Tamiya Model Magazine Issue 256 2017-02

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£4.30 February 2017 ISSUE 256

MODELLING TH CLIPPED-WING 'S E PIT Eduard's delic ious 1:48 Spitfire Mk.XV I in detail

OBJECT OF DESIR E Test-shot prev iew Revell’s all-new of 1:24 McLaren 570S

STREET

R E T H G FI

Tamiya's stunning new 1:12 Kawasaki H2R Ninja, full-build

Tamiya’s 1:48 StuG.III ausf.B, Bandai Gundam in 1:100, AMK MiG-31, plus new kits, books and modelling accessories… p 01 CoverTMMI 256MN.indd 1

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www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook search Tamiya UK Sign Up to our Newsletter on www.hobbyco.net

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OBJECT OF DESIRE Test-shot Kit Preview of Revell’s new 1:24 McLaren 570S PAGE 8

Issue 256 February 2017 EDITOR Marcus Nicholls [email protected]

Contents Co Cont e ts en 4 NEWS DESK New kit and model product news 6 SUBSCRIBE AND RECEIVE A FREE TOOL SET! A very special TMMI subscription offer! 10 ELEPHANT WITH A SHORT TRUNK Painting and weathering Tamiya’s little 1:48 Stug.III ausf.B 16 NEW ‘SPIT ON THE BLOCK Revell have created a new 1:72 Spitfire Mk.IIa... 18 BEHOLD THE SPIFFING SPITADOR! A post-nuclear Spitfire/Matador truck hybrid 22 MECHA MAGIC! A 1:100 Bandai Gundam kit in a simple but effective display base

STREET FIGHTER Tamiya’s gorgeous new 1:12 Kawasaki H2R Ninja PAGE 28

38 ...RELEASE THE ‘HOUND! AMK’s extraordinary 1:48 MiG-31BM Foxhound 44 NEW RELEASES ACCESSORIES New and recently issued modelling accessories 48 NEW RELEASES KITS New full kits, reviewed 52 BOOK REVIEWS New and recent books related to scale modelling

MODELLING THE CLIPPED-WING ‘SPIT Eduard’s fantastic 1:48 Spitfire Mk.XVI PAGE 54

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64 CONTACTS Where to buy the products used and reviewed in TMMI 66 THE EDITOR’S PAGE TMMI’s Editor has a new love

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TELEPHONE: (UK) 01525 222573 FAX: (UK) 01525 222574 EDITORIAL EMAIL: [email protected] ALL OTHER ENQUIRIES: [email protected] ADDRESS: Tamiya Model Magazine International,

Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tamiya Model Magazine is published monthly by Doolittle Media Ltd. Reproduction in part or whole of any text, photograph or illustration without written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Tamiya Model Magazine is accurate, the publishers and printers cannot accept liability for errors or omissions.

TMMI 256 February 2017

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Newsdesk

If you have news of forthcoming model, armour, aircraft or car events, changes of address or just interesting information to share, please write to: TMMI Newsdesk, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK Tel: 01525 222573 Email: [email protected]

IN BRIEF... TAMIYA 1:35 Sd.Kfz.2 Kleines Kettenkraftrad 1:48 Hayate & Kurogane scenery set hobbyco.net

DRAGON 1:35 German SI-76i with cupola 1:35 Vollkettenaufklärer 38 w/7.5cm Kanone 51 L/24 1:35 US T95 super heavy tank 2 in 1 1:35 Pz.Kpfw/vi (7.5cm) Ausf.B Smart Kit hobbyco.net

NEW FROM TAMIYA 1:48 KAWASAKI KI-61 HIEN

Tamiya has announced a new kit of the WW2 Japanese Ki-61-Id Hien 'Tony' fighter, and here are some more factory photos of the model in its most well known, mottled camouflage scheme. The model will come with engine detail and clear fuselage halves (right) so you can see what's inside. Full-build review coming soon to TMMI. www.hobbyco.net

EDUARD 1:72 Fw190A-5 Weekend Edition 1:72 Spitfire F Mk.IX ProfiPACK 1:48 Bf109F Royal Class Dual Combo 1:32 P-47D ‘Dottie Mae’ eduard.com

HAULER 1:48 PE for Mk.IV Humber 1:35 PE Soviet tank anti-radiation cladding fasteners 1:35 PE anti-tank barriers hauler.cz

REVELL 1:72 British Infantry 1:72 German Paratroops WWII 1:35 Tiger II Ausf.B Henschel Turret 1:72 Lockheed P70 Nighthawk 1:72 DC4 Balair 1:100 AH64A Apache 1:144 German Fast Attack Craft Albatros Class 1:96 Cutty Sark 1:8 1965 Corvette Sting Ray C2 revell.de/en

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NEW FROM ZVEZDA 1:48 MESSERSCHMITT BF109G-6

The 'Gustav' is arguably the most widely modelled variant of the Bf109 fighter and Zvezda are to release a new kit of it. If their stunning new MiG-25 is anything to go by, the ‘G-6 will be worth checking out. www.hobbyco.net

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NEW FROM EDUARD 1:32 PHOTO-ETCH FOR ME262

Revell have only just released their all-new 1:32 Me262B1a/U-1 Nachtjäger but Eduard have already created some photo-etched parts for it! So far we have interior and exterior detail sets, plus pre-coloured seat harnesses. More news soon! www.eduard.com

www.grandprixmodels.com

Talbot Lago T26C – Belgian GP 1950 1:43 resin & metal kit by Jade Miniatures

NEW FROM DRAGON 1:35 IJA TYPE 4 LIGHT TANK 'KE-NU'

Dragon's 1:35 Type 4 Ke Nu is on its way and the kit will come with a photo-etched brass exhaust shroud and one-piece 'Dragon Styrene' tracks. It's a diminutive little tank but crammed with detail and plenty of potential for colourful camouflage schemes. www.hobbyco.net

BMW M3 – DTM 1991 1:24 plastic kit by Aoshima/Beemax

WIN REVELL KITS! NEW FROM BRONCO 1:35 STURMGESCHUTZ III AUSF.E SD.KFZ.142/1 Bronco are steadily exploiting their new StuG.III kit to include an assortment of variants, which is very welcome news indeed. The latest is the Eastern Front ausf.E, more details on which soon. www.revell.de/en

Win the Revell Revell 1:144 Grumman E-2C Hawkeye TMMI is offering you the chance to win some cool Revell kits of all types, scales and subjects! This time, it’s the 1:144 Grumman E-2C Hawkeye

All you need to do is answer this question; Q; In the context of the Hawkeye, what do the initials ‘AEW’ stand for?

NEW FROM EDUARD 1:72 SIKORSKY S-43 Eduard have re-issued the fabulous S-43 flying boat from Sword, in a new box and extra goodies thrown in. A very pretty and colourful subject for modellers tired with olive drab and neutral grey schemes. www.eduard.com

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Ford GT – Le Mans 2016 1:24 resin & metal kit by Profil 24

You can email your answers or send a postcard to our main office address, below. Please don’t forget to add your name and postal address so we can send your prize to you!

[email protected] Grumman E-2C Hawkeye Tamiya Model Magazine International, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK In conjunction with Revell Ltd. www.revell.de/en

McLaren MP4-31 2016 – Jenson’s last ride 1:20 plastic kit by Ebbro

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20/12/2016 14:38

KIT PREVIEW REVELL 1:24 MCLAREN 570S KIT NO.07051

OBJECT OF DESIRE R evell’s new McLaren 570S is all new from the wheels up and comes with an engine and associated exhaust and intake systems. The engine block/gearbox halves carry some very fine detail, as do the ancillary parts such as the rocker-covers and ‘front end’ with its moulded-in – and well done – drive belt. The covers are moulded individually which will make their painting much easier and neater. The kit also features the option for a left or righthand drive cabin, with two dashboard mouldings and left/right location points for the foot pedals. The chassis hasn’t been tackled, the engine and cabin sub-assemblies mounting instead to a flat floorpan. In practise this is fine, because with the real McLaren’s smooth underbelly, the chassis structures would be hidden anyway. The wheels are a big improvement on those found in earlier releases, having a standard,

