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71 APRIL/MAY 2017 • £6.50 UK $15.99
MENG AIR MODELLER
April / May 2017
www.mengafvmodeller.com
PHANTOM MENACE ALBERT TUREKZEK’S OLD SCHOOL 1:72 F4
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CONTENTS 2
Fw190 D13 Emmanuel Pernes models the long-nose yellow ten.
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Short Sterling Part 7 Megas Tsonos continues to scratchbuild the heavy bomber in 1:48.
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Zero Hero Tamiya’s 1:48 kit detailed by Renzo Bortolotto.
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Phantom Menace Albert Turekzek’s vintage 1:72 F4.
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P-39 Aircobra Kevin Futter tackles the 1:32 Kitty Hawk kit.
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Air Borne New releases.
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Digital Snake Skin Mac Patterson’s 1:35 Supercobra
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The Focke Wulf 190 D is one of my favourite aircraft of all time with it's pure and aggressive lines. Amongst all the types and versions, the D 13 must surely represent the ultimate ‘Butcher Bird’. More so, for a modeller like me who loves to paint with the airbrush, the most emblematic D 13, Yellow 10, is the ultimate painting challenge. The only long-nosed Fw 190 D-13 to have survived the war is now part of the Flying Heritage Collection in the U.S. It entered service in March of 1945 and served with the JG 26 with Major Franz Götz. In May, 1945, after the end of the war, Major Götz flew this D-13 to the RAF base in Flensburg, Germany, and surrendered. The ‘Dora’ has been restored close to flyable condition but remains on the ground due to it’s rarity. To replicate this aircraft I've chosen the Hobbyboss kit. Far from a ‘snap-fit-kit’, it's a well designed and complete model. It sits in between the Eduard and Tamiya kits for ease of build and level of detail. However, be careful if you want to do a D 11, the dedicated box from Hobbyboss doesn't allow you to build a D 11, but to keep me happy is a perfect match for a D 13.
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A few years ago I scratchbuilt an engine bay for the Tamiya ‘190D, having taken moulds from the parts I cast them in resin for this project although little is seen on the finished model. The Hobbyboss cockpit is very close to the Tamiya version, seatbelts from HGW were added. I’d heard good reports about Akan paints and chose their RLM 66 for the cockpit which I found required lightening to suit my taste.
Some wiring detail was added and an old Verlinden MG151 was mounted in the ‘V’ of the Jumo 213E engine, again barely visible on the finished model but I know it’s there!
Brake lines are always a worthwhile yet simple addition.
The Hobbyboss kit builds precisely and easily with minimum fuss or filler, good news as I knew the paint scheme would take most of the time on this project.
My reference showed unpainted wheel wells towards the end of the war.
Exhaust outlets were detailed by drilling and carving with a sharp blade, liquid cement provided a final smoothing
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RLM 75 is applied on the uppersides. The colour goes over the edges of the wings. First, I painted the fuselage and part of the undersides in RLM 76. The wooden panel in the middle of the fuselage is painted in RLM 65. Wings are finished in a bare metal with some panels darkened with graphite powder while others are lightened with a metallic watercolour crayon.
Then, the RLM 82 light green is applied. It’s a long process with a highly diluted mix and many breaks are necessary to rest the hand and to clean the airbrush, all necessary when replicating such a tight and fine pattern.
The finished camo pattern has a very random appearance but tests your airbrushing skills to the max!
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Masks are done with ‘Oromask’ to airbrush the white crosses on the wings. They will be masked again when dry before we continue to apply the pattern around them. The RLM 81 Braunviolett is a mix of Gunze H 421 and Gunze H 84, because the Gunze braunviolett is too green for me. You need to strongly dilute the paint, chose a low pressure setting on the compressor and work close to the surface. Don’t worry if you overspray a little bit the mottling, you’ll be able to go back to your work later with the lighter shades.
To remove the overspray, I worked back into the patterns with very highly diluted mixes ot the lighter shades. I began with the green along the brown spots of the pattern. As it’s highly diluted and lighter than the brown any slight overspray here won’t show. Grey tones finishing with the lightest were applied last.
working back-in with previous colours to eliminate any overspray is time-consuming but the final result gives well defined edges. The squadron white and black stripes were painted, then the top oversprayed with light green. I left a transparent appearance in places as the actual aircraft.
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My references showed the aircraft had heavy weathering to the underside. Note the fluid stains and streaks. Flaps were often made from wood at the end of the war to save on strategic materials.
The exhaust stains are airbrushed with a diluted mix of Gunze brown and black. Many passes are necessary to keep the transparency of the stains as they get further from the exhaust outlets. The centre of the exhaust stain is airbrushed with a light cream. You need to stay close to the surface and near the centre of the last exhaust pipe. The last step is delicate. With a stiff brush soaked in alcohol, streak the exhaust stains from top to bottom. Working closely with reference images helps with the realism on features like this, we rarely see bright orange rust and pure black exhaust stains. The gloss varnish applied before the decals will help protect this subtle work.
Oil streaks are made on the propeller and spinner with a thin felt pen. The model is gloss varnished before applying the decals. They come from various manufacturers (Aeromaster, Kommandeur, Eduard…).
After an all-over matt varnish dirt and footsteps on the wing root were created with pigments removed with small pieces of masking tape.
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SHORT STIRLING In part eight the final details of the construction process are covered before we move on to the start of the painting process as well as the all important weathering of the Stirling.
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The fuselage end frame was added and I made the first dry fit of the rear turret to check that all was well. Indeed the fuselage was complete and ready for painting. The turret was removed again and was glued in place shortly before the model entered the showcase.
Modelling the turret rotated like this allowed the access doors to be open to show the interior details.
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part eight MEGAS TSONOS SCRATCHBUILDS THE HEAVY BOMBER IN 1:48
As for the turret itself, this is the Tamiya Avro Lancaster Nash and Thompson Type FN20 rear turret cupola, married to a fully revised interior, which converted the turret to the previous Type FN4 with which the Stirling Mk.I series I was equipped.
The principal difference between the two rear turret types was that the Type FN4 used ammunition boxes located in the turret itself, while the Type FN20 used an ingenious system of feeding its guns from boxes located in the centre of the fuselage via the bottom of the turret through its rotating ring. I modelled the ammo boxes and installed them on the floor immediately behind the transparency.
I also deployed the flap which opened to counter the aerodynamic effect felt on the aircraft by the turret rotation in the opposite direction. To complete the picture, I added a diagonal stiffening frame, made from a length of photoetched rivet strips from Eduard (prod. code # 00 099). The frame mentioned was peculiar to the Type FN4 turrets only.
I used the Master brass gun barrels for the .303 guns, which are of exceptional quality.
The gun barrels were suspended on a piece of styrene and immersed in the solution. By brushing them gently, I made sure that the solution penetrated all parts of the barrel’s surface to obtain a uniform finished appearance.
The immersion lasted for exactly two minutes. Then the gun metal looking barrels were cleaned in water...
A bath was prepared that consisted of a part of brass surface corrosive liquid (which is used to patinate jewellery) to five parts of water. Extreme care was taken as the chemical used is strong, and the area was well ventilated during this process.
... and wiped dry. I buffed them slightly and a metallic shine emerged.
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The barrels were ready for installing on both turrets. I used tweezers with caution in order to not scratch the patinated surface of the barrels. Whilst on the rear fuselage area, we should look at the emergency exit hatch. Contemporary photos show that on the inner side of the hatch, the rear gunner’s parachute was stowed as well as a cylindrical container for the stowage of an oxygen bottle or a fire extinguisher. The hatch was suspended by a cord when opened for maintenance.The hatch and its interior details were made of styrene as seen on the real hatch
I suspended the hatch (after painting) in much the same way as the real thing, using white coloured copper wire to simulate the cord used.
The entrance door to the rear fuselage was opening inwards and to the rear. As it would not be entirely visible, I only used a plain piece of black plasticard cut to shape; after the decal ‘S’ was applied I glued the door in place.
The entry ladder was made of Evergreen rods and cemented in place after the door.
Out of a piece of modelling board, I crafted the Type 3 DF loop aerodynamic fairing and using a brass pin I installed it on the fuselage. Seen in position, the DF loop was painted in two tones of scale black. In front of the DF loop, the astrodome was made of a piece of clear acetate heated and simply pressed over a mould. In the same photo, one can see the antenna mast complete with its anti-vibration and support cables which formed an inverted Vee and which sported the early Stirling installation of the pitot tube on top. The antenna mast was made of wood and the pitot tube from a piece of stainless steel tubing (Scale Caliber Hard Tube 04).
