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Enzo the Magnificent

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This is Heller kit #099, the 1/72 Polikarpov I-153 Chaika which Scalemates list as being released as a new tool in 1975. This is probably the first bi-plane that I've built in a long time, but fortunately it's as easy a bi-plane as one could wish to build with minimal rigging. That's not to say that the minimal rigging didn't still give me the screaming ab-dabs....because it did! This is another nice little kit from Heller with an acceptable level of detail and generally a good all round fit. That's not to say that there aren't a few stages that need some special care to get right, which naturally, I got wrong. Still, it's all a learning curve and I'll know the few pitfalls for the next Chaika I build.

 

WIP here....

 

 

The kit was finished using an old bottle of enamel DBI Paints Light Aircraft Grey and for the silver, a bottle of Games Workshop Methril Silver acrylic saved the day after my previous choice of silver went a bit wrong. The red is Revell's Satin 132. No weathering on this one as I'm not the greatest at weathering, and I surmised that it would be kept clean to keep Uncle Joe happy. I didn't use any aftermarket on this build except the decals, which came from ROP o.s. "Stalin's Falcons" decal sheet. The description simply states: "Polikarpov I-153 White 5 of unknown unit, 1930". 

 

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Thanks for looking!

Steve

 

 

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I've started 2021 by finally finishing the build of the kit that first brought me to Heller, the frankly quite sexy Amiot 143 first issued in 1966, three years before I was born.

 

Here it's in the stealthy colours of the 2nd squadron of Bomber Group i/38, based in Istres in September 1940, one of the three options in the most recent "Musée" boxing.

 

It's been a very enjoyable build. A lot of the time went into the scratch built (though rather rudimentary) interior, which is mostly invisible of course. The only other modification was to the wheels which on this airframe lacked the distinctive fairings, something that appears typical of the type this late in its operational history.

 

For the first time I had a go at an oil wash to try to mute everything down a bit (without it the decals looked ridiculously bright), it was a bit hit and miss and I caused some problems for myself by spraying enamel varnish onto a coat of Klear, even now it's tacky to the touch in places. The underside looks a bit scruffy. There should be a pair of lights in the leading wing edges, they're very vaguely hinted at by the raised detail, I decided I could live without them and for that matter the pilot lights, which are firmly into "can't be bothered" territory.

 

Build thread here if you're interested:

 

 

Thanks for looking in!

 

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De Havilland 89 Dragon Rapide, Airfix boxing of Heller original. For those of you who followed the build thread, this was not an easy build. The fuselage sides were seriously warped and misshapen. The eventual finish owes a lot to Milliput, filler, sanding sticks and loads of time. It is out of the box with Tamiya Tape seat belts in the cabin. Brush painted with Revell Aluminium and Xtracrylix Signal Red. A Thunderbird Models mask was also used and it was rigged with an SBS set for this kit. 

 

Finished as NR782 from 829 NAS's Station Flight at RNAS Culdrose in 1960. 

 

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And my last one for 2020: the Alfasud, Heller 182

 

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It's been a blast, and shifted some shelf sitters... plus these are great little kits, with excellent shape and details (mostly: not so sure about the Citroen 2600...)

nest,

M.

 

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 I have finally managed to some pictures done and would like to join the fast increasing Gallery section

 

A relatively easy build as it is halfway to being a snaptite model.

Just about right for my abilities.

Still as it is a subject of my current career I have enjoyed it

 

Build is on this link

 

 

Decided in the end not to weather it, unusual to  see a clean tractor I know but I just couldn't bring myself to risk ruining it

Perhaps I can try some practice and do it at a later date

Still to the photos and can I thank the organisers of the group build and wish every one a Happy New Year

 

 

 

 

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Caudron - Renault C635 "Simoun"

 

This particular aircraft is the C635 with which Doret and Micheletti attempted the Paris-Tokyo journey in January 1937 in less than 100 hours. This attempt came very close but ultimately failed due to difficult weather conditions.

 

Historically the colour might not be correct, but this was the way Heller intended it so, that's good enough for me ! It definitely the loudest model I've ever made.

 

Work in progress below

 

 

Picture of completed build below, thanks for all the support and encouragement along the way, I hope you like it.

