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A little bit ago I purchased a large collection of small boxes. This STGB will be a great opportunity to put together a 1/144 P-51 (or two!). I built a Sweet one back in December as part of the blitz build. She's one of my better looking attempts at 1/144, if I do say so myself. I think I'll start with the other half of that box (each box comes with two kits) and build the box art version with captured Japanese markings. Its profile is the top left one:

I hit a stage with my 1/72 Colombian P-47 that I'm less enthusiastic about and today felt more enthused at the idea of trying something else... I recently acquired a stack (or two) of 1/144 kits, including some Platz P-47s. Earlier this year I built some 1/144 Hawker Hurricanes and found I enjoyed the scale much more than I expected! So, I opened this one today. I'll build the cover art version. You can build two aircraft from each kit, and there are four marking options in this one. For now I'm just going to build the one though. The decals look nice, and including the red highlights so I don't have to paint those (yay!). Here are all of the sprues. I stuck half of these back into the box, along with all the load out parts--pylons, drop tank, bombs, rocket launchers (all of which look great at first glance, by the way)--and extra props, etc. that I won't need on this version. There are two parts for the cockpit, but it all fell together so fast I didn't think to photograph until I had the wings and fuselage assembled! Fit is remarkably good, which was also my experience with the Sweet 1/144 Hawker Hurricanes.

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I received a surprise in the post this morning, it was a package from my fellow modelling buddy and all round good 'egg' @Hockeyboy76. Inside the box was this 1/144 Platz boxing of the Thunderchief, along with some very nice edible packaging. Cheers buddy, I hope that I can do them justice and I know that Mrs N and I will enjoy the Stroop Waffles and Welsh Cakes. In the box are two kits with a choice of three colour options. by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr Cheers. John

My next build will be the 1/72 FS T-2Kai from Platz. This was a special version of the T-2 trainer to support the F-1 fighter. The rear cockpit was filled with all kinds of electronics and had a cover under the canopy. I've never build a Platz kit before, but it looks like a good kit, with plenty of detail. It kinda reminds me of a cross between Hasegawa and Eduard. A few stencils are provided, along with a couple of different marking options.

PLatz is to rebox the Dragon 1/144th Lockheed SR-71A Blackbird kit - ref. AE144-6 Source: https://www.facebook.com/platz.global/posts/421128506197384 V.P.

https://platz-media.com/blog/2021/09/11/aw-1-2-3-2-2 https://www.yodobashi.com/product/100000001006452660 Platz to rebox Itareli 1/48 A-10 in December. Indiana ANG 109th anniv. special marking.

Here is my Platz 1:144 North American P-51D-20-NA Mustang which I built back in 2007. It represents 44-72218/WZ-I "Big Beautiful Doll", flown by Lt. Col. John D. Landers (78th FG CO), 48th FS, 78th FG, 8th Air Force, USAAF, from November 1944 to May 1945. The kit was built OOB and fully painted and varnished with brush. As I have mentioned before, these Platz kits are a real delight with great finesse for this scale. Eduard has released these same moulds under their label. Highly recommended. Thanks for looking and, as always, all comments are welcome Miguel

Here are a pair of Platz 1:144 Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai (Late) "George" which I built back in 2007. Both kits were built OOB and fully painted and varnished with brush. Both are from the 343 Kokutai (Wing), the only one to use the type, but from different Hikotai (squadrons). The first one represents C-343-45, 343 Kokutai, 701 Hikotai, Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force, Matsuyama airfield, Japan, in April 1945. The second one represents B-343-30, 343 Kokutai, 407 Hikotai, Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force, Matsuyama airfield, Japan, in April 1945. Thank you for looking and all comments, as always, are welcome Miguel

Here my entry for this weekends Blitzbuild, no complicated camouflage scheme or Bi-Plane rigging, just a simple two colour build with a single aftermarket item. Oh! and definitely no silly challenges from the wings like 'Why not build both' I'm looking at you @Enzo Matrix and @Hockeyboy76, that way I hope to finally finish something for a Blitzbuild. by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr by John L, on Flickr

Here are a pair of Platz 1:144 Kawanishi N1K2-J Shiden-Kai (Early) "George" which I built back in 2007. Both kits were built OOB and fully painted and varnished with brush. Like the P-51D I posted last week, these Platz kits are a real delight with great finesse for this scale and are highly recommended. It's just a shame the type is limited in terms of schemes since all machines flew with the 343 Kokutai (Wing) and the only differences being the fuselage bands for each squadron of the wing. The first one represents "91", a prototype at the Kawanishi factory, Japan, in December 1944. The second one is "15", 343-15, 343 Kokutai, 301 Hikotai, Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force, flown by squadron leader Lt Naoshi Kanno, Matsuyama airfield, Japan, April 1945. Thanks for looking Miguel

