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Perfect timing for the STGB with Hasegawa doing the recent re-pop of their lovely 1/48 F-8E Crusader kit. I pre-ordered to ensure I snared one (wish I bought two). And the usual box of plastic. A lot of really nice decal options in the box. However, I had Furball's wonderful decal sheet MiG Masters 48-007 with markings for 26 aircraft. Printed by Cartograf. Who could resist? This gave me the problem of what scheme to choose. Adding the kit's 4 options gave me 30 aircraft and 1 kit. So many to choose from. I decided to go thematic rather than pretty and focus on the "Last of the Gunfighter's" only two gun kills achieved out of the total 18 (now sometimes increased to 19) kills credited during the Vietnam War . The last gun kill was an F-8C flown by LCDR Robert Kirkwood. I did not feel like back dating the E to a C so an E it must be. This leaves only one option, the first credited gun kill, LT Eugene Chancy VF-211 USS Hancock June 21, 1966. Just to make life interesting, I plan to throw a fair bit of resin at it. Whether I use it all will depend on how we go. Plus some Reskit wheels if this aircraft had the later hubs. The two aftermarket kits that would add to this build would be Wolfpack's Air Brake and Wing Folding kits. As rare as the original Hasegawa kit. Yes, can be tracked down, but expensive. I'll probably scratch-build these additions. The air brake is a must. Always seems to be cracked open when the aircraft is at rest. Now, looking forward to the starting gun. Ray

Good day, Here is my third completed project for the year. This is the tanker version of the A-3 Skywarrior family. These are the highlights of the kit……….. 1. Paint used : A. Airframe : Mission Models Hi-Lo Vis Grey ( MMP-117 ), Tamiya Flat White ( XF-2 ) 1). Washes : Ammo Medium Grey ( airframe ), Vallejo Dark Brown, Black, Light Rust 2). Cockpit : Life Color Dark Gull Grey ( UA 033 ), Gunze Olive Drab, Tamiya Dark Green ( XF-81 ) 3). Wheels : Tamiya Gun Metal ( X-10 ), Tamiya Flat White 4). Tires : MRP Flat Black ( base color ), MRP Tire Black ( highlights ) 2. Aeromaster Decals KA-3D Skywarriors #72-161 3. Uschi Bobbin Thread for antenna wire 4. Engine pods : AK Interactive Extreme Jet Exhaust ( base color ), Metallic Purple, Metallic Blue The kit was straightforward without many issues. The surface detail is excellent and the fit is very good. The landing gear and gear bays are complete with superb detail. I enjoyed this kit and I recommend it to all skill levels. Thank you in advance, Mike

If I did not already have more than enough P-3s built, it is time to add another. This is a dual build with my son, he works on AP-3Cs so he wanted to build a model of his aircraft. So I am tagging along, building one as well and helping him out with tips (he unusually builds and paints Warhammer) as he has not built an aircraft kit in about 15 years. I started with the cockpit, having built a few P-3s I had not done any real detail work on any of the cockpits, so with help from my SME I reconfigured the rear cockpit walls to more what they look like. I also added some crew for the spares box cannibalising them to get non-helmeted heads on them. Seat belts from an Eduard cockpit set that had been used on a previous model. This is what an unmodified cockpit looks like from my last AP-3C model. Next was the wings, CMDS fairings were fitted to the rear of the inboard engine nacelles, the wing tip sensor packs fitted and obligatory filling of weapon pylons mounting points. I also added support structure for the stand. Finally a the cockpit installed and test fit of major components

I have a "Delta Combo" boxing of the old Hasegawa F-102A and F-106 and built the F-102A for last year's Century Fighters GB. So next up is the F-106: Not many parts, but very crisply moulded. I will probably do the bicentennial scheme. The tooling dates from 1969. It needs a little bit more detail in the cockpit and wells, but otherwise it's good to go! FWIW, here's the Deuce from the combo: Regards, Adrian

Hello guys, Second build for this year, the Hasegawa 1/48 F-104G in the markings of the Belgian AF 349 Sq. Paints are Gunze and AK real colors acryls, while decals are from an Eduard reboxing of the Hasegawa kits. This build is a gift for a fellow belgian modeller. Post split as there's qui te a lot images Hope you'll like her.