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As one of the first ten Short Stirlings to be produced at Shorts Belfast factory, N6004 was equipped with de-icer boots. Clearly noted by Mr. M.J.F. Bowyer in his book ‘The Stirling Bomber’ (Faber & Faber Ltd, 1980, p.43), it signified N6004 was a rare bird; but the de-icers were (and still are) a piece of equipment, an aeroplane can fly without. The long service history of N6004 ensured the de-icers were not on-wing for long. I decided in favour of installing them rather belatedly, as the painting was already done, to show
the model at an earlier stage in the flying career of N6004. As the leading edges were scribed and riveted, I used Tri-Foil Malleable Lead sheet, which is thin enough to simulate the de-icers and cover the previously detailed areas at the same time.Then I masked and airbrushed a mix of Humbrol Matt Black 33 and White Ensign Models ACRN22 R.A.F. /F.A.A. Red (Matt). This mixture created a dark chocolate colour, peculiar to the rubber de-icers.
When thoroughly dry, the de-icers were lightly buffed to become more satin as their rubber surfaces go matt only after prolonged on-wing service. Moreover, I stained them with artists’ oils (mostly black) in the vicinity of the engines.
I considered it is appropriate for the Stirling to be put in my showcase alongside some ground equipment so the size of the aircraft could be better appreciated. For this purpose I modelled the access panel for the electrical socket in the opened position, along with the ground power electrical cable plug. I hope some time in the foreseeable future to connect the trolley accumulator and the electrical cable to complete the picture.
The navigation (front) and formation (rear) lights is clear styrene block. It is drilled and painted to simulate the light bulb. Then it was cemented in place and sanded to the wingtip shape.
The Lorenz Beam Approach antenna was made of a brass tube as its position on the fuselage makes in prone to damage by mishandling. I used a small piece of wood for the front end and a small quantity of styrene molten in polystyrene cement, to create the antenna attaching fairings on the fuselage. The finished antenna was painted in the fuselage colour.
One of the small details and therefore easily missed are the IFF lights, and the F24 camera. The lights are clear 1,5mm ‘little-lenses’ (modellingtools.co.uk), cemented with CA glue in recesses and covered by clear acetate discs (cut with a punch-and-die tool), and painted in the appropriate clear colours of green, red and amber. The F24 camera came from a Tamiya Mosquito, and its lenses came also from the ‘little-lenses’ range.
Finally, a closer look at the twin landing lights. I made a cut into the modelling board comprising the leading edge, and modelled the visible part of the wing structure into the recess. When the structure was finished, I sanded down the surrounding area as indicated by the yellow line, deep enough to glue the acetate clear part flush and as far as possible from the area that was to remain transparent; this area was masked and the surrounding acetate was finished as the rest of the wing. The finished landing lights are shown in the right photo.
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PAINTING THE STIRLING
‘B’ patterns (reminiscent of the pre-war directives issued) were found to exist. I went as far as to check for possible reverse
The painting added two long months to the build. I say long
printed photographs in the books as this is a hidden danger that
because it is NOT what one might think as a ‘boring
can lead to erroneous conclusions as regards ‘A’ and ‘B’ patterns.
green/earth/black’ or, the even more naive –“oh, one more typically
The fuselage sides (down to the wings leading and trailing edges)
British R.A.F. scheme” – way of approaching the subject.
of a number of early Stirlings were painted in the upper
The early Stirlings were painted in a more or less standard
camouflage colours, which led the Squadrons to repaint them with
disruptive temperate land scheme of Dark Earth and Dark Green
Special Night; this, in turn, led to some interesting paintwork,
(of the ‘type S’ formula which was then coming into use). Following
slowly giving way to the standard camouflage application as more
the January 1940 adoption of the RDM2 Black or Special Night for
and more bombers were entering service. N6004 was an example
the painting of all night bombers, the first Stirlings were painted in
of Squadron repainting, its new black, hastily applied Special Night
a very matt, sooty black underside colour which was unstable and
clearly standing out in relation to the already worn factory-applied
peeled badly after only a few months of service.
paint.
A detailed factory drawing containing all dimensions with regard to
As can be seen in the contemporary colour photos the Stirling the
colour demarcation lines was prepared by Short Bros. and is
upper camouflage colours on the rear fuselage top were suffering
reproduced in J.M.F. Bowyer’s book ’The Stirling Bomber’.
from intense discolouration, a fact I had to attend to very carefully.
Photographic evidence proved that the scheme described in the
With the objectives being set, I went on with the task of masking
drawing was worn by even and odd-serialled aircraft alike; no ‘A’ or
the model.
The engine blocks, the undercarriage and the canopy were masked as single units with plastic wrapping. For the transparencies I used Mr. Hobby Mr. Masking Sol R.
The first step was to airbrush the entire upper surfaces with Xtracolor X2 R.A.F. Dark Earth. An Olympos HP101 was used which combined the wide, high quality spray pattern I needed, with a constant colour thickness.
I left the model for two days to allow for the paint to dry thoroughly. It usually takes much less time but it is advisable to be on the safe side, as the model was to be entirely masked with Frisket film prior to the next colour application. The Frisket film was cut to the camouflage pattern as per the Short Bros. drawing, and sprayed with the second colour, Xtracolor X1 Dark Green. I removed the masking film immediately after painting while the dark green was still wet. Then the strict line between the two colours was made ‘sprayed’; I used an Iwata Custom Micron B airbrush, its hairline spraying abilities being second to none when it comes to airbrushing demarcation lines. Right The glossy undersides are looking much darker than they really are, but the shade was restored when the model was varnished in Xtracolor XDFF Matt Varnish. Before commencing with the weathering of the model, the Type B roundels were painted so as to be weathered along the rest of the wings.
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The second step was to paint the model’s black undersides. It must be remembered that the Stirling I was modelling was repainted at Squadron level with a new coat of Special Night on the fuselage sides. So I had to: (a) keep the undersides lighter but NOT deviate from the dark appearance a bomber presented, (b) indicate the contrast of the two shades of black on the fuselage sides, (c) observe the scale effect on all shades. Considering the fact that sunlight makes a given colour appear lighter on the sides of an object in relation to its undersides, I made two different shades of worn black,
and airbrushed the darker one on the undersides of the fuselage and the wings. Then I painted the lighter shade on the fuselage sides. I finished the painting of the ‘blacks’ with the application of the ‘new’ black; though it was done after the weathering of the model. In this way I gained the muchneeded contrast between the old and new colours. I made three different mixes of Humbrol 21 Gloss Black, each time with a different percentage of Xtracolor X219 RLM61. As I am not the drops-counting type, I only kept an even contrast between the three mixes. The weathering would do the rest.
In this stage, I gave the entire upper surfaces a wash of A. Mig No.1614 Neutral Brown. The airbrushed wash was quickly wiped with a soft napkin, leaving just enough to bring out the scribed details. Note that the final coat of ‘new’ black is not applied yet.
The upper fuselage discolouration was done with the gentle airbrushing of lighter shades of the dark earth and dark green between the frame and stringer scribed lines.
Darker colours were also airbrushed on the panel lines and rivet lines to good effect. I also used the Tamiya Weathering Master sets of pastel colours, after the upper fuselage was matt-varnished.
The wash technique to the undersurfaces was done with caution, as it has no impact on black-coloured surfaces. It was done on the model only because from the start it was planned to be painted in greyish shades so the contrast between the basic colours and the wash was to be almost nonexistent.
I used a rich amount of Mr Hobby Mr.Color No.30 Flat Base mixed with No.46 Clear and thinned with Mr. Levelling Thinner; I airbrushed it randomly, and the solution being rich in flat base- dried white. In this way, I brought out some rivet detail in the form of paint flaking, instead of using the more intense-looking aluminium paint. As the photo reveals, the work described previously was kept to a minimum.
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Before the model was matt-varnished, I gave it a heavy wash on the wing upper surfaces, behind the engines using a 50/50 mixture of black and raw umber artist’s oils diluted in white spirit and airbrushed. Then I wiped some of it, leaving the rest to appear as oily dirt. The procedure darkened the camouflage colours in the area considerably. Then I applied a first layer of oil leaks, this time by brushing on black oil streaks; I masked the area in front of the main spar so when the masking tape was removed, the leaking oil could be seen emerging at the joint of the main spar with the wing rear section. This was exactly the case on the real Stirlings as well. I left the oils to dry and I airbrushed the model with Xtracolor XDFF Matt Varnish. The area in front of the main spar was also affected by the engines; so following the varnishing of the model, I went on to simulate the exhaust stains. I took care not to make the stains too close to the engine exhausts, as the wings dihedral in relation to the position of the exhaust outlets made four different exhaust marks on their surface; not to mention the starboard ones being closer to the leading edge than the port ones!
