2017-02 (139)

ALL THE INFORMATION YOU’LL EVER NEED

TO CREATE THE BEST AIRCRAFT MODELS

E E FR

6 NEW BUILDS INSIDE HARRIER

T F GI

MADE FOR TWO WE CONTINUE WITH OUR MAMMOTH 1:24 T.2 CONVERSION…

February 2017

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£4.50 / Issue 139

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ED FORCE ONE BUILD IRON MAIDEN’S BOEING 747 IN 1:144…

NATO TIGERS FANTASTIC JETS IN FANTASTIC SCHEMES!

KIT BUILD

A PLASTIC

WONDER

EDUARD UPDATE TAMIYA’S ALREADY STUNNING 1:32 MOSQUITO FB.VI

KIT BUILD

WHISPERING DEATH AIRFIX 1:72 BRISTOL BEAUFIGHTER TF.10

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Contents

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VOLUME 12. ISSUE 139. FEBRUARY 2017

VOL.12 ISS.139 FEBRUARY 2017

01525 222573 01525 222574

Model Airplane International. Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, England

Editorial:

Editor:

P04 - EDITORIAL P06 - NEWSLINE P12 - COMMENT P78 - EVENTS DIARY P79 - CONTACTS DETAILS P81 - NEXT ISSUE P82 - FINAL THOUGHTS… REVIEWS P30 WORKSHOP

P20 WHISPERING DEATH

The editor builds the latest addition to the Airfix family of Beaufighters, the thimble-nosed TF.10

P32 MIG THREE

Get the best from Trumpeter’s neat 1:48 kit

P38 NATO TIGERS

We bring you some of the highlights from Zaragoza, home of the 2016 Tiger Meet

P44 A PLASTIC WONDER

We take a look at a new Sparmax Compressor

We add even more detail to Tamiya’s superlative, 1:32 De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI

P72 NEW RELEASES KIT

P60 WOOD ’N’ WINGS

What will you be building in the months to come?

FEATURES P12 IT’S SHOWTIME!

We bring you the highlights from The Middle Wallop Enthusiasts Fair 2016

P20 A HARRIER MADE FOR TWO

The editor converts the ancient Airfix 1:24 Harrier Gr.1 into the T.2 trainer. This month we look at the tail extension and intakes.

We take a detailed look at the building and painting of the Wingnut Wings 1:32 Albatros B. II ‘Early Type’

P66 ED FORCE ONE

Build Iron Maiden’s ride in 1:144

Publisher: Group Editor: Administration Manager: Office Manager: Advertising Manager:

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Editorial Design: Advertising Design:

Peter Hutchinson Peter Hutchinson & Alex Hall

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Model Airplane International is published monthly by Doolittle Media, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX. Entire Contents © 2017 Doolittle Media, Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the content of Model Airplane International is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Model Airplane International only upon Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising sales department of MAI.

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EDITORIAL HELLO EVERYONE, WELCOME TO THE FEBRUARY 2017 EDITION OF YOUR FAVOURITE AVIATION MODELLING MAGAZINE! Written by Spencer Pollard

THIS MONTH WE HAVE MUCH TO ENJOY, WITH MODELS FROM ALMOST THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF AVIATION, BOTH MILITARY AND CIVIL IN NATURE.

O

ur showcase feature this month deals with Tamiya’s extraordinary 1:32 De Havilland Mosquito and how you can detail it further using sets from Eduard’s expansive range of updates. What this allows the modeller to do is create perhaps the ultimate representation of this aircraft in miniature and though undoubtedly expensive, the resulting model will form the centrepiece of any collection within which it is displayed. Greg Phillips has built our Mosquito and talks in detail about the project and the steps that he took to complete it. Our specially extended article begins on page 44. Continuing the twin-engined aircraft theme — though in a far smaller scale — I’ve spent time building the delightful Airfix 1:72 Bristol Beaufighter TF.10. Second in their series of Beaufighter releases, the TF.10 offers modellers the chance to build a post-war variant, in particular in “Operation Firedog” colours and markings. Along with the variant changes (including that thimble nose that so defines this version) the modeller is offered the chance to complete their model with underwing rocket stacks and then weather the life out of it! Clean, these aircraft were not! The story of my model begins on page 20. Sometimes a model can begin from a conversation amongst friends. That’s exactly how Justin Lentz’ MiG-3 project began; chatting with friends, they decided to wager a meal on a group build, anyone that didn’t finish their model by the deadline, picking up the bill at the restaurant. The resulting model is a delightful recreation of this interesting aircraft and shows that builds need not be complex, costly or time-consuming to be fun and rewarding. You’ll find Justin’s model on page 32. But what if you don’t really fancy building anything military? Well, we have something that might just fit the bill in the form of Iron Maiden’s ‘Ed Force One’ Boeing 747. Tackled this month by Huw Morgan, Revell’s 1:144 kit offers modellers a relatively challenging project that results in a large and attractive model. The fact that it will no doubt appeal to the rock fans amongst you, simply adds to the party! The fun begins on page 66. Continued from last month, we also conclude Francisco Guedes detailed look at the building and painting of the Wingnut Wings 1:32 Albatros B. II ‘Early Type’ as well as continuing on with our series on my highly involved 1:24 Harrier T.2 conversion (which I hope that you are enjoying!). We then move on to a wonderful photo report on last year’s Tiger Meet from Zaragoza. These meetings tend to bring out the most artistic colour schemes imaginable and last year’s was no exception, a huge variety of incredible looking military aircraft being seen in Spain. Marcus Jellyman was there to capture the action and brings you some of the highlights beginning on page 38. So this is the February edition of Model Airplane International. I hope you enjoy this issue and I hope to see you again next month! ■

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‘Europe’s Number One Model Shops’

www.hannants.co.uk

KH80126 1:48 - Kaman SH-2G Super Seasprite £TBA

KH80131 1:48 - McDonnell F2H-2 Banshee £42.99

KH80137 1:48 - Dassault Etendard IVP/IVM £TBA

KH80138 1:48 - Dassault Super Etendard £29.99

KH80144 1:48 - Sukhoi Su-17M3/M4 £TBA

H.G.Hannant Ltd, Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 3LZ, England.

Open from 09.00 to 17.30 Monday to Saturday. Phone: 00 44 (0)1502 517444 (8 lines) 0845 130 72 48 local rate from UK phones only (NOT mobiles)

Fax: 00 44 (0)1502 500521 E-Mail: [email protected]

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Newsline AIRFIX

www.airfix.com NORTH AMERICAN P-51D MUSTANG

Without question, the North American P-51D Mustang was one of the finest fighter aircraft of the Second World War and helped to secure air superiority for the Allies over occupied Europe. Able to escort USAAF bombers all the way to their targets deep into Germany, Mustang pilots would pounce on any Luftwaffe fighters sent to challenge them. Already a fighter aircraft of some promise, the combination of the North American P-51 Mustang airframe with the proven Rolls-Royce Merlin engine was a revelation and resulted in one of the finest fighter aircraft ever produced. With impressive speed and firepower, the Mustang was relatively fuel efficient and combined with its large fuel tanks, possessed exceptional range for an aircraft of this performance. The addition of light-weight external fuel tanks gave the Mustang range enough to escort USAAF bombers all the way to their targets deep into Germany, but perhaps more importantly, as greater numbers became available, Mustang pilots were freed to hunt the Luftwaffe at every opportunity and wrestle air supremacy from their grasp. The distinctive ‘blue nosers’ of the Bodney based 352nd Fighter Group became one of the most decorated USAAF units of the Second World War, producing many of the leading aces of the European Theatre. As the war progressed, these accomplished pilots were prevented from increasing their victory tallies due to a marked lack of Luftwaffe aircraft to engage in combat. This is the latest addition to the Airfix 1:72 range of Mustangs and as such, it includes the same parts seen before, but with the markings described above. This kit is now out.

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ITALERI

www.italeri.com

F-4 C/D/J PHANTOM II ACES USAF AND US NAVY VIETNAM ACES Italeri has released a combination kit of the F-4 Phantom in 1:72 that will allow modellers the chance to build one of four different ‘Aces’ aircraft, the kit including decals for the following pilots: ● Robin Olds ● Richard Stephen “Steve” Ritchie ● Jeffrey Feinstein ● Randy Cunningham The kit should be available now.

SUKHOI SU-34/SU-32 FN

The multirole combat aircraft Sukhoi Su-34, NATO code name ‘Fullback’, is a Russian twin-engine, twinseat able to perform strike, interdiction, ground and naval attack duties. It has been developed, on the reliable design of the fighter Sukhoi Su-27 “Flanker’ to replace the swing-wing Sukhoi Su-24 ‘Fencer’. The Su-34 is characterised by the large cabin where the two crew members, the pilot and the navigator/ operator of weapons, sit side by side. Thanks to its two powerful Ljul’ka turbofans, the ‘Fullback’ is able to reach the max speed of 2.000 Km/h. It can operate in adverse weather conditions and in very severe environments. It is armed with a 30 mm gun and thanks to its 12 hard points can carry an impressive variety of air-to-surface weapons and air-to-air missiles. The Russian company Sukhoi has also developed a dedicated version for export named Sukhoi Su-32 FN (Fighter Naval). Three specimens were tested by Indian Air Force in 2015. Italeri’s 1:72 kit contains all of the necessary parts to build this imposing aircraft along with marking for four different ‘Fullbacks’.

TAMIYA

www.tamiya.com

KAWASAKI KI-61-ID HIEN (TONY)

The Hien was officially adopted by the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) in 1943, and stood out among its Japanese aircraft contemporaries in the Pacific War on account of its liquid-cooled Ha-40 engine, slimline fuselage and long, elegant wing. A number of different variants were produced, among them the Ki-61-Id which featured a 20cm-elongated nose to house 20mm cannons, plus 12.7mm machine guns in the wing. In fact, with 1,360 units it was the most prolifically produced Hien variant; its superior performance at higher altitudes meant that it was often given the brief of taking on incoming U.S. B-29 bombers in the skies around the home islands of Japan. One IJA unit which notably deployed the Hien was the 244th Air Group led by Captain Teruhiko Kobayashi. This is a 1/48 scale plastic model assembly kit. The model accurately depicts the Ki-61-Id Type Hien with elongated nose and slim fuselage. The inverted Ha-40 V12 is depicted complete with supercharger and other details. The cramped cockpit interior features 20mm cannon ammo cases, oil tank and more. Fuselage underside radiator showcases superb detail and accuracy, right down to the depiction of air intake slats. Canopy can be assembled open or closed. Comes with parts to recreate 2 drop tanks, 1 figure, and 2 marking options recreating aircraft of the 244th Air Group.

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SHOWTIME WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL

THE MUSEUM OF ARMY FLYING – BARGAINS OVER THE BATTLEFIELD

W

WE BRING YOU THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE MIDDLE WALLOP ENTHUSIASTS FAIR 2016

henever a model show is held within an aviation museum there’s a certain buzz to the event as it presents the possibility of seeing the ‘real thing’ and a ‘model replica’ just a few metres apart. The Aircraft and Enthusiasts Fair and Model Show at The Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop on November 20, had this buzz yet again with a few 1/48 Airfix Lynxes on the club tables not far from a full-size Lynx AH.7 armed with TOW missiles. Despite the storms that were lashing the south coast at the time, aviation enthusiasts and modellers made their way to the event in search of bargains and inspiration, and there were plenty of both to be had. Perhaps the last chance to stock up on modelling accessories before the winter modelling season begins in earnest across the UK. Traders such

as The Aviation Bookshop, T-7 Models and Collectakit were on hand to provide enthusiasts with the latest reference material or that long sought-after secondhand kit, and given how many full carrybags were on view it was clear that visitors were taking up the offer. Billed as both a show for the aviation enthusiast and modeller it was clear that many of those attending were involved in the hobby and by midday stands such as Aero Memorabilia, The Aviation Bookshop and Collectakit were three or four deep with visitors eager to get a reference book, second-hand kit or a long-sought after copy of a magazine. The variety of aircraft models on display were as varied as one could expect, with F-14 Tomcats alongside Vietnam-era AH-1 Skyraiders or a Bomber Command Avro Whitley bomber. If one needed a break from buying kits and

books the museum’s coverage of Operation Market Garden, the famous ‘bridge too far’ is extensive and detailed, poignant are the recollections of glider pilots who describe in detail their flight. Their uniforms and medals accompany their stories in a selection of display cabinets. But its not all World War Two, if ever there was an ideal reference source for building a 1/72 Airfix Gazelle this has to be the place. A retired Army Air Corps example is available for close inspection and many a modeller could be seen photographing the cockpit seats, missile sight and instrument panel. It was another fully packed day and all of those who attended and exhibited with their clubs made the most of the day, praising the museum and organiser Mark Roberts for another tremendous event. For many it was a great way to end the 2016 show season. ■

A genuine Horsa glider along with an airborne mortar used during World War Two. The museum is packed with such displays and memorabilia.

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You ‘got to’ love the Grumman F-14 Tomcat, even more so when it’s wearing the colours of VF-111 The Sundowners aboard USS Carl Vinson, brilliant work in 1/72.

A rare sight at model shows is the Grumman AF-2S Guardian, this example on the West Middlesex Scale Model Club was made using the recently released 1/48 Special Hobby kit.

A colourful post-war US Navy 1/48 SNJ-5 Texan showed some excellent masking with not a straight line out of place.

One of the Cotswold Scale Plastic Modellers models on display was this 1/48 Tamiya AH-1 Skyraider in Vietnam-era markings. Some additional weathering would have really brought this model to life.

Russia’s new fifth generation fighter was represented in model form with this 1/72 Hobbyboss Pak-Fa (T-50) – a stunning looking aircraft that will enter operational service within the next two years.

William Brothers 1/72 C-46 Commando is a rare sight at shows, but this example was in the colours of Canadian airline Nordair.

IPMS Gloucester displayed a number of World War Two fighters at the show, one of which was this Japanese combat veteran made with Tamiya 1/48 Ki-84 ‘Frank’ kit.

Dave Turner from West Middlesex Model Club brought along his 1/48 Italeri S-3A Viking in the markings of VS-33 aboard USS Independence in 1977.

One of my favourites at the show was this Tamiya Spitfire Mk 1a, which was embellished with details from Eduard in the cockpit. Weathering was subtle giving it that ‘operational look’.

I’ve seen this P-51D Mustang a few times and Dallas Doll still looks good in these USAAF colours.

Vietnam-era schemes seemed to be the flavour of the month for the Cotswold Plastic Modellers and this F-100D Super Sabre was in the colours of an Arkansas ANG unit.

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This Hasegawa 1/72 Tomcat received the full detail works by way of open panels on the nose and its AWG-9 radar on show. It was completed in the colours of VF-84 The Jolly Rogers.

References to hand for the modeller – the rear cabin of an Argentine UH-1 Huey captured during the 1982 Falklands War.

Just one of the many displays at the museum is this unique Hafner Rotachute III P-5.

Displayed on an actual weapons pylon from a real F-16 was this beautifully finished 1/48 example, a SAM hunting F-16CJ Wild Weasel variant complete with a full war load.

A beautifully finished Gloster Sea Gladiator in the markings of 813 Naval Air Squadron embarked aboard HMS Eagle.

The addition of a Caracal decal sheet and an Alley Cat nose conversion brought this 1/48 Trumpeter HU-16C Albatross to life. This has to be the best scheme worn by the Grumman flying boat.

Tony Adams from Romsey Modellers made a fine job of the Airfix Whitley, finishing it in a typical RAF Bomber Command scheme.

Devoid of weapons and drop tanks the clean lines of the F/A-18E Super Hornet are illustrated with this 1/72 example from Hasegawa.

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COMMENT CARPE DIEM - TIME FOR MODELLERS TO SEIZE THE DAY? Written by Jonathan Mock

“

Though we know that time has wings, we’re the ones who have to fly…

T

hese words by the Canadian writer and motorcyclist Neil Ellwood Peart have always carried a certain resonance for me personally, and as each calendar year passes and another one looms into view, they seem more pertinent than ever.

”

What brought them into sharp focus recently was when I finished a non-aircraft model – a 1/35 Italeri M4A3E8 Sherman in fact – and the realisation that this was the first time I’d made a 1/35 Sherman in over 40 years of modelling. I’d made plenty of Shermans in 1/72 and 1/76, but making one in 1/35 had always eluded me.

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This made me realise there were lots of other things that, deep down, I’d always wanted to make but hadn’t yet gotten around to. Now you’d think modelling was all about making the subjects you want to build, but I tend to keep my modelling projects as an open book, sometimes a kit turns up and I find myself in the workshop despite perhaps not factoring that project into my plans – some of the recent Special Hobby kits have had this effect. In many ways this keeps the hobby fresh and steers you away from getting stuck in a rut, though sometimes you just have to slog it out on a project regardless, be it a commission or a something for a magazine article. But having made that Sherman, I then started to think of all those other kits that I’d maybe spied in a catalogue or seen in model shops, or those subjects that I was a fan of but had never captured in plastic. Suprisingly, a lot of those kits were actually armour, kits like Tamiya’s 1/35 88mm gun, M16 gun carriage, Sd Kfz 222, or ESCI’s 1/8 Kubelwagen. But there were also aircraft like old Revell 1/32 Mirage – not state of the art by any means but these were kits that were outside my pocket money years ago, but within my means now. In terms of subjects I’d never tackled, how come I’d never made a 1/72 SR-71 Blackbird (as see here built by our esteemed editor…) or a 1/35 Tiger tank? Have I ever made a Bismarck? Or how about one of those classic 1970s Revell dragster kits that I had memories of my late uncle making, envious of his ability to afford

not only the model but all the paint! Soon I had quite a bucket list of kits that I wanted to make, or at least own, some of which I started ticking off. Perhaps this was nostalgia driven – actually it’s purely nostalgia driven – but it put me back in touch with the fledgling modeller I was 30 or 40 years ago, and that simple sense of excitement and wonder at making a model for the sake of making a model, rather than the middle-aged enthusiast casting a critical eye over bits of kits that need refining or replacing. This is fun, right? And in many ways I think this kind of variety is no bad thing. It’s no coincidence that almost all the modellers I have come to admire down the years all try their hand at various scales and subjects, each of which present their own needs when it comes to honing modelling skills. Too often you come across people so fixed in their niche of things that, whilst they no doubt enjoy it - and that’s the most important thing – you can’t help but think that some of the blips they encounter or their problem solving abilities would be enhanced by just stepping outside their sphere of interest and reading articles on something the polar opposite, or talking to modellers who are likewise. I learned more about getting gloss finishes from reading articles by car modellers than I ever did in any aircraft modelling magazine. Similarly, I sometimes think AFV modellers could learn a thing or two from articles on airbrushing aircraft, and likewise aircraft modellers reading up on AFV

weathering techniques. Anything that opens you up to new ideas and approaches to the hobby is no bad thing, but it does involve looking beyond your own horizons. Having felt energised by the idea of doing all those things I really wanted to make, there is one thing in this whole process that you can’t buy over the counter – time. As much as I like sitting at the workbench – dark autumnal Saturday afternoons with the football on Radio Five are the best – there are other things I like to do like gardening, big long walks, thrashing around my drum kit or just the simple pleasure of watching the world go dark from a hill. Finding the time to make that bucket list of kits could take years, decades even. Time does have wings and they beat unrelentingly, so if we want to do all these things we promise ourselves “one day”, we really do have to fly. ■

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BUILT AND WRITTEN BY SPENCER POLLARD

A HARRIER MADE FOR TWO This month we take a look at extending the tail and dealing with this tricky intakes…

Before dealing with the tail and the intakes, the wings were glued in place and then the tips added and faired-in. As mentioned earlier, this was a specific aircraft and so ferry wingtips were used rather than the standard, shorter items seen on first generation Harriers. The fit, frankly, was terrible, much gnashing of teeth, adjustment, filling and sanding, being needed before a smooth surface was anywhere near achieved!