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one-piece design, onto which the tyres slip. The latter exhibit excellent tread detail but completely lack sidewall data and logos, as it often the case these days on model car tyres. The brake rotors and callipers are moulded together but it’ll be easy enough to mask-up and spray them neatly. They cement to the hubs/ uprights to form robust units; the front wheels are, of course, fully steerable. The suspension builds up into front and rear axle sub-assemblies that simply cement onto the chassis/ floor pan from below, a tidy and efficient solution. As mentioned, the cabin can be built L/H or R/H drive and is well detailed throughout. The deeply bolstered seats feature separately moulded rear panels which gives them a realistic solidity. The seatbelts are provided as decals. The bodyshell, minus its frontal panel, is a one-piece moulding and is impressively refined,

TMMI’s Editor takes a look at some test-shot sprues of Revell’s all-new 1:24 McLaren 570S with individually moulded doors which can be installed closed and open, the latter option needing the (supplied) struts to keep the upward-opening sub-assemblies ‘up’. From this initial inspection of pre-production sprues, Revell’s new McLaren 570S looks excellent, with fine detail on the engine and a significant improvement with the wheels/tyres over previous offerings. We are planning to bring you a full-build article on this kit as soon as we can, so keep reading to see how it goes together! Please note, the model featured in this ‘Kit Preview’ is a test-shot and is subject to change before the final product is released. ● MN AVAILABILITY; Revell model kits are widely available from good model shops and online. www.revell.de/en

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W T N A H P ELE U R T T R O H AS FULL-BUILD: MILITARY VEHICLE

TAMIYA 1:48 STURMGESCHÜTZ III AUSF.B SD.KFZ.142 ● KIT NO.32507

Aleksander Zadroga describes his approach to painting and weathering Tamiya's delicious little 1:48 StuG.III ausf.B

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WITH RUNK M

y favourite scale is 1:48, so it's not surprising that this model is my choice for an article. I like quarter-inch scale mainly because the detail in most cases looks like in 1:35 scale, but the model is smaller so similarly it looks better. I took a fancy for Tamiya kits, because they are one of the best on the market. This is no different in case of StuG. III ausf. B. The title of this article comes from the unit's sign, was elephant, painted on the side of the StuG's armour and mud guard. The 'short trunk'

from the title is of course short barrel of the destroyer, which is characteristic for the B version. The kit has everything you need to build good looking replica, so I decided to make model straight from the box.

ASSEMBLY

Most of the Tamiya AFV kits in quarter-inch scale have a die-cast lower hull. Some people don't like it, but I'm of the opposite opinion. I really like this solution, as the finished model is heavier. Some plastic elements of the suspension do need to be glued to the chassis at

The built-up model was given a primer layer of Mr Hobby Mr Surfacer 1200

PAINTWORK

My first step was to prime entire model with Mr Hobby Surfacer 1200. Usually when I'm painting an AFV I use Tamiya paints as a primer, but in this case I decided to use Mr Surfacer, because of the die-cast metal chassis. I decided to test the popular 'black and white technique' on this model, developed by Jose Luis Lopez Ruiz. By using this technique you can achieve a similar effect to colour modulation, but instead spraying several layers of highlighted paint over the basecoat, the whole process

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Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black was applied over the Mr Surfacer (left) and then portions of the model were masked off to start the ‘black and white’ technique

Here we can see the colour-modulation style black and white pre-painted layer

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the beginning and for this I used cyanoacrylate glue. The hull halves are fixed together by two screws, which are included in the kit. This is very efficient way to mount hull to the chassis, because no glue is needed. Assembling the other parts wasn't time-consuming, because the shape of the vehicle is not too complicated, so the kit doesn't have many that parts. At the end of construction I assembled the tracks, which look really nice. The biggest problem are ejector pin marks on the inner side of the several links.

Over the contrasty b/w, the Panzergrau was applied in thin layers

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY VEHICLE TAMIYA 1:48 STURMGESCHÜTZ III AUSF.B SD.KFZ.142 ● KIT NO.32507

V of building up the colour

is done before airbrushing the basecoat. It's something like a pre-shading, but with the principles of the colour modulation. So, I covered whole model with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black paint. Then I applied white paint in a manner similar to the colour modulation technique. I masked several panels and I then highlighted them with only white paint; the contrast won't be as high after spraying the basecoat. Worth mentioning is that in the case of this technique, the white colour is the indicator of subsequent basecoat tone. The base colour will be German grey, which is already a very dark paint, so at this stage, the black paint should just show through here and there. Next, I airbrushed the basecoat of Tamiya XF-63 German Grey, but I added a drop of white to the paint to make it a bit lighter. As I mentioned earlier, this paint is really dark, so after spraying it could suppress the contrast too much. I didn't spray an even layer of paint, instead I varied the intensity of the base colour by airbrushing some dots and streaks to enhance the contrast even more.

AK Interactive pre-mixed colour-wash was applied over the model to kickstart the surface effects and weathering stages. Note that the decals have been applied here

Paint ‘damage’ has been started on the rooftop hatch in this view, using Vallejo German Camo Black Brown. This was most heavily applied in areas subject to more crew transit and handling

After lightly moistening with white spirit, AK Interactive AK-080 Summer Kursk Earth was applied over the upper surfaces

Localised applications of pigments helped build up a muddy appearance

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GLOSS PREP FOR DECALS

Then I covered whole model with Mr Color GX-100 Super Clear III, which is the best gloss varnish in my opinion. The surface was perfectly prepared for the decals at this stage and I applied them with Micro-Set and Micro-Sol liquids from Microscale. Then I airbrushed a thin layer of gloss varnish on the decals, but this time I used Mr Color C46. After that I enhanced the details with AK Interactive AK070 Brown Blue Wash, which works perfectly for the panzer-grey. It has nice, dark colour, which hue is something between blue and green. It emphasises the base colour in a very nice way, because it also has a bit of a blue tone. Then it was time to paint the tracks. To do this I mixed Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown and XF-85 Rubber Black in ratio 1:1, resulting in quite a dark brown colour, which I then sprayed

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Above and right; the hull’s lower areas were treated with a mud-like slurry, applied with old brushes

The roadwheels were given a similar, but slightly lighter mud treatment

The author used a large, soft brush to gently buff the surface of the mud which knocks off stray particles from the high points which creates a more realistic appearance

The sandy dirt mixed was applied to the recessed areas of the StuG’s large idler and sprocket wheels creating a realistic, dry muddy finish

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The tracks were undercoated with a mixture of Tamiya XF-64 Red Brown and XF-85 Rubber Black, in a ratio of 1:1, creating a dark brown colour, which was then sprayed over the entire surface of the track. Next, AK Interactive AK-083 Track Wash was applied liberally, and the previously described mud mix then slathered on, then buffed with a large soft brush to expose the running faces. Here we see how the author assembled the pre-painted and weathered tracks and running gear

The StuG’s twin exhaust boxes were given a rust treatment with Lifecolor acrylics

The running faces of the idlers were ‘metalised’ with a soft leaded pencil

V over the entire track surface. Next, without varnishing, I applied AK Interactive AK-083 Track Wash. I wasn't too delicate with this, because the tracks will be heavily weathered later. When the paintwork was done, I sprayed matt varnish overall using Mr Hobby C182.

WEATHERING

I started weathering process with 'paint chipping' and for this I used Vallejo German Camo Black Brown MC150. With a very fine brush I applied more and more chips in places where the surface was most exposed. I also applied some scratches and heavy chips on edges of hatches and several panels. Then I painted the on-vehicle tools with AK Interactive and Vallejo Acrylics paints. For the fire extinguisher I used AK-4003 Matt Red paint from set AK-4000 Tank Accessories. The wood was painted with some brown colours from Vallejo. For metal parts I used gunmetal, also from Vallejo.

Next, I wetted the surface of each panel with white spirit, and poured on some AK Interactive AK-080 Summer Kursk Earth diluted with white spirit and I sprayed this mix into the moistened panels. With this process I created some dirty areas on the horizontal surfaces. I also repeated this with a mix of white spirit and AK Interactive AK-022 Africa Dust Effect. After that, I started working with pigments on the fenders. Firstly, I sprayed the same enamels from the previous step and then, when they were still wet, I placed some pigments onto them. Because of the colour of the enamels, they show through the pigments which looks more natural. I used two AK Interactive pigments; AK-081 Dark Earth and AK-042 European Earth. I poured some AK Interactive AK-082 Engine Grime into my airbrush and I sprayed the material onto the horizontal surfaces on a very low pressure, creating some very small dots of paint here and there.

Subsequently, I dampened a cotton bud in white spirit and then drained it a bit, so on the bud was just small amount of white spirit. Then I toned down dots from the previous step by rolling this cotton dub on the surface.

