Experts Guide to Superdetailing

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EXPERTS GUIDE TO 2016

CONTENTS 6

SUPERDETAILING

Details make a striking Lightning Getting the most of Trumpeter’s 1/32 scale P-38L BY CHUCK SAWYER

16 Kitbashing an early Cougar Crossbreed Grumman cats for the hybrid F9F-6 BY DARREN ROBERTS

22 Pounce on a Panther Details for a late-production PzKpfw V Ausf D BY BILL MORIN

32 Strike against the Missouri Some fought to live, some fought to die BY RENÉ HIERONYMUS

36 Polishing a little gem

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Key additions make a 1/144 scale E-2C Hawkeye sparkle BY FRANK CUDEN

40 Show Gallery High-flying detail

48 How to Build a BARV Scratchbuilding makes a D-Day Sherman conversion in 1/35 scale BY ANDY COOPER

56 D-Day, Juno Beach Tag-team allies model a diorama in 1/35 scale BUILT BY GLENN BARTOLOTTI AND JIM WECHSLER

64 Show Gallery Powered-up armor

48

70 Rev up a Grand Prix racer Superdetailing a 1/20 scale multimedia kit BY BOB STEINBRUNN

78 Tiger Meet JAS 39C Converting, detailing this Gripen is a roarin’ good time MODEL BY RICARDO DACOBA

82 Scratchbuilding tips and tricks A master modeler shares the secrets to shipshape modeling BY DAVE STRAUB

89 Built for the Borg Photo-etching and foraging, cubed BY JEFF POLLIZZOTTO

94 Show Gallery But wait, there’s more!

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EDITOR’S PAGE By Mark Savage

EXPERTS GUIDE TO 2016

Getting better and better!

SUPERDETAILING Editor Mark Savage Art Director Tom Ford

EDITORIAL

T

he better models get, the better the world’s best modelers have gone modelers get. the extra mile and a quarter (2km) to The inverse is true, too: The better create stunningly realistic and exciting modelers get, the better their models models or vignettes. get. There are ideas and tips galore in It seems simple and we see it at our 11 all-new how-to stories, culled shows all the time. A modeler from the bulging FSM story files. approaches our photo booth But we’ve also gone and lays on the praise of our that extra little bit by The goal, magazine and all it has taught assembling three photo of course, him over the years. galleries from the biggest We’re not alone though. modeling shows that we is to The modeler usually is full attended this past year. improve, of thanks for his fellow club We selected the most to get members’ tips, advice he detailed builds to focus our better and got from folks met at spotlight on so you can see better at shows and contests, plus what fellow modelers are modeling. ideas shared with modeldoing to raise the bar. ers worldwide via our We hope you enjoy this online forums — possibly some other special issue, and particularly that you folks’ forums, too. pick up some ideas and new techThe goal, of course, is to improve, niques to make your great models to get better and better at modeling. even better! That’s our intention for every magazine. We redouble our efforts for special issues such as this one on superdetailing, which can mean many things to many modelers. [email protected] Here we’re looking at ways some of

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4 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

Senior Editor Aaron Skinner Associate Editor Mark Hembree Assistant Editor Elizabeth Nash Editorial Associate Monica Freitag

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WHAT’S INSIDE

The Next Level!

There’s rarely a shortage of superdetailed aircraf shot at the 2016 Squadron EagleQuest and the IP

r

Modelers are always looking for new ways to take their builds to the next level, whatever that means specifically to them. With kit quality constantly improving, creating a highly detailed model now means more than just painting and weathering, although that’s still a big part. .

,

40 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

,’

The following pages will explain and show you how! www.FineScale.com

5

Details make a striking

LIGHTNING Getting the most of Trumpeter’s 1/32 scale P-38L BY CHUCK SAWYER

I

have always wanted to build a “fork-tailed devil,” the twin-boom Lockheed P-38 Lightning. I prefer 1/32 scale, which meant the choice of a Revell or Trumpeter kit. I chose Trumpeter (No. 02227). It’s a good model, but it still has several challenges to overcome. An additional challenge was my goal of building a restored bird with clean, bare metal — because a metal finish hides nothing! As a matter of fact, every tiny flaw is magnified. Extra care must be given to both construction and surface preparation.

6 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

These challenges are met in modeling Maj. Richard Bong’s P-38 Marge as it appears at the EAA AirVenture Museum in Oshkosh, Wis. This particular Lightning, No. 44-53087, is a later P-38L, although it has the markings of a P-38J Bong flew during the war, No. 42-103993. The nose art was an image of Marge Vattendahl, the future Mrs. Bong. So I had my plane, my paint finish, and a specific subject. Aftermarket products kicked the project up a notch, either correcting or enhancing many of the model’s details.

1 I thought Scale Aircraft Conversions’ whitemetal landing gear (top) would be stronger and help keep the bird on its toes, but it needed work and the oleo was overextended.

4 Using metal files, a motor tool, and sandpaper, I polished the scissor links, drilled holes in the hinge and leg attachments, and inserted pins.

7 In the main gear wells, I painted a coolant pipe and made a connector of electrical tape and metal strips. Hydraulic lines are 28-gauge electronic wire, super glued with brass bands.

10 Deepening the grooves in the bottom of the intake assembly and widening the locator hole for the pin on the boom wall improves the fit.

2 Instead, I drilled through the kit’s plastic gear leg and inserted a sewing pin for a strong core.

5 I opened the attachment points on the plastic gear legs, leaving a C-shaped mount for the scissor links.

8 Brake lines are black electrical wire with strips of electrical tape as clamps.

11 The gear wells have fit issues, too, forcing the booms to bow out.

3 However, the SAC scissors link looked better than what the kit provided.

6 I replaced the nose-gear scissor link with Eduard photo-etched (PE) brass and used bits of wire, styrene rod, and brass for hydraulic lines.

9 The lower engine intake doesn’t fit in the boom, producing a gap on the underside.

12 Trimming or sanding locators improves the fit.

www.FineScale.com

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Getting better! Glue applied to well walls from behind closed the remaining gaps.

The propeller shaft mounts too low, so the spinner falls short of the nacelle’s top.

To raise the prop spindle’s mount, I created pins cut from drill bits, cut the plastic pins from the bottom of the engine, then drilled holes to accept the new pins.

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With the new pins, I can correct the engine’s height and angle as needed.

Now the spinner can be adjusted to the right height and angle before super gluing the pins.

Still, the prop shaft’s fit is sloppy. So, I centered it and glued it in place. The props can still spin on the shaft, though less freely.

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The spinners are too wide for the nacelles. I sanded them down and used a pin vise to make new rivets.

The kit’s thick side vent doors were cut off and replaced by Eduard PE. Circular vents on the sides were replaced with brass tubing.

Every panel line was rescribed, every rivet mark repunched with a needle in a pin vise, and the larger Dzus fasteners were repunched with a Mega Tool punch set.

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Tamiya black Panel Line Accent Color (essentially, a premixed wash) brings out surface details (left).

P-38s had an inboard mirror on the side of each boom so the pilot could verify gear down. The kit provides clear parts; I covered them in Bare-Metal Foil after painting.

Before mounting the engines, I glued lead inside them for additional ballast.

8 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

25

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P-38s have large radiator assemblies outboard on each boom. The kit parts are fairly basic.

I painted the interior of each radiator housing and the booms with Alclad II aluminum, then added Eduard PE vent doors and surface detail to replace kit parts.

I filled fastener depressions at the front of the supercharger intakes and added raised rivets using Archer resin fastener heads. More vents were created with brass tubing.

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I filled the lower seam on the front of the boom with super glue and sanded it smooth; Eduard PE screen went in the lower vent.

The door for the underside vent also is Eduard PE, painted with Alclad II aluminum. To prevent breakage, I didn’t add it until the end.

Check your references: Some seam lines should be filled; others really are panel lines.

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So far so good!

There should be rows of raised rivets just before the tail. After filling the recessed rivets with super glue and sanding them smooth, I applied Archer resin fastener heads.

A Cutting Edge cockpit set provided a subpar resin instrument panel. I used the kit’s clear plastic, even though it had nine ejector-pin marks — all on the front!

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Super glue filled the pin marks, and a coat of black lacquer covered them. I glued the film instruments behind and used small instrument decals from Airscale according to references.

I used HGW Models fabric seat belts and PE cinches made for a P-51D; they are almost identical to those of a P-38.

I primed the cockpit with black; parts that would remain black were covered with Tamiya masking tape and Micromask fluid. The rest was airbrushed interior green. www.FineScale.com

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I airbrushed the interior color from the sides and above, leaving areas under overhangs shadowy. Other parts are painted Alclad II aluminum.

A drop of super glue created knobs at the tops of control levers.

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The cockpit is glued to the top of the nose-gear well. But do not glue the nose gear in yet!

This bird needed a better gunsight. I used a K14 left over from a Tamiya P-51D, comprising five plastic (three clear) pieces plus a PE part.

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Before the superchargers were glued into place, I painted their recesses black to cover bare plastic inside.

I used Master Details resin superchargers. Wartime superchargers look rough and rusty, but new ones are almost entirely clean. I glued them in from behind to prevent exterior glue marks.

10 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

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The wings droop; there are gaps to contend with, too.

To eliminate droop and add strength, I glued a plastic chopstick inside each wing using household rubber cement, which remains flexible.

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P-38Ls have a landing light on the port wing. In this kit, the frame around the lens is inaccurate, the fit is poor, and the mounts show inside the light.

I cut off the tab on the top of the clear part, then dry-fitted it in the wing and sanded both parts to smooth out the imperfection.

I scribed a new frame around the lens; now it’s flush. After polishing the lens, I used Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) to attach a landing light from my spares.

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A boarding ladder on the bottom half and the ladder handle on the top wing don’t fit at all; I reshaped their grooves with a motor tool.

I applied super glue from behind the cockpit walls to attach it. (Note the cardboard and masking tape protecting details.)

The supercharger and ends of the very thin and fragile wing tabs were also covered for protection.

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A large gap between boom and wing is best filled with strip styrene. It’s strong, easy to sand, and it won’t crack like putty can.

The nose gear was a little skewed. I drilled a hole above the left pin that holds the gear leg in place and, in spite of the glue, I was able to adjust and straighten it. www.FineScale.com

11

53 In the nose, the portal for the cannon is overscale. I filled it with liquid sprue and let it dry for a few days. Then I sanded it smooth and opened a smaller hole with a drill bit and circular files.

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After installing the gun assembly behind, the barrels slip easily through the nose cone, which aligns them.

To keep this bird on its toes, I glued more lead into the nose.

Stripping insulation from a computer wire harness yielded ultrafine wire that I used to detail the radio and other equipment behind the pilot.

57 After careful polishing, the canopy parts were dipped in PFM, which adds clarity and smooths fine scuffs or scratches. I wanted the side windows to be down, so I cut them off and left just the top portion of each window. StencilPal provides vinyl masks for the canopy, inside and out. Before gluing the windscreen and rear canopy, I painted the inside interior green and the outside Alclad II aluminum.

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For the canopy top lid, I installed a metal rearview mirror (spare from a Tamiya P-51D) and made a triangular locking mechanism out of brass scraps.

On the side windows, I darkened the join on the bottom with a black Sharpie. When Tamiya Extra Thin Cement combined with the black ink, it further darkened the join.

Eduard PE enhances the landing-gear doors. Hinges inside the doors are best left off until the end of the build. Here is one of the doors, dry-fitted.

12 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

40 Number of Japanese aircraft shot down by Richard Bong, all while flying a Lockheed P-38 Lightning.

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After sanding (starting with 1500 grit), I airbrushed Tamiya gloss black lacquer (TS-14) decanted from a spray can and thinned about 40%.

For bright metallic finishes, the surface must be perfectly smooth.

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After repairing the inevitable flaws revealed by primer, I sanded with ultrafine (6000-8000 grit) GSI Creos Mr. Laplos polishing cloths.

I removed sanding dust with a tack cloth and compressed air, then airbrushed a little more of the black lacquer.

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The kit’s props (left) just wouldn’t do. I replaced them with resin parts from Grey Matter Figures (right).

I painted the spinner with Tamiya Italian red gloss lacquer, using the kit’s prop blades for holders.

www.FineScale.com

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After several days of drying the primer was masked for painting. Masks can lift the alcohol-based Alclad II chrome, so I sprayed that last.

Smaller strips on the edges guard better against paint bleed. Then larger areas are filled in with bigger pieces of tape.

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First the aluminum …

… then Tamiya olive drab (TS-28) and Italian red (TS-8) decanted from spray cans. A kitchen waste bag protects the rest of the plane.

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Several thin, misty coats of Alclad II chrome produced a stunning shine! Go light or the Alclad paint might craze the primer.

Alclad II chrome must be sealed with a clear coat so it won’t lift, peel, or be clouded by decal solutions. However, a clear coat can dull a high gloss. I tried several, and Tamiya clear acrylic (X-22) cut with Tamiya lacquer thinner worked best. FSM

14 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

Sources • Resin fastener heads, Archer Fine Transfers, www.archertransfer.com • Fabric seat belts, HGW Models (No. 132032), www.hgwmodels.cz • Metal landing gear (scissor links only), Scale Aircraft Conversions (32004), www.scaleaircraftconversions.com • Resin superchargers, Master Details (32037), www.masterdetails.com • Resin props, Grey Matter Figures (GMAJR3217), www.greymatterfigures.com • Resin wheels and vinyl masks, Aires (2105), www.aires.cz

• Exterior and undercarriage photo-etch, Eduard (32126 and 32134), www.eduard.com • Brass gun set, ProfiModeller (32138), www.profimodeller.com • Marge decals, Pyn-up (PYN32001), The Fine Art of Decals, www.fineartofdecals.com • Vinyl canopy paint masks, StencilPal (SP 32031), www.stencilpal.com • Instrument panel decals, Airscale, www.airscale.co.uk • Automotive hose clamps, Model Car Garage, www.modelcargarage.com • Punch set and Mega Tool, Unique Master Models, www.umm-usa.com

“If you didn’t want to fly down Market Street, I wouldn’t have you in my air force. But you are not to do it anymore, and I mean what I say.” – Gen. George C. Kenney, Fourth Air Force, reprimanding Lt. Bong for buzzing San Francisco in June 1942 www.FineScale.com

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Kitbashing an early

COUGAR Crossbreed Grumman cats for the hybrid F9F-6 /// BY DARREN ROBERTS

L

ike many, I credit my dad with getting me hooked on airplanes and building models of them. He took me to air shows and the local hobby store, where I would gaze in awe at shelves full of kits. He let me look through the aviation books he had purchased over the years, giving me ideas for my next project. In the Army in the 1950s, dad had the opportunity to travel to bases of other branches of the military. One of those was Naval Air Station Pensacola, where he photographed a brand-new F9F-6 Cougar. That picture hangs in my modeling room, a permanent reminder of how influential my dad was to me. The F9F-6 is essentially an F9F-5 Panther with swept wings. When Kitty Hawk released its 1/48 scale F9F-8 (No. KH80127), I decided to convert it to an F9F-6 with an assist from Monogram’s F9F-5 Panther.

16 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

Oops!

1 I cut the nose off the Monogram kit’s fuselage halves just forward of the nose-wheel well (left). The Kitty Hawk nose parts, accurate for the Cougar, replaced them (right). The fit was almost perfect; if not for an errant cut on my part, it would have needed little filler.

2 The nose of the -6 didn’t have the refueling probe featured in the Kitty Hawk kit, and there is no provision to model the nose without it. So, I cut a piece from the kit’s probe (left), glued it into the opening at the tip of the nose, and sanded it to shape (right).

Lights

3

Lower rudder

The tail of the Monogram fuselage needed a couple of changes. First, I sanded off the lights and associated fairing. To make way for the Cougar’s larger lower rudder, I scored the outline with a scriber until the plastic was thin enough to cut it away with a hobby knife.

4 I cut the horizontal stabilizer fairing from the Kitty Hawk tail to use on the Monogram fuselage so I could attach the swept tail planes from the Cougar.

www.FineScale.com

17

5 Careful sanding refined the fit of the Kitty Hawk fairing and the Monogram tail. I sealed gaps with Mr. Surfacer 500. Working on the halves before gluing the fuselage together allowed me to lay them flat on the workbench, making the work easier.

6 I separated the center section of the Monogram kit’s one-piece lower wing with a razor saw along the wing-fold lines. The intake lip was removed also. I assembled the fuselage, including the cockpit, and added the landing gear.

7 The fillet behind the wings differs between the -8, which extends to the exhaust, and the -6, which ends halfway back, the same as the Panther. I cut away the top half of the fillet from the wings of the Monogram kit, stopping at the rear wing-fold hinge (left) and glued it to the lower half (right).

8 Attaching the Kitty Hawk Cougar lower rudder and horizontal stabilizers finished the tail. 18 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

9 I then cut away the forward part of the intakes from the lower fuselage of the Kitty Hawk kit.

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I cut the pieces longer than required; the extra plastic will make refining the fit easy. I removed the intake lip and the step that meets the lower fuselage.

Testing and trimming fit the piece onto the lower intake area; the front should stop at the middle of the Monogram speed-brake well. Apoxie Sculpt smoothed the transition between the different kit parts.

Remove

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To finish the upper part of the intake section, I removed the wheel-bay supports from the underside of the Kitty Hawk upper intakes.

Then, I sawed off the intake lip along the molded line.

Rivets

Location slots

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Using a razor saw, I cut the intake pieces to the inside of rivets between the second and third location slots from the front.

For the final step, I removed the tab with the locating slots from the intake parts. www.FineScale.com

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I glued the parts onto the other wing-root sections and filled gaps with Apoxie Sculpt.

The chord of the -6 was shorter than the -8. An extension of the leading edge creates a dogtooth at the wing fence that needs to be removed. But pay attention, because it’s not a parallel cut. Instead, it tapers from the fence to the wingtip. I used tape as a guide.

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I thinned the plastic along the tape with a scribing tool, then cut through it with a knife. A coarse sanding stick rounded the leading edge and restored the airfoil shape.

With a knife, I cut away a third of the area from the trailing edge to the recess for the spoileron.

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I temporarily attached the wing and separate flap marking the line for the trailing edge and making sure it aligned with the Monogram wing fillet. After cutting along the line, I attached the wing and flap and sanded the trailing edge to shape.

On the final leg now, I installed a set of Steel Beach resin intake lips (No. SBA48138) and filled the landing-light opening in the starboard wing’s leading edge with 2-part epoxy putty. The Cougar had a light in the port wing only.

20 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

22 Using styrene rod and sheet, I filled the locating holes for the wing pylons (left) and the locating slot for folded wings (right).

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That’s what an early Cougar looks like! I added photo-etched fences and spoilers to the wings before painting.

After base-coating the model with Alclad II gray primer, I sprayed Alclad II dark aluminum on the leading edges and masked it off with Tamiya tape. Then, I sprayed the model glossy sea blue. A combination of kit and Furball Aero-Design decals mark it as a VF-91 fighter.