Though I’d planned to build the tail extension from plasticard, it was eventually fabricated from resin profiling board that was cut for this project by Tim Perry, using a drawing that I created especially for this build. What this allowed were two perfectly square pieces that could be milled and shaped to create the distinctive shape of the tail, without worrying that the extension would twist or deform as the project progressed. Happy with these new pieces, the openings for the tailplane mounts were reamed out using a dental burr and fine diamond files.

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Here’s a close-up of the openings that would feature the internal actuator for the tailplanes. Though virtually invisible on the completed model, they were still seen as an important feature that I wanted to include as part of the build. The actuator piston itself was simply fabricated from plastic strip and some tubing, no further detail being needed within the extension.

Happy with the shape of the extended tail, it was superglued to a plasticard bulkhead that had been securely fixed to the rear of the fuselage. Using superglue and accelerator allowed these parts to be glued in place quickly, before blocking out the curved fairing that blends — in part — the ‘stinger’ to the rest of the fuselage. Note in this shot the newly reworked tail fin…

Test-fitting the new fin. It all looks fine in this shot, but time would reveal that I had made some serious mistakes and much of this initial work would have to be torn down and redone…

With so much work being done on sections of this model, at times it felt like I was getting nowhere, so every so often I couldn’t resist dry-fitting it all together to get a sense of how it would look once complete. This was around two months in - little did I know that I still had four months of work ahead!

The upper edge of the curved flanks of the stinger exhibited a straight edge, so to ensure this was accurately reproduced, a strip of plastic beam was temporarily glued in place to act as a dam for the Milliput. Once the Milliput was dry, the beam could be removed and the filler shaped and smoothed out.

The Milliput has been sanded to shape and once again the fin has been test-fitted to check its shape and position. Though not evident at this point the leading edge of the fin where it sweeps down to the small intake was too short and so needed to be removed and a new section glued in place to correct its length and profile. The shape of the tail extension is a mass of complex curves that need to be carefully replicated if the model is to look correct. For instance, under the tailplanes, the shape curves in two directions, creating a dip that allows the tailplanes to pivot without hitting the sides of the tail - it’s subtle, but absolutely necessary if accuracy is to be ensured.

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With the — incorrect — fin glued in place, I could start work on the underfuselage strake and tailplanes. It was at this point I noticed that it wasn’t just the fin that was off…

When I started to try and apply some of the panels around the ‘stinger’ I just couldn’t get them all to fit and couldn’t work out why. I’d followed the plans and measured it and yet it all looked too short: the reason? It was too short! And not just by a little - the tail extension was around 10 mm too short. There was nothing to do but remove the tip, add the missing 10 mm and then fix it all back in place, blending everything in place with Milliput. Whilst I was at it, the blend between the curved flanks and the vertical walls of the stinger were finessed to create a subtle upsweep that I’d missed first time around. See what I mean about a complex shape?!

And here is the modified, detailed tail under a couple of coats of primer. I could now move on to the intakes…

Though seen on my as-yet,unmodified tail, this shot is useful in showing how that part of the model was detailed. Having primed the entire tail section and sanded it smooth, panels were added with both masked areas of Alclad Black Filler and Microprimer and also small panels made from carefully cut pieces of thin self-adhesive film.

Finally happy that the tail extension was accurate(!), the fin was glued in place once more. Compare the look of the fin in this shot, with that shown earlier…

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Though I’d dealt with the much of the intakes both internally and around their outer surfaces, I just couldn’t get the auxiliary doors to look correct. Using the kit parts to guide my scribing, I’d added the lower doors, but they looked anything but realistic being both too small and not definite enough. That being so, I carefully marked them out with tape once more and then completely removed all of the lower doors…

Here are the intakes with the doors removed ready for each one to be carefully made from thin plasticard and then glued in place with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. Note in this shot just how much filler is needed to blend the intakes into the fuselage!

Whilst working on the intakes, I took time to add the prominent, raised panels that are found between the auxiliary doors and the engine access panel on each side of the upper fuselage. This was created from very thin plasticard, cut using a masking tape template that was sized by placing the tape onto the model and the carefully drawing the shape out, removing the tape, applying it to the plasticard and then cutting the panel out with a No. 10A blade. The panel was then very carefully glued in place with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement and sanded smooth. There are also two smaller panels that sit above and below the little triangular intake seen in this shot and these were added using a similar method. Note also in this picture the engraved mounts for the bolt-on refuelling probe and the mounting holes that would be used to fix it in place.

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Along with the raised panel seen earlier, the edges of the engine panel were defined with strips of thin plasticard, hinges being added from spare etched parts from the scrap box. This is a very important area to work on, the engine access hatch being poorly replicated in the kit, the kit part looking like it sits ‘in’ the fuselage, rather than prototypically ‘on’ it.

Before moving on, the area around the intakes were coated in Fine Surface Primer and then sanded smooth. Finally, the most difficult aspect of this build was done!

A view inside the intakes reveals the split surfaces described over the last two issues.

Here’s a close-up of the triangular bulkhead that needed to be added behind the cockpit to split the intake tunnel. This was a fairly easy item to build, 0.75 mm plasticard being used to produce the basic shape, noses from a couple of drop-tank halves being used for the bullets - not perfect, but good enough to pass muster!

Blending the intakes into the sides of the nose proved fairly easy. The nose was first wrapped in clingfilm and then slid into place. Once there, the gaps between the edges of the intakes and the walls of the nose were filled with Isopon P38 and left to dry. After ten minutes, the nose was removed and the P38 fillets sanded smooth. Job done! Now I could complete the nose and cockpit, which we will take a look at next month.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:

Airfix 1:72 Bristol Beaufighter TF.10 Kit No: A05043 Materials: IM Available From: All Good Model Shops Price Guide: £18.99

BEFORE STARTING:

● Tamiya Extra Thin Cement ● Gunze Sangyo Mr Cement S ● Tamiya Masking Tape ● Xuron Cutters ● Tweezers ● Swann Morton No.10 Scalpel & 10A Blades ● Plasti-Zap Cyanoacrylate Glue - thin and medium viscosity ● Gunze Sangyo Mr Filler Primer ● Gunze Sangyo Mr White Putty, White Putty R ● RB Productions Rivet-R

PAINTS USED:

Tamiya Acrylics X-18 Semi Gloss Black XF-71 Cockpit Green XF-69 NATO Black XF-1 Flat Black XF-2 Flat White XF-3 Flat Yellow XF-85 Rubber Black AS-12 ‘Bare Metal Silver’ X-22 Clear Gunze Sangyo Mr Hobby Acrylics Dark Sea Grey (H333) Humbrol Enamels 33 Matt Black Vallejo Acrylics - colours for detailing Winsor & Newton Oil colours Payne’s Grey Raw Umber

SOURCES

● Gunze Sangyo - Albion Alloys, www.albionalloys.co.uk

WHISPERING

DEATH The editor builds the latest addition to the Airfix family of Beaufighters, the thimble-nosed TF.10

H

aving released a Beaufighter TF.X, Airfix has taken the sensible step of creating a new kit for modellers to enjoy, this time the thimble-nosed TF.10. Adding a pugnacious look to the stock Beaufighter, the release of the kit seen here, allows modellers with more post-war leanings the chance to add this aircraft

to their collections, thanks in part to the inclusion of “Operation Firedog” markings and weapons pertinent to the aircraft used in Malaya. You could of course hunt for other markings, but for the moment we’ll deal with what’s in the kit. As with all Airfix aircraft kits, this one is moulded in pale grey plastic and as such, exhibits fine detail, clever design and

virtually no flash. Dig a little deeper and you will find a well-appointed cockpit, complete undercarriage, neatly rendered Bristol Hercules engines and a comprehensive weapons load that includes a choice of machine guns, torpedo, underfuselage tank and underwing rockets. Construction begins with the cockpit and the first of a number of clever design ideas. The

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cockpit is built up onto a floor that runs almost the full length of the fuselage. Onto this floor are added two spars that not only lock the floor within the fuselage, but also ensure that the wings are attached precisely in place. More than that though, this floor is fixed in place after the fuselage halves have been joined, allowing any clean-up to be carried out first, thus cutting down the chance of damage to the

interior, to zero. In terms of detail, the interior is well appointed, though items such as the large heater duct that runs through the ‘cabin’ are missing. There is also nothing between the cockpit’s rear bulkhead and the rear observer’s station. Once again, you could add detail should you so wish, opening up the upper cockpit panel and observer’s hatch along

the way to show off your work. For this build the kit was almost built from the box, the compromises being the use of a set of seat straps and some Brassin wheels and exhausts from Eduard’s range (it was only after I’d finished the model that I found two more etched detailing sets for this kit!). With the cockpit done, the fuselage can be completed and the wings fixed in place.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

The cockpit floor. Note the large spars that lock the cockpit into place and then set the location and angle of the wings.

There are a number of ejector pin marks inside the fuselage. Though shown in this shot, these marks are not visible inside the completed model.

The fuselage was riveted with an RB Productions Rivet-R…

…As were the wings.

Before doing any of this, the model was riveted using an RB Production Rivet-R. I’ve starting doing this almost as a matter of course on Airfix models, because I think it helps to bulk-out the detail that they design onto the surface of each one. Last month you may recall that I added the rivets after I’d completed the paintwork on my 1:48 P-40B, but this time around they were added before construction. This was a simple procedure, the wheels of the riveting tool being rolled freehand over the surface of the airframe, following panel lines and points that I felt were realistic until the surface looked busy and complete. I then used a beading tool to add some delicate fasteners around the wing roots and engine nacelles - again, anywhere that I felt would feature such fixtures and

fittings. Though this sounds daunting, it was remarkably easy, taking little more than an hour to complete. Happy that my additional detailing was complete, the lower fuselage and wing panels were drilled to allow the fitting of an underfuselage fuel tank and underwing rocket rails. The kit offers two marking options and thus two different weapon loads, so you need to decide early on which version you want to build and stick with it! The airframe is very easy to build, all parts fitting together with little need for either adjustment, or filler. Though the tailplane is offered in one large section with no separate control surfaces, the main wings offered separate ailerons and the tail fin, a separate rudder. The large fillet that runs from the

The cockpit interior ready to be airbrushed in a layer of a Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green.

Location holes for the stores were opened up with a 1.0 mm drill bit.

The completely assembled wings. Separate ailerons add to the candid look of the completed model. The undercarriage bays could do with some additional detail using plastic rod and strip.

Test-fitting the completed engines. Note the ring that wraps around the rear row of cylinders that is used to align the cowling panels.

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The kit seats were decorated with some of Eduard’s newly-released ‘Steel’ straps. Should you wish to use them, a set of cockpit details have been released for this and the previous TF.X kit.

A close-up of those Eduard straps.

The cockpit details ready to be joined together. A decal is supplied to decorate the instrument panel, all other details being painted with Vallejo acrylics.

The instrument panel and side consoles glued in place. Detail is fine and fun to paint.

The wings are fixed accurately into place using the spars seen early. Fit is virtually perfect.

Test-fitting the airframe components. This kit almost falls together!

leading edge to the fin to just behind the observer’s canopy is also a separate part, only a small degree of fettling and a little Mr Surfacer being needed to blend it in with the fin and upper fuselage. The cowlings are perhaps the trickiest aspect of this build and the one area of the kit that needs a little care and attention. The engines are supplied in two parts, the rear collection of cylinders being moulded with a location ring in situ. This part is used to fix the engine in place between the three-part cowling, the ring sitting in a recess that aligns everything, before adding the cowling ring and support struts. Before doing that, the interior surfaces were airbrushed with Tamiya XF-71

Cockpit Green and then the engine with AS-12 Bare Metal Silver darkened with Semi Gloss Black. Once dry, the cylinders were coated with a rusty wash to pop the details and then drybrushed with Games Workshop metallics to bring out the detail. Completing the cowlings is fiddly to say the least. Fit is tight and so care needs to be taken to ensure everything is aligned correctly, any unwanted paint or plastic burrs likely to foul the fit. I used masking tape wound around the cowling to hold everything together whilst the glue set and then cleaned up the joints and

then added the ring to the front of the cowling. A little Mr. Surfacer and some attention with wet ’n’ dry helped to smooth everything out ready for painting. Happy with the finish, the Brassin exhausts mentioned earlier were fixed in place and the openings masked with sponge, ready for painting. Before I could tackle the camouflage and markings, the smaller details were assembled so that they could be painted and weathered at the same time as the airframe. First up were the main undercarriage legs and wheels. The legs are really well-detailed in the kit, needing little more than careful clean up and assembly to create pleasing features ready for installation. The same can be said for the wheels, though in this case because I had them to hand, the kit parts were replaced with

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

The upper surfaces were sprayed with Mr Hobby Medium Sea Grey and then shaded and highlighted with additional tones of grey.

With the airframe complete and cleaned up, it was given several thin layers of Tamiya Fine Surface primer. The upper surface grey is now complete. Note the random finish.

Tamiya Masking tape was used to protect the upper grey colour ready for the application of the ‘black’.

The Undersides were painted with Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black and then everything sprayed with several thin layers of Tamiya X-22 Clear.

some delightful resin wheels from Eduard’s Brassin range. Happy that the legs were dry they were painted with AS-12 Bare Metal Silver, washed with a mixture of Raw Umber oil paint and Matt Black enamel and then drybrushed with a Games Workshop silver to bring out the detail. The wheels were similarly treated, the wheels being painted in silver and then the tyres painted with Vallejo dark Grey, washed with Humbrol Dark Earth and then drybrushed with Matt Black. The underwing stores are the last items to be constructed ready for painting. In the kit you are offered the choice of either centreline tank or torpedo and then stacked rocket rails for the underwing stations. All of the stores are well-detailed and easy to build. Cleaning up the delicate rockets took some time to complete, but it was time well spent, these little details really adding to the brutal look of this aggressive aircraft. As the stores were to be painted separately, the tank was sprayed in AS-12 Bare Metal, washed with Raw Umber and then oversprayed with a very thin mix of Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black and XF-64 Red Brown, thinned with around 80% X-20A thinners. This was used to add shading and dirt around the tank before flicking some Raw Umber Wash over it to add a final layer of dirt. The rockets were then painted with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber black and their heads with Vallejo Olive Drab. The rails were airbrushed with NATO Black and then washed with a thin layer of Humbrol Dark Earth before being drybrushed with Matt Black to blend everything together. Everything could now be carefully assembled ready to be fixed under the wings once the model had been painted and weathered.

Painting And Decals The demarcation between the grey and black is relatively complex on this aircraft, so care is needed to ensure that each panel is accurately located.

Decals in place. DACO’s Strong setting solution helped to settle the marking over the panel lines and rivets that decorate the model’s surface.

The kit offers two different aircraft on their decal sheet. The choices are as follows: ● Bristol Beaufighter TF.10, No. 45 Squadron, “Operation Firedog”, RAF Kuala Lumpur, Malaya, Late May to early December 1949. Aircraft is painted in Medium Sea Grey with Gloss Black undersides. ● Bristol Beaufighter Mk. X, No. 489 Squadron, Royal New Zealand Air Force Dallachy, Scotland, 1945. Aircraft is painted in overall Dark Sea Grey with Beige Green undersides.

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The underside markings are split to allow the underwing rocket mounts to be fixed in place before application - a nice touch.

Oil paints were used to define the panel lines.

Having chosen to complete the review build in No. 45 Squadron markings, it was first primed with Tamiya Fine Surface Primer and then the uppersurfaces airbrushed with a layer of Gunze Mr Hobby Medium Sea Grey followed by several layers of lightened and darkened greys created by mixing either Dark Sea Grey, or Light Aircraft Grey, into the base colour. All of this was done in very thin layers until a patchy, random finish had been achieved. Happy that the grey was dry (I left it for 24 hours to be sure), the uppersurfaces were

masked and then the undersides airbrushed in ‘black’. In order to create a more in-scale finish the undersides were airbrushed with Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black which creates a slightly lightened finish. This was then further lightened with very thin layers of Rubber Black and German Grey, all finally blended together with a layer of NATO Black. The whole model was then treated to several coats of X-22 Clear ready for the decals. As with all of Airfix’ current generation of decals, those in this kit are well-designed and perfectly printed. All of the markings were

applied to the model using DACO’s Strong setting solution and then sealed with several thin layers of Tamiya X-35 Semi-Gloss Clear. When it came to weathering, I decided to push this one a little further than I would normally do. The reason for this - apart from fun! - was that “Operation Firedog” Beaufighters were incredibly scruffy looking in service, so this was the look that I went for. As you can see in the accompanying images this was replicated using oil paint washes, oversprays of that black/red-brown mix mentioned earlier and then under the

The wash was applied using a fine brush.

As with other models I build, the wash was applied in sections, panel by panel, before moving on.

After leaving the wash to dry for a few minutes, the excess was removed with a cotton bud and some Mig productions ‘Thinner For Washes’.

Compare the washed left-hand wing, with the untreated right-hand panel - quite a difference, eh?

In order to define the control surfaces, they were first masked off with Tamiya masking Tape…

…And then oversprayed with our black/red-brown mix, this thin solution being applied around the hinge line.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE Happy with the initial weathering steps, individual panels were masked and sprayed with lighter and darker shades, to add further variation and interest.

The basic colours are all in place and the model has been sprayed with several thin layers of Tamiya X-35 Semi Gloss Clear.

Neat oil paints, Raw Umber and Medium Grey, were worked into the surface of the model to add highlights and areas of dirt and wear.

