FineScale.com
MASTER MODELER COOKIE SEWELL ON ARMOR
»
Kitbash a preproduction T-72
– p.26
July 2015
AIRBRUSHING CAMO WE SHOW YOU HOW
Aaron Skinner’s step-by-step guide will have you painting like a pro! – p.20
111 M O RE TH AN
HOW TO Weather with pigments p.32 Model a record-breaking interceptor p.46 Superdetail small-scale armor p.40 OUR EXPERT TEAM BUILDS AND REVIEWS 9 ALL-NEW KITS
—NEW— MO DELIN PRODUC G TS PAGE 12
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE PAGE 5
p.55
p.57
p.59
Vol. 33 • Issue 6
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CONTENTS July 2015 • Vol. 33 • No. 6 Online Content Code: FSM1507 Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content.
58
20
Mottling a mid-war Messerschmitt A step-by-step guide to finishing a German fighter AARON SKINNER
26
26
Kitbash a preproduction T-72 Take three kits and turn them into one spectacular Soviet tank
32
40 40
9 NEW KITS
Page 52
• Wingnut Wings Felixstowe F.2A
54
• Orochi M3A3 Bradley
COOKIE SEWELL
32
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Weathering with pigments A simple finishing technique for a better model
• ICM C-45 Expeditor • Italeri Short Stirling Mk.IV • Tamiya SOMUA S35
BILL PLUNK
• PlusModel U.S. Motor Grader
Hefty detail for a tiny model The SdKfz 9 FAMO was more than 30' long — but in this scale, the model measures 5"!
• Tamiya F-16CJ Fighting Falcon
56
• OrangeModel F-35C • Wolfpack T-2C Buckeye
60
ROGÉRIO “RATO” MARCZAK
46
46
DARREN ROBERTS
66 66
Conquer a record-breaking Skyray Modifying Tamiya’s 1/48 scale F4D to build the fast climber
FINAL DETAILS
What’s your psi — and why? Considering one of airbrushing’s basic elements — air pressure
In Every Issue 6 8 12 14 34
Editor’s Page Scale Talk Spotlight New Products Reader Gallery
50 51 63 64 65
Questions & Answers Reader Tips Classified Marketplace Hobby Shop Directory Advertiser Index
On the Cover FSM Associate Editor Aaron Skinner’s step-by-step guide to airbrushing camouflage starts on page 20.
MARK HEMBREE
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FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.
EDITOR’S PAGE By Matthew Usher
Top airbrushing tips and armor advice WELCOME TO the July issue of FineScale Modeler! As usual, the team here at FSM HQ (as well as our many worldwide contributors) put a great deal of effort into this edition, and I’m sure you’ll find their work informative and inspirational. Airbrushing is one of the most popular topics among our readers. It’s one of the hobby’s most versatile tools, and nothing applies a more realistic finish. That’s particularly true of complex camouflage schemes. In a special six-page installment of our Airbrushing & Finishing column, FSM’s Aaron Skinner shows how to apply a complex, mid-war mottled camouflage scheme to Zvezda’s 1/48 scale Messerschmitt Bf 109F-4 in clear, easy-to-follow steps. Aaron covers everything
from hard- and soft-masking techniques, to paint thinning ratios and air-pressure settings. The step-by-step instructions are great, and the finished model looks fantastic. I’m sure you’ll find the piece motivating.
I’M SURE YOU’LL FIND THE PIECE BOTH INSPIRING AND MOTIVATING Elsewhere in the issue you’ll find a great armor-construction story from master modeler and longtime FSM contributor Cookie Sewell. Cookie’s never been one to let the lack of a kit stop him from building what he wants, and that’s certainly the case with the project he illustrates here. Using three kits and a solid portfolio of kitbashing and scratchbuilding skills, Cookie builds a Soviet-era prepro-
duction T-72. I’m sure you’ll find the tips and techniques he shares helpful, no matter what you build. Have you visited FineScale.com lately? If not, give our site a visit the next time you’re online – it’s packed with great modeling information and advice. Take a look around, and let me know what you’d like to see more (or less) of on our digital side. Thanks for tuning in, and until next time, enjoy the issue!