DIRT AND DUST BUILD-UP

Next, using AK-4062 Light Dust Deposit I created some dirt in recesses and around hinges. I did exactly the same thing with AK-4061 Sand Yellow

Deposit and AK-4063 Brown Earth Deposit. It's good to remember that during drying, these enamels become lighter and sometimes they might be a bit hard to control. Afterwards I removed surplus of the enamels on the upper surfaces. I dampened a cotton bud in white spirit and I did a similar thing to the penultimate step. After that model was ready for some serious weathering.

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Once the wheels and tracks had been fitted, further mud mix was applied by brush to unify the various structures so they all look like they had been exposed to the same environmental conditions

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TECHSPEC...

FULL-BUILD: MILITARY VEHICLE TAMIYA 1:48 STURMGESCHÜTZ III AUSF.B SD.KFZ.142 ● KIT NO.32507

V

I decided to apply some dried dirt on the chassis and undercarriage. I mixed AK Interactive AK-017 Earth Effects with plaster, then covered whole chassis with this mix, but on the top I left some cleaner areas. Next, I mixed AK Interactive AK-016 Fresh Mud with plaster to create some wet mud on the bottom of chassis and around the suspension. To enhance the effect of wet mud, I used AK-016 enamels again. I then dampened my brush in white spirit and removed the excess of the dirt mix from the upper part of the chassis. Using big round brush I wiped the

surface of the dirt to give it more realistic look. By this process I also achieved nice texture and effect of a bit cracked earth. I repeated each step on the wheels too. I made some glossy stains and vertical streaks on the chassis with a fine brush and two AK Interactive enamels; AK-084 Engine Oil and AK-016 Fresh Mud. Stains were applied to the wheels as well. To create a metallic sheen on the surfaces of the wheels, which have contact with the tracks, I used 6B pencil and then applied some weathering to the tracks, starting by applying

randomly the same dirty mix of AK-017 and plaster. The excess was wiped off with my big round brush again, so the dirt only remained in the recesses; after that suspension was basically ready. I mounted the wheels and tracks and there were only few things left to do, like adding some dirt on the tracks when they were already on the model. After that, one of my favourite tank destroyers from the Second World War was ready. This is an easy to build model of an interesting vehicle and a great kit for a relative newcomer to start with. Highly recommended! ●

TAMIYA 1:48 STURMGESCHÜTZ III AUSF.B SD.KFZ.142 KIT NO.32507 Materials; Injection-moulded polystyrene, die-cast metal lower hull, waterslide decals. Paints and weathering materials used; - Mr Hobby; Surfacer 1200, Mr Color GX-100 Super Clear III, Mr Color C46, Mr Hobby C182 Matt Varnish - Tamiya Acrylics; XF-1 Flat Black, XF-2 Flat White, XF-63 German Grey, XF-64 Red Brown, XF-85 Rubber Black - AK-Interactive; AK070 Brown Blue Wash, AK-083 Track Wash, AK-4003 Matt Red, AK-4000 Tank Accessories set, AK-022 Africa Dust Effect, AK-081 Dark Earth, AK-042 European Earth, AK-082 Engine Grime, AK-4062 Light Dust Deposit, AK-4063 Brown Earth Deposit, AK-017 Earth Effects, AK-016 Fresh Mud, AK-084 Engine Oil, AK-016 Fresh Mud - Vallejo Acrylics; German Camo Black Brown MC150 Availability; Tamiya models and materials are widely available from good model shops and online. UK import and distribution by The Hobby Company Limited; www.hobbyco.net

Tamiya’s 1:48 StuG.III ausf.B is only a small model but its level of detail and accuracy give it the look of a 1:35 production

The author’s thoughtful weathering treatments have made the best of this Tamiya model

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KIT PREVIEW REVELL 1:72 SUPERMARINE SPITFIRE MK.IIA ● KIT NO.03953

NEW ‘SPIT ON THE BLOCK Revell have created a new 1:72 Spitfire Mk.IIa and TMMI’s Editor has received a test shot...

T

he Spitfire in 1:72 is a scale modelling staple and when a new-tool kit is released, it always creates a bit of a stir. We have received a test-shot of Revell’s new model of the Mk.IIa and while we must make the standard disclaimer about it being a pre-production sample (and therefore subject to change before release) it looks pretty much ready to go. From an inspection of the airframe parts, it’s clear to see a very refined approach to the surface detailing on the fuselage and wings has been taken, with extremely thin recessed panel-lines, plus raised detail where appropriate and razor-sharp trailing edges. All control surfaces are fixed in neutral positions with the exception of the rudder, which is an individual, one-piece moulding and the wingtips are also moulded separately, presumably for future versions. A choice of main undercarriage wheels (four and five-spoke designs) is provided and we are also offered a choice of armoured and un-armoured front canopy sections. The photo of the built-up model on the first page of the instructions shows quite a noticeable gap under the leading edge of the armoured screen (this photo has been in circulation on the internet

for a while and raised some eyebrows), but I have been assured that this issue has been corrected for the production run; it’s why the test-shot stage is so important! I taped the fuselage halves together and test-fitted both the armoured and un-armoured screens and they sat perfectly in the recess on the cockpit aperture; most impressive. The rest of the model looks well designed with good levels of detail. The cockpit walls have their framework and controls moulded in, but with some colour-washes and drybrushing (yes, drybrushing is still a relevant technique!), it should look a lot more three-dimensional. Just the one markings-option is provided, for the Ocean Grey/Dark Green ‘P7290’ of the Air Fighting Development Unit, RAF Duxford, April 1942. This looks like an excellent new kit of the ubiquitous Spitfire and at the amazing price of around £7 (depending on where you buy it from), represents extraordinarily good value for money. ● MN AVAILABILITY; Revell model kits are widely available from good model shops and online. www.revell.de/en

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FULL-BUILD: FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION

E H T D L BEHO ! R O D A T I P S G N I F F I P S

REVELL 1:32 SPITFIRE, AFV CLUB MATADOR TRUCK

pian and o t s y d ll a s e on go Will Pattisrvivalist Spitfire special creates a su

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magine if you will that hostilities in Europe had dragged on long past 1945 and that things had ended much differently. Imagine a scenario in which German scientists had managed to deploy their own atomic weapons and

Europe was turned into a dystopian post-nuclear wasteland inhabited by scavengers roaming the destruction in search of food, parts, and supplies. And, imagine that they might have put together some ridiculous vehicles for just

The Spitfire’s cockpit was built up and painted pretty much as standard, but more heavily weathered than usual

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such a purpose… This is the context where a very small group of model makers have found their 'what if' niche. For a while now, some very talented builders like Hakan Guney, Gilbert Mondragon, and Marcel du Long have been

creating things that I’ve decided to simply call 'carplanes'. As the name implies, it pretty much just involves taking the fuselage of some type of aircraft and adding wheels and running gear to create some sort of unholy steampunk union.

The Matador chassis was chopped around and a frame constructed from polystyrene section to create the strut for the Spit’s rear fuselage. Wiring was also added

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BUT HOW WILL IT WORK?

I love the creativity and imagination of projects like that, so I’ve long been obsessed with joining the ranks. My problem is I have a relentless engineering mind. When I look at these creations the first thing

The first colour applied to the Spitfire’s remnants was aluminium

I think is that they look pretty neat but inevitably I start asking questions… How are they getting power from the engine to the wheels? Where are we going to carry the fuel? What happened to the radiator on that liquid cooled engine?

Yeah, it’s nerdy but I just can’t help myself, and so my condition was that if I was ever going to build one it had to at least be mechanically plausible. It might not exactly work well, but you had to be able to look at it and at least understand

The original camouflage colours were applied, then largely sanded off to create an ultra worn finish

that all of the important mechanical systems have been accounted for. I also wanted to do something a bit different. German aircraft seem to be the most popular choice for donor kits so I decided I was going to something

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The markings were created with the use of stencils for a convincing sprayed-on appearance

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FULL-BUILD: FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION REVELL 1:32 SPITFIRE, AFV CLUB MATADOR TRUCK

Here we see the model prior to being painted, with all the major structures complete. Note the transfer case taking power from the prop spindle downwards to the truck’s drivetrain. Very inventive!

V from the RAF. I decided

that the Revell 1:32 new tool Spitfire was the perfect choice for several reasons. It’s relatively inexpensive and the deeply embossed rivet detail makes for good weathering opportunities. It’s not what I would consider a great kit, but for this project it was pretty perfect.

