Airfix Model World Issue 066 (May 2016)

FREE INSIDE! THE ORIGINAL METEOR SUPPLEMENT

SPACE HOPPER

HOT HATCH

1/20 MaK Camel

1/24 VW Golf 1 GTI

May 2016 Issue 66

80 REVIEWS

MEATBOX EXCLUSIVE BUILD We showcase Airfix’s new 1/48 Gloster Meteor F.8

EASTERN CAT Rye Field’s 1/35 Tiger I

ALPHA MIKE X-RAY Kinetic’s 1/48 AMX

£4.40

EDITOR'S DESK WELCOME

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WELCOME TO ISSUE 66

I

received a letter from a disgruntled reader recently, highlighting our lack of maritime builds…and the fact has certainly been a source of frustration for me. Some time ago our resident ship

builder Dave Fisher decided to take a break from contributing and his loss is felt keenly, particularly because it has been difficult for us to recruit a new maritime specialist who has the requisite modelling skill, necessary camera and lighting equipment and dedication…being a contributor is not for everyone and it demands much effort. Ships are tricky; their length and shape makes them difficult to photograph and one’s depth of field can easily go to hell in a handcart if the camera gear, settings and lighting are not ‘bang on’. Regular readers will know that we strive to offer excellent photography, and I’m not happy to let any issue of AMW ‘out of the door’ if this isn’t so.

Thankfully, two stalwarts of our current contributor team have stepped up and taken the plunge with maritime builds, so once again AMW can be a truly rounded modelling magazine. Trumpeter’s 1/700 1907 HMS Dreadnought will appear in the next issue, and I predict you’ll be happy with the results. I was shocked when I realised the actual finished size of the model, and it just goes to show that with the right care and attention to detail, great things can come in small packages. This naval theme allows me to segue to my all-time aviation hero, Captain Eric ‘Winkle’ Brown CBE, DSC, AFC, Hon FRAeS, RN. Capt Brown died on February 16 this year, but twice I’d had the honour

of meeting this great man, and world record holder for types flown (487). He was, and forever will be the world’s greatest test pilot. Quite why this legend never received a Knighthood is anyone’s guess, particularly considering his massive contribution to the world of flying. It’s now time to read Winkle’s classic book Wings On My Sleeve yet again, to help me decide which kit I might build in my own tribute. I’m veering towards the wartime Martlet…but what would your choice be? I’d love to hear from you but for now, enjoy the issue.

Chris Clifford, Editor [email protected]

FREE MODEL! Claim your free Airfix 1/72 F4F-4 Wildcat or Hurricane Mk.I kit when you take out a 2-year or Direct Debit subscription to AMW. See page 86. Editor: Chris Clifford Assistant Editor: Stu Fone Editor's Secretary: Melissa Smith Contributors this issue: Brian Wakeman, David Garden, John Bonanni, Andy Davies, Radleigh Bushell, Dr James Whalen, Peter Johnson, Matthew Roberts, Malcolm V Lowe, Glenn Sands, Mike Grant, Ken Ellis, Andrew Moore Art Editor: Tom Bagley Design: Matt Fuller Production Manager: Janet Watkins Commercial Director: Ann Saundry Group Advertising Manager: Brodie Baxter Advertising Manager: Tom Lee Advertising Sales Executive: Elizabeth Ridge Classified Sales Executive: Holly Keeling Ad Production Manager: Debi McGowan Ad Production: Louise Talbot Group Marketing Manager: Martin Steele Marketing Manager: Shaun Binnington Subscriptions and Mail Order: Liz Ward

Managing Director: Adrian Cox Executive Chairman: Richard Cox Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ, UK. Distributed by: Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PP. Tel: 020 7429 4000. Fax: 020 7429 4001. Printed by: Warners (Midland) plc, Bourne. Printed in England (ISSN 1471-0587). Subscriptions: Please refer to main advertisement within the magazine. All applications stating name, address, date to commence and remittance to: Subscriptions Department, Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, P0 Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK. Telephone/9.00-5.30 Monday-Friday GMT +44 (0) 1780 480404, Fax: +44 (0) 1780 757812 E-Mail: [email protected] Airfix Model World (ISSN: 1471-0587) is

published monthly by Key Publishing Ltd, P0 Box 300, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1NA, UK and distributed in the USA by Mail Right Int., 1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway, NJ 08854. Periodicals Postage Paid at Piscataway, NJ and additional mailing offices.Readers in the USA can place subscriptions by visiting www.airfixmodelworld.com or by calling toll free 800-676-4049 or fax 757-428-6253 or by writing to Airfix Model World, 3330 Pacific Ave, Ste 500, Virginia Beach, VA23451-9828. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, c/o Mail Right International Inc.,1637 Stelton Road B4, Piscataway NJ 08854. All items submitted for publication are subject to our terms and conditions. These are regularly updated without prior notice and are freely available from www.keypublishing.com The entire contents of Airfix Model World is © copyright, and no part of it may be

reproduced in any form or stored on any form of retrieval system without the prior permission of the publisher. “AIRFIX’’ is a registered trade mark of Hornby Hobbies Limited and is used under licence. We are unable to guarantee the bona fides of any of our advertisers. Readers are strongly recommended to take their own precautions before parting with any information or item of value, including, but not limited to, money, manuscripts, photographs or personal information in response to any advertisements within this publication.

The average sale for the period Jan – Dec 2015 was 12,524 print and digital copies monthly.

www.airfixmodelworld.com 3

CONTENTS WHAT'S INSIDE?

BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8 48 EXCLUSIVE

REGULARS 06 News The latest happenings in the world of plastic modelling.

10 Show Scene At-a-glance model show calendar.

86 Free Model! Claim your free Airfix 1/72 Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat or Hawker Hurricane Mk.I kit when you take out a 2-year or Direct Debit subscription to AMW.

88 On the Shelf Nineteen pages of reviews highlight the latest modelling and reference products from around the world.

114 The Plastic Surgery Quiz AMW’s team of contributors, history writers and industry contacts regarding your own modelling conundrums.

BUILD VW GOLF 1 GTI 38 INTERMEDIATE

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX FIGHTER-BOMBER

CONTENTS WHAT'S INSIDE?

FEATURES 14 Intermediate Build – Alpha Mike X-Ray Low-vis grey has never looked so good, courtesy of Brain Wakeman’s 1/48 Kinetic AMX fighter-bomber.

22 Out and About – Dordogne Delights David Garden reports on the 10th annual model show in Montignac, France

24 Intermediate build – Eastern Cat Part 1 Rye Field Model caused a stir when it released its recent 1/35 Tiger I with full interior detail. John Bonanni shows how to get the best results from this impressive kit.

32 Out and About – Anglian Flourish

SHOW SCENE East of England Model Show

Assistant Editor Stu Fone reports from Peterborough Scale Model Club’s second show at its smart new city venue.

34 Out and About – Welcoming Crewe Stu Fone tells all about South Cheshire’s excellent 33rd Universal Model Show at Crew Heritage Centre.

36 Out and About – Yorkshire Pride Andy Davies and Radleigh Bushell offer photos from this year’s Huddersfield Model Show.

38 Intermediate Build – The Original Hot Hatch Revell’s new 1/24 VW Golf 1 GTI is built by Dr James Whalen, who replicates an accurate UK right-hand drive example.

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT: GLOSTER METEOR F.8 48 Exclusive Build – Magnificent ‘Meatbox’

Peter Johnson builds an exclusive test-shot of Airfix’s new 1/48 Meteor F.8, finished in High Speed Silver

56 Photo Focus – Meteor F.8 Matthew Roberts provides useful walk-round photos of the Meteor F.8 at Gloucestershire’s Jet Age Museum.

58 Meteor F.8 Cutaway Get to grips with the inside and out of the Meteor F.8 with our stunning Mike Badrocke drawing…perfect for scratch-builders!

60 In Focus – Great Eight Malcolm V Lowe offers essential history and period images of the Meteor F.8. Colour profiles are by Andy Hay.

66 Out and About – Somerset Special The Fleet Air Arm’s first model show of the season was visited by AMW’s contributor Glenn Sands.

68 Intermediate Build – Small Wonder Mike Grant has a tiny challenge in Brengun’s 1/144 mixed media Mignet HM-14. Walk-round photos of the aircraft are also provided by Editor Chris Clifford.

72 In Focus – Flying Fleas! Flypast Magazine’s Ken Ellis is the recognised expert on Henri Mignet and his home-built ‘Pou de Ciel’ aircraft designs. Here, he offers a fascinating history article on the type.

76

76 Intermediate Build – Space Hopper INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

Andrew Moore adds extra detail and superb weathering to Hasegawa’s Maschinen Kreiger LUM-168 Camel www.airfixmodelworld.com 5

NEWS BULLETIN LATEST UPDATES

ADVERSARIES AND AEROBATS

AIRFIX’S RECENT World War One releases, the B.E.2c and Fokker Eindecker, have been boxed together as a Dogfight Doubles release (A50177). Readers who purchased our February issue will already know all about the superb detail on these 1/72 kits, but if one hasn’t bought them yet then this is the perfect opportunity. The Fokker colour scheme portrays the E.II of Otto Kissenberth and Eduard Böhme, while the B.E.2c is ‘2017’ of 13 Squadron, Royal Flying

Corps, but both are as seen in 1916. For fans of more modern things with wings, the Airfix 1/72 Hawk T.1 has been re-released, this time in the patriotically tailed 2015 livery of the Red Arrows. This moulding is available in standard format with just kit parts (A02005C) and a Starter Set (A55202B), which comes with four acrylic paints, glue and a paintbrush. For further details visit: www. airfix.com

GREAT WAR COLOURS

THE WONDERFULLY named Czech company Drooling Bulldog has spent more than two years researching the chemical basis of World War One aircraft shades. Its diligence has resulted in arguably the closest matches yet to those 100-year-old colours,

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and an initial range of 20ml lacquer-based paints comprise ten basic and ten mixed hues for German subjects. Four new tones applicable to Royal Flying Corps aircraft have been released, PC10 and PC12, along with Royal Air Force Blue and Royal Air Force Red, with the latter two intended for roundels and fin flashes. The colour density of this paint is excellent, and it dries to a very smooth finish, even when brushpainted. Also provided to AMW is a sample of basic colour No.2 Zinc White, and this is the first (to this reviewer’s knowledge) occasion that this shade has been available as paint, rather than primer. Additional details are available by visiting: www.droolingbulldog.com

FIGHTERBOMBER FIESTA TWO SUPERB 1/48 naval fast jets have been released by Kinetic. The first fills a true gap in the market, as the firm’s new Super Etendard (SuE) means we now have a more modern kit than the old (but good for its day) Airfix/Heller offering. This SuE (48061) comes on six styrene runners; the three main frames are accompanied by two others chock-full of stores, and clear parts. The type’s Super Etendard Modernise format is also accounted for with alternative instrument panels and vertical tail fairings, and Kinetic’s usual high standard of moulding is evident. Pluspoints include wing folds and separate control surfaces, and the stores comprise Exocet and Matra Magic missiles, Phimat and Remora countermeasures, Damocles targeting pod, three sizes of fuel tank and the Douglas buddy refuelling pod. Oddly, no GBU-12 or GBU-

49 smart bombs, ATLIS II targeting pod or AS.30L missile are supplied (but Eduard and L’Arsenal offer after-market ’12 and ’49 LGBs). Decals are for all three users, namely France, Iraq and Argentina. The second gem is Russia’s awesome Su-33 naval Flanker (48062) whose mould apparently comes via a ‘stillborn’ external source. The level of refinement is slightly higher than on Kinetic’s usualgood offerings, and this is especially apparent in areas such as the mainwheels, threepiece exhausts and sublime onepiece Archer and Alamo missiles. There are also wing folds, a highly impressive cockpit, superthin photo-etched brass details, Crossdelta-designed decals and an open/closed airbrake option. In short, it’s a total stunner. Look out for builds of both kits in AMW soon. For more details visit www.luckymodel.com

NAUTICAL RETURNS MANY FAR-Eastern releases are ‘limited edition’ and popular subjects are frequently unavailable for long periods…but thankfully Dragon and Cyber-hobby have re-issued two 1/700 favourites. From Dragon comes USS Lake Erie CG-70 (7142), a Mk.41 vertical launch system-configured Ticonderoga-class guided missile destroyer. It is a re-box of previous offerings with a new decal sheet for this particular vessel, but retains the full-hull, stand and photo-etched (PE) metal components from all releases since 2007. The latter are particularly fine, and include parts for both masts, although for modellers who prefer not to use PE, styrene versions are provided. Dragon has ensured this kit is fully up-to-date, with a runner for the latest SATCOM domes and 62 calibre Mk.4 gun barrels. Visit www.hobbyco. net for further details. Cyber-hobby’s re-release features the best scheme on a warship for years, which is the red dragon on the bows of Type 45

destroyer HMS Dragon (7109), and its contents are identical to previous offerings. This means there is a choice of full-hull and waterline configurations, and provision of a Merlin HMA.1 helicopter, Phalanx close-in weapon systems and RGM-84 Harpoon antishipping missiles. PE items are limited to flight-deck netting, boat compartment

and hangar doors, boarding ramps, antenna fittings and rotors for the Merlin, but with the evocative artwork this will be a striking vessel when completed. As ever the parts are well moulded, with no flash and all exhibit fine detail, which is presented as a combination of raised and engraved features. For further details see www.amerang.co.uk

RALLYING BRITS

HAVING ALREADY tooled Ford’s Fiesta, rally specialist Belkits has now turned its attention to that other classic design, the legendary Escort RS 1600 Mk.1. Its 1/24 scale offering of the 1972 Daily Mirror RAC Rally winner (BEL007) has been well worth the wait, due

to its first-class moulding and stunning detail. While left- and right-hand drive configurations are possible, just the latter is required for this particular version. The seatbelts are a combination of fabric strips and photo-etched metal buckles and brackets, and build into faithful replicas

of the five-point harnesses. Surprisingly for a rally car, there is a chrome runner provided (for light sockets, vehicle trim and bumpers), although most will inevitably be dulled or obscured by mud and dirt from the rally circuit. Two types of vinyl tyre are provided, but just the lowprofile ‘S’ tread versions will be required and these are beautifully moulded items. One of the first offerings to benefit from Belkits’ new collaboration with Cartograf, all of the sponsor logos and even vehicle stripes are provided in decal form, which simplifies painting. Finishing touches are provided by metallic Ford and Escort logos. Visit: www.belkits.com

NEWS BULLETIN LATEST UPDATES

FAST FRAMING

CZECH COMPANY Peewit is rapidly gaining a good reputation for its fine kabukistyle canopy masking products, which are available in 1/144, 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scales. It also produces a series of 1/72 scale camouflage masks, and has released the first in a series of ‘universal’ shapes, starting with circles of varying diameters, which will be very useful for panels and wheels. Those sets received by AMW include masks for Airfix’s new 1/72 Stuka (M72049), B5N2 Kate (M72037) and F4F-4 Wildcat (M72038) with other examples for recent offerings by KP, Zvezda, Mark I Models, RS Models and Fly. These are available in the UK via Hannants (www.hannants.co.uk), but for more information visit www.peewit.wix.com

BOSPHORUS SHOW ISTANBUL MODELLING Club will hold its third Scale Model Contest and Exhibition at the Rahmi Koç Technology Museum in Istanbul on May 7-8, 2016. Sponsored by Airfix, Badger and Vallejo, this event attracts modellers from all over Europe and is Turkey’s largest model show. In addition to the high-quality builds and dioramas on display, visitors will be able to view all of the museum’s locomotive, ship and engineering exhibits. Opening times are 9am-6pm on May 7 and 12pm-6pm on May 8. For further details see: www.yarisma. modelcilikkulubu.org

DINO ERROR

WE MUST apologise to Pocketbond and all readers for quoting an incorrect price in March issue’s Pegasus Tyrannosaurus build. Instead of the quoted £37.99, the kit is in fact priced at £39.99.

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Airfix Model World

MID-SEASON RACER MCLAREN-HONDA’S MP4-30 may not have enjoyed success on the track during the 2015 Formula 1 season, but Ebbro’s new 1/20 kit (20014) is set to be a real winner for modellers. The featured vehicle is a ‘middle season’ version of this highperformance car and comprises four styrene runners. Ebbro’s attention to detail is evident throughout, in terms of the correct configuration of the steering wheel and complex front suspension. There has been an obvious effort to capture the vehicle’s sinuous curves, most notably in the wonderful combined body shell/airbox/ engine cover components. Note that should a driver be fitted, this would have to be either before the body shell is attached, or with removal of the cockpit coaming (part A2). Just slick dry weather tyres are

provided (as vinyl items) and these are pre-marked with the Pirelli logo and red ‘super-soft’ tyre compound identification stripes. The decals are splendid, possessing perfect register and eye-wateringly bright orange trim...the conspicuous carbonfibre panels are also provided. All

of the lighter-coloured items are sufficiently opaque to prevent bleed-through of the underlying metallic black hue, and there are options for either Jenson Button’s (#22) or Fernando Alonso’s (#14) vehicle. Further information is available at: www.ebbro.co.jp

TWELVE DAZZLING SLUFS FANS OF the Vought A-7 will love the new sheets of 1/72 markings released by Xtradecal. Hannants own-brand label now offers 12 separate schemes across three packages (X72240/241/242), named US Navy A-7 Corsair II Parts One, Two and Three respectively. Every option celebrates the heady high-visibility days of the 1970s and 80s, and all the major players are represented; from the famous ram’s head of VA-83 ‘Rampagers’ and dark blue/ black ‘Toro’ of VA-37 ‘Bulls’, to rarer liveries such as the stylised ‘NM’ of VA-155 ‘Silver Foxes’ and the intricate motif of VA-174 ‘Hellrazors’. A-7B and E sub-types are catered for, and each option also comes with its own stencilling and national insignia. Whether the Fujimi, Esci, or Hobby Boss kits are the recipients, there’s a wealth of choice here, including Commander Air Group and Bicentennial jets. Never mind the Short Little Ugly Fella nickname...these all look gorgeous! For further details, visit: www.hannants.co.uk

NEWS BULLETIN LATEST UPDATES

MINIATURE PROPAGANDA ARCHER FINE Transfers’ products have become the go-to accessory for diorama modellers, and the firm’s propaganda posters are second-to-none. This batch of 1/35 scale releases covers World War Two nations predominantly, but also includes Spanish Civil War subjects...each comprises a mix of military and civilianorientated messages in a range of sizes, all printed on what appears to be 100gsm paper. A wide variety of themes are covered, with anti-Fascist and anti-Communist/Bolshevik subjects, and there are even dual-language notices in the Polish and Canadian packs.

No specific date-range is provided, and this adds to the breadth of announcements, with pre- and post-invasion examples from France and the Netherlands. These would be a great addition to any vignette or diorama, and as explained in the instructions, can easily be crumpled, crushed, torn or even burned to simulate weathering and damage. The packs include: AR35384 Dutch, AR35385 Canadian, AR35387 French WWII, AR35388 Polish WWII, AR35389 Russian WWII and AR35391 Spanish Civil War. Each pack retails for US $6.95; for further details visit: www.archertransfers.com

DESERT LIFE-SAVER

BETTER KNOWN as a transport and search-and-rescue (SAR) helicopter, the US Air Force’s H-3 Jolly Green Giant also provided combat-SAR support during the 1991 Gulf War. Five airframes were modified with infra-red jammers, forwardlooking infra-red sensors, GPS antennas, heavy machine guns and dispatched to Saudi Arabia on January 10, 1991, where they became known as MH-3E ‘Pave Pigs’. Whirlybird Models’ new 1/72 resin kit (WPX72041) of this little-known variant is an update of its HH-3E/F, with additional parts on seven casting blocks and a second photo-etched metal fret. Parts quality is very good, notably the fuselage halves, which have few air bubbles and reproduce the type’s characteristic shape

accurately. For a resin item, the main canopy is commendably clear, and its attachment to the casting block is at the base, minimising any risk of damage to the transparencies. While there is a fully detailed cockpit, the main cabin is comparatively bare, with just a length of plastic card provided for the floor and a small section of roof above the rear access ramp. Thankfully, there are three .50 cal gun mounts with associated ammunition canisters, and these will add welcome interest to the ramp and side doors. The decals are superb, with all necessary markings, walkways, airframe mesh grilles and even camel and footprint silhouettes for any of the five airframes. More details are available at: www.whirlybirdmodels.com

EARLY-WARNING GROWLER AFTER 30 years of just the Frog Shackleton, modellers are now spoilt for choice with the Revell AEW.2 and Airfix MR.2 offerings. Comparisons aside (as each has its own strengths), Revell’s 1/72 kit (04920) is impressive, with finely engraved rivets and panel lines, and there are sufficient clues in the layout to indicate a future MR.3 release. Unfortunately, many details from the latter have been included on the AEW.2 components (and AEW.2 aspects have been omitted), and while the majority will be easy to rectify, others will need more effort. These include removal of the bulkhead behind the gunner’s seat and filling the inaccurate upper

wing fuel tank access hatch. Revell’s slightly inconsistent moulding is again apparent, with more flash on the parts than would be expected for a modern kit, and several sink marks, but most modellers will probably accept this in return for the busy exterior. From an accuracy perspective, apart from several minor (but easily corrected) faults, there are two main issues: the rounded rear fuselage cross-section and outer wings with excessive chord, both of which will be difficult to remedy. However, this will build into a very impressive ‘Growler’ for the less fussy, and the busy cockpit and fuselage interiors will

add plenty of interest. The decals provide full airframe stencilling, and the lack of carrier film around larger walkway lines will minimise silvering. There are two overall Dark Sea Grey schemes:

WL756/56 ‘Mr. Rusty’, 8 Sqn, RAF Lossiemouth, late 1973 WL795/95 ‘Zebedee’, 8 Sqn, RAF Lossiemouth, June 1981 For more details visit: www/revell.de/en

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SHOW SCENE DIARY DATES

SHOW SCENE MAY 14, 2016 THE PARISH HALL, LANCING

At-a-glance model and airshow calendar

Lancing Show Hosts:

South Downs Model Group

Address: The Parish Hall, South Street, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8AJ Times:

10am-4pm

Prices:

Free

Tel:

N/A

Email:

info@lancingmodelshow. org.uk

Web:

www.lancingmodelshow. org.uk

APR 23-24

THE SCOTTISH NATIONAL SCALE MODEL SHOW

APR 30

CARMARTHEN MODELLER’S EXHIBITION 2016

MAY 8

13TH MODELLBAU AUSSTELLUNG

MAY 28

MODEL 2016

Hosts:

Scottish Model Clubs

Hosts:

Carmarthen Modeller’s Club

Hosts:

Modelbaufreunde Siegen

Hosts:

Address:

The Dewars Centre, Glover Street, Perth, PH2 0TH

Address:

Address:

Sat 10am-5pm Sun 10am-4pm

Festhalle Wilnsdorf, Rathausstrasse 9, 57234 Wilnsdorf, Germany

IPMS Torbay & South Devon/Torbay Military Modelling Society

Times:

Carmarthen Town Library, King Street, Carmarthen, SA31 1LN

Address:

Times:

10.30am-3.30pm

Times:

10am-5pm

Prices:

Adults £1.50, children 50p

Prices:

Adults €2, under-12s free

Torquay Town Hall, Castle Circus, Torquay, Devon TQ1 3DR 9.30am-4.30pm

N/A

N/A

Times:

Tel:

Tel:

Email:

carmarthenmodellersclub@ gmail.com

Email:

[email protected]

Prices:

Adults £2.50, over 65s £1.50, under 13s £1, family £5

www.modellbaufreundesiegen.de

N/A

www.clubbz.com/ club/38469/carmarthen/ camarthenmodellersclub

Web:

Tel:

Web:

Email:

torbayandsouthdevon. [email protected]

Web:

www.ipmstorbay.com

JUN 3-5

IPMS SPACE COAST 2016 REGIONAL MODELFEST

Hosts:

IPMS Space Coast

Address:

Melbourne Civic Auditorium, 625 E. Hibiscus Blvd, Melbourne, Florida, USA

Times:

Fri: 12pm-5pm Sat: 9am-5pm Sun: 9am-12pm

Prices:

Free

Tel:

N/A

Email:

[email protected]

Web:

IPMS Space Coast (Facebook)

Prices:

Adults £8, concessions £4.50, juniors £2.50, family (2+2) £15

Tel:

07709 399785

Email:

[email protected]

Web:

www.scotnats.org.uk

APR 24

MODEL KRAFT 2016

Hosts:

Milton Keynes Scale Model Club

MAY 14

AEROBILIA 16

MAY 8

IPMS GLOUCESTER MODEL SHOW 2016

Hosts:

Boscombe Down Aviation Museum (BDAC)

Hosts:

IPMS Gloucester

Address:

Stantonbury Leisure Centre, Milton Keynes, MK14 6BN

Address:

Churchdown Community Centre, Parton Road Churchdown, GL3 2JH

BDAC Museum, Old Sarum Airfield, Old Sarum, Salisbury, Wilts, SP4 6DZ

Times:

10am-4pm

Times:

10am-4pm

Times:

10am-4pm

Prices:

Prices:

Adults £5, senior citizens £3, children free

Prices:

Adults £3.50, children and OAPs £1.50

Adults £8, concessions £7, under-16s £5, under-5s free

Tel:

01722 323636

Email:

hugh.sillett48@btinternet. com

Address:

Tel:

N/A

Tel:

01285 659254

Email:

[email protected]

Email:

[email protected]

Web:

www.mksmc.co.uk

Web:

N/A

KEY

E MODEL DISPLAY

) MODEL COMPETITION J TRADE STANDS

m

Web:

AIRCRAFT DISPLAY

 MILITARY DISPLAY  AUTOMOTIVE DISPLAY

www.boscombedown aviationcollection.co.uk



REFRESHMENTS FREE PARKING AIRFIX ROADSHOW ATTENDING

IMPORTANT: It is worth noting that ALL events are subject to change or cancellation. This information has been collated from a variety of sources and was believed to be correct at the time of going to press. To advertise your event here, email: [email protected]

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Airfix Model World

Pilot Replicas F_P.indd 1

18/03/2016 11:46

INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX

Brian Wakeman builds Kinetic’s new quarter-scale rendition of the charismatic AMX fighter-bomber

B

efore its first flight on May 15, 1984, the joint Italian-Brazilian AMX International was conceived as a mixed-role light attack aircraft.

 Kinetic supplies complete Italian and Brazilian forward sections. The detail level is superb and the differences are immediate.

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Airfix Model World

Still flying with the air arms of Italy and Brazil, the majority of the surviving 192 Aeronautica Militaire Italiana (AMI) airframes have benefited from a host of mid-life upgrades, and 55 of

Italy’s AMX airframes received the operational logistical and capacity (ACOL) improvements by the end of last year. They incorporated a slightly different nose profile, night-vision goggle

 Fine filler was needed to smooth the join line; in this instance a hint of Vallejo Fine White Putty did the trick.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX

Kinetic’s colour schemes

Overall the cockpit was more than adequate to use as supplied, although a resin seat would add extra refinement.

• A-1A, 5506, 1°/16° Grupo de aviacao – Esq. Adelfi, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2008 • AMX, MM7133/51-32, 51° Stormo, 132° Gruppo Caccia Bombardieri Ricognitori, Treviso-Istrana, Italy, 2007 • AMX, MM7175/51-45, ISAF Task Group ‘Black Cats’, 51° Stormo, Afghanistan, 2009

capability and new precision weapons and GPS navigation system. The word ‘International’ was applied for the 1980s sales drive, with the only real chance of success being Venezuela, which placed an order for eight aircraft. This was later rejected after United States pressure regarding technology transfer, but Brazil then purchased 43 A-1Ms. When sitting side-by-side, the differences between both service’s aircraft are obvious. Designated A-1A within the Forca Aerea Brasileira (FAB), these jets carry a far more attractive choice of colour schemes ...and many prominent airframe lumps and bumps. Italy’s 103° Gruppo has used its ‘Ghibli’, named after

a Saharan wind, in action during the Kosovo campaign, flying 250 combat missions. More recently in Afghanistan, AMI aircraft performed close air support with favourable results.

Attention to detail

Children’s Plasticine is great for adding nose weight to a model…easy to use and very pliable.

Kinetic has a habit of producing models on many modellers’ wish lists, while making the most from its moulds. Recently, the single-seat (AMX) and twin-seat (AMX-T) advanced trainer arrived in short succession. Within the single-seater box are many items intended for the AMX-T and it comprised 180 grey styrene, 15 photo-etched (PE) metal and 13 clear parts, plus Cartograf decals for three operational aircraft. On careful inspection the sheet also includes a number of markings intended for the AMX-T. The Brazilian forward  With its modular design, the undercarriage bay may be completed first before insertion. All was well until it was time to fix the legs in place.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX

 Kinetic’s approach to the intake trunking comprised five pieces, including a well-defined Spey engine fan. The blades of the latter were painted with Citadel Gun Metal.