The oil paints were applied most strongly around the engine nacelles and inner wings.

aircraft, layers of very thin Humbrol Dark Earth used to both wash the panel lines, but also flicked over the surface to imitate dirt deposits and mud splashes. As a final touch, oil paints (Raw Umber and Medium Grey) were used to add stains and highlights over the surface of the Medium Sea Grey and further add to the used look I was going for.

Final Assembly

Along with the oil paints, the very thin, red brown colour was very carefully built up around panel lines and other details to heighten the illusion of use.

With everything painted and weathered, the smaller details could be added, beginning with the undercarriage and underwing stores. All of these items fitted well into their respective location points, Tamiya Extra Thin Cement being

used to allow a degree of adjustment to ensure everything was square and true . The undercarriage doors proved to be a little trickier to locate; though each door features delicate hinges, these have no locators within the bay to attach to so they need to be carefully positioned before applying the glue. Of course this needs several pairs of hands, some fine tweezers and a fine brush with which to apply the glue, but it can be done! Just take care! Happy that everything under the model had set properly, the propellers could be assembled, painted and then fixed in place. The fit here is very tight, both around the spinners and the boss that locates the propeller within the engine. I

“As with all Airfix aircraft kits, this one is moulded in pale grey plastic and as such, exhibits fine detail, clever design and virtually no flash” 26 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2017

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The upper surface grey is complete and all details, including the brick red panels on the leading edges of the wings, have been added.

The undersides were treated to multiple washes with earthy colours and then oversprayed with dust and dirt, to try and match the images found of these aircraft in use. Note the green undercarriage bays.

On her wheels at last!

The undercarriage is well detailed and fun to paint. Wheels were replaced with Brassin items. Note the weathered finish.

The underfuselage tank, painted and fixed in place. This shot gives a fair indication of the weathering that was applied to the undersurfaces; clean, it is not!

Nacelles and propellers await installation.

The engines were painted in a dark metallic shade and then washed with rusty colours before being drybrushed with Games Workshop metallics to bring out the finer details.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

Brassin exhausts add a neat level of additional detail to the kit. Note the delicate exhaust stains and the dirt that being added to the tyres with washes of Humbrol Dark Earth thinned with white spirit.

The different surface patinas across the surface of this model help to heighten the illusion of reality.

All done - the Airfix Beaufighter TF.10 shows off for the camera.

found it necessary to ream out the the opening to allow the boss to be slid into place without it breaking, this being done with a fine diamond fine and the tip of a No. 10A scalpel blade. The canopies and wingtip lights were the final items to add. The canopies are very well moulded and perfectly clear. Care needs

to be taken when masking off the delicate frames - especially around the rear observer’s blister - Tamiya Masking Tape, cut into very thin strips, being used for this important task. The canopies could then be airbrushed with the interior Cockpit Green colour, before being oversprayed with Medium Sea Grey

and then glued in place using Tamiya Extra Thin Cement. The wingtip lights could then be added noting that the rear light on each wing is not clear on these aircraft, but painted over as correctly noted in the painting guide. And with that, the model was complete! ■

FINAL VERDICT The Airfix family of Beaufighters are great little kits that build easily, are accurate and look great once painted and weathered. You now have a choice of two and that will offer plenty of scope when it comes to colours and markings, this aircraft being widely used both during WWII and post-war. I really enjoyed this kit and so I think, will you.

Small, but perfectly formed!

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11/01/2017 11:10

REVIEW

SPARMAX ARISM V Spencer Pollard takes a look at the latest addition to this clever range of compact compressors

“

The ARISM Viz incorporates two new innovative designs from Sparmax, the SmartStop (see info below), and the Silver Bullet Plus. When used in conjunction with each other the result is a compact, ergonomic,

SPARMAX COMPRESSOR.indd 2

and intuitive compressor for airbrushing. ARISM Viz has a DC motor for universal usage (100-240V) and coupled with its small size it is ideal for travel. Additionally, it is designed to draw less power than comparable

AC compressors and is also quieter. As an optional accessory, the ARISM Viz can also be run with standard Sparmax Battery Packs. A combined set including the Compressor, Battery and Charger is also available.

An innovative and intuitive feature designed to enhance the users airbrushing experience, the Smart-Stop pauses the compressor when the airbrush is placed into its holder and restarts it when it is taken off again. The first of its kind in the

09/01/2017 15:18

M VIZ

market, it is compatible with pressure regulators and bleed valves. Using the Smart-Stop, the working pressure before the compressor is paused will be maintained upon restart; this is comparable to the pressure stabilising effect of an air tank, minus the space taken up! Additionally, the Smart-Stop eliminates the frequent on/off condition which can occur when using a traditional auto stop + pressure regulator set up without an air tank. Users with a single action or dual action airbrush will also have the same experience when using the Smart-Stop.”

Our View…

This is the second of Sparmax’ compressor range that we’ve looked at and the second time we have been impressed. The first thing that strikes you is the design: neat, compact and rather retro in appearance. Though not something that many will worry about when choosing a compressor, it’s pleasing to see that Sparmax has taken the time to think about the visual aspects of their machine, so everything is carefully enclosed within one neat, pleasing box, none of the innards being on show. The knock-on effect of this is that the simplicity of the design is carried though to the set-up and operation of the machine.

Plug and play could certainly be a description for the Viz; open the box, connect the power lead, add the airbrush hose and then connect to the Silver Bullet moisture trap, screw your airbrush in place and away you go! How easy is that? In use, the compressor is quiet and the pressure available from it, reasonably consistent and smooth. The accompanying specification details reveal that that the pressure can be adjusted from 0 - 50 psi, perfect for all modelling needs where 20/25 psi is an average for most modellers. I say ‘reasonably’ because there was a slight drop-off in pressure during our test. The pressure is regulated through the valve that forms pat of the Silver Bullet, tightening or loosening the valve increasing or decreasing pressure as needed. Setting the pressure to 40 psi, I noticed that once the trigger on the brush had been depressed the pressure dropped to around 25psi, but once there, stayed consistent until I released the trigger and allowed the pressure to rise once more. This is something that I would have to get used to (I use 25+ psi as a matter of course), but I’m sure that once I did get used to it, the pressure available would be perfectly adequate for most jobs I would use this machine and its accompanying

THE SPARMAX ARISM VIZ COMPRESSOR FEATURES: ● Low maintenance, oil-less single piston air compressor ● Working pressure from 0 psi to 50 psi (3.4 bar) ● Silver Bullet Plus moisture trap ● 2M Braided hose ● Airbrush holder ● Pressure gauge ● Air flow: 16 - 18 lpm (0.57 - 0.64 cfm) at open flow ● 1/8 BSP outlet on compressor ● Size: L20 x W12 x H18 cm (7.9” x 4.7” x 7.1”) ● Weight: 2.5 kgs (5.5 lbs) ● Voltage: 220-240V 50Hz ● AC adapter: INPUT: 100-240V~47-63Hz 1.45A OUTPUT: 12V-5A max ● Noise level: 45±dB ● 1 94HJ E183744 I.T.E. POWER SUPPLY ● Battery Packs sold separately ● Duty cycle: 40 minutes continuous use. After 40 minutes of continuous operation, use the On/Off switch to turn off the unit or place the airbrush into the holder to pause the compressor. Allow the unit to cool for at least 10 to 15 minutes before turning the compressor back on. ● Duty cycle with the battery: approximately 30 minutes continuous use. Times will vary depending upon application, working pressure and model of airbrush.

ADDRESS:

The Airbrush Company - airbrushes.com

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airbrush to complete. One thing though to bear in mind with this compressor is that unlike more heavy-duty machines that can be used over several hours, this one is limited to around 40 minutes of continuous use, the machine then needing to be switched off to cool down. Now, for most of you reading this that won’t be a problem, but if you are planning to regularly spend extended periods at the bench completing complex finishes, that might be something to consider. Having said that, ten minutes is hardly a lifetime - make a cup of tea and you are ready to go again… The main selling point of the Viz is that it features the Sparmax Smart-Stop switch that allows the compressor to be switched off when the airbrush is returned to the holder on top of the case. This is a really good idea, saving as it does both power and the need to keep switching the machine on and off during an airbrush painting session. But, that does mean that you will need to have the compressor close to you so that you can reach the bracket easily. In my workshop the compressor is buried under the bench and the hose thread through the bench to a bracket that is mounted on the side of the spray booth. Were I to use this one that would have to be reworked to

allow the compressor to be on the bench so that I could reach it - not out of the question, but for me, a little inconvenient. Still, that’s only for my set-up that I’ve been using for twenty years now, so this should not in any way be seen as a downside to this machine or its use within your workshop; you may well be able to place the compressor within easy reach so that the Smart-Stop could be used to its full advantage. Although the Viz comes complete with a power lead, there is the option to use a battery pack that is available separately. I like this idea a lot. Often questions are asked about airbrushing at model shows and club meetings, so the ability to take both an airbrush and compressor to an event and not have to worry about power, is a good thing! I can also see a use for this machine within my own working life as an auxiliary power source underneath my building bench (I have two benches: one for construction and one for painting) that would allow detailed work to be carried out without moving from one end of the workshop to the other. In essence, the use of that battery pack makes the Viz a truly flexible machine that doesn’t need to be fixed and plumbed in as my day-to-day machine is at the moment. What’s not to like?! ■

FINAL VERDICT This is a fine little compressor that will power your airbrushes through most jobs that you will need to complete over the course of a modelling project. Its design and the features that are included within its specification are top-drawer and though there is that pressure dropoff to get used to, I found that the air flow available was more than adequate and gave me no cause for concern. You will though need to plan your spraying sessions to take into account the limited session times that this small compressor offers, but once you do, I can see no reason why it cannot form part of a workshop that needs a well-priced, well designed compressor, as part of its roster of tools and machines. Highly recommended and I’d like to thank the Airbrush Company for the sample tested this month.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

BUILT AND WRITTEN BY JUSTIN LENTZ

SPECIFICATION:

Trumpeter 1:48 MiG-3 Early Version Kit No: 02830 Materials: IM Available From: All Good Model Shops Price Guide: £18.99

PAINTS USED: Tamiya Acrylics XF-2 Flat White XF-69 NATO Black XF-85 Rubber Black X-23 Clear Blue X-25 Clear Green X-27 Clear Red

Gunze Sangyo Aqueous Mr Hobby Color H65 - RLM70 Black Green H418 - RLM 78 Light Blue H303 - Green FS 34102 AKAN Acrylics 73001 - AMT-4 Green 73043 - AMT-6 Black (Faded) 73002 - AMT-7 Blue Mr. Hobby 46 Mr. Color Gloss SM01 Super Metallic Super Fine Silver Vallejo Acrylics All Detail Colors and Weathering Testors Dullcote Lacquer Model Master Chrome Silver Enamel

MIG THREE Some modelling buddies and I recently decided we needed a group build project, with dinner on the line for any who failed to finish in time. We settled on MiGs: any MiG, any scale. I fumbled around half-heartedly on Academy’s old MiG-29A, but set it aside for Trumpeter’s MiG-3 Early Version, which I picked up on a trip to King’s Hobby Shop in Austin, TX. This feature tells the story of my build…

he frame-painting mistake on the windscreen had to be corrected. Tamiya Tape for Curves served as a great masking tool to assist in the gentle removal of the four layers of paint that had been applied at this point. The slight opacity of the frames adequately simulates the overlapping plexiglass panels.

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T

he Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG3 (Russian: Микоян и Гуревич МиГ-3) was a Soviet interceptor and fighter aircraft used during World War II. It was a development of the MiG-1 by the OKO (opytno-konstruktorskij otdel — Experimental Design Department) of Zavod (Factory) No. 1 to remedy problems that had been found during the MiG-1's development and operations. It replaced the MiG-1 on the production line at Factory No. 1 on the 20th of December 1940 and was built in large numbers during 1941 before Factory No. 1 was converted to build the Ilyushin Il-2. On the 22nd of June 1941 at the beginning of Operation Barbarossa, some 981 were in service with the VVS (the Soviet Air Force), the PVO (Soviet territorial air defence organization) and Naval Aviation. The MiG-3 was difficult to fly in peacetime and much more so in combat. It had been designed for highaltitude combat, but combat over the Eastern Front was generally at lower altitudes where

it was inferior to the German Messerschmitt Bf 109, as well as most modern Soviet fighters. It was also pressed into service as a fighter-bomber during the autumn of 1941 but it was equally unsuited for this. Over time, the survivors were concentrated in the PVO, where its disadvantages mattered less, the last being withdrawn from service before the end of the war. (Wikipedia)

Getting Started

The cockpit looks decent from the box, but I of course felt compelled to add a few things. The instrument panel is rather spartan, so I punched some instruments from a spare acetate instrument sheet I had laying around. After painting and drybrushing the panel, I glued them into the empty bezels. The effect is convincing enough and is a real improvement on the kit part. I also added harnesses from Superfine White Milliput (I’m still figuring this out...) the brace for the gunsight, wiring in the radio compartment and because it just didn’t seem right to not have them, two tiny levers on the control column for

firing the guns. I airbrushed the cockpit Gunze RLM 78, which was probably a little too blue to be accurate, but looked the part enough for me. I used Vallejo Neutral Gray thinned with good old tap water to brush paint the framing and airbrushed the seat with Gunze Green FS 34102. After a wash with black Windsor Newton oil paint, I used Vallejo Off White to drybrush and pop some of the detail on the sidewalls and cockpit floor. The starkness of the white drybrush was then tempered a bit with an airbrushed Tamiya red brown/black mix along most of the detail, with another filter wash of Raw Umber oils over that. Some scratches and chips with Prismacolor pencils were applied, followed by a final coat of Dullcote Lacquer to seal the cockpit colors.

Moving On…

There is a bit of work to do to get this model somewhat close to an early -3. From what I can tell, Trumpeter supplies you with a late style fuselage with wings and other details from an early -3. Early MiG-3s did not have

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

Two discs punched from sheet styrene prevented the ability to see through the oil coolers on the nose. They also served as a nice foundation to attach a little scrap of photo-etched screening to dress up the intakes.. Under paint, the effects of the RB Productions Rivet-R tool really add to the overall look of the front of the reworked cowling.

the large exhaust fairings in front of the stacks, so they were cut off and bits from the spare parts box were added and shaped to more closely represent the early style fairing. Most of the fasteners, panel lines, and rivets that adorned the long nose of this model, simply had to be filled and the cowling subsequently re-riveted and shaped to accurately reflect the early MiG-3. I chose Mr. Hobby’s Mr. Dissolved Putty to fill all the issues on the nose. I’ve found that it does not shrink and leave ghost seams cropping up later in the

painting stage like some other putties will. Considering how much I had to fill, the process was extremely painless. It took no time to replace any lost detail. To finish up, I ran a few rows of rivets across the top of the cowling using RB Productions’ Rivet-R tool which is highly recommended!

Details, Details…

I punched out styrene discs to prevent the see-through issue inside the oil cooler ducts on both sides of the nose and attached bits of

a photo-etched product by Aber called “Net” to the discs to simulate metal screening. I also drilled out the supercharger intakes on the leading edges of the wings and backed the resulting holes with more of the handy Aber Net. The added detail really makes a difference on the finished model! Later MiG-3s had small doors that would close off this area, so if you’re modelling a late MiG-3, you’d be fine to leave the blanked off intakes and call them doors! As an aside, a dry-fit of the supercharger inserts convinced me to

Gunze Super Metallic lacquer was used to fine effect on all the metal parts of the aircraft. Sprayed at about 18psi, the paint covered extremely well, and created a nice base for the main camouflage colours

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A shot of the field-camouflaged propeller before final weathering.

stray from the instructions a bit and first attach the intakes to the bottom of the fuselage halves, rather than the wings. You can get a nice clean join along a panel line this way and won’t risk sanding away tons of rivet detail from the underside of the nose or having to deal with a really funky spot to putty and sand later! The remainder of the build was, for the most part, painless. The wing to fuselage fit was great, with a little smear of Tamiya putty necessary around the supercharger intakes. I did take the time to scratchbuild the metal grate that protects the radiator intake, as it is highly visible on the finished build. I also floated Tamiya putty over all of the control surfaces, as the ribbing effect Trumpeter employs on this kit looks much closer to heavy steel framing than delicate fabric covered surfaces. Fitting the flaps flush to the bottom of the wings was a little problematic, with quite a bit of heavy sanding and putty needed to get a good fit. After some re-scribing and

polishing, they looked great! Besides, no one should be looking under there anyway, right? Right..?!

Painting And Decals

Up to this point I still had not decided on what markings I would use on the MiG, so I started hunting around the internet for something that would catch my eye. I immediately latched onto a photo of a MiG-3 with the centre-section of the canopy and antenna mast removed. Only a single aerial wire was present, but a full complement of radio equipment was visible. In the end, I settled on generic markings of an aircraft that could have been in service over Leningrad in the fall of 1941. The scheme incorporates all of my desired options into one aircraft: highcontrasting black/green camouflage, no central canopy, no antenna mast, radio equipment present, and a white nose with camouflaged propeller blades. Most photos of MiG-3s show incredible amounts of wear, which is mostly confined to

The starboard side wing root immediately after the first round of chipping. No weathering has been applied at this point. Addition of much smaller scratches and chips will bring this effect more into scale.

the wing root area. So, I decided I’d finally take a stab at chipping with hairspray. I covered the metal areas of the aircraft with Mr. Hobby Super Metallic Super Fine Silver, thinned down a touch with a bit of Mr. Color Leveling Thinner. Since some of the areas of the wing roots were definitely going to be devoid of paint, I applied a pattern of Mr. Hobby Masking Sol over the hairspray to create an initial “chip.” Once the metallics had dried sufficiently, I simply sprayed some TRESemme’ hairspray into the colour cup of my airbrush and applied it evenly across the metallic areas. After the hairspray and metallic areas had dried for a day, I masked off and sprayed the outer sections of the wings and the rear portion of the fuselage with Tamiya NATO Black to give these wooden areas their comparatively darker appearance. This was my first opportunity to use AKAN paints, and I am totally sold on their acrylics. I thinned them down with 91% isopropyl alcohol to about 75% thinner to paint, which is about the starting point I use for all other paints. The AMT-7 Blue performed well, spraying beautifully at about 18psi while covering the

The port wing root with some light passes of thinned Vallejo German Camo Medium Brown. The finished weathering effect had several passes of four different earth tones to tone down the bright metal areas and give a well-worn appearance to the wing.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: BEGINNER/INTERMEDIATE

dark areas on the underside of the aircraft with ease. I continued onto the top of the MiG with AKAN’s AMT-4 Protective Green and AMT-6 Black, free-handing a camouflage pattern I found on Sovietwarplanes.com*. After the paint was fully dry, I applied an oil wash to all the panel lines and around other details, concentrating heavier, blacker washes around the nose and other areas that would naturally collect more dirt and grime. My chipping method probably doesn’t differ greatly from most out there, as I learned my techniques from a couple of extremely helpful online conversations (Thanks, Ken A!) and from reading through Michael Rinaldi’s Tank Art books. The most useful tool I employed was an old fine Badger airbrush needle; it was just sharp enough to create the small scratches that would eventually lead to larger chips. I purposely went lighter over the areas where I knew that I’d be chipping paint, as I’ve read that thicker paint tends to come off in sheets rather than chips. At first the chipping looked a little overdone, but I started to like it the more that I layered weathering effects and oil washes over the top of the chips. More on that later… This build was the first time I’d used Trumpeter kit decals, and I was impressed. They were thin, the white was nice and opaque, and there were no registry issues to speak of. I prepared the surface with a shot of Mr. Color gloss thinned with Leveling Thinner and let it dry for a day. The decals (only 8, large decals! Joy!) performed flawlessly and

reacted well to the standard Microscale decal products. I put a final coat of gloss over the decals and a coat of Dullcote finished off the painting and decal stage.