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The oil staining procedure was also applied to the lower portion of the flap upper sides which are exposed when the flaps are retracted. On the wing undersurfaces of the Stirling Mk.Is the oil leaking from the oil coolers (located inside the wings between the engines) was making enormous staining. The situation was made better after the introduction of the Mk.III into service when the oil coolers were relocated under the engines. On the model, I used enamel gloss varnish to simulate the leaking oil. I directed the ‘leaking oil’ towards the fuselage as was imposed by the wing dihedral.
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THE PROJECT CONTINUES IN THE NEXT ISSUE
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JNAF Ace Takeo Tanimizu’s A6M5a
Renzo Bortolotto
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A LITTLE ABOUT TAKEO
THE TAMIYA KIT
Takeo Tanimizu (谷水竹雄 his name in
Tamiya’s brand is a guarantee of quality, no
The main wing and tail sections were
Japanese) is the pilot of the aircraft I
doubt about it. This kit appears reduced
attached to the fuselage, I then placed the
wanted to replicate, stationed in Japan in
from the 1:32 version, already rich with
moving parts which had any hollow areas
1945. In the last months of WWII Tanimizu
details I still wanted to add some missing
blanked with styrene strip. A few drops of
flew the latest version of the Zero, the
parts, such as various pipes and wiring
liquid filler (Gunze Mr Surfacer 500) diluted
A6M5c, this is the earlier ‘a’ version.
inside the cockpit, making small changes
with 'Tamiya Lacquer Thinner' were
When discussing the ‘Rising Sun’ pilots, it
and adding some components to the
brushed along the joints of the wings, tail
is almost important to mention Saburo
interior taken from an Eduard detail set.
surfaces and between fuselage and wings.
Sakai, even though other pilots like him
The joint of the fuselage halves can
Once dried, I removed the excess of filler
have distinguished themselves by
sometimes be the making of it kit, this
by using a solvent designed to remove nail
performing heroic acts, as did Tanimizu.
proved excellent with 'green cap' Tamiya
varnish for people with sensitive skin.
For example, on October 31st, 1944
cement being the only thing required. After
Liquid grey surface primer from Tamiya
chasing a formation of B-24s, Tanimizu
drying I sanded the fuselage joint without
was sprayed only on areas which I worked-
shot down one of the bombers and
the need of fillers. So even though we have
on the most; it usually helps me locate
seriously damaged another. Finding himself
Tamiya’s legendary quality and fit, there’s
imperfections and, sometimes, it helps
in difficulty the damaged bomber
still a few things that need addressing and
sealing the parts once sanded.
attempted a forced landing on the return
date the kit somewhat. For example, I had
To conclude construction, I sanded the
flight but crashed in the mountains not far
to correct an inaccurate fitting of the upper
whole model with fine abrasive and painted
away from its base. Takeo Tanimizu only
wing roots with the fuselage (a common kit
it allover with Gunze H-11 Matt White. I
received notice of this in the 1950s.
problem). Strips of Evergreen and
always paint my models starting from a
At the end of the conflict in WWII the
continued dry fitting overcame the gap so
white base finding it helps the colours
valiant sergeant of the JNAF was credited
it needed little more than a wipe over with
become more vivid and easily controlled.
with 32 victories.
Mr Surfacer. For added interest to the
After the white acrylic was dry, I sanded it
finished display I cut all the movable
all again with 2600 grade paper, making
control surfaces so to place them in
surfaces super-smooth to prepare for the
different positions.
next step.
Some wiring and homemade details enhance the cockpit a little.
Tamiya XF-71 looked a little bright but a dark brown wash toned it down to my liking.
Eduard’s pre-coloured instruments add a great element of sharp detail
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In order to place the 20 mm cannons (Master Model product AM-48-020), I created a support to hold the barrels allowing me to paint them separately and place them in the final fitting stage.
An annoying groove was evedent at the wing root. A strip of Evergreen was added to the wing and shaped until a perfect join was achieved.
CA gel allows more time to position the flaps exactly.
To add a more dramatic look to the zero control surfaces were separated to be replaced at angles. Any visible gaps were filled with styrene strip.
Both wings required the root joint correcting.
I remove excess Mr Surfacer with a nail polish remover designed for sensitive skin; regular remover would cause the styrene to melt.
Thinned Mr Surfacer will deal with most fine gaps.
Tamiya surface primer is thinned and airbrushed on the areas I’ve modified or filled to check for inperfections.
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Gunze white H-11 was applied overall and buffed with 2600 grade abrasive paper. I find white is a better base colour for Alclad than black which is often recommended. Alclad’s own ‘Honey’ clear primer is applied prior to the metallic.
The green tones must be worked with acrylics to allow the chipping fluid to reveal the metallic underneath.
PAINTING
aluminium dried completely, I gave a few
necessary to act decisively at this point;
Inspiration for this project was to recreate a
coats of 'Heavy Chipping' from AK
wet the surface and after a few seconds
weathered Japanese aircraft as it was
Interactive with an airbrush. It should be
the colour looks like it almost begins to run.
usually seen towards the end of the war. To
sprayed from a distance, giving several
If you wish to obtain more sharp-edged
reproduce bare metal surfaces I only use
coats and making sure that before every
paint chips, simply wet just the brush. By
Alclad II colours, which, I consider to be the
passage the product has dried out (using a
doing so you will have to scrub a little more
best on the market. In order to obtain a
hairdryer will speed the process). When dry
heavily with the brush in a stabbing motion.
good result, it is very important to use its
I was ready for the green top-coat.
It’s useful to have some spare parts or
own base coat, as I did by spraying “Honey
With the use of an airbrush, I made a mix
plastic card to practice on if you’ve never
Primer” clear base, to avoid any potential
of different shades of green by using
tried a chipping effect before.
problems. Through this process the surface
Gunze H-59 and H-60 and Tamiya XF-43
Every time a section is finished, gently dry
becomes glossy and, once the product
and XF-61, making sure to complete the
it with a paper towel to avoid ‘halos’ and to
dries, it will be ready to receive any Alclad
job in one session because once you finish
stop reactions on the surface paint.
II shades of metal. I chose ALC-101
the chipped effect, it is impossible to go
For the lower parts I choose Gunze H-61
aluminim. I airbrushed it on the areas,
back at previous step!
IJN Grey. To reproduce the anti corrosion
which later will be ‘chipped’, after the
Then, working by sections, I wetted the
colour, I painted all the areas such as the
surface and I start to 'scrub' the area where
internal flaps, housing flaps,wheels bay
I want to remove the surface colour with a
and wheels covers with green / blue
flat brush, preferably a bit worn). It is
Gunze H-63.
Scrubbing the surface with various brushes and warm water creates a realistic effect with good control. AKI also produce ‘Chipping’ fluid which results in finer effects lifting less of the surface colour.
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I found AKI’s Heavy Chipping fluid best applied in several light, dusted coats.
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A base coat of black is followed by lining the detail in with a 0/4brush.
Copper wire is used for the ignition cable, inserted into drilled holes.
More chipping on the classic red-brown spinner, note also the ‘directional’ weathering on the blades.
The effect of a dark brown wash can be seen on the finished engine.
Gloss varnish base and sealer coat always help the decals hug the surface.
In order to prepare the surface to apply
Another layer of clear diluted gloss is then
rivets with a fine brush. The excess was
decals, I find it necessary to give two coats
needed to protect the decals.
gently removed with wet ultrafine 2600
of clear gloss (Gunze H-30) after the
Working on the underside of the aircraft I
abrasive. A final layer of clear gloss was
painting phase. The decals I have chosen
used ‘Panel liners’ products from AK, a set
airbrushed to seal all the work so far.
are by ROP, code 48022 , which I find very
with various tones suitable to accentuate
Once the model was dry, I sanded the
good because they are thin and totally
aircraft panels and rivets -among which I
entire surface with the same 2600 fine
opaque. Although they have a small flaw;
chose dark gray AK 2075.
paper to harmonise the surface, eliminate
fragility. I would recommend using a lot of
On some top surfaces of the Zero I could
imperfections and signs of decal edges. I
water to position them. Once attached, I
not use any kind of panel liner because
then washed it with water and, once dried,
softened and fixed them with Microscale’s
they where not dark enough to be seen on
I airbrushed the AK Ultra Matt Varnish
system, MicroSet, MicroSol and gave
green finish, I decided to use black Vallejo
product diluted with it’s specific thinner.
plenty of drying time.
'Model Color' to shade each panel and the
Shading some areas of rivets and panel lines required some fine work with Vallejo acrylic black. Excess was removed with ultra-fine abrasive paper.