[email protected]
www.FineScale.com Want to learn more? For the latest news as well as modeling tips and techniques, visit our website at www.FineScale.com
Your Editorial Staff
Editor Matthew Usher editor @FineScale.com
Associate Editor Mark Hembree mhembree @FineScale.com
Associate Editor Tim Kidwell tkidwell @FineScale.com
Associate Editor Aaron Skinner askinner @FineScale.com
Editorial Associate Monica Freitag mfreitag @FineScale.com
Publisher Mark Savage msavage @Kalmbach.com
Contact Us Editorial: FineScale Modeler 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612 262-796-8776, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT Fax: 262-796-1383
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6 FineScale Modeler July 2015
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Editor Matthew W. Usher Associate Editor Mark Hembree Associate Editor Timothy Kidwell Associate Editor Aaron Skinner Editorial Associate Monica Freitag Art Director Tom Ford Illustrator Kellie Jaeger Photographer William Zuback Production Coordinator Cindy Barder Publisher Mark Savage CONTACT US
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Vice President, Editorial, Publisher Kevin P. Keefe Senior V.P., Sales & Marketing Daniel R. Lance Vice President, Consumer Marketing Nicole McGuire Advertising Director Scott Bong Corporate Art Director Maureen M. Schimmel Art and Production Manager Michael Soliday Circulation Manager Cathy Daniels Single Copy Specialist Kim Redmond ADVISORY BOARD John Noack, Paul Boyer, Shep Paine, Bob Collignon, Cookie Sewell, Pat Covert, Rusty White, Pat Hawkey ©2015, Kalmbach Publishing Co. All rights reserved. Title is registered as trademark. This publication may not be reproduced in part or in whole without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations used in reviews. Postmaster: Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha, Wisconsin, and additional offices. Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. SUBSCRIPTION RATES: single copy $5.99; U.S.: 1 year (10 issues), $39.95; 2 years (20 issues), $74.95; 3 years (30 issues), $94.95. Canada: Add $8 postage per year. All other international subscriptions: Add $12 postage per year. Payable in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank. Canadian price includes GST (Canada Publication Mail Agreement #40010760, BN 12271 3209 RT). Expedited Delivery Service: Domestic First Class, add $20/yr.; Canadian air, add $20/yr.; International air, add $45/yr. Letters, new releases, and new-product information are accepted as gratis contributions to FineScale Modeler. Feature articles and scale drawings are paid for on acceptance. All other submissions are paid for upon publication, at which time FineScale Modeler obtains all reproduction rights unless otherwise agreed. Instructions for submitting features, photographs, and drawings for publication are available from the editorial associate or online at www.FineScale.com/contribute. Unsolicited material will be returned only if postage and envelope are provided. FineScale Modeler is not responsible for the safe return of unsolicited material. Printed in U.S.A.
July 2015
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7
SCALE TALK Your voice in FSM 1/35 Scale
Convert scale drawings to the work at hand. Make copies of your plans to use as templates; glue them right to the plastic for large parts, such as hull plates.
Lower-hull components: Add details while the parts are still lying flat. Glue the plates in place after the parts and panel lines are on.
Common scratchbuilding materials • • • • •
Scratchbuilding the SS-Ki, a World War II Japanese engineering vehicle, was a challenge Harvey was happy to take — and he was reasonably sure that no 1/35 scale kit was forthcoming. Here, he shares tips you can use to get started when you decide to take on the scratchbuilding challenge.
Tips and tricks for
Soft wood, such as basswood or balsa Casting resin Brass sheet and rod Photoetched metal Bolt heads and other details from Grandt Line and Tichy Train Group • Molded kit parts from your spare-parts box (regardless of original scale) • Good old styrene sheet, rod, tubing, and other assorted shapes in various sizes TIP: Hobby shops with model railroading supplies probably have the best selections of styrene, brass, and other scratchbuilding materials. Visit craft and hardware stores for supplies not usually found in hobby shops.
Fenders can be scored and folded for sharp angles, or heated and bent for curved ends.
scratchbuilding armor No model, no problem — you can build your own BY HARVEY LOW
WHAT DO YOU DO when you want a model but there is no kit? Instead of patiently waiting for it to appear, why not scratchbuild it yourself ? The right measurements, materials, and a few specialized tools can make scratchbuilding easier and more rewarding. These tips can be applied to simpler projects for armor, cars, and aircraft, too.
The most important part of this scratchbuild is a sound, square hull. The hull dimensions will determine the accuracy and proper scale of everything else you add to it.
Sources for Japanese vehicle
Take to the Skies with AMT! AMT continues to reintroduce more historic aircraft kits from original vintage tooling! First released in the late 1970s, these 1/48 scale kits were all about detail, easy assembly and fun in modeling. Positive parts locators ensure every piece is going where it is supposed to, for the finest replicas possible. The newest reissue in the series is the Beechcraft G17S Staggerwing, a classic biplane of the 1930’s. It joins the Stinson Reliant SR-9 in a line of kits that are perfect for beginners and seasoned modelers alike!
Beechcraft Kit Features s %ASY TO ASSEMBLE s #LEAR 7INDOWS s &ULL