 For such a new model, the fit of a few components was less than perfect; the three-part intake assembly proved very problematic.

 Oh dear...yet more filling with Squadron White Putty and sanding on the underside. Vallejo Fine Putty was used to treat the smaller gaps.

 Kinetic managed to capture the fine rivet detail to perfection. This was especially noticeable after a coat of Xtracolor Light Compass Grey.

fuselage is distinguishable by its twin bulged 30mm DEFA 554 cannon, while Italy plumped for a single 350-round M61A1 Vulcan cannon. Included on the port side is a retractable ladder with open/closed step configuration. Careful attention should be paid to the ‘scatty’ instructions, and one is advised to add the relevant aerials/bulges at this

their appropriate shades. Kinetic provided an adequate rendition of a Martin-Baker Mk.10L ejection seat, complete with PE belts/ straps, but for this project it was substituted with Pavla’s much more detailed resin alternative (S48018). Also in PE was the head-up display, while Kinetic’s two-part (and very clear) canopy came complete with a de-misting

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point. The fuselage builds from two main assemblies, which are split fore and aft; this may be easier to deal with by cementing both halves together first, rather than risking an irritating step. Interior parts were coated with Lifecolor UA536 (FS 26329) Italian Tornado Interior Grey, followed by picking out the levers, knobs and switches in

system, internal mirrors and struts. Attention then turned to inserting the Rolls-Royce Spey jet pipe. The intake trunking and wheel bay, being of modular design, can be assembled, painted and then positioned. Both were undercoated with matt white acrylic, before a gloss coat of white was

INTERMEDIATE BUILD

MODEL SPEC

AMX

Aeritalia-Aermacchi-Embraer AMX By:

Kinetic

Stock Code:

K48026

Scale:

1/48

Price:

US $39.99

Available from: www.luckymodel.com

applied. These sub-assemblies were set in place with cyanoacrylate (CA) glue, but the kit instructions were not very clear on the exact positioning, which presented the author with a major headache later on. Several days of filling and sanding followed, before being completely happy with the overall elimination of join seams; most of these being encountered around the main wings/ intakes and fuselage panels. Turning to the wings, a decision was taken to widen the five hard-point holes to be used (four under the wings, one centreline), and the separate Sidewinder rails fitted like a glove on the wingtips. Once a quality primer was applied, the level of detail was clearly exceptional,

with just minimal re-scribing being needed. The inclusion of multiposition flaps and rudder (including trim-tabs) was also a pleasing touch, and if offset can make for a more interesting build. Upper-wing spoilers would

have been welcome, but we can’t have everything! Kinetic did also include PE chaff/flare dispenser parts though.

What a grey day It may be wise to pre-plan the choice of colour(s) for the AMX if going down the AMI route. Fresh from the factory these jets looked ‘mint’ as they say, but once in service, variations on a theme are noticeable. Monotone grey is now so entrenched in the world of fast jets, even covering transports and helicopters. Dull and boring...or is it? After all, many a well-executed weathering session has transformed a model of a seemingly uninspiring lowvis jet into something rather special. Having earlier sprayed white into the leading-edge slat/flap bays, and then masking these areas, a decision was taken to paint the rear removable engine section in Xtracolor X136 (FS 13675) Light Compass Grey, as many AMXs appear to exhibit this trait. It was then time to apply the main colour. Lifecolor acrylics has a modern AMI set (LC-XS07), with six shades aimed at the Italian Tornado fleet, the basis of the grey being UA535 (FS 36280) Sky Grey 16. After an evening’s drying, priority

 A decision was made to construct the lowered control surfaces early on, including the photo-etched metal items.  Lifecolor UA535 AMI Tornado Sky Grey 16 was the paint scheme’s main element.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX

“The fuselage builds from two main assemblies, which are split fore and aft”

 Maybe not to every modeller’s taste, but using fine tape to mask a number of panels for lightened paint will transform the bland overall grey appearance.

turned to masking a number of panels for contrast. Humbrol Matt 28 Sky Grey was the chief foil, UA536 Interior Grey followed suit, plus one or two dissimilar shades that were to hand. Gloss black, also from Lifecolor, was then applied to the nose cone. Occasional anomalies did occur while constructing the AMX. It may have been a ‘senior moment’, but the layout of the main undercarriage assembly seemed decidedly odd. On reflection the instructions should have been examined more closely, but it’s fair to say that many modellers

Masking tape also helped to reproduce neat black dielectric panels.

The undercarriage legs/oleos and wheels had been painted earlier, but their attachment was tricky due to Kinetic’s less-than-clear instructions.

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wish Kinetic would design its instructions more clearly. When attaching the gear, it may be prudent to re-drill the main attachment points first, as they appear to be at a slightly splayed position. After this very taxing phase though, and a few coats of gloss varnish, the remainder of the construction proceeded without fault. Cartograf printed the decal sheet, and besides the colourful AMX-T anniversary twin-stick scheme, one has three more relevant grey AMI operational jets, and a brace of FAB A-1s.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX

 Following the general oil wash, Adam Wilder’s Dark Shadow Wash accentuated some of the more frequently opened panels.  Caracal Models’ CD48069 decal sheet was used on this build; it offers seven Italian Air Force colour schemes, including two anniversary jets. Gunze Mr. Mark Softer and Settle decal solutions helped these wonderful markings to conform.

 Deferring attachment of the refuelling receptacle, flaps and slats until the end of the construction process was a wise move. Kinetic even provided a formation light on the probe.

 Lifecolor’s new armour washes were found to be perfect for aviation subjects too. They perform best over a well-glossed surface.

It was decided to gain extra colour with an after-market option, and Caracal Models’ CD48009 came to the rescue with a very vivid set of markings for seven different aircraft. Caracal supplies a wonderful 13° Gruppo/32° Stormo

together, provided a worthy panel line wash. In turn this was followed by enamel-based Adam Wilder Nitro-Line NL02 deep Shadow Wash. This shade was used to highlight slightly deeper panels in certain areas…mainly the avionics/fuel cell panels, which are constantly in use. This was also a good opportunity to trial a set of washes from Lifecolor…LC-LP01 Detail

aircraft, carrying a large yellow and black eagle on the tail, embellished with a blue 30,000 flying-hours symbol. These performed flawlessly, and when dry and coated with clear varnish, the focus turned to wear and tear. Following a tried-and-tested weathering regime, a quality oil-based product was used first. Winsor & Newton Paynes Grey and Burnt Umber oil paints, mixed

Emphasizer Tanks and Vehicles Liquid Pigments, which are designed more for the armour fraternity, but they are also useful to aviation modellers. Waterbased, these could be dragged into any nook and cranny desired. LPW01 Burnt Umber and 04 Black-Blue were employed jointly on the underside’s open vents and wheel wells, but also worked around rear rivet detail to

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD AMX

“Attention then turned to the wing flaps, which fitted tightly”

replicate weathering displayed by the real aircraft.

Choose your weapons

 A light layer of cannon soot around the gun muzzle area added extra realism.  Wilder’s Brown Russia Earth pigment was applied gingerly to the inner walkways, leading to the tail area and over the intakes.

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Kinetic always offers a plethora of weapons that may or may not apply to the aircraft/subtype in question; the negative aspect being that one may have to shop around for items relevant to an updated aircraft. The intention was for a brace of outboard 128 imp gal (580 lit) fuel tanks, wingtip-mounted AIM9L Sidewinders, Rafael Reccelite pod and either 500lb GBU-12 Paveway or GBU-38 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) on the inner pylons. If one intends to model an Afghan theatre AMX, a pair of GBU-12s are necessary (or converted to Elbit Lizard format) along with the Rafael Reccelite pod. Luckily, Isracast makes a resin Rafael AN/AAQ-28 Litening Pod (ISC48013) and it was used instead (they are similar). The JDAM and GBU-12 both came courtesy of the kit weapons, along with the brace of AIM-9Ls. Kinetic does supply the much larger 242 gal (1,100 lit) fuel tanks as an option (rarely carried), together with the much earlier Orpheus Reconnaissance Pod. Deciding to leave the weapons in gloss except for the fuel tanks, attention then turned to the wing flaps, which fitted tightly so just gentle persuasion was needed. Well-diluted Xtracrylix Satin and Matt varnish, mixed together, was

the final task before attaching the canopy, refuelling receptacle and stores. With a final dusting of Adam Wilder GP06 Dry Russian Earth to footfall areas, and a misting of GP11 Old Grease around the cannon barrel to represent live firing, the model was completed.

Overview As the finished item sits in the display cabinet, one would not believe the required assembly time. The build was not all plain sailing by any form of the imagination; sidelining the undercarriage issue (Kinetic’s Alpha Jet had the same problem)

it looks stunning. I’d certainly have no second thoughts about making the same firm’s two-seat AMX-T, because the much larger canopy would allow even more detail to be added and enjoyed. Caracal’s excellent after-market decals totally transformed the model’s look, and little splashes of colour to depict training weapons made this enjoyable build even more eye-catching. ❚

Materials + reference

 The cluster of kit weapons on show, but in the centre is the after-market Isracast Litening pod. Xtracolor X152 True Blue denoted inert training rounds…and gave welcome contrast.

Lifecolor (www.airbrushes.com) LC-LP01 Liquid Pigments Detail Emphasizer Tank & vehicle Set LC-XS07 Modern Italian Air Forces (AMI) Camouflage Set Italian Aviation Series AMX Ghibli Ghibli, by Federico Anselmino and Giancarlo Gastaldi, (Aviation Collectables Co), ISBN: 978 8890523113 World Air Power,, Volume 5 Spring 1991, (Aerospace Publishing)  The final act was to attach the asymmetric load, in the form of a GBU-12 Paveway and GBU-38 JDAM.

OUT AND ABOUT MONTIGNAC 2015

Dordogne Delights T he 10th Montignac Model Show was held last September in the town’s Salle de Fete. Montignac is a very pretty town straddling the Vézère river in the Dordogne region of France; the event was organised as before by Christian Chauzait and his team within the local model club, and their show attracts exhibitors from all corners of the country. Modelling standards are exceptional and many club members were actually building and/or painting to demonstrate their skills. All were very willing to discuss their models...a great

way to practice one’s French! Many models were scratch-built, often from scrap plastic items to make true masterpieces, and the creations were not limited to military subjects but included cars, motorcycles, fire engines, airliners and medieval structures. The town has many fine shops, cafés and restaurants to peruse before and after the show; ideal if one feels they need to justify a modelling day out to the ‘better half’. If holidaying in the region it is well worth visiting, but as the show is held every two years, the next will not take place until mid-September ❚ 2017. David Garden

 A splendid Tamiya 1/32 Corsair diorama on the Club Maquettes Tbc stand; one really got an idea of the aircraft’s harsh surrounding environment, by the wellexecuted weathering.  One of several D-Day themed models was this large 1/35 Landing Craft delivering the French Armoured Division on Utah Beach.

 This Revell Citroën 2CV Charleston looked as though one could just get in and drive it out of the show venue!

 Menacing even in model form was this Academy 1/32 AH-1 Cobra on the Maquette Hélio de Limoges table. The tonal variation of the panels was outstanding.

 This 1/32 Panhard AML 60 was equipped with a fully detailed (scratch-built) interior, which could be viewed through the open hatches. 'Bravo encore' to the Maquette Club Girondin de Saint – Loubès.  In the realm of 1/24th scale, this wonderful Trumpeter P-51D Mustang exhibited a splendid metallic finish and grear detail.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

MODEL SPEC

In the first of a two-part feature, John Bonanni tackles Rye Field Model’s new Tiger I with full interior.

Tiger I with Full Interior By:

Rye Field Model

Stock Code:

RM-5003

Scale:

1/35

Price:

£49.99

Available from: Tiger Hobbies, www.tigerhobbies.co.uk

EA A ERN C S T T T he Tiger is undoubtedly one of the most popular armoured vehicles of World War Two, and a kit of almost every variant has been produced by multiple manufactures in every scale. After releasing its first Tiger I (initial), Rye Field Model announced another Tiger I with a complete interior; until now, that feature was only available in Academy’s simplistic 1/35 offering. Rye Field’s box is

substantial and contains 19 runners with hundreds of parts… and that does not count the 80-plus pieces for the tracks! The variant of vehicle chosen by Rye Field was employed specifically by Schwere Panzer Abteilung 503 during 1943, on the Eastern Front. Nine early-model Tigers were originally assigned to s.Pz.Abt. 502, but were transferred to 503 Abt. in early 1943. The easiest way to identify these vehicles is the unique turret stowage bin.

 The internal hull structure supports fitted perfectly into the floor. Notches were cut into the torsion bar housings to ensure tight positioning. 24

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Belly of the (steel) beast

After studying the plethora of components, work began on the lower hull supports. Each photoetched (PE) metal piece was removed from the fret with a No. 11 X-Acto blade and placed into the groves located on the torsion bar housings. The front hull was warped inwards slightly, and this would affect how the final drive pieces fitted to the hull, but it was a problem fixed easily with a length of styrene runner used to brace

the hull. After the glue had dried, the plastic was removed and the hull was no longer warped. All torsion bars were then installed into the resting position for flat terrain, but they can be articulated to contour to any base if desired. To make building easier the hull was broken down into major subassemblies, the first being the gearbox housing. The instructions were straightforward but omitted several gearbox details, which were indicated on the accompanying

 Each torsion bar was moulded separately, and could be articulated fully by removing the default position tab on the inner face that contacted the hull.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

 Dry-fitting of the turret assemblies revealed a small gap at the rear of the turret, where the halves met.

 The left side turret wall was also represented in a lifelike manner.

 The right side of the turret wall featured accurate stowage boxes, spare viewfinders, crew equipment and a junction box. Two ejector pin marks were visible on the interior wall, but were removed with a few swipes from a sanding stick.

 One item missing from the turret interior was a fire extinguisher, which should have been located on the turret basket floor. A spares box item was recruited, and control lines were also added from the turret traverse controller to the traverse drive.

CAD drawings. Specifically, parts K18 and K79 (driver’s replacement vision blocks and instrument panel respectively) were omitted but were added easily with liquid cement on the rear side of the radio boxes. Next, the hull floor was tackled, starting at the front and working back. All parts fitted into their designated areas, but the front-right shock absorber needed extra attention; there was no

with sheet styrene. Next, the forward roof support was test-fitted into the hull, which revealed it needed to be sanded slightly on each side to join properly without bowing. It is evident that The Tank Museum’s (Bovington) Tiger was used for

indication where to align the part on the hull, and if it was mounted too far forward it would interfere with the gearbox. Rye Field provides simple mounting brackets for the ammunition pouches on the radio operator’s side hull wall and forward plate. However, on the real vehicle these were on top of steel plates, which were replicated

research, because on the left of the interior front plate a small nub representing a modern feature is evident, and this should be removed. The machine gun ball mount also needed sanding to make it fit properly.

Baring its teeth All of the ammo storage areas were moulded shut and required cutting

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

 On the interior of the turret, the depression surrounding the loader’s hatch should not be present; the real vehicle’s turret roof was flush and ringed by flush bolts.

 The front hull was warped slightly and required bracing when completing the front hull. When the liquid cement had dried the sprue was removed and the hull was no longer warped.

to pose them open, for which the author used a micro-saw to remove one door. A new item was also fabricated out of 25-thou (0.6mm) sheet styrene, with two PE latches added from the spares box. The actual door articulated like an accordion, and the easiest way to replicate this feature was to mark each section with a pencil. Next, alternating between door sides, every other line was scored with a scribing tool, which resulted in an accordion door.

The kit provided two types of ammunition: high explosive and armour piercing. The shells for the storage bays were moulded in sets of four and were attached to storage racks. Additionally, single rounds were included to fill the stowage under the turret basket. The floor storage boxes had four large ejector pin marks visible on the interior face. Instead of trying to sand the tight area, it was decided to cut a sheet of 10-thou (0.25mm sheet styrene in the

 At this point the instructions ended, but the driver’s instrument panel and replacement vision blocks still had to be added. Minimal clean-up was required on the gearbox.

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shape of the box to cover them. No securing straps were included, which were needed if ammunition was going to be stored in the floor boxes; crew personal accounts indicate ammunition was typically not stored in the boxes, due to vibration causing the rounds to rattle around. After mounting the sidewall ammo boxes and floor plate supports, the crew compartment was almost complete. The last step was to add the rear firewall,

but again minor sanding was needed on each side. To ease painting, multiple parts were left out of the compartment and these included storage boxes, floor plates, driveshaft, gearbox, and ammunition rack.

Horsepower One area in which Rye Field skipped major details was the engine bay. Multiple hoses and connections were missing, but can be replicated with styrene

 The interior was adorned with PE to enhance the crisp detail; of note is the spring support on the back of the driver’s chair.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

 Almost all the details were moulded integrally onto the interior face of the firewall, and just a few brackets and the fire extinguisher need to be attached.  Sheet styrene was again used to replicate the plate on the interior walls of the radio operator’s compartment.

 One of the four ammunition storage bays was posed open, and the accordion-style access door was replicated with a piece of sheet styrene.

 Despite being a large tank, the Tiger’s interior was a tight fit for its crew and this feature has been replicated perfectly by Rye Field.

 The area in which the manufacturer missed certain details was the engine bay. Ports and holes were present for lines and pipes, but none were provided in the kit.

rod and wire…currently, there are no after-market sets available to remedy this problem. The first step when tackling the engine bay was to assemble the power source itself. The kit provided a HL 210 P45-type engine fitted to the first 250 Tigers. The easiest way to tell the difference between later types is the that the model uses three oil filters instead of two located on top. Assembly was straightforward, without any issues. After test-fitting the engine into the bay it was clear

into the hole at the top of each side wall. The cooling fan drives were also missing the relevant pipes... these were fabricated from spares box items, which looked the part. Once the top hull plate was added, it would be difficult to see the drive mechanisms. These fabricated parts were then removed and left off until after painting and installing the engine. Additionally, the tube used for the snorkel was not present in the kit, and was fashioned from a length

the engine was connected just to the driveshaft. The first step was to add pipes for air flow from the crew compartment firewall, and exhaust connections to the rear plate. Fortunately, all connection points were indicated clearly with suitable holes, and four pieces of styrene rod were cut and glued into place. Then, water-cooling pipes (not contained in the kit) were made from styrene rod and inserted

of brass tube attached to the hole on the underside of the top hull plate. Fuel tanks and air intake assemblies went together without issue and installed perfectly into the hull. Test-fitting the rear plate revealed that additional sanding was needed, to ensure it sat properly in the hull. After a few swipes with a sanding stick the fit was tight and it interlocked with the engine bay interior walls, but the part was then removed and set aside for painting later.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

stretched sprue was added to link the control pedals to the traverse motor. Two more obvious links were added on the turret ring connecting the traverse controls and, lastly, the turret roof was completed prior to painting. At this point the sub-assemblies were laid out on the workbench and prepared for priming. It was important to keep track of everything because there were so many pieces that could be lost easily. Once the parts were attached to tooth picks and wooden lolly sticks, they received a coat of grey aerosol lacquer primer, which served two purposes: to highlight blemishes in the finish that need to be corrected, and to create a solid foundation for the following base coat. But after letting the primer dry overnight, no errors were discovered so it was time to apply the basecoat.

Turret time As expected, the level of detail in the turret was commensurate with the hull. Assembly began by adding the details to the turret sidewalls. Rye Field did a good job capturing all the features and their respective

locations. Following the sidewalls, the gun breach was completed very easily. The kit’s turret basket assembly contained the floor plate and ring where the turret drive mechanisms were located. A fire extinguisher should sit on the

floor next to the turret traverse pedals, but was not indicated on the instructions nor offered on the runners. After a trip to the spares box, a Dragon kit extinguisher was attached to the floor. Additionally, a connection rod made from

Loads of paint The interior of Tigers featured mainly two colours: the ivory-like Cremeweiss and green-grey, which had a blue hue to it. Multiple brands produce these specific colours, but the author chose to mix several

ENHANCED DETAIL A welcome addition to this Tiger was the option to choose between PE brass tool clasps, or tools with the clasps moulded integrally. The kit also contained braided copper tow cables and single-link tracks, which were almost identical to those of Modelkasten in that the guide horns were moulded separately.

 It’s unfortunate that much of this detail would be covered by the hull plates, but the model could be a great centrepiece of a diorama, depicting a destroyed vehicle.

 A small plastic tab needed to be removed from the rear of the front armour plate, located on the left side next to the vertical support. This tab represents a modern feature copied from Bovington’s Tiger, and was not present during wartime.

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 The first smaller fret of PE included the hull floor structure and ammo bag mounts for the vehicle’s interior, while the larger frame contained mostly external features such as tool clasps, engine deck screens, and jerrycan racks. The engine screens were noteworthy for their scale mesh replication.

 Five vehicle options for s.Pz.Abt 503 are provided on the decal sheet. Each turret number was separate and had very little carrier film around the edge.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

 The cooling system and fuel tanks were well detailed and fitted perfectly into the hull.

 Crisp and accurate moulding defined the engine, which depicted the early-type powerplant.

 Exhaust connections needed to be added to the rear armour plate but fortunately, mounting holes were provided.

 The only troublesome area on the main gun was a large ejector pin mark located on the protection arm.

shades of Tamiya instead. The first shade to be airbrushed was the green-grey, which was a 2:1 mix of XF-63 German Grey and XF-18 Medium Blue, thinned in equal parts with X-20A Thinner and applied to the entire portion of the lower hull, engine bay, and turret floor. A surprising amount of paint was required to cover the interior, and the hull was flipped every which way to ensure all areas were covered. Next, it was necessary to mask the green-grey sections prior to adding the Cremeweiss. Masking proved more difficult than expected…a combination of Microscale Industries Micro Mask and Tamiya tape was used to contour around the details. Once this tedious task was completed, XF-2 White and a few drops of XF-57 Buff were blended to create Cremeweiss. The mixture was thinned at the same consistency as the previous colour and airbrushed onto the remaining turret and hull areas. All turret details were accentuated with Vallejo colours and the metallic parts received a coat of Testors 1180 Aluminum, while the periscopes were painted in a two-stage process; first the glass portions received 1180 Aluminum

ammo then needed to be painted. First, the sections of four rounds were airbrushed in Testors 1144 Gold, then masked to paint the Cremeweiss supports and black shell tips. The only locating points for the section were on the back of the removed plate. It would

and were then covered with a thick coat of X-19 Smoke. After detail painting was finished, the entire interior received X-22 Clear to protect it during weathering. Since the one ammunition storage box was being modelled open, the

have been advantageous for these points to be on the hull side to aid mounting, if the section was to Details on as the be posed open. But fear not, door and hatches 30-thou (0.75mm) styrene strips were reproduced were added to the underside of from sheet and each section for proper spacing, heat-stretched before being put together as one styrene, including complete assemblythe containing bolts on the16 rounds of ammunition. hinges.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

 Neutral grey primer was sprayed from an aerosol can, to reveal areas that needed to be treated prior to painting.

 Painting the hull was tedious but after removing the liquid masking agent and tape, was well worth it.

Wear and tear Interior weathering was straightforward and started with faint shading of the Cremeweiss surfaces. This effect was accomplished by slowly airbrushing a heavily diluted (9:1) mix of thinner and XF-63 German Grey at 10psi (0.6 bar). Next, Wilder’s Deep Shadow Wash was applied with a fine brush to pick out the details and add a sharper depth to the finish. After letting the wash set for 15 minutes, a clean brush moistened with mineral spirits was used to remove any excess. AK Interactive's 711 Chipping Color replicated paint chips, which were

 The metallic cooling fans really brought the engine compartment to life…too bad they would be hard to see once the top plate was added.

added with a brush and sponge around high-traffic areas. The weathering was repeated for the green-grey sections as well, but an additional dust layer was applied to add contrast. AMMO MIG 105 Washable Dust was used by the author for the first time and proved useful to create the desired effect. Washable Dust is intended for airbrushing and can be removed with water. However, for the interior it was diluted with water and applied with a brush. It is important for the surface to be moist with water prior to application; without a moist surface, the viscosity of the fluid is too thick and it will not

 Three tones of Lifecolor rust paint were used to create the effect on the engine exhaust. Dry-brushed black paint helped to pick out details from the dusty finish.

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“SUB-ASSEMBLIES WERE DRY-BRUSHED WITH WINSOR & NEWTON MARS BLACK OIL PAINT” flow around the detail. Multiple layers were added in certain areas to heighten the effect and, if it appeared too thick, a brush moistened with water was used to remove it. The engine and machine gun assemblies were given a base coat of MIG Rubber & Tires, which is an off-black colour that can be best be described as ‘scale black’. Next, a wash of 105 Washable Dust was applied with heavier coats added to the engine. After letting the wash dry for 30 minutes, the sub-assemblies were dry-brushed with Winsor & Newton Mars Black oil paint, while the machine-guns

were finished with a light rubbing of AK Interactive 086 Dark Steel pigment. To finish the engine, the exhausts received several shades of LifeColor rust, each layer being varied in opacity to create a textured appearance.

Coming together Once the various sub-assemblies were painted it was time to build the interior. The first large portion attached was the gearbox, which fitted so well that just a small drop of cyanoacrylate was needed. Next, the two ammo storage boxes were added, but the fit was extremely tight and to ease assembly, the

 Faint shadows were airbrushed on the Cremeweiss surfaces of the turret interior, to provide depth and tonal variation.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD TIGER I Ausf.E EARLY

 The rack of bright ammunition broke up the monotone interior. Chipping on the ammo boxes was accomplished with a silver artist’s pencil.  All mechanical details on the turret ring were painted black, and there was a crisp demarcation in interior colour when the turret basket support met the turret ring.

 Almost ready for the top hull plate…a few more details needed to be added to the engine bay, along with the ammunition rack.

 Rye Field’s gearbox was the highlight of the interior, and its crisp detail really popped out after weathering.

 Conspicuous by their absence were the missing cooling fan drives and pipes, which should emanate from the two large holes on the sidewall.

large locating braces on the bottom of each box were removed. At the same, time the fuel tanks and cooling fan assemblies were added. Before mounting the engine, the driveshaft was inserted through the rear firewall and attached to the gearbox. The engine clicked right into place and the rear hull plate was added afterwards. Next, the front glacis and vertical plates were test-fitted, but they would not align properly...so a No. 11 X-Acto blade was used to reduce the thickness on the rear of the

perfectly into the turret, but the rear connection between the halves had a small gap, so again, it was remedied with sheet styrene. At this point the interior was completed and just the turret roof and top hull plate remained to be added.

glacis for it to fit properly in the vertical plate. Also, the vertical plate was short on both sides and did not align with the hull sides, but this issue was fixed quickly with sections of 10-thou sheet styrene added to each side. Moving to the turret, the m a i n gun assembly fitted

More to come Rye Field has done a commendable job with its second Tiger.

It is far more accurate than Academy’s offering, and the crisp detail and generally good fit put it on par with Dragon and Trumpeter for quality. Short cuts and errors were made by the manufacturer, but with some modelling ingenuity these issues can be fixed easily. Stay tuned for part two (in June issue), in which the author finishes assembly and ❚ gives the Tiger its stripes!

www.airfixmodelworld.com 31

OUT AND ABOUT EAST OF ENGLAND SHOW

Anglian Flourish Jeff Adam’s splendid paintwork and weathering showed just what could be achieved with Dragon’s 1/35 M4A3 Sherman, adding additional stowage and crew figures to complete this great vignette.

I

t’s hard to believe it’s been a full year since Peterborough Model Club’s first show in the city’s Voyager Academy, after leaving its previous town hall venue. March 2016’s event was sponsored by Airfix Model World, which provided free goody bags for all visitors and subscription prizes for winners in the model competition. With sole use of the venue and assistance from

the enormously helpful Voyager staff, this year’s event was far more spacious. Club displays and trade stands were located in two halls, and full use of the connecting ‘street’ allowed the 40 participating clubs to exhibit a spellbinding array of models, figures and dioramas. As always, the competition was ‘open’ (if a kit was on a table it was eligible), and this added

 Brightening up the Emergency Services SIG display was Kev Green’s unusual MaxxPro variant, based on Kinetic’s 1/35 scale kit with an eye-catching airbrushed livery and logos.

 This restful scene on the Bedford and District stand was based around a carefully weathered Tamiya 1/48 Fw 190D, which Tom Ward then improved with resin accessories from MDC. (All Key – Stu Fone)

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Airfix Model World

 Rob Pollock’s elegant Italeri 1/12 1924 Fiat ‘Mefistofele’ was almost all engine, and benefited from extensive scratch-built detail and wiring under the bonnet. Its spotless paintwork must have been a ‘devil’ to achieve!

OUT AND ABOUT EAST OF ENGLAND SHOW

Glenn Woodruff’s outstanding Westland Wyvern S Mk.4 was built from Trumpeter’s 1/72 kit, and featured a superb finish with delicately highlighted panel lines.