 

Cheers Pat

 

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                                                  Hawker TEMPEST Mk V Squadron Leader W Schrader 486 Squadron Hopsten April 1945 

Humbrol Brush painted

Pavla resin seat

Eduard cockpit detailling set

Decals from Aeromaster , Modeldecal and Printscale

 

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Build thread here

Patrice

 

 

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Arado Ar96 B-1

Heller kit no238 1/72 scale with Airwaves etch

French post war aircraft from the Centre d'Instructions based at Cognac in 1946.

The aircraft were initially operated in Luftwaffe colours as "acquired" however by 1948 they had changed to overall aluminium with red "lightening" flashes on the fuselage sides

 

Build thread is here
 

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Smer / Heller Breguet 693 build alongside the much newer Azur Breguet 695 kit.

 

The Heller kit has the Brengun PE set inside ( which you can't see much of : ) ) The Azur kit has aftermarket 2 Wasp Junior engines as the kit was missing that sprue!

 

Heller Kit first of course :)

 

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Azur Kit

 

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Build link is here

 

 

 

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260 - Saab S 29C Tunnan, 1/72

The second of my entries is the Saab S 29C Tunnan from Swedish Air Force wing F 22, in UN service in Congo 1962. In short I have made these modifications to the original kit:

-Scratch-built cockpit with a Pavla resin seat
-Re-scribed panel lines and added rivets
-Aires resin wheels
-Decals from my spares box, mostly from the Tarangus J 29A/B kit and some Flying Colors stencils.
-Scratch-built camera sight and air brakes

Pictures:

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WIP thread:

 

Edited by Bjorn
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261 - Saab 91 Safir, 1/72

And here is my third one: The lovely little sapphire jewel. Only small additions were made to this one:


-Small additions to the cockpit - hardly visible apart from the net
-Adding rivets
-New decals from my spares box

 

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WIP thread: 

 

Edited by Bjorn
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256 - Saab SH 37 Viggen (1/72)

Number four and next of my Saabs is the mighty Viggen. I decided to go for the perhaps most unknown version, the maritime recce version SH 37 that could carry both cameras and weapons. My example is the commom configuration with two camera pods and one drop tank, but sometimes these also carried anti-ship missiles. This very aircraft played one of the main roles in one of the most dramatic air incidents during the Cold War involving Swedish aircraft when it outmanoueuvred a chasing Soviet Su-15, that splashed into the Baltic Sea tragically killing its pilot. You can read the whole story in the WIP thread, see below.

Additions:

- Re-scribed panel lines
- SKA 24 Long Range Camera and MSK Recce Pod from Maestro Models
- Pitot Tube from Maestro Models
- Wheels from Maestro Models
- Ejection seat from Pavla
- Decals from Flying Colors
- Some scratch-building including FOD covers

And please note that I was NOT cheating using pre-cut masks for the splinter... ;) 

 

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WIP thread:
 

 

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My second entry is a Citroën B14 "Normande" made OOB 

Usual Heller standard makes a lovely model and the more effort you put into it the better the result, only addition is some plug leads

Reasonably pleased with it, always room for improvement but hindsight would help make my mistakes not happen

Paintwork is always a difficulty and especially this time of year, even garages are too cold

I can always build a better one the second time as I learn what to do and what not to do 

My first attempt at wood finish and again reasonably happy

 

Build is here 

 

 

My thanks to organisers, my first GB and it has made me finish two models in record time

 

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270 - Gloster Gladiator (1/72)

Number five, and a historic aircraft. This Gladiator belonged to the Swedish Air Force F 19 wing that fought under Finnish flag with Swedish volunteer pilots in the Winter War in 1940. They were haistly winter camouflaged with silver simply sprayed over the normal SwAF olive greeen/grey-blue camouflage.

This very aircraft shot down two Soviet aircrafts, one I-15bis (shot down by Ian Iacobi) and one Tupolev SB (shot down by Per Johan Salwén). After the war, the Finnish swastikas on the Swedish aircrafts were overpainted with different figures. This was my first model rigged with Uschi van der Rosten's rigging thread, I still do not know if Heller's pre-drilled holes for this made it easier or worse...

Additions:

- Skis and decals from Airfix's Gladiator
- Propeller from Matchbox's Gladiator
 

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WIP thread;
 

 

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261 - Saab J 21A, 1/72

My number six, and Saab's first fighter. Whether this was a good construction or not is debated, but you cannot deny that it is a odd and cool aircraft, The sharkmouth was painted on this very aircraft only, and just for a short while. Swedish Air Force leader, General Nordenskiöld went "mad as hell" when he saw it, and it was immediately overpainted. A pity, since it looks really good with it!

