Heller Classic GB Gallery

[fightersweep]

This is kit number 80236, the Heller 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf-109B/C. This is a re-box of the kit that was first issued as kit number 101 in 1978. It's a beauty of a kit that goes together without any issues and overall is a nice, relaxing and enjoyable build. This is the only recent boxing of a Heller kit I have built so far, and the model is well packaged with a really nice decal sheet with three marking options, two Spanish Civil War versions and one pre-war Luftwaffe version. It's hard to believe the kit is as old as it is as the parts in the box are beautifully crisp and flash free. It honestly looks like a new kit in the box with only the raised panel lines giving things away. For my build, I opted to use the aftermarket sheet from AML decals which are superb to use and also as I was taken by the artwork carried by Michael Schmid's Bf-109 in 1939. It certainly adds a bit of colour to the build.

 

The 109 was built out of the box using only some Eduard seatbelts to make the cockpit look a little busier. It was brush painted using some old Humbrol Authentic RLM 70, 71 and 65. The cockpit was painted with Gloy's RLM 02 and once the decals were applied the whole model was varnished with Windsor and Newton matt varnish. There's really not much else to report as the kit went together really nicely with only a small amount of filler needed. WIP here....

 

So that's about it. If you haven't built Heller's Bf-109B/C, I thoroughly recommend giving it a try.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

Steve

[Bengalensis]

Renault 30 TS, 1/43, #196/163

 

This is the reissue 163 in a black box from -79. The kit depicts the earliest R30 TS from 1975-76, mostly identified by the door handles and the fuel cap, and also means black headlight surrounds. I added the sun roof, antenna and roof trim strips, and also tidied up the front and rear sections a little bit to ease the painting and final assembly. The build thread is here:

 

 

Please Heller; the world needs a good 1/24 scale kit of the Renault 30! Until then, here is 1/43:

 

 

 

 

 

[Johnson]

 1/72 Messerschmitt Bf 109 G6 R6 'Black 8' of 2/JG 302, Helsinki 1944

 

Heller's Messerschmitt Bf 109 G-2/5/6  Kit, No 230, was a rebox issued in 1980 and the molds go back to their Messerschmitt Bf.109 kit L081 in 1972.

 

Mostly an OOB build, I added Eduard seatbelts and replaced the upper wing wheel well bulges (for the larger wheels of the G6) as the Heller parts were enormous! Markings are from the 1995 Aeromaster Decals; Reich Defense, part IV - Gustavs which worked very well. The kit went together easily with no real dramas. If you want to read more about the build, click here.

 

Painted with Xtracolor gloss enamels RLMs 74/75/76 and airbrushed with an Aerograph Super 63 with a fine tip. Final coat of Winsor and Newton Clear Matt Acrylic varnish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

[malpaso]

Hi all,

Here’s my completed Messerschmitt Bf109B-1.  It’s a very nice kit from a period (mid-70s) when the kit-makers made nicely detailed but easy to assemble kits with good quality plastics.

Painted in Xtracrylics RLM63 over RLM65, the low bright sunshine shows a nice pale greenish grey, indoors it’s seemed much darker and greyer!  The kit decals seemed very Matt but went on fine and despite staying resolutely Matt when glossed, however after the final Matt coat they look fine.  As with all rudder decals, the edges are hard to line up and settle round the edges so any more such Spanish crosses will be cut out and put on painted white background.  The white parts of the decals had yellowed heavily, but a couple of weeks in my “atelier” window sorted that, even in January.
Whether 6-26 arrived with the wooden prop as earlier Condor Berthas did I don’t know, but I used Romsey club mate @rob Lyttle method of aluminium tubes for prop shafts so I can swap the two.  So here we are on the airfield at Tablada Spain in the early dawn with newly arrived numero 26.

unfortunately the low sun shows I should have fitted the rear canopy more carefully!

A few months (days?) later the prop has been changed to a modern variable pitch type to give better performance.  The kit provides this prop for the Luftwaffe C-1 option with wing guns but only very early Bs had the wooden prop.

 

 

 

Thanks to the hosts for setting up this GB; it gave me the impetus to build my first Heller, but there’s a few others in my stash that I now look forward to building.

Cheers

Will

[JOCKNEY]

Well this will be my 5th and last build in this amazing GB. Yes compared with some of the Superheroes on here that's pathetic but it is a personal best for me in a GB.