Here is my Platz 1:144 North American P-51D-15-NA Mustang which I built back in 2007. It represents 44-14888/B6-Y "Glamorous Glenn III", flown by Captain Charles 'Chuck' Yeager, of 363rd FS, 357th FG, 8th Air Force, USAAF, in summer 1944. The kit was built OOB and fully painted and varnished with brush. These Platz kits are a real delight with great finesse for this scale. Eduard has recently released these same moulds under their label. Highly recommended. Thanks for looking Miguel

Here is the He 219 A-0 G9+FK. Continuing my Night Fighter series. I wanted to replicated as much as possible the original plane, I'm am pretty satisfied I achieved this. The Platz (Dragon) in 1/72 is overall a very good kit to build, there were some fitment issues with the wings to the fuselage and the undercarriage, I'll know what do next time! For those interested in this kit the Platz kit comes with weights and p.e which is extra over the Dragon offering so I suggest go with this one at least for the weights. I think it still needs to be heavier in the nose so I will add more weight at a future date. The original flown by Ernst-Wilhelm Modrow 2./NJG1 with FuG 220 SN-2 and Fug 212 Germany 1944 Anyway here she is, love to here your comments. Took a few more pics after adding the antenna cable

Hello everyone Here is my Platz 1:144 Focke-Wulf Fw 190D-12/R14 (early) I built in 2013. Inspired by one of the unbuilt variants of the Fw 190D family illustrated in the Valiant Wings book, I made this rather simple conversion from a D-9 to a torpedo-carrying D-12. The forward cowl had the gun bulges and troughs removed and smoothened out, the wing bulges removed, the supercharger intake enlarged, a cannon hole made in the propeller tip and the blades sanded to a more rounded shape. The torpedo came from a Minicraft He 111 and I added the pylon clamps to hold it and the torpedo's tail wing. The tail of the D-12 was supposed to be of the Ta 152 type but that was beyond my skills so that is why it's a D-12 (early)!! The kit represents "Blue E", KG200, Luftwaffe, in 1945 (fictitious of course) with a scheme of my own making. The kit was painted and varnished with brush. The decals came from various sources. Thank you for looking and all comments are welcome as always Miguel

Hello All, My last finished product, a Platz 1/144 RF-4E in German guise. The platz kit is very nice and went together without too much grief OOB. Thanks for looking Ian

I posted my earlier attempt at this kit earlier, but as there are two in the box it would be rude not to build both. So this one is a machine of the Squadron commanders bird from the 87th FIS. Both together Thanks for looking.

Platz (new?) F-Toys 1/72nd Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa kit - ref. Sources: http://platz-media.com/blog/2018/09/19/hayabusa/ https://www.facebook.com/platz.hobby/photos/a.427377477276709/2308569735824131/?type=3&theater V.P.

New from Platz to be announced at the 58th All Japan Model and Hobby show in late September. It does not say if it is or not a newly tooled kit, just new. http://www.platz-hobby.com/products/7236.html Robert

At Shizuoka Hobby Show 2018 Platz is to release a new tool 1/72nd McDD F-4EJ Phantom II kit - ref. Sources: https://www.facebook.com/modelartinc/posts/1960234187384789 https://www.facebook.com/modelartinc/photos/pcb.1960234187384789/1960233957384812/?type=3&theater V.P.