Cougar nose without refueling probe

Steel Beach intakes Blended wing roots

Cougar lower rudder

Kit and Furball decals

Metallic leading edge Modified Kitty Hawk wing

The canopy and fiddly bits finished the Grumman Cougar. Now, I have a wonderful reminder of the man who got me started building models. Thanks, Dad! FSM www.FineScale.com

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Pounce on a Panther Details make a late-production PzKpfw V Ausf D /// BY BILL MORIN

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s a modeling subject, the German Panzerkampfwagen V Panther may well be overdone — thousands have been built for every vehicle that actually existed. But any armor model collection without a Panther would be like a banana split without the banana — and since I hadn’t modeled a Panther since high school (the old Tamiya Panther Ausf A), my collection was deficient! The first Panthers rolled off the line in January 1943. Production designations were an alphabet soup: the first Ausführung (model or mark) was Ausf D, followed by Ausf A and Ausf G. Many of the Panthers wore Zimmerit, a nonmetallic paste applied to thwart magnetic mines or sticky bombs. The PzKpfw V was expensive, complicated, and temperamental, but its 75mm gun, sloped armor, and excellent mobility 22 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

made it a formidable fighting vehicle. My model represents one of the last of Ausf D, produced in September 1943.

already had this kit. I added Atak’s resin appliqué Zimmerit (No. 35038). It was actually the arrival of this set in the mail which prompted my wife’s “suggestion.”

What’s in the cupboard? While I was planning this project, my wife said, “Why not use that Panther stuff you already have instead of buying more?” Shaken from my modeling bliss by the realization that she knows the contents of my stash and what a Panther is, I agreed. I already had a lot on hand. My base is the Dragon 1/35 scale Panther A Early Type, Italy 1943/44 (No. 6160). The A designation is supported by some references, while others call it a late D. It’s a transitional vehicle combining D components with some A features (notably, the newer, cast commander’s cupola). I thought it was easier to backdate the early A than update one of the D kits. And I

A word about glue For joining plastic to plastic, I use Testors liquid plastic cement, Tenax-7R, or a combination of the two. I attached the resin Zimmerit with Devcon 2 Ton liquid epoxy; in addition to strength, its 30-minute working time allows for adjustment as well as easy removal of excess at the edges. Smaller Zimmerit panels and other resin, metal, and photo-etched (PE) parts were attached with Devcon 5-minute liquid epoxy. I know conventional wisdom indicates super glue for such materials — but some of you have yet to discover that advancing age brings ham-fistedness! Five minutes allows for alignment, and I don’t

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Building from the bottom up: This is the right road wheel for the period this tank model depicts.

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Resin Zimmerit on the lower hull has irregular edges, as the real vehicle would. This was a good spot to try my first panel.

risk the damage or destruction of having to redo super glue. (I still use super glue where placement is less critical.)

The wheels go ’round I chose this particular kit for its wheels. Most Panther D models have the original 16-bolt rims; mine has the later 24-bolt wheels, more likely for a tank wearing Zimmerit, 1. Nothing would be more annoying than having drive sprockets or idler wheels snap off. I glued the kit’s sprockets to the flat tops of the final-drive housings for a solid mount and replaced the hubcaps with spare parts of an earlier design. The molded-on idler arms provide a robust mount for metal tracks. The same cannot be said of the idler wheels. Designed for use with the kit’s plastic tracks, they attach with minimal contact. I used Tiger Model Designs’ resin idlers and made replacement axles for them using 3⁄16" aluminum tubing. The resin idlers have starter holes on

Tiger Model Designs’ resin replacements for the idler wheels needed drilling and aluminum tubing for axles for a sturdy mount.

A tank wouldn’t look right without mud. Here’s the first layer.

their backs; I drilled these out with a 1⁄8" bit in a motor tool. I wasn’t worried about precision; some wiggle room allowed for adjustments. I applied a dab of epoxy to the end of each tube section before aligning the wheels and letting the glue set, 2. I filled around the axles with super glue.

Plaster and mud Since this was my first work with resin Zimmerit panels, I practiced on the lower hull sides, which would be behind the schürzen (skirt armor). I test-fitted and trimmed the panels, then held them in place and traced their outlines onto the hull in pencil. Then, using a motor tool with a round burr, I roughed plastic within the outlines for better glue adhesion. I also lightly sanded the backs of the panels with medium-grit sandpaper. After applying light coats of epoxy to the hull, making sure to stay within the marked outlines, I positioned and clamped the panels in place, whisked away any errant epoxy with a clean microbrush, and

left it all to dry overnight. I followed the same sequence with the rest of the Zimmerit. It already looks cool, even before painting, 3. Now it was time for mud. Overly smooth concoctions look like chocolate frosting; instead, I mixed Celluclay with water and white glue in a resealable plastic container and added varying amounts of kitty litter and Woodland Scenics fine ballast, fine-blended turf, static grass, and chopped-up field grass. I colored the glop with brown acrylic “craft store” paint and mixed it well to eliminate white specks. I applied this mud to the lower hull, road wheels, sprockets, and idlers, 4, working it with a short, stiff brush. Build it up gradually: You can always apply more, but removing excess can be a problem. After pairing up the road wheels, I testfitted suspension components and glued the road wheels to their axles. I had to add a link to one track run and file down the inner guide horn on several links on both runs to fit them around the idler wheels. www.FineScale.com

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Resin, PE, white metal, and plastic mingle on the rear plate, nearly complete here.

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Pre-painting grates on the engine deck: Later, thin paint and chipping would randomly reveal this red primer.

The drive sprockets are super glued to the final-drive housings. I used thick super glue and accelerator to attach the tracks around the sprockets, then to the bottoms of the road wheels. Final joins are at the rear. The tracks are not glued to the idler wheels; any slack needed to join the ends is pulled down around the idlers, tightening the top run.

Panther’s tail I used Moskit metal exhaust pipes (now out of production), but they were too wide to fit inside the tops of the resin exhaust housings; I inserted short lengths of brass rod into the tops of the housings, extending them into the hollow pipes, gluing everything together, and aligning the pipes while the epoxy set. The jack was stowed horizontally below the exhausts in hanging brackets bolted to the housings, 5. I shaved the appropriate bolts from each housing, attached the PE hangers from the Aber set, then added replacement hex bolts punched from .005" 24 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

These little storage bins are big on detail, with resin Zimmerit and PE heat deflectors.

With the resin Zimmerit panels glued on, the hull sides are ready to receive details.

sheet styrene using my Historex punchand-die set. I assembled the brackets from the Dragon PE set and attached them to the hangers; I also used Dragon PE for the bracket that secures the tops of the exhaust pipes to the rear hull. After installing the Zimmerit and exhaust system, I assembled the jack and put it in its brackets. I used an Aber PE part for the tiny round reflector in the lower left corner. The Atak set includes one-piece resin replacements for the rear stowage bins. On early tanks, metal heat deflectors were attached to the bins’ inner faces; I added these using Aber PE, 6. A convoy light was mounted on a bracket bolted to the bottom of the left bin. I replaced the kit part with Aber’s PE assembly, adding a bit of 1⁄16" aluminum tube for the bulb, a piece of wire for the electrical conduit, and more of my .005" punched bolts for the bracket. The completed bins were left off to ease installation of the upper hull. Then I glued the rear hull plate to the lower hull; I reinforced inner joints with thick super glue.

Hull Work on the upper hull began with painting the engine-deck grates. Since I would be using radiator inserts, I wanted a light coat and no overspray. I brush-painted the grates’ inner surfaces with flat black enamel followed by Vallejo burnt cadmium red acrylic (70.814) on the grates, 7. The main paint coats can later be sprayed from a shallow angle to avoid spraying through the grates. Any missed spots will look like red oxide primer. I installed the glacis plate’s Zimmerit panel before gluing the glacis to the hull. Since this panel mates with the lower hull panel and both upper hull side panels, I took my time to make sure it was right. While I retained kit parts for the front brackets on each side, using a hobby knife and pin vise to make adjustments, all other brackets were replaced with a combination of Aber and Dragon PE. Working from front to back, the Zimmerit panels and the brackets were installed sequentially and clamped to the sides, 8.

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These beautiful Modeling Artisan Mori resin radiator inserts are ready for installation.

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Under the sponsons, PE sleeves add realism to the kit-supplied schürzen hangers.

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A punch and die produced styrene bolt heads to further detail the hangers.

More PE, more punched bolts, more detail on the rear deck.

Then I installed the resin radiator lines and thin them before gluing them to inserts, 9, flowing thin super glue along the sponsons. The actual hangers slid into their edges. sleeves welded to the sponson bottoms; I Mounting the periscopes, I masked the added these from the Aber PE set, detaillenses with small pieces of Tamiya tape ing them with Grandt Line 1¼" hex nuts before hand-brushing them with Testors and bolts (No. 15). I punched more hex Model Master field green enamel (1712). bolt heads out of .010" styrene at the outer This was followed by hand-brushing flat tops of the hangers, 11. I joined the hull halves with liquid styblack enamel after they had been installed rene cement, epoxy, and super glue, then in the upper hull. added the rear stowage bins. On the hull The front fenders are molded onto the roof, I replaced the gun-barrel travel lock’s sponson floor plates. I thinned the fenders’ securing chain with edges by scraping them with a multipiece assema hobby knife before bly from the slightly bending them with Dragon PE set, my fingers and gluing the which also provided floor plates to the upper the screens covering hull, reinforcing inner In round numbers, the engine deck grates joints with super glue. thousands of and air intakes. The The schürzen hangers corners of the screens, attach to the sponson PzKpfw V Panther, as well as the sparebottoms, 10. I scraped M4 Sherman, and the kit-supplied hangtrack mounts, were T-34 Soviet tanks ers with a hobby knife detailed with more to remove their mold punched bolt heads, 12. produced in WWII

6 : 49 : 57

While adding the remaining details to the upper hull sides, I could not help thinking the Panther was designed by people with a penchant for fiddly things. In addition to other latches and fasteners, this tank has about two dozen retaining pins, each of which has a retaining chain, and each of those is attached to the vehicle with a bolt. Unless you ignore these details, a combination of PE and scratchbuilding is required. Attempting to make latches, brackets, and holders workable to allow insertion of components after painting and finishing is a great way to mar finishes and ruin completed work. Instead, I assembled the tools and PE items before attaching them to the model as subassemblies. After installing PE and scratchbuilt wire retaining pins, I used Grandt Line .032" round head rivets (No. 153) with their shanks intact to attach the retaining pins’ chains to the vehicle. I drilled tiny holes with a pin vise at the attachment points, then passed the shanks through the ends of the chains before pushing them into the www.FineScale.com

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Clasps, retainer pins, and chains are PE additions that look more to scale than what comes with the kit.

Styrene tubing replaced the barrel-cleaning rods with their stowage on the hull’s port side.

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Art imitates life — the Germans also had to improvise the attachment of the tow cable aft.

Bits of PE detail the schürzen’s upper attachments.

holes. Thick super glue was applied before I seated the rivets in their holes. Technically, these chains should have been secured with hex bolts. But my method provided easier and more-secure attachments, 13. I replaced the kit’s barrel-cleaning rod with 3⁄16" styrene tube, to which the kit’s modified end caps were glued. After adding Aber PE latches and retaining chains, I glued the tube to the left side of the hull and secured it with Dragon PE straps, 14. I hung leftover track links on the upper rear hull. Tops of the uppermost links need to either have track pins added or the castin track-pin ends removed; I opted for the former, adding pins made from .020" brass rod. Then I installed the spare tracks’ retaining pins and attached their chains. The tow cables are braided copper wire inserted into resin ends. I hung the front ends on the forward tool brackets and installed retaining pins and chains. I had trouble hanging the rear ends on the rear hull posts, however, due to the spare-track sections. At first I thought this was my 26 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

mistake, but photos indicate that the Germans had the same trouble. Some showed the posts not being used at all. I depicted the rear tow-cable ends roped to the spare tracks with nylon string, 15. I attached the schürzen with thick super glue and added rectangular PE plates with bolt heads from my spares box to represent the retaining plates just below each of the upper hanger hooks, 16.

Turret Compared to the hull, building the turret was a breeze. After installing the main Zimmerit panels, I removed the opening for the loader’s roof periscope, since this was a later-A feature. I filled the hole with thick styrene strip and applied a thin layer of super glue before smoothing the area with progressively finer sanding sticks. I installed a few kit parts on the turret roof, then mounted the resin commander’s cupola. The clear vision blocks’ inner lenses were masked with Tamiya tape prior to installation; the only other interior part

used was the prominent bottom cupola ring. The anti-aircraft machine gun ring mount was glued to the outside; I left the hatch loose to facilitate painting. I salvaged a PE blade sight from my spares and attached it to the turret top just forward of the 12 o’clock vision block, 17. I used my remaining metal track links to up-armor the turret sides. Unlike the hull brackets, those used to hang track sections on Panther turrets were field modifications that varied widely in uniformity and quality. After gluing the tracks to the turret, I made rough hangers from .010" x .060" styrene strips, 18. I assembled the main gun barrel, replacing a tiny PE retaining bolt for the muzzle brake with a punched .005" styrene bolt head. After mating the barrel with the mantlet, I mounted the gun, 19.

Paint I used to paint wheels, tracks, schürzen, and tools separately, as many modelers do. Now, except for interiors or open-topped vehi-

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A resin commander’s cupola and PE blade sight on the turret roof add detail topside.

Spare track adds a little protection to the turret. Styrene hangers make them look more at home.

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Finally, with the gun mounted, I am ready to paint.

After priming with spray-can paint, I’m ready to airbrush a coat of dunkelgelb (dark yellow).

cles, I paint everything in situ: Planning and preparation times are reduced, and the finish seems more integrated, rather than the model looking like it was cobbled together. Also, the risk of damaging previously painted parts is lessened. I don’t worry about exact paint ratios. Vehicle painting during World War II was an imprecise art, with endless variations in colors, patterns, application, and quality — even before the effects of weathering. After priming with Testors Model Master light earth enamel (1954) from a spray can, 20, I airbrushed a base coat of Tamiya dark yellow (XF-60) lightened with Tamiya flat white (XF-2) and thinned with 91% rubbing alcohol, covering everything except the bottom. Next came patches of Tamiya NATO brown (XF-68) lightened with flat white and thinned as before, 21. Now it was time for some old-fashioned hand-painting; all paints are acrylic except as noted. I outlined the brown patches with Polly Scale panzer olive green (505113) to complete the camouflage.

My model depicts a vehicle on which spare tracks on the turret were overpainted with dark yellow, after which the tactical numbers were applied, 22. I brushed Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) onto areas to receive markings, for which I used Cartograf decals from a Dragon Tiger kit. Copious applications of Microscale Micro Set, careful cutting with a brand-new hobby knife blade, and repeated tamping with paper towel on the tip of my finger settled the decals into irregular surfaces. I sealed the decals with a hand-brushed coat of PFM. I painted the tracks’ outer surfaces (along with a few of the schürzen plates) with Polly Scale panzer dark yellow (505111). This paint is slightly darker than the base coat, providing variety. Painting the tow-cable ends with Vallejo Model Air dark yellow (71.025) provided yet another variation on dark yellow. While I painted one set of spare track with Testors Model Master gunmetal enamel (1795) to depict newer items, the rest were picked out with

two shades of “craft store” brown. Wooden tool handles were first painted with the darker of the two craft browns, then with Tamiya clear orange (X-26) for a varnish finish. Metal tools were painted with several Vallejo colors: black gray (70.862), gray green (70.866), dark bluegray (70.867), dark gray (70.994), and London gray (70.836), 23. The dark bluegray was also used for periscope frames inside the commander’s cupola, locking mechanisms on crew hatches, and as the initial coat on the convoy light’s bulb, which was then coated with Tamiya clear blue (X-23). The interior of the hatches and cupola were finished in Vallejo ivory (70.918); head pads on the hatches are Vallejo leather brown (70.871). The spare tracks’ pins, coaxial machine gun muzzle, and the travel lock’s chain were picked out with Tamiya metallic gray (XF-56).

Washes and filters I airbrushed the wheels, tracks, and lower hull with Tamiya flat earth (XF-52) lightwww.FineScale.com

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The yellow is followed by airbrushed splotches of rotbrun (red brown). I used Tamiya NATO brown.

After applying tactical markings, it was camo the old-fashioned way: I outlined the blotches with hand-brushed Polly Scale olive green.

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A variety of Vallejo acrylics lent diversity to the stowed tools and equipment. Tamiya clear orange gives wood handles a convincing finish.

I swept away some of the weathering so the camouflage shows through.

ened with Tamiya flat white and alcohol, carrying the color up to the schürzen and fenders. I then moistened a brush with acrylic brush cleaner and swept some of this coat from the camouflaged road wheels, 24. Dark washes deepen recesses and create artificial shadows; filters shift the shades of paint to which they’re applied. I sought to achieve both of these effects simultaneously by mixing a medium gray wash/filter with Humbrol matt tank gray (67) and Testors Model Master flat white (1768) enamels with odorless mineral spirits (also used for all subsequent washes and filters). This was applied to all surfaces of the turret, upper hull and schürzen, and repeated on the Zimmerit. This mix enhances Zimmerit detail without overpowering it. Next came dot filtering on non-Zimmerit areas of the turret and upper hull. Using Art Advantage artist’s oils and working small areas at a time, I applied dots of orange yellow and emerald green to the brown camouflage patches, then whisked 28 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

away the oil paints with a brush damp with mineral spirits. Dots of lemon yellow and crimson were applied to all areas, but the yellow turned out to be a little too garish (the effect should be subtle). To rectify this, I applied a thin filter of cerulean blue. This must be done sparingly to avoid turning the tank indelibly blue — I used only about 20-25% as much of this color as the others — but it worked like a charm, toning down the yellow and creating subtle, irregular dark patches. Metal surfaces now appeared lighter than the Zimmerit, 25. Next, I applied a thin Testors flat brown enamel (1166, which actually has an orange hue) to the tracks. Several applications built up the color until it was distinguishable from lower hull components. I also used the wash to lighten the two darker spare-track sets on the hull. I followed with filters of Testors Model Master raw umber enamel (2006) on other spare tracks, tow cables, exhaust pipes, and

the metal portions of tools. Areas to which mud had been applied (lower hull, road wheels, and ground-contact track surfaces) were treated to a series of heavy filters using Model Master enamels in the following order: armor sand (1704), dark tan (1742), wood (1735), sand (1706), and radome tan (1709). These filters were also randomly applied to the insides of some track links (for variation) and spattered along the bottoms of the schürzen. And, no, I didn’t forget the wheels! Where visible, tires received several layers of a very heavy wash of dark gray enamel followed by a coat of dark gray acrylic. Capillary action draws the wash into details on the wheels. I painted worn areas of the tracks, drive sprockets, idlers, and the wide rims on the center sets of road wheels with Tamiya metallic gray, which looks like bared metal without being too bright, 26. Using a No. 2 pencil, I outlined engine deck panels, the transmission access panel at the front of the hull roof, and bolt heads

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Surfaces without Zimmerit should appear lighter, as they do in wartime photos.

Capillary action draws a dark wash into and around details on the road wheels.

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A No. 2 pencil subtly replicates worn and bared metal — and it’s quick!

