch is added, along with some side parts and the drivers vision blocks, the rear exhausts are then added along with quite a few detailed parts such as tools , mirrors etc. The lower and upper hulls can now be joined and the rear bulkhead fitted. PE parts for the engine deck are then fitted. The rear tow cables are then added. Then the track side guards can be added. Work now moves to the turret which has good casting detail moulded in. The mounting points for the Lexan armour are all moulded to the turret. After the turret is together the large rear mounted turret storage bin is made up and added to the turret, Next up the roof mounted machine gun and its mount can be added. Next up the hatches and aerial mounts are added. The gun and its additional armoured mantlet are built up, The smoke dischargers are added to the turret and its then ready to be mounted to the hull Decals Decals are provided for 2 German Army tanks, though there is no information on these provided at all in the instructions. Conclusion This is a great looking kit from HobbyBoss and their attention to detail is to be commended. Overall Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

I bought the Collect-Aire resin YF-23 when it came out, I think in 2002. Big price, big box and some big hunks of resin, it was awesome. Although well designed and molded it did require extra skills and I was fairly new to resin, I think at that point I had made a handful of resin kits including Collect-Aire's MiG-19, which was fairly straightforward. For those who never built any kits by this company the detail and quality differed substantially. Their YF-23 was good however, good cockpit, decent shape, metal gear, rubbish missiles and wheels and a good attempt on the decal sheet (it had decals for the two prototypes plus some for an active duty what-if - Hobbyboss only had what-if decals so this project is made easier thanks to the more accurate Caracal decals release). A really great effort by Collect-Aire considering how much reference was out at the time and the budgetary limits of a small company. The nearly 20 year later Hobbyboss offering didn't have those limitations and while applauding them for making the kit it does have a handful of odd errors. More on that later. My plan in 2002 was to make a what if F-23A so I had made it an Eduard F-22A instrument panel and was going to rework the missile bay. With the Paul Metz YF-23 ATF book arrival, (a Northrop ATF test pilot) I now had good published detail shots of the two aircraft prototypes, called PAV 1 and PAV 2. I had the HobbyBoss kit in the stash and got out the (fuselage assembled) Collect-Aire and decided it was time to get them done. I didn't want to correct both kits to look like each other- too much work, merely make them each as close to a prototype as possible. The ATF competition made this a little easier: both the YF-22 and the YF-23 prototypes were also using two different engines each (P&W and GE were competing for the winning design contract too). Visually the only difference was the size of the engine exhaust area, the P&W engine was a little bigger and so its exhaust area was wider. The Hobbyboss was better for the PAV 2 because its tiled exhaust was a little wider and it had the sawtooth detailing on top. The PAV 1 also had operating weapons bay doors and no sawtooth engine detailing, so Collect-Aire (resin) was better for that aircraft. Here I've used Milliput underneath the HB fuselage because there are strange fictional shapes above the intakes that needed to be sanded down. Below the left side is untouched, there's a strange square ledge that shouldn't be there, on the right side it has been sanded away as well as some of the squared off engine hump. HobbyBoss did a good job with the cockpit instrument panel but everything behind the seat was a strange bit of fiction. Collect-Aire did a pretty good job with the whole thing, their metal instrument panel was ok, a bit small and the detail soft, I had filed it down to remake the displays but instead I made a resin copy of the HB one. It looks much better in scale and accuracy. I plan to have both canopies open so at least now each cockpit will look similar.

I finally got a proper work station to build models on and I started with two easy kits, HobbyBoss 1:72 Soviet Tu-2 and HobbyBoss 1:72 Soviet Yak-3, I have to say having a place to work on models without having to bend over double makes for a much more enjoyable build. I was also able to paint my Henschel HS-129B, I decided to give it a tropical paint scheme using Humbrol Matt 63 as the top cover with Humbrol Matt 117 for the cammo patches. I used Humbrol Matt 23 for the underside. For the first model I've completely finished in quite some time, I didn't make a total balls-up.