AKI ‘Panel liner’ washes work well on the pale colours of the undersides.
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THE LAST STEP Finally, all the parts previously prepared, such as landing gears, cowling, propeller, flaps, drop-tank and all the small components (machine guns and pitot tube) – are assembled together for the final fitting. Canopy painting was made easy by using Eduard’s excellent masks.
FINAL CONCLUSION The realization of this model was not straightforward. It proved harder than I thought it would be. Despite the fact that our terrific fighter of the Rising Sun certainly needed a few adjustments before being ready to paint but Tamiya still remain (along with Hasegawa) as one of the premier kit manufacturers of their homeland’s aircraft.
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I painted the landing gears bay, flaps and their housing on wings with green/blue anti corrosive, Gunze H-63.
All armament and the pitot tube (set from Master Model MA-48-020), were first painted with a coat of 'Tamiya Liquid Primer' then brushed with Humbrol Metal cote (HU 27003), which I always use to paint weapons. Fantastic colour! I let it dry for about 20/30 minutes then polish it with a cotton swab or bud to the lustre you’re happy with.
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28
he Story of the Phantom is well
T
extensive use in the Vietnam War where
The kit Is the ancient 1:72 one from ESCI
known and documented already. It
the US Navy and the US Air Force mostly
and is not available anymore. The market
was, and still is, a true landmark in
used it as an air superiority fighter, capable
has since been flooded with great
aviation history. In its twenty years of
of speed in excess of mach 2 and for the
Phantom kits of all scales and
production, well over 5000 units have been
time considered very manoeuvrable, the
manufacturers, but I had a special
produced serving in eleven international air
US Marines used the F4 mostly in the
connection to this specific kit! It has been
arms. Some Phantoms are still in active
ground support role. The Phantom could
in my stash for at least twenty years, when
service although their days are surely
carry a weapons load of 18 000 pounds,
I built a similar one all those years ago I
numbered. No other jet has the distinct
that meant everything from air to air
thought at the time that it was the best kit
shape of the Phantom, you can’t really call
rockets to iron bombs. It was a true multi
ever to depict the F4 and I bought another
it a graceful aircraft, but it represents sheer
role fighter as well as the last plane in US
one for a future build...
power and strength.
inventory to reach the “ace” status (five
Originally designated for the Navy, it saw
aerial victories)
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Today I could easily have picked one of the
discovered that my quality standards from
twenty years ago and I reckon that it is
great new kits and spared myself a lot of
twenty years ago wouldn’t meet my new
long out of production as well. I have
trouble, but I have a really hard time of
requirements and I had to face the fact
always had a clear conception of what my
getting rid of old kits just because they are
that the kit was far from being as good as I
next Esci Phantom should look like. Let’s
outdated; I decided to build it anyway, but
remembered and had a lot of flaws. I had
get started…
up to current standards, which meant an
my work cut out! I planned on using the
investment in aftermarket products.
fabulous Aires Cockpit, the CMK resin wheel set, Eduard’s AIM-7M Sparrow
I found the old model in the attic and had
missiles, the Aires nozzle set and the old
to remove a lot of dust from it, but found it
Microscale Decal sheet for a US Marine
was still in a decent state and I could use it
Corps bird from the Vietnam War. I had
as a blueprint for the new build. Quickly, I
bought this sheet together with the kit 29
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Aires cockpit, designed to fit the Revell Phantom!
Thinning-out the air intakes, worthwhile labour.
Some serious bracing was required to rectify some warpage.
With the fuselage pulled into shape the wings could be fitted.
I disregarded the cockpit from the kit and
recommended kit is: REVELL!
Next, there were the air intakes, which
started with the fuselage. The bottom part
But what the heck, It was one great looking
were not deep enough for my taste, and
with the nose wheel-well was thinned out
cockpit and I had a phantom kit to use it
there is also a guide pin location on the
and had to be glued in place after the
on!
bottom of the air intake on both sides,
cockpit is installed. My kit had a funny
creating an unnatural bump, which can
warp and due to this was narrowed at the
clearly be seen when looking at the model.
waist, so the fit to the wings was not great,
I opened the air duct for depth and got rid
to say the least. Some structural changes
of the guide pins and bumps. Afterwards, I
had to be executed. I used two plastic
filled the hole with resin. After the sanding,
pins, cut to length, to expand the waist and
I had smooth air intakes on my model with
to improve the fit with the wings. The Aires
a much greater depth in the air ducts. The
cockpit is not a good fit at all and I had a
nose, which did not fit either, had some
lot of trouble getting everything into place
resin added to align the joints and to get a
and aligning the sides afterwards. Maybe I
smooth surface.
should mention that it states on the manual for the cockpit that the
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Scribing and cutting some additional definition to the control sufaces. A final polish with micro-cloth before paint.
Next in line were the wings. The wheel
my research images. I decided to use lead
could be extended. I made this from metal
wells here are way too shallow and I
foil to cover all these areas and then add
tubing from Albion Alloys, as well as the
thinned them to the max by removing lots
the effects with buffable metal powder
pressure pipes in the tail plane. The anti-
of plastic. In total, it’s only thinner by 1 -
from Uschi van der Rosten. The exhausts
collision light is located in between these
1.5mm but it’s noticeable in 1:72. The
from Aires were great and I painted them
two. I cut the part out and replaced it with
inside of the wheel well had to be restored
with polished steel. They can be polished
red-coloured Lego glass, which I also used
after that.
to the exact degree needed. The landing
for the position lights on each wing.
The wing joints to the frame needed some
gear was reworked by adding brake lines
Furthermore, I cut off the radar warning
attention as well, but this is not an unusual
and new oleo struts. I did not like the CMK
receiver on top of the tail plane and
process with any kit. The tail section after
wheels. They were too thin and too square
replaced it with one I made from a metal
the exhaust pipes is metal on the real F-4.
shaped. I went for the kit wheels instead. I
rod. The small air intakes on each side of
No paint would withstand the burner of the
just had to fill a few sink marks and then
the nose are supplied with the kit. I just
two mighty jet engines anyway. It’s a hard-
they came much closer to the dimensions
hollowed them with an ultra-fine round
to-define burnt metal appearance with a
of the real ones. The early models of the F-
burr.
lot of variation in tone, as I could see on
4 had an internal access ladder, which
My F-4 was going to be rigged for a close air support mission, so I left out the drop tanks and added unguided missiles and bombs. The weapons came from the Hasegawa ‘Aircraft and weapons set I’. I used these as the basis, cutting off the tail fins and fuses and replacing them with scratch built parts. I placed six Mk 81 bombs on the centre pylon under the belly and three Mk 82s under each wing, on a bomb rack.
On the inner pylon I placed two LAU 3 rocket launchers on each side. The multiple ejector racks came from the spares box. Most Marines Phantoms did not carry rockets as their task did not include aerial combat, although they easily had the capability for that, they usually carried one or two Missiles for self-defence. I added one AIM-7 Sparrow to mine. The missile came from the Eduard range and is a real beauty.
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The US Marine Corps used light grey as the base colour on the upper surfaces and white on the bellies of their aircraft, with squadron markings added in bright colours. That is a real joy for the modeler with striking colours and fabulous markings of all kinds. The choice can be hard! I chose an aircraft from VMFA 323 Death Rattlers, stationed in Chu Lai in February of 1968. For my base colours I chose Humbrol 28 Light grey and H 130 Satin White.
Self adhesive Bare Metal Foil replicates the unpainted surfaces.
On these I used Pastel chalks to represent the fading and the darker areas. This is always a very time-consuming work process, but essential to get the right scale effect. The decals went on smoothly but they are very thin and quite tricky to work with. After decorating the plane, it was time for some final weathering and the first coat of varnish. After a long drying period, I added a wash with raw umber. I covered the leading edges of the wings and tail with bare metal foil.
Utra-fine 1200 micro-cloth gives a smooth final finish.
with such small contact area the canopies were chocked and allowed to completely set.
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The effect of the oil paint washes and subtle tones achieved with the ground pastel chalk can easily be identified here. The Ushi metalic powders offer excellent effects on the bare metal surfaces which are discoloured by the exhaust heat.
Only a couple of centimetres separate these two ESCI Phantoms, but twenty years have passed between them! (and of course a liberal coating of dust from the attic) Time literally does fly for aircraft modellers.