A coat of Testors Dullcote protects the paint and weathering and unifies all the effects.

around each, 27, as well as the tow cables them from having to be handled. To further and metal edges around the crew hatches. guard against damage, I ensure that all eleA wide, soft brush was used with ments fit within the base’s perimeter. I like Tamiya’s Weathering Master C set (87085) to use inexpensive pine plaques, available in to apply gunmetal to the upper metallic many shapes and sizes. areas and small amounts of orange rust to Initial sanding was followed by sprayexhaust pipes and spare tracks. I switched cans: two coats each of Rust-Oleum gray to Tamiya’s Weathering Master B set primer and satin black (sanding between (87080) to apply soot to the main gun’s coats with progressively finer grits), then muzzle brake, the coaxial machine gun port two coats of Testors Model Master semiin the gun mantlet, and the open ends of gloss clear lacquer (1959). I stuck adhesive the exhaust pipes. After hatches were felt pads under the base and masked its installed, the entire model edges to prepare for received several light coats groundwork. of spray-can Testors Using my previDullcote flat clear lacquer, ous mud mixture, I which really unified the applied the groundNumber of finish, 28. Then I work in stages. A operational Panthers removed masks from the strip of dirt road in the front line by periscopes. under the vehicle (between the inner July 10, 1943, Based on what? edges of the tracks) was the fifth day of the I permanently mount the only portion applied Battle of Kursk my models on bases, before adding the model. mainly to prevent After using some old – Gen. Heinz Guderian

10

“rubber band” track sections to create random impressions from previous traffic, I attached the model directly to the base with Devcon 2 Ton liquid epoxy. I pushed the groundwork up against the inner edges of the tracks with a wood chopstick, then left everything alone until the epoxy’s handling time had elapsed. I worked around the model, pushing mud up to and under the outer edges of the tracks, 29. I then created more random impressions as well as tracks made by this tank. For the remainder, I applied the rest of my mixture in random globs and sprinkled on various colors of TechStar static grass: winter tan (TC3010), light green (TC3007), medium green (TC3008), and dark green (TC3009). Once the groundwork had dried, I fixed everything in place by using a brush to drip Model Master flat clear lacquer (2015 ) over all the grassy areas. Dry-brushing the grass with yellow artist’s oils turned it to autumn, 30. After treating the roadway with several washes of Model Master raw umber enamel www.FineScale.com

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This is no “hovertank.” Tracks are sunk into the dirt and sod is pulled up for realism.

Dry-brushing with yellow artist’s oils gives the grass an autumnal shade.

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Using the same pigments on the model and ground makes the tank more part of the scene.

Figures can be mixed, matched, and combined; the wounded soldier’s head and body came from two different Verlinden figures.

(2006), it was time to apply final weathering. I applied several Vallejo pigments with a wide, soft brush: light yellow ochre (73.102), light sienna (73.104), natural sienna (73.105), burnt sienna (73.106), and green earth (73.111, actually a light sand with green tint). The last was applied to the upper surfaces of the vehicle. The other four were applied randomly to both the lower surfaces of the vehicle and the roadway, blending the two, 31.

Figures to the fore My figures don’t win awards, but they always add life and a sense of scale to a finished model. The wounded soldier on the turret is Verlinden’s “SS Tank Officer WWII, Seated” (355) with a head from Verlinden’s “Iraqi POWs” (355), 32. (I shaved off the eagle insignia on his left arm.) The other figures are from Dragon’s “German Tank Crew 1939-1943” (6375), but their heads are old Verlinden or Jaguar spare parts. I also placed headphones in front of the 30 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

radio operator’s hatch, 33, as well as both headphones and a throat microphone set on the commander’s hatch. The map is another Verlinden item. On the ground, the guy hoisting a bottle has a burlap cover on his helmet that I made with tissue soaked with white glue and water, 34. I primed the figures with Rust-Oleum gray. Skin is painted with Testors enamels: flat tan (1167), a dry-brushing of light tan (1170), and light raw umber washes. The eyes are thin slivers of white decal, irises dotted with a black permanent marker before I applied them. It’s easier than painting them, and easier to correct. The figures are finished with Vallejo acrylic paints except for the tank commander’s cap (lightened Polly Scale panzer olive green) and the helmet on the “bottle guy” (Tamiya khaki, XF-49). All clothing was dry-brushed with lightened shades of the base colors. Leather items were drybrushed with Vallejo leather brown. Archer Fine Transfers provided the uniform insignia (“Heer Uniform Patches,”

FG35045A, and “Heer Shoulder Boards,” FG35051A). In addition, the bottle guy got two PE badges from an old Verlinden set called “WWII German Soldier’s Gear.” Testors Dullcote from a spray can eliminated any shine. One last thing: Don’t let the girls in your house throw out old makeup. You’d be surprised what it can be used for! One of my wife’s kits contained several shades of eye shadow, including brown-violet and blue-violet. I used the first on the darker uniform items and the second on the lighter ones. Applied lightly with a stiff brush, these shades complement uniform colors and add subtle highlights. ( Just make sure there’s no glitter in the eye shadow.) After removing the masking tape from the base and touching up the edges of the groundwork, my project was complete. I know that my Panther is hardly perfect. But I have achieved a happy medium between fun and perfection — and 30 years after the last Panther I built, I know this one is better! FSM

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Headphones came in the same Dragon set as these two figures. I added the cigarette.

Ein Prosit! Tissue soaked in white glue and water forms this figure’s helmet cover.

Sources

References Germany’s Panther Tank: The Quest for Combat Supremacy, Thomas L. Jentz, Schiffer, ISBN 978-0-88740-812-0

Panther Ausf D working individual-link metal tracks (No. ATL-33), Friulmodel, www.friulmodel.hu

The Spielberger German Armor & Military Vehicles Series, Volume 1: Panther & Its Variants, Walter J. Spielberger, Schiffer, ISBN 978-0-88740-397-2

Panther 600mm (early) idlers (No. 35-15430), Panther D armored cast exhaust housings (No. 35-15483 ), and Ausf D cupola interior and periscopes (No. 35-15521), Tiger Model Designs, www.newtmd.com

Achtung Panzer No. 4: Panther, Jagdpanther & Brummbar, Dai Nippon Kaiga, ISBN 978-4-499-22671-4

Aluminum and brass Panther Ausf D/A and early G gun barrel (No. 35 L-04), PE details (No. 35029), Aber, www.aber.net.pl

Radiator interior set for Panther D and A (No. MGP09), Modeling Artisan Mori, www. artisanmori.web.fc2.com PzKpfw V tow cables (No. TCR01), Karaya, www.karaya.pl Resin Zimmerit for Panther Ausf D (No. 35038), Atak, www.atakmodel.istore.pl Kit, PE details, figures, Dragon, www.dragonmodelsusa.com

Panzers at Saumur, Motorbooks, ISBN 978-4-499-20554-2

Figures and accessories for turret, Verlinden, www.verlindenonline.com

Verlinden figures Whitemetal exhaust

Friulmodel metal tracks

Resin mantlet PE grilles

PE schürzen

Dragon figures

Aluminum/ brass gun barrel

An accumulation of aftermarket details, basic techniques, and modeling fundamentals — and just plain taking the time — yield a Panther worthy of shelf space in my collection.

Resin Zimmerit www.FineScale.com

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SHOWCASE SPECIAL

STRIKE

against the Missouri Some fought to live, some fought to die /// BY RENÉ HIERONYMUS

J

apan’s determination to halt the Allied advance during World War II is vividly reflected in the term kamikaze or divine wind. Originally used in reference to the typhoons that destroyed the invasion forces of Kublai Khan in 1274, and again in 1281, the term was resurrected in 1944 by Adm. Masafumi Arima, who personally led the first Special Attack Force (Shimpū Tokkōtai) against the Allies. On April 11, 1945, during the invasion of Okinawa, a flight of 16 approaching Japanese aircraft was spotted by radar. Of those, one pilot set his sights on the American battleship Missouri and would

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not be stopped. Coming in low off the stern, hit repeatedly by anti-aircraft fire and struggling to rise, the aircraft caught the side of the ship with its left wing at the last instant. The “Zeke” swung hard against the hull, sending a fiery wave of debris onto the deck. The remains of the pilot were found among the wreckage. Most likely he was Setsuo Ishino, who had radioed a telegraph message to base at 2:39 p.m. that he had spotted the enemy fleet. Missouri was hit by the kamikaze aircraft at 2:43 p.m. Missouri’s captain, William Callaghan, ordered the burial of the then-unknown Japanese pilot the following day. A Marine honor guard fired a salute and his body was committed

to the deep. The dents from the attack remain on the Missouri’s hull to this day. In the planning stages, I decided to build a 1/72 scale model all the way from port to starboard. I did run into some length restrictions, however — I’m happily married and want to keep it that way. (Do I have to say more?) The final dimension of this model, including its base, is 115cm (46") long, 62cm (24") wide, and about 56cm (22") high. Total weight is 28kg, or 60 pounds.

U.S. Navy

Between October 1944 and August 1945, some 3,000 kamikaze sorties are estimated to have been flown. This is one hell of a photo if you think about it. Taking a closer look, you can see how many people were involved in this terrifying event. I’m sure each had a thrilling story to tell afterward. Unusual things and stories have always been most fascinating for me as a model builder.

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1 I started with the aft turret. I realized I could do better than the details I originally purchased and set about building my own. While the hull and superstructure took only a few days, those details took months!

3 The inner structure of the smokestack and tower was covered with styrene sheet and 2-part putty, then sanded smooth. After repeating this several times, I added dozens, if not hundreds, of details.

5 The plywood inner structure of the hull and superstructure was covered with three layers of styrene sheet. For the details I used more styrene sheet, white metal, resin, wood, aluminum, brass — you name it.

7 Attempting to improve my modeling skills, I tried something new when painting. I added several layers of color, each one a little lighter or darker depending on its place. This gave depth to the finished look. 34 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

2 I quickly realized just how big this model would be and how many details it would require. I wanted to overwhelm the onlooker by the sheer number of details, giving him innumerable situations to look at.

4 The big Mk.38 radar is so detailed it took almost 40 hours to complete.

6 The 16" and 5" turrets rotate and elevate. The 5" barrels, Mk.37, and Mk.22 radar came from Scale Warship in England. I designed more than 120 different photo-etched parts on five sheets.

8 I pre-shaded panels; others were shaded later, once again depending on where they were positioned. All the colors I used were self-mixed — the only exception was the flat black.

9 The aircraft model is the 1/72 scale Tamiya A6M5 Zero (No. 60779), which I think is closest to what Mr. Ishino flew.

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10 With the model finished, I tallied some of the numbers: I cut and sanded 2,400 strips for the wooden deck sections; used 3.4m² (37 square feet) of styrene sheet for the entire model …

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… 250 grams (8.8 oz.) of putty to create the shapes of the smokestack and the aft director tower …

… roughly 220ml of self-mixed color, five bottles of super glue, two bottles of plastic glue …

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… 25 Oerlikon 20mm guns on the model, 11 Bofors 40mm quad guns, four 5" turrets …

… and one roll of toilet paper to create the water surface. The total building time was 746 hours. Would I do it again? You bet! FSM www.FineScale.com

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Polishing a little gem Key additions make a 1/144 scale E-2C Hawkeye sparkle /// BY FRANK CUDEN

W

hat we have here is one of the nicest 1/144 scale kits to ever grace a modeler’s bench. I don’t often dabble in this scale. However, after working on a few other 1/144 scale models, I decided to see what I could do with Revell’s little gem of a Grumman E-2C Hawkeye. I also like the newer scimitar 8-blade propellers from Retro Wings (No. Rw44001), so I added those and aftermarket markings from Starfighter Decals.

Refining it right away I began by reworking the seats, adding headrests, belts, and more structure to the bulkhead behind the seats, 1. Mating the one-piece wing did not present problems, 2; however, filler was needed at the wingto-fuselage joints. Next, I glued on the large upper intake, 36 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

inner tail fins, and engines, 3. Excellent fit made assembly easy and minimal filler was required. Working on the engine intakes, I was unable to achieve a perfect circle inside and couldn’t eliminate the inner seams. So I covered the blemishes, 4, and also improved the inspection panels on the upper wing and added antennas on the radome pylon and behind the cockpit on the fuselage. The radome cradle fit well but needed a couple coats of thinned white glue to blend attachment points to the fuselage. The outer fins require careful alignment. The instruction’s head-on view helped me get it right the first time. I vacuum-formed a replacement canopy and used the kit’s canopy as a mask, tacking it in place with white glue. Three crew windows per side, located under and just aft of the wing, were raised outlines on the kit. I

drilled them out and added Microscale Micro Kristal Klear to create scale windows after painting. From references, it appears there are three tie-down rings on the lower fuselage side: two in front, one toward the back. At a model railroad shop, I found small plastic rings and used them here. These little details add interest to the model. After refining the parts a bit, I glued in the three landing gear legs. Additional inspection panels are visible, 5, as well as the “plates” I added behind the engines’ exhaust pipes. The plates were made from .005" styrene sheet. I inserted styrene tube in the jet exhausts to match photos showing short pipes sticking out back. Reference photos revealed an additional plate behind the auxiliary power unit (APU), so more .005" sheeting was cut to fit and glued in. I also drilled out the APU’s

1

2

Detailing the cockpit was the first important upgrade. I added headrests, belts, and more structure to the bulkhead behind the seats.

The kit’s one-piece wing fit well but required a bit of filler along the wing-to-fuselage joints. Emphasized inspection panels

U-shaped antenna from solder

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4

Next, I attached the upper intake, inner tail fins, and engines. Fit is uniformly good.

exhaust, as the hole appeared too small compared with the real aircraft photos. Next, I busied up the landing gear bays with styrene sheet and small-diameter rod. Note the two small tie-downs forward and on either side of the nose wheel leg, 6. Two small blade antennas were cut from styrene and attached under the fuselage near the tail hook. I glued the hook and ancillary fairing in place; the fairing needed a little filler to blend with its surroundings.

Time to paint I started with Testors Model Master gloss gull gray (FS16440), 7. At this stage of its life the E-2C wore a wraparound scheme, so one spray session covered the model. My chosen scheme from Starfighter Decals, (No. 144-122), the Black Tail Hawkeyes, came from VAW-117, whose E-2C aircraft were assigned to the USS Nimitz.

A punch-and-die set created thin sheet-styrene discs to emphasize the wing’s inspection panels (white discs). U-shaped antennas were added, modeled from thin solder.

I masked and sprayed the vertical tails using Tamiya acrylic NATO black. Although it’s an acrylic, I thinned it with lacquer thinner for a smooth finish. Then I masked both the wing and tail de-icer boots and hit them with a coat of Floquil engine black, providing a dark contrast to the NATO black tail surfaces. A friend’s overhead color photo of an E-2C in flight showed partial white striping on the radar dish. I thinned a few drops of Polly Scale white and applied them, exactly as in the photo, to some of the dome’s recessed panel lines. The antiglare panel in front of the cockpit was also masked and sprayed with Floquil engine black. Worried that assembly of Retro Wings’ individual scimitar prop blades would be a bear, I put it off. However, each blade attached with ease using thin super glue, 8.

Deep holes in the spinners easily accommodated the blades’ mounting pegs and allowed a lottle wiggle room. I could attach all 16 blades and still have time to set the proper pitch. I didn’t want to feather them, thinking they looked better in a “cuttingthe-air” position. A couple sizes of circle punches and thin sheet plastic created the intake covers, which I painted red. I painted the turbine exhausts Testors Model Master steel (No. 4679). I thought the Starfighter Decals VAW-117 shark mouths for the forward engine cowlings were a neat touch, 9. I sliced the upper wing/fuselage walkway decal from the Revell kit into three sections. There were tricky areas around the radome pylon legs that could cause problems during application, but I got the three sections correctly placed. A friend put me onto vinyl spackle joint www.FineScale.com

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Blade antenna

Tie-down rings

5

6

Next, I attached the landing gear legs and added .005" sheet styrene to create plates behind the engine exhausts and APU.

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8

I masked and sprayed the vertical tails using thinned Tamiya acrylic NATO black. The deicing boots are Floquil engine black for contrast.

compound to fill small seams, like those around the vacuum-formed canopy and landing gears, 10 and 11. A moist cotton swab removes the excess without destroying surrounding detail, so a couple of applications did the job. Removing the residue is easy, and it does not interact with paint or plastic — at least not with enamel- or lacquer-based paints. I haven’t experimented with acrylics yet.

Finishing makes the model pop! I had some frustration with fishing line between the antennas. Instead, I stretched sprue to the proper diameter, glued the short lengths in place, applied heat and presto! they worked. I still can’t figure out what happened, but the wires are holding their tension. I then created a dirty, brownish-black turbine exhaust stain under the wings out38 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

Further detailing included two tie-downs under the nose and two blade antennas by the tail hook.

Polly Scale white fills some of the radar unit’s trim lines. The Retro Wings scimitar prop blades went together well and were easily installed.

board of the engines. When the wings were folded after an arrested carrier landing, the engines continued to run as the aircraft taxied to its assigned spot. Over time, the hot exhuast stained the folded wing sections, 12. I replicated that with an airbrush. Afterward, I carefully glued the props in place. The scimitar blades are delicate — I didn’t want to risk breaking one — but they look quite massive when in place. After hand-painting a red edge on all gear doors, front and back, I tacked them in place with white glue followed by a bit of super glue to ensure a good bond. The wheels were next and fit well. Care was needed when attaching the radome to the pylon, as just setting it in place revealed a slight tilt. After liquid glue was applied, I made sure the radome’s final position was exactly horizontal. The fuselage’s circumferential propeller warning

stripe went on well despite having to travel over the large upper fuselage intake. Sectioning it into three strips was a good solution. The vinyl patching paste I used around the canopy seam blended in well with its surroundings, 13. Using Tamiya clear orange (X-26) and thinning it with water, I coated both the side and overhead cockpit windows. I used Kristal Klear to fill the six fuselage side windows, 14. Finally, I used soft artist’s pencils to trace the kit’s engraved panel lines. Applying light pressure gave just enough of a highlight so they weren’t overdone. A little smudging around the flaps completed my weathering. This was a fun little build that, with some added detailing, makes a nice addition to any collection. FSM

9 This Hawkeye is starting to take shape now. I added the shark-mouth decals to the engines and applied the American flag decal to the tail.

11

10 There are always a couple small seams to fill; I used vinyl spackle joint compound around the vacuum-formed canopy.

12

Similarly, I used the joint compound on the landing gear. This works well, as you can swab off excess without hurting surrounding detail.

Nearly finished, I finally airbrushed a dirty, brownish-black turbine exhaust stain under each wing.

13

14

You can see that the spackle I used to fill gaps by the canopy blended well. Adding Tamiya clear orange (X-26) to the overhead and side cockpit windows gives the model a well-used look.

Finally, I used Microscale Micro Kristal Klear to fill in the six fuselage side windows.

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SHOW GALLERY

High-flying detail Those magnificent modelers and their flying machines

There’s rarely a shortage of superdetailed aircraft at major model contests. Here are a few exemplary builds FSM shot at the 2016 Squadron EagleQuest and the IPMS/USA National Convention. Each builder offers some pointers.