Additions:

 

- Re-scribed panel lines

- Ejection seat detailed

- A few more details added: In the cockpit, on the landing gears, and landing lights+guns

- Scratch-built ladder

- Decals from Special Hobby's J 21 and from my spares box

 

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WIP thread:

 

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The instructions say it's a MD 450B Ouragan EC 3/4 «Flandre» Patrouille de France, Bremgarten 1956. Modeldecal sheet 68 was used for a couple of stencils, and the correct orientation of the Diables rouges and Petits Poucets emblems. All in all a nice little kit of this forerunner of so many famous Dassault designs.

 

 

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This is Heller #241 the 1/72 Arado Ar-196A, a kit I had to get into the GB as it was the first ever Heller kit that I built as a 13 year old. That was also the last time I built this particular kit and it was great fun, and a little nostalgic, to be able to revisit it again. Still a great kit out of the box, I think this Arado typifies Heller at their peak in the late 1970s. Well detailed and easy to assemble, although warped float struts in my kit did cause me some headaches and a breakage which can be seen in the photos I think (yet to be repaired!). I used the Kora "Finnish Lease" decal sheet for this build. Nice thin decals that worked well enough, if a little too matt in finish that shows up in places.

 

WIP here....

 

 

Anyway, here is the finished build. Hopefully a bit better than my first effort back in the early 80s, but a thoroughly enjoyable build nonetheless. 

 

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Thanks for looking!

Steve

 

 

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This is Heller kit #156, the 1/72 Dewoitine D.500/501. This is yet another kit I built as a teenager, and was probably the second or third Heller kit I bought. I think I was taken by the subject which was something I wasn't familiar with at the time. A nice little kit, adequately detailed and fits together nicely and didn't cause any problems during construction. WIP here...

 

 

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get any half decent photos of this one, and all it did was highlight my ham fisted mess ups. The Aftermarket decals were very thin, not easy to work with and very translucent and this can be seen where the cockerel decal is placed over the fuselage tricolour stripe. That's going to bug me like crazy so I might have to try and rectify that. I tried drilling holes for the exhausts with the idea of adding some very fine metal tubing for the exhaust stubs. Well, I got them all wonky and subsequently forgot to add the tubing. Typical me! Am I happy with this build? No, not really, but it has encouraged me to have a crack at another one. On a positive note, the Games Workshop Methril Silver that I used for the paint job was excellent and gave a great finish. So, in summary, a great little gem of a kit from Heller suitably messed up by me!

 

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Thanks for looking;

Steve

 

 

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Having researched British television reconnaissance history I came across a postcard in the National Archive files that proposed the layout of a cine/television system in a French aircraft. The actual aircraft used was a Marcel Bloch MB200 in 1939, but I think it also looks a bit like a Bloch 210. My 'What if' is the early days of the investigation when the Russians would 'pay anything' for a camera that could see in the dark ! In my fantasy the Baird Television company supplied equipment in a Bloch 210 painted in French night bomber colours. This whole thing was scuppered when their research facility, which was in the Crystal Palace, was destroyed in the fire !

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Adm118581lays

 

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80479 - SE.3130 Alouette II, 1/50 

And here is number seven, and my only build in this GB that is not in 1/72 scale.

The kit was originally released as SA.315 Lama in the sixties, and later changed into SE.313 Alouette II, the Swedish version called SE.3130. This very individual was one of the first Alouettes in Swedish service, and one of just four French-built (the other being licence-built by Saab). This is how it looked like in the early days in the fifties. Alouette II was the only aircraft in Swedish service that was operated by the Air Force, the Marines and the Army. 

Regarding its age - the original kit was released in 1967, the same year as I was born - it is surprisingly good (I hope that goes for me too... :) ). And the Alouette II must be the most good-looking helicopter of all times, having a never-goes-out-of-style design. I love it!

Additions:

 

- The entire tail boom except for the rotor is scratch-built from streched sprues.
- The roof, position lights and lots of details on the rotor and engine are also scratch-built.

- Some additions in the cockpit, fire extinguisher, new instrument panel, seatbelts etc.

- Decals from Moose Republic Decals

 

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WIP thread:


 

Edited by Bjorn
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