 Looking strangely familiar to fans of a certain British TV comedy, Elan Miniatures’ 1/12 ‘I have a cunning plan’ bust was painted beautifully by Terry O’Neill of the Northants British Model Soldier Society.

 This amazing scratch-built 1/72 Bezobrazov Triplane by IPMS Brampton’s Steve Cox was among a number of intricate World War One aircraft and vehicle models on the Great War SIG stand, which won Best Display.

to the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. The Best in Show accolade went to a magnificent Wingnut Wings 1/32 F.E.2b ‘late’ by Jan Maes from North Essex Modellers Club. The Best Club/ Special Interest Group (SIG) Display was won by the Great War SIG, for its varied aircraft and vehicle content. Despite clashing with Mothers' Day, more than 370 visitors attended, and £403 was

raised from a raffle and tombola for Voyager Academy charities. A further £125 was collected from the sale of eight AMW builds by regular contributor Garry Tobiss, and the sum will be donated to the RAF Benevolent Fund. Next year’s show will be held on March 5, and promises to ❚ be even better! Stu Fone

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 The French EBR-11 is one of the more unorthodox armoured vehicle designs, and Peter Fox’s dirty and dusty Hobby Boss 1/35 model provided an unconventional focus on the Mildenhall Scale Model Club table.

 Hadleigh Mead’s intricate diorama, entitled ‘A day on the Danube’ caught the eye of many visitors, with its clever blend of vehicles, figures, scenery and scratch-built details, and added a decidedly European aura to Bedford and District’s display.

 AMW contributor Jan Maes’ stunning rendition of Wingnut Wings’ 1/32 FE.2b, which featured full rigging and a subtly weathered finish that proved the adage of ‘less is more’, as it won the Best in Show trophy. www.airfixmodelworld.com 33

OUT AND ABOUT UNIVERSAL MODEL SHOW

Adding a splash of colour to the Sutton Coldfield stand was this imposing bust by Joe Melvin, which depicted the capture of the French 45th Ligne’s Eagle by the Scots Greys at the Battle of Waterloo. Detail painting and weathering on the flag and bearskin were notable.

 After Mike McCabe had finished correcting and detailing Airfix’s 1/600 HMS Exeter, there was very little left of the original kit…mainly the hull and funnels, but the end result was most impressive and even included signalling flags on the yardarm. (All Key - Stu Fone)

WELCOMING CREWE

I

t may have been close to freezing outside, but that did nothing to dispel the warm welcome at South Cheshire Military Modelling Club’s show in Crewe Heritage Centre. A new venue for this year, it gave visitors a great opportunity

to view the railway museum exhibits while browsing the show and competition. Spread across two buildings, there was an imaginative use of space, matched by the variety and innovation on display; after all, only modellers would utilise

‘hundreds and thousands’, tea bag contents, aluminium blinds and blended cushion foam to build models and dioramas! The best in show award went to an incredible 1/72 scale USS Arizona, by Jozef Szydlowski, a scratch-built project more than four years in the making.

South Cheshire’s event may not be the biggest, but it certainly showcased just what can be achieved with a little imagination and effort. Stu Fone

❚

VIEW MORE ONLINE www.airfixmodelworld.com

 The Formula One and Motorsport SIG can always be counted on for a colourful display, and Geoff Corker’s flawless Tamiya 1/24 Porsche 911 GT1 was no exception. Applying the decals must have demanded considerable patience!

 An immaculate finish and subtle weathering by Allan Canlon was the icing on the cake for his Revell 1/72 F-101B Voodoo, which was resplendent in the markings of the USAF's 60th Fighter Interceptor Squadron.

 Highlighting that there’s more to modelling than just kits, Dave Carroll’s market scene was to 1/76 or OO scale, and in addition to modified buildings and figures featured fruit made from ‘hundreds and thousands’, and shrubbery from blended cushion foam!

 This rather melancholy scene, which replicated the end of the TSR.2 project, was created by Andy Luxton who employed Pit Road’s 1/144 TSR.2 and two partially disassembled Revell Lightnings…both of which displayed scratch-built upper engines.

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Airfix Model World

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OUT AND ABOUT HUDDERSFIELD SHOW

 It’s always good to see helicopters on competition tables, and Martin Ferry’s beautifully presented 1/32nd Revell Alouette 2 snow scene diorama earned him a ‘Highly Commended’.

 Of the many AFV models on display, this Israeli example entitled ‘IDF Fitter’ really stood out from the crowd. It was the work of Paul Williams and won a ‘Best In Class’ accolade.

Andy Davies and Radleigh Bushell present a photographic report from this year’s Huddersfield model show

 This beautifully finished 1/48th Seversky SEV-2 Racer by Matt Lund, of IPMS Wakefield, was built from the Williams Brothers kit. Matt had to modify the basic kit to produce an accurate replica.

Yorkshire Pride

 Sporting the striking Liveries Unlimited ‘Kutula’ scheme, this exceptional Revell Boeing 737-800 by Kevin Dolman won a richly deserved ‘Best In Class’. It was pleasing to see an airliner finished in such a colourful way.  This Zvezda 1/350 IJN Mikawa demonstrated just what can be done with photo-etched metal, rigging line and a wealth of patience; a splendid model that secured its builder, Tony Beesting, a ‘Best in Class’ award.

 Every show has its share of high quality dioramas and this 1/35 Sd.Kfz.222 was no exception; it was a well-painted, skilfully shaded subject entitled ‘Hauptmann...Der Tommies !!’ and was built by Lee Stones.

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Airfix Model World

 John Sheehan of the Canberra Special Interest Group finished his Airfix 1/48th B.2 in this attractive Bomber Command scheme, portraying a 9 Squadron aircraft. It sat amid a spectacular array of different ‘Cranberry’ variants from the group.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

The Original

Hot Hatch Dr James Whalen reviews Revell’s Volkswagen Golf 1 GTI and illustrates how to build an accurate UK right-hand drive example

R

evell’s 1/24 Mk.1 GTI represents the best rendition of the first Golf produced thus far by a kit manufacturer. Others have released Mk.1 Golfs, some with engine detail (AMT) and others as kerbside models (Fujimi and Tamiya)...but none have the combination of parts count, detail and accuracy displayed by Revell’s kit. This maker has also released a cabriolet version of the original Golf, which shares the quality demonstrated by the kit featured here. For builders of British right-hand drive (RHD) examples there are certain issues regarding the GTI kit’s accuracy, but they are easily fixed.

from other Golf versions by red pinstriping around the grille, a chin spoiler (required to reduce lift at 100mph), wheel arch extensions, stripes along the side of the car and matt black paint around the rear windscreen. Interior differences included a

golf ball gear lever knob and tartan sports seats. Dynamic performance was created by an Audi 1,588cc engine, which benefited from enlarged valves, higher compression ratio and the key enhancement of fitting Bosch

K-Jetronic fuel injection rather than a carburettor. This produced a car with a kerb weight of 1,785lb (810kg), which could accelerate to 60mph (95km/h) in nine seconds. To cope with this extra performance the car sat on a lower, stiffer suspension. Putting

To ensure smooth paintwork, body coloured parts were prepared with Micro-Mesh grades up to 4,000.

Revolutionary hatchback Volkswagen’s Golf GTI was launched at the 1975 Frankfurt Motor Show and went on sale in 1976. It was distinguished

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Airfix Model World

 This before and after comparison shows the degree of clean-up required for the front section of the exhaust.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

After completing any sub-assemblies, the rest of the parts were prepared with up to 1,500-grade Wet and Dry abrasive paper.

 After the preparation phase was finished, all parts were washed with water and a soft toothbrush to ensure recesses were clear of debris.

a more powerful engine in a car to produce extra performance was certainly not new, but the combination of sports car performance with a practical front-drive hatchback was. Because of this the car paved the way for a new genre of vehicle – the hot hatch – and other manufacturers had to catch up. Despite worthy opposition from its rivals, the Golf GTI remained the benchmark against which others were measured.

In the prep shop

MODEL SPEC

This builder’s preference for car kits is to prepare all the parts, paint everything and then tackle assembly. Excellent preparation is essential, because short-cuts will be obvious on the finished model. Parts were removed from the runners and mould lines removed with a fine file, before 800-, 1,200- and 1,500-grade abrasive paper was used (wet) over the entire part, with care taken to preserve detail. Body

parts, and others to be painted the same colour, were treated further with 3,200-, 3,600- and 4,000-grade polishing cloths (once again with water). All parts were then primed before being painted the appropriate colour. The moulding was generally of good quality, although there was more flash than one might expect on a new tooling. Body sections that required extra work included the front windscreen pillars and the shut line for the rear hatch. Once the mould lines had been removed, a photoetched metal saw blade was used to re-create/deepen the shut line where the hatch met the roof on both sides of the model. A

 Front and back views of the completed engine. Due to the assembly order the horizontal seam was present, but is not noticeable on the completed model.

scribing tool was sufficient for other shut lines to ensure they were well defined under layers of paint.

Injecting pace After the engine block was assembled it was airbrushed with Humbrol 27002 Metalcote

Polished Aluminium. Subtle weathering was then created by use of a cotton bud to buff the engine, changing pressure in places to crate variance. Humbrol Satin Cote varnish was then sprayed to reduce the shine slightly and replicate the engine block accurately. Satin black

Volkswagen Golf 1 GTI By:

Revell

Stock Code:

07072

Scale:

1/24

Price:

£19.99

Available from: www.revell.de/en

www.airfixmodelworld.com 39

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

 After the separate engine bay was assembled and painted to match the body, details were picked out with a brush.

 The completed bay was an excellent representation of the actual car, and would not require much super-detailing to produce a superb centrepiece.

items that could be sprayed were done so with Zero Paints’ ZP-1050, whereas parts that needed to be brush-painted, such as the starter motor, utilised Tamiya X-18; this resulted in different degrees of sheen for added realism. There were many accessories to help create a realistic engine bay, and these were painted mostly with paints recommended by Revell, as they were generally accurate. An exception to this was the air intake/fuel injection unit. Contrary to the instructions, the air intake section was sprayed satin black and the injector unit Mercedes Brilliant Silver (see paint table provided). A useful colour combination in the instructions, and worth remembering in the future, was a 50:50 blend of Revell 302 SemiGloss Black and 378 Semi-Gloss Grey. This shade was used on

After failing to find an appropriate colour code for the wheels, advice was sought from a fellow model car builder who worked with Volkswagen at time the Mk.1 GTI was on the market. He recommended Mercedes Brilliant Silver as being an accurate match so this was applied, then covered with Zero ZP-3002 Pre-thinned Clear Lacquer, and then X-18 was used for the wheel nuts. Matt black was painted on the inside of the wheel rear before they were assembled, as this added depth. To give the tyre surfaces a more realistic finish, they were sanded lightly with dry 400-grade abrasive paper. Assembly of the chassis was straightforward and the parts fitted well. Revell has provided a good representation of this area, despite criticism

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Airfix Model World

many of the pipes in the engine bay, the radiator cap and brake fluid reservoir cap. Later in the build, it was also employed on certain interior parts and the window surrounds. This mix dried with a pleasing sheen and represented a suitable mid-way point between grey and black, while being distinct from both. After the decals had dried on the engine accessories, they were sealed with XF-86 Flat Clear, as X-35 Semi-gloss Clear was too shiny. Once this had dried, with any necessary touch-ups completed, it was time to place the engine into its bay, ready to be installed on the chassis. Built from the box, the engine represented a realistic representation of the GTI powerplant; it would not take a super-detailer much work to produce a superb replication of this unit.

Holding onto the road

Materials at a glance Novus Acrylic Plastic Polish Set Amazon (www.amazon.co.uk) Blue Dolphin Decals (www.blue-dolphin-decals.co.uk) 1/24 Number plate decals (custom made registrations) self-adhesive Zero Paints products Hiroboy.com (www.hiroboy.com/ home.html) Micro-Mesh Hobby Kit Scale Motorsport Polishing StiX Hobbycraft (www.hobbycraft.co.uk) Prym Bridal & Lace Pins 26 x 0.53mm Renaissance Models (www.renaissance-models.com) Resin bumpers and front indicator lenses

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

about the simplicity of the rear suspension. It was actually a simple and extremely effective set-up on the VW Golf...a feature copied by other manufacturers.

In the driver’s seat When neatening the interior parts, the door locks were removed and replaced with metal pins. This was done due to the added strength and improved shape the pins offered, compared with the flimsy, easily broken plastic items. Once prepared for paint, the door cards were sprayed with the chosen body colour, followed by clear lacquer and then masked, in preparation for satin black. After consulting reference photos, the door cards were masked differently to the instruction’s recommendations (the author was fortunate to be able to view a Mk.1 GTI and confirm the accuracy of the images viewed).

Painting the seats commenced with the 50:50 mix of 302 and 378 mentioned earlier. When airbrushing enamels this modeller often uses cellulose thinners to dilute the paint; for this build, Halfords Cellulose

thinners were used. Due to the satin finish the seats then received Vallejo 70.510 Acrylic Gloss Varnish before decaling, to prevent silvering. It was found that the tartan upholstery decals were too wide

at the front of the driver and passenger seats, so they were trimmed before being applied. A few days later the seats were then covered with 70.520 Matt Varnish to achieve the correct degree of sheen exhibited by

 Revell's wheels were painted with Mercedes Brilliant Silver, and before assembly the insides of the rear faces were painted matt black to impart depth.

 After being sprayed to match the rest of the body parts, the door cards were masked differently to the instructions to match reference photos.

 The door locks were knocked off easily and were not well-defined at the top. To rectify this, metal pins were inserted into holes for extra strength before painting was carried out.

 The seats really helped capture the feel of the Mk.1 GTI’s interior. Once the decals had dried, they were covered with Vallejo Matt Varnish to achieve the correct finish.

www.airfixmodelworld.com 41

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

Painting Chart

the cloth upholstery. Both the Vallejo varnishes were applied by airbrush and diluted to achieve the correct consistency. Once painted, the interior was assembled according to the instructions, and any decals were sealed with XF-86. As with the parts count for the engine accessories, there were many items in the interior of the model not often seen in kits, such as the seatbelt receivers or grab handles. This resulted in an accurate likeness of the interior for the car being modelled.

Looking like a GTI As the subject was to have RHD format, the existing holes for the wipers were filled with plastic rod. Once the rods were cut and filed to shape, cyanoacrylate (CA) used with accelerator sufficed as a filler. After holes were drilled

for the RHD wiper blades, the area was then prepared for paint as described earlier. Although locating holes had been drilled for the mirrors, it was found to be of no use during assembly as the windows covered them in part. Mars Red was chosen as the body colour for this model, but there were actually two Mars Red shades used by Volkswagen; as 1979 was the year chosen here, the earlier paint code (L31/B) was appropriate. For builders wishing to use other colours, a table of VW paint codes has been provided (see p.44...note that details for the silver used to paint the wheels are in the bottom row). Builders wishing to build a black car will need to obtain white decal stripes, as just black examples were supplied on the decal sheet. Due to the light shade of the

Colour

Parts

Alclad Polished Aluminium, then Aqua Gloss Clear

exhaust pipes

Humbrol 33 Matt Black

wheel arches, rear window surround

Humbrol 174 Satin Signal Red

windscreen reservoir cap, moulding on alternator

Humbrol 27002 Metalcote Polished Aluminium, then Humbrol TM904 Satin Cote

engine block/gearbox assembly

Tamiya X-18 Semi-gloss Black

wheel nuts, starter motor, steering wheel rim

Tamiya X-12 Golf Leaf

CV joint clips, front brake callipers

Tamiya X-26 Clear Orange

indicator lenses

Tamiya X-27 Clear Red

tail-lights/brake lights

Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver

reflective areas for interior mirror, headlights, indicators and tail-lights

Zero ZP-1017 Jet Black, then ZP-3002 Pre-thinned Clear Lacquer

radiator, drive shafts

Zero ZP-1050 Semi-gloss Black

body accessories, engine parts, dashboard, trim on door cards

Zero White Primer, then Humbrol Satin Cote

windscreen wash/brake fluid reservoirs

Zero ZP-1124 Matt Black

rear window surround, chassis

Mercedes Brilliant Silver DB744 (mixed by Zero), then Zero ZP-3002 Pre-thinned Clear Lacquer

wheels, injector unit, radiator reservoir

Volkswagen L31/B Mars Red (mixed by Zero), then Zero ZP-3002 Pre-thinned Clear Lacquer

body-coloured parts and pinstriping on radiator grille

paint, ZP-3023 Airbrushing White Primer/Microfiller was used. This was then smoothed gently with 4,000-grade polishing cloth (wet), before the red base coat was applied. This was then varnished with ZP-3002, but unfortunately the clear dried with too much ‘orange peel’ effect. Because it was the author’s first experience with this particular product, advice was sought from

colleagues who recommended thinning to promote better flow. An isopropyl alcohol bath was used first until the paint had softened and started to lift, before Loctite 7855 Hand Cleaner was employed. After a second application of the red basecoat, the ZP-3002 was airbrushed at mix of one-third ZP-5201 Cellulose Thinners and two-thirds clear lacquer.

Here’s the completed interior before final assembly; the instructions recommended attachment of the dashboard before all the parts were mated.

 The chassis was painted and assembled as directed, with the exception of the exhaust, which received Alclad Polished Aluminium for extra realism.

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Airfix Model World

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

Before completing the clean-up of the body it was necessary to plug the holes for the left-hand drive windscreen wipers, and then drill the appropriate flashedover holes for a UK car.

Due to a tight fit, the chassis and interior were inserted as a unit into the body rather than interior first, then chassis as directed.

 Once the decals had dried, a second application of clear lacquer was applied before final polishing was carried out.

With the red base coat completed, it was checked for quality before the first application of clear lacquer.

As thinning the clear was successful, the body parts had shine added with polishing cloths up to 12,000-grade. Decals were then applied before the parts were varnished a second time, to protect them and provide a uniform finish. To complete the paintwork, the polishing cloths were pressed into service once more, before Novus 2 was utilised to remove the polishing haze. Carnauba wax, Zero ZP-6016, then finished the paintwork steps to protect the finish and provide extra shine. Care was taken around the black stripes to prevent wax build-up and lifting the decals, as they were too wide for the moulding strips. Due to the tight fit of the bonnet hinges, it is advisable to remove the paint from the hinges and open the areas into which they slot. To complete painting the body, the rear window surround on the hatch was then masked with tape (with paper towel covering the rest of the model) before it was sprayed with ZP-1124. After this,

the wheel arches were brushpainted with matt black. As the arches were difficult to see under layers of paint, a magnifying glass was essential. Once these steps had been completed, the bodyshell really started to look unmistakeably ‘GTI’. It was decided to use red paint (rather than decals) for the pinstriping around the grille. After spraying the latter in the same manner as the body parts, it was then masked and airbrushed with ZP-1050. Touchups around the headlights, and other areas on the grille, were done by brush with matt black and a reflective background for the lights was provided by X-11 Chrome Silver. As the mirrors were attached poorly to the runner, it was necessary to repair the lip around their edges. This done was done with CA and accelerator, before a fine file was used to re-profile the edge. Mirror decals supplied in the kit, which needed to be trimmed, then provided the reflective surface. They were

“Mars Red was chosen as the body colour for this model”

www.airfixmodelworld.com 43

INTERMEDIATE BUILD 1979 VW GOLF GTI

Volkswagen GTI Colour Codes Colour

Years

Code

Alpine White

1979 on

L90E

Black

1976 on

LO41

Diamond Silver

1976 on

L97A

Inari Silver

1979 on

L94A

Mars Red

1976 to 1980

L31/B

Mercedes Brilliant Silver

1991

DB744

 To paint the distinctive matt black surround on the hatch, the area was masked with Tamiya tape and kitchen towel. Any errant areas were corrected with a wet 6,000-grade polishing stick.

attached with Deluxe Materials Roket Cyano Gel CA.

Becoming British To accurately model an RHD Golf GTI it was necessary to represent a car from 1979 onwards, as this was the first year that righthanders were imported to the UK. To represent British examples from either 1977 or 1978, it would be possible to build the kit as supplied, but with left-hand drive. As the model represents a GTI at the time of its launch, the kit was supplied with metal bumpers, which had been replaced with larger plastic versions by the time RHD models became available. Replacement resin items from Renaissance Models were used here to enable the correct style to be represented. A second problem concerned the decal sheet, as the UK

example was an ‘N’ plate (1974, the year the Golf was released but before the GTI was launched), which would be incorrect for a 1979 car. Custom self-adhesive vinyl decals were sourced from Blue Dolphin Decals. These were mounted on 13/16 x 3/16in (20 x 5mm) pieces of plastic card, which had been sprayed white at the front and satin black at the back and sides. Choosing a suitable registration was carried out by studying images of 1979 Golf GTIs on the internet, and then changing a number to produce a realistic example. It was then necessary to make a mount for the registration plate on the underside of the front bumper, and this was achieved by the drilling of holes to insert plastic rod...which would strengthen the join between the plate mount and bumper.

 Before assembly the carnauba wax was removed from the body lines with a clay shaper and Novus 1 to loosen the deposits. Extra care was taken around the black stripes on the moulding lines, as the decals were too wide.

With all the detail painting completed, the body shell really took on the appearance of a GTI and was ready for final assembly.

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Airfix Model World

Hot stuff! With just minor changes it was possible to build an accurate, UK-registered RHD GTI with Revell’s kit. It came with a wealth of detail and captured the lines and character of a significant car extremely well. For these reasons the product gets ‘highly recommended’ status from this builder. Due to the style of the tail lights, just cars up to 1979 can be represented, but for vehicles from 1980 onwards, after-market transkits are available to convert the model to a post-facelift Mk.1 Golf. How to build a later Mk.1 Golf GTI will be described in a future AMW build article. The author would like to thank Geoff Brown for his advice regarding the wheel colour, and Ian Hartup and Marc Hanna for their advice on applying Zero's Pre-thinned Clear Lacquer. It's one of the positive aspects of the hobby's social side, when other modellers are so helpful. This generosity is one of the reasons that belonging to a club, forum or visiting shows is so rewarding. ❚

 After being painted Mars Red, the grille was masked in readiness for satin black. Final detail painting was done with a brush, Humbrol 33 Matt Black and Tamiya X-11 Chrome Silver.

 Once painted, it was evident that the decision to use paint for the pinstriping was justified. The lenses were then attached with white glue before attaching the grille.

 A comparison of the metal-style bumpers and the larger items supplied in the cabriolet kit; it is possible to use a bumper from the cabriolet at the front but not the back, due to the GTI’s wider bodywork. It was therefore easier to use after-market bumpers to save effort.

Reference The Volkswagen Golf Story: 40 Years of the Second People’s Car by Russell Hayes (Behemoth Publishing Ltd), ISBN: 978-0992876906

Renaissance Models’ resin bumpers did not require much neatening. A mount was made on the underneath of the front bumper to aid attachment of the registration plate.

METEOR F.8

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YOUR INDISPENSIBLE GUIDE TO BUILDING AIRFIX'S NEW METEOR F.8

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METEOR HISTORY

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EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

Peter Johnson welcomes Airfix’s all-new 1/48 Meteor F.8, and applies a flawless Alclad finish

Magnificent

‘ MEATBOX’

I

 The entire airframe surface showed varying amounts of slightly rough texture. Rubbing with Micro-Mesh and priming with micro-filling primer were needed to remove the texture before applying the silver finish.

t’s been a very long time since Airfix released a new Meteor… but the wait has been worth it! The eagerly awaited test shot arrived in a Ziploc bag, but it included full instructions and decals. Several alternate parts were noted, including large- and small-aperture intakes, ejection seat cushions with and without seatbelts, standard and extendedchord ailerons, and two styles of canopy hood… intriguingly not all needed for the two versions in this kit. The bottom wings and fuselage had a wealth of flashed-over holes

 Careful painting was needed to accentuate the pleasing detail in the cockpit, and drybrushing brightened what otherwise would have been a very dark hole.

 The instrument panel decal fitted well on the right side of the panel, but came up short on the left. Cutting the decal just left of the centre instruments will prevent the problem.

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Airfix Model World

to open, depending on the version being modelled, including those for rocket rail mounting points. On the exterior surfaces of the wings, fuselage and tail, the plastic exhibited a slightly rough, bumpy texture, which reminded this builder of electrical discharge machining, or spark eroding. The texture varied from part to part, but was visible on every exterior surface. Ironically, the inside surfaces of the affected parts were very smooth and polished. While it would be fine for a camouflaged livery, the texture wouldn’t do for

EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

MODEL SPEC

 Airfix’s completed cockpit module was well-detailed, and looked the part once installed along with the gunsight and coaming. Gloster Meteor F.8 By:

Airfix

Stock Code:

A09182)

Scale:

1/48

Price:

£32.99

Available from: www.airfix.com

a High Speed Silver finish, so fine sanding sticks and Micro-Mesh were used for polishing the subassemblies or individual parts as was deemed easiest.

Office time The cockpit module was a mini-kit in itself, and included the machine gun bays and nose wheel bay. Detail and quality of moulding were

excellent throughout, and coupled with the all-black interior, looked the part without any additions. The only obviously missing items were rudder pedals, but they would be nigh invisible once the cockpit was installed. Lifecolor UA735 Deep Cockpit was used for the basic colour, with details accented with various light greys, pure black, and appropriate colours for the switches and dials. Dry-brushing with Gunship Gray and Citadel Mithril Silver enhanced the detail further and provided moderate weathering, giving a pleasingly busy and detailed appearance. The instrument panel was airbrushed in Deep Cockpit and over-coated with Alclad Aqua Gloss before applying the instrument decal, with the yellow radar scope acting as the datum. Gunze Mr. Mark Setter helped the decal settle into all the raised details without any silvering. This decal was a little short from side to side though, with the lefthand dials being offset slightly, so cutting the decal into two or three pieces before application would be advisable. Once dry, the

 Nose weight to the tune of 15g was suggested by the instructions, but a weight and balance check revealed the need for more, and about 25g was epoxied under the floor and behind the tub. Better safe than sorry!

 The inset panel under the nose was filled with plastic card and neatened, while the raised panel behind it had its corners removed so the ventral tank would fit properly.

instrument panel was airbrushed with Model Master Acryl Clear Flat, and the instrument faces were picked out with Johnson’s Future/Klear. Although not as detailed as a resin item, the kit’s five-piece ejection seat is a worthy effort. The seat cushions were brushed with various shades of tan, with the belts being painted buff and Prussian blue, and silver highlights

were added for the buckles. Before adding the top of the head box, the firing handle was airbrushed with yellow, and the black stripes were created with a fine-point Sharpie permanent marker. One of these days I’ll get the hang of this method, but it looks fine from normal viewing distance! Decals for the sides of the head box provided the finishing touch, and the completed seat was

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EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

 The rudders featured oversized strakes on their trailing edges, so they were thinned and narrowed. Pointed rivets on all control surfaces were also sanded to de-emphasize them.

 With the spars, gear wells, exhausts and landing light in place, the wing was ready for the upper surfaces to be added. The appropriate flashed-over wing and ventral tank holes have been opened, and the obvious rocket rail holes suggest a future release.

airbrushed with Model Master Acryl Clear Flat to even the finish before being set aside. Both machine gun bays are fully detailed, so the modeller can decide how much interior embellishment to show. The doors didn’t quite fit flush with the machine guns fitted, so the latter should be omitted if the doors are to be closed. Don’t omit the bays themselves though, since they hold the completed cockpit module in position. The gun bays and nosewheel well were airbrushed with Alclad SemiMatte Aluminium, which provided a noticeable contrast with the exterior High Speed Silver (HSS) finish, and the guns, magazines and shell chutes received Alclad Gunmetal, Magnesium and Steel respectively, and were then drybrushed with Citadel Chainmail. There was also a small clear window to install just forward of the port side gun bay which, ironically, was subsequently covered with a decal.

Nose weight Before fitting the cockpit into the fuselage, the appropriate antenna holes were located and opened. The instructions recommend 15g of weight in the nose, but a quick centre of gravity check showed that more would be needed; with the cockpit dry-fitted into the nose, 25g was epoxied under the floor and behind the tub. Fitting the cockpit module into the fuselage required slight trimming of the outer edges of the engine bays, to avoid a gap on the bottom of the fuselage. Care should be taken that the forward cockpit bulkhead is flush with the front edge of the fuselage, or the nose won’t fit properly later. Horizontal tail surfaces were tackled next, with the tops and bottoms being glued, and the texture was removed with MicroMesh. When they were offered to the vertical tail, however, the fit wasn’t great. The tabs were loose,

KIT COLOUR SCHEMES

WL123/H, 111 Squadron., RAF North Weald, Essex, England, 1954: Dark Sea Grey and Dark Green over High Speed Silver

 The stabilizer fit was poor, which ecessitated extra filling and shaping. Having damaged the trailing edge, a piece of the extra aileron was spliced in, and then filed to match the elevator next to it.