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This was a real fun build, sneaking down memory lane and having to discover that memory doesn’t always serve you well! It’s just like an old movie you loved, and now many years later you sit and watch it together with your kids only to be met with the question, “When exactly does the thrilling part start Dad?” Well, it ended up looking like an F-4 and I am pleased with the result. It is a special experience to see your work with 20 years in between, side by side. You realise (hopefully!) what a long way you have come since, but the pure joy and pleasure of modelling is, and has always been, the same. 35
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Kevin Futter tackles the Kitty Hawk mid-engined tricycle 36
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1 32
The Aircraft
The Kit
The Build
The Bell P-39 Airacobra is famous for its
Kitty Hawk’s 1/32 scale P-39 was released
One of the decisions you need to make at
unusual engine configuration, having its
in mid-2015, and represents the later N
the outset when tackling this kit, is how
Allison V-1710 buried mid-fuselage, and
and Q versions. I chose to build P-39Q
much internal detail you plan to have
powering the propeller through a long shaft
“Snooks 2nd” using the kit-supplied decals,
exposed on the finished model. If you
that ran between the pilot’s legs! It was
and had originally planned to build the
decide to build it mostly closed-up, then
also one of the few fighters to enter USAAF
model completely out-of-the-box. As the
much of the internal detail can be left out,
service during the war (along with the P-38)
build progressed, however, it became clear
which greatly simplifies construction.
with a tricycle undercarriage.
that this would not be possible if I wanted
Operationally, however, the P-39 was
an accurate result, so some alterations and
I was caught in a bit of a quandary, as I
improvements were made along the way.
didn’t want all that internal detail to go to
something of a disappointment, being
waste, but I also didn’t want those
hampered by a lack of high-altitude
The kit itself is highly detailed, with a great
attractive personal markings wasted on
performance. The Russians famously
many parts dedicated to internal details,
panels that wouldn’t be fitted to the model.
managed to make effective use of their
and these can be made externally visible
It turns out that the kit’s markings guide for
Airacobras in low-level combat and ground
via separate panels that can either be
“Snooks 2nd” is incorrect in showing the
attack roles, and were apparently quite
posed open, or left off the model entirely.
personal markings on both sides of the
fond of the aircraft.
This complicates construction rather
aircraft, when in fact they only existed on
dramatically, and was the source of much
the starboard side. I decided then to open
frustration during the build, as we will see!
up all the panels on the port side to expose the internal detail, while keeping the starboard side buttoned-up to show off the markings. This, of course, didn’t go exactly to plan.
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Alarmingly large ejector pin “ejectites” on the insides of the main engine parts.
The main engine components assembled and painted.
The pipe running down the back left of the engine interferes with its fit into the internal mounting frame.
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Engine Troubles
The exhaust stacks comprise 24
Following the instructions, I began by
separate pieces and they’re a bit of a
assembling the engine, which is made
nightmare to assemble and clean up.
up of more than 25 parts. This kit has
Eduard has since released a set of
an abundance of ejector pin marks,
resin replacements, so I’d recommend
including some alarmingly large raised
you purchase those instead!
ones that I’ve dubbed “ejectites”, which
Nevertheless, I’m happy enough with
are found on the insides of the main
the way the kit parts turned out.
engine parts. These were trimmed
The engine was to bite me one more
away so they would not interfere with
time before we were done. As
fitting the parts together.
assembled, the pipe that runs down
The kit’s ignition wires are poorly-
the rear left of the engine interferes
moulded, overscale, and quite
with its ability to seat into the internal
unrealistic. Fixing this became my first
mounting frame. I used a razor saw to
deviation from a strict out-of-the-box
cut away a segment of the pipe at the
approach, using some Evergreen rod,
bottom of the engine, so that the
0.3mm lead wire, and a small section
mounting frame could push it out of the
of kitchen foil to build a replacement for
way when the engine was fitted into
the exposed port side.
place.
Three mounting lugs per rudder pedal, but only two mounting holes!
Internal Strife
removing the outer upright piece, and
The fuselage internals are all built around
replacing it with a straight piece of
a single-piece mounting frame that
styrene strip. I spruced up the dials by
forms the backbone of the fuselage
representing the glass with Gaianotes
structure, with the cockpit, engine, nose
transparent UV gel.
wheel bay, and forward nose details all
I strayed again from the strict out-of-the-
attaching to it. I settled on Bronze Green
box path by adding some wiring detail to
as the appropriate base colour for the
the rear of the instrument panel, as I was
internals, choosing Vallejo’s Model Color
certain it would be visible on the finished
70897 for the job.
model. And it is, but only just!
The instrument panel assembly came
I replaced the kit-supplied photo-etched
next, and once again, I struck some
seat belts with set 132571 from HGW.
problems. Firstly, the separate rudder
These provide a far superior result,
pedals have three mounting lugs
though they are quite fiddly to put
moulded on to them, whereas there are
together. The instructions recommend
only two holes provided on the back of
crumpling the belts themselves before
the instrument panel for them to attach
threading them into their respective
to. I removed the middle lug on each
buckles, but I’ve never had the courage
rudder pedal, which seemed easier than
to do that. Maybe next time!
trying to make additional holes!
The final element to complete before the
Kitty Hawk provides a set of nicely
main internal assembly was finished was
printed instrument decals for the panel,
the radio equipment tray that fits behind
so I decided to try them out.
the fuselage. Kitty Hawk’s rendition
Unfortunately, in using a hair dryer to
doesn’t appear to be all that accurate or
coax the one-piece decal into the
well-detailed, but I elected only to add
moulded dial detail, I managed to distort
some wiring with 0.3mm lead wire and
one of the rudder pedals. I fixed it by
leave it at that.
The completed instrument panel, with distorted right rudder pedal.
The kit-supplied photo-etched seat belts were replaced with set 132571 from HGW.
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Nose weights were added using various fishing sinkers, fixed into place using JB Weld.
With all the main internal elements now
surprise, the fuselage wrapped around
in place, it was time to turn my attention
the entire internal assembly with little
to the nose wheel bay, which attaches to
fuss, though I had to adjust for the slight
the front of the main internal assembly
warp at the rear of the mounting frame.
prior to closing the fuselage around it.
Ah, but I’d forgotten about nose weights!
It was at this point I discovered that this
This was a tail-sitter, after all. I mashed
kit requires you to fit the nose wheel
some fishing sinkers flat with a pair of
assembly at this stage of the build. In
pliers, and then fixed them into place in
fairness, it probably could be fitted later,
the vacant area under the nose structure
but I elected to follow the instructions
using JB Weld. This proved adequate,
against my better judgment. Thankfully,
but only just, as the finished model can
despite bumping it loose on several
be encouraged onto its tail with little
occasions, it never actually broke, and
effort. If you’re not going to expose
survived to be fit for purpose at the end.
any of the internal detail, swap it
To my great delight and
for additional weights!
The initial test-fit into the fuselage was promising, but did reveal that the rear of the internal mounting frame was badly twisted.
Nose Dive
and longitudinal directions, which I didn’t
mix of CA and talcum powder. I shimmed
Now it was time to turn my attention to the
notice until it was too late. This created a
the step at the front of the nose with
nose, which is comprised of six separate
massive gap down the centre of the nose,
styrene sheet to level it out, so that the
panels, and the alignment of each must be
and a misalignment of the two upper
spinner back plate would sit level against
correct in relation to the others to produce
panels.
it. After some adjustments to the shape of
the desired result. I won’t say this is
It’s possible that the nose weights I added
the nose immediately behind the spinner,
impossible, but I haven’t seen a build of
fouled the side panels and caused them to
the result is acceptable. I dealt with the
this kit yet where this part went to plan,
bulge. Whatever the cause, I started the fix
misaligned surface detail on the upper
including mine. While the joins were drying
by closing up the forward section as much
panels by eliminating it completely! But
under clamps and rubber bands, the two
as possible. The main gap was then filled
please don’t tell anyone.
side pieces on mine shifted in both lateral
with a combination of styrene strip and a
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Fuselage Fun
kit part in half, adding a faux hinge from
I had to revise my plans to open up any
With the nose sorted, I noticed a problem
styrene rod. Simple, but effective, and it
wing panels, as it turns out that the P-39Q
with Kitty Hawk’s depiction of the hatch on
really looks the part painted and
did not generally feature any internal wing
the fuselage spine. Photos of the real thing
weathered.
guns, relying instead on the under-wing
showed that the cover hinged to port along
From here on, construction continued with
gun pods. The Kitty Hawk instructions and
the fuselage centreline, whereas the kit
very few hitches. I had a bit of a gap at
painting guide both incorrectly show all
has it as a single removable panel that
each wing root, but they were easily dealt
guns in place on all aircraft, but the internal
straddles the top of the fuselage. I decided
with using styrene strip and Perfect Plastic
detailing is redundant for “Snooks 2nd”, so
to replicate the real thing, and sawed the
Putty. Unfortunately the wings don’t join the
I fixed the wing panels in the closed
fuselage along a
position
natural panel line, but
The final modification I made was to
rather, the join bisects
replace the unconvincing blast tubes for
the wing root fairing, so
the underwing pods with some brass
this join needs to
tubing.
disappear completely.