This is the latest in my project of building the US military's "large" drones; the Platz RQ-4N. Subsequent to the release of this kit the UAV was renamed MQ-4C Triton. This kit is very similar to their RQ-4B Global Hawk kit. The main difference are the fuselage bottom piece, that includes the Navies ground (water?) search radar and a new IR turret, and the decals. Both kits have issues with warping, the RQ-4B in the fuselage halves and this one in the wing upper and lower parts. Other then the warping the fit was generally good except for the area around the lower engine compartment. The decals were excellent with no silvering, but since this kit was release while the aircraft was still undergoing testing and before it was deployed, they are a bit of a fantasy in nature. The MQ-4C is just starting to be deployed with VUP-19 and a web search turned up this site; https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2016/11/02/navy-s-mq-4c-triton-community-gets-its-very-first-squadron/ which contained this picture; and this drawing of their emblem; I also found this picture: All of the decals were present on the sheet, including the "PE", except for the emblem, so I made my first foray into making my own decals. I was able to edit the above drawing using PhotoShop Online and then print the 2 sides on clear decal paper using my trusty HP Deskjet 5550 photo printer. The results were definitely not water proof so I then gave them a coat of MicroScale Superfilm to water proof them. The results came out OK but with a thick-ish film. I am not sure if that is the decal paper I was using or the Superfilm. I am guessing it was the paper and if anyone can suggest a good quality paper I would appreciate it. So on to the pictures Just for perspective here are my first 4 and the latest of the "large" UAVs These are, from left to right. the MQ-4C Triton, the MQ-9 Reaper, the RQ-4B Global Hawk and the MQ-1B Predator. Missing is the MQ-1C Grey Eagle which no one seems to be making a kit of in 1/72, and BTW don't bother buying the Italeri MQ-1C die cast model. it is just an MQ-1B with Italian marking. Next up I have the 4 smaller "large" UAVs; the MQ-8B Fire Scout, RQ-7B Shadow, RQ-5B Hunter and RQ-2A Pioneer. I am going to start on the MQ-8B, but being that they are small and seem to all be the same color I might just gang build all of them at once. Enjoy.

On display in the Platz stand at the recent Shizuoka's UAMC 2018 was what looks like a 1/72nd (?) Nihon Aircraft Manufacturing Corporation NAMC YS-11 test model. Source: http://platz-media.com/blog/2018/02/10/uamc-2018-shizuoka/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook http://platz-media.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/IMG_7608.jpg V.P.

Hi all! Well the next one rolls out of the paint shop in the form of a Lockheed AT-33A Shooting Star, depicted as she was when operated later in her life with the Fuerza Aerea Uruguaya (the Uruguayan Air Force). Over time the FAU operated 11 of these machines from Durazno Air Base in the centre of the country, with 2 more acquired for spares. “207”, originally a T-33A-20-LO, she was 53-4919 in USAF service and was operated in Uruguay from 23/07/1969 to 05/06/1997. She went on to be one of the last that was operated by the air arm. The T-33s in Uruguayan service had many schemes. Originally they were flown in natural metal finish with the usual national insignia and a unit badge on the port side, for the Grupo de Aviación Nº 2 (Caza). This unit continued to operated them in US-style SEA camouflage, and then Green and Grey camouflage (like US ‘Lizard’). The last machines received were operated in the ADC grey that they had on arrival, and at least one (“209”) flew with “US AIR FORCE” titling still visible on the nose. For this build I have tried to get as close as my old hands would allow to this: I used a little “modeller’s licence” for the camo pattern. The kit is the excellent Platz T-33A kit. I made some errors because I was rushing but I think I got away with it. She is pretty much OOB apart from the markings and the seats. So, what did I do/use?: Platz T-33A Shooting Star kit 1/72 True Details resin seats Mimicked the guns with half round 0.8mm Plastruct rod I added wing pylons from an Airfix F-80 The paints used were Humbrol enamels throughout – the regular 116/117/118/28 (Green/Green/Tan/Grey), plus Black, Flat Aluminium (27001), Gunmetal. Mattcote overall. The decals are Aztec (T-37 wing roundels). I printed the serials, the checkerboard, the unit badge and tail flag on a mix of clear and white decal sheet. Other stencils etc were from the kit and a Microscale Latin Air Forces set for the T-33. From the image above the serial font appears more RCAF than USAF so I went that way, right or wrong. Weathered with Flory Dirt and Tamiya Weathering powders I hope you like her. Thanks for looking. Martin

I finished these recently for the Mustang STGB III. Red Dog XII was built OOB whilst Petie 2nd received some interior work in the cockpit which included sidewall details and instrument panel using the Airfix 1/72 kit as a guide. I also split the one piece canopy to give the fixed and sliding sections on this aircraft and added some tape belts to both models. I painted Red Dog XII using Vallejo's Metal Color Acrylic Aluminium after a Gloss Black primer coat from the same manufacturer whilst Petie 2nd had Mr Metal Aluminium applied and this was buffed to a shine with kitchen paper towel. For those who are interested, more details of the build can be found here P-51D Mustang x 2

Hello All, After 6 months, a change of airbrush, a lot of swearing and lots of "what the heck am I doing"? here is my interpretation of Hans Dortenmann's mount in 1/144 scale. This is not the first one of these I have done and they are exceptional kit to build. oooops forgot to remove the canopy mask..... Happy modelling all, Happy to take questions. Ian