THE CHASSIS?

So, then the question was what to mate it to? I wanted something that had large wheels and I knew this was going to be a challenge since I would most likely be taking them from a 1:35 kit. I also wanted something that would be period correct and that had all of the appropriate mechanical details for an exposed chassis. That search

led me to the AFV Club 1:35 AEC Matador gun truck. It had everything I wanted, including the option of an aftermarket set of very beautifully detailed resin wheels from Def Model. This is not an inexpensive kit, but hey, sometimes we have to sacrifice for art. Next consideration was the mechanical componentry to get power from the Merlin down to the transmission in the truck. My first inclination was to scratchbuild the items I saw in my head but then I decided this was the perfect time to do some 3D printing. With my engineering background I have plenty of CAD experience and I knew these parts would be relatively simple to design. I did that using Rhino 3D for

The addition of bright red, obviously civilian headlights add an eye-catching splash of colour

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the Mac and then shipped them off to Reedoak in France. If you’re not familiar with his work, I definitely recommend checking him out. He uses industrial level equipment to produce amazingly smooth surface finishes at a very high resolution. He’s most well-known for a line of figures he produces by scanning re-enactors in costume and then converting that point cloud data into solid models that can be produced at any scale. Once I had all the parts in hand, it was basically a matter of working my way through things in the same sort of fashion that I thought might happen in real life. My goal for the project was to make it purely functional

That’s no control column; it’s a steering wheel!

with a sort of cobbled together look about it. Basically, just people using what they had on hand with limited industrial production capability and no hyperbole. The idea was that the entire thing would come together at the end to be it’s own kind of hyperbolic! The construction phase of the project was relatively straightforward even with my limited scratch building skills, and once I arrived at the painting and weathering part, which is always the most fun for me, things really started getting weird. The basic vision in my head was of an aircraft that had been scrounged from a scrapheap, so I basically was able to run wild with every weathering trick at my disposal.

The Spitfire’s underwing radiator has been relocated to the fuselage side, along with its hot water pipes

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PAINTING UP THE SPITADOR

The best way to summarize the process is that there were many layers, and that all of the paint layers were separated by hairspray, which has become my chipping fluid of choice. The first task was to get a nice oxidized aluminium layer, protect it with some Aquagloss and a flat coat from all of the abuse that was coming, then start stacking the colours and chipping each one of them as I went. Once that was done I repeated the process

with masking and painting the markings. There was also lots of sanding in there to create faded blends of colour After that it was straight onto the paint, as is my preference, with oils applied both as washes and blended dry. In general, I avoid the use of clear coats as much as possible, so this one was finished off with just one solid layer of Aquagloss to protect everything and then flatted with my favourite un-gloss which is Testors Dullcote. After that, a few finishing touches from the Ammo

and Uschi van der Rosten lineup of pigments and I had what I felt was an appropriately filthy vehicle. I’m sure lots of purists, especially Spitfire lovers, are cringing at the sight of this thing and it is undoubtedly an abomination, but it was loads of fun. It basically combined every skill I’ve learned up to now and let me do armour and aircraft stuff all in one place. I had so much fun in fact, that the shape of the next one is already forming itself in my mind... ●

DEF Model’s superbly realistic, ‘weighted’ resin wheels/tyres for the AFV Club Matador add to the realism of this fantasy model

The author has added extra detail to reinforce the idea of practicality such as the cooling hoses seen here

The ‘new’ structural parts were given a rusty finish to suggest how they were made from raw, unpainted steel

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FULL-BUILD: GUNDAM/MECHA BANDAI 1:100 GUNDAM ASTRAY RED FRAME LOWE GUL ● KIT NO.MBF-P02

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MECHA MAGIC! Portuguese modellers Ricardo Veríssimo and José Brito team up to build a 1:100 Bandai Gundam kit and create a simple but effective display base for it

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he Gundam Series is a 'space opera' anime created by Sunrise Studios that features giant robots (or 'Mecha') called 'Mobile Suits' (MS) and usually the protagonist's MS carry the name Gundam. The series started on April 7th, 1979 as a TV show called 'Mobile Suit Gundam'. That first TV series has since spawned a franchise that has come to include works released in numerous media. Titles have appeared in the form of multiple television series, movies, manga, novels and video games, among other modes. The story from the original 1979 series has been considerably extended with sequels, prequels, side stories and alternate timelines revolving around different calendar eras. As a result, the title Gundam has become a collective term for the seven distinct but related timelines that can be pieced together from the stories that appear in the Gundam franchise. Generally speaking, the timelines do not intersect, but they do contain a few common elements such as the titular war-machines called Gundam. However, all Gundam timelines and worlds, long after their own anime series, do eventually intersect and combine and create an alternate universe in the series Turn A Gundam. The original timeline for the Gundam series was the Universal Century (UC) series, which included Mobile Suit Gundam (1979) and Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam (1985). Since the 1990s, alternate timelines have been produced and developed, including the Future Century, After Colony, After War, Correct Century, Cosmic Era, Anno Domini and Advanced Generation.

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With the help of a small sponge the author applied thousands of small ‘scratches’ to the surface of the model

Initially, the feet received, , a coat of Mig Productions Buff, Cream Brown for German Yellow and Basic Earth oil colours, as usual, well thinned with white spirit or ‘turps’

No surface was left untreated; it’s a time-consuming process but an essential one to create the look of wear and tear on the giant machine

The red portions were highlighted with lightened shades of red, making sure the mixture didn’t turn too pink

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FULL-BUILD: GUNDAM/MECHA BANDAI 1:100 GUNDAM ASTRAY RED FRAME LOWE GUL ● KIT NO.MBF-P02

A section of vacuum-formed paved street from a MiniArt set (Cobblestone Section 36043) was cut into a round shape with a circle cutter

With the cobbles fixed to the base, broken bricks and rubble from Royal Model were added around the feet of the Mecha

Once the glue holding the bricks and rubble in place had fully dried, everything was painted dark grey (Vallejo) by hand, to act as an undercoat

AND BASE PAINTING: V CONSTRUCTION RICARDO VERÍSSIMO

Like all the Bandai models, the Gundam Astray Red Frame is presented with very cool box-art. Once the box is opened, we are presented with several high quality plastic sprues, comprehensive and very well detailed instructions and clearly printed decals. Besides the high quality plastic, the overall detail is top class. Construction is very straightforward and very soon the model is ready for the painting and weathering processes. The model was undercoated in Vallejo Surface Grey primer for all white parts followed by Tamiya Acrylic X-1 Black (Gloss) thinned with X-20A. All the white parts were primed in Vallejo White primer. All the red surfaces were painted with Mr Hobby Acrylic H13 Flat Red. All dark grey parts were painted with a mix of Vallejo Model Air RLM66 plus a few drops of Vallejo Model Air Black. All the other grey parts were painted with Vallejo Model Air Light Grey. The Katana Blade was primed with X-1 Black, followed by some coats of Alclad II Chrome. With assembly completed, the model was entirely airbrushed in Vallejo Matt Varnish, applied in several coats.

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Mig Productions’ acrylic ‘Europe Wet Mud, Fine Texture’ (P502) was applied around the debris to simulate smaller debris particles and dust

The cobbles were touched in by hand using shades of grey, again mixed from Vallejo acrylic paints, which are excellent to hand paint

WEATHERING AND FINISHING: JOSÉ BRITO

Now the model was base-painted, it was ready to receive all the weathering extravaganza. At this stage, the model looks like a 'super toy', so the weathering will bring all the details to life and will add that extra touch of realism. With the help of a small sponge I added thousands of small scratches to the surface of our model. Take your time and try not to overdo this process; the scratches must look accurate and in the most logical places. Several layers of acrylic paint were applied over the black and dark grey parts. This is a long time consuming process, but is very important to add a subtle colour variation to our model. The paint must be well thinned (with water or thinner from the same company as the paints used) and must be applied in successive layers. The process must be repeated for the red painted parts. The white parts received several layers of Mig Productions Industrial Earth and Shadow Brown oil colours. At this stage I started touching in all the surface details. Now it is starting to look like a model, not a toy. The feet received, initially, a coat of Mig Productions Buff, Cream Brown for German Yellow and Basic Earth oil

colours, as usual, well thinned in Mig Productions Odourless Turpentine. After that, they received another coat of Mig Productions Brown Wash. A mix of MP Thinner for Washes, Wood Ageing Solution Wash and Mud Splash Wash was sprinkled over the feet and legs; all these colours and simple techniques will add that extra touch of realism to the model. The white parts received a well thinned wash of Mig Productions Warm White Wash. This added a top class colour variation to all those white-painted parts. The most recessed parts and deep lines received a wash of Mig Productions Dark Wash and Brown Wash, again, well thinned with Mig Productions Thinner for Washes. Now, the model will look much more interesting with all those battle scars. The shield also received a coat of MP Dirty Glass Wash. Once again, this simple step will add more colour variation to that big and prominent part.