The Paint Job Recently I’ve been experimenting with what has become I modified the centreline hatch cover to match the real thing by sawing it in half and adding a hinge from styrene rod.
known as the “black basing” approach to painting a model, and decided to use it here, too. The basic idea is to prime or undercoat the model in black, and then tightly mottle the camouflage colours over it. When done carefully, this results in a subtle variegated finish that already looks mildly weathered. It’s a lot of work, but to my eye, produces a much more organic result than simple preshading. The next task was to apply the white to the tail and wing leading edges. I try to avoid pure blacks and pure whites on scale models, as they look too stark.
Primed with Mr. Finishing Surfacer 1500 Black, as part of the “black basing” approach.
Gunze Off White applied to the tail and wing leading edges, with Olive Drab patches on the tail for the serial number decals. Note that the wing walkways are also masked off at this stage.
For this job I chose Gunze’s H-21 Off White, as it provides a much better scale appearance than pure white. Prior to painting the tail, however, I laid down and then masked off a patch of Olive Drab on each side, sized to match the tail number decals. Kitty Hawk calls out RLM 76 Light Blue for the undersides, but this of course is incorrect, and it should be Neutral Gray, Underside mottling completed using Gunze H-53 Neutral Gray.
for which I used Gunze H-53. The upper surfaces require Olive Drab, and for this I used Model Master’s FS 34087 enamel, mostly because I already had it in my paint stash. After a couple of light coats of Tamiya X-22 Clear Gloss, thinned 50:50 with Mr. Color Thinner, it was time for some decals. For this build, I experimented with soaking the decals in a 50:50 mix of water and Future, as I’ve always had trouble with silvering on stencils. This technique really did help,
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though one stencil still suffered some silvering.
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The effect of the black base coat can be seen here, the mottled green giving a more realistic finish. A dark wash enhances the surface detail.
A sharp silver pencil offers great control for tiny scratches. Again, washes enhance the detail and give a weathered look.
Kitty Hawk decals have a tendency to stick where they land, and unfortunately I couldn’t coax a couple of them into perfect alignment, which I’m still a bit grumpy about. That’s about their only vice, though, as they’re thin, well-printed, and have good colour density and registration. I sealed the decals with another light coat of X-22, and then applied some panel line washes using AK Interactive’s Paneliner series – AK2072 for the underside, and AK2071 for the Olive Drab. Once I was happy with the look, I sealed everything with clear flat. Final weathering was applied with a Prismacolor Silver Pencil, focusing on the boundaries of removable panels and crew access areas. I probably went a little overboard, but I’m really happy with the effect provided by the combination of black basing and silver pencil paint wear. It really captures the organic look I was striving for. I ended up having to pose both cockpit doors open, as I couldn’t get either to fit properly in the closed position, further diluting my original concept for the build. P-39 doors actually appear void of any visible rivets so the kit detail was removed carefully.
Wing roots needed some attention; a strip of styrene and the same methods used to fill the gap on the nose were employed.
The finished re-shaped nose, not perfect but acceptable. Black Mr Surfacer showed any imperfections. The spinner required some shimming to sit correctly.
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Nevertheless, despite the difficulties with this build, I like the way it turned out. I recommend ditching all the internal detail, though, and just building it closed up. While taking the final photos of the model, the port undercarriage assembly came loose, and can be seen slightly canted in some of them. So, the kit had the last laugh, after all!
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new releases
Hobby Boss 1:48 Russian Su-34 Fullback Fighter Bomber
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The huge box gives a hint of the impressive size of this kit in this scale and lifting the lid the upper and lower fuselage shells are presented on a special protective tray to prevent any accidental damage. The wingtips of these main mouldings also have clever moulded bumper rails to further reduce the risk of accidental damage. Surface detail moulding on the main fuselage parts is superb with finely rendered panel lines and rivet details. There is a separate box which contains the canopy parts, soft plastic tires, metal undercarriage parts and the multiple weapons sprues. There are an awful lot of weapons parts in the kit with a total of 24 sprues for the weapons alone! This allows a dizzying choice of weapons configurations for maximum modeller choice. The cockpit with its side by side seat configuration offers a good level of detail but moulded seat harnesses may not be to everyone’s liking and there is a well printed decal to assist in replicating the instrument panel. The exhaust nozzles have been well moulded
with good internal and external detail which teams well with the exquisitely moulded intake parts. The undercarriage struts have been designed with die-cast metal reinforcement shafts to be sandwiched into the plastic outer parts to avoid any load-bearing concerns. Two part wheel hubs are provided with flexible but remarkably firm tires. The kit provides a very small photoetched fret and two large decal sheets, the larger of which mostly provides the vast assortment of stencils for the weapons. There is a choice of two paint schemes, the three colour camouflage featured on the box art and a very striking dark grey over bright blue undersides. There have been mutterings about the shape of the aircraft nose not having the correct profile and it is hard to be sure at this stage but I cannot image it would be a problem to correct as the nose cone is devoid of an surface detail. This potential issue aside it is an impressive kit by any standards let alone the sheer size!
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Kitty Hawk 1:48 Sukhoi Su-17 M3/M4 Fitter-K This is a big old box for a 1:48 kit and once it is opened the contents very much fill it with what look like some beautifully moulded parts along with two decal sheets, clear moulded sprue and a photoetched fret. The kit offers a large choice of weapons with four of the large sprues devoted to these with twenty two different weapons or drop tanks provided. As you can see the quality of the mouldings and surface detail is everything you would hope for from a modern kit. The cockpit matches this with very little requirement for any aftermarket parts and the well detail seat offers a choice of seat cushion and photoetched seat belts. Consoles are well defined as is the instrument panel and complete decal panels are offered for both. I would have liked the option of individual instrument dials here but at least there is something to work from. The kit also includes a well-detailed engine for the rear of the fuselage, the fuselage itself is unusually split into three sections. Quite why this is done is not entirely clear but will allow the tail to be detached to expose the engine if desired. Obviously the quality of the joins will be crucial and whilst
the nose to mid section has a lip for this the mid to rear is just a butt join, no doubt relying on the alignment of the engine to assist in lining up the fuselage. There appears to be no splitter below the nose intake cone even though it is depicted on the box art. The fuselage spine is also moulded in a number of parts with an optional section for the M3 and M4 variants. All the control surfaces are moulded separately along with separate slats on the leading edge. There is a small forrest of underwing pylons to carry all the different weapons both of which match the high standards of the rest of the kit. The provides a full colour guide for each of the seven attractive paint schemes and the decal sheet looks adequate rather than exceptional in terms of crispness. Clearly although the parts look fantastic, with a complex breakdown as we have here, how well everything fits together will be key with to the success, something that we hope to investigate further. First impressions are certainly good! Our thanks to Kitty Hawk for the sample www.kittyhawkmodel.com
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Revell 1:48 FW 190D-9
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With so much choice on the market for the ‘Dora’ in 1:48 it seems an unusual release from Revell, but in fact this is the well respected Eduard kit re-boxed by Revell with their nicely done new instructions and new decals. Proving an easier construction than Eduard’s earlier ‘190 kits this one features a pretty standard design and parts break-down with some very impressive moulding and superb surface details. A multi-part assembly of the weapons
bay gives the option of display with open cover and the cockpit has some nice features. Being an Eduard kit originally there’s plenty of upgrades available including their excellent pre-coloured photoetch. Reveal always treat us with excellent marking options, these two options include generic stencils and markings and are both from 1945 as you’d expect; Werknr. 500666, II./JG 301, Erfurt-Nord, May and black eleven from I./JG 2, Aachen, January.