 

This was the classic impulse buy but let's face it when I am ever going to get a chance to build one of these otherwise !

 

I hope you like it

 

Cheers Pat

 

PS Cat not included 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[klr]

Mirage 200C, Airfix boxing from 1990. Plastic good, decals bad (silvering big-time), paint ugly. Build thread here:

 

 

 

 

 

 

[AdrianMF]

Here’s my fourth and final entry for this GB, the Vampire FB.5:

 

A super little kit, self-inflicted booboos in the build thread here.

 

Thanks for a fascinating and fun Group Build - it’s been a pleasure to see such fine models and modelling!

 

Thanks for looking,

Adrian

[Ted]

1/35 figure from their Saharienne kit. Painted with acrylics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[PhantomBigStu]

Bit of a Frankenspitfire MkXVIe, in the end I think parts from 5 different kits were used, still it did start as a Heller 282 kit. Fuselage, tail, canopy, interior and exhausts are all french at least. Decals from the Eduard Combo set. Painted with Xtracrylix and Vallejo, varnished with Winsor and Newton Matt.  Spinner was handpainted with Humbrol yellow once realised the decal couldnt be applied fully with the prop in place.  

 

 

 

[PhantomBigStu]

(Updated pics) Heller L083 P-40E RAAF Markings, painted with Vallejo model colour paints, finished with Winsor and Newton Matt 

 

 

 

Edited February 4, 2021 by PhantomBigStu

[Ottopv]

1st attempt at a group build and my 8th model since I started during lockdown

 Unfortunately due to Xmas and COVID I haven’t been able to do any modelling for the last 6 weeks

 Didn’t quite get all the finishing touches I wanted anyway here it is 1928 Citroen c4

thanks for looking

[Ottopv]

2nd of my builds Talbot lago gp 

[klr]

Morane Saulnier M.S. 406, Smer rebox (horrible decals!), Turkish markings. Build thread here:

 

 

 

 

[Bengalensis]

Citroën 15 Six Traction Avant, 1/8, #799

 

Here are a few photos of the finished model. I never thought that would happen inside the time frame of this GB when I started. It felt like a hopeless goal, but since this GB was all about classic Heller kits I felt the need to ensure one of Heller's most ambitious and iconic kit efforts, from 1977, would be represented.

 

This kit is the reissue from around 2008/10. Apart from substituting most of the wiring and plumbing parts, that come as moulded soft vinyl squids, and some other vinyl parts with better materials the model is generally built OOB, albeit with a good deal of care applied in part preparations, a bit of altered assembly sequence and some engineering adjustments. I have added my own registration plates, the net carrying the maps under the forward headliner and some minor details.

 

Much has been said over the years about this kit's complexity and more or less hopeless features and details. I must say though that in general I have been very impressed by the old school Heller engineering. The tooling work is after all soon 45 years old. It has been a difficult build for sure, a challenge, some modifications have been applied, but nothing has been impossible to achieve. OK, sometimes with some hacking and tricks. Even the vac formed headliner worked out well in the end. I used the option given in the kit to build it with fixed shock absorbers, although it can be built with fully "working" suspension. This way my model is actually supporting its own weight well, perhaps not over many years, but certainly over a few days on display if I want to.

 

It's been a joy to build the model within this GB, and I'm very grateful and humbled by all kind praise that many of you have given during the build. It has most certainly helped along the way. Thank you very much!

 

The build thread can be found here:

It's not easy to wrap it up in five photos, but this is it:

 

 

 

 

 

[Jabba]

This is my entry for this GB. It is the 1/72 707converted into a E-8 JSTAR that was one of two that operated during Desert Storm.

 

The build thread is here:- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chimpion]

Here is the Delahaye 103 Bonneville Fire Engine.

 

The build thread is here :

 

[Bjorn]

283 - De Havilland Vampire FB.5

 

Number eight: The quickiest so far, just OOB. Vampire of the Royal Norwegian Air Force with decals from the Special Hobby Vampire kit. Apart from that, seatbelts is the only addition.

 

WIP thread:

 

Edited February 2, 2021 by Bjorn

[Dom Barr]

Tasman/Heller De Havilland Dragon Rapide

 

Here are photos of this tricky but enjoyable model. It was much more challenging than I thought it would be and a real skill expander. Highly recommended.