Here's my placeholder for Hasegawa's 1/32 FW190D-9... here's the kit: ... and the plasticky goodness therein: ... and the instructions: The kit contains a pilot figure who I may or may not use depending on how well done he is - I can't really see the parts for him in amongst the bagged sprues. If not, I have these: I also have the New Ware canopy mask set - inside and outside masks : The kit transfers look remarkably good for Hasegawa - I don't fancy the JV44 markings with the striped undersides (no offence @Retired Bob ) and the kit has two options for them, but there is another option provided: ... which I may use as it's a nice plain-looking one, but failing that I also have these: So I think I'm set. I've seen some different aftermarket gun-covers are available but I'm blissfully ignorant of the differences so I'll just hope the kit-supplied one is correct for whichever option I do go for See you when it all kicks off Cheers, Stew

Well this will be my first official GB/STGB of the year……..well we don’t talk about the 1/32nd Kingfisher!!! I have been a bit quiet of late, been mega busy with work, plus trying to clear some of the backlog of builds I have, mostly AFV’s….I have a very low completion rate with these, but have a Rhino & Rooikat done and another 3 or 4 more almost, so it has been time well spent when I have it. So this is just a nice straightforward build for me, with Hasegawa’s lovely 1/48th F-8E Crusader being the build of choice for this one. I picked this up a little while ago for the really nice price! It’ll be as close as I can do to a straight out of the box build……….so AM bits will be included …. …..a Wolfpack Cockpit set and Eduard Exhaust set…. …plus Aires Engine Duct Bay and ResKit wheel set……photos to come. The scheme will be straight out of the box, a VF-191 “Satan’s Kitten’s” bird. This will be something nice and simple to get me back into the GB groove……plus I may have a 2nd off-topic build going on at the same time (an Eduard VF-6 Wildcat), so photo-bombs away!!

My entry is Hasegawa’s 1/32 Boeing F4B. Scalemates has this first kitted in 1971. The box has certainly seen better days. Parts are on two sprues, interestingly they are on different colour plastic. The wings are a silvery plastic, the second sprue is grey. Whether it was released like this or I have sprues from two different boxings I don’t know. Not many parts but a lot of ejector pin marks that will need cleaning up. Hoping for a quick build. The decals are showing their age, so I will be using a sheet from Yellow Wings Decals.

This is a placeholder for my build which will be a boxing of the Hasegawa Spitfire Mk.I in 1/72 (originally released in 1975 according to Scalemates).

My second build is Hasegawa’s 1/48 A-7E Corsair II. The boxing decal option is all over grey, will be looking to use some aftermarket decals to produce something a little more colourful.

I suppose it is possible I might find something else in my stash but I know I do not have any Japanese "subjects" ie planes/tanks/ships and as far as I know I only have two Japanese manufactured kits left, one of which is in tended for another GB, so that just leaves this- It cost the princely sum of £3.99 from a discount store on the outskirts of Leeds back in the 1990's and I bought it to replace my original A-6A kit bought in Ellesmere Port in the late 1970's which is in a pretty sorry state though I may be able to renovate it at some time. I gather that they did upgrade the original kit a little, particularly the arrestor hook which was wrong, but I suspect the only other changes were to add the sensor turret under the nose for the A-6E version. The cockpit still has terrible seats which are moulded as part of the rear bulkhead, and not staggered as in the real thing, so I will be doing some work on that and perhaps the u/c bays, but other than that and probably a modified weapon load-out it will be OOB. The kit comes with two optional colour schemes - gray/white and two grays and I will probably be doing the latter. Given the number of GB I hope to be involved in the next few months, this may be a slow build! Pete