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WH364/U, 85 Sqn., RAF Binbrook, Lincolnshire, England, 1968: Overall High Speed Silver

EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

“ALL CONTROL SURFACES WERE SEPARATE, SO THEY WERE LEFT OFF UNTIL THE AIRFRAME WAS COMPLETED”

so they were shimmed with thin plastic card. The root ends of the stabilisers were thicker than the stubs on the fin, resulting in much filling and neatening. This in turn damaged the trailing edges of the roots, necessitating more repair work. All control surfaces were separate, so they were left off until the airframe was completed, while the upper and lower rudders had plates attached to the trailing edges, but they were oversized, so were thinned and narrowed to match photographs more closely. The control surfaces were also sanded to reduce the height of the rivet detail. At the other end, the nose gear struts were neatened and attached, leaving the nosewheel and mudguard off, and the halves of the nose were glued and neatened. When dry, the

gear and the inside of the nose were sprayed with Semi-Matte Aluminium. The fit of the nose resulted in a gap all around, as well as the cross sections being somewhat different, so the join required fettling to fair it in, followed by re-scribing the lost panel lines. Behind the nose gear well there was an inset panel where just an outline should have been, which looked as if there should be a separate part to fill it. This was then duly filled with thin plastic card and shaped appropriately, but since the ventral fuel tank would cover most of it, the panel line was not re-scribed. With the fuselage complete, attention turned to the wings. This was a straightforward assembly, with its two spars and side walls for the landing gear wells forming a strong and rigid structure, and

 A troublesome nose fit meant gaps all around. This may have been due to the cockpit module being installed slightly too far forward, rather than flush with the end of the fuselage.

robust locating tabs to ensure everything aligned properly. Nacelle interiors and landing gear wells were sprayed SemiMatte Aluminium, and the gear wells were dirtied with a wash of

Payne’s Grey and Burnt Umber artist acrylics. Jet pipe assembly came next and the seams were neatened on the inside, and the innards were airbrushed with Alclad Jet Exhaust before the

 A punch and die set was used to make replacement fuel filler caps, which were sanded off while neatening the seam. After drying, the caps were sanded lightly to reduce their height and smooth the edges.

 After fettling to ensure a proper fit, the nose gear structure was quite robust. The wheel and fork were constructed separately and added at the end of the build. www.airfixmodelworld.com 51

EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

locating holes for the ventral tank. Joining the fuselage and wing required filling and shaping to fix the gaps between the wing roots and fuselage. Unfortunately some detail was lost in the process, notably on the fillets. The ventral fuel tank was held in position and outlined, and the corners of a raised panel just in front of the wing root were removed where the tank would attach, so the latter would sit flush without any gaps. Lastly, the control surfaces were attached in their neutral positions; although offsetting them would have lent interest, photos intimated that they were always faired on the ground.

Busy undercarriage

pipe was installed. Small-mouthed intakes were used for the HSS option, so these were assembled and the seams were filled…fiddly, since they reached fairly far into the intakes. A curved X-Acto blade was used to scrape the seam from the inside of the inlet before finishing with sandpaper wrapped

around a ‘pinkie’ finger. Once again, the fit of the intakes to the wing as less than perfect, and the seams were filled, neatened and re-scribed. As with the fuselage, the entire wing assembly needed rubbing down to remove the surface texture. The two drop tanks were also assembled and

the join neatened. The wing root fillets (B12/B1) were then glued to the wings, rather than the fuselage as the instructions showed, with the fuselage dry-fitted in place to ensure the fillets were positioned properly. Before attaching the wing, don’t forget to open the

The landing gear involved a little more work than usual, due to the mudguards around the tyres. Wheels and tyres were assembled, painted and weathered, and the gear fork parts were airbrushed Semi-Matte Aluminium. After tidying the mating surfaces, the forks were assembled around the wheels…but the wheels themselves were not glued to the forks, to allow the moulded flat spots to be positioned exactly

ADHESION ISSUES

 The shell ejector chutes included a section of fuselage, to ensuring the proper angle for each chute as well as a strong bond. After outlining the front of the ventral tank, the arrowed corners of the raised panel were filed so the tank would fit flush.

 Alclad’s Micro-Filler Primer was polished as needed with Micro-Mesh, before a coat of High Speed Silver was applied. The resulting gleam was spot on and made all the prep worthwhile.

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The kit decals, although quite well printed, would not adhere strongly to the model and this may have been due to the paint finish. The initial decals were applied to the bottom of the wings, and since there was no detail to conform to, no setting solution was used. This turned out to be a mistake, since once they were dry, they tended to come off during handling. Fortunately, a spare kit sheet was on hand, so they could be replaced as needed. Once the problem was noticed, the remaining decals were applied with Gunze Mr. Mark Setter and Mr. Mark Softer. The adhesive in the Setter helped, but didn’t eliminate, the problem completely. Indeed, at the very end of the build one of the prominent fuel tank stencils on the fuselage spine was found to have folded over on itself, but fortunately it was coaxed back into place with more Setter and Softer.

The rectangular wing walk decals had clear film filling the rectangle, so these had to be sectioned to remove the film, particularly with the wheel well bulge within the clear area. The resulting rear span-wise stripe was applied first, followed by the U-section. But the latter decal split while being applied, so the second was cut beforehand. In the end, the result was much better than the one-piece decal could have provided.

EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

 For some reason, the ‘Cut Here’ stripes on the canopy frames were printed as separate dashes rather than a single strip per side. It was tricky to align and space them evenly, but fortunately they’re hard to see against the HSS once applied.

 The wheels and tyres were finished before enclosing them in the mudguards, and then masked before neatening and spraying the mudguards and struts. Leaving the wheels loose allowed proper adjustment of the flat spots once the undercarriage was attached.

after the gears were attached. The mudguard and strut seams were then neatened, the tyres were masked, and Semi-Matte Aluminium was sprayed again. Unusually, the main wheels were not handed, so the brake side of both wheels faced the port side - an odd detail that this modeller had to verify! The Editor requested that the High Speed Silver colour scheme be portrayed, which worked out well for meeting the deadline. Rather than spending hours masking and spraying camouflage, 15 minutes’ airbrushing and voila!...painting finished. Alclad’s recommendations for the High Speed Silver finish were followed and, after masking the cockpit, gun bays, inlets, exhausts and landing gear wells with tape and foam blocks, the airframe was primed with Alclad ALC-302 Grey Primer/ Micro Filler. Any rough spots were eredicated with Micro-Mesh, and

via a mix of Burnt Umber and Payne’s Grey artist’s acrylics, to give the wash a slightly dirty look. Just removable panels and control surfaces were accented, since the aircraft were generally kept in pristine condition. Wash was also applied to the insides of the landing gear wells and streaked on

then Alclad ALC-125 High Speed Silver was sprayed. Canopy and windscreen parts were masked too, and the interior Deep Cockpit colour was airbrushed, followed by HSS on the canopy frame. The windscreen and anti-glare panel were sprayed with PollyScale Steam Power Black. Airfix provided two colour schemes, and a full set of stencils was included, which gave the overall HSS a suitably busy look. The printing was impressive, and even the smallest stencils were legible with enough magnification. However, adhesion was a problem, as described in the separate panel. Once the decals had dried, the entire airframe was over-coated with Alclad ALC-312 Klear Kote Semi-Matte, which gave a very convincing sheen to the HSS. A panel line wash was applied

the insides of the gear doors. Two Derwent turbojets and a maintenance stand were supplied, so it was decided to show one engine installed and one on the stand, with the empty nacelle closed. Each engine comprised seven parts, which were sprayed with various shades of Alclad

 Airfix’s turbojet parts were most pleasing, and were sprayed with a variety of Alclad shades and black tones to match online photos. Black acrylic wash was applied to the screened inlet sections to portray the mesh panels.

“THE PRINTING WAS IMPRESSIVE AND EVEN THE SMALLEST STENCILS WERE LEGIBLE...” www.airfixmodelworld.com 53

EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

The turbojet fitted snuggly in the nacelle, so the front-mounted oil tank was omitted until the powerplant was in place, and then slipped into position from above. A shim was added to the oil tank locating tab, to tighten the fit and prevent the tank rotating.

The cockpit coaming sat too high above the instrument panel for the windscreen to fit, so slots were filed into the bottom where the panel touched it. Note that the two-piece gunsight has been mounted to the rear of the instrument panel.

RECOM M ENDED REF ERENCE Meteor - ‘Britain’s First JetPowered Cold War Warrior’ (Aeroplane Icons), available from Key Publishing: www.keypublishing. com/shop Gloster Meteor, Warpaint Series No.22, by Tony Buttler (Hall Park), ISSN: 1363-0369 The Gloster & AW Meteor, by Richard J Caruana and Richard A Franks, (SAM Publications), ISBN: 978 0 95334 658 5 Wings of Fame Volume 15, (Aerospace Publishing), ISBN: 978 1 88058 823 9

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and black paints to match photos found online. The two conical inlet screens received Alclad Aluminium, and the mesh was filled with a black wash, while the stand was airbrushed with Tamiya Flat Yellow, overcoated with Aqua Gloss, and given a dirty wash and silver dry-brushing to impart a well-used look. As shown in the instructions, the engine must be installed in its bay before sliding the oil tank into position. A sliver of thin plastic card was used to shim the locating slot in the oil tank to give a more precise fit. In spite of other fit problems, the engine nacelle

cover benefited from a perfect press-fit on the empty nacelle without the need for glue. The gunsight was moulded in two clear pieces, and care was needed to remove the sprue gates without damaging it. The two parts were brush-painted with matt black before assembly, and the lenses were filled with Tamiya Clear Blue. After assembling and touching-up the seam, the gunsight was glued to the back of the instrument panel. The coaming sat a little too high over the top of the instrument panel, so notches were filed on the bottom sides until the windscreen fitted properly over the coaming. With the latter

EXCLUSIVE BUILD GLOSTER METEOR F.8

A F T ER - M AR K ET S C H EMES Hannants’ house brand Xtradecal has released a splendid set of extra schemes (X48043) with Airfix’s new 1/48 Meteor in mind…although they’d sit just as happily on Classic Airframes’ old kit. The nine options all represent British aircraft, in camouflage and High Speed Silver:

item dry-fitted on top of the panel, the windscreen was glued in place with Gator’s Grip, and the fit was excellent, with no filling required. The pitot boom and antenna were added next, and painted to match reference photos. Each nacelle’s exhaust cone was then sprayed with Alclad Jet Exhaust and glued with Gator’s Grip. Landing gear doors were attached next, and although the

inner doors were supported firmly with cross-bracing, the outer doors were propped in place with Yellow-Tack to hold them while CA was applied. Oddly, the locating tabs on the nose gear doors were moulded proud on the outside surfaces rather than inside, so they were filed before attachment. Finally the drop tanks, ejection seat and open canopy were fitted, and the ‘Meatbox’ was complete.

A great rendition Airfix’s new Meteor is an excellent effort, on par with the firm’s other recent releases. The detail is impressive, and the gun bays and turbojets are welcome additions…I’d love to see night fighting two-seaters and I doubt I’m on my own in this respect. And while the texture and fit issues detracted from it slightly, these ❚ were remedied easily.

WA826/F, 245 Sqn, Horsham St. Faith, 1951 WL135, CO 245 Sqn, Horsham St. Faith, 1955 WA852/J, 257 Sqn, Horsham St. Faith, 1953 WK672/X, 247 Sqn, Odiham, 1951-52 WA893/C, 263 Sqn, Wattisham, 1956 WF654/R, 64 Sqn, Duxford, 1957 WH263/N, 616Sqn RAuxAF, Finningley, mid-1960s VZ547/B, 74 Sqn, Horsham St. Faith, 1950-51 VZ547/B, 74 Sqn, Horsham St. Faith, 1952 www.hannants.co.uk

 Clumsily, the author managed to damage one of the upper wing roundels, and in this instance the decals’ lack of adhesion was a definite plus. Clear Scotch tape was wrapped around the end of tweezers, and the latter rolled across the decal to pull it up. That did the trick, and a replacement was applied. www.airfixmodelworld.com 55

PHOTO FOCUS METEOR. F8

VIEW MORE ONLINE www.airfixmodelworld.com

Jet Age GEM

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Soak up the detail on these useful walk-round images of The Jet Age Museum's Meteor F.8 WH364

PHOTO FOCUS METEOR. F8

GLOSTER TRIBUTE This Meteor F.8 is just one of several examples residing at The Jet Age Museum, which is beside Gloucestershire Airport, near Staverton, UK. Admission is free and besides Meteors, one can also enjoy the Gloster Javelin FAW.9 and FAW.4, replicas of the Silver Period Gamecock biplane and E28 development aircraft, and various cockpit sections. A café and shop are also on site. For further details visit: www.jetagemuseum.org AMW would like to thank Darren Lewington for hosting AMW’s walk-round photo shoot. All photography by Matthew Roberts: www.matthewrobertsphotographer.co.uk

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58 G L O S T E R M E T E O R F . 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Cockpit fresh air intake Camera aperture Access hatch Gun camera Nose undercarriage pivot mounting Nose wheel leg door Shock absorber strut Trailing axle nose wheel suspension Aft retracting nose wheel Fixed mudguard Nose wheel bay doors Nose undercarriage mounting sub-frame Hydraulic retraction jack Armoured cockpit front pressure bulkhead Cannon muzzle apertures Ground power and ground/flight switch Cannon barrel recoil mountings Engine throttle levers Control column Instrument panel Instrument access panel Retractable gyro gun sight Armoured windscreen panels Sliding cockpit canopy Ejection seat face blind firing handle Headrest and drogue container Martin-Baker Mk.2E ejection seat

28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Sliding canopy side rail Canopy external release Kick-in boarding steps Oxygen charging point Pull-out step Cartridge case and link ejector chutes and airflow deflector Hispano 20mm cannon Ammunition feed drums Ammunition magazines, 190 rounds per gun Cockpit pressure seal Hydraulic reservoir Ammunition loading ramp Forward/centre fuselage joint bulkhead Fuselage top longeron attachment joint Sliding canopy rear centre rail Fuel tanks (3), total internal capacity 420 imp gal (1,909 litres) Centre fuselage frame and stringer structure Fuel tank retaining straps Tank bay access hatches Fuel fillers Starboard airbrake panel, open, upper and lower surfaces Starboard main wheel, stowed position Engine rear suspension link Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 centrifugal flow engine

52 Engine oil tank 53 Starter unit 54 Engine-driven accessory gearbox with Heywood compressor 55 Generator 56 Starboard nacelle air intake 57 High-velocity 5in rockets (HVAR), carried by Israeli aircraft 58 Starboard navigation light 59 Homing antennae 60 Aft facing recognition light 61 Starboard aileron 62 Aileron hinge control link, torque shaft operated 63 Aileron internal mass balance weights 64 Balance tab 65 Additional spring tab on rocket carrying aircraft 66 Nacelle tailcone 67 Jet pipe 68 Exhaust nozzle 69 Centre/aft fuselage joint frame 70 Radio equipment bay 71 VHF antenna 72 Stowage compartment, off-base and tropical equipment 73 IFF antenna 74 Aft fuselage upper main longeron 75 Aft fuselage frame and stringer structure

G L O S T E R M E T E O R F . 8 59 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102

Lower fin segment Two-spar and rib lower fin segment structure Fin/tailplane fairing Tailplane spar bolted attachment joints Starboard tailplane Starboard elevator Upper fin segment rib structure Upper rudder segment Rudder rib structure Rudder interconnection, upper and lower segments Elevator hinge control Tail navigation light Elevator trim tab Port elevator rib structure Tailplane spar and rib torsion box structure Lower rudder segment with trim tab Semi-span tailplane front spar Fuselage tailcone Rudder hinge control link Tail bumper Elevator hinge control link Tailplane spar mounting bulkheads Tailcone joint frame Control cable access panels Tailplane control cable runs Remote compass transmitter Pneumatic air bottle

103 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149

Wing root trailing edge fairing Radio equipment bay ventral access hatch Split trailing edge flap Flap hydraulic jack Airbrake hydraulic jack Port upper airbrake panel, open Electrical equipment panel Port main wheel door Main undercarriage wheel bay Engine nacelle access hatches Rear engine mounting Rear spar ring frame and engine bay rear bulkhead Nacelle tailcone frame structure Jet pipe rear suspension mounting Exhaust nozzle shroud Nacelle trailing edge fairing Outer wing panel rear spar attachment bolted joint Starboard aileron Aileron rib structure Aileron balance tab Aft recognition light Wing tip fairing rib structure Port navigation light Pitot head Retractable landing light VHF homing antennae Outer wing panel rib structure Rocket rail mounting hard points (4) External tank pylon mounting and release unit Jettisonable external fuel tank, capacity 100 imp gal Leading edge rib structure Outer wing panel front spar bolted attachment joint Port main wheel with fixed mudguard Detachable nacelle intake nose cone structure Port engine intake Intake duct spar fairing Aileron push-pull control rod Main undercarriage leg with trailing axle suspension Engine bay forward main bulkhead Main engine mounting Engine bay main frame upper segment, detachable for engine removal Main wheel leg pivot mounting Leg mounting semi-span false spar Hydraulic retraction jack Wing main spar, front and rear spars continuous through fuselage Inboard detachable leading edge rib structure Ventral fuel tank, capacity 175 imp gal

IN FOCUS GLOSTER METEOR F.8 Photographed during the heyday of colourful RAF fighter operations during the 1950s, this formation of Meteor F.8 day fighters of 41 Squadron, with the commanding officer’s aircraft WH480 nearest, made an impressive sight while providing air defence of Britain’s airspace during the Cold War era. (Andy Thomas Collection)

Malcolm V Lowe analyses the history and importance of the Meteor F.8…the most numerous frontline version of Gloster’s pioneering twin-engined jet fighter

Great Eight G

loster’s Meteor was the first production jet-powered warplane manufactured in Britain, and was a highly significant early jet fighter that placed Britain at the forefront of this new and advanced form of combat aircraft.

The first Meteor flew in March 1943, and early production examples entered RAF service with 616 Squadron of the Auxiliary Air Force in the summer of 1944. The type duly proved successful and was to have considerable growth potential. Continuing development

One of the most important test pilots in the Meteor programme was Jan Zurakowski, who flew the initial F.8 development aircraft in October 1948. (Key Collection)

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by the Meteor’s creator, the Gloster Aircraft Company, resulted in a series of post-war versions for the RAF; these were important for Britain’s frontline capability in various roles during the decade after World War Two. The first of the post-war versions was the single-seat F.4 fighter, which was significant not just at home for the RAF, but it also secured important export sales. Further improvement by Gloster, similarly using the basic Meteor layout, led to the upgraded single-seat Meteor F.8 fighter. This development of the line emerged as the most numerous Meteor version by far in terms of production, and as with the F.4 it gained vital export success in addition to notable frontline service with the RAF. An F.4 airframe, serial number VT150, was used as a development aircraft for the intended F.8, initially flying in this role during October 1948 with test pilot Jan Zurakowski at the controls.

BASIC IMPROVEMENTS

The Meteor F.8 was a refined and potentially more powerful development of the basically successful F.4, and it received the company designation G.41K. It retained the F.4’s wing span of 37ft 2in (11.33m) while having a longer fuselage of 44ft 7in (13.59m) compared to the first F.4s off the production line. With the longer fuselage and consequent rearrangement of internal fuel and armament, a revised tail shape compared to the Meteor F.4 was found to be necessary. At that time Gloster was working on its E.1/44 experimental singleengined jet aircraft, and this was to play an important role in the development of the Meteor F.8. The evolving E.1/44 design eventually featured tall, straightedged vertical tail surfaces and these appeared during testing to offer a considerable improvement in directional control compared to the F.4’s somewhat curiously shaped vertical tail surfaces. The

t

IN FOCUS GLOSTER METEOR F.8

 The Royal Australian Air Force's 77 Squadron flew Meteor F.8s in combat during the Korean War. This example, A77-881, was with the unit prior to its leaving South Korea in 1954. The RAAF Record Card for this aircraft states that it was formerly WK910.

Belgium received Meteor F.8s from several sources, inlcuding local assembly. EG-216/B2-Q was one of the longest-surviving Belgian aircraft, serving until 1963. Ex-WA899, it is seen here in high-viz target-towing markings. (all profililes Andy Hay/www.flyingart.co.uk)

E.1/44’s straight-edged tail shape thus became the pattern for the F.8’s vertical tail, and this was to be a distinctive feature of the new Meteor version. The F.8 was pressurised, and the pilot was provided with an early form of Martin-Baker ejection seat. Cockpit instrumentation layout was improved compared to the F.4, and a retractable gyro gunsight provided better forward vision when not in use. The rearwardssliding cockpit canopy was of an

improved design compared to the F.4, allowing better rearwards vision (a fully ‘blown’ clear canopy was eventually standardised, which was the best pattern of all). Power came from two Rolls-Royce Derwent 8 turbojets, each of 3,500 lbst (15.6kN)-class. The Derwent 8 was a development of the Derwent V, which had powered the Meteor F.4, and although of similar basic output was an improved design and was fitted in the more aerodynamically efficient airframe

of the F.8. With this powerplant the Meteor F.8 could reach (according to Gloster’s figures) a maximum speed of 598mph (962km/h) at 10,000ft (3,048m). Although far higher than the speeds attainable by frontline piston-engined fighters of World War Two, this performance capability was easily eclipsed by newer jets of the mid-1950s onwards. A little faster than the Meteor F.4, many pilots reported the F.8 to be actually slightly less manoeuvrable, with Meteor F.8s were camouflaged later in their RAF service, as demonstrated by these 63 Squadron aircraft with WA903/H nearest to the camera. In homage to an earlier age, the Meteors’ engines could be helped into life by the ubiquitous ‘trolley-acc’. (Malcolm V Lowe Collection)

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IN FOCUS GLOSTER METEOR F.8

Several cheerful pilots wearing the badge of 43 Squadron pose in front of their Meteor F.8s. These are early production aircraft with the original rearwards-sliding cockpit canopy, which had a ‘solid’ rear portion; later examples sported fully transparent ‘blown’ main glazing. (Key Collection)

a marginally greater wing loading and higher stalling speed. The service ceiling was some 43,000ft (13,106m), while armament for the F.8 remained the standard Meteor layout of four 20mm cannons, two fitted within each side of the forward fuselage.

Among the first F.8 operators were 43 and 245 Squadrons, together with 1 Squadron and several others, all of which transitioned onto the F.8 during 1950 when the F.8 officially entered frontline service. 245 Squadron is now

regarded to have been the first to actually gain operational status. Production of the Meteor F.8 by Gloster and Armstrong Whitworth eventually amounted to some 1,090 examples, and possibly slightly more than this. Eventually, 21 RAF squadrons flew Meteor F.8s as their main equipment, in addition to several others, which had one or two examples on strength for second-line duties additional to their normal mounts. Frontline units were 1, 19, 34, 41, 43, 45 (temporary only), 54, 56, 63, 64, 65, 66, 72, 74, 92, 111, 222, 245, 247, 257, and 263 Squadrons. Just less than a dozen Royal Auxiliary Air Force squadrons also eventually operated the Meteor F.8 as their main mount. Among these was 616 Squadron, the unit that had taken earlier Meteors into service during 1944. The initial years of the 1950s were a very colourful period in RAF operations, with fighter squadrons able to adorn their aircraft with colours relevant to their unit’s heritage or heraldry. Nevertheless, it was a time of great

tension in the Cold War, and the Meteors were a vital component of Britain’s air defences, several of the F.8 squadrons being a part of larger wings attached to specific air bases. The Meteor F.8 was, however, increasingly a throwback to an earlier age as the 1950s wore on, with its subsonic performance and cannon armament, which were being outpaced and outgunned by newer and more powerful generations of fighters in the East and West. The Meteor was also wholly a day fighter in the developing parlance of the time, while night fighting and all-weather operations were increasingly being flown by dedicated and better-equipped types. The Meteor F.8 was eventually replaced in RAF frontline service chiefly, but not exclusively, by the superlative Hawker Hunter; the first unit, 43 Squadron, becoming a frontline Hunter operator in exchange for its Meteors during the summer of 1954. But the Meteor F.8 did,

MAJOR BRITISH SERVICE Following production go-ahead the Meteor F.8 began replacing the F.4 in RAF frontline service from 1950 onwards, while another iconic British day fighter of the early Cold War era, the Hawker Hunter, eventually took over the reigns of Britain’s daytime air defences from the Meteor line during the later 1950s. It is generally accepted that the first Meteor F.8 to reach an RAF squadron was VZ438, which joined 1 Squadron at RAF Tangmere, Sussex, in December 1949. However, it was several months before the type became operational at squadron strength.  With an early F.8 canopy, WA852 displays the metal finish and colourful markings characteristic of 1950s day fighter squadrons. The yellow and green denotes 257 Squadron.

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The Meteor FR.9 was a fighter-reconnaissance derivative of the Meteor F.8. Seen here is prototype VW360, which first flew in March 1950 and displays the camera nose of the type. (Gloster)

IN FOCUS GLOSTER METEOR F.8

 Later in their service lives, many Meteor F.8s bearing British military serial numbers received camouflage; Dark Green and Dark Sea Grey over Aluminium. Meteor F.8 WF643/F flew in this smart and colourful finish when allocated to the Royal Auxiliary Air Force's 611 Squadron.

 During 1965, long-lived Meteor F.8 WH301 was flown by 85 Squadron, this balck and red chequerboard unit at that time being a training squadron flying Meteors and Canberras as targets for the fighter interception instruction of radar controllers. It is now displayed at the RAF Museum, Hendon.

however, soldier on with several squadrons well into the later 1950s, a particularly long-lasting F.8 unit being 245 squadron, which finally ended its association with the type during 1957. The Auxiliaries also ceased all connection with the F.8 in 1957, but this was due to wholesale disbandment of all flying units of the Royal Auxiliary Air Force that same year. In RAF service the Meteor F.8 was also flown by flying training schools, although instruction was not the primary task of the type, and a number were also used as target-towers. Much later, some were converted as U.16 unmanned target drones. Many Meteor F.8 airframes were used for test purposes, including development work with various powerplants. The most unusual conversion was the so-called ‘prone pilot’ Meteor, which was a curious modified F.8, WK935, featuring a new elongated nose with provision for a pilot to lie flat in the forward fuselage. This idea was one of a number of strange experimental projects that existed in several countries during the 1950s, but which did not proceed to operational status. In-flight refuelling, during that

Some of the RAAF Meteor F.8s carried names. A77-134 was ‘Snookes’ while flying with 77 Squadron from Kimpo (K14) during the Korean War. (Andy Thomas Collection)

time in its infancy for frontline service, was also an area which involved the Meteor F.8, with aircraft of 245 Squadron being converted specially for probeand-drogue refuelling trials. The Meteors concerned were fitted with a probe in the nose, and testing was carried out with tanker

aircraft including an appropriately configured USAF B-29 aerial refuelling platform. Two dedicated reconnaissance derivatives of the Meteor F.8 were also developed. These were the armed FR.9 fighter-recce model, which was basically an F.8 fitted for low- to medium-level

photography with a specially reconfigured camera-carrying nose, and the PR.10 for high-level unarmed photographic work, which was a hybrid containing features of several Meteor versions including the F.4’s vertical tail surfaces. The prototype FR.9, VW360, flew in March 1950, www.airfixmodelworld.com 63

IN FOCUS GLOSTER METEOR F.8

and four RAF squadrons later F 10-57/35559, again, seen before being operated the FR.9 (2, 79, 208, and re-painted in low-vis grey in the 1990s. 541 Squadrons), of which 126 were built, while just 59 PR.10s were constructed.