SAM MORGAN SPENCER, NORTH CAROLINA SAM’S 1/144 SCALE MI-24PN “Hind” started life as a Dragon kit. The fuselage halves were the only pieces used from the kit, he says. Everything else is scratchbuilt, including a full interior and cockpit made of tiny pieces of sheet styrene, copper wire, lead wire, and stretched sprue. To fit all of it, Sam shaved the inside of the body with hobby knives until it was as thin as paper. “You

really can’t use a rotary tool of any kind because the tolerances are so close that you run the risk of punching through to the outside,” he says. “It’s a slow process, but once you have the fuselage shells ready the real fun can then begin.” To measure the inside of the fuselage for bulkheads and floors, Sam closed the halves around a chunk of

40 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

modeling clay to form a template of the interior. Once the floor is right, everything else goes quickly. The cargo area contains troop seats, lights, electrical conduits, a fire extinguisher, and more. The two-place cockpit is crammed with seats with belts and harnesses, control pedals and sticks, gunsights, instrument panels, fuse panels, and oxygen tanks. (He referred to a

Monogram 1/48 scale Hind to get details right.) Other areas received the same treatment: Engines, intakes, exhaust shrouds, rotor head, landing gear bays, landing gear, etc. were built from scratch, one component and one area at a time. For Sam, it’s about the challenge. Pushing a kit outside the envelope is where fun and adventure lies, he says.

KENDALL BROWN PLANO, TEXAS MATCHBOX’S 30-YEAR-OLD KIT remains the only injectionmolded 1/72 scale PB4Y-2. Kendall was determined to turn it into a detailed replica. “Some of my favorite projects have been to resurrect or salvage obscure subjects and kits and modify them into something that you wouldn’t ordinarily see in a collection,” says Kendall. “I call it styrene alchemy, or a Midas effect to transform something really bad into an interesting piece of art. “The Privateer is a great example of what I like to do. It is a 1980s-era tricolored chunk of

really heavy, hard, brittle Matchbox plastic which represented, in my humble opinion, one of the most peculiar airplanes in the U.S. World War II inventory — big and ugly! My father was an aerial photographer in one of these beasts in the U.S. Navy with VD-3 squadron in WWII.” The only kit parts in Kendall’s Privateer are the shell of the fuselage and the flying surfaces. He sanded the exterior smooth and ground away the interior with a motor tool. Almost everything else was scratchbuilt, including

panels, ribs, floors, lines, gear, turrets, and canopies. He roughed out the shapes needed in laminated styrene sheet, then carved and detailed the parts. “Old school,” he says. “No home resin or etching.” He took care to get details correct from one compartment to the next so the whole project would be right when it came together. “One must have the same degree of detail whether one is looking at the cockpit, the bomb bay, the wheel well, or, yes, even the crew toilet in the back,” he says. The only aftermarket parts are True Details

resin wheels, Cobra Co. engines and nacelles, and Miniworld gun barrels. The decals were created by coloring black-and-white photos of the nose art and printing it on decal paper. “This project was one of love of the craft of modeling and scratchbuilding,” says Kendall. “In addition, a friend challenged me to build such a beast, as he is doing a PB4Y-2 in 1/48 scale. The fun has been exchanging research, e-mails, photos, selfies of bleeding fingers at the bench, etc. over the past two years — and his is still unfinished. Ha!”

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ANDREW WHITE HOLLYWOOD, MARYLAND ANDREW WORKED ON FULL-SIZE GREYHOUNDS in the U.S. Navy and he drew on that knowledge to deliver a detailed 1/48 scale C-2A from Kinetic’s kit. First, he added a few extra ribs along the sides with strips of Evergreen and Plastruct styrene. “I used a lot of little bits from my spare parts box to replicate things such as the electrical junction boxes, hydraulic filters, the ramps’ hydraulic control box, the relief tube, and a fire extinguisher,” he says. “The crew intercom boxes were scratchbuilt with bits of Evergreen plastic and detailed with Reheat instrument faces.” He improved the roof area with styrene L channel, T channel, and strip. An M.V. Products lens became the overhead light. He used a spare actuator and landing gear parts from the spares box to make the elevator actuator and trim package, and dressed up the

ramp with Eduard photo-etch and hydraulic actuators made from steel hypodermic needles. Eduard photo-etched (PE) belts equip the passenger accommodations, where Andrew cut off the mounts on the seats and scratchbuilt new legs for every row. “I really could have gotten by with just doing the last two rows closest to the ramp but … ” he says. To improve the floor, he scribed seat tracks and floorboards. “In real life, the last row of seats are reserved for the naval aircrew — loadmaster and plane captain,” Andrew says. “I put a crew helmet from True Details on one and a helmet bag on the other.” Surprised that Kinetic omitted loading ramps on the port bulkhead, he made them from styrene with scratchbuilt brackets made from PE fret, which he says is great for details. “I painted and weathered the ramps — they get

42 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

beat up pretty good — and applied a few zaps from various decal sheets, because that’s what the passengers like to do,” he says. Eduard PE improved the cockpit with instrument panels and the forward door, complemented by Steel Beach resin seats. Scratchbuilt cockpit details include the aileron control package cover behind the pilot’s

seat. “I also cut open the overhead escape hatches and used small plastic and PE parts to make the handles,” he says. Wolfpack Designs resin wingfold set provided a little more detail and a stronger join than the kit parts. Andrew added styrene wing-fold lock flags to the nacelles. Royale Resin wheels corrected the undercarriage.

JOHN “JAKE” BANAS WARREN, MASSACHUSETTS

JOHN ADDED MORE THAN 130 scratchbuilt and salvaged parts to Roden’s 1/48 scale Beech Staggerwing, detailing the Wasp engine with chrome and black pushrods made from pins, and adding a chrome ignition ring with spark plug wires — brass

wire painted black. For the oblong exhausts, Jake squeezed styrene tube, then thinned the edges. Inside, the graceful biplane features a homemade instrument panel and pins for throttle and mixture levers. Tissue seat belts with buckles made from photo-

etch scraps adorn the seats. He dressed the landing gear with springs, chrome oleo struts, and shocks made from pins and craft items. He flattened the main wheels slightly to show weight and contoured the hubs to a correct concave shape. The disc

brakes are 1/24 scale CDs from a car detailing set. The kit had no gear bay details, so he scratchbuilt that, too. Other scratchbuilt details include a cast-resin propeller spinner, white-glue wingtip lights backed with foil, and antennas.

EUGENE MARDAR McCORDSVILLE, INDIANA

AIRBUS BUILT THE BELUGA, or A300-600ST, to haul sections of aircraft and other oversized cargo. Eugene detailed Revell Germany’s 1/144 scale Beluga to demonstrate that role and opened the large hatch as indicated in the instructions. “I’ve seen pictures of models with open cargo-bay doors, but I did not like how the interior was

made — in all cases it was left with smooth blank walls, and in some cases not even painted,” Eugene says. “As one can see from pictures of the actual plane, the interior of the cargo bay is very busy.” Deciding it would be impossible to build and paint all that detail with the fuselage split in half, he separated the cargo

bay from the lower fuselage with a fine saw and built it separately. After gluing the upper fuselage halves together, he lined the walls with ribs made from 1mm square styrene strip. The floor is sheet styrene outlined in part with 1" x 1" strips to replicate seats. “I added electrical and hydraulic lines to the walls and floor, and painted the interior,” he says. The

door’s ribs are 1mm rods rather than the square stock used inside. For the crew door in the belly, he cut out the molded hatch and scratchbuilt stairs and a door. The Beluga’s cargo is Revell Germany’s 1/144 scale A320, glued together and sliced apart after the 13th window. He covered the rear with tracing paper to model the cloth cover used by Airbus. www.FineScale.com

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FREDDY PEDRIQUE MIAMI, FLORIDA

AT THE HEART of Freddy’s detailed Bronco is Testors’ ancient 1/48 scale kit — but there‘s not a lot of it left. He detailed it with Paragon’s OV-10A resin and photo-etched set, which upgraded the cockpit with a onepiece tub complete with nicely cast ejection seats, instrument panels, and control sticks. He added throttles, canopy-frame support, an optical gunsight, and wiring. There’s also a replacement wing with correct vortex generators, a complete horizontal stabilizer and rudders, exhausts, bulged tires, engine air scoops, and upper radome. The set’s photo-etch (PE) fret includes wheel well doors, mirrors, landing gear torque scissors, wing and elevator counterbalance masts, ejection-seat activation rings, trim-tab actuators, and windshield wipers. The set didn’t require any modification of the kit parts,

though Freddy had to make minor adjustments to ensure the wing fit. But he wanted more, so he cut open the canopy with a fine hacksaw, lightly sanded the edges, and dipped the sections in Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish. Then he scratchbuilt handles and actuators. After cutting the flaps from the resin wings, he replaced them with

44 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

laminated sheet styrene sanded to shape. Sheet styrene wing spoilers finished the control surfaces. Freddy opened the weapon bays to expose four detailed 7.62mm machine guns, scratchbuilt the doors with sheet styrene, and detailed them with styrene-rod hinges. Underwing stores include four aftermarket

2.75" rocket launchers and a ventral fuel tank from Hasegawa’s A-4. He boxed in the gear bays with sheet styrene and plumbed the wells and brake lines to the gear legs. The engines started with two small blocks of plastic Freddy carved, detailed with styrene bits, and wired. He scratchbuilt firewalls and frames and cut open the cowls.

PHIL DANIELS NEWPORT, NORTH CAROLINA PHIL PULLED OUT ALL THE STOPS to detail Trumpeter’s 1/32 scale TBF-1C. “It’s a very good kit with all of the features that I was wanting: a complete engine and mount, folding wings and flaps, open bomb bay, and exposed crew spaces,” he says. The work started with all of the photo-etched (PE) Eduard offers for the Avenger, including engine details, exterior and interior sets, seat belts, bomb bay details, and flaps. He took a little artistic license to display the technology of the TBF — although the wings fold and unfold in unison, he built one stowed to show the hinge, the other extended so he could lower the flap and reveal the structural detail. Because the engine is a focal point, Phil removed all of the cowl

panels. In addition to the PE, he detailed the engine, its mount, and the forward bulkhead with styrene, copper and lead wire, foil of varying thicknesses, and scratchbuilt oil coolers. He did similar work in the cockpit, bringing the instrument panel to life with Eduard colored PE. There’s a ton of detail in the turret and aft crew space that’s nearly impossible to see. “The bomb bay and landing gear were all enhanced, again with help from Eduard PE, lead and copper wire, and a little scratch work,” he says. “Thankfully, all of those areas are easily viewed.” The exterior got as much attention. “I felt the recessed panel lines and rivets were a little too large and threw the scale off,” he says. “The Avenger had flush fasteners for the forward half of

the fuselage and forward of the main wing spar; aft of these areas, raised fasteners were used.” For realism, he filled the recessed detail with paint and wet-sanded until it was just barely visible. For the access panels, wheel wells, cockpit, and engine compartment fasteners, he used Master Club injection-molded rivets, available in several styles. At each location, he drilled a .012" hole, inserted a rivet, and secured it with Weldon No. 4 solvent. “I probably used a thousand of these!” he says. For long rows of fasteners, he applied Archer Fine Transfers 3-D decals; they come in several sizes with different spacing. “They apply just like any decal, and the carrier film disappears under the paint, leaving raised fastener heads visible like the real deal,” he says. “I went through several sheets.”

The build took about 11 months. The TBF-1C he modeled — No. 47763, Torpedo Squadron 14, USS Wasp, late 1944 — had special meaning for Phil. He knew the gunner, Joseph Eugene Cross; he and pilot Lt. William Arthur Davidson were captured after being shot down in another Avenger — 47763 was down for maintenance — and held at the same POW camp as Louie Zamperini of Unbroken fame. (Radioman Walter Wygonik did not escape the aircraft.) Phil is a lifelong friend of Cross’ son. “I wanted to do something special for the family that I have been so close to over the years, hence the model,” he says. “It now belongs to the Cross family as a tribute to their father and his crewmates for their service and sacrifice.” www.FineScale.com

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JOHN WADE GURLEY, ALABAMA MATCHBOX’S TIGER MOTH is not the best kit in the world, but it is pretty accurate — and it’s the only game in town in 1/32 scale, according to John. “I have often been asked which of the 44 types of aircraft I have flown was the best,” he says. “My reply is always, ‘It depends on what you want to do with it.’ If you want to experience the joy of flight with just you, five gauges, a throttle, and a string-wrapped joystick, this is it. You land by the sound of the wind in the wires, and aerobatics are a gentle joy. Your head is in the wind, washed by the prop, and your nostrils are assailed by the smell of exhaust and oil. When the flight is over, more than any aircraft I have ever flown, the little Tiger Moth leaves one with a great case of ‘PermaGrin.’ What a great aircraft and memory! Hence all the work to make a nice replica.” Work indeed! He improved the basic cockpit with styrene- and wood-strip structural members, and pedals and other details made from thin solder, stainlesssteel wire, and Slater’s rod. He

photo-etched parts for the throttle quadrant, map holder, flight computer, and seat belts. “Homemade photo-etching is quite an adventure,” says John. He replaced the kit’s simple instrument panels with decal dials sandwiched between sheets of white and clear styrene and topped with styrene with holes for the dials and painted gray. John cut seat cushions from a 1⁄8"-thick sheet of Apoxie Sculpt, detailing them with pottery tools and a hobby knife. After painting them with Testors gloss dark brown, he dry-brushed several increasingly lighter shades of brown and tan. He applied Detail-It dark brown wash, sprayed with a light coat of clear flat to maintain a leather patina, then added cracks and veins with a fine brush. The cockpit doors were thinned and fitted with wire latches. The kit engine features a basic block, sump, and cylinders. John separated the cylinders for more finesse and added a heat shield made from brass sheet embossed with a ballpoint pen. Sewing

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needles replicated pushrods; other fittings were made from thin solder or silver wire. Clamps and end fittings are made from Bare-Metal Foil, household aluminum foil, or aluminum automotive tape detailed with paint. He detailed the firewall with stainless-steel wire, thin solder, stretched sprue, and

Model Detail braided-steel lines. To display the power plant, John vacuum-formed a cowl panel. The spinner is a piece of polished aluminum turned in a motor tool. The hardest aspect was correcting the antispin strakes. After vacuum-forming a new fillet for the rear fuselage, he made strakes from .030" styrene.

TIM STUMPF HAMILTON, OHIO

THE BASIS OF TIM’S KFIR C.2 is Revell’s 1/32 scale Mirage V and a resin conversion from IsraDecal which supplied a resin cockpit, wheel wells and doors, weapon pylons, air scoops, and nose radar fairing as well as cast-metal gear legs, a turned-brass pitot, and photo-etched (PE) engine, cockpit, landing gear, and cannon details. But Tim didn’t stop there, adding an Aires resin exhaust nozzle and scribing all of the panel lines in place of the 40-yearold kit’s raised detail. The set’s cast-metal landing gear was a

little rough, so Tim replaced many of the struts with tubing from Small Parts, which has an expansive line of stainless-steel tubing designed to fit together. “If you got all the sizes, you could assemble them in one continuous telescoping tube,” Tim says. Hydraulic lines made with .005" and .010" lead and copper wire were added to the landing-gear struts and wheel wells. Hose and wire clamps made from aluminum foil dressed up the hydraulics. He made intake halves by

thermoforming .020" styrene over a balsa wood master. The parts were trimmed and joined with styrene-strip reinforcement. Tim replaced the resin instrument panel with .004" aluminum cut from a soda can. He super glued a scale copy of the panel to the aluminum and used a rat-tail file to open the holes for the dials. Decal instruments and PE bezels finished the panels, a lot of work, but worth it, according to Tim. “The engine provided by Isra decal was poor and complicated

to install,” he says. “I used a J79 engine from Aires and modified the fuselage so that it could be installed at the end of the build. This too was worth it.” The Kfir’s distinctive canards required fillets that were not included in the resin set, so Tim scratchbuilt them. Speaking about the extra work, he says there were some parts that just would not fit. “There was a lot of sanding and fit checks going on,” he says. “That was very frustrating, but when you really want something, you persevere.” FSM

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How to build a

BARV

Scratchbuilding makes a D-Day Sherman conversion in 1/35 scale /// BY ANDY COOPER

When the Allies landed Sherman tanks at Normandy, most were expected to go inland. But a few of them — Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicles (BARVs) — were designed to go back into the sea and clear the way for the forces that followed.

A

multitude of specialized vehicles were employed by Allied forces in the D-Day invasion of June 6, 1944. Most of them were famously developed by Maj. Gen. Percy Hobart’s 79th Armoured Division. Known by the rank and file as “Hobart’s Funnies,” they were weird and wonderful contraptions designed to overcome both natural and man-made obstacles in the path to Berlin. 48 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

There was one highly specialized vehicle, however, that was never developed or operated by the 79th but by the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) of the British army. It was a tank without armament, and its five-man crew included a qualified diver — yes, a diver. If you have not guessed already, it was the Sherman-based Beach Armoured Recovery Vehicle, or BARV. Its chief duty was to recover drowned and bogged-down

vehicles and clear the shore for the men, equipment, and supplies that were critical to the Allied armies advancing inland. (They also pushed beached landing craft back into the sea.) The Sherman was modified by replacing the turret with a welded, shiplike superstructure that enabled the vehicle to operate in water around 9' deep (2.7m). More than 50 of these vehicles were completed and tested prior to deployment.

1

2

Showing his work: Andy redrew the templates on card first, checked the fit, then transferred them to styrene

3

4

While the glue was still drying, he added forward plates so he could adjust the fit. But when he was satisfied, he allowed the glue plenty of additional drying time before proceeding.

Modern variants of the BARV are still used by the amphibious forces of Britain and the Netherlands. Though it is not strictly a “Funny,” this unique design was reason enough for me to continue my quest to model these famous, fascinating, and sometimes simply odd armored vehicles.

About the templates In my research, I got lucky: While surfing the Internet, I found plans and templates for a Sherman BARV that I was able to save and rescale to 1/35. I also found excellent photos of a restored BARV, and I had my own photos of a preserved example at the D-Day Museum in Portsmouth, England. Armed with photographs, plans,

The superstructure starts to rise as Andy places some of the first vertical plates. He reinforced construction with sprue segments.

With the hull sides’ dimensions known, it was easier for Andy to fit the bow section (G).

and templates, I grabbed a Tamiya Sherman from the stash and set to work. I’ve provided an amended copy of the templates here (see p. 55). These can provide the extra plates you need, but they are still somewhat approximate. I cut template pieces slightly larger than indicated, then cut or sanded the pieces to fit. Parts H and K will need cutouts to fit the kit’s hull. Parts G (the bow sections) require sanding and filling to mate them over the hatch fairings on the kit hull. They also need to be slightly longer at the bottom edge, as indicated. Part I (the rear roof section) could also be cut as one part and scored to make the fold; make a mirror image on the other side of the template and cut it out as one piece. Part F (front roof panel) is lightly

scored and bent to the roof profile. Likewise, score and bend Part M (rear of the exhaust stack) along the centerline to match the profile of the hull stern (parts K). I found I needed to fair this section in with filler. From there, measuring the model and referencing photos will enable you to finish the superstructure. I recommend interior reinforcements and letting the glue dry thoroughly after each step before proceeding to the next.