G'day all, Finally finished this one after lots of stops and starts, primarily due to moving interstate and a lack of room in our new place - can't wait to get back to our own house when this year's over! You can see my 'Harry Potter cupboard' under the stairs I'm working in at the moment in a few of the shots. What can I say? It's the Hasegawa kit, with a heap of extras added - most of which I shouldn't have added! All the dramas are detailed in the WIP build link below. It represents A89-281, which is now at HARS and, unlike her sisters, A89-273 and the ex-Aeronavale 566, is very unlikely ever to fly again. She's depicted as she was just before her removal from service in 1978. Finished with Mr Surfacer White, Humbrol 40 Grey and 85 Satin Black and a mixture of detail colours from Colourcoats and Testors Model Master (all enamels). Weathering pastels (barely visible) to depict exhaust staining and Mr Colour weathering solution (brown) in the wheel wells. All coated with Future with Tamiya X-21 added to flatten the finish, where required. WIP and extras detailed at: I'm glad it's done and off my bench but it's not reflective of my current skills and will sit in the cabinet as a reminder not to go crazy on aftermarket and detailing and not to use 30 year old decals!! And one with the aircraft it replaced in-service - the GAF-built Lincoln B.30: Sorry about the stuff in the background but I'm a bit too over the model to care, to be honest! Hopefully the 1/48 Harvard will be better...

Ki-61-Id Hien (Tony) | 1/72 | Hasegawa 19th Air Group, Luzon, Philippines, 1945 This was one of the oldest kits in my stash. In my first or second year of college, my parents gave me almost all of the 1/72 Hasegawa Japenese fighter kits for Christmas. I built all but this and the Tojo. About a month ago, I decided I wanted to get started on it soon and posted a question here because the color callouts confused me. Luckily I did, because that's how I found out that the infamous "Shamrock" on the Hasegawa kit is open to considerable debate and likely didn't exist. I really wanted to do a camouflage version of the Tony and luckily, the Tamiya Ki-61-Id kit in my stash had a set of decals for one. My current A-36 build was getting bogged down with research that was sapping the mojo ,so I pulled this out to do something while I was researching and planning how to proceed. It was a fast build, being a simple kit, but it too was overcome by events and wasn't worked on for a few days. The Tamiya kit called out their "NATO green" as the top color and color swatches I found on line ranged from an almost gray to a nearly lime green. That was frustrating. The research I did, though, showed that late in the war Tonys were painted a green that weathered to a close match to the US olive drab, which is what I used. As with my other OD builds recently I "pre-toned" the paint using mottle stencils to put random patches of Mr. Color C319 (Lt. Green), C141 (Propeller Brown), C121 (RLM Brown Violet). I also used patches of C21 Middlestone pre-shading to create sun fading effects. I like this technique because it creates very subtle shifts in the tone of the olive drab that looks realistically worn and weathered. I also penciled in the panel lines, but the technique works much better if there are no panel lines and you create them with the pencil. With scribed panel lines, you are stuck with the width of the line as it was molded. The Hasegawa panel lines are very inconsistent, deep in some places and almost non-existent especially toward the edges. This was the first time I've used Tamiya decals. They are thick like Hasegawa decals, which doesn't bother me. They acted like they weren't going to conform to the details no matter what solvent I used, but they worked out just fine after I let them sit overnight. Also, the Tamiya decals had an extra set of everything, including stencils, because the Green and bare metal versions had different colors for stencils and the Hinamaru on the sides is integrated into the stripe for the metal version. Unfortunately, there were no spare hinamaru for the top and bottoms of the wings (and the Hasegawa decals were too bright), so I painted the hinamaru on. This is the first time I've attempted that and I think they look great. I just about matched the color of the hinamaru decals on the sides too! In retrospect, I think I should've put more wear and weathering on it. Reference photos I had were not detailed enough to show how much wear and weathering Tonys had, but late in the war there was probably more than I show here. Finishing: Scratch built cockpit, seams filled with CA. Paint: Mr Color C12 Olive Drab top / Alclad White aluminum with some Panels Alclad Aluminum on bottom. Decals: Tamiya Ki-61-Id decals The Tamiya decals worked fine, except for one that gripped and couldn't be moved at all, no matter what. So, the outlines of the ammo access doors on the starboard wing are crooked . Also, since the decals were for another kit, I found that the outlines for the ammo access doors didn't quite line up with the molded lines in the model. I've said in the past that I am a fan of Alclad, however, I think I am a fan of only their colored metals (Steel, burnt metal, etc.) and their "super shiny" metals (chrome, polished aluminum, etc.). I used white aluminum and aluminum on the bottom, and while the white aluminum came out very nice, the aluminum was quite a mess. It came out glossy, which is a different look than the sheen from metal. Spraying some Testors metallizer sealer on the aluminum made it look better, though. As with other Hasegawa models of this vintage, the cockpit was a chair, and I.P. and a floor. Not even a stick! I spent an evening scratch-building an interior using the Tamiya kit as a template. I can even see it through the canopy! The Gunsight was a spare from a Spitfire kit and the seatbelts are tape. Hope you like it! Questions, comments and constructive criticism always welcome.