BASE: JOSÉ BRITO

A vacuum-formed paved street from a MiniArt set (Cobblestone Section, Ref.36043, www.creativemodels.co.uk) was cut into a round shape, then glued onto a round wood base. Several bricks from the Royal Model range were

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An overall colour-wash of Mig Productions’ ‘Abteilung 502’ oil paints, thinned with turps, was then applied over the whole base

The white parts received a well thinned wash of Mig Productions ‘Warm White Wash’ adding colour variation to the white-painted parts

The most deeply recessed areas and deep lines received a wash of Mig Productions’ Dark Wash and Brown Wash

A heavier mix of ‘Warm White Wash’ was applied where a more worn and dirty appearance was required

The colour-washes can also be flicked on from a paint brush to create a realistically random spattered texture

The Mecha’s shield also received a coat of MP ‘Dirty Glass Wash’ which added an extra touch of variety in tone

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FULL-BUILD: GUNDAM/MECHA BANDAI 1:100 GUNDAM ASTRAY RED FRAME LOWE GUL ● KIT NO.MBF-P02

Over all the paint and colour-wash effects, weathering pigments provided the final touch of realism

The pigments were settled into the groundwork detail by the use of thinners, which also fixes them too

V placed on the base and glued with the

help of Deluxe Materials Rocket Hot glue (www.deluxematerials.com) . This glue is extremely thin and ideal to apply via capillary action which allows the material to can reach all the desired spots and fix all that debris in place, which must look random and chaotic. Mig Productions Europe Wet Mud, Fine Texture Ref.P502, was applied around the debris. This is an acrylic-based paste and as such can be thinned with tap water for better flow. The entire base and debris was brush-painted with dark grey acrylic paint. The paint must be applied very well thinned in order to reach all the hidden and hard to reach spots. Every cobblestone was then painted individually in a different shade of grey. The debris then received a coat of well thinned brown acrylic paint. Buff and mud coloured oil paints were applied all over the base in several layers and well thinned in turpentine, in order to cover all surface. This will represent the cement between the cobblestones and after about thirty minutes, the excess was removed with the help of tissue paper slightly moistened in turps. Brown-coloured pigments of several hues were applied over the base and feet of the Gundam, a very important step to unify the figure and the base. It's easy, but very important. I used several colours in order to achieve a more interesting final look. Once all the pigments were in place, I applied several drops of thinners to bond the pigments to the surface. During this process, the pigments looked really bad, but once the thinners had fully evaporated, the pigments will appear in full colour. And there we have it! A Bandai Gundam figure, finished with armour modelling techniques to give it a realistic look. If you fancy building a model that's very different to the usual subjects but on which you can still employ your painting and weathering skills, give a Gundam a go! ●

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TECHSPEC... BANDAI 1:100 GUNDAM ASTRAY RED FRAME LOWE GUL KIT NO.MBF-P02 Items used; - MiniArt; 1:35 cobblestone section - Royal Model; 1:35 Cobblestones Fire Bricks and Red Bricks Materials and paints used; - Deluxe Materials; wood glue - Wood base - Vallejo primers, acrylics and thinners - Mig Productions oils, washes, pigments, filters and thinners mentioned in text - Graphite soft pencil References used; - Several internet sites and forums Availability; - Bandai Gundam kits; In the UK, checkout Japan Cool for large range of Bandai Gundam kits, accessories and more; www.japan-cool.co.uk - Mig Productions, MiniArt; www.creativemodels.co.uk The final effect of the weathered Gundam on its display base is quite breathtaking

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FULL-BUILD: STREET MOTORCYCLE TAMIYA 1:12 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R 2015 ● KIT NO.14131

STREET FIGHTER Steeve Ingels applies carbon-fibre effect decals to Tamiya's all new 1:12 kit of the 2015 Kawasaki H2R Ninja, to give it an ultra realistic look...

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awasaki H2R is a name that excites, since the famous three-cylinder, two-stroke of 1972. In 2015, Kawasaki resurrected this mythical name with a monster able to break down competition with its 326 horsepower, thanks to supercharging, a unique technology on a modern motorcycle. Unique but not recent, indeed, Kawasaki has already applied this technology in 1978 on a Z1300 Turbo, qualified at the time as a commercial failure. This new H2R is equipped with a compressor that can rotate up to 130,000rpm and provide a volume of 200 litres of air per second to the engine. The bike is equipped with an exhaust made completely of titanium, carbon-fibre cladding with numerous aerodynamic appendages, magnesium rims, etc. Known as the world's fastest production bike with a maximum speed of more than 350kmh (217mph), this Kawasaki is not homologated for use on public roads. For this, a more civilized version (and less expensive) is offered for sale.

TAMIYA'S NEW KIT

With its long experience, Tamiya offers us, once again, a kit of a very high precision. The finesse of the parts as well as the almost disconcerting ease of assembly make it an instant Tamiya classic. The kit consists of many finely injection-moulded plastic parts, chrome stickers, a beautiful decal sheet and a small bag including screws and other tubing.

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FULL-BUILD: STREET MOTORCYCLE TAMIYA 1:12 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R 2015 ● KIT NO.14131

This part, relatively simple and composed of a small number of parts remains 'colourful' thanks to the green shade of its spring. The same process applied to the frame was used for its painting

V ASSEMBLY After a thorough analysis of the

instructions (I recommend this, systematically), it appeared to me that the assembly would not take me as much time as the previous Honda RC213V for several reasons; sober livery, little variation in colours and a minimal fairing. The analysis of the instructions also allowed me to 'classify' the pieces by colour. The majority of these would be painted black satin, the others in aluminium. The only two challenges I would encounter were the shiny black mirror paint and the carbon decalling. The assembly took place in one evening – proof of the quality of the kit – each sub-assembly being assembled, cemented, sanded and mounted on a small support to facilitate painting (a cocktail stick, for example). My kit being a 'test shot', I did not have chrome parts for the exhaust, so I had to paint them. The Editor also asked me not to push the detailing work too far and stay as close as possible to the original kit. Steve Hemming, the boss of Zero Paints, also provided the paint set dedicated to this model, more about which I will tell you later.

To increase the realism of this piece, I hollowed out the chain using a milling cutter mounted on a proton machine in order to simulate the links. The rest of the work was obtained by careful painting

These parts are not supplied chrome in the pre-production sample that I built (they are plated in the full-production kit), so it was necessary to go through the painting procedures. As usual, I started with the complete assembly of the piece. A first layer of gloss black would serve as the basis for the Titanium silver shade. Some Titanium Gold coats will simulate the heat discolouration in places. Blue and purple Winsor & Newton inks were be used to create the blue areas. In the end, an Alclad II Chrome layer will be used to bring all the shades together. One can also, as I did, apply a light black colour-wash enamel to bring out the details.

FRAMEWORK AND ENGINE

After assembling the frame, a white primer coat was sprayed to check for any defects. Once done, it can be sprayed with the metallic base colour provided in the Zero Paints set and finished off with several layers of green candy. The result is perfect and there's no difference in colour between the paint and the metallic green decals. With the engine, there is very little work to do, the majority of the block being painted aluminium and only the casings in satin black. Based on this observation, the engine was almost fully assembled in order to facilitate painting. The small auxiliary parts were painted separately and assembled afterwards. The bolt-heads were touched in with Vallejo Model Air chrome. A nice touch of colour is provided by the compressor, which is bright red. It was also retouched with chrome for certain parts.