Arriving at styrene I transferred the scale templates to some stiff card and cut them out. Then, I tacked the pieces together with masking tape and played jigsaws on the Tamiya hull until I www.FineScale.com

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5 The stern was a little more complicated. Andy started with pieces E, then C, and added the two D pieces …

8 … before tacking it together on the bow.

knew more or less where the slabs would go. Where templates needed modification, I redrew them. Then I transferred the templates to .030" sheet styrene, 1. It was easy enough to blank off the sponsons and rear hull. Then it got tricky. I decided to start with the slab sides of the superstructure, as these are essentially vertical and align with moldings on the hull. The rigid .030" sheet styrene would provide a sturdy foundation. Starting with the rear sections, I glued these into the engine-deck aperture on the hull, where the engine cover would normally fit, 2. I added the forward sections before the glue set so I could make adjustments, 3. I braced these sections with scrap and lengths of sprue and let the glue set for a few days. With the side uprights solidly in place, I cut out the remaining templates and tailored them before transferring them to sheet styrene. The bow sections were fairly straightforward once there was a fixed reference point, so I did these next, 4. Again, I test-fitted everything so adjustments could 50 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

6

7

… before stopping to let the glue dry to ensure the structure was firm before proceeding.

Switching to .010" sheet styrene gave Andy more flexibility in forming parts. He scored and bent this piece to the form he needed …

9 The upper bow pieces helped Andy determine the angle on the upper sides.

be made before the glue set. I added more sprue and scrap braces for strength. The rear part of the hull, with five sections, was more complex. I modified the card templates to fit, then cut the sections from styrene sheet. The two sections labeled E in the photos were fixed in place first, 5, and left to set. Section C came next, closely followed by the two angled D panels, which needed filing and sanding for proper fit. I added more scrap and sprue reinforcements before leaving everything alone for a day to let the glue dry, 6. Test-fitting and letting the glue dry at each step had paid off so far.

Superstructure roof To make life a little easier, I cut roof sections from thinner .010" styrene sheet. I used my card templates to cut the pieces I needed and tacked them together with masking tape — but they were so far off that I tossed the templates and measured each section myself. I thought the front roof parts would be

better cut as one piece, scored then bent to the desired angle, 7 and 8. Roof sections J and I were cut out next and cemented in place, 9. I used card scraps to make tabs for a firmer join, 10. As before, I let everything dry thoroughly before proceeding. Now the degree of difficulty increases. The towers at the top of the superstructure — for crew access, the engine exhaust, and ventilation — have to sit squarely atop the sloping roof. With its vertical plates, the crew hatch was the easiest place to start, 11. I made the bow section from one piece, scored and bent as before, then cut side pieces to fit. The exhaust tower did not look right, so I removed it and rebuilt it as a subassembly; then I could fiddle with its alignment to the hull. It turned out to be largely a matter of trial and error, and the most time-consuming part of the build. Referring to photographs, I noticed a flat section between the exhaust tower and the crew hatch that was not apparent in the

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Any which way but loose: Andy added sprue and card reinforcements to shore up the superstructure.

Vertical plates and clear reference photos helped Andy decide to build the crew hatch next.

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Photos and plans were not so clear in the area near the crew hatch and exhaust. Andy had to cut a lot of test pieces out of card before obtaining a good fit.

Once he had established its lower plates, Andy could top off the exhaust tower at the stern.

plans I had. I cut the roof to accommodate this, 12; a flat section of sheet styrene held everything nicely in place. I smoothed the sheet-styrene exhaust tower with Tamiya plastic putty. After everything set, I closed the top with more sheet styrene, cut to shape, 13. The flat step to the rear of the crew hatch is the top of a ventilation shaft. The lid could be raised or lowered to allow air inside; I decided it looked more interesting raised. I built it from plastic card, 14, using spacers to create the flanged top cover, then set this subassembly aside for later.

Hull details With the basic structure of the upper hull more or less complete, I made various

details from styrene sheet, rod, angle, and strips, as well as copper wire and several little bits from my spares box. Among the details were swing-bolt fasteners around the engine cover; I made them from small lengths of styrene rod with styrene strip on either side, 15. The walkways along the sides are styrene angle, strip, rod, and some old smoke-detector mesh, 16. Splash guards atop the superstructure are thin styrene sheet rolled around a segment of pipe, then weighted down and heat-formed with a hairdryer, 17; the curved styrene was then cut to size and attached to the hull. Copper-wire handles, lifting lugs, rope eyes, styrene-strip steps and water deflectors, punched styrene rivets, and rod hinges were among the many

details that accumulated as I followed photos, 18. Among the last construction details were the prominent weld beads around the superstructure. I laid down thin strands of stretched sprue, softened them with liquid styrene cement, and sculpted them to model the beads, 19.

Paint and finishing I primed the BARV with Tamiya gray primer from a spray can, 20. Preserved examples of the Sherman BARV look gray. More specifically, one source stated the Royal Navy won an argument over the color as the vehicle would be operating predominantly in the sea, and therefore should be battleship gray. (Interestingly, this armywww.FineScale.com

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The top of the ventilation shaft was built as a subassembly and fitted after the glue dried.

Fasteners on the engine-deck covers were a prominent detail worthy of scratchbuilding — all 34 of them!

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Walkways along the sides are made from found materials; Andy got the mesh by disassembling a smoke detector.

Heat-forming gave Andy the curved styrene he needed …

navy conflict also played out among the various Allies in many operational aspects before and even during D-Day.) So gray it would be. I pre-shaded prominent lines and features by airbrushing GSI Creos Mr. Hobby acrylic tire black (No. H77), 21. Next came a base coat of Tamiya dark sea gray (XF-54) with a little medium sea gray (XF- 53), 22. I used the darker color on the lower regions of the BARV. Tamiya light sea gray (XF-25) and ocean gray (XF82) provided highlights and tonal variations, 23.

Marking the BARV Markings were difficult to pin down. The preserved vehicle I had photographed wore a blue, yellow, and red striped flash and 52 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

white serial numbers and stars. Others also had a circular anchor symbol on a light blue background, and I saw one contemporary photo with the air recognition symbol on the exhaust vent tower. All the period photos I saw were different, though. Some had the flash on the superstructure’s side, and others on the hull sides. I found no photos taken at the time that showed the entire vehicle. So, I decided to compromise by doing as I pleased. Consulting my spare decals, I found I had the makings of the blue, yellow, and red flash. I also unearthed some black anchor symbols from a 1/72 scale German marine helicopter; I was able to use those over circles I punched out of light blue decal film. I chose a serial number from one of the period photos and used Letraset dry trans-

fers for the numerals. The stars came from the Tamiya Sherman. After applying Pledge FloorCare MultiSurface Finish (PFM) and letting it dry thoroughly, I applied the decals. After they had dried, I sealed them with more PFM, 24.

Weathering Most photos of BARVs on Normandy beaches are shot from too far away to see much weathering on the hull. I based my weathering on several factors: First, most of the BARVs stayed on the beach to help keep supplies moving. Second, the weather at the time of the invasion was unseasonably stormy; and, third, these vehicles spent much of their time submerged in saltwater with waves breaking over them. My BARV

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… to make splash guards atop the hull. Wire handles and other details made from styrene scraps and spare parts start piling up around the vehicle.

Stretched sprue, softened with liquid styrene cement and sculpted with a hobby knife, depicts rough weld seams.

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It’s amazing what a coat of primer can do to make everything look like it belongs on the same vehicle!

Andy airbrushed pre-shading with Mr. Hobby tire black.

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According to one of Andy’s sources, as long as the vehicle was operating offshore the Royal Navy felt it should be gray like boats and ships.

Andy lightened the mix to add different tones and shades to the finish.

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He applied Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish (PFM) to provide a glossy, receptive surface for decals.

Without much overland travel, a BARV’s weathering was mostly new rust that Andy depicted with burnt-sienna washes.

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He concentrated the corrosion in places where seawater would be likely to collect and linger. White streaks depict saltwater runoff and residue.

Streaks and chips are then subtly blended. Rope and cable made from linen thread stiffened with diluted white glue are stowed aboard.

was going to be a D-Day-plus example, so corrosion and wear would have accelerated. With the PFM now thoroughly dried over the decals, I applied a wash of burnt sienna artist’s oils, 25. Thicker pinwashes of the same color went to areas where rust would start, 26. Drain holes around the splash guards got special attention as I allowed the wash to run out of the hole and down the sides. More rust runs were randomly applied around the hull, using a dry or thinner-soaked brush for the desired effect. Spots of white artist’s oils were blended and finished the same to depict saltwater runoff, 27. The tracks got black and burnt sienna washes and a dry-brushing of silver. Fresh scratches were simulated using dark gray and dark green enamels and a small brush. I kept repeating these pro54 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

cesses until I was happy with the effects, then over-coated with Testors Dullcote.

Winding it up Among the last stowed items were tow cables and ropes made from linen thread painted with diluted white glue to stiffen them and eliminate fraying. I made eye ends for them with copper wire. The cables were stowed on the upper deck and shackled to the rear of the vehicle. Recovery vehicles always seem to acquire a collection of wooden blocks, so I used wood scraps to stow some of these topside. I fastened a rope to the bow and coiled the end on the top deck. A folded crew ladder was made from styrene strip and rod, and fixed to the rear hull; a small rope tied nearby aids boarding. Shackles

from my spares box and more made from copper wire finish out the hardware. A dusting of black and gray pastels provided exhaust stain. I applied some residual sand created with ground-up pastels, mixing light gray, yellow, and a little black. A final spray of Dullcote sealed the pastel effects, leaving only the antennas and a buffer made from Milliput epoxy putty to complete the build. I loved making this model — I’ve wanted to do so since I was about 12! It looks complex, but it is not unduly difficult. Styrene stock is inexpensive and easy to work with. It only takes some understanding of geometry and a lot of time to build a BARV — a frequently overlooked vehicle without which the Allied invasion may well have foundered. FSM

Templates: 1/35 scale

Part A Sponson fillers x 2

Part F

Part D Part B Rear hull

Front of exhaust stack

panel replacement x 1

Front roof panel x 1 Score and fold along center line

Part C Part E

Lower stern section x 1

Upper stern/hull section x 2

Front

Part G

Part H Front hull uprights x 2

Bow section x 2 Top

Part J Center roof section x 2 Part L

Rear

Part I Rear roof section x 2 Scale:

1 inch 3 cm

At the point of invasion, the French shore was clogged with wreckage. BARVs helped clear the way for vital supplies to keep the Allies moving forward.

Front of exhaust stack

Part K Rear hull uprights x 2 Part M Rear of exhaust stack

D-Day, Juno Beach Tag-team allies model a diorama in 1/35 scale BUILT BY GLENN BARTOLOTTI AND JIM WECHSLER

O

ne morning in February 2009, Jim Wechsler woke up, got a cup of coffee, checked his e-mail, and embarked on a modeling adventure. The e-mail was from Glenn Bartolotti. They had never met — Glenn lives in Florida, and Jim in California — but they had become acquainted as modelers on the Internet and admired each other’s work. Glenn was suggesting that they collaborate on a diorama. Neither had ever worked with another modeler, let alone someone more than 2,500 miles away. But somehow it seemed like a good idea. They checked their collections and came up with a plan — to show Canadian troops advancing at Juno Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944. Jim would build a vehicle, Glenn would scratchbuild a house and its surroundings. They would collaborate on the

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groundwork and the figures. had an 11" x 14" base that defined the Jim suggested a Commonwealth theme, space. Jim had a British Porpoise ammunisince he had a Tamiya Centaur with a lot of tion sled for the Centaur to drag, reinforcaftermarket items. “The Centaurs were ing the D-Day theme. operated by the Royal Marines Armoured Glenn laid out the scene on a grid, Support Group, a British unit put in variadjusting the position and angle of the ous locations on D-Day building to show off — including Juno Beach the tank and figures. “Ernie Kells, Queen’s to support Canadian In the layout, and in forces,” Jim says. Glenn the real photo, a slope Own Rifles – one of would model a house and stone wall by the five soldiers who made famous in photos house looked like a arrived at this house of the Canadian landgood place to pose the on D-Day, now 84 ing at Bernières-surtank, giving Jim a Mer. years old. Sorry about chance to articulate the The discussion Centaur’s suspension to throwing grenades moved to positionadd further movement into your cellar.” ing the building, and action. tank, and figures — Then Glenn turned to – 2009 guestbook entry at La Maison des Canadiens, composition. the house looming over the Bernières-sur-Mer, Normandy, Glenn already 1/35 scale diorama. France

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After the landing, troops pose in front of a house that served as a landmark for Canadians at Juno Beach. Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / Archives Nationales du Canada

3 Glenn roughed in masonry with Gatorfoam, then formed a wall and walkway with Magic-Sculpt twopart epoxy clay. “I used my imagination for what I couldn’t see in the photos,” he says.

Glenn contoured styrene foam with a knife to form a base for his part of the groundwork. He says, “The foam takes up space so the ground material does not have to be applied as thick.”

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The bay window and balcony were framed in with styrene sheet; the door came from MiniArt. “It is not the exact door on the balcony,” Glenn says, “but I could not see all of the door, so it had to do.”

6 Glenn sculpted stonework with dental tools and textured the epoxy clay with a toothbrush. A final once-over with the toothbrush smoothed lines and unified textures.

Working with the photo of the house, taken shortly after D-Day, Glenn used Photoshop to tint the courtyard wall and better envision the scene. He inflicted corresponding battle damage on the house.

7 “The dormer was a lot of work,” Glenn says. “I made countless patterns. The angles were a pain!” Still, he enjoyed the challenge of re-creating it from photos. MiniArt windows grace the dormer. www.FineScale.com

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8 Gatorfoam, similar to foam-core but more rigid, is often used for architectural models. Glenn used it on the house walls and as a core for much of his masonry.

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9 Glenn covered the Gatorfoam with Magic-Sculpt and sculpted fieldstone. Before the clay cured, he laid sections of sheet styrene atop the wall like capstones. He would cover them with clay, too.

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The house’s west wall is covered with epoxy clay, ready for Glenn to sculpt bricks.

Counting the rows of brick in the photo helped scale the pattern to the model.

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A thin layer of epoxy putty, stippled with a toothbrush, replicated stucco on the second story. In his continuing research, Glenn would swap this door for a French porte.

The chimney is made from layers of epoxy putty.

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After the main portion cured, Glenn rolled out thinner strips of putty and placed them a fourth of the way from the top for a decorative midsection.

A balcony rail was fashioned with fence pieces made by MiniArt, cut to shape and glued into position. The downspout is made from sections of sprue, bent to shape, with attachment brackets made from lead foil strips.

Meanwhile, Jim was working on the Centaur. “Tamiya seems to have anticipated that people might want to articulate the suspension,” Jim says. “Each pair of wheels is mounted on a simple rocker arm that attaches through the hull. All Tamiya adds is a small pin on the hull; if you want to move the suspension, just cut off the pins and the arms swing free.”

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Each road-wheel arm has a hole on its back side that matches a pin on the hull. Jim smoothed the arms and plugged the holes with .040" styrene rod and putty. He says, “I might have skipped this, but with the Centaur climbing that wall I thought it might be visible.”

To keep the tank from rolling, Jim glued the polycaps to the wheels and then to the arms. He glued the rear wheels in position according to the base’s terrain and let them dry. Then he glued the wheels riding over the wall (third on the left and the second one on the right).

19 The rear wheels were easy to locate; they rode on the ground. “But I had to think about the ones in front of the wall,” Jim says. “The tracks would prevent them from maximum extension; about ¾ of maximum seemed about right. Then I hung the second wheel on the left between, but not quite in a line with, the first and third wheels.”

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For the articulated suspension, Jim used Friulmodel white-metal, workable tracks, gluing them on, then painting them. Accurate Armour’s Porpoise ammunition sled provided white-metal attachment rods and brackets that bent too easily; Jim replaced them with styrene rod, tube, and strips (but left the sled unattached for shipping to Glenn). He sawed off the back of the sled at the edge of the base.

For groundwork, Jim collected dirt from his yard, sand from the beach, brown and black powdered paints, and Fixall, a wall-repair product, “like plaster of paris, but it has much better adhesion and dries very hard.” He added water, Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement, and a shot of Elmer’s white glue, then more water until it was like pudding. Sprinkling dirt on top produced the final sandy texture. www.FineScale.com

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With the Centaur reared back on its hind wheels, Jim worried that the numerous ejector-pin marks under the fenders might be seen. So he filled them all — a lot of puttying and sanding — but now admits that throwing some mud and sod up there would be a quicker, easier fix.

Painting tracks in situ with Testors Model Master enamels, Jim led with raw sienna to represent rust and dirt. Then he airbrushed the lower hull, road wheels, sprockets, and idlers flat black; touchup would correct overspray on the tracks. “I tried to avoid the tracks, but I didn’t worry about it much,” he says. He panel-faded with green drab followed by olive drab. Dry-brushing green areas with Afrika dunkelgrau brought out details before a heavy layer of Testors Dullcote. After touching up the tracks, he dry-brushed them with Testors Metalizer aluminum.

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To weather the lower hull, Jim dusted it with Tamiya acrylic buff thinned about 80%. “I kept dust minimal,” he says. “I just wanted to integrate the colors a little.” A wash of Winsor & Newton raw umber artist’s oils deepened details. Jim saved the rest of the weathering for when the model was complete.

“The upper hull really is a drop-fit,” Jim says. “Just a bit of glue and no filler.” He added Eduard photo-etched brackets and clamps and ran the tow cables through the clevis on the hull’s front. “The instructions leave the cables lying on top, but that seemed odd to me,” he says.

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“Aber has a nice photo-etch for this,” Jim says of the wading stack. “I painted the inside while it was still on the fret. That was a lot easier than trying to spray in there once it was folded up.”

The Aber PE included a wading shield for the turret. “Piece of cake,” says Jim.

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As with the lower hull, Jim base-coated the rest of the tank flat black and panel-faded with green drab and olive drab. He postponed drybrushing until after he had applied decals.

The turret’s degree markings are from an old Bison Decals sheet. First, Jim applied a heavy coat of Testors Glosscote to prevent silvering. He says, “Having built a Centaur before, I learned that there are four eyelets on the turret. The instructions say to add these after the decals, but the note is easy to miss — and if you glue them on first, applying the decals is really tough.” He also suggests working front to back.

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Next, another flat clear coat, then dry-brushing with Afrika dunkelgrau. Using Testors Model Master enamels, Jim painted: tow cables with raw sienna, dry-brushing with Metalizer dark anodonic gray; tools with Metalizer gunmetal dry-brushed with Metalizer aluminum; dark tan wood handles; and military brown for the leather pad on the commander’s cupola, dry-brushed with Afrika dunkelgrau.