Revell 1:72 Dornier Do17 Z-10 “Kauz”
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The slender lines of the Do17 are probably at their prettiest with the Z-10 version sporting the solid nose mounting the cannons and IR searchlight. This is a re-box of the recent ICM kit and appears completely unchanged with the exception of the decals. After a long wait for a seventy-second modern tooling of the D17 Z both Airfix and ICM released various versions which have been much discussed on various forums, without drawing in-depth direct comparisons we’d say the finesse of surface detail gives the ICM (Revell!) kit the edge. For a small-scale kit the interior is very comprehensive with a busy cockpit and multi-part bomb bay with detailed bulkheads and the extra fuel cells. The radial
engines are also highly detailed affairs as are the landing gears which should all look very nice straight from the box. Transparent parts are nicely done and you’ll have some worthwhile spares for the glass-nosed Do17s including a full canopy. Revell usually come up trumps with their decals, we’ve two options offered with an all black version of I./NJG2 (think back to our feature in issue 68) and a more generic two tone splinter patterned aircraft from 1940. Not a beginners kit but very nicely detailed with quality decals. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell
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Revell 1:72 Eurofighter Typhoon single seater A little confused here at first with this new release flagged as a ‘new tool’ kit as the Revell Typhoons aren’t actually that old, perhaps the tooling had deteriorated as this kit does in fact appear new, and is marked as such along with the 03952 product code. So moulding of the pale grey sprues is clean and sharp as we’d expect, the canopy parts are particularly clear (one of the first things to fade with deteriorated tooling) and a lower parts count which Revell claim makes for a simple build, which certainly does look the case. Cockpit looks very decent, maybe
except for the moulded seatbelt and a little diversion from the beginners-style design with a series of holes required drilling in the lower wing / fuselage part to mount the pylons. Landing gear is nicely detailed with some very fine parts and exhaust petals have the option of open or closed parts. Markings are restricted to one version with a beautifully printed decal sheet representing the ‘Richthofen’ commemorative scheme. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For details visit www.revell.de/en, @RevellGermany or facebook.com/Revell
Mission Models paint More new paint? Well, if it’s something that’s better (or easier to use for that matter) we’re always keen to give it a try. from the U.S.,Mission Models are a blast from the past and we certainly remember the high quality of their modelling tools (many of which we’re still using) and it appears the same standards of quality research and manufacture have been applied to a new range of acrylic paints. Having used the primer and Olive Drab recently I can vouch for the claims made about this paint being a pleasure to work with; it really does spray beautifully. The colours are triple-pigmented for maximum opacity (something we noticed) and are lightfast, no additional additives are used to produce ‘airbrush ready’ paint which avoids any premature breakdown or shortened shelf life MM claim. The paint can be sprayed through even the smallest airbrush tip but it’s recommended to thin slightly with their own thinners which we’ve done, also including a few drops of their polyurethane mix additive which improves flow and leaves a silky smooth finish. Water can be used for clean-up and we’ve found the consistency well suited to brush painting. A range of primer colours and clear coats are part of the range and colours cover generic tones and specific military subjects with FS and RAL codes also. Colours come in chunky 30ml bottles with a snap-cap and off-set dropper hole. It’s nice to see these guys back on the scene, find out more at www.missionmodelsus.com and on their Facebook page.
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new releases
Eduard 1:48 F6F-5N Nightfighter Another run out for Eduard’s superb Hellcat with one of their popular ‘Weekend Edition’ kits to model the night fighter with two marking options on overall dark navy blue. The moulding still looks as fresh as when this kit was first released with beautiful surface detail and the general curves and look of the Hellcat well captured, even down to the chin air intake which has always been an issue with older kits from Monogram and Hasegawa. A nice
AK Interactive Diorama Series We’ve had some sample of a brand new range of diorama materials from the guys at AK. With everything from desert sand to snow the packs are pretty sizeable 100ml and 250 ml, with some excellent natural textures and man-made effects such as concrete and asphalt suitable for hard stands and runways. Some of the products are designed to work in combination should you require it such as dry and wet mud and snow terrain and snow sprinkles. Various water effects also feature in the range with liquid (pouring) acrylic and gels. This range will certainly take the guess work and experiments out of diorama and groundwork production and AK produce some excellent tutorials which can be found on their website www.ak-interactive.com 48
bonus in the form of some resin detail is included for the exhaust stacks, cannons and radome. Markings are for a VF(N)-90 aircraft on board USS Enterprise, 1945 and also from ’45 an aircraft based at Okinawa of VMF(N)-533. Decals are high quality and include a full quota of stencils with excellent full-colour instructions. Great kit and even better value, the default 1:48 Hellcat.
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48063
48062
48050
48055
72095
72109
72097
72096
72098
Arma Hobby More Polish precision from Arma starting with three new multimedia kits of the Polish PZL series. All three kits are from Arma’s ‘Pro Set’ range which produce highly detailed aircraft for the more experienced builder with some very nicely designed and cast resin; just admire the single piece rear fuselage and delicate ribbing on the wings, real state-of-the-art stuff. Also included are photoetched parts, decals, clear acetates for the instrument dials and clear vacuum formed parts. 73003 is the PZL P.6, 73004 is the PZL P.7/I-1 and 73005 the PZL P.11/I. Still with 1:72 are more in the ‘Attack Squadron’ range of resin and photoetched detailing and conversion sets. 72095 is a lovely little Wright R-1820-60 for Hasgawa’s Dauntless and similar times by four is set 72096 for the B-17 E/F/G from Hasegawa and Academy. For Academy’s
Hornet F/A-18 kits are sets 72097 providing GE F 404 engine nozzles and 72098 is a set of highly detailed wheels. Finally in 1:72 is a set of under-wing pylons for any Hornet kit with some excellent delicate surface detail. For your 1:48 F/A-18 are the same offerings as the 1:72 sets, all designed for the Kinetic kit; 48061is a set of nozzles, 48062 a wheel set and 48063 pylons (for any Hornet A/B/C/D kit). For the 1:48 F-16C/D from Tamiya is a superb Conformal fuel tank and for 1:48 MiG-29As 48050 is a set to create an accurate Polish version. Finally is 48055 for the Mirage Hobby PZL. P.11C providing detail upgrades for the engine, exhausts and fuel tank. Top quality productions, www.armahobby.com has more details and shopping.
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new releases
Aces High Hind Special Published by AK Interactive Softback format, 140 pages ISBN 0436564921673 www.ak-interactive.com A Special from ‘Aces High’ featuring the Soviet Mi-24 Hind series of helicopters. The first eighty-odd pages are concerned with a brief overview of the beast’s development and operational history and a superb collection of quality images beautifully presented in a walkaround fashion of various versions of aircraft. Concentrating on some key areas where modellers will want to add detail (interiors, cockpits, engines etc.) this really is an excellent and comprehensive visual reference. On the modelling side aircraft modelling maestro and AIR contributor, Daniel Zamarbide takes a
step by step study of building Trumpeter’s mighty 1:35 Hind kit complete with extensive diorama encompassing modelling methods from the aircraft, vehicle, figures and groundwork in a detailed visual guide. If that wasn’t impressive enough how about the Csorike #1 Mi-24D with it’s fully illustrated ‘Eagle’ livery? Certainly one of the most impressive free-hand painted schemes you’re likely to see. A real quality production offering excellent value.
Robert Mrozowski Model & Design 1:32 Norden Bomb Sight
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Knowing we’re fans of the HK Models 1:32 B-17G we’ve been sent one of these beautifully detailed Norden bombsights designed to save you the labour and research of upgrading the kit parts. Six parts cast in grey resin and a clear lens are included with nicely done pictoral instructions. Contact Robert direct at
[email protected]
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Revell 1:72 MiG-29S Fulcrum With Zvezda already producing a very well respected and reasonably priced MiG-29 in seventy-second why would Revell go to the trouble of tooling their own? Well they haven't, this is indeed a re-box of the Zvezda kit with Revell rating it 4 out of 5 on their skill level it's not one for the beginner. The bonus though is this is a very nicely detailed kit which represents the aircraft very well showing Zvezda can mix it with the best regarding kit design and finesse of moulding. Panel lines are beautifully fine and thankfully no attempt has been made to show any fastener or rivet detail in
this scale. Cockpit (with optional pilot) is good, as are the landing gear and wheel wells and great effort has gone into producing full engine trunking with compressor face and internals. A huge selection of nicely detailed stores are included but the kit only provides one marking option of the 'Russian Falcons' team so weapons and extra tanks will be headed for your spares box. The scheme is very striking as shown on the box art and the decals top quality. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit www.revell.de/en
Arma Hobby 1:72 TS-11 'Iskra' BIS DF Poland's Arma Hobby have released an 'Expert Set' version of their small-scale TS-11 which combines some of their goodies to upgrade the detail to the highest level. Extras included are a precut mask set for the canopy and a nice photoetch fret. Much of the 'etch concentrates on the cockpit which will look excellent (if not a little fiddly!) with 'sandwich-style' facia including printed acetate instruments. Moulding of the two sprues is very good but
some may find the 'Airfix' style panel lines a touch heavy for 1:72 and the canopy has a little distortion which will easily polish (not Polish!) out. Decals are excellent, complete with stencils, to give options of four bare-metal finished Polish aircraft. Check our other Arma reviews for further upgrades for this kit or go to www.armahobby.pl
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Playa Girón- the Cuban Exiles Invasion at the Bay of Pigs 1961 Santiago Rivas Published by Helion Soft back format, 88 pages ISBN 9781911096023 www.casematepublishers.co.uk
After over fifty years this new book looks to give an objective view of the CIA backed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro with much of the focus being on the air warfare and aircraft involved. The text is easily understood in chronological order broken into suitable chapters and very much historical, political and tactical. For modelling reference there’s a selection of colour profiles of aircraft and armour which has to be said are rather bland but an interesting assortment if you fancy something different for Meng’s new Mustang and GW’s new T-33. As you’d expect due to the secrecy typical of the cold war period, the images are varied in quality and mostly black and white although several colour museum images are included and maps to accompany the text.