Hello all. My first 'desert' themed build - a HobbyBoss 1/48 Bf109F-4 in North Africa trim. I added a spare tropical filter from a Hasegawa kit, which needed some minor mods to fit, but nothing serious. Good fun kit to build (this is the second one I've done) everything goes together well apart from the canopy, which needs a bit of work to fit flush (mine still doesn't). The undercarriage doors are also ridiculously flimsy - I accidentally broke one in half, but it repaired ok. Painted to represent 'Schwarz 2' flown by Uffz. Hans Neiderhofer of 5/JG27 based at Martuba, Libya, 1942. Decals from Printscale, which went on pretty well. Comments and critique welcome

While I was waiting for the decals for the Tiran 4 to arrive, and for the T-34 GB to start, I thought that I'd make a start on this one. The decals for this were ordered at the same time as the ones for the Tiran, so hopefully, they will arrive together. Ever since Tamiya released their first AFV in 1/48th, I’ve had a liking for this scale, and this will be the third tank in this scale that I’ve built this year. As is the norm for me, I don’t want to build it OOTB, and the tank that I’ve chosen to depict will mean that nothing is straight forward. A couple of years ago, I built an Israeli M1 Super Sherman in 1/35th scale, and that is what I intend with this one. The IDF M1 Super Sherman used M4A1 cast upper hulls, mounted on HVSS lower hulls. To do this I am using a couple of kits for the conversion, namely the M4A1 76mm, which is a VVSS hull......... ........... and the M4A3E8, both from Hobbyboss. The turret will come from the Easy Eight kit as the one in the M4A1 kit is the wrong one. It’s a T23, but has the large circular loaders hatch, and it would appear that most (if not all) IDF tanks had the smaller oval hatch. The 76mm barrel is one of the excellent examples from RB Models. I need to order some more .50cal barrels from them as this build will require one. The decals are on order right now, and I’m waiting to hear from Ernst Peddinghaus as to when they will be ready (he’s doing the Tiran 4 decals at the same time). The illustration on the box for the Easy Eight depicts a tank fitted with T66 tracks, but fortunately, for this build, the box contains T80 tracks instead. Incidentally, I will be trying to get hold of another of the M4A1 (76mm) kits whenever I can, as I discovered that the decal sheet includes markings for an IDF M1 Sherman. Result! Right, time to get stuck into the build. Hopefully I'll be back tomorrow with an update. John.

I enjoyed making my Lynx HAS 3 so much I thought I'd build another Hobbyboss Lynx, this time an HMA 8. Or as Hobbyboss describe it. 'A Super Lynx' I will use some aftermarket as I have some etch, and the transfers to produce an HMA 8 of the Black Cats to go beside my HAS3. They are intended for the Airfix boxing, but hopefully they'll fit. I do have an Airfix HMA8 somewhere but my impression having built both Airfix and Hobbyboss's earlier Lynx Marks the Hobbyboss is a better build. The core sprues, fuselage, interior, rotor head, aerials and transparencies are the same as in HAS3 with some different sprues for the nose, undercarriage sponsons and both tail and main rotor blades. I do have a set of Pavla resin BERP rotor blades but they don't look much ch different to the kits injection moulded blades. Sorry about the photo quality but as sooon as I got this out to photograph, the skies turned black and the rain started to pour down. Anyway now to slap on some paint.

Doyusha is to repop in October 2020 the HobbyBoss 1/72nd Sukhoi Su-47 (S-37) Berkut kit - ref. Source: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10725393 V.P.