Jim applied a wash of Winsor & Newton raw umber artist’s oil cut 80% with Mona Lisa odorless thinner. A thinned dusting with Tamiya buff was sufficient weathering. “These tanks were straight off the landing craft, so they weren’t terribly dirty,” Jim says. “Mainly, I was just looking to integrate the colors and lighten the model a bit.”

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As Jim and Glenn divvied up the figures, Jim took on the Canadians. From left: two figures from a Dragon set, with lead-foil equipment straps; the third infantryman is a combination of two Dragon figures, with a resin head from a third figure; and the tank commander is from the Tamiya kit, with wires added to the headset.

Jim followed Dragon’s instructions for painting the figures, though he lightened colors slightly. Testors enamels include: Afrika khakibraun drybrushed with a lightened Afrika dunkelgrau, also used for straps and packs; green drab for helmets; French chestnut for the tank commander’s jacket; and wood dry-brushed with tan for the faces. He finished the figures with a layer of Testors Dullcote and a wash of Winsor & Newton raw umber artist’s oil thinned 80%. www.FineScale.com

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Meanwhile, Glenn was continuing work on the house. Here, it’s primed and ready for some serious exterior painting.

The house was damaged, but, considering that thousands of Canadians were beating on its door, it could have been worse. Glenn planted static grass in the yard, then gravel and rubble bricks from Custom Dioramics. He broke up some of the bricks for more debris. Glenn attached everything with white glue, then brushed on a mix of white glue and water to keep it in place.

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Glenn began overall painting with a dark tan base coat.

Two main layers of color served as an undercoat for the finish and weathering.

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Glenn hand-painted the trim with Vallejo Model Color German black brown. He credits abstinence from coffee for a steady hand.

Glenn painted the stucco with a mixture of ground pastels and white artist’s oils, “as if I were painting on a canvas,” he says. “No dry-brushing at all! I made the shell marks lighter, as seen in photos.”

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“I paint each brick and stone one at a time,” Glenn says. “Varying the shades adds life to the stonework. Most modelers take the easy way out and just dry-brush, but that ties all the items too closely. Sure, it’s fast, and it brings out texture, but you lose realism.”

No time for a break: Glenn converted two Dragon figures to show one German wounded and another urging him on. A little epoxy putty on the kneeling figure’s shoulder filled a gap between it and the other’s hand, making it look more natural.

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A coat of black Vallejo primer provides pre-shading. Glenn glued the figures together and painted them as a pair: “The hand was pressed onto the wounded figure’s shoulder while the Magic-Sculpt was soft. I wanted to make sure the hand on his shoulder looked convincing.”

He finished the figures with Vallejo paints, which offers a full line of Wehrmacht colors and excellent brush-painting characteristics.

Long-awaited, liberation comes to France — and these two unfortunate German soldiers are doing their best to get out of the way.

FSM

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SHOW GALLERY

Powered-up armor Fighting vehicles locked and loaded with detail Whether scratchbuilt or sourced from the aftermarket, there’s detail inside and out in these scale replicas. FSM shot them at the Armor Modeling and Preservation Society (AMPS) International Convention in Sumter, S.C., and talked to the builders about what makes their models special.

MICHAEL POWERS CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA

MICHAEL’S VIGNETTE depicts a British army vehicle that has blown an engine seal while on patrol in Afghanistan and is under attack by Taliban fighters. The basis for the scene is HobbyBoss’ 1/35 scale Land Rover, which Michael updated to 2008 standards with Accurate Armour’s R-WMIK TES(T/H) conversion set. “The upgrade was practically a

replacement!” he says. “The rear body, frame, wings, seats, machine gun and its mount, rear gear basket, sand channels, front GPMG mount and weapon, wheels, and roll cage were all replaced.” Other new parts included the armor panels and the basket for the camo netting on the hood. The engine was one of the few

64 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

kit parts left; Michael added ignition wires before installation. The AC Models crew fit pretty well, but using the Accurate Armor conversion turned Mike into a surgeon. “The gunner was too short,” he says. “I cut him at the knees and gave him a couple of extra inches with brass wire and Green Stuff epoxy putty. His arms were altered to more closely

fit the handles on the .50-cal.” The AC Models set included some stowage. Other items came from Live Resin, for L82A2 rifles, ProArt Models for backpacks, stuff bags, and the water cooler, Accurate Armour for jerry cans, water bottles, ammunition boxes, and carbon-fiber antennas, Mission Models’ spent casings, Skif lenses, and a Tasca M2 barrel.

KURT HOLLAR GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA

“I AM PRIMARILY a figure painter and I work almost exclusively in the larger scales — 120- 200mm,” says Kurt. “U.S. Marine Corps subjects are favorites of mine, and I was researching the fighting in Hue City during the 1968 Tet Offensive for a Marine figure project that I had in mind. I kept running across photos of M274s armed with the 106mm recoilless rifles used by the Marines during the urban fighting there.” Thinking the vehicle would be a good subject for a vignette, Kurt bought Glencoe’s 1/15 scale Mule hoping he could detail it, but decided it wasn’t right for the project. “My only option was scratchbuilding it,” he says. “Fortunately, I had taken about 50 photos of a Mule armed with a 106mm at the American Armored Foundation Museum in Danville, Va., a few years earlier. These photos became a primary source of information for this build.” Technical manuals provided

basic dimensions but no scale plans. “The Mule is a fairly simple vehicle, though, and I decided that, if I could get the basic cargo platform built to the correct dimensions, I could then estimate the sizes and proportions of all of the remaining details of the vehicle,” he says. “In retrospect, I am reminded of the saying ‘fools rush in where angels fear to tread,’ as this became a very challenging process.” During the almost eight months he spent on the project, including vehicle, figures, and groundwork, he built and rebuilt some of the Mule’s subassemblies several times to get it right. Kurt used sheet styrene for the basic platform and many of the vehicle’s small details. “The vehicle’s frame is tubular by design, so I used styrene tubing for this as well as the muffler, recoilless rifle, .50-caliber sighting rifle, and many engine details,” he says. “Hex-shaped styrene rod was

sliced and used for most bolt heads on the vehicle.” The Glencoe Mule provided the engine block. Brass and aluminum sheet, rod, and tube were used in place of styrene where it offered an advantage in strength and scale thickness.

Kurt mostly used super glue on the build, but soldered the basket assembly for the footpedal controls. Epoxy putty filled gaps, formed seat cushions, and smoothed transitions on complex shapes such as the breech of the recoilless rifle. www.FineScale.com

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KEITH FRAPE COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA

BRITISH ARMY ENGINEERS in a Chieftain armored recovery and repair vehicle collect a busted Challenger power pack in Iraq in Keith’s 1/35 scale vignette. He converted Tamiya’s Chieftain — actually just the hull — with an Accurate Armour resin and photo-etch set. After cutting the kit’s lower hull as indicated, he joined the lower nose and rear plates with Accurate Armour’s lower and upper hull. The kit suspension and vinyl tracks were then installed. “The Accurate Armour resin is high quality, with very sharp, crisp detail, but it’s prone to warpage and some shrinkage,” Keith says. “When the items are unboxed, it is prudent to ensure every item is present and accounted for and in usable condition. Air bubbles may be present on some of the larger items. If they are not on a visible surface, they can be filled and sanded. Minor bubbles can be

filled with super glue.” He washed the resin parts with warm water and a few drops of dish soap, rinsed them in cold clear water, and set them aside to air-dry. He primed the multimedia model to give it a uniform surface and color, and to promote paint adhesion. The Challenger power pack, also from Accurate Armour, was a complicated build made harder by vague instructions. “Constant page-turning is needed to see where things connect,” he says. “Leave the actual gluing of the radiators until the last thing. Adjustments of some items will be required. The very first question you must ask yourself before starting is how are you going to show the finished power pack? Once you start, it will be almost impossible to change your mind. Weaving of cables and hoses must be thought through before gluing larger parts to the pack!”

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GLEN MARTIN MIDLOTHIAN, VIRGINIA

GLEN SPENT SEVEN YEARS building Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Leclerc as a French tank on a United Nations peacekeeping operation in Lebanon in 2006. His numerous improvements include: photo-etched details

from Tamiya — engine grilles, fuel-tank straps, air-conditioner screen, and stowage-rack mesh — and Eduard — handles, latches, tool racks, and a lot more. Bronco individual-link tracks replaced the kit’s vinyl runs. The

barrel is a Voyager resin and turned-aluminum combo. Glen added nonskid texture to horizontal surfaces with a mix of Pledge FloorCare Multi-Surface Finish and sand. He made individual tie-downs by shaping

pieces of silver solder and super gluing them in place. Other additions include: a Eureka tow cable; MV Products lenses for the headlights; DEF. Model cooler and water bottles; and wire antennas.

Referring to drawings, he made the cab from brass sheet soldered together for strength. The frame of the bed was made from Evergreen styrene strips; the

wood came from Micro-Mark’s lumber yard. “All the side supports are from a Royal photo-etch set,” says Mac. “I punched out all the bolt heads from Evergreen plastic

sheet.” The front wheels — modified RSO wheels cast in resin — and the Dragon road wheels feature scratchbuilt brake and steering linkages.

MAC JOHNSTON SALISBURY, NEW YORK

THERE ARE A FEW DRAGON PARTS in Mac’s 1/35 scale brokendown RSO RS1500 Waldschlepper, but most of the halftrack is scratchbuilt.

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KONRAD SCHREIER REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA

COUNTERWEIGHTS ADDED to early M10 turrets turned out to be too heavy, so lighter blocks were added and the rear of the turret changed to accommodate them. Konrad built one of these later tank destroyers by kitbashing Tamiya’s 1/48 scale Achilles (a British version of the M10 with a 17-pounder main gun) with parts from a Tamiya M10 and earlypattern suspension from a HobbyBoss Sherman. As on the full-size vehicle, the Tamiya road wheels were fitted with cover plates to prevent jamming. Konrad replaced the plastic track skids on the bogies with brass and turned corrected return rollers on a lathe. Other changes to the hull include a mid-production transmission cover, scratchbuilt engine hatches underneath, and sponson filler plates. Hauler photo-etched (PE) engine grilles

reveal a scratchbuilt engine cover inside the rear hull. Appliquéarmor bosses decorate the hull and turret. Inside, Konrad scratchbuilt the front compartment, including a front bulkhead with access hatches, transmission, drive shaft, stowage tray and box, brake beam and rods, driver control levers and pedals, driver’s tool kit, manual stowage basket, and SCR508 radio. In the lower section of the fighting compartment are scratchbuilt ammunition tubes and canteens. The turret received a lot of aftermarket and scratchbuilt attention, starting with the Hauler PE turret-ring gear, equipment boxes, and improved seats. Konrad made retaining straps for the ready rounds, a late-pattern indirect-fire sight mount, and a spare barrel for the .50-caliber machine gun.

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He detailed the gun breech and direct-fire sight, and dressed up the M2 with an RB turnedbrass barrel and hand grips, scratchbuilt trigger and mount details, and a cast ammo box.

There’s more — soldered brass stowage racks, scratchbuilt light guards, working hinges on the hatches, and scratchbuilt tow cables and bracket — all in a model that’s not even 6" long!

ASHLEY ABERNATHY GLEN ALLEN, VIRGINIA

TO MODEL one of the first SU-122 self-propelled howitzers in combat around Leningrad in January 1943, Ashley added a ton of aftermarket and scratchbuilt detail to Tamiya’s 1/48 scale kit. Photo-etch (PE) from Hauler (No. HLX48086) replaced the fenders, tie-downs, saw, and

toolboxes; he soldered the last together for strength. The molded engine screens were cut from the engine-deck hatch and PE used in their place over scratchbuilt details. Ashley replaced poorly molded hatch handles with steel surgical wire; styrene brackets support wire grab bars. He

scratchbuilt cleaning rods from styrene rod to fit PE holders and twisted four .010" wires to form a cable that he attached to towloops from a Tamiya T-34. Upfront, he added Grandt Line bolt heads to the gun and mantlet and hollowed out the

headlight to make way for a clear plastic lens. Tamiya acrylics provided the camouflage colors; Ashley used AK Interactive chipping solutions as a release agent to weather the winter white.

CARL WETHINGTON HICKORY, NORTH CAROLINA

ON NOV. 1, 1968, Lt. Col. Charles C. Rogers rallied his troops and helped man a howitzer, inoperative due to casualties, to repulse an attack on Fire Base Rita in Vietnam. He later received the

Medal of Honor for his actions that day. Carl backdated AFV Club’s 1/35 scale M109A2 to a Vietnamera howitzer with a resin turret interior from Warriors, a gun from

Italeri’s early M109, individual-link tracks from Skybow, and a hull interior from KMC. The last was comprehensive, but it was designed for Italeri’s M109A2. “It did not have the corner-mounted

projectile stowage rack, which I had to scratchbuild,” says Carl. It also had the later breechmounted power rammer, so he scratchbuilt a folding cabmounted version. FSM www.FineScale.com

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Rev up a

Grand Prix racer Superdetailing a 1/20 scale multimedia kit /// BY BOB STEINBRUNN

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oaring onto the scene in 1932, Alfa Romeo’s Monoposto Tipo B (single seat, Type B), better known as the P3, dominated European competition for several years. In 1937, Englishman Kenneth Evans drove a P3 in British racing green at Brooklands motor circuit in England, where he finished second in a 10-lap Mountain Championship Scratch race. That is the car I chose to model. About 1975, Casadio Models (now Revival International) introduced a series of Grand Prix racers that represented the cutting edge in multimedia models. The box contained die-cast white metal, black plastic, vinyl tires, and beautiful wire-spoke wheels, already threaded. Some of these kits were produced in all-plastic form — so take care when you order. 70 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

The instructions are sparse, and some parts are rough or inaccurate. What’s more, though the paint job looks deep and lustrous, it is so thick it obscures details. Yet many parts have mold lines and seams that beg to be filed off and polished. After some soul-searching, I realized I had to strip the paint, clean parts with files and sanding sticks, and repaint the British racing green. I was surprised at the paint’s tenacity: primer, color coat, clear coat, and possibly it was baked on. The paint resisted immersion in both brake fluid and Blue Magic Paint Stripper for more than a week until scraping, scrubbing with a brass brush, and using a hobby knife gently in tight areas brought out the casting’s details. Only then was I ready to correct and augment the kit to my satisfaction.

1 The model comes well-packed with parts in molded compartments and numbered bags. An extra engine is included for display. I scratchbuilt an engine stand to show it off.

3 Assorted styrene nuts, bolts, and rivets from Tichy Train Group (TTG) dressed up the model inside and out. Each engine consumed several hundred of these. Grobet 4S fine-tip tweezers handled the tiny bits.

5 It’s more expeditious to paint interior details in one or two sessions. Some parts are held by their sprue, others by toothpicks, alligator clips, or a bit of steel wire stuck in styrene foam.

2 A Waldron punch-and-die set was indispensible in this build.

4 A Flex-I-File with medium and fine grit reaches into tight, curved areas to remove mold seams — essential for this exhaust manifold. You can trim the sanding film for especially tight spots.

6 Vittorio Jano’s 2.6-liter, 8-cylinder engine had twin overhead camshafts driven by a central gear train (hence the bulges for the gears on the camshaft covers). The left side had two small superchargers, each feeding four cylinders. www.FineScale.com

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7 The exhaust manifold sweeps up and aft. Lower down are the Marelli magneto, water pump, and oil filter.

9 The final drive ran to a differential that split the drive into two torque tubes housing two propeller shafts that ran back to two gearboxes on the rear axle. This lowered the driver and the axles. Gear ratios could be changed for various race courses.

11 I painted the engine with various shades of Alclad II, both straight from the bottle and mixed.

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8 I detailed the gearbox with a shift gate, lever, and various fittings; the gas and brake pedals are made with brass strips, styrene sheet, and plastic nuts and bolts.

10 I scratchbuilt the engine stand from 133 pieces; the two engines have 1,020 parts between them. Brass rod and strip, copper screen, sheet and strip styrene, and hundreds of TTG nuts and bolts were added.

12 The black magneto’s conduit runs up to the spark-plug wiring distribution tube. I painted the exhaust manifold with a mixture of Alclad II burnt iron, stainless steel, and gold titanium. The heat discoloration is a light brushing of Alclad II hotmetal blue and a transparent, pinkish mix of Floquil signal red and reefer white.

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There are two screened intakes, carburetors, fuel filters, superchargers, and intake manifolds, each feeding four of the eight cylinders.

Adjusting the stick in its gate: The P3 transmission had three speeds, and the differential was mounted aft of the transmission.

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The hand brake is on the left, as is the clutch pedal; brake and gas pedals are on the right.

Conscience dictated that I strip off the model’s pre-painted high-gloss paint to clean up seams and mold marks. It took 10 days of Blue Magic to strip the tenacious, baked-on paint.

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Removing paint revealed over-scale and misplaced rivets that I filed, sanded, or ground off. I used dividers to mark out rows of rivets with proper spacing, making tiny indents in the metal.

TTG’s tiny (.020") styrene rivets were tacked in place with Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, then secured with super glue. An inexpensive scalpel is great for spearing such minute parts. www.FineScale.com

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The molded screening on the kit’s radiator is over-scale; I overlaid it with PE screening from Plano Model Products. It’s a model railroad product adaptable to car models.

The piano hinge on the hood’s centerline looked too big and came with the hinge holes pre-drilled off-center, impeding the hood sections. I super glued the two hood sections together, then cut them apart along the hinge line using a miniature table saw; J-B Weld two-part epoxy filled and smoothed the rough edges. Then, I installed PE piano hinges from Model Car Garage’s Big Rig Details (No. MCG-2204).

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The PE hinge improved functionality and scale fidelity. Wire was provided for the hinge pin, but .015" steel wire worked better. I made latches from sheet styrene, brass rod and strip, and PE roll-cage gussets from Detail Master.

Inside the hood, I reinforced the edges with .010" x .020" styrene strip and TTG .020" rivets. I shaped more of the styrene strip to add louvers.

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The distinctive and highly visible suspension deserved attention. I improved the adjustable friction shock absorbers on all four wheels with scratchbuilt elements; front shocks comprise 24 pieces cut from .015" sheet styrene. I cut the rear shocks away from the leaf springs, which I detailed with TTG nuts, bolts, and rivets, U-bolt threaded rods, and adjusting handles bent to shape from .010" x .020" brass strip.

The kit’s leaf springs lacked detail. Using a homemade microsaw, I scribed connecting links and shaped the upper- and lower-spring attachment points. This careful carving was at the end of each spring unit, where I knew it would be seen.

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Rear axle and two gearboxes, scribed to show a central case with two end plates: I cut off the molded bolts and replaced them with TTG bolt heads. The torque tubes have end plates with bolts, as does the central brake unit, which I scribed to look like a split case. Gearboxes are detailed with filler plugs and scrap pieces depicting rubber bumpers.

The kit’s tiny screws are easily stripped; in some cases, it was better to use Micro Fasteners’ tap-and-drill set and brass hex bolts, washers, and nuts. Here, a rear cross member has been filed and polished and an 0-80 tap has threaded screw holes for the hardware.