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The brake discs were drilled with a 0.6mm drill, greatly enhancing the final appearance of the discs

All the components that make up the rear axle were constructed separately; here they await assembly

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The set provided by Zero Paints allows the modeller to reproduce the exact colour of the official machine; it is composed of a metallic base as well as a green candy to be applied in several thin layers. www.hiroboy.com

Here we see a dry-fit test of the engine in the frame and we can already observe the contrast between the block and the green structure

After some catastrophic tests on the pieces (four in all), I attained this very nice shiny black. The paint and its varnish were left to rest for a good week, then I frosted the pieces with Micro-Mesh afterwards, then glossed them up with different products from Zero Paints

The chrome powder of C1 Models was rubbed on the pieces for a striking effect

Dry-fitting is seen here to check the paint effects and to ensure that it will all fit together smoothly

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FULL-BUILD: STREET MOTORCYCLE TAMIYA 1:12 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R 2015 ● KIT NO.14131

Placing carbon-fibre decal on the fork head is not as simple as it looks. Care must be taken to respect the direction of the carbon weave on this part. The frame forms an angle of 40° on the edges of the piece and is straight in the middle. A pattern was made on the central part of the piece in order to lay the pattern in the right direction

The parts that make up the top of the fork were painted separately, then brought together into a larger sub-assembly. Nothing special to report, except the difficulty represented by the silver line on either end of the upper fork tee

All carbon-fibre effect parts were finally finished and several layers of Zero Paints two-part varnish sprayed over to give an irreproachable shine

All parts that make up the fork are ready to be assembled. I just applied a shiny varnish on the fork tubes, to give them a very shiny appearance as in reality

The instructions recommend an aluminium colour for the engine, but I preferred to make a mixture of aluminium and Titanium Silver, a more warm colour. The various black parts that dot the engine were painted separately and assembled at the end. A very nice note of colour is obtained thanks to the compressor which is painted bright red. A surprising colour but it gives life to the piece. The screw-heads were simply touched in with chrome (Model air) and brush

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The rims are quite complex and relatively beautiful. Over a base of a satin black, the modeller must apply the silver lines using Chrome from Model Air, applied with a very fine brush; crisp edges were created without problem. A layer of gloss varnish seals in the effect. Don't forget to remove the mould line around the tyres, by sanding

The engine waits its turn wisely with the other satellite parts, the assembly will quickly join the frame

In the manner of Lego, all the sub-assemblies are present in the picture and wait for the transition to the final assembly

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FULL-BUILD: STREET MOTORCYCLE TAMIYA 1:12 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R 2015 ● KIT NO.14131

AND FRONT AXLE ASSEMBLY V REAR The only challenge in this area will be

THE FAIRING

painting the rims. They were coated with a few layers of satin black and their silvery spoke edges were applied with the aid of a very fine brush that I also use for figurines. I had some fears with the green decals that run around the inside of the rims, but in reality, this stage took place without incident. The rest was simply painted following the Tamiya to the letter. However I could not help myself; I replaced all the cabling with very fine electrical wire and for this, it was necessary to pre-drill holes at the appropriate locations. To increase the realism, I also drilled the ventilation holes in the brake discs (0.6mm). Patience and rigour were needed for this stage as there are many holes to make.

It is this part which is interesting from the point of view of a 'challenge'. Firstly it will be necessary to cover the head of the fork, the fins and the air-intake using carbon-fibre effect decal in a very neat and tidy way and following a certain scheme. I chose to use carbon decal from Ka Models (Decal Sheet B). Although very simple to put into practice and reacting well to the usual products such as Microsol, it was nevertheless necessary to create a small template so the right pattern was laid in the centre of the fork head. Indeed, in photos, it can be seen that the weave of the carbon-fibre is straight at its centre and forms an angle of 40° on the edges of the piece. The simplest solution, as mentioned, was to a cut a template to be placed on the centre; a piece of Tamiya tape was stuck on the piece, and the edges were

Even without its bodywork, the machine is quite a beast! It's almost a pity to hide all this work with the fairings. It will be noted that the completed bike – apart from a few touches of bright colours on the frame and the compressor – is sombre and very few different shades will be used

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drawn around with a pencil. The tape piece was placed on the decal sheet and cut to shape, following the pencil lines. Once done, one can roughly apply the carbon on the exteriors and then lay the weft of the middle. The second challenge is the colour of the rest of the machine; a shiny black colour that becomes chrome in the light... We could have made it simpler, but where's the fun in that? This time the solution comes from Zero Paints with its set; a gloss black paint as a base, a varnish to boost the effect of gloss and then a chrome powder from C1 Models (in a partnership between the two brands for this set). Simply apply by rubbing the pieces with this famous powder. After having had some trouble (my fault, I assure you), I finally got a superb shade of irreproachable brilliance. First try with the powder; it's magic! The effect is perfect.

But one must be careful not to leave a fingerprint and that's why the parts were not touched until the final assembly and the decals will be applied at the very end of the assembly to avoid manipulations. Unfortunately, details such as screw heads had disappeared in many sanding sessions so they had to be replaced.

LATEST DETAILS (EXHAUSTS)

As said before, the exhaust provided in my kit was not chromed as it is in the kits on sale. It will have to go through the painting process (which didn't displease me, I admit). First, it was assembled, the joints filled and then sanded. I started painting with a solid base of gloss black, then came the base colour of titanium silver. Some titanium gold layers were applied by airbrush (0.15mm nozzle) to simulate

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FULL-BUILD: STREET MOTORCYCLE TAMIYA 1:12 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R 2015 ● KIT NO.14131

V

Zero Paints recently released a range of bases on which to present models. Quality is of course very high and will highlight your achievements perfectly. A very good idea!

The mirror shade is even better with the Zero Paints base. This tint is not really evident in the picture; it changes according to the luminosity, which can give the impression of defect in the paint, whereas it is simply reflections www.hiroboy.com

Close-up on the 'cockpit' of the machine and one notices the different colours and materials used. The painted ‘mirror’ effect is so brilliant, I did not know how to take the photo without seeing myself in the reflection!

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V heat-stained areas. For further, more

intense heat discolouration, blue and violet Winsor & Newton inks were very subtly sprayed in the appropriate places. To finish, I sprayed some coats of Alclad II Chrome to unify the various surface effects. A light colour-wash using 'Panel Line Accent Color' from Tamiya was applied to highlight the welds. To achieve a pleasant result to the eye, it was necessary to make each sub-assembly as if it were the most visible part of the model. Once all the sub-sets were finished, I could proceed to the final assembly phase. It will be necessary to arm oneself with patience to fix the sides of the fairing, as it is not easy when you can almost not touch the parts with the fingers. Decals and other metal transfers were applied at the very end of the assembly.

IN CONCLUSION

Another great achievement on the part of Tamiya. The H2R an exceptional machine that will not please everyone, but if it did, it would certainly have less character. This project was really a fun one and despite the complexity of the real machine, Tamiya managed to make its assembly very simple, but not simplistic. The detail is excellent and nothing is missing. I would like to thank my friend Philippe Devos for sharing information on the assembly of the model, Steve Hemming for the supply of a set of paint Zero Paints as well as the beautiful presentation base. (Available from Hiroboy, of course), without forgetting Marcus Nicholls for the confidence he gave me for the assembly of this kit! See you soon for another model build, for which I will concoct a little surprise. ●

TECHSPEC... TAMIYA 1:12 KAWASAKI NINJA H2R 2015 KIT NO.14131 Materials; Black, metallic grey, clear and plated injection moulded polystyrene, soft vinyl tyres and tubing, waterslide markings, self-adhesive photo-etched badges, polycaps, metal spring, micro-screws Extras used; Ka Models Carbon Pattern decal Sheet B Paints used; - Vallejo; Black Primer 74602, Transparent Red 70934, Neutral Gray 70992, Silver 70997, Model Air Chrome 71064, Model Air Aluminium 71062, Model Air Steel 71065, Panzer Aces Dark Rubber 306, Panzer Ace Stencil - Zero Paints; Pure Kawasaki H2R Paint Set ZP-1421, Extra Fine Metallic Gold ZP-4014, Titanium Gold ZP-7031, Titanium Silver ZP-7032, Metallic Gray ZP-7156, Gun Metal ZP-7010, Clear Cote ZP-3006 Availability; - Tamiya models and accessories are widely available from good model shops and online. UK import and distribution by The Hobby Company Limited; www.hobbyco.net - Zero Paints; www.hiroboy.com - Vallejo; www.creativemodels.co.uk

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT AVANTGARDE MODEL KITS 1:48 MIG-31BM FOXHOUND ● KIT NO.88003

E H T E S A E L E R ... Foxhound M B 1 -3 iG M 8 aordinary 1:4 listic finishes r t x e 's K M A arbide buildsoducts to create some rea m a Z l ie n a D Interactive pr K A s e s u d n a

A

part from being a kit of one of the biggest and best interceptors in the world, the 1:48 scale offering of AMK is also one of the best aviation models to date. And I dare to say that as I have been building aeroplanes for over thirty-five years! The quality

speaks for itself when you open the box. Besides the numerous cardboard boxes containing the various large parts of the kit (it really is a huge model) you notice that for example the missiles are moulded in one part with even the rivets included. Just some parts clean up

I always start with the lightest colour, in this case the white on the nose section, which, once dry was then masked off for the following colours

Metallic Smoke from the AK Interactive Xtreme Metal range was used to paint the rest of the missile

38

is needed and you can go immediately to the painting stages. The fuselage is divided into several large parts, but in such a way there are almost no seams to be filled due to the clever design. Even an internal reinforcements are provided so the model, once complete,

is solid and strong. The instructions are clear, well detailed and easy to follow. The decals come in two large sheets, one big one with the stencils and one smaller with the markings for the Russian Air Force. All this just has to build into an impressive model.