F/A-18C Exterior Set (MD4844 for Hobby Boss) 1:48 Metallic Details The origins of the Hobby Boss Legacy Hornet line of kits date back to 2007, with a few reboxings in various schemes, including the RAAF airframe we reviewed some years ago. Like all kits it could do with some upgrading, which is why Metallic Details have created this new exterior set for us the modellers. It arrives in the by now familiar resealable clear foil bag with card backing, and the two Photo-Etch (PE) frets taped to the card so they don’t rattle round and get damaged. Behind the card are the instructions, folded neatly in half. Construction begins with the vents either side of the cockpit spine, which have the chunky inner section removed to be replaced by the new covers that glue straight into place from inside. Then chaff & flare boxes are added to the underside along with a large vent on the centreline and raised oval lips to two depressions forward of the main gear bays. Inside the short oval air-intakes a new engine front is provided, and the splitter plates are skinned with new highly detailed parts, taking care with their orientation as per the scrap diagram provided. The rear faces of the engines are augmented by adding two rings to the kit part, building up the detail of the afterburner ring, then rolling up a new internal trunking skin to fit inside the exhausts, all of which is duplicated with the other engine. A stiffening web for the inside of the central airbrake are stuck to the inside of the part, made from four pieces in total and a little folding required to get it all looking good. Slime lights are included for the tails and nose, then a pair of detailed insert panels are fitted on each side of the fuselage under the tail, along with another pair of slime lights and panels, plus tiny detail parts for the strengthening plates at the base of the tails, and a small intake near the top. On the inboard face of the tail, there are three more strengthening plates added to the existing parts, this time folded to an L-shape to match the contours of their location. Under the nose two areas should either be removed or scraped thinner to accept the insert panels that improve detail immensely in those locations, with the results being well worth the effort. You have a choice of two types for each of the two panels, which should be contoured to follow the curve of the nose. This same technique is used on the shoulders of the wings to insert another panel that has two circular(ish) vents of two optional styles added, another appliqué panel just forward of the vents, and the kit strake next to them is adjusted to allow the fitting of a base-plate from PE. A panel is added under the starboard LERX, and a set of bird-slicers for the nose if they were fitted on your decal choice. Conclusion A lovely set that adds some crisp detail to the standard kit, and we can’t wait to see the interior set they have for it. You can see lots of pictures of the parts in situ on an unpainted model by following the link below. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hi folk's,built for this weekends Blitzbuild(please go and have a look at the madness) is HB's simple but still nice easy kit of the Mustang,about five hour's work over the two day's to complete,there's a fair bit out there that suggests these South African Mustang's were painted rather than Natural metal certainly the preserved flying version which I based the build on is,many thank's for looking in.

Y-8 Chinese Transport Aircraft (83902) 1:144 HobbyBoss via Creative Models Ltd The Shaanxi Y-8 is a Chinese built medium range transport based on the An-12. In the 1960s the Chinese purchased several AN-12 with an option to licence build more. However due to the souring of relations between the two communist powers the Chinese reverse engineered the aircraft. The nose and tail are from the H-6 bomber with the tail turret being deleted after a while. The aircraft also did away with the An-12 overhead conveyor for a floor mounted one. The Kit Until now I don't think there has been a kit of this aircraft. In 1.144 it is still large but manageable for most modellers. The kit arrives on 5 sprues of grey plastic, a clear sprue, a small sheet of PE and 4 individual propellers (these are packed in their own box for added protection). Construction starts by adding some internal parts and the windows to the main fuselage sections. Then the main internal floor is made up with the front gear well on the underside of this, Internal bulkheads are fitted as is the main cabin roof. At the front the basic cockpit is completed. Instruments are provided for the panel as decal. The cabin/cockpit is fitted at the front and parts for the large cargo door at the back. Once all of this is in the main fuselage can be cloded up. The wings can then be added. There is a single part upper with left/right lowers, once these are together wing tips need to be added. The tailplanes are also then added followed by the engine nacelles after they are built up. Next its the turn of the landing gear. The front and rear glazing can then added to the model. At the rear the large cargo doors are constructed and brought onto the build, the last things to add are the four bladed props. Markings There is a small decal sheet as the aircraft carries minimal markings. Just National insignia, serials and warnings for the props. Decals are printed in house and have good registration, sharpness and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. Conclusion This is a really nice rendition of this large aircraft. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