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The rubber-like tires have excellent tread. A molding ridge around the circumference of each tire is easily removed with a sanding stick, which also realistically scuffs the tread. Tires are stretched onto the wheels as on a real car; I made several basswood “tire irons” for the job. The beautiful wire wheels are already threaded; I airbrushed them with Alclad II aluminum.

Underneath, brass rods are part of the mechanical brake system fore and aft, replacing plastic kit parts. The scratchbuilt front friction shock absorbers in white show up well here, too. Black plastic bell cranks and attachment points for the various brake rods were carved or sanded to scale. Brass 00-90 hex bolts, washers, and nuts replaced the kit’s screws.

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Kit-supplied brass torque tubes run back from the differential to the two gearboxes on the rear axle. The transverse brass rod connecting the mechanical brake system with the rear wheels replaced the flimsy one in the kit.

Body panels are test-fitted prior to painting to make sure none of the added details interferes with them. Brass tubing depicts fuel and oil lines along the floorboards.

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Ready for paint: a primer coat of Floquil reefer gray lightened with white, followed by various shades of Alclad II for the bare metal. Next came a British racing green I mixed with Floquil Southern green and dark blue.

After airbrushing the inside of the frame rails with Alclad II aluminum, I applied liquid mask before airbrushing the British racing green. It was much easier to brush these parts with two coats of liquid mask than to apply tape to these intricate parts.

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The Cartograf decals were thick, but Solvaset settled them. I allowed several days for drying, then airbrushed with Floquil Crystal-Cote.

Mig Productions dark wash deepened nuts, bolts, rivets, and recesses, creating contrast to make these details stand out.

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I airbrushed the seat and steering wheel with Floquil mud, a light tan. After they dried for several days, I applied Winsor & Newton burnt umber artist’s oil to the seat and smoothed it with a cotton swab to impart a beautiful leather-like sheen.

Streaking the steering wheel with burnt umber replicated wood grain. I cut the instrument panel face from .010" sheet styrene, drilling and filing the openings to shape. That layer is backed with clear acetate from a page protector, which looks like glass; behind that is another .010" styrene sheet with the kit’s instrument decals.

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Sources

37 Fuel and oil lines are Scale Scenics Microfine Solder (.018" diameter) along with copper strands from a lamp cord; Detail Master provided the engine wiring in various diameters and colors.

Liquid masking film, Bob Dively Models, www.bobdivelymodels.com Microfine solder, Scale Scenics, www.circuitron.com Photo-etched piano hinges, Model Car Garage, www.modelcargarage.com Photo-etched screening, Plano Model Products, www.planomodelproducts.com Scale hardware, Micro Fasteners, www.microfasteners.com Scale hardware, ignition wire, Detail Master, www.detailmaster.com Styrene nuts and bolts, Tichy Train Group, www.tichytraingroup.com Waldron punch and die, from Roll Models, www.rollmodels.com

38 Oil and fuel lines run along the frame; latches in the fuel, oil, and radiator caps are made from brass strip inserted in drilled holes. You can see the mechanical brake linkage under the car.

A cloisonné Alfa Romeo badge procured online provided a fancy finishing touch. My log shows this model has 2,521 parts and required 252 hours spread over nine months to complete. Great fun! FSM www.FineScale.com

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Tiger Meet JAS 39C Converting, detailing this Gripen is a roarin’ good time /// MODEL BY RICARDO DACOBA

1,100 people from 17 countries watched the Tiger Meet 2011 50th celebration.

Background image: © Denisismagilov | Dreamstime.com

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hen you attend a Tiger Meet, you don’t dress as a wallflower. You bring the aircraft with the most ferocious paint scheme you’ve got to the annual NATO Tiger Association meet. In 2011 the conference was in Cambrai, France, and featured 13 participants, one being the 211 Squadron from the Czech Republic. With it came the Saab JAS 39C Gripen, with its stunning stripes and enough power to reach a top speed of Mach 2. Inspired, Ricardo Dacoba re-created this head-turner by turning the 1/48 scale Italeri JAS 39A into a JAS 39C.

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Ricardo started by thinning the canards’ edges. He reinforced the connections with styrene pegs, smoothing with putty.

He joined the intakes and fuselage halves then reshaped the canard roots and moved the mounts 2mm forward, drilling new holes.

3 Ricardo integrated a resin APU housing and removed the air brake interiors to make space inside the engine nozzle.

4 Underneath, he relocated vents to correct their position, filling a void and adding new detail with more styrene.

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Prior to rebuilding the main gear wells, Ricardo cut them out with a motor tool.

He used spare parts, styrene stock, and wire to scratchbuild new main gear well interiors …

7 … and the nose gear wells.

Epoxy putty

8 Scratchbuilding eliminated space for the 20 grams of ballast needed to balance the plane. Instead, Ricardo used the nose cone to make an epoxy putty form. He melted wax over the form then poured molten lead into the wax; the solidified lead then fit into the nose. To avoid being poisoned, always wear gloves and a respirator and ensure good ventilation when melting lead.

9 The Italeri interior was sparse, so Ricardo decided to scratchbuild. He modified an Aires F-18 seat and loaded the rest of the space with spare parts and new fabrications. www.FineScale.com

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Paint and light dry-brushing made everything look like it belonged.

“One weak point is the joining of the fuselage with the canopy,” says Ricardo. He filled the gap forward of the instrument panel with 2mm of putty, smoothed, then shaped.

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Smoothly joining the wings to the fuselage required hours of sanding.

Ricardo cut up kit parts and installed Aires engine nozzles. Here you can see the difference between the Aires nozzle (left) and the one supplied by the kit.

Ricardo also built the instrument-panel coaming with epoxy putty.

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Topside, Ricardo airbrushed Tamiya dark sea gray (XF-54).

The underside is a lighter shade of the same color.

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Ricardo painted the vertical tail and canards white to make the decals stand out.

Before applying the decals, a dark watercolor wash was used to highlight the panels. He removed the excess with a cloth moistened with water, wiping in the direction of airflow.

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Ricardo formed epoxy putty around the drop tank, then sculpted a tiger stripe stencil.

He airbrushed flat black stripes on the tanks …

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... and overpainted with Tamiya clear yellow. “With a symmetrical pattern, I could use the same template to paint both sides,” he says.

The nozzle was painted with Testors Model Master jet exhaust enamel and touches of black.

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The ejection seat was completed with seat belts made from aluminum foil.

Sidewinder missiles from Revell’s F-15E Strike Eagle (85-5511) arm the fighter.

After printing decals for the tail and canards, Ricardo painted over any visible printing issues before putting them on the aircraft.

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He continued the tiger pattern by painting stripes down the fuselage. Like the drop tanks, he painted flat black and airbrushed clear yellow.

Lastly, Ricardo used oil paints to reproduce hydraulic fluid drippings and dirt before adding a thin coat of Testors flat clear. FSM www.FineScale.com

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Scratchbuilding tips and tricks A master modeler shares the secrets to shipshape modeling /// BY DAVE STRAUB

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y model of the USS Langley, America’s first aircraft carrier, as a seaplane tender near the end of her career represents not only years of work but also a lifetime of skills I’ve developed. Some of the techniques, like carving and sanding, date back to when I started modeling with Strombecker solid wood kits. Others, such as resin-casting, and brass-bending and soldering, I’ve learned through trial and error.

Getting started There was a time when scratchbuilding was de rigueur for modelers. Whether it was replacing a simple kit cockpit with a betterdetailed option from styrene or building an entire Soviet T-60 tank, most builders dabbled in the art. However, many would argue that today is a golden age for modeling, given the range of kits available and the breadth of subject matter covered. So, why scratchbuilt at all? For many of the same reasons as in 82 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

the past: to build something for which there is no kit, like the Langley, to have one in the scale you want. The latter is true for the collections of 1/62 scale seaplanes and 1/200 scale dirigibles I’ve built, 1. But more than that, scratchbuilding gives a sense of accomplishment. I got into it 20 years ago, and it opened up a whole new world of freedom and enjoyment for me. Plus, it raised my skills to a higher level. With each model, I stretch my abilities and do things a little bit better.

Research and references Once I’ve made up my mind what I want to build, I start collecting all the plans, drawings, and photos. The images include in-action and walkaround photos. This process takes time — five years for the Langley — so I make a file folder to keep everything together. It’s divided into subgroups marked with pieces of colored paper, 2. Those groups include models that I have seen, overall pictures, and detail photos of specific areas of the subject. This dossier makes it easy to find what I need as I’m planning and building. I digitize drawings and plans, reducing or enlarging them to the scale of the model, 3. A lot of them are old blueprints and require tedious digital cleanup, but they provide the best starting place.

1 My 1/200 scale USS Shenandoah was built on an aluminum bar with foam-core frames and pine stringers.

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It takes years to gather the necessary reference material for a scratchbuilding project, so it pays to keep it organized.

But I never rely on drawings alone; they may have been done quickly to satisfy a publication, or they might show the subject as planned rather than in service. Photos are the best way to see how a plane or ship looked in service, reflecting any changes that may have been made.

Basic tools Many basic modeling tools apply to scratchbuilding, 4. Hobby knives with a variety of blade shapes should be on every workbench, but I also use scalpels. They are extremely sharp — keener than hobby blades — and wonderful for cutting fine detail. Also invaluable are single-edge razor blades. Flush cutters, sometimes called sprue cutters, are essential. I have two. The first, a

Converting plans from blueprints (bottom) often requires digital cleanup. Photos clarify questions and reveal upgrades and refits.

standard cutter that I have labeled “softpoint,” is used only on plastic and very thin brass. I never use it on steel or music wire because they would damage the blades. Instead, I have cutters with surgical, hardened steel blades that will go through music wire without injury. While we’re on cutting tools, let’s not forget razor saws. Different types of teeth provide a variety of widths. Some are better for harder materials, such as brass. I especially like the newer Czech saws, great for thin cuts. You can’t have too many tweezers of different shapes and sizes. I recommend spending a little extra money to buy wellmade tweezers with accurate tips. Grab a block of pith wood to keep the tips clean. Round-headed toothpicks are one of the

most valuable tools you can have because they have so many applications. And then you should buy a series of files. There are sand-board files and the nail files beauticians use. If you go to a beautician supply house, you can buy the thinner ones with different grits on each side. This is much cheaper than buying them from a hobby store. Sandpaper should always be close at hand, so I store strips of 180-, 320-, 400-, and 600-grit sandpaper in cookie tins on my workbench. Specialized devices can hold sandpaper for a multitude of tasks, but more often than not, I’ll sand an edge onto a wooden tongue depressor or popsicle stick, then wrap sandpaper around it. Sanding sticks in several grits can be found at hobby and beauty stores. www.FineScale.com

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4 When it comes to scratchbuilding, you can’t have too many tools. Every project requires not only standard modeling tools but also power saws, sanders, drills, and lathes.

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5 I used a punch and die to make glass for the numerous portholes on the USS Langley.

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6 A good selection of cutting bits will make a lot of jobs easier.

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This combination belt and disc sander works well for shaping wooden parts and masters.

Scores of pine strips run from end to end in the dirigibles. This miniature table saw makes quick work of all those stringers.

Coral is not a standard color for Unimat lathes, but that was the color I had handy when I refurbished mine. I turn wood, resin, styrene, and brass on it.

Again, spend a little extra to get highquality files, especially if you are doing a lot of shaping. A variety of sizes and shapes is good; I use my collection of rifflers and rattail files for hard-to-reach spots and awkward shapes. Remember to buy a cleaning brush to go with the files. You can’t beat 0000 steel wool for final smoothing before painting, but you have to be careful with it in tight spots. To apply glues and accelerator, I use fine and micro brushes. But the best thing I’ve found for adding a dot of super glue is a dentist’s micro file, used during root canals. They are available in different sizes; I use the blue No. 40. For paint mixing and filler application, I recommend painter’s palette knives or spatulas. Sturdy, thin, and flexible, they also are easy to clean.

right then if you have identical lengths. Precision metal squares, as well as their plastic cousins, are essential for working with drawings and producing straight lines on styrene and metal. To guide a straight cut, I use a metal plate with a knob attached. For really accurate measurements, I use calipers. I prefer the older mechanical ones, but digital devices are also available and relatively inexpensive. Pliers hold parts during cutting and bending, so I have several, including needle- and bent-nose. I made a simple holder with three dowels and end caps to protect the tips and keep the pliers and cutters organized. Vises secure parts or the entire model while you work or paint. I have several, ranging from large bench-mounted units to some small enough to hold in your hand. I have several designed for working on circuit boards that are perfect for holding small parts. For really small, odd shapes, I use a tri-claw wire grasper. When I need to make holes or discs, I turn to my large collection of punches and beading tools, 5. I use the living daylights out of my pin vises and drill bits. In addition to opening

portholes and such, I drill holes into thin parts to be joined, such as wings and struts, to accept music-wire pins.

Advanced tools Old-school drafting tools — dividers, compasses, and squares — are worth their weight in gold. I transfer dimensions from drawings to the model using dividers and compasses, and they’re perfect for checking symmetry. Mark the center and swing the dividers from one side to the other and you’ll know 84 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

Power tools For heavy-duty drilling, I use two drill presses: one purpose-built, the other a Dremel stand that converts into a motor tool. Hand-held motor tools are great for shaping and sanding everything, so I also have a large selection of cutting and grinding bits, 6. I drilled shallow holes into a wooden block to store them. I often work with wood, for parts and for carving masters, so I have a couple of grinders and a belt sander, 7. A Craftsman handheld motor tool does great detail work when carving and shaping; miniature pad and belt sanders finish the job. To cut brass rod and tube, I use a highspeed cutter, essentially a small chop saw. I cut long strips of wood with a miniature table saw, 8. One of my favorite tools is my reconditioned Unimat lathe, 9. It sees constant use, whether I’m turning a single part or a master for a resin casting. In addition to wood, I turn slugs of resin on the machine. Most of the time, the most

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More than 44" long, the Langley’s hull was bigger than any single piece of jelutong. So, I laminated three with screws and glue.

I’ve made the side cuts for a wooden Boeing 314 and have taped the excess back on in preparation for the plan view cuts.

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With the rough hull of the Curtiss NC-4 secured in a vise, I refine the shapes with power- and hand-sanding.

Easy to cut and glue, styrene is ideal for building structures, such as the Langley’s bridge.

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Sheet styrene is consistently thick. I used it for overlapping plates on the carrier’s hull.

I used long strips, rather than trying to model individual plates. Clear nail polish brushed over tape masks “welded” them.

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Evergreen Scale Models styrene comes in myriad structural shapes. I turned the crane pulleys on a lathe.

Evergreen L-beam styrene forms the towers that support the Langley’s flight deck. They were all different, so I built them separately.

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Brass is best for davits because it bends without breaking and holds its shape.

Brass’ strength helped the safety-net supports. Small containers organize parts.

I joined the parts with resistance soldering. The alligator clip serves as a heat sink.

therapeutic thing I can do is turn something on a lathe. An end mill is nice, too, but it’s definitely more expensive and I don’t get as much use out of mine as I do the lathe.

can be applied in a thin layer. For detail work where even a little excess glue would be a problem, I use Micro-Mark Liquid PSA (pressure-sensitive adhesive). About the consistency of white glue, PSA is easy to apply. For the portholes on the Langley, I looped a little of the glue around the inside of the frame, where it dried crystal clear but stayed tacky. It saved my bacon when I attached the planes on the deck. I ended up moving them, and I was able to pry them off without damaging either the planes or the painted deck. All modelers should have this in their arsenal.

spatula and let it dry. If it’s not right, you can wipe off the spackle with a damp cloth. I use Elmer’s wood filler to smooth imperfections in parts and masters made of wood.

Glues The adhesive I use depends on the materials being joined and the strength required. To attach wood to itself and anything else, I use Elmer’s yellow wood glue; it dries strong and can be cut and sanded. White glue is great for paper, and when mixed with water it can be used to stiffen thread for rigging lines and tissue for tarps. If I need time to mess with positioning and alignment, I use epoxy. The 5-minute stuff works well for quicker jobs, the 15-minute for fiddly jobs. Just make sure you mix the components equally or it won’t cure. Super glue, sometimes called cyanoacrylate adhesive (CA), is essential for joining small things. I use the medium consistency stuff all the time with kicker or accelerator to speed setting. I poured resin into an old spray-can lid and held the bottle in it as the resin set so it doesn’t tip over during use. I can refill that bottle, and I use the end of the accelerant’s spray-nozzle tube to apply a drop of kicker to a join. For bonding large, flat surfaces, I use 3M Super 77 spray adhesive. It’s strong and 86 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

Fillers I’m not a fan of old-style modeling putties, like Squadron Green, because the stuff I’ve had always dries in the tube. Instead, I use auto-body putty; it will last a lifetime and is inexpensive. For heavy-duty filling, like reshaping the Langley’s hull or filling large gaps, I use straight Bondo. Two-part epoxy putty works for small gaps, but I don’t think it’s strong enough for larger jobs. A filler I’ve come to rely on for small jobs is vinyl spackling compound. Say you need to eliminate a minor defect in a wing or a gap at the wing root. Swipe a little compound over the area with an artist’s

Woodwork Whether it’s the master for a flying boat’s hull or the Langley’s hull, many of my models start as a block of wood, 10. I use basswood or jelutong. Both are easy to work and have even density. In other woods, such as pine, the density varies between the rings; sanding produces undulations. I attach the three-view drawings to a block and cut around one of the outlines with a band saw. To provide a flat surface for the block to sit on, I taped the justremoved chunks back onto the block and cut along the next side, 11. I finish the initial shaping with a belt sander, then refine shapes with files, sanding sticks, and sandpaper, 12.

Working with styrene Evergreen Scale Models is a lifesaver, producing styrene in hundreds of shapes and sizes, including rod, tube, and sheet. I probably have $1,000 worth of the stuff on hand and used at least that on the Langley. Styrene is easy to cut with most modeling tools, including hobby knives and scis-

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The Langley’s portholes had brass frames, so I made them with brass tube. A specially shaped dowel aided installation.

If you need a lot of something, you can’t beat resin-casting. This is all of the Langley’s Consolidated P2Y-3 flying boats, out of the mold and ready for cleanup.

I made a master for the Curtiss SOC Seagulls on the Langley with wood for the body, wings, and float, turned resin for the cowl, and stripstyrene details.

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I disassembled the master, suspended the components on thin styrene strips, and placed them in a foam-core flask. Next, I’ll pour in RTV rubber to make a mold.

Thin parts, such as ladders, struts, props, and wheels, can be cast in a shallow one-piece mold. After pouring on the resin, I level it with a Popsicle stick.

I use a vacuum chamber to draw bubbles of trapped air out of the RTV, preventing voids in the mold.

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For hollow objects, like a dirigible’s gondola, I use rotational casting. Turning the molds lets liquid resin flow into details as it sets.

I coax the resin into grooves and recesses with a toothpick. You have to work pretty quickly before the resin sets.

