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Fellow Modelers, i always found that the early Russian Jet design looks kind of sexy, the revolutionary MIG-15 Design of Mr. Gurewitsch is no exception. So no wonder that my first post WW2 build is one, i was a bit unsure which markings it should have till i saw that Czech MIG with that eye-catching camouflage. As always no decals were used, but the fuselage numbers, which in this case was pretty time consuming as one can imagine..... With respect to the great design of the MIG-15 my first idea was to built it with the fuselage closed not to detract from the great MIG line but than i started to scratch many parts for the Klimow engine & weapon bay and i decided to show both areas displayed. Cheers Hans

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG 15 Bis, Red 40, 1953 I completed my model of this Soviet fighter which I finished with the colors and markings of the mount of pilot Nikolay Shkodin, who obtained five victories during the Korean war. I chose not to install the provided jet engine inside the fuselage and to display it next to the aircraft. For increased detailing, I used aftermarket seatbelt, instrument panel and main wheels from Eduard's. The jet engine Klimov-vk1 which is provided with the kit is adequately reproduced for this scale and, as said, I am displaying it on a static stand which was scratch built. The model was finished with mixes of Tamiya acrylic colors, while Vallejo metallic paints were used for the metallic finished parts. I sprayed the camouflage bands free-hand to obtain feathered demarcations, however, I am afraid that the obtained effect that might be a bit out of scale. I replaced the 2 x 23 mm gun muzzles with aluminium tubes, while the muzzle of the 37 mm cannon is an Eduard replacement. I also substantially modified the oversimplified pilot seat to better reproduce the type which was used at the time of the depicted aircraft. Panel lines were obtained by oil colors washes and other small stains with watercolor pencils. This is my first Russian subject and I found it rather an interesting aircraft to build (the build log can be found under this link: MiG15 build log). I hope that you like my final pictures. Best regards, Dan

Dear all, being currently interested about cold war aircraft, I am starting a new kit which represents one of the protagonists of the post WWII period, the MiG 15 bis. For this iconic plane, I chosed the 1:48 Trumpeter kit, a brand that I never tried before. The Trumpeter kit is supposed to be a quite good representation of this jet, supposedly better than the Tamiya one. It is not my intention to spend too much efforts in detailing the cockpit because this is going to be a 'closed canopy' model. Unfortunately, once I saw the ejection seat supplied in the box, I was quite disappointed by how inaccurately the seat and its headrest was reproduced. Being the seat and headrest the most prominent details that can be seen through a closed canopy, I decided to detail them it a bit. Trumpeter moulded a 'boxed' headrest, probably roughly copying the look of a seat which equips one of the several restaured MiG flying in US, but the real one had actually quite different a look. Above, you can see the difference and the few improvements that I made with some Evergreen strips compared to the original one (the kit comes with two seats). To give a little 'busier' look to the cockpit, I also added few wiring along with the engine throttle which cannot be absent in a pilot's office. Before a coat of paint, I embellished a bit more the seat by adding also two side handles which can be well spotted from outside. To give a little 'busier' look to the cockpit, I also added few wiring along with the engine throttle which cannot be absent in a pilot's office. I am using the colors seen on various pictures on internet, but various shades can be found depicted. Eventually, I opted for a basic color obtained from the Tamiya Dark Sea Grey mixed with white (3 d.s.g. + 3 white) according to proportions that I decided by eye. I colored the ejection seat, added black paddings and seat belts from the Eduard set. I have the impression that the seatbelts are a bit oversized, but they look the part. I would like to give the cockpit a 'used' look, therefore I am liberally applying various washes on its parts which will appear less obvious through the canopy. Few old instrument decals were also used, while the instrument panel and the pedals are from the Eduard set, which is specifically made for the new recent Bronco kit, but the parts of which I can reasonably fit also on this kit. Now I have just to add a couple of red handles and a coat of matt varnish to reduce the shine. This is my first Soviet aircraft and I know little about russian aircraft, hence I am curious to see how will this one turn out. I hope you will be also interested in it. Best regards, Dan.

Hello all, I'm back. Did you miss me? 😉 I've been unable to show anything new since about last August as I've been busy building stuff that can't be shown before publication. Just finished something for myself though, the Trumpeter 1/48 Sea Fury. Yes I know it's got a lot of inaccuracies, but I wanted something basic after all the super detailed stuff I've been doing lately. Here it is... Cheers, Dean

Hello, I'm presenting my recently finished Westland Whirlwind Mk.I, built as part of the "The Battle of Britain" competition on Polish "Scale modelling with passion" forum. I used Eduards PE's and scratchbuilded some details (eg. moved antenna mast onto the canopy to represent early production variant). Hovewer, I am aware, that not all of the issues of this kit were corrected. All the markings were painted using masks (as you probably know, the decals in this kit are of low quality...). The model was painted using Tamiya and MrHobby Acrylics. You can see all the models built during this competition at this link: http://www.pwm.org.pl/viewforum.php?f=797. Hope you enjoy, Artur