Weathering, Wear And Tear…

Most of my weathering process has consisted of fading paint with lighter colours and thinned black, and red brown/black Tamiya acrylics sprayed along panel lines, and in random patterns across the surface of the model. Lately however, I’ve been using water-thin Vallejo acrylics applied in small dabs over walkways, maintenance, and fuelling areas, with a bit of cut-up make-up sponge clamped in a set of locking tweezers. You can build up the effects very slowly with the thinned paint and effectively simulate dirt, grime, oil streaks and the like, with ease. Since the paint is nice and thin, the method is extremely forgiving! MiG-3s came from the factory with unpainted propellers, or with portions of the propellers painted black. Occasionally, the props were camouflaged, and this is the option I chose. I sprayed the propeller with the Super Fine Silver, then sprayed three different colours of green on the prop to represent a field-level paint job. I then used the same hairspray method for the wings and chipped up the edges of the propeller to simulate wear and tear from the dirt fields they operated from. I had shown off the nearly-completed build online a bit, when I was made aware of the fact that there were no vertical frames present in the windscreen. A quick bit of checking

confirmed early MiG-3’s had a multi-part windscreen which comprised three sections of overlapped plexiglass. I was torn. Did I leave the frames painted and just chalk it up to bad research on my part, or fix the issue? After all the work I had done to correct the other inaccuracies, I couldn’t leave them painted. I masked off each vertical frame with a bit of Tamiya’s Masking Tape for Curves. I used one of Tamiya’s pointed Cotton Swabs dipped in Tamiya Lacquer thinner to carefully remove the offending layers of paint. When I had finished, the semi-opaque frames looked the part of overlapped plexiglass panels!

Finishing Off

The rest of the build offered no surprises. An aerial was added from .005 Coats and Clark Transparent thread; the insulators are simply dots of Vallejo paint. All navigation lights were painted with Model Master Chrome Silver and allowed to dry. A coat of Tamiya Clear Red (on the left), and a 50/50 mix of Clear Blue and Clear Green (on the right) finished off the wingtip lights. The undercarriage was painted up in AMT-7 Blue and attached with no issues. The wheels received a coat of Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black, followed by random patterns of a lighter gray and a wash of Vallejo earth tones. I probably should have thinned down the overly chunky gear doors, or gone with aftermarket replacements, but didn’t. Maybe next time… ■

FINAL VERDICT Overall this was an enjoyable build, one I would easily recommend to anyone who is interested in WWII Soviet aviation. The only real issue I had with the kit, besides the inaccuracies around the nose and the ugly control surfaces, was the fit of the flaps to the bottom of the wings. Everything else really fit nicely and the kit built up really well into a fine rendition of an important Soviet fighter. Most importantly, I’m not buying dinner for anyone in the group build, and I am expecting a nice meal in Austin in a few weeks! *Sovietwarplanes.com is a great site for anyone interested in Soviet aviation during WWII. Highly recommended.

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REFERENCE FEATURE 005 General Dynamics F-16C Block 52+of the Hellenic Air Force 335 Mira Squadron, based at Araxos. Seen here returning to the ramp after the morning sortie sporting some great looking conformal fuel tanks.

NATO TIGERS WRITTEN AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARCUS JELLYMAN

We bring you some of the highlights from Zaragoza, home of the 2016 Tiger Meet 38 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2017

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T

he annual NATO Tiger Meet was this year hosted by the Ala 15 of the Spanish Air Force at Zaragoza Air Force Base in Northern Spain. The event was held over two weeks in May of last year and was attended by no less than 19 NATO Tiger Members and with several visiting units that made the event the largest in Tiger Meet history. Over 100 aircraft participated in the event and during the two week period over 1000 sorties were flown from the vast southern ramp area at Zaragoza. At the end of the first week, the base hosted a media/spotters day on the 20th of May for enthusiasts to get up close and photograph the proceedings. Over 1500 enthusiasts descended on the airfield for a full day’s action in some typically beautiful Spanish weather. The day

didn’t get off to a great start with the promised 6pm finish being bought forward to 2pm and an announcement that only a handful of aircraft would take to the sky. Fortunately for us, during the lunch break the Tiger association crew persuaded the Spanish Air Force to allow us to stay on base for the mass afternoon launch, which would also favour the position of the sun for photography. The following day the base hosted a small air display and opened its doors for the general public to get up close to the specially painted aircraft that had been positioned into a static display. We were gifted with another beautiful day which gave us photographers another chance to grab a few more shots before heading home. Collectors of squadron memorabilia were spoilt for choice with most squadron having a stand that sold everything from patches to flight bags.

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REFERENCE FEATURE

Grumman E-2C Hawkeye of the French Navy (Aéronavale) from 4F based at BAN Lann-Bihoué. Seen in this stunning colour scheme it was one of a pair of E-2’s that attended the event. Sadly engine problems kept the aircraft on the ground during our visit.

General Dynamics F-16C Block 52+of the Hellenic Air Force 335 Mira Squadron, based at Araxos. The sun had moved for the afternoon making for some great conditions to photograph, in.

Dassault Rafale M of the French Navy’s 11 Flottille based at BAN Landivisiau, looking great in the ‘M’ configuration, it is seen taxing back to the ramp after the final sortie of the day.

Dassault certainly know how to produce a beautiful aircraft, and the Rafale M is no exception. This aircraft has been busy with over 85 bomb drops indicated on the nose.

In keeping with tradition, each year trophies are awarded as part of the meet with the coveted ‘Silver Tiger’ being the main prize. This year’s winners were: Silver Tiger Trophy: 31 Smaldeel – Belgian Air Force Best Flying Unit: Flotille 11F – French Navy Best Painted Tiger Aircraft: 221 Letka

BitevnÍch VrtulnÍku – Czech Air Force Best Looking Uniform: 21° Gruppo – Italian Air Force Tiger Games: 31 Smaldeel – Belgian Air Force Best Skit: 338 Skyvadron – Norwegian Air Force The Tiger Meet never fails to impress, and after a shaky start the event turned into a

fantastic couple of days photographing some of the finest aircraft to grace the skies. There is also the social side to the event too; meeting up with friends from around the world and having a good catch up over a few cold beers! Next year’s NATO Tiger Meet will be hosted by the French Navy at BAN Landivisiau in Brittany, France. See you there! ■

This year the German Air Force sent their Eurofighter Typhoons over the Tornado’s (although two did visit), with no less than nine aircraft. 30+42 Typhoon from Fighter Wing 74 based at Neuberg lifts its air brake for the masses.

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The Turkish Air Force with their General Dynamics F-16 Block 50 aircraft are always a great addition to the event. 91-0022 F-16D from 192 Filo based at Balikesir Air Base poses to the delight of the photographers.

The French Air Force is renowned for great colour schemes and this year’s Mirage 2000D with its Spanish flags was a winner.

Two Tornado ECR’s from TLG51 of the German Air Force base at Schleswig Air Base were welcome visitors to the event, with 46+55 seen passing the crowds heading back to its parking spot.

N°627 30-JO Dassault Mirage 2000D of the French Air Force from ECE 01/330 based at BA118 Mont-de-Marsan in the South of France was painted in this fantastic colour scheme sporting a Tiger with the Spanish flag in its mouth.

N°642 30-IE French Air Force Mirage 2000D wore its regular markings from its home base at Mont-de-Marsan. It’s not only the aircraft that get the fancy paint colour scheme, as can be seen from the crew flight helmets.

TAIL ART

As you can see, access was fantastic allowing the enthusiasts to get up close and personnel with the active aircraft.

These striking tail markings were only applied on 005 F-16C of the Hellenic Air Force for Saturdays open day and soon peeled away during the following week’s sorties.

N°19 Dassault Rafale M of the French Navy’s 11 Flottille based at BAN Landivisiau, sported this very apt tail design featuring a Sea Horse combined with Tiger stripes.

Being a big French Air Force fan, this was probably my favourite scheme from the event. As well as the main colour scheme, the addition of nine stars on the top of the fin was to commemorate the loss of nine air/ground crew that were killed on another exercise in Spain where at Greek Air Force F-16 lost control on take-off and flew into other aircraft being readied for start-up. Subtle but very striking markings on this Polish Air Force Block 52 F-16C from 6 ELT based at Pozan-Krzesiny Air Base.

Spanish Air Force squadron Ala 15 were the hosts for this year’s Tiger Meet and painted one of their EF-18M’s with these beautiful tails markings for the event. 664 General Dymanics F-16AM of the Royal Norwegian Air Force’s 338Skv based at Ørland sporting this stunning ‘flaming’ Tiger tail colour scheme. This old timer was delivered to the RNAF 34 years ago in 1982! The stunning tail markings of Turkish Air Force General Dynamics F-16C 92-0014 during the Spanish Air Force Zaragoza Base open day.

3366 Mil Mi-35 Hind of the Czech Air Force looking even more menacing in it stunning ‘Alien’ colour scheme performing for the awaiting photographers.

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Swiss Hornet J-5011 has worn many Tiger marking over the years and is seen here sat on the scorching Zaragoza AB ramp. The large number ‘11’ is the unit the aircraft is from, Staffel 11 based at Meiringen in amongst the beautiful Swiss Alps.

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REFERENCE FEATURE

The deserved winner of the ‘Best Tiger Scheme’ was this truly stunning Alien/Tiger combo from the Czech Air Force and their Mil Mi-35 Hind.

Alongside the Mil Mi-35 Hinds was a very welcome Mil-17 Hip from the Czech Air Force.

Not to be outdone by the Air Force, the French Army were present with this beautifully painted SA.324M Gazelle. N°3862 GAL is from 3 RHC (ALAT) based at d’Étain-Rouvres.

Block 52 General Dynamics F-16C 4055 of the Polish Air Force taxi’s back to it hard stand during the afternoon mass launch, complete with conformal fuel tanks.

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3370 Mil Mi-35 of the Czech Air Force was painted in this commemorative colour scheme to mark the end of WWII and replicates the markings of RAF 311Sqn Liberator EV953 PP-K that was written-off on the 20th August 1945.

9236 JAS-39C Gripen of the Czech Air Force’s 211TL Squadron based at Cáslav Air Force Base was one of four aircraft from the unit.

Another shot of 9236 JAS-39C Gripen from the Czech Air Force seen at rest during the base’s Open Day.

Whether it be a regular air show or something like the Tiger Meet, the Turkish Air Force always make a special effort to bring some colour to the party. This year their ‘Tiger’ scheme was no exception, and was by far my favourite F-16 present.

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Not to be outdone, 31 Smaldeel from the Belgian Air Force painted FA-77 F-16AM in this striking colours scheme. The squadron were to go on and win the coveted ‘Silver Tiger’ Trophy.

The port side of Belgian Air Force F-16AM FA-77 differs from the starboard side in have a large ‘65’ on the tail to celebrate the squadrons 65th Anniversary.

This year’s Belgian Air Force display aircraft (FA-123) was also in attendance and took part in both the days’ missions.

The host’s stunning EF-18M passes the line of photographers at the end of the morning sortie. C.15-14/15-01 has been with the Spanish Air Force for 30 years being delivered in November 1986.

230 Squadron is the Royal Air Force’s Tiger Squadron with their Puma HC.2’s from RAF Benson. Sadly the only marking on the aircraft was a panel bolted onto the nose once the aircraft had landed!

It was great to hear the distinctive sound of the two Italian Air Force AB.212 ICO ‘Huey’s’ during the day. Both looked great too with the crews going to town on the decoration inside and out. Here’s MM81161/9-61 from 21°Gruppo based at Grazzanise.

With its wings stowed, F/A-18C Hornet J-5011 of the Swiss Air Force returns to the ramp under some glorious Spanish sun.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

SPECIFICATION:

De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI Kit No: TA60326 Materials: IM/PE Available From: All Good Model Shops Price Guide: £149.99

MATERIALS USED:

Mr Cement S Micro Set Decal Solution Mirco Set Johnson’s Klear (the original Klear)

PAINTS USED:

Vallejo: Metal Color Aluminium 77.701 AV Matt Varnish 70.520 Copper Model Air 71.068 Humbrol Enamels Enamel Silver No.11 Tamiya Acrylics: Black XF-1 White XF-2 Interior green XF-71 Desert Yellow XF-59 Deep Green XF-26 Black Green XF-27 Red X-27 Flat Brown XF-10 Sky XF-21

A PLASTIC BUILT AND WRITTEN BY GREG PHILLIPS

WONDE T

We add even more detail to Tamiya’s superlative, 1:32 De Havilland Mosquito FB.VI

his is a model I’ve wanted to build for some time, not only because of the subject and scale, but because of the articles raving about the model’s engineering and build quality.

replace these areas on a model that exudes such quality. I also had a number of photoetched sets. These included metal seat belts, exterior and interior sets, a set of fabric seat belts and last but not least a set of masks for the canopy.

Dark Green 2 (RAF) XF-81 Olive Drab XF- 62 Dark Green XF-61 Medium Sea Grey XF-83

AIRBRUSH USED: Iwata eclipse HB- SBS

SOURCES:

MOSQUITO: a FlyPast special. Key Publishing Ltd. MDF No.20. The De Havilland Mosquito: by Richard A. Franks. SAM Publications Internet. Eduard - www.eduard.com EagleCals - www.eagle-editions.com/aircraftdecals-for-the-modeler

ACCESSORIES USED:

Eduard’s resin sets: Mosquito FB Mk.VI gun bay (632 078). Mosquito FB Mk.VI nose guns (632 077). Mosquito FB Mk.VI exhaust stacks (632 066). Eduard’s Masks: Mosquito FB Mk.VI (JX184). Eduard’s photo etched sets: Mosquito FB Mk.VI exterior set (32379). Mosquito FB Mk.VI interior set (32849). Mosquito FB Mk.VI seatbelts (not used in the end) (32845). Mosquito FB Mk.VI seatbelts FABRIC (32846). EagleCals’ Decals: Mosquito FB Mk.VI 1/32 EC#169.

Upgrades

Along with the Tamiya model, I acquired a number of upgrades from Eduard. These included resin exhausts, a nose gun pack and a cannon. At the time it felt like a shame to

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With so many upgrades to add to an already detailed model, the first thing to do was to mark Tamiya’s instructions all the way through. The upgrades, additional or replacement, were marked in red to give a visual heads-up as to when and where areas would require attention.

Decals

Before starting the build a decision had to be made about which Mosquito scheme to make. Unlike the bomber version which had many

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DER

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

1

2

3

4

5

1. Plenty of upgrades to add to an already detailed model. Not all of the etched parts are used. But the resin replacements are a must. 2. The EagleCals are well packaged, quality decals with four options to choose from. 3. The cockpit with Eduard’s etched up-grades added. Not all the etched parts are used. 4. You wouldn’t think these plastic parts were Tamiya’s. Eduard’s much needed rudder improvements add a world of difference. 5. To hand, a choice of seat belts options to replace Tamiya’s already fine etched ones. The Eduard fabric set is the best if you have the patience to them build up.

varied and colourful options, the FB.VI doesn’t offer such interesting schemes. So looking at the aftermarket decals available for an Mk.IV in this scale, the EagleCals EC#169 sheet looked interesting. This sheet had a scheme from 305 Squadron that carried invasion strips and halfcovered code numbers. So with that, the sheet was ordered. The decals came in a plastic sealed bag, with A5 colour instructions which fold out to A3. Four schemes are provided with some nice colour profiles from Steve Deisley. Two A5 decal sheets are supplied, one with European roundels and stencils, the other with serial numbers for all four as well as the Far East roundels. These decals looked a little thick but with very little carrier film, and the colours appeared good, especially the red in the roundels which looked accurate. Time and use would tell if my preconceptions were correct…

Getting Started: Cockpit

Stages 1 through 9 and 12 through 15. So the cockpit is first. Seeing as a lot of interior green would be used throughout this build, a cleaned-out Tamiya pot was used to create a customised colour, 50% Tamiya XF-71 Cockpit Green being poured out and toned down with a small amount of light grey. Any grey can be

used; this is just to take the harshness of the original cockpit green. The nice thing about all the cockpit parts is that Tamiya have moulded the runner tabs to the mating surfaces, or to the ends of the parts to be glued in place, which means the cleaning up of these parts is very quick. Additionally, the nearly indistinguishable seams mean that some parts only need a run along with liquid glue. So with the exception of the seat belts and pilot and instrument panels, the first stages of the cockpit’s construction are completed in no time. Eduard supply some photo-etched replacement parts for certain areas of the cockpit, however, it was decided to only use some of the replacement parts as the kits parts were more than good enough. The kit’s bulkhead is also replaced by Eduard’s resin one which comes with their resin gun bay upgrade. Tamiya’s rudder controls do leave a lot to be desired; this is a shame considering the detail that Tamiya have put in elsewhere. Luckily the Eduard’s interior set has a replacement for these parts. These are a fiddly build, but are a vast improvement. These areas were then painted with the new mixed interior colour along with the interior parts of the fuselage in stage 14. All of the

The kit’s splendid cockpit built in no time. The nice thing about the Tamiya’s Mosquito is that all of this detail will be on show.

ancillary parts were painted and their details picked out by brush. At this stage all the magic boxes throughout the model were made up and painted. Most if not all of these have their surface panel details filed off to be replaced by Eduard’s painted ones. Once the cockpit was dry, a couple of light coats of Micro gloss were applied. Once this has dried, a thin wash made up of Johnson’s Klear thinned with water and a mix of black and brown Tamiya paint was applied to highlight the all the detail in the cockpit and ancillary parts. The pilot’s foot area in the cockpit is made of wood so these were painted a bright ruddy brown. When this was dry a piece of Tamiya tape was placed on top of the two foot panels. Then a pencil is used to pick out the shapes, the tape then being transferred to a sheet of Uschi van der Rosten wood grain effect decal sheet and the shapes cut out. The decal was then applied and sealed with a brush coat of Tamiya Gloss. A couple of light coats of Microscale matt varnish were then sprayed on just to knock the sheen off. The seat belts were next. I had a choice of three sets to use: Tamiya's etched seat belts, Eduard’s etched metal belts, or Eduard’s ‘fabric’ set. The fabric set was chosen because these are coloured and have some nicely

The main consoles built up with the aid of Eduard’s printed panels. Although the original kit option may look just as good.