The fate of a large number of retired Meteor F.8s was to be turned into U.16 target drones, such as this aircraft being piloted remotely, without a human on board. (Flight Refuelling Ltd)

INTO COMBAT The RAF did not use its Meteor F.8 fighters in action, but one export customer for the type became fully involved in a major shooting war. This was Australia, which had received its first Meteor in 1946 (an early trials/development aircraft), but it was the F.8 that came into its own with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). Remarkably, the Australian aircraft were supplied from Britain directly to the war zone in Korea, where in-theatre training by RAF pilots was subsequently carried out. This was for the RAAF’s 77 Squadron, which was flying pistonengined Mustangs in combat when Meteors arrived in numbers from early 1951 onwards to re-equip the squadron. Combat operations followed later in the year when the unit moved from Japan to Kimpo in South Korea, with the Meteors initially flying as dedicated fighters. Unfortunately, their chief adversary, the Soviet-built MiG-15, was a far superior aircraft and it was eventually decided that the Meteors would be better suited to air-to-ground operations. Somewhat ironically, Gloster had examined the possibility of manufacturing a dedicated ground-attack derivative of the Meteor F.8. Receiving the company designation G.44 (and

named in some sources ‘Reaper’), an F.8 had been converted to ground-attack configuration with the forward fuselage cannon armament retained, but also including provision for the carriage of various underwing air-to-ground ordnance including bombs and rocket projectiles. The RAF, however, had no obvious need for such an aircraft and the project was shelved. Nonetheless, the Australians saw the potential of the Meteor F.8 in this role following the rather poor showing of the RAAF’s F.8s in air-to-air combat over Korea, and the type flew subsequently with considerable success in airto-ground operations, particularly from early 1952 onwards. Indeed, the Australian Meteors of 77 Squadron continued in combat right to the end of the Korean War in July 1953, and the Meteor F.8 then persisted in RAAF and later Citizen Air Force service for several more years. Some surviving Australian aircraft were eventually converted into unmanned U.21 target drones. ❚

M ET EO R F. 8 F O R EX P O RT

For Gloster, in addition to domestic orders, the Meteor became a very important export product. Its F.4 was already a major export success by the time of the F.8’s RAF service, and demand for the latter was also high, especially when its capable if strictly subsonic performance with RAF squadrons became apparent. Several countries subsequently operated the Meteor F.8, and the type was also licence-manufactured overseas. The best export customer for Meteors was the Netherlands, which operated the F.8 and the type was also built under licence in the Netherlands by Fokker. Belgium was similarly a major Meteor F.8 user, with aircraft assembled by Avions Fairey. Other F.8 operators included Denmark, Brazil, Egypt, and Israel. One of the lesser-known exponents of the Meteor F.8 was Syria, which eventually operated 19 examples, and even more exotic were the FR.9 recce aircraft delivered to Ecuador, Israel and Syria.

Among the various export customers for the Meteor F.8, Syria operated 19 examples together with other Meteor versions including the FR.9. These Syrian Meteor F.8s include ‘412’ nearest to the camera. (Key Collection) RAAF Meteor F.8 A77-570 undergoes maintenance and apparently some repair work following combat in Korea. The Australians found the Meteor to be better suited to air-to-ground combat rather than aerial fighting during Korean War operations. (Andy Thomas Collection)

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G L O S T E R M E T E O R F . 8 65 Looking extremely elegant in this dive, Meteor F.8 VZ460 carries rocket projectiles under the wings during trials with the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. This particular aircraft was scrapped in 1957. (Key Collection)

OUT AND ABOUT YEOVILTON MODEL SHOW

SOMERSET SPECIAL

O

ne of the first big model events of the season, Yeovilton’s model show was held in February at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, Somerset. It proved to be just as popular as ever with all the trade stand slots fully booked and club displays fit to burst…all, as usual, were positioned around the collection of outstanding naval aircraft. Some of the highlights that caught my eye are presented here. Glenn Sands ❚

 Russian aircraft specialist Ken Duffy displayed Modelsvit’s new 1/72 Tu-22KD Blinder, on the Avon Scale Model Society stand. The kit drew much attention and had at least a few modellers heading off to the trade stands to purchase their own!

 Car models were scarce this time around, but some of the best were on the Romsey Modellers stand and included this 1/24 2004 Toyota Corolla Monza Rally, built by Paul Adams.

 Gulf War vehicles are still very popular and the Modern British Armour SIG had a number of 1/35 examples on show, including this superb Centurian ARVE.

 They’re here! One of the first shows to have a 1/72 Revell Shackleton AEW.2 on show after IPMS Scale Model World 2015 was Yeovilton. This example formed part of IPMS Torbay & South Devon‘s display.

 The list of upgrades added to this 1/48 Monogram B-24H Liberator ‘Witchcraft’ was amazing, as was the subtle weathering achieved on the paintwork. The entire model had been re-scribed and riveted and in my view, should have been in the competition.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD MIGNET HM-14

Wonder Small

in various museums, reference material was surprisingly plentiful, including two online photos of the subject aircraft, G-AEBB, which is part of the UK’s Shuttleworth Collection.

Vital prep’

O

f all the aviation subjects that fans of 1/144 scale might have craved over the years, the Mignet HM-14 Flying Flea is unlikely to have topped many wish-lists. So it was a surprise when Czech manufacturer Brengun recently released a resin kit of this esoteric, home-built civilian aircraft. And impressively presented it is too. The sturdy little box contains the main airframe components cast

beautifully in grey resin, photoetched (PE) metal parts, a simple but well-printed set of decals and instructions. Unsurprisingly, it’s a small model – miniscule in fact. The fuselage was less than 2cm long, the main wingspan about 4cm. Several of the PE components were virtually microscopic, and inevitably a few of them were tweezer-launched into oblivion during the course of the build! Because there are many surviving Flying Fleas (and a few replicas)

Work began by washing all resin parts in warm water and scrubbing them gently with a soft toothbrush. They were then airbrushed with Tamiya White Surface Primer, as was the PE fret. Such was the kit’s simple configuration that almost all components could be painted before assembly, so wings and rudder were sprayed gloss white, and the fuselage blue. No specific paint references were supplied, so a mid-blue was mixed from Tamiya X-14 Sky Blue and X-4 Blue, attempting to match the colour in the photos. Brengun moulded the fuselage

Mike Grant itches to build Brengun’s resin ‘Flying Flea’ in 1/144 scale as a one-piece solid part, but the cockpit was hollow and incorporated the pilot’s seat. Once the blue paint had cured, the open cockpit was masked and airbrushed a light golden brown to represent varnished wood, and the seat brush-painted a slightly different brown to suggest leather. The kit-supplied PE seat harness was discarded in favour of thinner flexible belts made from Parafilm, airbrushed grey; the buckles were sliced from the PE part and glued in place with PVA, and the flat metal control column was replaced with a section of stretched sprue. It must be said now that a pair of needle-pointed tweezers and a magnifying Optivisor proved absolutely essential for this project. The instrument panel was part of the PE forward bulkhead, behind which another metal part was glued that even included raised representations of the

 All of the resin parts were cast superbly, with no sign of air bubbles.  The fuselage measured less than 2cm long. Care was needed while separating it from the casting block, especially at the front where the floor was rather thin.

 What all the fashionable modellers are wearing these days! Some form of magnifying eyewear, such as this Optivisor, is definitely recommended for this project.

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 Brengun supplied a PE seat harness, but painted Parafilm strips were preferred for a more true-to-scale appearance.

INTERMEDIATE BUILD MIGNET HM-14

Upper-nose, engine mounts and central struts were all combined in a single PE part.

The previously painted component was glued onto the forward fuselage, and fitted perfectly.

After careful study of the instructions, the struts were bent upwards to form an inverted ‘V’, the apex of which would support the main wing.

Decals were duly applied, and the small instrument housing and clear windscreen added from scratch.

MODEL SPEC

Having sprayed the wheels silver, small circles of masking tape were punched and applied before airbrushing the tyres grey.

Mignet HM-14 Pou-du-Ciel By:

Brengun

Stock Code:

BRS 144023

Scale:

1/144

Price:

€14.16

Available from: www.brengun.cz

gauge housings! On the subject aircraft there’s a small fairing behind the control panel, on top of which sits a windscreen. This semi-circular fairing was replicated from a slice of styrene rod, cut in half. For the screen itself, a clear plastic paintbrush protector was stretched over a candle flame until a suitably narrow diameter was achieved, then a section was cut from this and attached with PVA. Part PE1 was the largest of the metal components and represented the flat upper nose, while also incorporating engine mounts and main wing centre struts. The instructions for bending this part to shape were confusing at first, but study of

 Almost invisible to the naked eye, the one-piece engine even included exhaust outlets; here the diminutive wing was being test-fitted.

reference photos helped make sense of it, and Tamiya Bending Pliers made clean, accurate folds. Brengun’s tiny resin engine was a work of art, but proved difficult to manoeuvre and glue into place between the PE engine mounts. A supporting section of scrap

styrene was added below the engine to add rigidity to the frail forward assembly, since it also supported the upper wing.

Gaining identity Decals were applied next, but just four were supplied. The

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD MIGNET HM-14

Miniscule styrene brackets were glued below the wings and small metal loops to the fuselage, through which the rigging would pass.

 In this scale, any slight misalignment looks grossly exaggerated, so a makeshift jig was made to keep everything in place while the upper wing was attached. Uschi van der Rosten’s elastic rigging thread was easy to use and looked realistic.

The undercarriage and prop – complete with a PE boss – were the final additions.

fuselage codes were a little oversized compared with photos, but the decals adhered well and the miniscule rudder dragonfly motifs looked great. A complex photo-etched brass bracket was supplied to attach the rudder, which involved bending several tiny tabs in different directions… the mangled result of my efforts to do so was duly trashed, in favour of a simple stretched sprue replacement. Attaching the rear wing was straightforward, the larger main wing requiring a makeshift jig via blobs of Blu-Tack and the back of a business card! The model was inverted, everything aligned, then cyanoacrylate (CA) glue was applied to the central strut/wing connection. After leaving it to harden for a few hours, the two supporting struts were added. PE parts were included on the fret,

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however I felt something more rigid was required, so two lengths of ultra-fine ceramic wire were duly substituted. While the model was upside down the tiny rigging brackets were also added to the wing undersides.

Again, Brengun included PE parts for these but they were solid; an attempt was made to drill holes through them, but unsuccessfully due to their size, so replacements were made from 10 thou (0.25mm) styrene sheet. The wires also had to converge on the fuselage sides, so tiny loops of black-painted copper wire were glued into drilled holes. (These look hugely overscale on photos but are barely noticeable at actual size). Rigging was carried out with elasticated Uschi van der Rosten superfine thread, attached

1:1

ACTUAL

SIZE

 This image is reproduced at actual size, emphasising how small Brengu’s 1/144 Flying Flea really is.

with CA glue. This procedure was surprisingly stress-free considering the size of the kit, although a few wires were omitted in the interests of sanity. The resin propeller was then painted and attached but a PE alternative was included as well, so the central boss from this was used. All that remained was to add the undercarriage. Holes had been drilled previously through the forward fuselage to accept an axle, but unfortunately these were misaligned slightly, so instead each wheel received its own short section of axle. Tiny discs of black styrene, made using a punch-anddie set, replaced the kit-supplied PE wheels.

A miniscule gem Unexpected, unusual, unique… Brengun’s Flying Flea is all of these, but it’s also a beautifully produced little model. Working at this size inevitably posed its own problems, compounded by the author’s ongoing struggle with PE parts and sheer ham-fistedness on occasion, but none of these issues could be attributed to the kit itself. Certainly frustrating at times, but ultimately rewarding. ❚

PHOTO FOCUS MIGNET HM-14

AMW’s Editor Chris Clifford was lucky enough to photograph this real Flying Flea during a visit to the excellent Malta Aviation Museum, at Ta’ Qali. Thanks go to Ray Polidano at MAM for the extra access. www.maltaaviationmuseum.com

The Flea up Close

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IN FOCUS MIGNET POU DE CIEL

Flying Fleas!

Ken Ellis explains how a maverick French pilot pioneered aviation for the ‘man in the street’

Henri Mignet flying past the press at Shoreham on August 17, 1935 at the beginning of his Daily Express-sponsored tour of the UK. The wording on the fin is ‘L’autre Aviation’ - alternative aviation. (All photos Flying Flea Archive)

F

rustrated by the elite nature of flying, Frenchman Henri Mignet was determined to avoid conventional methods and go his own way. Sadly, mention of his name tends to bring up labels such as ‘maverick’ at best, ‘crank’... or even worse. When describing the aircraft, he is most associated with, the ‘Flying Flea’, terms range from ‘folly’ to ‘death-trap’. Dogmatic and cavalier the dapper Frenchman may have been, but he started a revolution in light aviation.

Baby steps

Derby-based CH Cooper with his Harley-Davidson-powered G-AEHH, early in 1936.

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Aged 19, Henri built a small glider, learning the rudiments of flight while hurtling down a hill near his parent’s home at Saintes in western France. This machine was the HM.1, the first of a legion of designs that carried his initials. After studying electronics at

IN FOCUS MIGNET POU DE CIEL

Stephen Appleby was unhurt while demonstrating Flea G-ADMH with short-span, 17ft (5m), main wing at Heston on July 29, 1935.

college, during World War One Henri served as a radio-telephonist on the Western Front and later in the Balkans. His first powered design appeared

him and, typically, declared that it was ‘the system’ that was wrong, not him! Henri embarked upon the design of an aeroplane for the man-in-the-

22ft (6.7m) in span. Inside the tiny cockpit, the pilot had just a control column, attached by cables to the pivoting forward wing and by pulleys and cabling to the rudder. The rear wing was fixed, it had no moving surfaces, and there were no ailerons, flaps or elevators. Pushing the stick forward, the trailing edge of the forward wing would lift and the little craft would descend: pull it back and it would climb. By moving the stick to the left or right, the rudder would effect a ‘clunky’ turn in the intended direction. The result was the HM.14, which Henri first took into the air in September 1933. It flew on just 17hp (12.6kW) from a 540cc three-cylinder Aubier et Dunne converted motorcycle engine. It was nicknamed the ‘Pou du Ciel’

which literally translates as Sky Louse. ‘Flying Flea’ sounded better and before long this became the generic name for the HM.14 and the rest of the ‘family’.

Aviation prophet A second edition of the Le Sport de l’Air appeared in 1935 and the take-up was phenomenal: Mignet suddenly had thousands of disciples all over the world. In Britain, Newnes Practical Mechanics magazine serialised the book and the Air League recognised the new ‘craze’ by endorsing an English version of Le Sport de l’Air entitled ‘Aviation for the Amateur - The Flying Flea, How to Build It’. The Daily Express sponsored Henri to cross the Channel in his tiny creation and tour the UK. It was estimated that the

Profile: Frank Munger/Key Collection

in 1920 and seven years later came Henri’s first really capable creation, the HM.8 parasol monoplane. He taught himself to fly in this and he began to formulate his ‘seat of the pants’ philosophy. Determined to spread the word Henri wrote a ‘how to’ book, Le Sport de l’Air (Sporting Aviation) in October 1931. Approximately 200 people built, or at least started, HM.8s having read this. In 1932 Henri asked a friend to teach him to fly a ‘normal’ aeroplane, a brand-new Potez 43 three-seat cabin monoplane. He hated it. Henri determined that there must be thousands like

street that could be constructed at home without specialised tooling. The fuselage used no greater skills than those needed to create a packing case. It would also be so easy to fly that the builder could teach his or herself to be a pilot as they went along...all of this without going near the authorities. Henri called this “L’autre Aviation” alternative flying. To keep the dimensions of subassemblies small enough to be built in a garage, or even the front room, Henri went for tandem wings with both creating lift almost equally. The wings were simple, robust, and no more than

Flea G-AEFV was loaned to the Air League for examination in a wind tunnel at the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Farnborough, in August 1936.

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IN FOCUS MIGNET POU DE CIEL

Above: Abbott-Baynes Aircraft of Farnham, Surrey, offered professionally built and modified Fleas, the first of which was G-AEGD…powered by a water-cooled CardenFord, in April 1936. Right: The cover of Mignet’s English edition, ‘The Flying Flea’, published in 1935.

‘Flea’ could be built for £25. That figure needs putting into its mid-1930s context: the average annual income was £200. Clubs and groups were started all over Britain, chipping in subscriptions to create a ‘People’s Plane’. That £25 was just for the airframe: Mignet’s book was high on his philosophy of ‘alternative’ flying, but light on the engine, its ideal output, weight, fittings and controls. Rapidly, this became a stumbling block, both financial and technical, for many would-be builders. In Britain, the Air Registration Board (ARB) - predecessors of today’s Civil Aviation Authority - could not turn a blind eye to what looked set to become a tsunami of renegade aviators. Technically each Flea would need to comply with the Air Navigation Order of 1923 and go through the painstaking, and expensive, process of gaining a Certificate of Airworthiness. With pressure from the Air League, the ARB came up with an amazing concession, the Authorisation to Fly (A to F). Essentially, this demanded that the aircraft could not fly outside Great Britain and avoid urban areas. Aerial work could not be undertaken, nor could passengers be flown - both of these being pretty difficult in a Flea! The operator must maintain the craft in “sound working order” and “a state of adequate” repair. Aerobatics were prohibited and third party insurance was compulsory. The ARB’s approval lasted a year

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and could be renewed annually, although the dispensation could be withdrawn at any time. Between July 1935 and May 1939 a total of 76 A to Fs were issued. This pioneering system led to the Permit to Fly that is used today to legislate a vast array of light aircraft. Similar arrangements were initiated in other countries: while these may not have been devised specifically for the Flea, the little aeroplane was certainly a catalyst.

The rise and fall Despite the ease of getting an A to F, a huge number of builders remained outside of ‘the system’ either through ignorance or determination not to get bogged One of two options in the kit is Kenneth Owen’s G-AEBB, built and flown at Southampton in early 1936. Today, it is part of the Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden.

down. Upwards of 250 Fleas were started in the UK and, as well as the 76 that went ‘legit’, perhaps as many as 40 more flew illegally. By advocating learning to fly by turning the pages of a book alone and with no consistency of build quality, there were bound to be

accidents. In Algiers in August 1935 Monsieur Marignan died when his Flea crashed...he was the first of many fatalities. Some countries carried out outright bans; perhaps relieved as the headlines allowed an anomaly to be stamped out. In France and Great Britain the diminutive Flea could be put into large wind tunnels and tested in all sorts of attitudes - the first aircraft to be tested in this manner. The tandem wing layout was found to be at fault. Even in a slight, nosedown, descent the forward wing could blank out the rear and the Flea could enter an ever-deepening dive. Several had crashed inverted as the plunge downwards became an outside loop. Mignet came up with a ‘fix’, but it made his simple aeroplane more complex as the rear wing was turned into a sort of elevator. A series of cams and push-rods moved the rear wing when the Flea was put into a descent, allowing it to counter any tendency to enter a dive. In Britain the ARB withdrew authorisations to all unmodified Fleas but continued to support those that carried the moving rear wing. But only another four builders took up this option. The bubble had burst; the ‘craze’ was over. Henri Mignet went on to design and build many more Flea types into the 1960s, with his son Pierre going on to market high-tech versions. Hundreds of HM.14s were eventually scrapped, burnt or became museum pieces as a reminder of a bygone age of ❚ ‘alternative’ aviation.

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SPACE HOPPER INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

Andy Moore fails to get the hump with Hasegawa’s magnificent MaK Camel

T

he Maschinen Kreiger or MaK Universe was created by Japanese artist and sculptor Kow Yokoyama in the 1980s. By mixing elements from World War Two aircraft and armour with Star Wars and other scifi styles, he created a unique world populated by mech suits, armoured walkers and anti-grav fliers. In the back-story he created, the Earth was re-populated in 2859 after a nuclear war in 2807 left the planet uninhabitable. As tensions rose between the colonists and the ruling Strahl Democratic Republic, troops were brought in to restore order, which led the colonists to hire

 Additional materials such as rubber hoses, vinyl joints and a length of steel wire for the aerial were included.  As the parts for the legs were handed, each section was marked with an ‘L’ and ‘R’ to aid assembly later on.

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Airfix Model World

INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

The upper and lower limbs were connected by a mid-section, which trapped vinyl pivots to allow the leg to be posed.

 The decal sheet featured a wealth of stencil data, along with plenty of unit insignia; all were printed to a high quality with virtually no excess carrier film.

mercenaries to defend them. The situation degenerated into civil war, in which both sides utilised armoured power suits and other hi-tech weaponry. The story was published originally in Japan in the 1980s and, over the years, various manufacturers released kits based on Kow’s original designs. In 2008 Hasegawa began to release new MaK kits, and a recent offering was this LUM-168 Camel.

In the box

MODEL SPEC

Inside were five white styrene runners, which carried the bulk of parts for the main body and pilot, plus a single frame in dark grey for the cockpit components and a one-piece smoke-tinted canopy. In addition to the plastic components, two runners of soft

rubber hoses and two lengths of flexible tubing were supplied, with which to depict pneumatic lines on the model, along with a selection of vinyl pivot joints to allow the model to articulate. Finally, a

length of steel wire represented the radio aerial. A comprehensive decal sheet was included, along with a separate card that showed colour profiles of four different marking options (a further two

schemes were shown on the underside of the box). Moulding quality was very high, and just the large slide-moulded parts needed a few light mould seams to be removed. The plastic was

"MOULDING QUALITY WAS VERY HIGH"

Luna Tactical Reconnaissance Machine LUM-168 Camel By:

Hasegawa

Stock Code:

MK06

Scale:

1/20

Price:

£94.99

Available from: Amerang, www.amerang.co.uk

www.airfixmodelworld.com 77

INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

The seat components received Alclad Aluminium as a first stage in the chipping process.

 The arms of the pilot’s seat had its moulded cables removed and replaced with thin electrical wire. Holes were drilled into the kit part to allow the wire to be attached after painting.  After a coat of hairspray, Gunze Interior Green was applied to the parts. Slight crazing occurred due to the paint being sprayed too heavily, but this added to the final effect.

 Once the Interior Green was touch dry, the parts were dampened with warm water and the surface was rubbed gently with a soft brush. As the water absorbed through the top coat of paint, the hairspray began to dissolve...lifting the green paint and leaving a worn and chipped finish.  The realistic battered look that can be achieved with the hairspray technique was apparent on the finished seat frame.

 Once the chipping was completed, the seat was assembled and the smaller details painted, followed by an oil wash. The final step was to re-attach the cabling on the control arms.

 The cockpit panels were base-coated in Alclad, and then chipped via the same method as the seat.

 Detail painting was carried out, followed by an oil paint wash. Some of the rubber hoses were replaced with the same coloured electrical wire used on the seat.

 The supplied rubber hoses had a hard-to-remove mould seam. To avoid the issue, replacement hoses were formed from wound guitar string, bent to match the shape of the original hoses.

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typical of Hasegawa, being hard and slightly brittle, which meant care was needed when parts were removed, to avoid any scars that would require filler later. However, once off the runner, the plastic was easy to work with and the detail was clean and crisp.

Long limbs Leg assembly construction was tackled first. These comprised upper, mid and lower sections, each built from halves, to which various detail parts were added along with a vinyl pivot to allow articulation. Although the fit was good, the join line between halves required a smear of filler

 The face and cap were brush-painted with Vallejo acrylics. Dark wash around the opening helped to define the face.

 The helmet was sprayed white and gloss-coated, after which two stripes were masked, ready to be sprayed blue.

 The finished pilot figure added a welcome splash of colour to the otherwise monotone cockpit.

sporadically. The lower limb also trapped a wishbone-like part, which needed to remain unglued to allow it to slide freely. This in turn was trapped between the halves of the ankle, which attached to the bottom of the lower limb. Once upper and lower limbs were built they were connected by the mid-limb halves and these clipped over the previously installed vinyl pivots. Initial thought was given to

painting the leg sections before they were connected together, but ultimately it was felt that painting the full assembly would be easiest. There were fears that the vinyl joints in the legs would not support the weight of the completed model but, after a dryfit of the fuselage and cockpit, the joints appeared to be strong enough. The feet were also built at this stage, but left separate for

painting as they benefited from a simple push-fit onto the ankles. Leg and foot assemblies were marked with an ‘L’ and ‘R’ in pencil to avoid confusion later on, and then set aside while construction switched to the cockpit.

Crew compartment The cockpit module was a beautifully engineered design. Its shell was formed from semi-

 The painting process of the main engine bell began with a base coat of gloss black.

 This was followed a coat of Alclad White Aluminium which was shaded with Alclad Dark Aluminium.

 Initial mediums applied to the engine bell were gloss black and Alclad White Aluminium (shaded with Dark Aluminium). Then, the bell was tinted with Tamiya clear colours mixed with X-22 clear. The colours were glazed over the bell in overlapping layer, to leave a heat-stained patina.

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

Following a base coat of aluminium, the rear tank was given a generous application of hairspray.

 Once the paint was touch-dry, water was brushed over the tank. It was important to allow the water to absorb through the top paint layer and activate the hairspray.

The hairspray was allowed to dry for five minutes before a coat of Gunze RLM 04 Yellow was sprayed.

circular halves, into which fitted a number of highly detailed inserts that formed the internal walls. These were very cleverly designed to be painted individually, before being clicked into place within the module. Work began with the pilot’s seat, which was built from a number of sub-assemblies; two

 Once the paint began to soften, a stiff brush was scrubbed lightly over the surface and the paint began to lift, leaving the chipped effect.

 When the desired effect was achieved, excess water was removed with a paper towel and the tank was set aside for the paint to cure.

control arms attached to the sides of the seat frame and these featured moulded cables that hung from the arms. To avoid the need to clean the mould lines that ran down the length of these cables, and to ease painting, it was decided to remove them and fit new cables made from thin,

insulated electrical wire. The moulded cable was cut away and holes drilled in the arm to accept the replacement wire. For this, orange wire was chosen as it provided a good contrast to the interior green in the cockpit. Once the seat parts were prepared they were primed and given a coat of

Alclad Aluminium. The intention was to show a heavily worn finish and the hairspray method was used to achieve this. Two generous coats of hairspray were applied over the base aluminium and given a few minutes to dry. Gunze Interior Green, thinned with tap water, was then airbrushed over the components and, again, allowed to dry for a few moments. It’s important when using hairspray not to apply the top coat of paint too heavily, as this may activate the hairspray and lead to crazing of the paint finish. This happened in certain areas of the seat frame, although in this case the effect added to the look of general wear and tear. Once the top coat was touch-dry, lukewarm water was brushed over the surface. At this point it was important to allow time for

 The housing for the laser cannon featured two poorly moulded bolts, which were removed...

 ...and replaced with two spare bolt heads that Hasegawa provided on the runner.

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"SPLINTER CAMO WAS DEFINED WITH STRIPS OF 2mm MASKING TAPE"

the water to penetrate the paint layer, and reach the hairspray beneath. Once the paint began to soften, a soft brush was used to rub away paint from corners and other areas exposed to wear. When the chipping reached the level required, the parts were set aside to dry fully...after which the joysticks and other details were picked out with Vallejo acrylics. The pilot figure comprised separate parts for the torso, legs, arms, feet and head and to ensure the arms and feet would align with the joysticks and foot pedals, small balls of Squadron green putty were placed between the parts. The pilot was then placed in the seat and the feet and arms adjusted to fit; this enabled the putty to fill any gaps that occurred. Once everything was aligned, liquid cement was flowed into the joints to set the position permanently. When dry, the pilot was removed from the seat and any remaining gaps around the joints received more putty. The instructions recommend white for the pilot’s pressure suit, but to help enliven the cockpit it

The outline of the splinter camo was defined with strips of 2mm masking tape.

 All body components were base-coated in Tamiya Yellow Green mixed with a little X-22, which provided a strong satin finish for subsequent chipping effects.

 Surrounding areas were protected and masking fluid was applied with a sponge around the edges of the splinter camouflage.

 With the masking fluid removed, the multi-layer nature of the chipping was revealed. This type of effect would be much harder to achieve with the hairspray method.

 With the grey tone applied, the chipping was carried out and concentrated on areas that would be prone to the most wear, such as corners and panel edges. www.airfixmodelworld.com 81

INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

panel was first sprayed aluminium, after which a coat of Tamiya X-27 Clear Red was applied to simulate an anodised finish. Various rubber hoses needed to be added to the cockpit panels, and these were supplied in the form of black tubing, but to provide extra colour in the cockpit, some hoses were replaced with the same wire as used on the seat arms. Once the interior panels were completed they were glued into the cockpit, which left just the seat and pilot to be installed at the end.

Big MaK

"SMALLER MARKINGS AND STENCILS WERE CHIPPED WITH A SCALPEL BLADE"

The remainder of the construction dealt with the large main body. This came in halves with an additional panel on the top and a circular bulkhead, which formed the body’s front. Before the halves could be attached, the inserts for the engine nozzles needed to be painted and installed, and these were finished in Alclad metallic lacquers and inserted into the hull halves. Once the latter were joined, the upper panel and front bulkhead were attached, but the joins required a little Mr. Surfacer 500 to help blend the complex compound curves of the upper hull. The main engine bell received a bright aluminium finish by first spraying with gloss black followed by Alclad White Aluminium. Subtle heat staining was added by overspraying with a glaze mixed from Tamiya clear colours and gloss varnish. The same technique was used for the blast deflector, which was also given a hairspray chipped-paint finish over the heat-discoloured aluminium. The two support arms that attached the cockpit module to the body needed pre-shaped, ribbed rubber

was decided to paint the suit in orange–similar to those used by Space Shuttle training crews and SR-71 pilots. Vallejo Bright Orange was used as the main base tone, after which the creases and folds in the suit were sprayed with a darker orange-red. Highlights were added by spraying yellow vertically over the figure, to catch just the upper areas of the suit. More shading was added with a dark brown oil wash in the recesses, but this left the figure looking a little patchy so, to harmonise

the finish, a glaze of the original orange mixed with matt varnish was sprayed over the whole suit; this softened the shading and highlights and gave a suitable matt finish. The head was left separate and brush-painted with various flesh tones, and the boots, gloves and harness were painted and the head attached, which left just the helmet to finish. This was painted white followed by multiple coats of gloss varnish, after which two stripes were masked and sprayed bright blue. Oddly, Hasegawa

chose not to supply a visor for the helmet. Scratch-building a new item would be tricky due to the compound curves of the helmet, so it was decided to leave the headgear open...which offered the added bonus of allowing the pilot’s face to be more visible. The remaining cockpit panels were finished with the same hairspray method used on the seat, and then had any details accentuated in appropriate colours before being weathered with oil washes. The pressure tank on the right hand

 Larger decals were degraded around the edges with the tip of a scalpel blade.