 

Cheers

 

 

 

[TonyOD]

Here's my third and final build for this GB.

 

The Supermarine Spitfire Mk. XVIe first issued in 1972, here representing an aircraft of 350 Squadron, Belgian Air Force (as it was to be known) in 1946. Aftermarket decals from Lifelike plus canopy and wheels, and the exhaust stacks in the kit were a bit weedy looking so I got some from the spares box. Brush painted with Humbrol enamels. The whip antenna is a bristle from a toouthbrush. A great little kit that builds up really nicely, as usual a few issues of my own making, but that's scale modelling!

 

I've really enjoyed taking part in this Group Build and getting to know the Heller range, many thanks to hosts @Wez, @Rabbit Leader, @Heather Kay, @JeroenS and @JOCKNEY, and anyone who's shown an interest in my modest efforts along the way. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dean Whiston]

Renault Vivastella

Heller kit no724 1/24 scale

The Vivastella was introduced in 1928 and remained in production in various forms until 1939

Build thread is here

[JeroenS]

I present my second and final build of this magnificent Heller GB, a reboxing of the '79 issue of the Peugeot 203, kit number 160. 

 

The 203 is a very shapely post-war saloon which went a long way to put Peugeot on the map. 

 

 

Like I said, a very shapely car... of course, I couldn't resist cutting it to pieces when I found out that a pickup version was produced! I cut the little car in half, re-used the front section and scratch built the rear. A complete chassis including leaf springs, spare wheel, rear axle and exhaust was made out of white plastic, as well as the load bed itself, wheel wells and the cab's rear wall. The kit wheels were lacking detail so I added some "nuts and bolts" which improved the look. Jörgen was so kind as to supply rubber tyres which had the correct width but needed to be modified diameter wise. These tyres fit the vehicle perfectly. 

 

Build thread here:

 

I went for the "down and dirty" look 🙂 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[alt-92]

Number two over the line.

#154 - P-39Q/N  (1977)

Bit of a rescue, incomplete kit from a bulk sale.
Built as P-39M. 

Some 19 USAAF Operation Torch P-39s from the 81th and 350th FGs didn't quite make the ferry distance, and were interned in Portugal and pressed into service with the Portuguese AAF.

Decals for the Ota OK flight where they were used are available from LF Models - printed in one sheet, so you need to cut them individually.

 

Thread:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Desk Flyer]

Good evening people,

 

I managed to finish my Arado 196 on time but only just! You can find the WIP posts here:

 

1/72 Heller Arado 196 WIP

 

Here are a couple of photos for the group build gallery I hope you like:

 

 

Thank you all for your messages and for your support.

[Bjorn]

343- Saab A 32A Lansen

 

Number nine and one of my favourite subjects: A well weathered Saab Lansen from the early 70s. This one flew at F 15 wing in Söderhamn on the Swedish east coast where a friend of mine was head of the 2nd division and sometimes flew this actual aircraft. 

Additions:
- Re-scribed panel lines
- Seatbelts and a few details in the cockpit
- Air brakes, modified from HobbyBoss Lansen in 1/48 scale (!) where they are undersized
- Scratch-built belly tank
- Maestro models pitot tube
- Decals from Moose Republic Decals

 

WIP thread:

 

Edited February 9, 2021 by Bjorn

[fightersweep]

Number nine in my build list, this time it's the Heller 1/72 Heinkel He 112 B0/B1, kit number 240 from 1979 in the classic Heller "black box". As with many of Heller's releases from this era, another nicely detailed kit moulded in the olive coloured plastic which went together with no issues. Fit was extremely good, with hardly any filler required and the only fiddly part of the whole build was the undercarriage. The one thing I've re-discovered in this GB is that Heller's undercarriage can be very fiddly!

 

Paints used for the build were Gloy's RLM 02 and Humbrol authentics RLM 70, 71 and 65. Being a hairy stick user, I like to use these vintage paints where possible as they usually brush very nicely. The markings represent a He 112 B-1 “Yellow 4” of the IVth Gruppe JG 132. Karlsbad airfield, October 1938.

 

WIP here;

 

 

That's it! Thanks for following and here is the build;

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steve