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The Tamiya nose guns are very good but are put to shame by Eduard’s resin replacements.

The resin nose guns painted and brought to life. These delicate parts will be added at a later stage to stop the risk of catching those gun barrels.

The quality of the rear tail parts and fit mean that this assembly is built quickly.

The Merlins, ready to be screwed into the bulkhead with two screws. This gives the whole assembly a solid and confident feel.

You can see the improvement made on the oil tanks by Eduard’s etched parts. These are then painted and stained with a thin coloured Johnson’s Klear wash.

printed markings on them. The only issue here is that you literally have to make these seat belts up, threading the straps through the buckles and adding clasps. These took a good part of an evening to build up and tested my patience more than a few times, making me nearly reconsidering the other options. But with patience (and if you don’t mind losing a little bit more of your eyesight!), these fabric belts are a must. Being flexible and having

that material effect, they look fantastic when attached to the seats. The front instrument panels were next. Eduard’s interior set has replacements for all of the instrument facia of the magic boxes in the kit as said previously. The raised instrument detail on all of the kit panels had to be sanded off, then the printed dials with the raised fascias, glued on. As usual, some of the photo-etched boxes and especially

the small lever details are vey fiddly to build. The replacement fascias for the magic boxes look very good and worth the effort. However, whether the cockpit console dial replacements are an improvement, is in my opinion, debatable.

Nose Guns

In stages 10 through 11, Eduard’s resin upgrade is used to replace all of the kits parts

The nacelles are nearly finished; the build of these assemblies is faultless. It will be a shame that all this undercarriage bay detail will be mostly hidden.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

The resin exhausts are painted but have only been tacked to the shrouds with PVA glue to be removed later if required.

The matt white bomb bay is toned down with dust from a gray pastel applied with a short stubby brush.

and more, the set coming with a metal fret and decals. I’d already used the bulkhead part from this set and cleaned up the very nicely detailed parts from their blocks. These are a vast improvement, even on the kits nicely detailed parts, each ammunition box featuring etched handling straps and some very fiddly chains to add. The Browning Guns are made up

from five parts each; these beautifully detailed guns were painted with Vallejo’s metal colours using a brush, and because the paint was so thin, it needed a couple of applications. The detail on the guns and boxes was then picked out using the same coloured Johnson’s Klear wash mentioned earlier. At this stage, it is suggested that the nose guns are to be fixed into position before going on to the next stage. This would be my first

Both the main undercarriages are finished. The amount of grime to add here is always a personal choice.

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deviation. Because we’re still at an early stage in the build, and with all the manhandling to come, it was decided to leave all the delicate gun barrels and ammunition boxes off and add them at the very last stage.

Fuselage

Stages 12 through to 16 go without issue. The gun sight is built up but once again because of where it is positioned, is left off until later

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Both nacelles just clipped into place. With no gaps to fill, all that is needed is a brush along the joints with liquid glue.

The wing is a piece of plastic engineering at its best and a thing of beauty.

on. The identification lights were painted on the runner with Tamiya clear paint. These too would be attached at the very last stage. One word of caution here is that when the fuselage sides are joined up in stage 16 it is tempting to add the top and bottom blanking panels. This is okay to do this now, but don’t fix panel part C28; this panel fits behind the cockpit and needs to be accessed to screw the assembled wing on later. The wheel parts look fussy, but are well thought out and fit together perfectly.

This part I had trouble finding (“the wood for the trees” springs to mind). But these jigs will help hold the main undercarriage legs when built and show you that Tamiya are always thinking about the modeller.

The Eduard exterior set has mudguard replacements. These are very good, but I felt that they lacked some depth compared to the plastic parts supplied.

Tail Feathers

Stages 17 thru to 19; the rear tail assembly fitted like a dream, the parts once off their runner and cleaned up just falling together. The hardest decision is whether to have the elevators in neutral or in the down position. The rear tail wheel is then built up, given a flat spot and then painted, the wheel being put to one side to be fixed later.

Merlin Times Two…

Stages 20 thru to 23; the detailed Merlin engines. You have the option of showing one, or two, or none if you want. But looking at the beautiful parts in the kit it was decided to build both engines, simultaneously. You even get a jig for the alignment of the two cylinder blocks. Lots of detailed parts here and luckily will be all in one colour. These parts were cleaned up which takes no time, everything just clicking into place with a run through of liquid glue. Do make sure that you drill the holes for the exhaust shrouds and add the appropriate size magnets. Tamiya also supply some etched parts to add to the superchargers. At stage 21, parts P21 and P20 are glued together and the small seams cleaned up. Only after these parts had set and browsing at the illustrations again, was it realised that two nuts had been missed off. So with a heavy heart it was necessary to prize open these parts to put in the nuts. This went for both superchargers that had already been glued together, so I was less than happy! Each engine was left in small assemblies to paint, as said before, just in one colour. Tamiya Black is mixed with a few drops of XF-8 Flat Blue and sprayed on. The next process was to drybrush quite heavily with Humbrol Silver Enamel. Once thoroughly dried a Clear coloured wash is applied all over these parts. These were left for a few days to dry. The last stage was to use the lead dust from a 6B pencil to bring out the details and create the illusion that the parts were made from metal.

Engine mounts

Stages 24 through to 31. Here, the instructions treat the right and left mounts as separate assemblies. You are asked to leave a part of the runner on the frame; this will prevent the

bearer from being snagged. The assembly went without a hitch. They were then painted with the mixed interior green and Vallejo’s Aluminium. For the pipes Model Air Copper paint was used. After painting the assemblies they are given a coloured Johnson’s Klear wash. I had an issue with part 54 (the thin copper pipe). It is not immediately clear how this part threads through the frame. It was even necessary to look at the Airfix 1/24 Mosquito instructions for some help. A label is added to the right engine mount leg for identification later on. The engines were then screwed on to the firewalls with two small screws on each. This gave the whole assembly a sturdy feel. A point to bear in mind here is to leave screwing the engines in place until the mount assembly is properly set. The oil tanks were then made up. Eduard’s exterior set comes with some details for these as, well as replacement straps. These were added once the moulded straps have been sanded off. These additions are a nice touch and add reality to the tanks.

Exhauast

The exhausts were made next, these coming from Eduard’s Brassin range. These are delicate parts and care is required when removing them from their blocks. The instructions show how much excess is needed to be removed. But when these were mated up to the shrouds they didn’t seat properly. It was necessary to remove the excess resin down to the exhaust plates to get them to fit inside the shrouds. The angle and fit of the exhausts are important for the sides of the cowls to fit later. The exhausts were painted in a dark sand colour; a mixture of XF-59 Desert Yellow and XF-10 Flat Brown. Then a brown with a few drops of red mixed with Vallejo’s Pale Burnt Metal was sprayed only at the base of the stacks. This was left to dry before adding a medium thick mixture of black and Burnt Umber oil paint which was dabbed here and there and then rubbed in. The exhaust stacks were tacked into the shrouds just in case they need to be adjusted or removed, later on.

Nacelles

All four nacelle parts are different internally.

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The difference between the Tamiya’s cannon bay guns and Eduard’s resin set is chalk and cheese. But the Tamiya supplied parts go together better than the Eduard resin parts do.

The flame dampeners painted. It’s a case of messing around with various painting techniques until happy with the effect.

The blades and detailed spinners finished, and it’s nice to add a different colour to the spinners.

Because the right and left stages were be built in tandem, the right nacelle parts needed to be labelled. This is so that later the relevant engine mount would fit its appropriate nacelle. Tamiya supply some nice etched ribs for the inside of the nacelles that look great and fit with no fuss. These were painted with Vallejo’s Aluminium Metal Color along with the wooden cowl frame painted in a ruddy brown. This was followed once again by our Johnson’s Klear wash, which really brings out all that fantastic detail within. The engine mounts were added to the nacelles along with the bay bulkheads. These fit perfectly once again. These were left to dry before adding the other nacelle side. The label was left on the leg until it was attached to the wing, then the label could be removed.

Wings and things…

How do you make a green bomb interesting? Greasy fingers and a tooth pick are a start.

Stages 41 thru 48 cover the build up of the wings. This wing is superb and could also be considered as a piece of art in its own right. Stage 41 the wing root, was assembled and painted with the premixed interior green and the central bay painted matt white. The wheel detail was picked out with a coloured Johnson‘s Klear wash and the central bay dirtied with a grey chalk pastel applied with a stubby brush. Tamiya supply etched parts for the radiator details. Because of the thickness of the Tamiya etched parts, they are very easy to work with and clean up. These were painted Medium Sea Grey and then given

an oil wash over the mesh. The wing root has four screws, two on each side of this assembly. These attach to the lower wings; liquid glue being run along the joins. Before closing the wing halves it was necessary to drill the two marked pylon holes either side of the wings. With the top wing fixed into position along with the ailerons and wing tips, it becomes a robust structure and a thing of beauty.

Fuel tanks

Stage 49 deals with the central fuel tanks; this two-part unit had its moulded straps sanded off to be replaced with straps from the Eduard set. These come as two parts for each strap and these need to be linked through like a snake belt. These are another great improvement. The tanks were painted a deep red brown colour. Once dry, the tanks were covered all over with Johnson’s Klear just as it is, and before it dried Tamiya red was applied here and there in random splodges. The straps were then picked out with interior green and silver for the buckles. A wash was then applied to highlight everything.

Moving On…

Stages 50 thru 56 cover the undercarriage. The build of the wheel itself is a first for me, but as with the rest of this kit, the fit of the parts is amazing. In stage 51 we are helped by a small jig (part J48) to hold the assembly in place once built. This part took time to find on account of it looking like a gash piece of runner.

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The internal canopy framework was assembled on the fuselage to act as a jig. This is then clipped off to paint.

The dreaded masking up can now start. Here many parts and assemblies have been left off to limit the chance of overspray and also damaging delicate parts.

The Eduard exterior set included a replacement for the kit’s mudguards, but after building it and comparing it with the kit part it was decided that the kit parts had more depth to them. These were then fixed to the undercarriage leg’s retractable arms and painted. In stages 53 both nacelles are attached to the wing minus the wheeled landing gear. The fit of these assemblies to the wing is excellent. They just click into place and with no gaps to fill, just a line of liquid glue being applied just to secure them in place. Stages 55 and 56 the painted retractable arms and brake lines, were bypassed here, to be fixed later. In stage 60 with the fuselage and wing finished its time to join these incredible assembly, the fit being perfect. They just clipped into place, not a gap in sight. The wing was secured in place with a screw at the top of the fuselage and sealed off with part C28. Stages 61 thru 65 are replaced with Eduard’s resin 20 mm cannon set (Eduard calls this a gun bay set). The parts here are as beautiful as they are fragile and took quite some effort to release from their mould-blocks. The internal structures of the frames are full of flash, and when removed will make these parts even more dainty. These items were painted separately using Tamiya base colours and Vallejo for the metal colours. Test fitting the cannon pack in the bay revealed no issues regarding fit. The gun pack along with the bomb assembly was not fitted yet, being put to one side to be added towards the end of the build.

Stages 68 gives you the three options for parts C24 and C25 (side panels of the lower fuselage). The fully open position being chosen; this means now jumping to Stage 70. Stages 79 thru 83 deal with the rear flaps with the option of up or down positions. Because the flaps were going to be in the down position, these would be left off to make painting easier. Here in Stage 83 the rear flap hinges were added to the flaps. These were a struggle to locate and it was found they didn’t locate positively to the flaps themselves. This may be because you’re supposed to fix the flaps to the wing first then attach the hinges which would give a more secure attachment. As well as the solid plastic cowl parts, this kit also came with optional transparent ones. These have a frosted finish, but a small sheet tells you how to makes these a clearer if you wish. The solid colour cowls are beautifully thin and detailed. Two versions of lower cowl are supplied; one Tropical and one European. Other than that, the only other parts to add are the metal plates and magnets. The insides were painted Vallejo’s Aluminium and then given a thin coat with a coloured Johnson’s Klear wash and certain areas given oil spills here and there. These would have been filthy inside. The one area of concern was Tamiya lower cowl snow guards (clear parts L3). These didn’t look convincing and it was always in the back of my mind to build these from scratch. I did wonder why Tamiya didn’t supply an etched mesh with the plastic surround as a snow guard. Before considering a scratchbuild

I decided to have a go at painting the snow guards from the kit. First a thin wash of Tamiya black to sink into that detail and then once dry, the surface excess was wiped away and then the surround painted medium sea grey. These actually looked very convincing and a pleasant surprise. The dampeners were straightforward but I left the photo-etched parts A15 and A16, off. This made the fit over the exhaust stacks a lot later easier. The dampeners were painted Medium Sea Grey. The rear ends were then drybrushed with Humbrol enamel Silver. When dry, a thick mixture of black and Burnt Umber oil paint is dapped here and there. This was left to dry for 15 to 20 minutes and then rubbed in a haphazard way until happy with the effect, making sure that some of the silver enamel shone through. You could give this a second coat if you wish.

Propellers

Two sets of propellers are supplied in the kit. The European version has the needle blades and the Tropical version having the paddle blades, with the larger cut outs on the spinner. Whilst looking at the version in the original photo of the Mosquito being made, it had the needle blade but with the larger cut out spinner? With some confusion it was decided that if the photo had this arrangement, then so should the Mosquito being built. The blades’ yellow tips were painted before being masked to paint the rest of the blade off-black. The trailing edges were painted dark grey and then the whole blade was brushed with a light grey pastel to create a patchy look.

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To break up the somewhat panel-less areas of the Mosquito, some pre shading was applied.

This just left the spinners to be painted in Tamiya Sky.

Bombs

Stage 95; the four bombs, each of these having a small etched fuse propeller. The bombs were painted XF-81 Dark Green 2 (RAF) and then XF-62 Olive Drab at the ends. Once this had dried, the centre section was sprayed here and there with a very light coat of XF-59 Desert Yellow. Both ends were then rubbed with a greasy finger. 6B pencil lead dust is then brushed on in dabs and rubbed in. The next stage was to mark the bomb with a tooth pick. It only needs a few marks and was careful not to go overboard. The fuse propellers were left unpainted; adding a pitch to the blades using tweezers.

Canopy

The canopy’s framework is built upon the fuselage to act as a jig. This is not as easy as it sounds but does work with a bit of patience. When set, it was unclipped out from the cockpit sides and painted, the flare gun being a nice touch. Here, Eduard supply a nice panel for the IFF transponder attached on the framework. The framework is then attached to the fuselage along with the gunsight from stage 14. This could have been easily forgotten, but fortunately I had marked stage (103) in red saying “don’t forget the gun sight, stupid!” The canopy was added next. This is another work of art, sharp in detail and crystal clear, although for some reason mine had some small but deep scratches on the surface. Why? It is a mystery as the canopy was still sealed in its bag and attached in its own protective cage? The marks were left as any removal may have marred the otherwise perfect piece. The runner tab to the canopy is very brittle and care needs to be taken when removing it, a small saw rather

than snippers being used. The fit is unbelievable, and just in case of any trouble with items in the cockpit breaking loose or overspray, the canopy is tacked into position with a few small drops of PVA glue. Tamiya supply a printed sheet of masks to be cut out for the canopy. Thankfully Eduard supply a pre-cut mask set. These, as usual, went on with no issues and are a lot tackier than the Tamiya ones.

Masking

This is the stage that I had been dreading. The most tedious thing in the world must be masking. It has to be done with patience and care at all times, otherwise all that effort in areas such as the bomb bay and undercarriage, will be wasted. Masking had been made less of a worry by leaving off most of the detailed sub-assemblies. Masking tape was wrapped around the internal edges of the bomb and wheel bays. These were then filled with layers of kitchen paper. The final layer was wetted with water from a pipette (a brush is just as good). The wetted paper edges being pushed into the corners with ease using a toothpick. Because parts A3 and B1 (the flaps cover plate) in stage 82 had been left off, these areas were filled with kitchen paper inside, then the A3 and B1 parts tacked on with White Tack to hold in place. The nosecone (T10) and hood (T30) were glued together and then tacked with PVA glue onto the fuselage, but not before plugging the camera and gun holes from the inside. The other areas to be masked were the engine areas. The cowl panels come into play here; these were all taped together internally at the joints and because the exhausts/shrouds had not been fixed to the engines, the exhaust openings could be masked too. With

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The invasion strips were marked with Tamiya tape. It’s best to do this now, and make sure all the angles and dangles are right rather than mess around on the final paint surface.

Medium Sea Grey was applied all over. Then the grey areas are covered by masking with White Tack and cut up food bags, ready for the two shades of green to be applied.

The invasion strips are marked with Tamiya tape. It’s best to do this now, and make sure all the angles and dangles are right rather than mess around on the final paint surface.

Eight millimetre Tamiya tape has a small flat headed screw driver dragged back and forth across it to create a rough edge similar to that seen on real invasion stripes.

this, the whole taped assembly just slid over the engine and framework and clipped into position. It was just a case of masking the front covering coolant plate which would hold the cowls into place. This was left overnight for the kitchen paper to dry, and also to look at the whole thing with a pair of fresh eyes. The first job was to spray all the joints on the Mosquito to spot any issues. But the kit’s fit is that good that the only real issues would be the top and bottom fuselage joins. Next was to mask off and paint some preshaded areas just to give some interest especially over the large wing. So the wing tips, ailerons, wing spar and around the nacelle are picked out. Next were the invasion stripes. Looking at some black and white photographs of wellworn Mosquitoes, the invasion stripes vary in width and in one photo, the stripes were not even equal. A rough calculation gave me an invasion stripe width of around eight to nine millimetres. And so with Tamiya tape being

eight millimetres in width, the decision was made. The wings were easy enough, but the rear fuselage was a different matter. The first thing to do was find a starting point. This came in the form of the starboard stiffener (a modification all Mosquitoes had). This followed the same angle as the band of stripes. Now luckily, EagleCals supplied some very good side profiles, so looking at these gave a good guide to the position of the fuselage stripes. With the height above the stiffener decided by eye, a strip of tape is placed onto the model following the angle of the stiffener. Then the first band had to be at right angles to this placed tape. Then a shape gauge was used to draw a line to follow this angle around the fuselage. It was then a case of adding eight millimetre strips of tape along the length of the top piece of tape. Invasion stripes would usually be painted after the main paint job is finished, but it was preferred not to mark out on the final paint job.