Hi all, I've a soft-spot for Naval Aviation and know @Grey Beema wouldn't let me hear the end of it if I didn't build something. So I'm in with this one which only had a service life of four years. Hasegawa F11-F1_Tiger_Box by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr The second US Navy aircraft to go supersonic after the Douglas F4D Skyray, the F-11F-1 Tiger was soon replaced by the F-8 Crusader. I like how this is a little different and looking forward to giving it a go. Plan is for OOB, all the way! Hasegawa_F11-F1_contents by Dermot Moriarty, on Flickr Thanks for looking, good luck with your builds and happy modelling. Cheers, Dermot

This one took a long time, especially the painting. I was struggling with a good method of chipping at such a small scale. All hairspray, chipping medium etc. were producing way to coarse chips. I think they're fine for 1:35 but not 1/72. I've experimented a lot on some cheap Armourfast models and finally found a good one that served me well. Instead of any chipping medium I've coated the primed model with Alclad lacquer. After long curing I've sprayed the main yellow coat and gray-ish camo over that. Then I used very little airbrush cleaner, just to soften the paint and scratched the paint carefully with a needle, toothpick and small hard brush here & there. The advantage is that I could slowly wipe off the paint in some places creating this sort of 'gradient'. It looked like it was naturally worn off. Took a lot more time that a 'normal' method but at least I was satisfied with the result. After all that a normal enamel wash & pigments weathering came on. Another problem was the tracks. Those rubber ones gave a me a real headache as the paint was peeling off them so easily. Finally I've found out the painting the directly (without primer) with Mr. Hobby metallic paints stops peeling. They hold on the the rubber pretty well. I'm quite pleased how it came out. Some people may say it's a little bit overdone but I kinda like those heavy weathered models. The stowage comes from various resin packs I've gathered Here are some pictures And some un-photoshopped ones Thanks for viewing, comments welcome

Kit - Hasegawa Paint - Lacquers & acrylics Decals - Superscale 48-1249 Extras - Eduard etch, Hasegawa Weapons Set A McDD AV-8B Harrier II Plus VMA-513 'Flying Nightmares' MCAS Yuma 2011 No it wasn't an easy build - the work required to get the underside of the LERX's to meet the fuselage was extensive and needed cutting, plastic card, lots of PSR and a fair helping of harsh language. Strangely I found it all to be challenging in a good way and actually enjoyed the whole process. Had the kit and the decals for years and years and was never any doubt which of the three options on the sheet that I was going to build. Paint is Mr Color lacquers (Extra Dark Sea Grey, Dark Compass Grey and Light Compass Grey for the drop-tanks.). The typical Harrier soot and staining is all done with W&N Oils. The loadout may be a little anachronistic, it's not too far beyond the realms of possibility for a shore-based aircraft on a live-training hop. Please feel free to ask any questions, make any comments or hurl any insults. All the best from NZ. Ian.

My main entry for this event is something I've wanted to build for a while, the PBJ-1H. The North American B-25 is one of my favorite aircraft, a medium bomber that became incredibly versatile. Used in the Pacific, these US Marine operated bombers were used in low level attacks and anti-shipping. VMB-613 started operating 15 PBJ-1H in early 1944. I'll be using Hasegawa's 1/72 kit. I picked up the kit for a good price, but the decals are missing. I'll have to source some, but in the meantime, I've picked up some accessories as well.

After 2022 (link) newsletters, the Hasegawa news for January 2023. Source: http://www.hasegawa-model.co.jp/month/202301/ V.P.