German KARL-Geraet 040/041 on Railway Transport Carrier 1:72 Hobbyboss Mörser Karl was a German siege mortar developed in the late 1930s by Rheinmetall and named after General Karl Becker. Seven examples were completed, bearing the names Adam, Eva, Loki, Odin, Thor and Ziu (the seventh was a test version and was not named). Although few in number, these huge weapons were present at some of the key events in World War II including the sieges of Brest-Litovsk and Sevastopol, the Warsaw Uprising, the Battle of the Bulge and the fighting at the Remagen bridge. The mortar was capable of firing a 24 inch shell over six miles. A single example is preserved at the Kubinka tank museum, Moscow Olblast, Russia. For thirty-or-so years, modellers of small-scale armour had precisely one kit of this fearsome siege weapon to choose from. Happily that kit was made by Japanese firm Hasegawa and despite its age it has held up well. Nothing lasts forever though, and a decade or so ago, Hobbyboss released a new kit of this interesting type. Given the four decades that separate the old kit from this new pretender, it should come as no suprise that both the part count and the level of detail displayed by the newer kit are on a whole new level. Open up the box and it is immediately obvious that this is a Hobbyboss kit. The parts are scrupulously well-packed and extra foam has been used to safeguard the most delicate mouldings where needed. Overall there are fifteen frames of grey coloured plastic, as well as flexible tracks and some small metal details such as springs. Construction of the mortar begins with the chassis and running gear. Hobbyboss have provided a chassis with eleven steel rimmed road wheels, which means the kit can serve as a basis for chassis numbers III (Thor), IV (Odin), V (Loki) and VI (Ziu). Chassis numbers I (Adam/Baldur) and II (Eva/Wotan) had eight rubber rimmed wheels and so cannot be built using this kit (note - a version of the earlier chassis with rail transporter was released by Hobbyboss in 2008. The top of the chassis includes plenty of detail and parts such as the radiator cover and exhaust silencers are moulded as separate parts. The flexible tracks look pretty good, but it would have been nice to have plastic tracks as an option. Once the hull is complete, constructions turns to the mount for the mortar. The four springs are needed here, so try not to let them ping off into the ether! Two options are provided for the mortar itself - the short-barrelled 600mm Gerat 040 and the long-barrelled 540mm Gerat 041. The mount is actually relatively straightforward to assemble - somehow I thought it would be more complex. Once complete, the gun can be added to the mount and the mount to the chassis. One of the most delicate parts of the whole kit are the finely moulded handrails that run the length of the chassis on either side. Unsurprisingly, these are the last parts to be added in order to complete the Karl itself. Now the mortar itself is complete, construction turns to the rail carrier. Alongside the parts for the two carriers, you get a four-section length of Hobbyboss's familar trackbed (not pictured). This comes with ballast and sleepers moulded in place, but separate rails and fish plates. I would highly recommend purchasing some model railway ballast to add detail and variation to this parts, as well as hide the joins in the plastic. The rail carriers themselves aren't too complex to assemble. Each has 10 wheels, with the axles and suspension components moulded separately. Buffers and couplings are included, as well as hydraulic equipment and stowage boxes for tools and other material. Two huge rivetted frames are provided to mount the Karl on the two rail carriers, with pins provided to hold the whole thing together. I guess these could be left unglued in case you ever wanted to remove the mortar from the rail carriers. With that, the monster is complete. The painting and marking guide shows chassis V (Loki) in overall field grey. The decal sheet is by no means huge, but it does include markings for the rail carriers. Conclusion I'm not sure why Hobbyboss have decided to re-visit their range of Karl kits now, but it's nice that we finally have a version of the later chassis complete with rail carrier. It will make a great model when paired with the BR57, perhaps in a diorama with the weapon being readied for unloading. Whatever you decide, you can't deny that it's nice to have a modern kit of this interesting subject. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello Gentlemen, Haven't been completing anything in a while, here's the 1/48 HobbyBoss F3H-2 Demon, of VF-31 Squadron "Tomcatters". A very impressive kit, quite an easy build providing you correct the few version mixes by Hobby Boss. Corrected : F3H-2 has the short beaver tail type, while the kit provide the long one. Weapons stations1 and 8 are moved closer to the wingfold hinge line Kit is providing Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles, but only Sparrow rails. If using sidewinder, rail is to be changed Other : dash is to be trimmed so the front windshield can sit and the articulation plates for stabs were sanded from fuselage and redone in plasticard, so stabs could be posed angled. Paints are Gunze and Tamiya acryls. You need to make room on the shelves, this one is a big boy ;). Hope you'll like her. Best, Stéphane