With the invasion stripes marked, the main camouflage paint job could begin. Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Grey was the first colour to be used. A few coats were applied until happy with the amount of preshading showing through. Next two greens were used: one dark green made using 50% XF-62 Olive Drab mixed with a few drops of black and XF-10 Brown. The second, lighter green, is XF-61 Dark Green. For the green you could spray freehand, which at this scale and its simple camouflage pattern is possible, but it was decided to use the White Tack method, sausages being rolled out and placed on to the model to mark out the demarcation lines. With the grey protected with cut-up food bags, the dark mixed green was applied, first in disruptive light coats until the green had covered the grey, but still looked patchy. Next, the light green was applied to a ratio of 40% paint 60% thinner. This was applied unevenly and on highlighted areas making sure the preshaded areas were left out as much as possible. Once dry, the invasion stripes could be painted. With these areas marked the masking could begin. As we all know most if not all stripes were handpainted and so any model above 1/48 scale needs to look handpainted. The method used here was to lay down some eight millimetre tape and go across it side to side with a small flat headed screw driver, making sure the edges looked uneven. White first and then black was sprayed on. Once dry, the masking was removed and only now when revealed, could I see whether all this effort had been worth it. Everything was left to dry for a few days. Then using 6000 grit paper with water the

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whole model was sanded very lightly. This does two things (besides making a mess); takes off the rough surface and if you’re careful, fades some areas of paint. The model was then thoroughly cleaned with a very mild airbrush cleaner and a lint free cloth. This was repeated several times after each run had dried. The main reason for this process is to make the application of the gloss coat easier at this scale. Microscale Gloss was used in several light coats and left to dry again over a period of a few days. The next stage was to pick out the panel details, with the nacelles being the busiest areas. Black and Burnt Umber oils were mixed to create a very thin wash. This was applied and rubbed off after a few minutes. This not only picks out the detail, but gives the surface a patchy, dirty look. After the oil wash had dried for some days the decals could be applied. The main decals used were from the EagleCals' sheet. These went down very well, the only issue being the side roundel covering the stiffener, but after a couple of treatments with Micro Set, that too sat down beautifully.

The invasion stripes complete. The whole paint job is lightly sanded with 6000 paper and water. This will prepare the surface for the gloss application.

The next headaches were the radiator inspection panels on the top wing. These have a lot of raised detail on the covers and getting a large decal to sit on top of this can be problematic. The only plus point was that two sets were available to me if it ended in trouble (although the Tamiya ones would be a different colour red). These could have been painted on but there would still have been the issue of masking over those raised details. In the end it was decided to cut the decals up into sections and bring the border within the outer raised

detail. This was time consuming, but ended up working a treat. Once dry, the final finish was given a few coats of Vallejo’s matt varnish. Care was taken here as a complete matt finish is not wanted; just enough to take the high gloss from unhandled areas and for the man-handled areas to look satin. The last stage of construction is to add all the parts and assemblies previously left off. And there is a lot to add. The biggest of these is the construction of the nose gun parts into

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After the application of Micro gloss, surface details were picked out with a light mixed oil wash.

The large radiator decals could cause issues trying to place them over the heavily detailed surface. Decided to play safe and apply them in sections.

Everything was sealed with a coat of Vallejo’s matt varnish.

The cowl parts. The fit of this is so good that it can be slide on and off with ease.

One of the very last jobs is the addition of the resin nose guns parts.

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the nose bay. With these not being Tamiya parts there was a concern whether these would fit. Although fiddly, the feed chutes fit from the ammo boxes to the guns without issue. This all fitted very well. Then the nose shroud was fed through the guns, this didn’t seat 100%. Whilst the fit could have been made perfect with glue, it wouldn’t have been possible to retain the option of taking the shroud on and off to

view the detail within. Next the side parts, C24 and C25, which were left unglued earlier, were clipped off. The cannon and bomb assemblies could now be fixed into position and then the sides clipped back in with a small application of PVA glue on the tabs. All the other parts that were left off were fixed on; the undercarriage and its doors, bomb doors and rear flaps.

Tamiya include two very nicely detailed Mosquito occupants; pilot and navigator. Before and after being seen here…

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These went on without issue. The last areas were the cowls, the top and bottom cowls being easy to fix on, but the side ones were tricky. The solution was to take the exhaust stacks out of the shrouds. The shrouds could then be then be fixed to the engines.

With this, the side panels just clipped into place with the shroud’s front intake popping though. The exhaust stacks were fixed again lightly with PVA glue through the side panel into the shroud. This was only possible because the onepiece Eduard resin parts were used. ■

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FINAL VERDICT With this well engineered Tamiya Mosquito, the golden rule is to follow the instructions stage by stage. But as you have read, this statement has been contradicted, in particular, when deciding not to attach some parts until much later on in the build. This was simply done to make painting easier. This is one of the most enjoyable builds I’ve made since I don’t know when. Why does this kit stand out? Most kits require cleaning up or filler to get parts to fit. The fit with this kit is unbelievable; some parts are so good that they really don’t require any glue. Also refreshing, the parts require very little clean-up, and so can be assembled in no time. Thanks to The Hobby Company for the Tamiya kit sample and to Eduard for the accessories used during the build.

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KIT BUILD

SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

WOOD ’N’ BUILT AND WRITTEN BY FRANCISCO GUEDES

SPECIFICATION:

Albatros B. II Early Type Kit n.º 32046 Material: IM, PE. Available from specialist hobby shops or via WnW directly www.wingnutwings.com Price Guide: $129.00

BEFORE STARTING:

● Tamiya Extra thin cement ● Revell Professional contact ● Tamiya Masking Tape ● 3 mm masking taspe ● Tesa Tape ● Tweezers ● No. 11 Blade ● JLC razor saw ● Superglue ● Bob’s Buckles ● Albion Alloys brass micro tube ● EZ-Line ● Metal Polishing Powder – Uschi Van der Rosten. ● Micro Set and Sol. ● Daco Decal set – Strong and Medium ● Tamiya and Vallejo Varnish. ● Uschi Van der Rosten rich wood super fine decal sheet;

N

ow to the wings, tail and rudder. I left the interplane struts off until the very end after priming them with Tamiya Grey Surface primer. It was now time to work on the linen surfaces beginning with the

undersides of the wings. As mentioned last month, I used Drooling Bulldog (DB) paints on this model, finding that these were really easy to spray, with good coverage and pigmentation. I only thin them a little (around 20%) with Gunze Mr.

PAINTS USED: Drooling Bulldog Aluminum White Bleached Linen UnBleached Linen Pale Cream Yellow

Tamiya Acrylics X-2 White XF-15 Flat Flesh XF-18 Medium Blue XF-22 RLM Grey XF-60 Dark Yellow XF-67 NATO Green XF-76 IJN Grey Green Vallejo Brass Stencil Red white AMMO Black Ammo Rust Paint set.

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N’ WINGS Color thinner applying them in several thin coats, with patience to get a uniform result. The same procedure was used on the top of the wings (Pale Cream Yellow DB) and tail and rudder (Unbleached Linen) and the paint behaved in exactly the same way. I love these

Drooling Bulldog paints! In order to simulate the ghosted look of the insignia through the wings I measured the insignia and then made a mask for the shape of the crosses, before applying some preshading. In other to not make it

PART 2: We take a detailed look at the building and painting of the Wingnut Wings 1:32 Albatros B. II ‘Early Type’ too dark, I painted the markings in Tamiya XF-68 NATO Brown, before overspraying the masked shapes with the linen colour, until the cross was just about visible. Happy that the basecoats were satisfactory, the model was sealed with varnish ready for the application of

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1

2

3

the oils that would add a layer of dirt and degradation to the finish. The application of the oil paints onto the surface of the model took considerable time, almost three nights being needed to complete the job. Dots of oil colour were placed on the surface of the model before blending each dot into the surface with a brush loaded with clean thinners. I used Mig Productions oils, Faded Green, Industrial Earth and Basic Flesh tone being amongst the colours used for the upper surfaces, Copper Oxide Blue, Flesh Tone and a little bit of Faded Grey being used underneath and finally, for the tail and rudder, Titanium White, Buff and Copper Oxide Blue. To give the wings bulk and a three-dimensional look (as I do with all WWI aircraft I model) I mask the rib tapes to enhance the rib structures. For this I use 0.5 mm tape and masked all the upper and lower wings along with the rudder and tail. Once done, Gunze Mr. Hobby Smoke Grey highly thinned with Tamiya Thinner is carefully airbrushed over the masking. Before removing the masking, several low-pressure coats of heavily thinned basecoat paint is airbrushed on to blend everything together. The decals could now be

applied and blended in with a little weathering here and there.

Still Wings…

Now my attention turned to the port side wing walk. Here the kit instructions are really misleading; apparently my chosen aircraft had two wing walks – port side and starboard side. The port side is moulded on to the wing and the starboard side calls for PE to be applied. The instructions are not clear on this because they don’t give any indication as to what should be on the port side. So for me doubt remains and to be honest I prefer mine with just one walkway!

Underside Weathering

Starting with the tyres I used XF-84 as it looks quite fine by me. Having the Albatros operate throughout almost the entire war, it would have had some dirt and dust on the bottom of the wings. So with Tamiya Master Models Pastel A and pigments, some dust was added. Then a light coat of Tamiya Buff was applied around the ribs to blend everything together. I used a combination of Mig Productions’ Dry Mud and European Dust mixed with odorless turpentine to create the effect of spashed mud, this concoction being flicked over the model using an old brush.

1. In order to create the illusion of the crosses appearing through the fabric wings, their position was preshaded under the wings… 2. …And then oversprayed with a layer of Drooling Bulldog Linen, the layer pf paint allowing the masked pattern to show through. 3. The upper surfaces of the wings were painted with a layer of DB Pale Cream Yellow. 4. The undersurfaces of the wings were painted with Unbleached Linen, again from the Drooling Bulldog range. 5. Wing the wing paint dry, the ribs were masked with fine Tamiya tape ready to be accentuated with shading.

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6. Once shaded, a fine layer of the base colour was sprayed on to blend everything together. 7. The materials needed to paint and weather the wings. 8. Oils were used to weather the surface of the wings. 9. The decals needed to be blended in ti the surface of the wings. Here they have been masked to be shaded in the same way as the surrounding surfaces. 10. The result of all of that work perfectly painted and weathered wings. 11. The completed fuselage fitted with it’s lower wings. Now it’s time for final construction…

For the tyres, a mix of the same pigments were blended with ‘Thinner For Washes’ also from Mig Productions and applied directly onto the wings and left to dry. After that i rubbed the

pigment away, only leaving it around details and crevices to create a most realistic finish. After a coat of matt varnish, Dark Wash and Streaking Grime from AK were used the achieved

the desired look of dirt and dust.

Now It’s time to bring this model together… The interplant struts were glue in place, all of them with the

turnbuckle already in place. The top wing just fell in to place with no glue. With WnW kits it is possible to do a dry-fit the top wings with no extra help whatsoever. The wings are though

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SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE/ADVANCED

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a very tight fit, so ensure that the connecting pins are free from paint. After checking everything, I use Revell contact glue to set everything in place.

Rigging

The first step was to drill out all of the rigging holes and then mount one of Bobs Buckles into each one. Each buckle was fixed in place with superglue. Happy with that, some of Albion Alloy’s .5 mm brass tube was cut into 3mm lengths using a small jig that I have for just such a purpose. Having done all of that I can now proceed with the actual rigging. Using EZ-Line I pass the line to the upper eyelet and then apply a small drop of superglue to set it in place. I do that in

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3 or 4 eyelets under the upper wing at one time. I then thread a length of brass tubing on to each one and secure each piece with superglue once more, before adding a second piece that will be secured at the other end of the line. Then I just move the brass tube down, thread the line though the lower eyelet and secure it all with superglue. This is then repeated around the model until the rigging is complete.

Final Touches And Tiny Details

Last but not least came the propeller. I first sprayed this important and quite noticeable part with a buff colour before masking off the laminations with Tamiya masking tape. After masking, a mix of Buff and Red Brown (XF-57

12. The upper wings in place ready for rigging. 13. materials needed to rust the large exhaust pipe. 14. A jig was used to ensure that the wings were perfectly lined up during final construction. 15. Oils, applied over an acrylic basecoat created the distinctive look of the wooden propeller.

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and XF-64) was airbrushed over the propeller to create some very neat laminations. Using an old brush I covered all of propeller with Burnt Sienna and then removed most of it by dragging a piece of sponge along the length of each blade from and back. This not only

removed most of the oil paint, it also helped create some very fine wood grain. The oil paint was then left to dry before sealing it all in with a coat of varnish. To finish it I just had a little wire just coming out from the header tank. I decided not to

include the Altimeter (part D1) as it seems to be a flight option preparation, so not obligatory, and having that would cover even more of the observer’s cockpit! n

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KIT BUILD SKILL LEVEL: INTERMEDIATE

SPECIFICATION:

Revell Boeing 747-400 “Ed Force One” Kit No: 04950 Materials: IM Status: reissue with new decals Availability: Hannants Price Guide: £26.99

BEFORE STARTING:

● Tamiya side cutters ●#3 and #4 scalpels with #11,#23, and#25 blades ● Deluxe Perfect Plastic filler ● Mr Hobby Cement S ● Revell Contacta Professional cement ● Loctite cyanoacrylate glue ● Boots the Chemist sanding boards ● Abralon 600, 1000 and 3000 grit foam abrasive ● Tamiya yellow and vinyl masking tape ● Pacer Formula 560 canopy glue ● Bare Metal Foil Chrome

ADDITIONAL PARTS:

Brengun BRL 144099 engine exhaust cones

PAINTS USED: Mr Hobby acrylic: H305 Grey H317 Grey FS36231 H334 Barley Grey H57 Aircraft Grey H218 Aluminium

Vallejo: 77.703 Dark Aluminium 77.702 Duralumin 77.716 Magnesium Tamiya: XF-85 Rubber Black X-18 Semi Gloss Black Halfords aerosol Primer Halfords aerosol Appliance Gloss White Citadel Purity Seal varnish

ED FORCE ONE BUILT AND WRITTEN BY HUW MORGAN

E

d Force One - is this a pun or a joke? Actually, it’s pretty serious stuff really, since rock band Iron Maiden decided to forego the tour bus and settle on a fullblown Boeing 747-400 as transport for their 2016 Book of Souls world tour, the aircraft being named Ed Force One in recognition of their mascot Eddie, who appears in the tail art. Logistically, it makes sense given the number of people and the amount of stuff a mega-band needs to haul around

We build Iron Maiden’s flying tour bus, a Boeing 747-400, in 1:144

and the enterprise seems to have grown, since in previous incarnations in 2008 and 2011, Ed Force One was a Boeing 757200. Interestingly, on some flights at least, the aircraft is captained by the band's lead vocalist and qualified airline pilot, Bruce Dickinson. The aircraft itself, currently registered TF-AAK (CN32868), started life on 31 March 2003 as a 747-428 with CF6-80C2B engines, being delivered to Air France (F-GITH), who operated it until October 2015, when it passed

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The decal sheet is the stand out item it the kit; well printed, with what appears to be good colour density, and capturing the look of the original markings.

Surface detail is reasonably crisp, although perhaps slightly overdone for the scale.

Large sprue attachment points really need a saw to separate them cleanly.

Several cabin windows need to be opened up or blanked off, here shown in green or red.

Shaped lengths of sprue were used to fill the windows, clipped off when dry, sanded and sealed with superglue. Note that many of the other window apertures need to be cleaned up too.

Clear pieces for the wing landing lights are included, although they don’t fit too well and need supporting with scrap plastic.

to Air Atlanta Icelandic who then leased it to Iron Maiden from November 2015. The aircraft suffered serious damage to the two port engines and undercarriage when it was struck by a ground vehicle in Santiago de Chile in March 2016, necessitating the replacement of both engines and cowlings.

engines which on the kit are barely adequate. The overall dimensions and shape aren't bad, the poorest area being the nose, which is too narrow below the cockpit, making the whole front look a bit beaky.

braces from sprue where the moulding was particularly flexible. The instructions recommend 20gm of nose weight, but having done a crude trial with everything taped together, I decided to add a bit more, closer to 30gm. After spraying the interior black, I used thick Revell Contacta brushed cement to make the joint itself, and left the whole lot for 48 hours to set. Joint cleanup was routine but time consuming given how much there was, and superglue served in lieu of filler. I decided to fit the cockpit transparency before the fuselage belly section, being terrified that it would fall into the black void of the fuselage and never be seen again... As it happens, the fit of the transparency isn't great, and the screen panel definition, whilst OK for masking, is rather heavy handed. I wasn't happy with the overall look, so decided to glue the transparency firmly in place, filling the worst gaps with plastic card, and sanding the whole lot to a smooth shape. I tried to polish the clear bits back to clarity, but wasn't happy with the resulting shape of the clear panes, which looked too skinny, and which still showed distortion from the inner surfaces. Plan B therefore was to paint the windows, so I scanned and printed the aluminium windscreen surround from the kit decal sheet, the printed image being taped over a piece of Tamiya tape and the window segments carefully cut out using a new #11 blade; with the surplus peeled away, I had a set of pretty good screen masks. When it came to painting, the window area was sprayed Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black, and the masks applied.