With the masking removed, the With a fine pencil, shadows were missiles were ready for the next steps applied to the white sections of the missiles

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HE

! D N 'HOU

BUILDING THE MIG-31

Nowadays, I always start with the weapons, in this case the missiles, since I’m one of those modellers that become too tired to do them after the model itself is completed. I learned my lesson and working this around, I can give them the attention they need as the weapons need to be finished to the same quality as the rest of the model. When I paint or detail the weaponry I always look for extra references, as in most cases, the provided info in the kit is limited. A crucial part of the model are the air intakes and when you start assembling them it looks as if you are putting together the pieces of a puzzle.

The complete set of missiles and pylons

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT AVANTGARDE MODEL KITS 1:48 MIG-31BM FOXHOUND ● KIT NO.88003

Preliminary test fitting of the cockpit; the fit is perfect

The complete cockpit was painted in the typical Russian Emerald Green; the AKAN paint has the perfect tone

The rest of the instrument panels were painted according reference photos

V The harnesses for the seats are missing in the kit, which is quite strange because the ejection handles for the seats are included

The finished pilots' seats The same process is repeated for the rest of the cockpit and to finish it off shadows are added with a dark brown wash

The finished cockpit, ready for installation

With everything painted, the cockpit was ready to be assembled

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The first colour applied was Gun Metal from the AK Interactive Xtreme Metal range

After some masking, this is followed by AK Interactive Jet exhaust. Shadows were added with Metallic Smoke

A dark brown colour-wash was applied over the engines, except over the heat stains

V Once these are assembled

they look perfect, also on the inside and the details are absolutely stunning. These important parts are very well engineered. The wheel bays are well detailed but they could use some extra ‘busy-ness’ in the form of wiring. I found lots of photos on the internet to fully detail the wheel bays with the necessary cables. Lead wire was used here as it’s easy to form to shape. This brings us to the two really huge engines. These carry superb detail and are easy to assemble, so we can proceed quickly to the painting stages. Although they will be largely hidden in the airframe I decided to paint them anyway to show how they can look with heat-staining effects. With the air intakes, engines and wheel bays

Once the ‘wash was dry the excess was removed with a soft cloth moistened with white spirit

ready, it was time to fit them into the lower fuselage half. And they actually click into place, almost like Lego! Time now to put the wings together and this was fast and straightforward. When ready, the wings were glued to the upper fuselage half and also this caused no problems. Finally, the fuselage halves can be joined together and here too, the fit is 100% perfect Thanks to the clever design, no seams needed to be filled. The flaps are separate and can be glued in the position the modellers chooses. The tail sections are added next and here a little filler was needed where they meet the main fuselage. The final part that needs assembly is the cockpit section. I started by assembling the cockpit itself which is made of several

Mini Review... TAMIYA EXTRA THIN CEMENT QUICK-SETTING ITEM no.87182 www.hobbyco.net

Heat effects were added by spraying on AK Interactive Burned Metal in selected areas

The painting was finished off by applying some AK Interactive Metallic Purple to show the effects of extreme heat

Details were highlighted by drybrushing with matt aluminium

parts and is pretty well detailed for a plastic kit. Of course, if you prefer to superdetail the cockpit you can replace it with already available resin offerings for this kit as plastic mouldings

do have their limits. I was asked to build this model straight from the box so no extra details were added. The seats themselves are pretty good, despite missing harnesses; In my opinion

The finished engines with the realistic heat-staining effect in evidence

Tamiya have reformulated the Extra Thin Cement to create the ‘Quick Setting’ version, which still has the same gluing power of the original but now evaporates quicker. This has the advantage of a quicker build time and because it has a shorter ‘loiter’ time there’s less chance for the solvent to cause collateral damage by melting surrounding detail. The bottle cap incorporates a very fine brush for precise application.

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT AVANTGARDE MODEL KITS 1:48 MIG-31BM FOXHOUND ● KIT NO.88003

The airframe is nearing its completion, with only the nose section needing to be fitted

With brown and grey oil paints, light and shadows were applied to create more 'visual volume' in the monotone colour

V they only need photo-etch

harnesses to finish them off. Once the cockpit is ready it can be installed within the front section of the fuselage, which in turn is joined to the main fuselage. And the fit by the way is almost like Lego! For the canopy, you have two options. You can close up the cockpit with a one piece canopy or choose open canopies. I went for the latter option as this makes the model look much more interesting.

PAINTING

After masking off the canopies, cockpits, air intakes and landing gear bays, it was time to get the paints out. I opted to use the AKAN Russian paints which have the right colours for this bird. As the aircraft is painted an overall mouse grey colour, I choose to apply a little bit of weathering in the form of a dark brown colour-wash to bring out the panel lines and rivets. Some streaking was applied too, to mimic some loss of fluids especially around the engine area. I kept the weathering to a minimum as the Foxhounds always were well maintained.

DECALS

Before I applied decals, the model was covered in several thin layers of gloss

42

Two options are also provided for the canopies, a one-piece, closed moulding and a two-part canopy in the open position; the open position looks so much better

A brown colour-wash was applied over the panel-lines and rivets. When dry, the excess paint was removed with a soft cloth dipped in white spirit

The decals were directly applied to the satin-finished paint

varnish which, as we all know, is the perfect base on which to apply decals. More than 100 stencils need to be positioned on the model, so patience and calm nerves are required to bring this to a good end. The decals themselves are pretty decent and there is no need to go for an aftermarket set. Once applied and dry, the markings were covered by a layer of gloss varnish to seal them in. Next, a layer of ultra matt varnish was airbrushed on, which made the decals look painted-on.

When dry the decals were covered with AK Interactive Ultra Matte Varnish, this will make them look painted on

All the sub-assemblies are seen here ready for the final stages

FINISHING OFF

The landing gear was painted in a light grey, almost white colour and finished off with a dark brown colour-wash. The tyres were painted dark grey and the wheels in the typical Russian green followed by the same 'wash mentioned earlier. The insides of the canopies were painted green while their details were painted by hand in their appropriate colours. The details were outlined with black for more contrast. Now all the sub-assemblies could be added to finish off this project. This 1:48 model is larger than many 1:32 kits and looks really impressive once finished. Highly recommended. ●

With a fine brush, the typical pinkish colour found on the canopies of the MiG-31 was painted on, followed by white around the edge of the windscreen, a typical feature on the MiG-31

The inner faces of the canopies were hand-painted and outlined with a dark brown colour-wash

The front and rear canopies ready to be installed

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The wheels have been painted and weathered and await final assembly

Availability; - AMK models are available from various sources - AK Interactive finishing products are widely available from good model shops and online

modelsforsale.com Plastic model kits, New, Second-Hand, and Discontinued. Books and Accessories.

WANTED

Quality collections of second-hand model kits, military books, decals, photo-etch & detail sets. Will collect on larger quantities. Please see our website for more details or please call us.

Tel: 01933 622654 email: [email protected] Unit 3 Dean Close - Raunds - Northants NN9 6BD TMMI 256 February 2017

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New Releases

Please turn to page 60 for the

The latest photo-etched sets, resin parts, figures and accessories to enhance your scale models...

What’s in the box?