72138
72135
72136
72137
48320
48322 48321
32113
48323
48324 Scale Aircraft Conversions
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SAC’s catalogue of white metal landing gear continues to expand, starting in 1:72 is 72135 for Hasegawa’s Eurofighter, 72136 for the Airfix T.3, 72137 for the Special Hobby Fairey Barracuda and some sturdy pins for the B-17 from Airfix with 72138. In 1:48 is 48320 for the Airfix P-40B, 148321 for Hasegawa’s AH-64D Apache, 48322 is hot from the moulds for
the new Zoukei-Mura F-4, 48323 is for the Kitty Hawk Super Etendard we looked at a couple of issues back and 48324 is a set for the Ju88 from ICM / Special Hobby. One release in 1:32 includes also engine supports for the Roden L-19/0-1 Bird Dog, 32113. Check out www.scaleaircraftconversions.com.
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Hobbyboss 1:48 Su-27 Flanker B A welcome release as a state-of-the-art modern tooling is the ‘Flanker B’ now available from Hobbyboss. The box is a big one with a very impressive single part upper fuselage and wings presented in it’s own packaging. The lower section is moulded in the same way giving an excellent first impression of the kit and what a presence the completed model will have. Moving inside the packaging are fifteen more grey sprues which vary in size, the usual clear parts, a tiny photoetched fret and debatable soft vinyl tyres. The general quality throughout is excellent with very fine surface detail which has lovely scale finesse. The kit design will give a feeling of quick progress with separate slats, flaps and elevators pretty much completing the airframe with the forward sections of the engine housing and intakes also supplied
separately. Open or closed exhaust petals are an option and on the intake side a fan part is provided but will be obscured by the nicely detailed FOD screen. Cockpit and landing gear look as if they’ll keep most modellers happy as multi-part assemblies, decals for the instrument panels won’t be welcome by all but are well produced. Weapons are multi-part constructions with excellent detail including decals for all markings (including the black bands), four of each R-73Es, R-27ER and R-73. An extensive decal sheet covers two markings of Russian schemes, one in three-tone blue / grey and one in two-tone with a striking Russian flag on the stabalisers. This looks like it will make a superb out-of-the-box project. Our thanks to Hobbyboss for the sample kits.
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Mac Patterson practices some masking masochism and goes digital
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he AH-1 could be considered to be the Grandaddy of attack
I managed to acquire the 1/35 Italeri Super Cobra kit, finding a
helicopters, pioneering the tandem pilot/co-pilot
slightly battered boxing at a local market- I negotiating a very
configuration seen later in the shape of the Apache and
reasonable price as the kit had been part started by the previous
Hind. Debuting as a single engine variant during the Vietnam
owner. The kit cockpit tub and instrument panels had been
conflict, the type has constantly evolved, today the Super Cobra
painted, fortunately this was academic as I intended to replace
AH-1W forms the backbone of the US Marine attack helicopter
this highly visible area with a quality resin item. I think I'm correct
fleet, gradually being replaced by the further enhanced AH-1Z
in saying that the Italeri boxing is linked to the original MRC
Viper.
moulds, surface detail is recessed with embossed rivets, generally
Inspiration...it strikes you at the strangest times don't you think? I
detail isn't too bad even if some parts appear over simplified, but
was fortunate to be at the right place at the right time in this case-
more of that later.
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Engines on... As usual, I began by gathering reference. I already had in mind a
To create this enhance version of the ‘Whiskey’, the first task was
project involving a digital camouflage scheme, and I found some
to source a set of turned exhausts. Fortunately, Werner’s Wings
great reference of Marine ‘Whiskeys’ wearing a complex 3-tone
produce an excellent resin set specifically for this kit. Fitting the
grey/black digital effect and also incorporating the turned exhausts
resin requires some major surgery involving the removal of a
now being retrofitted to the Marine fleet. Classified as a
significant section of plastic right up to the engine bay area. Test
‘survivability upgrade’, the new exhaust system reduces the
fitting of the part immediately highlighted the task at hand – to
Cobra’s heat signature, increases fuel efficiency and significantly
integrate the new exhausts would require considerable filling,
alters the look of the airframe.
sanding and rescribing. Also, the weight of the resin was pulling the tail down, and to counter this, weight would need to be added to the nose of the aircraft. 57
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Snake ‘pit... As mentioned, I wanted to replace the kit cockpit parts. Cobra Company provides a resin set which includes cockpit modifications specific to the AH-1W. The detail is very good and the fit requires only a marginal amount of adjustment to settle the new parts in snugly. I used a base coat of Tamiya NATO Black to achieve the interior cockpit colour. This in reality is a grey/charcoal. Not being a pure black it means a variety of deeper shadow washes help enhance the detail within the mono-colour cockpit. A set of modern instrument decals was used to enhance the dials on the pilot/co-pilot panels.
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Fuselage with fangs... Closing the fuselage up demonstrated that the joint would require
Returning to exterior detailing, I added tie down eyelets to the
filling and sanding. After a light coat of primer to highlight any
landing skids. Here I found the extra weight of the resin exhaust
further issues, I was happy with the way the resin exhausts were
and cockpit was putting considerable strain on the fragile plastic
integrated with the main kit. Italeri do provide parts for a simplified
parts. To give extra strength to the skids I drilled holes in the
engine, but this does lack a significant amount of detail, so I took
fuselage and inserted thin metal rods. I then drilled locating holes
the time to add wiring looms, pipe work and hydraulic lines; the
in the skids, which now slipped on to the rod ends and were
engine bay was also suitably enhanced.
mated to the fuselage.
One of the most identifiable aspects of the ‘Whiskey’ Cobra is the 20mm M197 Gatling gun. The kit parts are under-detailed and flimsy. These were replaced with the fantastic turned brass barrels from RB Models. I also got my hands on the Verlinden detail set which includes the gun mounting mechanism itself. Having found some reference shots of Cobras without the mechanism shroud, I elected to display the gun this way as the extra detail enhanced the model. The clear canopy parts had a few scratches and marks but a dip in Future helped improve clarity significantly. However, fitting the part proved extremely tricky – having openings on the left- and right-hand sides makes alignment a real challenge. Once secured and masked, the entire kit was given a coat of grey primer.
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Snake skin... I now used reference images as a basis
then cut down to smaller squares and
coat of Tamiya XF-19 lightened with about
regarding how I was going to achieve the
rectangles appropriate to the scale;
30% XF-2 White. Removing the masking
complex digital effect. Firstly, a medium
following reference photographs of the real
tape squares revealed a pleasing,
grey base coat was applied using slightly
thing, these were applied to create the
complex, digital effect. Using the same
darkened Tamiya XF-20. The process I
digital effect pattern. With the entire
process, a further mask was applied and a
came upon was almost ‘negative’ masking,
airframe masked, I
final application of Nato Black, for the
by starting with the darker base and then
applied a
darker digital pattern, completed the
applying the lighter coat. I trimmed out
disruptive camouflage.The large main and
several thin strips of masking
tail rotors were enhanced with Eduard
tape which were
etched brass detail, primed, and given a coat of matt black to replicate the composite nature of the material. Bolt heads were picked out in gold as seen on the real helicopters.
This was then secured in place along with the Verlinden ammo locker. The various sensors, jammers and lights were also added at this point. To further detail the numerous radar warning receivers on the fuselage I used small glass lenses to replicate the sensors themselves.
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Snake scene... With the model almost complete now, I created a hardstanding base for the ‘Whiskey’. To supplement the diorama and amplify visual interest I also included some ground service equipment, electing to use the nicely detailed Verlinden airbase compressor set. Looking round for a pair of appropriate Marine pilot figures, I decided to use the CMK offering. I feel the detail is a little soft in places but the poses are naturalistic and the colours of the flight suits contrast nicely with the disruptive grey digital camouflage of the Cobra.
With the application of digital camouflage schemes becoming more prevalent for many armed forces, it presents the modeller of contemporary subjects with a wonderful opportunity to move away from standard grey schemes. Digital camouflage may be challenging and time consuming to replicate, but the effects can be satisfyingly different and rewarding.
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