The Kit

Revell's Boeing 747 kits have a complex history, this particular pressing dating back to the 1993 tooling (#04219) first released in Lufthansa livery and subsequently re-released as KLM and British Airways versions. The plastic is a mixed bag. The two enormous fuselage halves are straight and reasonably sharp, although the recessed panel lines right through the kit are rather over-emphasised for the scale. It's in the smaller parts that the age of the moulds is revealed, with lots of flash and soft detail; sprue gates are heavy, and on the fuselage and wings in particular, really need a saw to separate them. The tiny clear sprue holds a thick windscreen and two U-shaped pieces to represent the landing lights, although including the screen is a rather moot point, since there's no interior to view, and the cabin windows are simple holes, without clear inserts. Parts count isn't high, 50 white bits and the 3 clear, making for what might seem a quick build, although in order to model the particular TF-AAK airframe, it's necessary to open up a number of blanked-off windows, and fill several others. There's little of relevance available in the aftermarket and regrettably, no-one appears to offer replacement CF6

The Build

I find that with airliners in particular, planning the build sequence can be quite helpful, since the airframes are surprisingly complicated with dangling engines, and the paintwork usually has hard demarcation lines in awkward corners. My usual approach for a conventional structure is to build the fuselage, wings, tail and engines separately, doing the bulk of the painting (and some decalling even) while they're separate. In some cases, like this one, the fit of the parts doesn't allow a last-minute assembly so one has to revert to careful masking. Preparing the fuselage halves by opening up new windows and filling unwanted ones is the first chore. I found that the mediocre moulding meant that many of the existing apertures needed to be cleaned up as well as the new ones, and I used shaped bits of sprue to plug those to be filled, sanding them flat and dressing with superglue to give a smooth finish. Whilst the fuselage halves are straight and clean, they're also rather thin with very narrow mating faces, meaning potential flexibility issues when assembled, and the risk of the long joints cracking after painting. To counter this, I added full-length reinforcing strips to the joints, and inserted vertical and horizontal

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The belly piece fits poorly, and again, plastic strip and sprue were used to reinforce and support the joints; although the resulting fit still isn't great, and this was the area where significant filling was required. Whilst the panel lines over the whole fuselage are arguably too prominent, I reinstated those lost to filler and sanding in the interests of consistency and a couple of iterations of primer and sanding got the fuselage to a reasonable state. Wing and tailplane construction is very straightforward; aside from the upper and lower halves, only the clear landing light inserts needing to be added to the wing leading edges. These didn't fit terribly well, so I supported their inner ends with scrap plastic card and painted the clear parts silver then black to give some reflectivity and filled the

gaps with superglue. The leading and trailing edges need some work to get them looking reasonable, although I didn't embark on what would be a major job to thin the latter. After sanding to shape, I polished the leading edges to give some shine to the landing lights, before masking them. The wing tip winglets needed blending in with superglue, and I increased the rake of the leading edge a little, since it looked a bit too upright. As with several other Revell mouldings of this era, some of the internal knockout marks leave surface scars on the outside of the parts, in this case the tailplane being particularly badly affected, - sanding and filling being necessary. With the size of the airframe becoming apparent, I gave some thought to whether I could in fact leave the wings separate for

transport, even going so far as to consider building a through box and spars to support them. In the end, the indifferent fit at the wing/ fuselage joint meant that too much work would be needed to match them up, so I capitulated, gluing the wings on with thick superglue for strength and filling the joint with DeLuxe Perfect Plastic Putty, which has the advantage that it can be cleaned up with water. Engines are next up, each one consisting of two main shells with fan inserts and three piece rear exhaust centre bodies which are distinctly oval when glued up. I took a lazy way out of correcting the exhausts and bought some Brengun resin versions (BRL 144099); the engine construction is such that the Brengun parts don't even need to have their pour blocks removed! I painted the fan blades

The Brengun exhaust cones are a major improvement on the multi-part kit items.

The long fuselage joints posed a threat of cracking after finishing, so they were reinforced using strips of plastic card, and cut sprue vertical stiffeners.

The windscreen transparency isn’t great, with poor clarity and a loose fit.

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Although I considered filling and polishing the transparency, the inherent distortion was too much, so I chose to fill and paint the windows.

I made tape masks for the windscreen using the silver outline from the decal sheet as a guide; this was scanned, printed and fixed down over a piece of Tamiya tape. Careful cutting around individual panes left me with a tidy set of masks.

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The fit of the belly piece needs serious fettling, some of the joint edges being thin and distorted. I strengthened them with strip and sprue braces.

Many of the engine shells have knockout marks, misshapen location pins and flash which needs to be dealt with.

Vallejo Duralumin (77.702), gave them a dilute black oil wash and painted the spinners Tamiya X-18 Semi Gloss black. Before assembly I could now apply the spin markings, noting that two are different. (they're for the two port engines which were replaced after the 22 March 2016 incident) As is common with plastic airliner engines, the vertical split of the engine shells means that cleanup of the internal seams can be difficult if the engine fronts (fans) are installed. To make this a bit easier, I cleaned up the individual engine halves, then added the fan faces loosely, as far down the body as I could, and used PVA glue to hold them temporarily in place. My plan was to then glue and clean up the internal intake seams, using superglue as a filler, then push the fans into place from the rear,

The engine fan fronts were painted before assembly, and had the spin marker decals applied. Note that two are different, as a result of the engine changes in Santiago de Chile. The rather crude moulding is evident.

finally adding the Brengun centre bodies with new bottom braces to replace the inaccurate horizontal braces in the kit engines. The rear of the cowling where the bypass air exits is a bit clunky so I thinned these with a knife and motor tool and brush painted the inside with Tamiya XF-85 With the cowling seams glued, filled and cleaned up both inside and out, I could spray the intake area with Mr Hobby H305 grey to represent the sound-absorbing coating and by various contortions, mask internally to allow the natural metal intake lip to be sprayed. I actually left this until after I'd painted the outside white since the Vallejo acrylic Duralumin (77.702) I planned to use can be a bit sensitive to masking. The fit of all the engine pylons to the lower wing surface needs some work to get a close joint, and to make sure all the pylons a hang parallel, so with the white cowlings masked, I could afford to fill the pylon joints to the wings, clean them up, and paint the pylons and under surface Boeing Grey in one go.

(Much) More Painting

One thing with airliners, the basic painting is often straightforward, white predominating, with slightly differing versions of grey for the wings and tail and the anti-corrosion Corrogard finishes to the critical structural parts. That said, airliners are by their nature in the public eye, and tend to be well kept,

The Brengun exhaust centre bodies (left) are a major improvement over the multi-part kit versions.

clean and glossy, and an impressive, longlived gloss white can be difficult to achieve, the recommended approaches being many. Rather uninspiringly I'm afraid, my preference is for the old favourite of Halfords Appliance Gloss White sprayed lightly from a well-warmed can, without the faff of decanting into an airbrush if I can get away with it, although I appreciate that this is probably heretical, and there is the downside of needing to use acres of masking. The Boeing Grey of the wings was replicated with Mr Hobby H334 Barley Grey and the darker Corrogard (which is a epoxy-polymide coating with entrained aluminium particles) with Mr Hobby H317 Grey FS36231 with around 10% Mr Hobby 218 Aluminium added. The wing, tailplane and fin leading edges were masked and sprayed Vallejo 77.702 Duralumin. The painting sequence was: Corrogard, mask, Boeing grey, mask, white underside leading edge slats, mask, natural metal leading edges, mask, white. Needless to say, when I removed all the masking there were a few areas where paint repair was needed, principally with the under surface Corrogard, where foolishly, I'd not carried the paint far enough across the wing, so I had to re-mask locally and patch. Since I was not wholly confident that I'd accurately replicated the geometric positioning of the windscreen masks, I decided to paint the natural metal surround, rather than rely on the decal. More local masking and more of the

The engine fans were fixed temporarily away from the front of the cowlings, to make it easier to fill and sand the front seams. They would be encouraged into their proper place later.

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With the masking removed, the need to repair the paint becomes evident, most significant where foolishly I’d not sprayed the H317 far enough across the lower wing.

I decided to paint the windscreen surround, - the masking is rather OTT, but I've seen how far the Vallejo duralumin can travel in my hands! Close in shape is formed using Tamiya's excellent vinyl tape.

Local masking and patching with well-thinned paint fixed the problem (Note the scratch which I haven’t yet fixed!).

Undercarriage parts painted and ready for installation. The Great White Whale. While I was building the 747, I’d just finished Revell’s 1/144 F-5 Tiger II, - yes, they are the same scale!

Vallejo Duralumin did the trick. With hindsight, cutting a single mask for all six panes, and using the decal for the framing would have been significantly less work and would have been smoother.

Decals

Here we go then - this is what it's all about, with the preliminaries so far only serving to provide a canvas for this stage. The decals are spectacular, and as usual when I'm nervous about this bit, I start small, with some straightforward lettering, just to get a feel for how the decals release, how prone they are to curling in on themselves, and how they react to setting solutions. Some thought needs to be given to the order in which the decals are applied since some markings overlay others, and the big “Iron Maiden” script needs piercing for the window apertures before the window frames are applied; I chose to apply the lower

fuselage doors as my initiation, and to set a datum for the aforesaid Iron Maiden lettering, which I cut into two pieces. Thankfully, the decals behaved pretty well, being tough and flexible, albeit perhaps a little thick, with plain water used for positioning, and MicroSol painted on after blotting away the excess. Encouraged, I went ahead with the rest, cravenly leaving the big fin decals until last; sorry, Eddie. This is a tour bus, so very little weathering would be appropriate. Photographs do show some rain staining however so a few dots of brown and green oil paint were applied to the top of the fuselage, and blended downward with broad brush dampened with white spirit and a final coat of Citadel's excellent Purity Seal varnish finished things off.

Final Details

The undercarriage is intricate and involves the

rather tedious business of painting 18 wheels, I sprayed the hubs and undercarriage legs Mr Hobby H57 Aircraft Grey, adding narrow strips of Bare Metal Foil Chrome for the oleos, before hand painting the tyres with Tamiya XF-85 Rubber Black. The undercarriage units fit reasonably into the fuselage and wing bays, although as always, getting all the wheels to touch the ground simultaneously, whilst being straight and upright, is something of a contortion. I fixed the nose and centre fuselage units first, and allowed them to set for 24 hours before attempting the others, the outcome isn't perfect, but isn't bad. Cleaning up the long fuselage seams naturally saw the demise of several antennae and the position lights, so these were re-instated using tiny bits of card and rod, attached with the wonderful Pacer Formula 560 canopy glue. ■

FINAL VERDICT Revell’s 747-400 is a credible option if you want to build the type, although it’s age is fully revealed in the quality of the mouldings, and while Revell are to be commended for bringing us modern incarnations through the decals, the plastic needs considerable work if the basis is to be worthy of them. In this case, the excessive flash isn’t really a problem, the prominent ejector pin marks are an inconvenience, the poorly-detailed engines can be overlooked, but the ragged joint lines on the fuselage and wings potentially mar the entire model if the appropriate amount of effort isn’t expended in fixing them. In particular, care needs to be given to ensuring the long term integrity of the fuselage joints. Despite all this, it looks pretty spectacular when its finished! Many thanks to Revell for the review kit.

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NEW RELEASE - KITS MARTIN-BAKER M.B.5 “BRITISH PROTOTYPE” 1944 Scale: 1:72/AZ Model/Materials: IM/ Kit No: AZ7553/All Good Model Shops/Price Guide:

M

artin-Baker Aircraft actually began the MB 5 as the second Martin-Baker MB 3 prototype, designed to Air Ministry Specification F.18/39 for an agile, sturdy Royal Air Force fighter, able to fly faster than 400 mph. After the first MB 3 crashed in 1942, killing Val Baker, the second prototype was delayed. A modified MB 3 with a Rolls-Royce Griffon was planned as the MB 4, but a full redesign was chosen instead. The re-designed aircraft, designated MB 5, used wings similar to the MB 3, but had an entirely new steel-tube fuselage. Power came from a Rolls-Royce Griffon 83 liquidcooled V-12 engine, producing 2,340 hp (1,745 kW) and driving two three-bladed contra rotating propellers. Armament was four 20 mm Hispano cannon, mounted in the wings outboard of the widely spaced retractable undercarriage. A key feature of the design was ease of manufacture and maintenance. The first flight of the MB 5 prototype, serial R2496, took place on 23 May 1944.Performance was considered outstanding by test pilots, and the cockpit layout was praised by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE). The accessibility of the fuselage for maintenance was excellent, thanks to a system of detachable panels. The original MB 5 was reputedly destroyed on a gunnery range. Martin-Baker went on to become one of the world’s leading builders of ejection seats.

AZ has released a simple kit of this enigmatic fighter that will please modellers interested in the unusual. Moulded in dark grey plastic, the kit is conventionally broken down with simple fuselage halves, wings broken down into upper and lower panels left and right and single-piece tailplanes. The contra-rotating propellers are moulded in two pieces and though plagued by some unwelcome flash and moulding imperfections, look fit for purpose. Smaller items are neatly detailed, a reasonably wellappointed cockpit and some finely rendered undercarriage units being as pleasing as they are delicate. The canopy is injection moulded by the way and though moulded in one section (thus needing to be cut if the rear section is to be posed open) it is nevertheless clear and free from distortion. As the kit offers different versions of the prototype own its decal sheet, parts are supplied for both early and interim fin and rudder set-ups. Decals and a full-colour painting guide are supplied for three versions of this aircraft. The choices are as follows: ● Martin-Baker M.B.5, R2496, prototype with original M.B.3 rudder as painted in overall pale grey for initial tests. ● Martin-Baker M.B.5, R2496, prototype with original M.B.3 rudder ,later painted in standard RAF camouflage with yellow undersides. ● Martin-Baker M.B.5, R2496, prototype with interim rudder, in standard RAF camouflage with yellow undersides.

VERDICT This is a simple kit that will not tax a modeller with endless features or excessive parts count. Instead, it will offer an easy to build kit that will result in a neat little model of this imposing prototype. It’s not perfect though; panel lines are inconsistent and there are issues with mould wear and flash, but overcome those and many of you will enjoy this interesting little model. Thanks to AZ for the review sample.

F-4J PHANTOM II

Scale: 1:72/Revell/Materials: IM/ Kit No: 03941/All Good Model Shops/Price Guide:

M

onogram’s 1:72 F-4J Phantom makes a reappearance thanks to Revell. Originally released as an F-4C during the early 80s and then reworked to a J shortly after, this kit exhibits many of the traits that typified Monogram kits from that era: loads of fine detail, raised panel lines, an accurate shape and in the main, ease of assembly. Moulded in pale grey plastic, the moulds seem to have stood the test of time relatively well, with little in the way of wear, flash or damage to parts, in evidence. I was particularly taken with the canopy parts as they are very clear and thin, which is welcome in a kit in this scale. Looking over the runners you can’t help but be impressed by the levels of detail. For a kit that’s over thirty years old, the finer features such as the cockpit and undercarriage and weapons, are simply superb and in many cases better than detail found in far more contemporary products. The seats for instance feature full strapping, the cockpit tub and instrument panels are finely detailed with complex switch and dial detail and the underwing tanks exhibit strengthening ribs decorated with some of the finest rivets I have ever seen. Along

with a complete cockpit and undercarriage suite, the kits also offers those tanks, missiles and bombs to hang under the wings. All in all, lots of detail and features to admire over the kit’s astonishingly low parts count of 85! Of course the elephant in the room is the surface detail. Raised detail is certainly not everyone’s cup of tea, so that my put off potential purchasers. Personally, I don’t really have that much problem with it (though in this case it may well need to be reduced under a layer of primer) but with a careful paint job and some weathering here and there, this model will look neat and tidy despite the raised detail. You could of course rescribe the surface, but when I build this kit, I think I’l be leaving well alone to see how it will look from the box… Only one option is supplied on the decal sheet, the rather hackneyed VF-84. Though the decals are superb, I can’t help but be fed-up with the constant sight of the this scheme on kit boxes. Given the huge number of squadrons that operated the F-4J, it really would have been welcome to see something a little different. Thank goodness we have the aftermarket to raid for options to build other than Jolly Rogers and Showtime 100!

VERDICT Though an older kit from Revell, there is much to admire and enjoy once you open the box. Thanks to the levels of detail, Monogram’s Phantoms were often seen as better than those offered by their contemporaries, Fujimi and Hasegawa and with a little TLC, could certainly build up into fine little replicas. As mentioned, I have plans top build one of these as an in-between project, so hope to show you just how they look in a future issue of this magazine. Thanks to Revell for the review sample.

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EUROFIGHTER TYPHOON SINGLE SEATER Scale: 1:72/Revell/Materials: IM/ Kit No: 03952/All Good Model Shops/Price Guide:

R

evell bring everything bang up to date with a brand-new kit of the Eurofighter Typhoon. Though a this aircraft has been in their range for a few years now, this new kit offers a slightly simplified approach to construction and all of the ‘Batch 3’ updates that the current fleet are seen with, in service. Having tackled the previous kit, this one looks to be sensibly broken down with few of the constructional headaches that plagued the initial kit. Indeed, it seems to be more in keeping with the Hasegawa kit and that means that areas such as the intake and upper spine/airbrake will be easier to deal with. It’s also well detailed with a stack of features such as weapons, internal structures, refuelling probe and airbrake, all present and correct. Detail across the board is exceptional. Surface features are represented with finely incised panel lines that will create a smooth surface that befits the original design. Smaller features are equally well treated. Construction begins with a three-part seat before moving on to the cockpit tub and surprisingly, a clear instrument panel. This part is very delicate and features the circular HUD glazing moulded in situ, the use of a clear part allowing the MFDs to be painted around to produce very realistic looking panels. The simplicity of the kit’s breakdown is perhaps best illustrated by the number of parts that go together to create the

airframe, only around 15 being used to great effect. Though we can’t tell from simply looking at the parts in the box, this would appear to point to a relaxing build, only the smaller subassemblies and weapons likely to take time to build and paint. Control surfaces are moulded in situ, but given that they move only in one axis, they shouldn’t be too difficult to remove and reposition should the mood take you. Though the kit offers markings for only one German aircraft, flashed over holes under the wings would seam to suggest that an RAF bird will appear, pylons for these stations as well as an IRST for the nose also being supplied. If you have aftermarket decals and perhaps some of Hasegawa’s weapons from their kit, you are ready to build an RAF aircraft without further ado! Along with the finely detailed plastic parts, the kit continues Revell’s tradition of supplying colourful German markings in the first releases of many of their new kits (see also Tornado, Lynx, etc.). This one is decorated with markings from TaKtLwG 71 “Richthofen” July 2016. Though not a fan of these schemes, this one is actually rather nice, the use a black design on one side of the tail, red on the other and then a black spine, all combining to create a neat looking aircraft and something just a little different from the normal overall grey Typhoons we are so used to seeing. The decals are very nicely printed and well designed, all colours being accurate, clean and in register.

VERDICT A nice kit from Revell and a worthy replacement for their earlier Typhoon in this scale. Modellers in the UK will no doubt be disappointed to see that the initial release is German, but given the inclusion of RAF parts and the proliferation of decals from the aftermarket, I’m sure that those that don’t want to wait for a specific release will still be able to crack on with a build. I like this kit a lot and so I think will you! Thanks to Revell for the review sample.