Not a high flying PR Spit or High Altitude version, or even a speed record breaker. As im awaiting canopy masks for my Seafires I thought I would see if I could build and finish one of these Hobbyboss kits while waiting. Although simple they are well moulded and accurate, with a level of detail that would shame some mainstream makers. The cockpit is moulded into the one piece fuselage but it has seat and control column detail albeit simplified. Here are the contents. Two little challenges, there are no undercarriage doors but I can either scavenge some from another kit where resin replacements have been used or there are 'closed' doors that can be adapted. Or even a few minutes with some plastic card. The other is filling the location for the bomb. I'll make mine a straight interceptor. Simple instructions and transfers for two options, one Dark Green/Dark Earth and one Dark Green/Ocean Grey. But the colour call call outs are seriously weird. I can almost understand the medium grey and light gull grey (but not the light green) for the 303 Squadron version but Light Gull Gray instead of Sky for the 317 Squadron option!

So for the GB I'll be attempting this kit: Seems I have a love for odd looking, twin boom / twin bodied aircraft, so this will be in fine company with my recently built and similarly black F-82 Twin Mustang. I've got a few after market bits - a set of Print Scale decals, plus some Eduard canopy masks and their small interior PE kit. In terms of Journey's End, according to Wikipedia: So I might do that decal option from the pack or maybe "Cooper's Snooper" (P-61B-2 42-39454 flown by 1 Lt George C Cooper, 548th NFS, Iwo Jima, Spring 1945) since I like the look of the nose art. I've got 3 other GB builds to do first, so you might have to wait a while for the sprue shots and build start!

Morning all, Just completed a fun build of the Hobbyboss Mi-4, in Aeroflot colours: An excellent kit, and highly recommended. Very well engineered, particularly the way the complex 2 storey interior fits together. I also used a bit of etch from Dream Model, but quite a bit of it was unusable and I would recommend going Eduard instead. I meant to make this a simple OOB build, but I went off on one and made an Mi-4P to justify the civilian scheme, this meant making square windows, civilianising the interior and making spatted wheels. The markings are not authentic. The decals are from a simple but well made sheet by C3D, these markings are actually for a medevac helicopter but are similar to this photo: This was my first helicopter and I take my hat off to rotary wing specialists, it can be challenging! I haven’t got the hang of blade droop, in fact I trashed the kit rotors trying to bend them with hot water and had to bodge from there. Also the undercarriage is very delicate, and I would advise only adding the front wheels at the very last moment. But hopefully the next heli will be a step up. The Lada is probably anachronistic being a 70s model, but I couldn’t resist! Thanks for stopping by, Harry

Almost/possibly/maybe a 'what if'. The Ta-152H definitely saw service, but it's less certain that the Ta-152C saw any action before the end of the war, although the story goes that two of them were indeed delivered to JG301 in time to see combat. Who knows. Anyway, this is my take on the Ta-152C, using the 'C-11' kit from Hobby Boss and painted in JG301 colours. The kit went together pretty well and was painted with Vallejo model air colours - RLM 82/83 upper, RLM 76 lower surfaces and matt clear. All the markings/insignia are Montex masks, so no decals apart from on the undercarriage legs. Light panel line wash and some light exhaust smoke with oils. Could probably have gone heavier on the oil smoke, given the quality of German aviation fuel supplies at the time, but there's always next time. Hope you like - comments welcome

For all the ME262 enthusiasts, I think this is the largest ME262 model on the market at 1:18 scale. I built their 1/48 scale and enjoyed it. The level of detail and accessories is great. However don;t think I have space for a 1/18 scale!

Hello, Started to work on the Mil Mi-4, HobbyBoss 1/72 kit some times ago; decided to show you my progress. Kit with several Eduard photoetched and masks sets (interior, exterior, cargo bay) and a decal set from a Romanian supplier; my intention is to create an "all doors open" model with some basic scratch improvements. That being said, "the stuff pile" looks like this: Started by removing some nasty ejector marks on the cargo bay celing (the only plastic part not treated in the dedicated photoetched set); before and after: The machine has a nice landing light in the nose; kit representation is far from convincing: My effort spoiled by epoxy glue leaking inside the light (an aftermarket headlamp designed for some 1/48 vehicle but fitting nicely the size): Eduard photoetched dashboard is not matching the kit plastic base; decided to make a new one from scratch including the textile hood and frame (visible on the original and not represented in the kit):