 Once applied, the scuffed decals blended in with the surrounding chipped paintwork.

 The dorsal tank was wrapped in gold foil from an Easter egg to replicate a layer of thermal insulation.

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 A glossy, oily mix was made from Humbrol Clear and Vallejo acrylics, and this was applied as a wash around the pneumatic rams on the legs and feet.

hoses to be attached...but the hoses suffered from prominent seam lines. These would have been hard to remove without destroying the delicate ribbing, so it was decided to fashion replacements from a length of wound guitar string. This was cut to length and bent to match the shape of the original hose, before being attached to the support arm with cyanoacrylate. The two large tanks on the hull were finished separately and attached at the end of the build, while the dorsal tank received a simulated thermal protective coating by wrapping the part in gold-coloured foil from an Easter egg. The second, ventral, tank was first sprayed aluminium before receiving the hairspray treatment on the yellow top coat. A small stencil decal needed to be placed on one end of this tank and, as this decal would sit over areas of chipped paint, it too was chipped to match the underlying finish by means of a pointed scalpel blade once the decal was dry. The remaining small detail parts of the hull were painted in aluminium, before being given a corroded look by applying dark grey with a sponge. Some of these parts subsequently received additional hairspray chipping with Gunze H26 Bright Green. As a lastminute addition, a few bolt heads from a Meng Model set were added to the upper hull along with a bracket sourced from the spares box. The last main component to be built was the cockpit-mounted laser cannon. This featured poorly moulded bolt detail and, as Hasegawa had provided spare bolts on the runner, two of these were substituted for the moulded parts.

Splinter time As this machine was designed to operate on the moon, a grey splinter scheme was chosen as a suitable camouflage for this high-contrast environment. Once the main components had been washed to remove grease and dust, the areas painted previously were duly masked. Damp paper towels were used to fill the large

 MIG Abteilung oils were worked into the panel lines...

 ...before they were blended into the surface with a soft cloth.

apertures for the rocket nozzles on the main hull, and with everything masked, Tamiya XF-4 Yellow Green was chosen as the base tone to represent Zinc Chromate primer. Tamiya X-22 Clear was added to the Yellow Green which helped give a hard, shell-like finish, which would be resilient to the subsequent chipping procedure; the satin finish also allowed the

chipped paint to be removed more easily. The parts were given two coats of hairspray, followed by Vallejo Dark Sea Grey. Once the grey was touch-dry, the chipping process began. Small sections at a time were moistened with warm water and chipped, concentrating on those areas that would naturally receive the most wear and tear. Once the chipping was

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INTERMEDIATE BUILD LUM-168 CAMEL

lines and around details before being blended into the surface with a soft cloth. The main colour used for this procedure was MIG Abteilung 510 Starship Filth which, as the name implied, gave a suitably grimy patina. This was augmented with localised applications of brown, white and blue oils which breathed life into the surface. For the various pneumatic rams on the legs, an oily mix, blended from Humbrol Clear and Vallejo acrylics, was painted over a silver base. The optional collar between the hull and cockpit was painted yellow and white, and the yellow sections subsequently received a wash of Citadel Seraphim Sepia, while the white parts were weathered with the same MIG oils as the body. With the oil weathering completed, the components were set aside for several days to allow the oil paint to dry properly, after which, a light coat of satin varnish removed excess shine. The last step was to add the various lengths of rubber hosing to the legs and feet.

MaK magic

"THE BUILD IS STRAIGHTFORWARD, WITH NO HIDDEN SURPRISES" completed, the paint was allowed to harden fully before receiving a protective coat of Alclad Aqua Gloss. The splinter camouflage needed to be marked-out with 2mm masking tape to define the edges of the pattern, after which the rest of the areas to be left in the base grey were protected. Since the chipping on the splinter pattern needed to correspond to worn areas on the base grey, a different method was used. Gunze Neo masking fluid was applied with a sponge over the previous chips, allowing a little overlap onto the grey and, once dry, Gunze RLM 74 Dark Grey was sprayed. When this coat was dry, the masking fluid was rubbed away with a fingertip to reveal the layered chipping beneath. The final round of masking for the black splinters was applied and the same masking fluid process used, before Tamiya XF-69 NATO Black was applied. With the masking removed, all

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Hasegawa has produced a fantastic kit with the Camel and the build is straightforward, with no hidden surprises to catch out the unwary. The six colour schemes are quite similar, but given the subject’s fictional nature, a whole world of possible finishes can be explored. In many ways, the model offered a unique opportunity to combine painting and weathering techniques usually employed separately for aircraft or armour, and a degree of freedom in how those methods could be applied. ❚

parts were given a gloss coat in readiness for the decals, which also required chipping to match the underlying paint finish. Smaller markings and stencils were chipped with a scalpel blade once in place, but larger decals, such as the hull numbers, had

their edges scuffed while still on the decal paper before being applied conventionally. A further gloss coat was sprayed to protect the decals before moving to the weathering, the bulk of which was carried out with oils, which were painted liberally along panel

 Grime effects were augmented by brown, blue and white oils...

 ...and in a variation of the dot-filter technique, were then rubbed with a soft cloth to create further tonal variation.

Pennine Models at Haworth

Large stock of rare items (enquire for details) Broad range of plastic kits available including: • Air Craft • Military cars & trucks • Railways • Boats • People (including soldiers, romans & vikings)

Wednesday to Sunday 11am - 5pm 33/35 Mill Hey, Haworth, Keighley BD22 8NQ Tel: 01535 642367 [email protected]

Widnes Model Centre

To advertise here contact Elizabeth Ridge on 01780 755131

or email [email protected]

Welcome to Widnes Model Centre, the Hobby and Radio Control Centre for Widnes, Liverpool, Warrington, St Helens, Chester and surrounding areas. We are situated a few hundred yards from Widnes town centre with plenty of free parking nearby. As a family run business starting out in April 2011 we have since become a provider of excellent customer service with a terrific selection of products. Widnes Model Centre has a large plastic kits section. Manufacturers include, Airfix, Revell, Academy, HobbyBoss, Tamiya, Ebbro, Emhar, Italeri, Plastic Soldier Company, MiniArt, Eduard, Dragon, MasterBox, Trumpeter, Revell Monogram, AFV Club, Takom, Lindberg, Hasegawa, Cyber Hobbies, Polar Lights, AMT. Moebius, MPC, Pegasus, Bell Kits, with more being added. We have a wide range of modelling equipment for all enthusiasts with the inclusion of glues, paints - we stock, Tamiya, Humbrol, Vallejo, MIG and AK Interactive, weathering powders and washes etc. Our range expands on a monthly basis! Come and see us we will be more than happy to help and advise. Opening Times: Mon-Sat 10am to 5.30pm Except Thursday 10am to 1pm. Closed Sunday. Our website is currently live, but new content is being added and updated. Keep checking back for further updates.

128 Widnes Road Widnes WA8 6AX 0151 424 1196 www.widnesmodelcentre.co.uk

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ON THE SHELF BOOKS

NOSTALGIC STOCKPILES

Collecting Vintage Plastic Model Airplane Kits By: Craig Kodera ISBN: 978-1-58007-223-6 Price: US $24.95 Format: 279mm x 216mm Web: www.specialitypress.com While modellers may shudder at the premise of kit collectors, by the time one has finished reading this there might be a nervous glance at the ‘stash…and worried thoughts of

just how much is being stockpiled! Concerned with just aerospaceassociated kits, the motivations discussed apply equally to any form of collector and the author is to be commended for phrasing them in a concise manner. Attention then switches to the other side of the equation...how a company encourages customers to part with their cash. It examines how displays were arranged and the importance of box-art (still vital even in the Internet age). Although not as applicable today, the crucial historical role of the hobby shop is examined, and this section caused much nostalgia, particularly when comparing personal memories to the anecdotes of what the local retailer meant to modellers. There is an eclectic selection of box-tops from around the world to accompany the narrative, with emphasis on US firms such as Aurora and Renwal. Whether a builder or a collector, this is a great summary of how the kit industry has developed and is likely to encourage plenty of misty-eyed reflection. SF

TRANSATLANTIC RHINOS

USN McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II By: Peter Davies ISBN: 978-1-4728-0495-2 Price: £11.99 Format: 248mm x 184mm Web: www.ospreypublishing.com Instantly recognisable, the classic F-4 Phantom was operated by various air arms of the US and UK for more than 30 years. Osprey has delved into the operational history of the US Navy variants (also used by the US Marine

126 pages

64 pages

Corps) and the derivatives flown by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. A potted history examines the development of the basic design and how it was modified to satisfy UK demands. All aspects of the aircraft are analysed in the technical section, which are backed by a series of excellent photographs, and culminates in a description of weapon types carried by the Phantom. Here, both US and British ordnance is included, and there is an insight into standard combat loads, aided by a combination of photographs and illustrations. Note that the latter lack a constant scale and the shapes of several munitions are depicted inaccurately. More than a third of the pages are devoted to combat operations, with a heavy emphasis on actions in Vietnam, and they also give an awareness of weapon delivery profiles, tactics and field-crafted solutions to aiming difficulties. For such a thin volume, it is crammed with plenty of information, and will be useful to modellers of all skill levels. SF

BELTS, POUCHES AND PACKS

German Combat Equipment 1939-45 By: Jean-Philippe Borg ISBN: 978-2-35250-304-0 Price: €19.95 Format: 241mm x 200mm Web: histoireetcollections.com Whether one is a figure builder specialising in German World War Two soldiers, or includes figures as part of a model or diorama, this book is an invaluable source of information on the equipment carried by soldiers during that period. Rather than provide any overview, it leaps straight

into the individual pieces of kit, starting with the ubiquitous belt, and works its way through pouches, canisters and shovels to load-carrying packs. Each item is described in depth, and a combination of period and modern photographs (the latter provided thanks to the co-operation of collectors and museums) help to illustrate how they were positioned depending on how much was carried. Additionally, they provide empirical evidence as to equipment colours and how they faded or were affected by heavy wear and tear...also how they were altered and improved between 1939 and 1945, whether in the factory or in the field. Notably, the colours of the water bottle covers are unlike anything depicted by most kit manufacturers! The exhaustive research will also enable modellers to depict figures from any particular timeframe with the correct bits and pieces hanging from the y-shaped yolk and associated belt, which became the standard German Army wartime load-carrying ensemble. SF

HELLENIC WALK-ROUND BONANZA

F-16 Fighting Falcon – Viper Under The Skin By: Ioannis Lekkas and Ilias Gkonis ISBN: 978-618-81376-4-6 Price: €28 Format: 220 x 238mm Web: www.eagleaviation.gr Entrenched firmly in Hellenic Air Force subjects, this publisher can always be relied on for superb photography. Previously this has (sorry!) focused on mainly jawdropping aerial views, but here one is treated to no-holds-barred walkround examination of the Greek

82 pages

100 pages

Air Force F-16 in all its glory. The style is not unlike that of Danny Coremans’ DACO books, and the imagery here is just as good, with interior/exterior views of Block 30, 50, 52/52M/52+ ‘Vipers’. The detail is staggering, and invaluable if one is considering even a basic build of an F-16, whether it’s actually a Hellenic example or not. Unsure of the differences between Block numbers, or the Pratt & Whitney and General Electric engines? Then look no further as these, and many other gems, feature in abundance. If scratch-building is on the cards, the splendid shots of open panels, undercarriage bays and cockpit will leave no excuse for tripping-up with accuracy, and weaponry isn’t ignored either as there are shots of armament such as AIM-120 AMRAAM, AGM-88 HARM, AGM154 JSOW, GBU-10 and -24 smart bombs, AIM-9 Sidewinder, AIM-2000 IRIS-T and more. This is a stylish guide no Viper fan should miss, and is highly recommended. CC

SEND IN YOUR PRODUCTS FOR US TO REVIEW: Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, Units 1-4 Gwash Way Industrial Estate, Ryhall Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XP, UK

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ON THE SHELF BOOKS

A POWERFUL STING

The de Havilland Hornet & Sea Hornet By: Richard A Franks ISBN: 978-0-9930908-0-6 Price: £17.95 Format: A4 Web: www.valiant-wings.co.uk Valiant’s popular Airframe Album series continues apace with this extensive volume on what was the RAF and FAA’s last twin-engined fighter. It offers a reasonable amount of period whole-aircraft photos and

146 pages these are almost all in black and white, but the bulk of the coverage comprises myriad company drawings and illustrations of many facets of the aircraft. It’s pleasing to see weapons detail too, and in this case it comes via drawings of the different 25lb rocket heads, as well as photos and illustrations of rockets, launch rails and connecting cables, as well as practice and full-sized bombs and cannons. Also explored are the various reconnaissance cameras, and torpedoes for the Fleet Air Arm’s Sea Hornet, while another useful addition is that of sub-type drawings, to help identify the idiosyncrasies of the different variants. These are of the 3D variety, with annotations/ captions and every version is represented. Period photos (a handful in colour) help illustrate the colours and markings chapter, and this is fleshed out by many colour profiles by Richard J Caruana. The book closes with a study of available model kits (including Trumpeter’s ‘challenging’ offerings), accessories and books; Special Hobby’s 1/72 NF.21 Sea Hornet, and Trumpeter’s 1/48 F.1, get the full build treatment. CC

SOVIET HEAVY METAL

Mikoyan MiG-31 Interceptor By: Yefim Gordon and Dmitry Komissarov ISBN: 978-1473823921 Price: £16.99 Format: 210mm x 300mm Web: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk The MiG-31 Foxhound began as an advanced derivative of the MiG25P Foxbat interceptor, becoming the first Soviet fourth-generation combat aircraft to feature a highly capable passive phased

96 pages

array radar, a two-man crew and maximum speed of Mach 2.82. Foxhound entered service in 1981 and remains one of the key airdefence assets of the Russian Air Force. The type’s powerful radar allowed the aircraft to operate as a ‘mini-AWACS’, guiding other interceptors to their targets. This new book describes in detail the MiG-31’s development history, upgrades, unrealised projects, weapons and armament, as well as featuring a comprehensive survey of all current MiG-31 kits. There are more than 180 high-quality colour photographs, eight pages of full-colour profiles, six three-view line drawings and detailed walkrounds, providing the modeller and enthusiast with everything they need to know about this potent warplane. Mention is also made of the only other air force to operate the Foxhound, (Kazakhstan) along with several colour photographs of this country’s operational aircraft. This is an essential reference for fans of Russian combat aircraft and a timely release considering AMK's new kit. AD

WHIZZING OVER THE WAVES

Schneider Trophy Aircraft 19131931 By: Derek N James ISBN: 978-1-78155-418-0 Price: £40 Format: 255 x 183mm Web: www.fonthillmedia.com Not the first book to tackle the the Schneider Trophy races, this is a re-worked older volume with new material. If one has not considered building said aircraft, then this hardback will be a helpful introduction to the subject…but is not modellingfocussed. The content comprises

MARITIME ROUND-UP

World Naval Review 2016 By: Conrad Waters ISBN: 978-1-84832-309-4 Price: £30 Format: 248mm x 263mm Web: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk Maritime enthusiasts will welcome the seventh edition of Seaforth’s naval review, as it provides a detailed analysis of several vessel types and a thorough examination of at least one naval force. The introduction pays close attention to the shifting geopolitical climate, and its potential effect on future defence spending, before providing an overview of the

366 pages

a large section on the actual contests, with plenty of detail on competitor machines, relevant personalities and manufacturers, such as Supermarine, Macchi, et al. But the introduction sets the scene well by telling of the inception of this famous race series. The events were the brainchild of Jacques Schneider, son of the famously wealthy French armament magnate. Jacques actually made mining engineering his speciality, but he soon fell in love with aviation due to the circles in which he mixed, meeting luminaries such as Louis Blériot and Wilbur Wright. Spellbound by waterborne aircraft in particular, Schneider instigated a special competition to further the development of this type of aircraft. The book then also examines the participating machines, as well as non-starters and projects…and there are plenty of black and white photos (and occasional line drawings) of these. Much of the imagery will be familiar to those already conversant with the genre, but there are rarer shots. For the price tag though, colour profiles would have been appreciated. CC

192 pages current worldwide naval situation. As with previous iterations, a review of the major world navies fills the first third of the pages, from which two (Indonesian and British) are selected for Fleet Reviews. Unfortunately, it was produced prior to the latter nation’s 2015 defence spending review, and this hampers the analysis in several areas, notably maritime patrol. Modellers will be most interested in the centre section, which provides detailed analysis of four ship classes: Holland-class offshore patrol vessels, USS San Antonio (LPD-17) landing transport docks, Turkish Ada/MILGEM corvettes and Greek Roussen fastattack craft. There is a development and operational history for each, backed by a superb collection of photographs and the LPD-17 article includes potential future designs based on the same hull form. A handy review of naval aviation precedes the final section on the ‘dark arts’ of naval electronic warfare and a description of the UK Royal Navy’s new uniform. SF

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ON THE SHELF BOOKS

SETTING THE SCENE

Scale Model Handbook – Diorama Modelling 2 By: Various contributors ISSN: 2241-8105 Price: €29.95 Format: 280 x 210mm Web: www.mrblackpublications.com There’s nothing like a diorama to provide a true sense of achievement. But, and especially for the inexperienced, it’s a fine line between attaining the desired level of realism and ending up with something toy-like. This splendid work from MrBlack is the

96 pages publisher’s second examination of the scenic modelling genre, and offers a wealth of instruction and inspiration. Eight noted figure and diorama experts, including Dan Capuano, Noel Petroni and Sergey Popovichenko, impart their skills and knowledge in a stepby-step manner, and the results are jaw-dropping. While some of the technique, such as scratchbuilding and converting, really are for those with a few projects under their belt, there is still a vast array of methodology that can be attempted by those just starting out. The projects themselves, which range from the ‘cover star’…an amazing study of one of Hannibal’s elephants being attacked at the battle of Zama (202 BC), to the German Panther tank crew at rest between battles on the Eastern Front, are refreshingly different and offer heaps of hints and tips. And Capuano’s ‘Stalingrad – A Fight to the Last’ is the most audacious piece of modelling within these pages. If one is remotely interested in dioramas, this worthy book will act as a satisfying tipping point. CC

HEBREW DESERT CAT

Puma Heavy APC By: Michael Mass and Adam O’Brien ISBN: 978-965-91635-7-1 Price: £22.99 Format: 279mm x 215mm Web: www.aviationbookcentre.com Necessity is often the mother of invention, and this approach is epitomised in the Nagmashot family of heavy armoured personnel carriers (APCs), based on the British Centurion tank. The portmanteau name is derived from a combination of the Israeli

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words for APC (Nagmash) and for Centurion (Shot-Cal). One of these, the Puma combat engineering variant, is the focus of this volume. After a description of the modifications from the baseline tank chassis, and an overview of the many sub-types, attention turns to a comprehensive series of ‘in action’ photographs and all are in full colour. Modellers will be delighted to know that there are no parade-ground vehicles; all are depicted in the field, and exhibit varying degrees of dust, sand, mud and general heavy usage. A ‘man and machine’ section offers considerable inspiration for dioramas, and highlights the equipment worn by the vehicles' crews. Even the most ardent detailer will be impressed by the walk-around photographs, which occupy more than half of the pages and detail every aspect of the vehicle, down to unit markings and the various armour fits. Whether one has Hobby Boss’ 1/35 Puma or intends to convert AFV Club’s 1/35 Shot-Cal, this is an essential reference. SF

136 pages

THE MIGHTY JUG

Republic P-47B-D Razorback By: Robert Pęczkowski ISBN: 978-83-63678-84-5 Price: £19 Format: 300mm x 216mm Web: www.mmpbooks.biz Sidelined by seemingly more glamorous aircraft such as the P-51, the P-47 Thunderbolt was arguably one of the most effective ground-attack aircraft of World War Two. MMP’s wonderful history of the early versions (known as ‘Razorback’) covers all in-service sub-types from the -B to the D-22.

All subsequent airframes would be dubbed ‘bubbletops’, and feature a blown canopy and cut-down rear fuselage. Variants are addressed in chronological order, and are accompanied by 1/72 scale plans of each, along with lavish colour profiles of specific airframes. Modellers will undoubtedly find the detail section very beneficial, as it mixes extracts from P-47 technical, pilot’s and repair manuals with period and modern photographs of the aircraft and its interior. There are several direct comparisons between the images, which will aid in scratch-building… even the smallest items. The walkaround images, predominantly of museum exhibits and airframes under restoration are superb, and highlight the varied nature of the ‘standard’ colours applied to the structure and exteriors. It culminates with an account of the various bombs and rockets carried by the P-47, including the rarely depicted M-26 cluster munition. With its first-rate content and excellent value, this is likely to become an indispensible guide for modellers building an early P-47. SF

GERMAN MILITARY ICONS

VW Kübelwagen/Schwimmwagen By: Chris McNab ISBN: 978-0-85733-779-5 Price: £22.99 Format: 277 x 215mm Web: www.haynes.co.uk The Allies had the Jeep…an enduring military classic that still draws attention at re-enactment days and vintage rallies. Germany, however, had its own famous forces runabout in the shape of the VW Kübelwagen - and its amphibious cousin the Schwimmwagen. We are relatively

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well-served for actual kits of the Teutonic types, in different scales, via Tamiya, Italeri, Hasegawa, Fujimi and AFV Club. So, Haynes’ new reference on these great little vehicles is most welcome, particularly because there isn’t actually a whole lot out there in terms of printed reference works. This Enthusiasts’ Manual is vital for anyone lucky enough to own a real example of either car, but there’s so much for modellers here too; in the text, the fact is not lost that both had their origins in the iconic civilian Volkswagen Beetle. There is a decent selection of period imagery and diorama/vignette inspiration is given in spades. But photos of restored machines also offer much clearer views of the vehicles, as do factory drawings, while official reports provide perspective on what it was like to operate the types. Rarities, such as the experimental twin-rearwheel Kübel, fitted with snow chains all-round, also appear and what a cracking conversion project that would make! The close-up photos offer welcome detail and are a boon for modellers. CC

AIRFIX 2016 YEARBOOK This is the first ever Yearbook from Airfix and besides highlighting new kits for 2016, it also offers a 2015 retrospective, model builds, aircraft type history, hints and tips on starting out in modelling... and full listings of all Airfix and Humbrol products. FEATURING: PLASTIC PIONEER Jeremy Brooks looks at the history of more than 70 years of Airfix Model kits. NEW TOOLING/ RE-ISSUES FRESH FOR 2016 Featuring Gloster Meteor F.8, Heinkel He 111H-6, Bristol Beaufighter Mk.X Late and many more. FIREDOG ROCKETEER Chris Jones builds Airfix’s forthcoming ‘late’ version of the Beaufighter Mk.X. AND MUCH MORE!

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ON THE SHELF AIRCRAFT KITS

DEUTSCHE SCHNELLBOMBER

Do 17Z-2 WWII German Bomber By: ICM Item no: 48244 Price: £26.99 Web: www.icm.com.ua ICM’s Dorniers are ‘must haves’ for Luftwaffe fans, and the Do 17Z-2 bomber version’s release has been eagerly awaited. Its runners are identical to those from the previous Z-10 night fighter and either variant could be built. A full load of 20 x SC50 bombs has been provided, although this would have been reduced for longer-range missions, and there is a fuel tank for the

KINGS OF DISCO

Boeing 720 ‘Caesar’s Chariot’ By: Roden Item no: 318 Price: £25.99 Web: www.pocketbond.co.uk Roden’s theme for its Boeing 720s - liveries applied to aircraft for concert tours of the USA by famous bands/musicians - is brilliant. This re-boxing caters for the 1979 Bee Gees ‘Spirits Having Flown’ tour and features a smart deep blue/red scheme, with band and tour logos on fuselage and tail. Cabin windows are styrene

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forward bomb bay to cater for this. Options include open or closed engine cowlings and bomb bay doors, raised or lowered wing control surfaces and alternate cockpit roof antennas. The quality decal sheet features full airframe stencilling, but lacks swastikas. There are four schemes: • 5K+HR, 7./KG 3 ‘Blitz’, France, August 1940 • F1+BL, 3./KG 76, France, August 1940 • U5+BH, 1./KG 2 ‘Holzhammer’, Greece, May 1941 • A1+TZ, 15.(Croat.)/KG 53, USSR 1/144

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WARTIME AUK

Nord 1000, 1001, 1002 Pingouin By: Fly Item no: 72031 Price: €13.95 Web: www.fly814.cz A licence-built and re-engined Bf 108 Taifun, the Pingouin (Auk) was constructed by Nord during World War Two. The basic kit is identical to Fly’s previous offerings, with a combination of styrene and resin parts. This release adds six new resin components for the Renault 6Q 11 and 10-associated engine cowlings for the Nord 1001

and 1002 versions, but there are sufficient parts for just one model. Considering its limited-run status, the castings are superb, with wellrendered external features on the engine cowlings. The decals are generally of the highest quality, although on this sample, there was a slight shift in the register on two smaller items. Three schemes are offered: • Nord 1000, No.199-1 ‘André Nicolle’, 1944 • Nord 1001, ‘Normandie Niemen’ • Nord 1002, 3.S.12, Aéronavale

LONG-NOSED LION CUBS

inserts rather than decals, and the cockpit transparencies are integral to the ‘roof’…easing assembly greatly. While the exterior detail is top-notch, with finely engraved panel lines, the engines are the real highlight, and are stunning representations of the JT3C turbojets. They have excellent compressor faces and exhaust nozzles...all that is required on the latter is the opening of the eight ‘hush kit’ tubes on the rear of each item to produce a stunning result.