F-15C EAGLE “GULF WAR 25TH ANNIVERSARY” Scale: 1:48/Italeri/Materials: IM/ Kit No: 2763/All Good Model Shops/Price Guide:

T

here are precious few kit ranges that don’t have an F-15 in them, so it’s not surprising to see that Italeri are amongst the list of modeller’s options. Having released a number of 1:72 kits during the 80s, Italeri took time to offer the modeller a 1:48 F-15C and now, in order to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Gulf War, they’ve rereleased the kit with decals pertinent to that conflict. Rumoured to have been designed to be part of the ESCI range, but never released under that banner, Italeri’s F-15 certainly looks like a kit from a previous generation. Though neatly detailed and well-moulded, the kit lacks the finesse seen in later offerings, the smaller items, cockpit, undercarriage and weapons all being rather sparse in terms of detail, the cockpit in particular looking rather bland despite the use of decals to decorate the instrument panel consoles. Similar points apply to the undercarriage bay doors and airbrake interior that are completely plain and the jet pipes that are not only extremely shallow, but also devoid of any internal structures. Finally, there are no intake tunnels, only blanking plates helping to cover up the omission. So what about the positives? Well, the airframe is actu-

ally rather nice, the shape looking to capture the look of the real Eagle and the panel lines are fine, consistent and pleasing. The only fly in the ointment are the two drop-down doors on the upper intakes that look to have been added post-production. Though relatively small features, the scribing that has been used to add these two doors is so poor that it looks to have been done with a nail, in the dark. It’s terrible and so you really will have to fine the scribed lines and start again… In terms of weapons the kit offers pure Alpha loads, only 4x Sidewinders, 4x Sparrows and one centreline tank being offered. This means that later aircraft, should you chose to model them (including perhaps those in the kit), will need to find new launch rails and AMRAAMS for the underwing pylons. Actually given the simplicity of the weapons supplied in this kit, I’d suggest replacing all of them, but that’s just a personal feeling… If the plastic is left somewhat wanting, the decals are the real highlight, offering four different F-15Cs, 58th TFS, 71st TFS, 525th TFS USAF and 13th Squadron RSAF. All of the individual markings are well printed and the colours look to be accurate and detail, fine and precise - indeed, if this was an aftermarket sheet, I wouldn’t be disappointed!

VERDICT Though far from a poor kit, Italeri’s F-15 certainly has the look and feel of a product designed some time ago. Detail is in places sparse and in need of additional work to bring it up to modern-day standards. That said, the airframe looks neat and in the main tidy, so with work a nice F-15 could be created from this kit especially if decorated with those excellent decals! We may take a look at this one in a future issue… Thanks to the Hobby Company for the review sample.

Issue 139 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 73

NR KITS 139.indd 3

09/01/2017 14:25

NEW RELEASE - KITS

MESSERSCHMITT ME262 B-1/U-1 NIGHTFIGHTER Scale: 1:32/Revell/Materials: IM/ Kit No: 04995/All Good Model Shops/Price Guide:

A

nnounced at the beginning of 2016, Revell has finally released their new 1:32 Me262 and what a nice kit it is! Moulded in pale grey plastic, this new tool exhibits high levels of detail, superb moulding, features aplenty and a levels of accuracy that will delight fans of this aircraft. The fact that it is perhaps the most interesting member of the ‘262 family, only adds to the party. In this day and age of massively complex kits with 1000+ parts, its gratifying to see that Revell has taken a simpler path, offering only 222 parts in their kit, thus aiming it squarely at both modellers starting out and those with more experience and skill. Thanks to conventional breakdown and a sensible approach to design, their appears to be precious few pitfalls to trap the unwary. Construction begins with the interior the cockpit being extremely well detailed, the enclosed monocoque structure of the original being superbly replicated. Detail is really something else, all of the structural members, switches, dials and boxes that adorn the cockpit being present and correct. Add a set of sweat straps and you will not need to add anything else to create a picture-perfect interior! With the cockpit dealt with, the modellers can turn to the nose gun bay and then the two JUMO engines. Once again, detail is fine and the construction of these important features simple and well thought out.

The engines comprise little more than twenty parts (including cowlings), so should be quick to build, the addition of some pipes and cables here and there adding to the illusion of reality. As with the rest of the kit, full painting instructions are supplied to guide the modeller through the finishing stages of these important items. The airframe wraps and round all of these little sub-assemblies and once again, sensible design ensures that construction is hurdle-free. Conventionally broken down, the parts count is low despite the inclusion of separate flaps, slats and all other control surfaces. With so much detail already on show, the offer of further candid items such as this will allow the creation of a highly detailed model with plenty of nocks and crannies to admire. With plans to build our model as part of a diorama this is a more than welcome aspect of this kit and will easily allow plans in that direction to be fulfilled with ease. In terms of shape, accuracy and detail, all of the airframe parts score highly, comparison with both period photographs and plans showing that Revell has done their homework. Surface detail is pleasingly fine, both recessed panel lines and raised panels being used to great effect. Rivets, that most devise of inclusions are used sparingly, only the most obvious being found around the surface of the model. Should you wish to add more, you can…

Final details include the undercarriage and those distinctive radar aerials on the nose. All of these items are fine and delicate, the aerials in particular being as fine a set of parts as I have seen. Indeed, such is their finest that care will need to be take to ensure that they are not damaged during removal from the runners. Last but not least the glazing is clear, thin and distortion free. Decals are supplied for two different aircraft. The choices are as follows: ● Red 12 - 10./NJG 11, Schleswig, May 1945 ● Red 8 - 10./NJG 11, Schleswig, May 1945

VERDICT A thumbnail sketch such as this can only really scratch the surface of a new kit such as this, so we will leave the nuts an bolts of a true review and build until the next issue. Suffice to say that we were very impressed by this new kit from Revell; detail is superb, design excellent and thanks to the low parts count, the kit should be suitable to modellers with a wide range of skill levels. We really like this kit and look forward to making a start on it and showing you the results in a future edition of this magazine. Thanks to Revell for the review sample.

74 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2017

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AeroDetail series £

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Republic P-47D CD89 Bubble-canopy version of the much loved ‘Jug’, photographed in fine detail. (105 images) Polikarpov Po-2 CD88 The world’s most numerously produced aircraft of all time, the P0-2 was a great maid-of-all-work used by both military and civil groups in the old Soviet Union and its satellite states. Example depicted is pristine, and now in storage at Old Warden. (170 images) Polikarpov I-15 CD87 The ultra agile Russian biplane fighter aircraft that saw widespread service prior to and in the early years of WW2 and during the Spanish civil war. Example illustrated is a superbly restored machine. (100 images) Pitts S.1 CD86 Homebuilt example by Bob Millinchip, as seen at 2002 PFA Rally. Complete detail study. (36 images) Piper Tomahawk CD85 Cranfield Flying School example of this civil ab-initio trainer aircraft. (54 images) Piper Super Cub CD84 The later, ‘cleaned-up’ version of the famous Piper J-3, with more elegant engine cowl. Two examples shown. (80 images) Piper L-4 Grasshopper CD83 Military version of the famous Piper J-3 Cub used during WW2 and close reconnaissance and spotter aircraft and for many other tasks. (80 images) Percival Provost CD82 Airworthy, preserved example of the RAF piston engined basic trainer used in the 1950s. Full detail. (30 images) Percival Mew Gull CD81 Famous 1930s racing and record setting aircraft that will forever linked with the achievements of British aviator Alex Henshaw. (35 images)

North American T28 CD80 The advanced trainer aircraft that served in many air arms worldwide and also became a counter-insurgency ground attack aircraft. Examples illustrated are from France, where the type served for many years as the ‘Fenec’. (100 plus images) North American P51D Mustang CD79 The definitive bubble canopy Merlin Mustang. In detail, showing several restored examples. This is the Fantasy of Flight Museum’s overpolished example, but the close-up detail is all there. (102 images) North American P51B/C CD78 First of the Rolls Royce Merlin engined Mustangs, this collection depicts the Fantasy of Flight Museum’s restored example, with overly polished plain metal surfaces. Much detail. (102 images) Also, 41 images of The Fighter Collection’s P-51C in bare metal restoration, showing much surface and internal airframe detail. A real bumper bundle! (over 140 images) North American B25 Mitchell CD77 Fantasy of Flight Museum’s example. Photographed soon after superb restoration. Full nose to tail detail. (74 images) North American AT6 Harvard CD76 AT-6, SNJ, Texan, Harvard – call it what you will. 55,000 were built – this example is in U.S. Army colours, with comprehensive close-up detail, nose to tail. (76 images) North American A36 Invader CD75 The ground attack variant of the Alison engined P-51A. Photos, in detail, of the world’s only airworthy example. (69 images) Morane Saulnier MS406 CD74 French WW2 fighter that fought in the Battle of France, 1940. Swiss restored example (92 images)

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EVENTS DIARY Model shows for 2017

January 22nd 2017 IPMS Bolton Model Show at St Joseph’s RC High School, Chorley New Road, Horwich Bolton, BL6 6HW from 10:00. Trade Stands, Club Displays, Model Making Demonstrations, Refreshments, Disabled Access & Free Parking. Adults £4, OAP £3, Children (Under 16) £2 Families (2 adults and 2 children) £10.Contact Rob Monfea: [email protected]

February 11th 2017 The Tank Museum is pleased to announce the addition of a new model show to its events calendar – The Tank Museum Model Expo. View a large selection of exhibitors from across the modelling spectrum ranging from boats, planes, motor racing cars and of course militaria and armoured warfare models. A number of Traders and stockists will be situated throughout the Museum. If you are inspired by the models on display, The Tank Museum’s own volunteer modelling association will be in attendance and will be

on hand to give advice in creating your own miniature scale model. Get inspired and discover the hints and tricks behind making your own miniature. The general admission prices are – £14.00 per adult and £8.00 per child. Online discounts available. The ticket includes an annual membership to the museum which entitles the holder to return to the museum for free – this includes admission to our October show ‘Tank Mod’ which is taking place on Saturday 7th October 2017. Contact: Oliver Bitten on 01929 405096. Email: [email protected]

February 12th 2017 Huddersfield Model Show 2017 at Huddersfield Leisure Centre, Spring Grove Street Huddersfield, HD1 4BP from 10.30am ’til 4.30pm. Model displays, competition, trade stands, refreshments Admission £4.00 Concessions - £2.00. Please not the new opening times For further

information please Contact: Geoff Milnes on 01132893132 or 07879446544 or Alan Paul on 07811358355.

February 26th 2017 North Devon Model Society Annual Show to be held at Fremington Parish Hall, 12 Higher Rd , Barnstaple, EX31 3BG United Kingdom from 10am-4pm. Entrance £3.00 adults children under 14 free over £1.50. Refreshments as usual. Free Paint & Take a figure. See web site for detail updates www.northdevonmodelsociety.co.uk

March 5th 2017 East of England Model Show 2017 to be held at The Voyager Academy, Mountsteven Ave, Walton , Peterborough, Cambs PE4 6HX. Admission £3 under 15 free. Free on site parking. All proceeds from the show go to local charities. Contact: Ken Almen. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.PeterboroughScaleModelClub.co.uk

March 12th 2017 East Midlands Model Show to be held at The Leisure Centre, Argents Mead, Hinckley, Leics LE10 1BZ. 10am to 5pm Saturday & 10am to 4pm Sunday Entry: Adults £3.00, Children £1 & Senior Citizens £2 Open Competition (Sunday only) – the Senior competition is being sponsored by Models For Sale (http://www.modelsforsale.com)

March 18th 2017 Southern Expo 2017 to be held at the Hornchurch Sports Centre, Harrow Lodge Park Hornchurch Road, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 1JU from 10am ’til 5pm. 10am to 5pm Saturday & 10am to 4pm Sunday. Entry: Adults £3.00, Children £1 & Senior Citizens £2. Open Competition (Sunday only) – the senior competition is being sponsored by Models For Sale www.modelsforsale.com Contact Peter Bagshaw on 01708 726 102. Email: [email protected]

78 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2017

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09/01/2017 14:13

CONTACTS

✆

✉

Contact details for companies featured in MAI this month...

Azur/Frrom

Historie & Collections

MARK I Ltd.

Revell GmbH & Co., KG

**See Special Hobby Ltd**

5 avenue de la Ræpublique F-75541 Paris Cédex 11 Tel: 01 40 21 18 20 Fax: 01 47 00 51 11 www.historieetcollections.fr

PO Box 10, CZ-100 31 Prague 10 – Strasnice, Czech Republic Tel: +420-241 765 158 Fax: +420-241 765 158 Email: [email protected]

Abteilung X, Henschelstr 20-30, D-32257 Bünde, Germany

The Hobby Company Limited

Master Model

Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes MK5 8PH Tel: 01908 605 686 Fax: 01908 605 666 Email: [email protected] or [email protected] www.hobbyco.net

71-126 Szczecin, ul. 26 Kwietnia 49/44, Poland Tel: +48 0 503 072 624 Email: [email protected] www.master-model.pl

Albion Alloys 518 Wallisdown Rd, Bournemouth, Dorset BH11 8PT www.albionhobbies.com Tel. 0044 1202 511232 Fax. 0044 1202 539967

Creative Models Ltd Unit 6/10, Honeysome Road Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6TG Tel: +44 (0)1354 760022 Fax: +44 (0)1354 760037 Email: [email protected] www.creativemodels.co.uk

Eduard M.A., 170 Obrnice, Obrnice, 435 21, Czech Republic Tel: 420 35 6 11 81 86 Fax: 420 35 6 11 81 71 Email: [email protected]

Hannants Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 3LZ Tel: 01502 517444 Fax: 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk

Hasegawa Corporation, 3-1-2 Yagusu Yaizu, Shizuoka 425-8711, Japan Tel: 81 54 6 28 82 41 Fax: 81 54 6 27 80 46

Mushroom Model Publications

Borispolskaya 9, Building 64, Kiev 02099, Ukraine Tel/Fax: (+380 44) 369 54 12 Email: [email protected]

3 Gloucester Close, Petersfield, Hants. GU32 3AX Tel: +44 (1)1730 265014 Email: [email protected] www.mmpbooks.biz

Italeri S.p.A

Pocketbond Ltd.

Via Pradazzo 6/B, I-40012 Calderara di Reno, (Bologna), Italy Tel: +39 051 72 60 37 Fax: +39 051 72 64 59 Email: [email protected]

POCKETBOND Bachmann Europe PLC Moat Way Barwell Leics LE9 8EY Tel 01455 841756 [email protected]

Lela Presse S.A.R.L.

Revell GmbH

29, rue Paul Bert, 62230 Outreau, France. Tel: 03 21 33 88 96 Fax: 03 21 32 00 39 www.avions-bateaux.com. Email: [email protected].

Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane, Tring HP23 4QR Tel: 0845-459-0747 Fax: 01296-660041 Email: [email protected] www.revell.de/en

ICM Holding

Special Hobby Ltd Mezilesi 718, Prague 9 193 00, Czech Republic www.cmkkits.com

Wydawnictwo Stratus s.c. PO Box 123, 27-600 Sandomierz 1, Poland Tel: 0-15 833 30 41 Email: [email protected] www.stratusbooks.com.pl

Trumpeter Wa San Development (Macau) Ltd Rampa Dos Cavleiros No.9, Block 5, Floor 16, Flat AS EDF, Jardim Sun Yick Garden, Macaua China www.trumpeter.com

Wingnut Wings Ltd PO Box 15-319, Miramar, Wellington 6022, New Zealand www.wingnutwings.com

Issue 139 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 79

EVENT & CONTACTS 139.indd 3

09/01/2017 14:13

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SHOWTIME 100

Zoukei-Mura has released the first of a family of Phantoms in 1:48, the famous F-4J. The editor sharpens his scalpel blades to bring you a full appraisal.

HISTORY IN MINIATURE After meeting its pilot John Wilkinson, Alan price decided to build his Spitfire from Sword’s 1:72 kit, the results of which can be seen next month along with a fascinating interview with the man himself!

Issue 139 - www.modelairplaneinternational.com 81

NEXT MONTH 139.indd 3

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FINAL THOUGHTS SIMPLICITY IS THE KEY…

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f the last few years or so have been defined by anything within the modelling world, it is that bigger is better. We have seen a huge increase in the number of highly sophisticated — not to mention expensive — kits hitting the market. Many of these new kits, often larger in scale, have demanded from the modeller that they demand a huge amount of time, often at the expense of building more than a handful of models each year. In 2016, my major endeavour was the completion of my Harrier T.2. Though delighted to have finished the model, I couldn’t help but wonder once it was done how many other models I could have built during the time it took to assemble and paint my 1:24 Jump Jet. The answer? A lot. So this year, though I’ve already planned a new, large scale conversion in 1:24, I’ve decided to intersperse all of the more complicated time consuming builds with ones that are easier and less demanding of my time. Some of the kits reviewed this month such as the Revell 1:72 F-4J Phantom would be perfect for this, a simple kit with a small number of parts, an easy paint scheme and a limited number of decals. That way I can add to my collection, offer you some neat projects to enjoy and not get bogged down with the repetition of the kind of involved projects I tend

to be attracted to month in month out. But more than the machinery of magazine production and deadlines to consider, I really want to get back to building the way I used to: a kitchen table, a limited number of tools and techniques and a kit that can be completed over a weekend. Though it’s great to stare a demanding kit in the face and beat it into submission, I find it less fun than cracking open a box, examining the bits and pieces and gluing the parts together for the sake of gluing them together! When I look back to last year, the models that I had most fun with, were actually the most simple: Airfix 1:48 P-40 and Defiant and Eduard’s 1:48 Me109G-6. All three of these kits were started as soon as they arrived and completed with 3 or 4 days, each one needing little more than glue, a knife, sanding sticks and some paint. Simple, easy, stress-free. So this year I’m looking forward to working in this way once more and showing you the results. Sure, I’ll be tackling the involved kits once more, but I’ll also be having a go at kits that even a beginner can enjoy. After all that’s why I began building models in the first place, the simple enjoyment of building and painting a kit without trying to impress anyone but myself. Now, where’s that Phantom..? ■

82 MODEL AIRPLANE INTERNATIONAL - February 2017

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No. 2733

H-21C SHAWNEE “FLYING BANANA” 100% NEW MOULDS - SUPER DECAL SHEET - PHOTO ETCHED PARTS - MULTI-COLOUR INSTRUCTION SHEET The H-21 Shawnee is known for its nickname “flying banana” which derives from the particular upward angle of the aft fuselage. The fuselage designed, in this original way, has been developed to permit the adoption of the two powerful tandem rotors and the oversized propellers. Thanks to the two rotors and the strong aerodynamic structure, the H-21 became a reliable “workhorse” able to successfully perform the most demanding transport tasks in any kind of environments. Widely used by the United States Army since the first half of the 50s, it was also deployed in the Vietnamese operation theatre for use in transporting troops and tactical supplies since 1961. To increase the defensive capability the H-21 was often armed with mobile machine guns to the side doors. It was gradually replaced by the more modern UH-1 and CH-47.

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HOBBY COMPANY ITALERI 139.indd 25

Italeri Kits are distributed in the UK by The Hobby Company Limited, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG See the full Italeri range at www.hobbyco.net Italeri models are available from all good model shops

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