I have a Draken! It's the Hasegawa 1/72 - rather nice looking kit. Some light reference material too. I have a proper book about Finnish Drakens too (I think) - I just need to find it. My hobby room is a mess at the moment due to some renovation. Plastic parts. I will be doing DK-215 which is 35S variant. DK-215 is the same plane which flew the Draken's final flight in Finland in a rather striking yellow scheme with a big european bison painted on top. But I will be doing it in normal service era camo. Some aftermarket stuff - PE inside the cockpit, pitot tube and a resin seat.

Next off the shelf is the very old (maybe original?) boxing of the Hasegawa P-2H Neptune. I've washed the sprues and resin bits. Here they are drying amongst the Scout WIP. Soon to be joined by the Eduard bomb bay and general detail kits, the Aeroclub props and landing gear and PD Decals, amongst others. Not too many plastic parts but heaps of resin and etch. Lots of rescribing to do as everything is raised detail. I'll paint everything this week when the wife goes back to work as she hates the smell of enamel paint through the house!

Here is my next venture into 1/48 scale, the Hasegawa Bf109F painted up as Eberhard von Boremski's F4. The kit was very easy to make, I added the external stiffeners to the rear fuselage as I was originally going to be making another aircraft but had a paint issue so changed my plans quite late on. The photos I saw of this aircraft indicate that it might not have had the external stiffeners but they are there now. Painted with my usual Mr Hobby paints. I used decals by EagleCals and Montex masks for the Balkan crosses. I used the photos in the Luftwaffe Colours Vol. 3 Sec. 4 for inspiration although I didn't follow them exactly as the demarcation between colours should have had a slightly softer edge to them in reality. Only light weathering (except for the prop as I got a bit carried away with that!) as the photos were taken while the Unit was re-equiping onto these aircraft although the wing roots did have a lot of mud and dust visible. Duncan B

As my other 3 builds are coming along fairly well I might hazard yet another USN jet. This is a 1983 boxing of the 1979 moulding, and since then at least a further 19 re-boxings have been released, some with new decs. Over the years the Prowler has had numerous modifications - the so called EXCAP, ICAP-1 and ICAP-2 programs - there are at least 3 versions of the latter - and Grumman planned a further ADCAP version but the Navy decided not to buy it. I suspect there will have been other changes as my source material is quite old and I have seem mention of an ICAP-3. When D&S reviewed this kit back in 1984 they quite liked it, rating it far better than the Matchbox one of the same vintage which I built at the time. Their main "nit-pick" was the tinted glazing which is fine except that the windscreen was not tinted. Apparently Hasegawa have alternated between everything tinted and untinted though some of the more recent boxings may have got it correct. The second hand kit came with an extra Microscale decal sheet so quite a bit of choice available, but before I decide I will have to read through my info to decide what if any modifications I will be adding. Resin cockpits range from £16 to £26 but I will probably just get new seats! Better check I have enough gray and white paint. Pete

Hello, I'd like to join this groupbuild with a 1/72 build of this subject: I have both the original Hasegawa boxing and the later Revell rebox with Cartograf decals, will decide which to start after inspection. Need to clear a bit the bench so don't expect a quick update. Thank you!

Joining you with this Hasegawa 1/72 Fw kit. Bought at Fairford last year. Parts. Options. Have I mistaken the colours in some way? Instructions would have this aircraft two shades of dark green. but the boxart looks green/grey.

This is my first build here. About a year ago I managed to buy such a kit from hands. And I got guns by Master this week. But I want to build A3's variant in Tamiya's kit 61037. First I installed the wheels bay. I cut the plastic incorrectly and cracks formed. I will remove them later. It was also difficult to install the bay in the center. I was upset when I found a stumps on the cockpit floor for his legs. So I made a elements that, in general terms, repeated the original. I will install leg bindings after painting. Edward's photoetch is often flat in cases where it is not. I made a handle instead of a flat piece. Engines are always my headache. Only if you are building a large scale model you are not be cut with a scalpel and your desk will not be covered in your blood when you remove the pushers of cylinders. I had made the pushers out of copper wire. My set is A4, but I want A3, so I had made new panels with holes. I wish you a enjoy watching