Latin American Kfirs TC2 and TC10 By: Wingman Models Item no: WMK 48012 Price: €70 Web: www.wingmanmodels.com When it comes to improving/ converting an existing kit, few firms come close to Wingman Models. Its re-boxing of Kinetic’s Kfir C2 is a truly magnificent product, with full resin replacement forward fuselage, undercarriage bay and cockpit to reproduce the two-seat trainer version. All internal differences are addressed, with two sets of

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instrument panels and seats, and the exterior is improved by new resin wheels and an exhaust nozzle. A full canopy mask set, and two sheets of Cartograf decals provide the finishing touch, along with markings for four Latin American schemes: • TC2, FAC 3003, 111 Sqn, Colombian AF, 1995 • TC10, FAC 3007, 111 Sqn, Colombian AF, 2013 • TC2, FAE 931, 2113 Sqn, Ecuadorian AF, 1998 • TC10, FAE 930, 2113 Sqn, Ecuadorian AF, 2000

ON THE SHELF AIRCRAFT KITS

PUGNACIOUS DIVER

SDB-5 Dauntless By: Eduard Item no: 1165 Price: €41.25 Web: www.eduard.com Eduard’s treatment of Accurate Miniatures’ 1/48 Dauntless is a tribute to the quality of the original kit, as there is little to improve. Additions include photo-etched metal cockpit and interior detail, new resin wheels and an intricate singlepiece twin .50 cal mount. Masks are provided for the extensive glazing, but the big advantage over previous iterations is the decal sheet with

LOVELY LIAISON

Expeditor II By: ICM Item no: 48182 Price: £20.99 Web: www.icm.com.ua This release follows ICM's previous C-45F. The parts are moulded with impressive crispness, in olive grey plastic, and the engraving is super. Helpfully, lower and upper wings are one-piece items, and the fuselage is placed in a recessed section in the latter. Passenger

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markings for New Zealand, US Navy and Army Air Force and Aéronavale. The colour density and register are perfect on the Cartograf-printed sheet. The five schemes are: • SDB-5, NZ5056/56, 25 Sqn RNZAF, Piva, Bougainville, April 1944 • SDB-5, S-1, VMS-3, Virgin Islands, spring 1944 • SDB-5, B-5, VMSB-331, Majuro Atoll, Marshall Islands, spring 1944 • A-24B-1-DO, 42-54298/84 ‘Fly Bar’, 407th BG, Amchitka, summer 1944 • SDB-5, 36817/169, 4° Flotile de Bombardment de l’Aéronavale, 1945

TWO INTO ONE

Mitsubishi FS-T2 Kai By: Hasegawa Item no: 07406 Price: £36.99 Web: www.www.amerang.co.uk In releasing the Japanese FS-T2 Kai prototype as a ‘limited edition’, Hasegawa has gone back to the beginning to complete its range of Mitsubishi F-1 variants. What one gets is the T-2 (twoseat) aircraft, but with sufficient parts from the F-1 kit that either version could be built. Additional components include replacement instrument panel, cockpit sidewalls and fin-top antenna, a new runner for the rear-cockpit avionics cover and a superb

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decal sheet with full stencilling and logos for the prototypes. While external details are slightly heavy in places compared to more modern releases, this won’t be apparent once the model is primed and painted. Just two fuel tanks are provided, which is a disappointment as both airframes were used extensively for weapon-carriage trials. The two schemes depict prototype airframes operated by the Air Development and Test Wing (ADTW): • 59-5107, ADTW, Gifu AB, Japan, 1975 • 59-5106, ADTW, Gifu AB, Japan, 1975

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TARGETING TITO

seats are provided as well as those in the cockpit, and this area benefits from control yokes and a good instrument panel, while the engines also have bearers and firewalls, but the engines lack cylinder fin detail. The three British colour schemes are: • KN128, RAF Air Command, Karachi, July 1945 • KP110, 782 NAS, Fleet Air Arm, Lee-on-Solent, 1951 • HB275, 231st Group Conversion Flight, Karachi, 1944

DFS 230C Luftwaffe Glider ‘Unternehmen Rösselsprung’ By: RS Models Item no: 92187 Price: €22 Web: www.rsmodels.cz This new DFS 230 should delight Luftwaffe fans looking for something unusual, and is a respectable limitedrun rendition, despite the hint of flash. One of the three liveries depicts an aircraft used in Operation Rösselsprung, Gemany’s effort to destroy the headquarters of Partisan

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leader Josip Tito. Details include troop seats and a generous array of photo-etched brass, which offers cockpit/seat embellishment and other features. Two machine-guns are provided, and one also receives undercarriage and the landing skid: • 1E+1-33, Unternehmen Rösselsprung, Yugoslavia, May 1944 • H4+2-27, Operation Vassieux-enVercors, July 1944 • Sonderkommando Dora, North Africa, 1942 www.airfixmodelworld.com 93

ON THE SHELF AIRCRAFT KITS

AERIAL BLADE

Ultimate Sabre By: Eduard Item no: 1163 Price: €67.45 Web: www.eduard.com If one has the budget, a treat lies in store here; the Hasegawa base kit parts are as crisp as ever, and the notable features among these are the sublime wheels, airbrake bays, sharply defined gun fairings, reasonable cockpit detail and there are even blanking plates for the air intake and exhaust. Eduard adds a resin seat, pre-coloured and plain

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photo-etched metal and tape masks. Also new is the stunning decal sheet, with five colourful USAF schemes: • F-86F-30, 2584 ‘MIG MAD MARINE’, Maj John H Glenn, 25th FIS/51st FIW, Suwon AB, Korea, 1953 • 24850, 390th FBS, Alexandria AFB, Louisiana, USA, 1955 • FU-341 ‘MIG POISON’, Maj JP Hagerstrom, Osan AB, Korea, 1953 • 24539, ‘DREADED GOMBOO’, Lt K Ewing, 336th FIS, 4th FIG, Kimpo AB, Korea, 1954 • F-86F-25, 113361, 435th FBS, Detroit AFB, Michigan, USA, 1952

TWIN-STICK EXOTICA

Fouga CM-170 Magister By: Special Hobby Item no: Price: €14.30 Web: www.cmkkits.com Following its French Navy Zephyr boxing comes this global affair with four African/Middle East liveries. The crisply moulded styrene runners, is accompanied by four resin components. Detail flourishes include separate main undercarriage bay inserts and wing spoilers, optional nose sections to account for guns, and rocket pod and bomb

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armament. Even the engine fronts are offered, as well as instrument decals to be overlaid on the moulded panels. The four attractive colour schemes ensure varying camouflage, Day-Glo panels/stripes and exotic insignia. They are: • U 103, Ugandan Peoples’ Defence Air Force School, Entebbe Airport, late 1960s • NT-44/197, Algerian AF School, Tafraoui AB, early 1980s • L602/505, Lebanese AF • 157, Royal Moroccan AF, War of the Sands, 1963

TRENDY SUKHOI

Su-27 Flanker ‘Ukrainian Air Force Digital Camouflage’ By: Hasegawa Item no: 02166 Price: £44.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Hasegawa has re-issued its sans suffix Flanker, this time with new decals for the digital pattern on Ukrainian Su-27s. This has always been a decent kit, with excellent engraving and faithfully reproduced undercarriage. The cockpit benefits from a photoetched (PE) metal instrument panel and side consoles, but

LATIN DELTAS

Mirage IIIE/5 By: Kinetic Item no: Price: US $39.99 Web: www.luckymodel.com Kinetic answered the prayers of many with its new Mirage, and in the usual fashion the company is getting great use from its moulds by offering different sub-types and markings. This boxing allows the portrayal of Brazilian and Argentinean Mirage IIIEs, and Daggers from the latter country. Much weaponry is provided, and almost all is relevant (Matra

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the seat is lacklustre and best replaced. Some may think the kit’s nose shape is suspect, but in redemption there is air-to-air weaponry (radar/infra-red Alamo, and Archer missiles). Other PE parts help detail the afterburners and air intakes, and the clear frame offers nose-leg lights and the windscreen-mounted IRST fairing. Digital camouflage comes via decals in two colours, to be overlaid on paint to complete the three-tone scheme. The decals allow ‘Blue 100/101’, from the 831st GvIAP to be portrayed. 1/48

530/550, AIM-9) but there is a lack of air-to-ground armament. The airframe plastic is superb, and offers alternative instrument panels, canards, and the Dagger nose and fin filet. Kinetic’s Cartograf-printed markings include: • IIIEBR, 4914, 1° ALADA, Anapolis AB, Brazil • IIIEBR, 4926, 1° GDA, Anapolis AB, • IIIEA, 1-018, Grupo Aéreo 6 de Caza, Rio Galegos AB, Argentina, 1982 • M5 Dagger, C-418, Grupo Aéreo 6 de Caza, San Julian AB, Argentina, 1982

ON THE SHELF AIRCRAFT KITS

ROOSEVELT’S REPLY

USAAF B-25B ‘Doolittle Raid’ By: Academy Item no: 12302 Price: £39.99 Web: www.pocketbond.co.uk Academy has done Mitchell fans a 'solid' by re-releasing Accurate Miniatures’ mouldings. While the B-25G is also available, the tooling here portrays the ‘B’ sub-type and thanks to the markings, one can model any aircraft that flew the famous Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. This is a classy kit with beautifully moulded detail; the fuselage halves

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have full ribbing and there’s a wealth of gear, such as radios and instrumentation, a well-appointed cockpit, complete bomb bay with different stores, upper gun turret and a bomb-aimer/nose-gunner section. The engines are also impressive and will respond well to washes/dry-brushing. Serials for all 16 of the mission’s airframes are provided, along with relevant nose art. Individual examples include: • 02270 ‘Whiskey Pete’ • 02261 ‘Ruptured Duck’ • 02303 'Whirling Dervish'

LUFTWAFFE LEGEND

Ju 88A-5 By: ICM Item no: Price: £26.99 Web: www.icm.com.ua ICM’s Ju 88A-5 is 100% new and is a splendid effort. The shape and panel lines fair well, and there’s a feast of lovely moulding. A busy cockpit includes internal ribs, full instrumentation and radios, and the pilot’s seat sports machinegun magazines on its rear. Other features include separate control surfaces and dive brakes,

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complete engines, alternative glazing and ETC 500 bomb racks. 500 and 1000kg bombs are provided but they are not fully accurate, the engine fronts are a little simplified but still good essentially, and the prop blades are shaped well. Ultimately, this is a very pleasing kit, with four German Luftwaffe schemes: • L1+AM, 4./LG 1, France, 1940 • L1+GN, 5./LG 1, Greece, May 1941 • 4D+LN, 5./KG 30, Puri, Finland, autumn 1941 • F1+AS, 8./KG 76, Russia, 1941

VETERAN BIPLANE

Albatros B.II Early By: Wingnut Wings Item no: 32046 Price: US $129 Web: www.wingnutwings.com The parts on these six runners signify a huge helping of modelling enjoyment. Wingnut’s moulding is as good as ever, and this subject is welcome as the Albatros B.II showed true longevity. Notable flourishes

TEUTONIC TONKA

Tornado ECR By: Revell Item no: 04923 Price: £39.99 Web: www.revell.de/en It’s 20 years since Revell first debuted this tooling, but it still stands up well. The kit has enough detail for the less-experienced, but it’s also a sound base for aftermarket/scratch-building. In this large scale, many will feel the cockpit needs help despite its reasonable detail, but in general there is fine

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include convincing cockpit surrounds, a beautiful powerplant and fine bombs. Wingnut has recognised its moulding limitations, so photo-etched brass wheel spokes are supplied. Five colour schemes are provided: • B.210/13, Albatros built, 1915-16 • MAN built, April 1915 • B767/15, 1916 • 847/15, 1915-1916 • 1131/15, 1916 1/32

engraving, decent seats, a radar and swinging wings/swivelling pylons. The kit’s original stores are supplied (refuelling pod, Cerberus and BOZ-101 ECM pods, Sidewinder and Mk.82 AIR bombs), but are supplemented by AGM-88 HARMs to suit the Electronic Combat and Reconnaissance format (there’s no recce pod though). As with most of Revell’s Tornado releases, this boxing offers a dazzling special scheme; that of 46+28 of Takt LwG-51, as seen at the 2014 NATO Tiger Meet. www.airfixmodelworld.com 95

ON THE SHELF MILITARY KITS

GULF WAR TARGET

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THUMPING ARTILLERY

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Krupp 21cm Mörser 10/16 By: Takom Item no: 2032 Price: £29.99 Web: www.pocketbond.co.uk

T-62 Mod.1962 (Iraq modification) By: Trumpeter Item no: 01547 Price: £32.99 Web: www.pocketbond.co.uk Trumpeter’s love affair with the T-62 continues, and has extended to the modifications made to Iraqi vehicles during its period of service. Despite this, the T-62 remained vulnerable, and during the 1991 Gulf War dozens were destroyed. For those unlearned in T-62 lore, the Mod.1962 subvariant indicates this machine was

fitted with the early-style engine deck. Compared to the basic version there are replacement runners for a new turret, KMT-6 mine-plough, 12.7mm DShK anti-aircraft gun and a large searchlight. As with the other releases, all parts feature superb texture and detail, and the tracks are provided as individual links... here they are of the later RMSh type, with associated drive wheels. Handpainted hull and turret numbers are provided for the single Iraqi Army Desert Sand scheme.

ARMOURED ‘ROLLER’

WWII British Armoured Car (Pattern 1920 Mk.I) By: Roden Item no: 731 Price: £14.99 Web: www.pocketbond.co.uk Roden’s foray into the armoured vehicle genre continues with this delightful Rolls-Royce in 1/72 scale. As ever with this firm’s products, the parts are highly detailed and generally free from flash. While definitely archaic in appearance, a big hint this is a British design is the suitcase carriage on the vehicle side...

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this has been rendered superbly, and includes the mesh and strap racking. Roden’s excellent moulding is typified by the delicate tread on the tyres, the sharp bolt features on the vehicle exterior and the representation of wood grain. The small decal sheet is well designed, and offers markings for three schemes: • SV-4996, Royal Tank Corps, Derbyshire, 1939 • ‘Ajax’, No.1 (AAC) Sqn, EgyptIraq, 1940-1943 • ARR2, Irish Cavalry Corps, Ireland, Blarney, 1941

Krupp’s massive 21cm mortar, which served in World War One, is the subject of this cracking kit from Takom, and provides parts for either the original type 10 or ‘lightweight’ type 16 variants. For its size there is a high parts count, and this is reflected in the amount of detail actually incorporated into the model, enhanced by superb moulding and a small photo-etched (PE) metal fret. The main differences between the two types of mortar are the barrel lengths and wheels, with the later version fitted with ‘pads’ on its wheel rims to provide better cross-country capability. Both aspects are reproduced faithfully, and the distinctive barrel rifling is replicated by a PE insert. The seven schemes include: • Mörser 10, Sereth Front, Romania, 1917

ARMY STARSHIP

M60A2 Patton By: Academy Item no: 13296 Price: £25.99 Web: www.pocketbond.co.uk First impressions of Academy’s M60A2 (nicknamed ‘starship’ due to its hi-tech nature) are favourable and the box comes packed with styrene, representing very good value. This is an excellent update of its 1990s-era M60 hull and fittings, with five new runners, a small sheet of acetate and a photo-etched (PE) metal fret for the turret stowage baskets. The difference in detail and mould quality is striking, with

• Mörser 10, Captured by Canadians, Vimy Ridge, August 1917 • Mörser 16, Artois, 1914-1916 • Mörser 16, Captured by Canadians, East of Arms, October 1918 • Mörser 16, Somme, March 1918 1/35

the newer components (turret, searchlight, running gear and tracks) far superior to the originals although, confusingly, assembly of the PE is on a separate instruction sheet. Options include barrels with and without fume extractors and open or closed commander’s and driver’s hatches (but there is no interior detail). Tracks are provided as length-and-link items, and capture the chevron road pads accurately, but the inner faces have very noticeable ejector pin marks. Just two schemes are provided, both in standard US Army threetone camouflage.

ON THE SHELF MILITARY KITS

UP-ARMOURED KITTY

Sd.Kfz.171 Panther G Early Production Pz.Rgt.26 By: Dragon Item no: 6267 Price: £54.99 Web: www.hobbyco.net This re-released Panther G appears to offer little over previous incarnations, with individual link Magic Track items replaced by DS-styrene examples. The kit depicts vehicles from Pz.Rgt.26, which fitted extra armour plates to the turret top, and these are reproduced as

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photo-etched metal items. As ever, the moulded features are superb, with cast texture on the mantlet conspicuous for its refinement. In a neat touch, pre-shaped metal hooks are supplied to enable spare track links to be attached to the turret. Red numerals are provided for three vehicles, but there is an ongoing debate as to whether the 400-series digits were black or red: • 222, Italy, 1944 • 424, 1. Kompanie, Italy, 1944 • 434, 1. Kompanie, Italy, 1944

CAPTURED PANHARD

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ARTILLERY BEHEMOTH

German Railway Gun K5(E) ‘Leopold’ w/figure By: Hasegawa Item no: 31258/MT58 Price: £35.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Hasagawa’s vintage K5(E) railway gun has been re-boxed with two sets of 12 figures and a new decal sheet. It enables one of the weapons that operated against the Anzio beachhead, nicknamed either ‘Anzio Annie’ or ‘Anzio Express’ by the Allies, to be built. Considering the age of the parts, the single-piece gun gondola is

amazing, and there is a pleasing absence of flash. Contrasting levels of detail are apparent, with the bogie suspension units being good, while the base is rather poor as the ballast and sleepers lack depth. The 24 German figures are from an unknown set, but suffer from prominent ejector pin marks. There are three schemes, but the third option with multi-hued ‘spaghetti-style’ camouflage is definitely not for the faint-hearted: • Leopold, January-June 1944 • Leopold, prior to 1943 • Roberto, January – June 1944

FOXY TROOP CARRIER

Panzerspähwagen P 204(f) By: ICM Item no: 35374 Price: £22.99 Web: www.icm.com.ua Packaged in ICM’s typically sturdy box, this is a re-release of its corking Panhard 178 AMD-35 kit with decals for vehicles operated by the German Army during World War Two. The major difference with the previous offering is a new turret, which features differently styled side vision blocks. One

of the kit’s strong points is the quality of the components, and the leaf-spring suspension units (which are integral to the vehicle side areas) are as well-detailed as separate items in other kits. Combined with the wealth of fittings in the driver’s and fighting compartments this is great value. Four camouflage options include: • 92nd Pz. Aufklärungs Abt., 20th Pz.Div, Belorussia, July 1941 • German Police Force, Central Russia, September 1941

TPz1 Fuchs A4 By: Revell Item no: 03114 Price: £11.99 Web: www.revell.de/en Revell has updated and re-released its Fuchs A4 armoured personnel carrier with two runners from the later EloKa ‘Hummel’/ABC variant (see March 2016 AMW), which provide an improved upper hull and separate roof. There is a choice of building either a pioneer/engineer or ambulance variant, and a basic troop transporter can also be constructed...

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although extra machine guns would be required. The exterior detail is very good; the three-part wheels and intricate suspension rival those from 1/35 scale offerings, while fixtures such as the rear-hull propellers are reproduced faithfully. The two schemes depict German vehicles in standard NATO Brown/Black/Green camouflage: • Combat, Y-402-161, Panzerpionierlehrkompanie 90, Munster, 2010 • Ambulance, Y-402-294, GECON ISAF, Afghanistan, 2006 www.airfixmodelworld.com 97

ON THE SHELF SCI-FI KITS

ROGUE LEADER

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Snowspeeder Model Set By: Revell Item no: 63604 Price: €14.99 Web: www.revell.de/en

the air brakes are moulded shut, yet the raised surface features and main guns are well presented. A small twopiece stand is provided, and decals replicate the prominent stripes on the nose and rear fuselage, but they appear too orange in tone when compared to stills from the film. The kit is accompanied by Revell’s standard Model Set paint brush, Contacta Professional and a selection of Aqua Color paints, although additional shades will be needed for the crew figures.

This is yet another of Revell’s random-scale Star Wars offerings and while not as detailed as other kits in the line-up, will still build into a pleasing model. It’s ‘SnapTite’ heritage is evident in the large connector pins and holes and the lack of options. The closed canopy is a rather thick one-piece item, and

STARFLEET’S FINEST

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STARSHIP INNARDS

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Cutaway By: AMT Item no: AMT891 Price: £54.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk After a long absence, AMT’s cutaway version of Star Trek’s USS Enterprise has been re-boxed with an improved decal sheet. There are just 37 components, all moulded in dense styrene, and its 1990s heritage is apparent from the heavy detail and presence of flash, yet most interior and exterior features are moulded integrally, which will ease

IMPERIAL FIGHTER

USS Enterprise NCC-1701 Star Trek Into Darkness By: Revell Item no: 04882 Price: £34.99 Web: www.revell.de/en Arguably one of the most controversial aspects of the re-booted Star Trek universe, it’s fair to say that the design of the re-envisaged USS Enterprise has divided fans. Revell’s 1/500 kit comprises more than 90 cleanly moulded styrene parts, the majority in white, with a Starfleet insignia-inspired base/stand. It is

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well detailed for its size, with clear styrene inserts for windows on the saucer and main hulls and a multi-part bridge. The decal sheet is extensive and includes sauceredge trim/cheat lines, a variety of grilles and the famous NCC-1701 registry markings. There are effectively two schemes, either overall pale grey, or with the complex ‘Aztec’ two-tone blockpattern. If the latter is chosen, Revell has provided the necessary diagrams for scanning, although one will need to experiment to ascertain the enlargement factor.

TIE Interceptor Model Set By: Revell Item no: 63603 Price: €14.99 Web: www.revell.de/en Available previously as a ‘SnapTite’ offering, Revell’s TIE Interceptor has now been re-boxed as a Level 3 kit, as part of its extensive Star Wars range. The thick attachment points enable it to be assembled without glue, and thoughtful use of blue-grey styrene (similar to the studio models) will minimise painting...the complex

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assembly. The low parts count would make this kit ideal for any modeller, and cutaway features are complemented by decals...the largest is best used in conjunction with the styrene parts to simulate greater depth. Sections of the saucer, main hull and one nacelle can be removed to display the interior. As it depicts an original series vessel, the scheme is overall pale grey (with relatively few stencils and windows) and the comprehensive placement guide is augmented by diagrams on the box sides and base. 1/90

‘target’ main windscreen frame is provided as a decal. However, the big revelation is the level of detail, which is on a par with larger-scale offerings and includes a fully equipped cockpit and Imperial pilot…and a plethora of moulded features on the exterior. With careful weathering this will build into a cracking little model. As a Model Set it is even better value than the standalone kit, with an added bottle of Contacta Professional Mini adhesive, double-ended paint brush and three Aqua Color paints.

NE

W!

The United States Army Air Force is a modelling subject rich with colour and interest. This 100-page publication, from the team behind Airfix Model World, seeks to inspire and inform on the building of classic USAAF types, with a wealth of useful techniques and up-to-date kits in 1/72, 1/48 and 1/32 scales. Also provided are history and reference articles which offer vital camouflage and markings information, as well as rare period images to help get those little details just right. FEATURING:

RED TAIL RAIDER - An in-depth build and improvement of Tamiya’s 1/32 scale P-51D, in Tuskegee Airmen colours.

£5.99

PACIFIC GUNSHIP - Academy’s 1/48 scale B-25G Mitchell is finished as an aircraft based on the Marshall Islands in 1944. SOUTHERN SUPREMOS - We examine the history of the Ninth Air Force units on England’s south coast, in the build-up to, during and after D-Day.

AND MUCH MORE!

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ON THE SHELF AUTO KITS

CRUISER DELIVERY

1938 Custom Ford Van By: Lindberg Item no: HL114 Price: £29.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk This appears to be a re-boxing of the Testors Vantastic hot-rod kit with an eye-catching new livery and decals by Round 2 as part of its Lindberg Line. It depicts a late-1930s Ford delivery van, but with a monster V8 engine...just what’s needed for a speedy dispatch! Considering its age (it was first released in the 1990s), this is a surprisingly detailed offering, with a complete engine,

BAVARIAN RACER

JTCC Team Schnitzer BMW 318i By: Hasegawa Item no: 20270 Price: £29.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Hasegawa certainly knows how to get the most from a kit; this is a re-boxing of its 1990s-vintage offering, but with a muchimproved decal sheet and selfadhesive paper window masks. Its low parts count is indicative of its age, and although it lacks an engine, there is a respectable suspension/transmission, the interior is comparatively well-

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transmission and interior. There’s the obligatory chrome runner, with alloy wheels, radiator grille and typical hot-rod style exhausts and mufflers. As a true American muscle car, there is just a left-hand drive option, and while there is a partition provided for the cargo section, there are no side windows. Options are limited to positioning the bonnet either open or closed. The decals are of the highest quality, and although there is just one scheme, there are two company logos to choose from and all of the intricate paintwork is included. 1/24

GOING ON A TRIP

Volkswagen T1 Samba Bus By: Revell Item no: 07009 Price: £59.99 Web: www.revell.de/en Revell’s newly tooled T1 Samba is an impressive size, and many older modellers will recognise the classic design. It comprises 11 runners and features a complete interior, engine and suspension. Surprisingly for a modern kit, there are a number of moulding inconsistencies...as seams and sink marks marred several parts on AMW’s sample, and the edges of larger components

DATSUN CARGO

detailed, and the roll-cage is notable for its solid construction. A prominent seam line will need to be removed from the slick low-profile racing tyres, while the wheels are push-fit items. The big change with the kit is in the gorgeous decal sheet, which features perfect register and ‘solid’ colours that should prevent any bleed-through of underlying paint shades. Schemes for both of the Team Schnitzer drivers are included in the box: • 10, Steve Sopor • 73, Leopold Prinz von Bayern

Nissan Sunny Truck Long Body Deluxe ‘Early Version’ By: Hasegawa Item no: 20267 Price: £32.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Hasegawa has followed its basic Nissan truck with the Long Body version, which was sold worldwide as either the Nissan Sunny or Datsun 620. New runners offer the early shape of radiator grille, chrome covers for original style of wheels, and early dashboard. Among the superbly moulded parts, the most

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suffered from flash. If ever a kit warranted chrome fittings, this is it, and there are two runners for those gleaming parts, including body and wheel trim, and two styles of bumper. Helpfully, the mould gates on these parts are positioned to minimise damaging the surface. Additional trim, for the body and lovely vinyl tyres is provided in decal form, and complements the chrome items. While there is a specified two-tone livery, given how popular this vehicle became with the Hippy movement, there is a huge variety of alternatives. 1/24

notable is the single-piece body shell, which is devoid of seam lines. The busy interior offers just a right-hand drive configuration, and door inners have integrally moulded door and window handles. The decal sheet is to Hasegawa’s high standards, but is rather confusing as almost half the items will not be used, such as white tyre trim, and a number of logos and cartoon-like caricatures. There may be just a single specified scheme, but a quick check of references yielded a multitude of options for this popular four-wheeled workhorse.

ON THE SHELF MARITIME KITS

POLISH HUNTER

1/700

FLEET FLAGSHIP

Japanese Navy Aircraft Carrier Akagi Full Hull Version By: Hasegawa Item no: 43167 Price: £39.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk ORP Ślązak 1943 Hunt II class destroyer escort By: IBG Models Item no: 70001 Price: €11.80 Web: www.ibg.com.pl Better known for its superlative 1/35 and 1/72 vehicles, IBG Models has now entered the maritime realm with this Polish Navy Huntclass destroyer in 1/700 scale. A waterline kit, it comprises one large and five small styrene runners, with a photo-etched (PE) metal fret that provides railings, ladders and 20mm Oerlikons. For such a small model, the level of detail rivals

that of modern resin releases, particularly when combined with the PE accoutrements. Examples include loaded depth-charge rails, three-piece Mark XIX main gun and quad ‘pom-pom’ mounts... the latter are superb items with crisply moulded barrels. CAD-style diagrams provide clear and concise instructions for assembly, and this kit could serve as a stepping-stone to resin ships or more advanced styrene offerings. Just a single scheme for ORP Ślązak is provided, although there are pennant numbers for a further four Polish vessels on the decal sheet.

HELICOPTER CARRIER

JMSDF DDH Izumo By: Hasegawa Item no: 031 Price: £39.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Fans of Japanese naval subjects have eagerly awaited the release of Hasegawa’s Izumo since its announcement at 2015’s Nuremburg Toy and Hobby Fair. It comprises 11 styrene runners and while it’s simply a waterline-format affair, the kit is crammed with detail. The standout item is the single-piece main deck, which features finely engraved hatch lines and aircraft/helicopter tie-down points. While the side-mounted lift can be posed

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Hasegawa’s Akagi, first released in 2008, has now been re-boxed to provide a full-hull version of this important Japanese World War Two aircraft carrier. New parts are provided on two bright red runners, as well as a stand for the smart wooden base and self-adhesive metal name plate. Additional features include white metal propellers and protective mats for the outer faces of the bridge walls. The original components are among the best produced by Hasegawa in this

FAR EASTERN AEGIS

1/700

scale, with the hull sides and flight deck particularly notable. While this will build into a very good model, Hasegawa’s Akagi detail-up set (see Accessories), with its extensive photo-etched metal content, will transform it into a masterpiece. Surprisingly the air wing is very poor, as the runner is from a much older release, and the raised panel lines and vague outlines are in contrast to the rest of the kit. Two schemes are provided, as First Air Fleet flagship for the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, and its ill-fated involvement at the Battle of Midway in 1942… for which a Hinomaru on a white background is given for the flight deck.

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either level with the deck or lowered, the hangar doors are moulded shut and no interior is provided. Izumo’s air wing is represented by two examples of SH-60, MCH-101 and MV-22 and these are among the best examples available in the scale, with options for folded rotors and tail booms. A single livery is provided, for DDH-183 Izumo, and the busy decal sheet provides full deck markings, as well as items for the aircraft/ helicopter windscreens and a nameplate. There is also a separate sheet of 1/700 reference diagrams, to assist in adding Hasegawa’s Izumo detailup set (see Accessories).

JMSDF DDG Kongo By: Hasegawa Item no: 027 Price: £29.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Hasegawa has re-released its waterline kit of DDG-173 Kongo, the lead ship in a class of four Aegis-equipped anti-air warfare destroyers for the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Forces. It has a surprisingly high parts count for its size, especially given the lack of full-hull configuration and the comparatively Spartan external appearance of most modern naval vessels. All parts feature crisp moulding and the detail is masterful, with ventilation/ exhaust grilles, life-rings, portholes

and water-tight hatches adorning the superstructure. The angular appearance of the vessel has been captured accurately, and the vertical-launch missile silos are moulded integrally with the single-piece deck. These feature the correct 29 forward/61 aft (with associated reload crane hatches) configuration, and are far superior to previous offerings. In comparison, the SH-60 helicopters are rather basic, although their appearance will be improved by careful painting. Just a single scheme is provided, for DDG-173 Kongo, and the comprehensive decal sheet provides warning signs for missile silos, walkway lines and markings for the SH-60s.

ON THE SHELF FIGURES

MODEL GLAMOUR

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Pin-up Series No.1 Marylin By: Master Box Item no: MB24001 Price: £6.99 Web: www.creativemodels.co.uk This is another example from a range of pin-up style figures from Master Box, and is intended to accompany 1/24 scale military or civilian vehicles, or be finished and displayed as an individual item. It contains a single ten-part figure, including separate head and hair, and is posed as if leaning against a vehicle with the left leg resting on either a wheel or (as on the artwork) a motorcycle footplate. The sculpting is marvellous, and muscle definition on the legs and back is especially well-rendered. A basic painting guide is provided, but the 1950s-style bikini and baseball

GALLIC POSERS

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Italian Infantry (1915) By: ICM Item no: 35687 Price: £6.99 Web: www.icm.co.ua

cap could conceivably be any colour, and the large areas of bare flesh will present a challenge to replicate the varied tones. There are slight mould lines, and these will need to be removed carefully, otherwise the delicate features will be damaged.