I molded some gondolas solid, then hollowed them with a cutting bit on a motor tool.

sors, and can be joined with most model cements. I used it extensively on the Langley, not only to build the superstructure and decks, 13, but for strips along the hull to represent plates, 14. Clear nail polish brushed between strips of tape produced weld seams, 15. In addition, I used various shapes to assemble girders and cranes, 16. The right-angle L stock was perfect for flight-deck framing and supports; they are all different so I built them individually, 17. For other parts, such as window frames and stairs, I made styrene masters to make molds for casting resin copies.

Metal work

Brass tubing is useful for exhausts. And in the case of the Langley’s portholes, I drilled holes in the hull and inserted rings formed by cutting brass tube in the chop saw. I created a special tool out of a dowel to install the rings, 21. Aluminum is more malleable than brass, so I used aluminum tubing for the hawse pipes on the Langley. Gentle pressure made the cross section oblong.

Brass has flexibility and strength, great for thin objects such as railings. I made a form from pins to bend davits for the Langley’s boats, 18. The flight deck is surrounded by safety nets supported by rods. I knew styrene would not be rigid enough, so I used brass, 19. To ensure solid joins, I outlined the deck with brass L stock and attached the 60 net rods with resistance soldering, 20. Instead of an iron, an electrical current running through the joint generates heat. An alligator clip served as a heat sink to protect previous soldering work.

Mastering resin Of all the techniques I use, resin casting gets more use than most, whether it’s for airships, flying boats, or the Langley. www.FineScale.com

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Above and below decks, details cram the Langley. I cast the boarding ladder in resin and detailed it with brass handrails.

In transit, the wings of the P2Ys were stowed in a rack on the stern. You can also see a few of the dozen N scale figures on the model.

The bow gives away Langley’s origins as a collier. Here you can see the turned-brass binnacle and marker lights.

I filled all of the brass portholes with clear styrene discs held in place with pressure-sensitive adhesive.

Working from a master, I can produce scores of copies of any object I need a lot of, such as the Langley’s window frames or the P2Y-3s that occupy the carrier’s deck, 22. The process starts with making a perfect master, which can be constructed from styrene, carved in wood, or maybe both, 23. Spend time on this master and you’ll spend a lot less time cleaning up the castings. The surface needs to be smooth and free of blemishes, because any imperfection will be transferred to the casting. I coat masters with a thick automotive body primer that fills minor scratches and dimples, then smooth the surface with 0000 steel wool. Now, I’m ready to make the mold with room-temperature vulcanizing (RTV) rubber or silicone, placing the object inside a box. Foam-core sealed with super glue makes a terrific container, or flask, 24. Whenever possible, I use a one-part mold; there’s no futzing with alignment and no reason to use mold-release agents 88 Experts Guide to Superdetailing

that might soften details, 25. If you have to make a two-part mold, pour the first half to about halfway up the flask and let it set. Then you can cut chunks out of the rubber, coat it with mold release, and pour the next layer of RTV. The cutouts will align the halves. Remember to leave channels at the top and bottom of the mold: one to pour the resin into, the other for it to flow out of and prevent air being trapped. For complex shapes, such as the hull of a flying boat that I made a single master of, I will make one mold of the lower half. Then, I flip it over and make a mold of the upper half. In both cases, I pour the RTV past a key feature, such as a belt line, that I can use to mark the join for the resin parts. If you plan to do a lot of casting, consider investing in a vacuum pump and a simple bell jar, 26. Placing the mold and freshly poured RTV in the jar and removing the air should draw out air trapped in the RTV.

Casting about Pour-casting is easy. Mix the resin — don’t whip it, just stir it steadily until the liquid is clear — and pour it slowly into the mold. Once it’s had time to set, you can pop it out of the mold. Bubbles form when air is trapped in the mold. Gently squeezing small molds can work, but I prefer to stir the resin in the mold with a toothpick to dislodge air and encourage the resin to fill fine creases. For some parts, I pour in a little resin and turn the mold around to get the resin to flow into details, 27; a toothpick can help, 28. This kind of rotational casting produces hollow objects; otherwise, I might have to hog them out with a motor tool. But it takes special care not to punch through the skin, 29. Spin-casting uses centrifugal force to push resin into the outer depths of the mold as it sets. I repurposed a blood centrifuge for this. FSM

Built for the Borg Photo-etching and foraging, cubed /// BY JEFF POLLIZZOTTO

T

he idea for modeling the Borg Cube from Star Trek: First Contact was inspired by a work assignment I had received to build a refrigerator display prototype for a major soft drink company. The design incorporated a 6" Lumin Disc in the door handle. This disc immediately reminded me of the large ones above the Borg alcoves in several Trek adventures. They are available in many colors — I chose “Borg green” and planned to use it in a base for the model. Using the disc as a focal point, I decided on a 10" cube. The top

would be removable; the bottom would be part of the mount. Early on, I conceded that modeling an exact replica would be futile (pun intended). But I thought I could achieve something evocative — though they were similar, no two cubes were alike. Variations also showed up between actual studio models and the later computergenerated versions. In addition to superdetailing the surfaces of the cube, I wanted to install LEDs to produce the green glow that emanates from the cube. www.FineScale.com

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1 Fiber Optic Products’ Lumin Disc transforms electrical impulses into a light display that responds to music, voice, or touch.

3 The sides’ features were cut out on a milling machine. This also could be done with a router or the tried-and-true “hole and saw” method.

5 Exterior detail was built up in layers using custom vacuum-formed parts, plastic piping, kit parts, and many scratchbuilt items.

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2 Using a miniature table saw, I cut six square sides from .100" styrene sheet. I penciled in designs, including open areas.

4 I built an 8" cube to mount inside the 10" cube to provide a place for the green LEDs and keep the interior from looking hollow.

6 Modeling a Borg Sphere began with two 2"-diameter clear acrylic domes. I filled them with plaster and used them as masters to vacuumform .020" and .040" sheet styrene.

7

8

I penciled designs on the sphere surfaces and cut openings with a drill and small keyhole saw, finishing with needle files. A chunk of .100" styrene served as a mount for four LEDs: two white, a red, and a green.

9

Sphere sections were cut up for surface details; they started out in pie shapes but were diced further.

10

Exterior detail was added with styrene strips, pinheads, metal washers, thin music wire, and photo-etch (PE) before gray primer.

11

Metal tubing served as a mount for the sphere as well as a conduit for its wiring.

12

The docking bay for the sphere was made from 2 ⁄ " ABS pipe and adorned with styrene bits and pieces, including tank kit parts. 14

A styrene disc served as a door for the dock. I added two square green LEDs to the door’s inside. The docking ring was made from .040" and .080" styrene. Two black jeweler’s screws attach it to the cube. www.FineScale.com

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13

14

Myriad materials and a Micro-Mark MicroLux miniature table saw helped make the cube ornate. I pulled spare parts from tank, ship, train, aircraft, and sci-fi kits, and threw in pinheads, washers, rivets, and other metal bits. I even collected donations from fellow modelers!

I had a circular vacuum-form master that I had already made up for the soft drink display (the project that started this trouble). I trimmed it to accommodate the face of the Lumin disc and built a base that would hold the disc as well as the rest of the electronics.

15

16

I needed a strong base that would hold the cube steady and accommodate wiring. I built the stand around 3⁄8" aluminum tubing using 1⁄8", 1⁄4", and 3⁄8" styrene.

The stand was suitably rigid. Good thing — the cube weighs more than 4 pounds! The Borg-style black tubing is split loom tubing for electronics; it’s easy to cut and needed no painting.

17

18

I made more than 200 PE parts for the cube’s exterior using MicroMark’s Pro-Etch System. The designs are drawn on computer; it’s always a good idea to draw the artwork at least 50% larger than final size.

Next step: Reverse the artwork and use a good inkjet printer to print black on the film supplied in the PE kit. This photo-resistant material has to be laminated to the metal for etching. These steps should be done in subdued light; you don’t want to expose the film just yet.

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19

20

You can use daylight to expose the art on the metal, but I do it indoors with a 100-watt bulb. This takes longer (10 minutes or so) but it’s more accurate.

After exposure, the metal is placed in developer that eats away the unhardened, photo-resistant material. Then the metal is bathed in ferric chloride (etch). The areas hardened in the last step protect the metal you want from etching, while the etching bath removes unprotected metal. Voila! PE parts. (Caution: Always wear gloves and eye protection.)

21

22

I primed the model with Duro automotive primer, then used a mix of Tamiya chrome silver, metallic blue, and dark gray for the cube and sphere’s predominant color.

Detail was painted with flat aluminum, copper, and gold acrylics. I scraped PE parts with a knife to remove paint and give them a distressed look. Black artist’s oil washes deepened shadowy areas.

Meet Jeff Pollizzotto

23 This is the most intense model I’ve ever scratchbuilt by far, and the heaviest. It took 10 months, weighs more than 4 pounds, and, in addition to the PE, it demanded more than 7,000 styrene pieces. But resistance was futile. FSM

Jeff’s father, a WWII vet, got him into model aircraft before he was 3. “I went from wood planes to plastic planes, tanks, ships, cars, and everything in between!” Jeff says. “Growing up on Saturday sci-fi and fantasy shows exposed me to spaceships. Forbidden Planet, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and The War of the Worlds inspired me, and I’ve been a sci-fi fan ever since.” A versatile modeler by day, he’s been building point-of-purchase prototypes for more than 30 years. Jeff and his wife, Luann Reneé, live in Levittown, N.Y.

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SHOW GALLERY

But wait, there’s more! These models have detail by the car … err, ship … um, spacecraft load.

There’s no shortage of detailing on all kinds of models. FSM shot these at the IPMS/USA National Convention, WonderFest, and EagleQuest, and talked to the builders about their work.

JIM KRAUSE LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

IF YOU’RE LOOKING at Jim’s desert patrol craft and thinking you haven’t seen that before, you’d be right. He scratchbuilt the 1/20 scale ship around a Maschinen Krieger figure using sheet styrene and repurposed kit parts from tanks,

planes, and cars. He cut and filed RenShape styling board, then clad it with sheet and strip styrene for the main body; brass and aluminum tubing was used for the guns in the front and some of the exhaust system and muffler on the top. “I love designing sci-fi

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vehicles, so I’m always playing around with ideas,” says Jim. “This one started with the pilot and the seat. I wanted an open cockpit — really open — and I wanted it to look like it would be fun to fly.” After picking the pilot and seat, he sketched the idea and

made a wooden mock-up. What advice does he give would-be scratchbuilders? “Sounds simple, but just go for it,” Jim says. “Come up with an idea and give it a go. The main thing is have a blast. That’s what it’s really all about anyway!”

TERRY BARROW CLINTON, MISSOURI

TO MAKE Monogram’s 1/24 scale 1926 Mack truck more authentic, Terry scratchbuilt the bed from balsa and basswood cut with a hobby saw and knife. Super glue

joins some of the wood, but most of it is held together with metal pins and hardware he made. He stained the woodwork using oil paint thinned with

mineral spirits and sealed with Testors Model Master enamel clear flat. The rest of the vehicle was painted with Tamiya acrylics. When working with wood,

Terry is mindful of a carpenter’s advice: Take your time, measure twice, and cut once. “Always keep scale in mind,” he says. “If it looks too big, it probably is.”

ejection-seat handles, HUDs, and more details for the cockpit. He opened the canopy and drooped the flaps to suggest hydraulic bleed while the ship is at rest on the ground.

Modified Hasegawa deck equipment provides service and power carts. He painted the ship with Tamiya acrylics, GSI Creos Mr. Color paints, and Alclad II metallic lacquers.

ANTHONY GOODMAN LONDON, ONTARIO, CANADA

BORROWING IDEAS from aircraft modelers, Anthony added a ton of detail to Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale VF-1A Valkyrie from the anime series Macross. “I used Hasegawa’s photo-etch

(PE) detail set (for the Valkyrie) to add vents, grilles, antennas, and thrust-vectoring fins,” he says. He bolstered that detail with Eduard PE for an F-15, aluminum-tube gun barrels, and scratchbuilt

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DAVE OLSZEWSKI CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA

DAVE THOUGHT Moebius’ 1/32 scale Viper Mk.VII from Battlestar Galactica deserved an upgrade. So, he dressed up a cockpit tub from a 1/32 scale F-18 with

sheet-styrene walls and an instrument panel fitted with Eduard photo-etched (PE) dials for the space fighter; the rear deck was embellished with spare parts

and wire. The Hornet’s seat was also conscripted for the Colonial Fleet, along with Eduard PE belts. Spare plastic and PE produced an actuator for the canopy. Dave

plumbed the landing-gear with spare parts and wire. Several shades of blue gray make the Colonial fighter look faded and worn.

DAVID CARLTON GEORGETOWN, TEXAS

AS THE FLEDGLING U.S. missile program progressed through the late 1940s, a WAC Corporal sounding rocket was mounted on a V-2 to test two-stage separation at speed; the result was the Bumper. David’s detailed 1/35 scale cutaway includes a few kit parts, notably the half of the center and boat tail, and modified fins from Revell Germany’s V-2.

“This was an experiment to see if I could replicate the nonuniform surface texture, overlaps, and oil can-like wrinkles seen on museum V-2s,” he says. He removed surface detail and replaced it with two layers of Flight Metals aluminum. “I used Rosie the Riveter — single and double-track type, both 1/32 and 1/48 scale — to replicate tack

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welds found on the original V-2s,” he says. He made new parts from resin and sheet and rod styrene, with brass tube for the Corporal body and Scale Detail wires for electrical systems. He shaped the fuel tanks by wrapping .010" styrene around a mandrel and dipping it in boiling water. The bulkheads in the V-2

were made with a circle cutter. Among the more unusual items are doll-eye bulkheads in the Corporal. The V-2’s engine is a model unto itself, with a 3-D-printed bell connected to turbo pumps, pressure tanks, gauges, lines, exhausts, insulated tubes, and a frame scratchbuilt from Evergreen styrene tube, sheet, and shapes.

SAM MORGAN SPENCER, NORTH CAROLINA

THE MAJOR TASK of the World War II escort carrier USS Barnes was to deliver personnel and aircraft forward in the Pacific. Sam built Pit-Road’s 1/700 scale USS Bogue as Barnes looked during one of these missions, first removing molded-on parts like tread plate and arrestor wires with hobby knives, scalpels, and special tools he made to get into

tight spaces. He filled the oversize portholes and drilled new ones, added keels and rudders to the ship’s boats, and scratchbuilt paravanes, anchor winches, gun directors, and some masts. He reshaped the anchors and replaced the molded anchor chain with metal links. Anti-aircraft armament was also upgraded. Sam replaced the

40mm gun barrels with stretched sprue. The 20mm guns comprise five pieces: the barrel made from stretched sprue, gun shield made from sheet styrene, a pedestal shaped from sprue, and a pair of curved shoulder braces made from wire. Gold Medal Models’ photo-etch provided railings, the main-mast cage supports, and radar dishes.

The aircraft, from Fujimi, Hasegawa, and Tsukuda sets, were all modified. Sam backdated P-51Ds to Bs, and all of the P-47s, F4Fs, Avengers, and Dauntlesses received styrene nose grafts to correct length. He replaced the landing gear with scratchbuilt legs and wheels after cutting out wells. Props, gear doors, pylons, and drop tanks also were added.

was a challenging task, since this kit was originally created in the mid-’60s and had lot of issues that needed to be corrected.” IndyCals provided an accurate resin nose that Andy thinned to fit over the frame before installing magnets to facilitate removal.

After bisecting the kit hood, he joined the halves with a photoetched piano hinge from Model Car Garage. Opening it exposes the kit engine, beefed up with scratchbuilt timing and cam covers, starter yoke, and water intake. The exhaust was

scratchbuilt using aluminum tubes and mated to the header. Alclad II hot-metal lacquers discolored the pipes. Andy replaced the plastic suspension components with Albion Alloys aluminum tubes painted with Alclad II chrome.

ANDY CALDWELL ROCKLEDGE, FLORIDA

A FAN OF INDY ROADSTERS from the ’50s and ’60s, Andy has long desired modern kits. Instead, he made do with AMT’s Parnelli Jones racer. “I tried to keep the build faithful to the way the car looked in the 1963 Indy 500,” he says. “It

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VLADIMIR YAKUBOV NEWARK, CALIFORNIA

VLADIMIR’S SCRATCHBUILT Russian auxiliary cruiser Lena started with a resin hull of a generic passenger steamer from the late 19th century. Using plans from an 1896 engineering magazine, Vladimir reshaped the hull and installed

Artworx self-adhesive wooden decking. He inserted brass rods into a rotary tool, and, using it like a lathe, he shaped them into masts; he soldered together the segments. Aftermarket details include: LionRoar photo-etched railings;

120mm guns from North Star Models’ Russian cruiser Novik set; and boats, 47mm guns, deflectors, anchors, and ladders from several Combrig kits. “If you are building models from before 1922 and there is limited information about your

removed the fenders on either side of the separate hood to better access the engine. Vacuum-formed flares complete the transformation. The tires started as wooden rings that Joe coated with rubber paint.

After painting the car with Testors Model Master spray-can gloss black, he polished the finish to a high shine. The crowning touch was the Union Jack on the roof that Joe raised with decals and clear coat.

▶ JOE SCAVOTTO DUNWOODY, GEORGIA

JOE SPENT FOUR YEARS souping up Tamiya’s 1/12 scale Mini Cooper. Except for the body shell, fenders, engine block, and wheels, he scratchbuilt details to create a replica of a real Sports Car Club of America GT5 race car. The engine has new carburetors, an aluminum air box, new radiators, overflow bottles, and is fully plumbed and wired. Washes emphasized the engine bay detail and reflect the real car’s busy career. The same attention carries to the suspension, including control arms and braces, coil overs on all four corners, and disc-brake rotors and calipers. Inside, the driver’s seat is shaped from aluminum, upholstered with foam, and draped with a cloth harness. More aluminum, this time cut from a baking tray, serves for inner door panels, the rear deck, and the floor. Joe’s scratchbuilt dashboard includes dials and controls. The roll cage features large-gauge wire sheathing for padding, with Bare-Metal Foil for clamps. In addition to opening the race car’s doors and trunk, Joe

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subject, look in various online libraries such as Google books or Archive.org,” Vladimir says. “Old books often contain very good photographs and line drawings.” Also, long-standing newspapers often have photos not otherwise available.

SCOTT WASHINGTON ATLANTA, GEORGIA DRAWING INSPIRATION from the artwork of Ian McQue, Scott scratchbuilt three 1/160 scale sky boats in traffic. The hulls were vacuumformed with styrene using masters carved from urethane foam. “I carve the foam with just about anything that will work,” says Scott. “The foam is the 10-pound-density type — hard enough to carve and sand, yet very workable.” He uses clay sculpting tools and hobby knives to carve, and ballpoint pens for scoring the surface; pretty much anything with a hard, clean edge will work, he says. The foam withstands the heat of vacuum-forming and allows for a variety of shapes. “I can go as organic as I want,” he says. He

scratchbuilds some details, but kit parts supply many greeblies. “It usually takes about a week or two to come up with a design that I like and then carve the master,” he says. “But depending on the level of detail and size (of the model) I can complete one in about two or three weeks, start to finish. I love sci-fi hardware in all its forms!” FSM

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