MODERN BRITS

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ICM’s expanding range of World War One figures now includes this cracking set of Italian Infantrymen, produced for the first time in this scale. It comprises three regular soldiers (in a variety of standing and kneeling poses) and a single officer, depicted as if exhorting his men to move forward. One pose is very unusual, of an individual rising from a crouch as if to start running and it’s great to see such an original stance. The early-war style of uniform has been captured accurately, notably

TROOPS ON PATROL

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French Tank Crew By: W^D Models Item no: WD48 Price: £8.25 Web: www.wdmodels.com

British Infantry - Middle East By: W^D Models Item no: WD58 Price: £8.25 Web: www.wdmodels.com

Specialising in top quality World War One figures and vehicles, W^D models has released yet another great set, in the form of a French tank crew. This resin quintet is suitable for either a St. Chamond or Schneider tank and are arranged as if posing in front of the vehicle. All of the heads are separate and there are four with berets, while the fifth (presumably an officer) has a kepi. The arms of two crewmen are provided as separate items, and the uniforms are accurate representations of standard French Army garb. While no instructions are included in the set, they can be downloaded from the W^D Models’ website.

This set of patrolling British infantrymen from W^D Models is just what’s needed for a World War One Middle Eastern scene. It comprises five multipart resin figures, all with full equipment, including rifles and features excellent casting. The cast detail is excellent for this scale, and there are even slings for three of the rifles and the uniform is correct for a desert climate. The heads are separate, and wear pith-style helmets, and all figures have at least one separate arm to aid the casting and painting processes. These will be perfect in a diorama, either on their own or accompanying a vehicle of appropriate type.

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MEDITERRANEAN FIGHTERS

Warrior Crew By: Red Zebra Item no: N/A Price: £10 Web: www.redzebramodels.co.uk If you’re lacking a crew for an Airfix 1/48 Warrior, then Red Zebra’s threefigure resin set is just the ticket. It comprises a standing commander, gunner and a seated driver, with separate heads and (for the commander) arms. All are fitted with Mk.4 Osprey body armour, which will limit their application to operations post-2010, and what appear to be Mk.7 Combat Helmets, although these lack headsets for the radios, and the associated wiring and mike booms will need to be scratch-built. The heads are well sculpted, with one wearing spectacles (probably ballistic protection), but goggles were more common in Afghanistan, with conspicuous cloth covers on the front of the helmet. There is one slight omission, as the jacket sleeves lack the upper and lower pockets characteristic of the Multi-Terrain Pattern combat uniform.

the berreto headgear, longbarrelled rifles with bayonets and the padded shoulders on the M1909 tunic. Weapons, packs and entrenching gear are provided from a separate runner to the figures, and appears to herald the future release of a generic equipment set (35686), which includes both early- and late-war items.

FEMALE SOLDIER

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Women’s Auxiliary Service (Poland) Member By: Toro Model Item no: 35F72 Price: €10 Web: www.toro-model.home.pl

Toro Model has again produced an excellent figure of a less-well known subject, in this case a member of the Polish Women’s Auxiliary Service. It comprises four crisply cast resin parts, and the details on the head, tunic and shoes/socks are notable for their quality. The decal sheet offers a broad range of insignia, and shoulder patches, and will enable the figure to be portrayed for operations either in North Africa or southern Europe.

ON THE SHELF DECAL SHEETS

CANADIAN CARRIER

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SMART IN SPLINTER

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F-15C Digital Remix By: Two Bobs Item no: ***** Price: US $14 Web: www.twobobs.net

Quebecair BAC-111 By: Decales Global Item no: DG14207 Price: US $8 Web: www.joydecals.com Airliner modellers seeking different liveries for their Airfix or Welsh Models BAC 1-11s need look no further than this offering from Decales Global, which depicts an airframe owned by short-lived Canadian carrier Quebecair. As with

DESERT RATS

other products from this company, one simply paints the basic airframe colours and the remainder of the colour scheme is provided as decals. Note that as these are screen-printed, all items will need to be cut from the gloss carrier film prior to application. In addition to the combined passenger windows/ cheat line, there are Rolls-Royce logos for the engines and Canadian flags for the forward fuselage. 1/35

Two Bobs already released one of the option on this sheet, but it sold out quickly so the firm has re-issued the livery and with three more choices. All, though, represent WA-coded F-1Cs of the 65th Aggressor Squadron, which painted ‘Digital Flanker’ camouflage on some of its Eagles before the unit disbanded. The scheme is a highly attractive alternative to the standard F-15C livery, as it comprises pale grey, medium grey and dark blue (Federal Standard numbers/names are provided). Three decal sheets are offered, one with the main markings, another with stencils and national insignia, while the third is a small ALPS-printed item with chaff/flare dispenser faces.

SOUTHERN STAR

Challenger I Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars Gulf War 1991 By: Star Decals Item no: 35-846 Price: US $8 Web: www.star-decals.net Coinciding with the 25th anniversary of the 1991 Gulf War, this delightful sheet provides for Challenger I main battle tanks from the Queen’s Royal Irish Hussars (QRIH), 7th Armoured Division. The chosen vehicles are accompanied by notes on specific features, such as whether unit and identification

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markings were painted directly onto the hull or other materials, and there are sufficient decals for all three machines. These will be a welcome addition to Tamiya’s Challenger I Mk.3 tank, as they offer a greater variety of desert-configured vehicles, one of which (Churchill) is now preserved at the Tank Museum, Bovington. The schemes are: • 40 ‘Ballycastle’, 64KG90, QRIH, Op Desert Sabre, 1991 • 30 ‘Aghroovey’/’Roharris’ QRIH, Op Desert Sabre, 1991 • 11B ‘Churchill’, 64KG87, QRIH, Op Desert Sabre, 1991

Texas International DC9-30 By: Decales Global Item no: DG14218 Price: US $12 Web: www.joydecals.com Intended for Fly’s DC-9-30s, these markings will also be suitable for offerings by Airfix and AZ Model with a little care. They will be welcomed by many airline modellers as, once the basic white/silver/grey paint scheme

The schemes are: • 78-528/57th OG, February 2015 • 78-0494/57 ATG, November 2012 • 78-0494/57th ATG, December 2014 • 78-0509, November 2011 1/144

is added, all of the red/blue livery is provided in decal form. Consideration has been made for curves on the front and rear fuselage sections, with pre-printed notches to assist in enabling the decal to conform, although others can be added as necessary. Additionally, all of the cockpit and passenger windows are provided, as well as emergency escape hatches and anti-glare panels.

ON THE SHELF DECAL SHEETS

POST-WAR BRITS

RAF 1945-50 Pt:1 By: Blackbird Models Item no: BMD72029 Price: £5 Web: www.blackbirdmodels.co.uk Here’s a fine slice of Royal Air Force ‘schemery’ courtesy of Blackbird, which offers bomber, fighter and recce subjects from 1946. The

1/72 ‘heavy’ option is an Avro Lincoln B.II, RE380/DX-F of 57 Squadron in 1946, and it wears the standard Dark Earth and Dark Green over Night, and this is printed with the new-tool Airfix Lancaster and Blackbird’s own conversion set in mind. Fighters fans can model a Mustang Mk.IV in natural metal and with a dash of Olive Drab and Sea Grey (KH727/DV-J, 97 Squadron, Italy), while the recce choice is a Spitfire PX.XIX, PM574, of 681 Squadron in Burma and this bird wears overall bare metal and a red spinner. The register of the markings on our sample is good, as is the richness of colour.

MOSSIE MENARGERIE

De Havilland Mosquito B.Mk. IV/B.XX/T.III By: Xtradecal Item no: X32059 Price: £7.99 Web: www.hannants.co.uk A lone American example accompanies Xtradecals’ array of British and Canadian Mosquitos, but all are in the standard day scheme of Dark

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Green and Ocean Grey over Medium Sea Grey. There is variance in the squadrons, with Sky, red and white all being displayed, and just one set of RAF roundels and fin flashes are provided, aside from the US stars and bars. This sheet will obviously appeal to anyone who has bought either Tamiya’s or HK Model’s recent largescale kits. Here are the five liveries: • B.Mk.IV Series II, DZ421/G-XD, Wg Cdr P Shand and Ply Off CD Handley, 139 Sqn, RAF Marham, early 1943 • T.Mk.III Series II, TV970/FK-V, 219 Sqn, RAF Wittering, 1946 • B.Mk.XX Series II, KB253/RI, RCAF, 1944 • B.Mk.XX Series II, 46-VI, RCAF, 1944 • F-8, 334926 ‘The Spook’, Maj J Setchell, 3rd PG (Recce), USAAF, La Marsa, Tunisia, November 1943

THREE TIFFIES AND A TONKA

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RAF Update 201415 Pt.1 By: Xtradecal Item no: X48154 Price: £7.99 Web: www. hannants.co.uk If special schemes fill your modelling desires, then this new sheet from Xtradecal will be unmissable… especially if one’s focus is in RAF machines. It provides three RAF Coningsby Typhoon FGR.4 liveries, two anniversary options with coloured tails and standard grey airframes, and last year’s popular Battle of Britain-themed ‘Tiffie’. The welcome anomaly is the Lossiemouth Tornado GR.4, which sports a lovely anniversary red and blue spine and tail, with large squadron motif on the latter; all subjects are from last year though. Relevant national insignia is supplied, along with a generous helping of stencilling and colour

CIVVY AMPHIBIAN Canadian Pacific Airlines PBY-5a Canso By: Thunderbird Models Item no: 72-011 Price: £6.50 Web: www.thunderbirdmodels. co.uk It’s unusual to see examples of the legendary Catalina modelled in non-military garb, but that’s exactly what this sheet allows. It offers two liveries for ‘Cansos’ (the Canadian name for the PBY) operated by Canadian Pacific Airlines, which purchased four aircraft from Crown Assets in 1946

photos of the jets in question on the instructions. The schemes are: • Typhoon FGR.4, ZJ925/DXI, Wg Cdr C Layden, XI(F) Sqn • Typhoon FGR.4, ZK353/BQ, Flt Lt J Dowen, 29(F) Sqn • Typhoon FGR.4, ZK349/GN-A, Flt Lt B Westoby Brooks, 29(F) Sqn • Tornado GR.4, ZA461, Wg Cdr J Nixon and Sqn Ldr C Mullineaux, XV(R) Sqn

1/72 and flew them along the British Columbia coast. Both wear variations of the company’s red, white, blue and light grey scheme and the individual subjects are CF-CF-CRR/234 and CF-CRV/233. The instructions offer plenty of colour and structural information for anyone wishing to convert Academy’s old-but-good kit into a civilian ‘Landseair’ version.

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ON THE SHELF DECAL SHEETS

BOHEMIAN BROTHERS IN ARMS

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LOWLANDS SNOWSTORM

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F-16AM Falcon FA-123 ‘Solo Display 2015 - Blizzard By: Syhart Decal Item no: 72-083 Price: €11 Web: www.syhartdecal.fr

No.311 Sqn RAF By: DK Decals Item no: 72018 Price: £7.99 Web: www.dkdecals.cz One doesn’t have to be engrossed in building Czech-crewed RAF aircraft to enjoy these decals…but the themed element certainly makes for a fascinating mix. No.311 Squadron flew various types during World War Two, and three examples are provided for here in the Wellington, Liberator and Anson. And with 20 schemes in total the choice is superb. Coastal Command colours adorn the ‘Libbies’ and ‘Wimpys’, and there are Bomber Command examples of the latter offered, but the Anson wears Dark Green and

Dark Earth over Sky Type S. One of the Liberators sports actual Czech roundels and fin flashes for extra variety. Choices include: • Wellington Mk.Ic, R1516/KX-U, July 1941 • Liberator GR.Mk.V, FL961/O, June 1944 • Wellington Mk.X, HZ268/Z, April 1943 • Liberator EV872/PP-Y, summer 1945

TWIN-TUB ‘FRIGHTENINGS’

EE/BAC Lightning T.4/T.5 By: Xtradecal Item no: X48153 Price: £7.99 Web: www.hannants.co.uk Here’s another helping of two-seater Lightning liveries

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One can always guarantee an eye-popping scheme on the Belgian Air Force’s F-16 airshow jet, and this example from last year is no exception. It’s a complex affair though, and to help with its application Syhart provides standard waterslide decals, vinyl masks and colour-coded paper templates…the latter need to be cut out from the instructions. No specific kit is suggested, but this set should fit most 1/72 F-16s with a little nip and tuck here and there. The appropriate stencilling is also included for this scheme, which demands

POLES ABROAD

plenty of patience if it is to be executed well. But the effort will be worth it! 1/35

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to enliven Sword’s recent quarter-scale kit. A single bare-metal option is provided, but the remainder are in the RAF Germany Dark Green over natural metal, and various adaptations of late-service low-vis grey. Major Lightning users are represented and the markings exhibit very good printing and colour. Six schemes are provided and they are: • T.4, XM968/Q, 92 Sqn, RAF Gutersloh, West Germany, 1973 • T.5, XS419/DV, Lightning Training Flight, RAF Binbrook, March 1987 • T.4, XM968/Q, 92 Sqn, RAF Wildenrath, West Germany, October, 1976 • T.5, XS452/BT, 11 Sqn, RAF Binbrook, April 15, 1988 • T.4, XM790/T, 19 Sqn, RAF Gutersloh, February 1977 • T.5, XS458/Z, Lightning Training Flight, RAF Binbrook, 1970s

Staghound in Polish Service Vol.2 By: Toro Model Item no: 35D34 Price: €7 Web: www.toro-model.com.pl Toro has already offered a sheet for the Staghound in Polish service, but here’s another helping if the first wasn’t enough! This item provides markings for vehicles that all served in Italy under Allied command, save for a 1st Armored Division anomaly that was seen in Germany. This latter example is on overall Olive Drab, although all but one of the remaining machines wear two-

tone camouflage. Bronco’s kits will be most suitable for the build, as these decals demand Mk.I/II sub-types. Extra colour is ensured by the roundels, unit badges and vehicle names, and from the eight schemes in total some are: • Mk.I, F225502, HQ, 1st AD, Germany, 1945 • Mk.II, ‘Kirholm’, 1st Sqn, Carpathian Lancers, Italy, 1944 • Mk.I, 235492 ‘Jozefów’, 1st Sqn, 12th Podolian Lancers, Italy, November 1945 • Mk.II, 117843 ‘Olyka’, 1st Sqn, 12th Podolian Lancers, Italy, 1946

ON THE SHELF ACCESSORIES

WHIZZ-BANG DUO

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LAU-10/A ZUNI By: Eduard Item no: 632 074 Price: €14.95 Web: www.eduard.com This exquisite pair of resin Zuni pods, with separate fore and aft sections and rocket fronts, will be a splendid addition to the armoury of a 1/32 US Navy or USMC F-4 from the Southeast Asia theatre. The casting is simply excellent, with crisp rocket tube recesses and the weapons’ fins are cast integrally into the rear section; the real plus is that these stores can be posed armed or unarmed. Photo-etched brass parts and decals are included.

BUZZING RESIN

PHANTOM FUN

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Eduard’s recent ‘Rockin’ Rhino’ re-hash of Academy’s 1/48 F-4J is a classy package, but if one wants extra refinement, then why not add this superb collection of photo-etched detail parts. For the glazing area, one receives canopy trim, mirrors and sills, but there is a wealth of other airframe additions too. These mostly include components for the undercarriage and bays, but bomb fuzes and AIM-7/AIM-9 rocket-motor seals also feature.

The most common NATO airborne targeting pod, Litening can be seen hanging from Tornados, Typhoons, F-16s and Greek F-4Es, but it’s also carried by aircraft from a host of other nations around the world, from Columbian Kfirs and Brazilian AMXs, to Aussie Hornets and Indian Su-30s. Eduard’s smart little resin effort, with photo-etched brass rear plate and separate laser turret, is superb. The latter feature means that one can choose deployed or active poses, and the casting of the individual lenses is most convincing. Decals are also supplied to raise the detail level.

GROWLER PROTECTION

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Wherry By: Plus Model Item no: 457 Price: €13.60 Web: www.plusmodel.cz Plus Model’s superb wherry is a thoughtful product for those who like to portray water in their dioramas. It’s perfect for a river or canal scene, but would look just as good on the bankside, or on the back of a truck. The component parts are made from laser-cut wood, but oar-locks and their mounting brackets are supplied in photoetched brass. Usefully, a forming jig in laser-cut card also features to easy assembly. This will look wonderful given careful painting and weathering.

LITTLE BLISTERS

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Blenheim Mk.IV Teardrop Side Windows By: MH Models Item no: K72001 Price: €3 Web: www.mhmodels.cz

Shackleton MR.2 masks By: Eduard Item no: CX434 Price: €12.75 Web: www.eduard.com This new mask set from Eduard, cut to fit the new Airfix Shackleton MR.2, is comprehensive to say the least…but there is a fair helping of glazing on the ‘Growler’. Made from the usual kabuki tape, one must use some of the sections in conjunction with liquid masking fluid for full protection during airbrushing. The model’s wheels are also provided for here.

Airfix Model World

LASER LOCK-ON

AN/AAQ-28 (V) Litening pod By: Eduard Item no: 648 237 Price: €5.95 Web: www.eduard.com

Folland Gnat T.1 wheel set By: SBS Model Item no: 72035 Price: €3 Web: www.sbsmodel.com

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Rockin’ Rhino upgrade set By: Eduard Item no: 48878 Price: €25.95 Web: www.eduard.com

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There’s little one can say about these resin replacement wheels, other than that they are of top quality, with effective casting and detail. Designed for the Airfix Gnat, they’ll certainly add more refinement to an already sweet little kit.

DIORAMA BOAT

Airfix’s Blenheim Mk.IV comes with flush windows on the side of the nose glazing, but some airframes featured teardrop versions. These neat little vac-formed additions from MH Model allow portrayal of the latter style, and can be fitted with simple surgery to the Airfix parts. Two spares are also supplied in case of accident or loss.

DELTA FUEL

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Mirage 1300 L Auxiliary Tanks By: Wingman Models Item no: WMF 48032 Price: €16 Web: www.wingmanmodels.com Cast in grey resin, these two multipart fuel tanks are designed with Kinetic’s Mirage III/5/50 kits in mind, but are also suitable for Wingman’s own boutique Mirage boxings and, dare we say it, even the old Esci/Italeri products. Fine weld and rivet detail is evident and pylons are also provided.

ON THE SHELF ACCESSORIES

BIPLANE BITS

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ENGINE AIRCONDITIONING

Somua S35 Grilles By: Hauler Item no: HLU350090 Price: €9.28 Web: www.hauler.cz

Letov Š-328 By: Brengun Item no: BRL72100 Price: €7.94 Web: www.brengun.cz This handy upgrade set from Brengun will add extra detail to any of Special Hobby’s Š-328 kits; it combines a small photo-etched (PE) metal fret with a pre-printed acetate sheet for the cockpit bezels and dials. Changes to the kit parts are small but significant, with a replacement instrument panel, pilot’s seat and floor pan for the interior and a new PE underfuselage air intake. Smaller items, such as seatbelts, aiming reticles, cocking handles and magazine straps for the rear guns and upper wing trailing edge grab handles for the crew are also included.

WIRE HOLDERS

There isn’t much to correct on Tamiya’s 1/35 Somua S35, but the engine grilles would benefit from improvement, as they are provided as solid items. Hauler’s exquisite castings are direct replacements for the kit parts and feature the correct gaps between the vanes, while replicating the cast metal surfaces in great detail. On this sample there was flash between several vanes, which will need to be removed carefully before the grilles are attached.

WARSHIP UPGRADES

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MARITIME MASTERPIECE

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Aircraft Carrier Akagi Detail-up Parts Set By: Hasegawa Item no: 30036 Price: £62.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Modeller’s should prepare for a mammoth PE bending and assembly session with this upgrade set for Hasegawa’s Akagi. In addition to the expected railings and safety nets, one is provided with a new styrene deck, as all of the intricate underside ribbing is provided as lengths of PE, as are all of the aft deck support stanchions. Thankfully, the exhaustive instructions are well laid out, with clear diagrams showing how to fold and combine the various PE components. Other delights include propellers and replacement undercarriages for the air wing, radar antennas and even lattice supports between the aft anti-aircraft gun mounts. While the price may be daunting, the end result will be spectacular.

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Cable Reels - Small By: Plus Model Item no: 455 Price: €13.60 Web: www.plusmodel.cz Laser-cut wood has become an indispensible means of replicating full-sized wooden items as there’s no need to replicate a grain effect. Plus Model’s cable reels are well thought-out, with laser-cut cardboard discs for the hub and metal fittings, wood for the rims and hub covers and finely cast resin bolts. Simple to assemble, these will make a big impression in any diorama, and helpful hints in the instructions will make this process even easier.

DDH Izumo Detail-up Etching Parts By: Hasegawa Item no: 72153 Price: £24.99 Web: www.amerang.co.uk Photo-etched metal accessories for ship kits are pretty much de rigueur these days, and it’s no surprise that major model producers have got in on the act. Hasegawa’s detail-up set for the Izumo provides a full set of railings, flight deck netting and even safety rails for the aircraft/ helicopter lifts. Comprehensive as the instruction leaflet is, the scale drawings from the kit are vital to ensure correct placement of the many tiny PE parts on the hull and superstructure. Rotor blades, folded and ready for flight, are also included for the SH-60 and MCH101, but there are no improvements for the MV-22s. Curiously, there are three sets of each rotor type provided, yet just two airframes in the kit, which will enable other projects to be upgraded as well.

DOUBLEUGLY GEARS

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Wheels for British Phantoms By: Q-M-T Item no: R72001 Price: £4.30 Web: www.q-m-t.cz These delightful resin replicas will improve any 1/72 British Phantom kit, but are intended for the excellent Fujimi offerings. They feature delicate hub and tread detail, especially on the mainwheels, and are far superior to the kit items...but do not represent ‘weighted’ tyres. For those seeking additional interior and exterior details for their UK F-4s, Q-M-T also provides a range of photoetched metal upgrade sets.

AIRBORNE DISPLAY

Various

Aircraft Models Stands By: ICM Item no: A001 Price: £5.25 Web: www.icm.com.ua It doesn’t seem too long ago that almost every model kit came with a stand provided, and this aspect appears to be undergoing a slight renaissance. ICM is one of several mainstream manufacturers to have responded, and its solution caters for multiple models, which can be attached with wheels lowered or raised. It comprises three two-part stands, moulded in clear styrene, with one each in 1/144, 1/72 and 1/48 scales. Assembly is straightforward and the attachment point is a basic hook design, which will require just a narrow slot to be cut in the underside of the model.

ALL ABOARD

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VOMAG 7 or 660 Omnibus Detail Set By: NH Detail Item no: 72-040 Price: £6.70 Web: nhdetail.scalemodels-bg.com Moulding limitations often result finer features being omitted from styrene parts, and even Roden’s Vomag 7 has its shortcomings. Thankfully this photo-etched metal update set from NH Detail will rectify them all, from delicate engine wiring looms to louvred radiator grille and engine side covers. The window edge railings are particularly fine, and great care will be needed when removing them from the fret. A neat final touch is a lovely Vomag logo for the vehicle front to replace the kit item.

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ON THE SHELF RECENTLY RELEASED

DRAGON

ITALERI

www.hobbyco.net

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473 Tufts of reed-green

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6002 Statue of Liberty (no scale given)

474 Tufts of reed-dry

3910 Scania 143M Topline 4x2

472 Tufts of grass-dry

7271 M4A3(76)W VVSS Sherman

1/9 7402 Triumph 3HW 1/720 7519 M103A1 Heavy Tank

502 Admiral Graf Spee

481 U.S. wooden crates for condensed milk-WWII 1/72 1369 MC-130 Hercules Combat Talon I

TAMIYA PLUS MODEL

www.hobbyco.net

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www.plusmodel.cz

87177 2mm Masking Tape for Curves

6608 Pz.Kpfw.VI Ausf.E Sd.Kfz 181 Tiger I Tunisian Initial s.Pz.Abt.501 and Pz.Rgt.7

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87178 3mm Masking Tape for Curves

4048 Multicar M-22

87179 5mm Masking tape for Curves

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1/48

442 Shed

32586 German Transport Vehicle Horch Type 1a

6122 Italian 90/53 Gun with Crew

6812 Pz.Beob.Wg.2 Ausf.C 2-in-1

7506 Willys Jeep ¼-ton 4x4

468 Plastic cans

ZVEZDA www.hobbyco.net 1/72

6824 Pz.Kpfw.IV mit Panther F Turret

6228 British Medical Personnel 19391942 1/24 3907 Volvo FH16 520 Sleeper Cab

471 Tufts of grass-green

EBBRO www.hobbyco.net

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1/24 25005 Citroën DS19

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3909 European Tractors Tyres and Rims

3616 Pz.Kpfw.VI Tiger II Ausf.B Porsche Turret

MODEL MART CLASSIFIEDS

Unmade or already built, any quantity, especially large collections, also diecast models & books. Will collect nationwide and pay best cash price.

Please call 01202-976974 or 07901-890461 Thank you

PRODUCTS Stands to reason

www.sphereproducts.co.uk

PAINT STORAGE RACKS, TRANSIT CASES, TOOLS AND WORKSTATIONS CUSTOM DESIGNS AVAILABLE

Freightdog Models

Home of Blue Max and Pegasus Models Online shop for kits, decals ands accessories www.freightdogmodels.co.uk +44 (0) 1342 716004 Fairlight, Sandy Lane, Crawley Down, Crawley, RH10 4HX

 +44(0)1953 681008 e: sph [email protected]

To advertise here contact Elizabeth Ridge on 01780 755131

or email [email protected]

Fast and friendly service Easy to navigate webshop Large range of over 3500 models, figures, tools and accessories from Revell, Airfix, Italeri, Tamiya and many more, ready for immediate despatch Based in the Midlands since 2001 with worldwide shipping available

Web: www.models2u.co.uk

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 01543 433999

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PLASTIC SURGERY ASK THE EXPERTS

Non-Airbrush Soot

Q

Having just started modelling in the smaller scales, I wondered if you had any tips on replicating realistic exhaust stains by brush, rather than utilising an airbrush? Any advice would be most appreciated. Paul O’Keeffe, via e-mail AMW’s Dave Oliver replies: “Producing realistic exhaust stains can be tricky, especially when just using a brush. Having tried a number of different products with your question in mind, the Soot pigment contained in Tamiya’s Weathering Master Set B (87080) produced the most convincing and controllable results. Using the sponge supplied with the set, even strokes were applied with

minimal amounts of pigment; this process was repeated until a convincing feathered appearance to the exhaust staining was created. Practice makes perfect though, and experimenting on an old kit or piece of plastic card is a good idea before committing to weathering your latest project. Another product that might be suitable is Model Mates’ Soot Black weathering wash…this has the advantage of being water soluble so can be removed relatively easily if the desired effect is not achieved. This was applied with a brush and then streaked with a cotton bud dipped in water. The result was perhaps slightly less convincing, but it is another option. Finally, MIG Black Smoke pigment (P023) is also viable, but in

trials this proved rather difficult to control and created a rather dense effect. Furthermore, I now have a heavily weathered cutting mat!”

Railway Engine Shades

Q

“I have just returned to modelling again after many years. My projects have mainly been in 1/35 scale but I recently got my hands on an old OO/HO model train from Airfix, which is a fantastic kit… but there are no paint numbers with it. Do you know of any spray paint for trains?” Stuart Thorne, via e-mail Mark Chivers, Assistant Editor of AMW’s sister publication Hornby Magazine, replies: “Phoenix Precision Paints manufactures an extensive selection of enamel railway colours in gloss and matt finishes. Depending on the model you have, the range includes colours matching those used by railway companies prior to 1923, right up to present-day privatised train

operating companies. They can be brushed directly on to models straight from the tin or sprayed through an airbrush with suitable thinners. Available in 14ml tinlets, some can also be supplied in larger tins and aerosol formats. Visit www.

phoenix-paints.co.uk for more information on the range of model railway colours available. Humbrol also produces railway paints, but they are purely acrylic and the range is considerably smaller. Visit: www.humbrol.com”

Contact us Do you have a modelling conundrum regarding techniques or references? If so, why not quiz our band of contributors, history writers and industry contacts? Simply send your query via e-mail (with The Plastic Surgery in the subject line), to: [email protected], or a typed letter by post to: The Plastic Surgery, Airfix Model World, Key Publishing Ltd, PO Box 100, Stamford, Lincolnshire, PE9 1XQ, United Kingdom. Please provide your postal address. Each question printed will receive a selection of Ultimate Modelling’s sanding sticks worth approximately £15. For further details on Ultimate Modelling Products, please visit www.umpretail.com

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