AD; ACETATE DIALS, CC; CAST CERAMIC (PLASTER), CMA; CAST METAL ALLOY, CP; CHROMED PARTS, CPS; CLEAR PLASTIC SHEET, DT; DRY TRANSFER (DECALS), EM: ELECTRIC MOTOR EPS; EXTRUDED PLASTIC SE ALLOY, MR; METAL ROD, MW; METAL WIRE, MT; METAL TUBING, NM; NYLON MESH, PE; PHOTO ETCH, PEBM; PHOTO-ETCHED BADGES/MIRRORS, PCM; PRE-CUT MASKS, PMP; PRE-ASSEMBLED METAL PARTS), PS; 1:35 M4A3E8 details (36350) for Italeri

1:48 F-14A wheels Late (648290) for Tamiya

36350

48908

SS577

EDUARD, CZECH REPUBLIC

www.eduard.com www.creativemodels.co.uk www.hannants.co.uk It was Christmas for Revell's 1:48 Mk.II Lockheed Ventura this month, with five photo-etched sets plus masks on release for it; a great superdetailing opportunity for those with time on their hands. Eduard have been very quick off the mark with their canopy masks and photoetched sets for Revell's all-new 1:32 Me262B1a/U1, a test shot of which we previewed last issue. Tamiya's recently issued 1:35 M10 TD is the recipient of a very handy brass sheet, providing the all-important headlight brush-guards, mudguards, tie-downs, .50cal MG barrel handle and more. Tamiya's new 1:48 F-14A Tomcat gets some new resin wheels with weighted bulges and sidewall data, which will bring a very nice touch to this fantastic kit. As always, these detail sets are made to very high tolerances and come with detailed instructions. MN 1:350 - US Navy radar antennae WWII, steel (53179) - International marine signal flags, steel (53178) 1:144 - HMCS Snowberry Pt.3 railings (53177) for Revell 1:72 - Whitley GR Mk.VII landing flaps (72636) for Airfix - Whitley GR Mk.VII radar antennae (72637) for Airfix - Spitfire Mk.XVI details (72639) for Eduard - Spitfire Mk.XVI landing flaps (72640) for Eduard - Spitfire F MkIX details (72641) for Eduard - Seatbelts IJAAF WWII, steel (73048) - Seatbelts France WWI, steel (73047) 1:48 - Ventura Mk.II exterior (48900) for Revell - Ventura Mk.II undercarriage (48901) for Revell - Ventura Mk.II bomb bay (48902) for Revell - Ventura Mk.II seatbelts, steel (49798) for Revell - Ventura Mk.II interior (49799) for Revell - MC.202 Folgore landing flaps (48907) for Eduard/Hasegawa - Bell X-1 upgrade set (48908) for Eduard - Seatbelts France WWI, steel (49108) - Seatbelts IJAAF WWII, steel (49109) - MiG-21 seatbelts, steel (49110) - F-4 seatbelts green, steel (49111)

1:35 - M4A3E8 details (36350) for Italeri - M10 TD Mid-Production (36349) for Tamiya 1:32 - Seatbelts France WWI steel (32889) - Seatbelts IJAAF WWII, steel (32890) - F-4 seatbelts green, steel (32896) - Me262B-1 exterior (32395) for Revell - Me262B-1 interior (32393) for Revell - Me262B-1 seatbelts, steel (32894) for Revell - P-47D upgrade set (32396) for Eduard ZOOM SETS 1:72 - Victor B Mk.2 (BS) (SS578) for Airfix - Whitley GR Mk.VII (SS577) for Airfix - Fokker Dr.I (SS576) for Eduard - B5N1 Kate (SS575) for Airfix - He111H-6 (SS574) for Airfix 1:48 - T-33A (FE796) for GWH - Ju87B-1 (FE800) for Airfix - F6F-5N Nightfighter (FE802) for Eduard - MiG-27 (FE803) for Trumpeter MASK SETS 1:72 - Whitley Mk.VII (CX468) for Airfix - Spitfire Mk.XVI highback (CX469) for Eduard - Spitfire Mk.XVI bubbletop (CX470) for Eduard

1:48 - Ju87B-1 (EX536) for Airfix - Ventura Mk.II (EX538) for Revell - F6F-5/5N (EX539) for Eduard 1:32 - Me262B-1 (JX196) for Revell BRASSIN SETS 1:72 - B-17G Flying Fortress engines (672131) for Airfix - B-17G Flying Fortress guns (672132) for Airfix - Fokker Dr.I engine (672139) for Eduard - Spitfire Mk.IX engine (672126) for Eduard - Spitfire Mk.XVI wheels 3-spoke (672142) for Eduard - Spitfire Mk.XVI top cowl (672125) for Eduard 1:48 - AGM-114 Hellfire missiles (648280) - Bf109F cockpit (648279) for Eduard - F-14A wheels Late (648290) for Tamiya - Bf109F propeller Late (648288) for Eduard - F-104 C2 ejection seat (648286) for Hasegawa - F-104 MB.7 ejection seat (648287) for Hasegawa - MC.202 Folgore undercarriage bay (648278) for Hasegawa/Eduard 1:32 - Mk.82 bombs (632096) - CBU-105 (632095) - Bazooka rocket launchers for P-47 (632089)

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Accessories

EXTRUDED PLASTIC SECTION, F; FABRIC, IM; INJECTION MOULDED (PLASTIC), ITL; INDIVIDUAL TRACK LINKS, LCC; LASER CUT CARD, LLT; LINK AND LENGTH TRACKS, MC; METAL CHAIN, MMA; MACHINED METAL ED METAL PARTS), PS; PAPER STRIP, R; RESIN, SVT; SOFT VINYL TYRES (OR TUBING), VF; VINYL FIGURES, VFP; VACUUM FORMED (PLASTIC), WC; WOVEN CORD, WD; WATERSLIDE (DECALS), WS; WOODEN STRIP B-17G Flying Fortress engines (672131) for Airfix

672132

53177

53177 32393

48908

32393 1:35 M4A3E8 details (36350) for Italeri

1:35 M10 TD Mid-Production (36349) for Tamiya

1:35 M10 TD Mid-Production (36349) for Tamiya

1:350 US Navy radar antennae WWII, steel (53179)

1:72 Spitfire Mk.IX engine (672126) for Eduard

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New Releases

Accessories

The latest photo-etched sets, resin parts, figures and accessories to enhance your scale models...

What’s in the box?

AD; ACETATE DIALS, CC; CAST CERAMIC (PLASTER), CMA; CAST METAL ALLOY, CP; CHROMED PARTS, DT; DRY TRANSFER (DECALS), EPS; EXTRUDED PLASTIC SECTION, F; FABRIC, IM; INJECTION MOULDED (PLASTIC), ITL; INDIVIDUAL TRACK LINKS, LCC; LASER CUT CARD, LLT; LINK AND LENGTH TRACKS, MC; METAL CHAIN, MMA; MACHINED METAL ALLOY, MW; METAL WIRE, MT; METAL TUBING, NM; NYLON MESH, PE; PHOTO ETCH, PCM; PRE-CUT MASKS, R; RESIN, SVT; SOFT VINYL TYRES (OR TUBING), SVF; SOFT VINYL FIGURES, VF; VACUUM FORMED (PLASTIC), WC; WOVEN CORD, WS; WATERSLIDE (DECALS)

SKUNKMODELWORKS, HONG KONG

www.luckymodels.co.uk This set provides no less than twenty-four modern Russian air-launched missiles – eight each of the R-73, R-27ER and R-27ET – all very nicely detailed and moulded as one-piece units, including fins. The latter are extremely thin (realistically so) and are mounted perfectly perpendicular to the missile bodies. This delicacy makes them slightly fragile, so care must be taken when pulling them from the slightly shonky inner packaging (inside the end-opening box), which can bend the fins. Two identical bags of sprues provide the mounting pylons and (plus a few PE parts) and in several cases they have a hollow recess for a separately moulded hanger rail, further increasing the realism. A refined and very worthwhile set for modern Soviet/Russian fighters. 10/10 for the missiles, 2/10 for the box, but don't let the latter put you off adding this set to your 1:48 armoury. MN

ALBION ALLOYS, UK

www.albionhobbies.co.uk Albion Alloys, as you'd might deduce from the name, is an English supplier of metals, along with a whole lot more (the fantastic range of Mr Hobby paints and materials being one of their most notable, modeller-friendly product lines) and another is a very interesting range of extruded plastic rod, formed to useful shapes such as 'I' beams, 'L' beams, 'T' beams, square, flat and round-section rod, plus more. If you're a diorama creator, scratchbuilder or a superdetail fanatic, these easily cuttable and glueable plastic sections are a must-have for one's modelling materials stock. MN

CREATIVE DYNAMIC, USA

www.modellingtools.co.uk Applying cyanoacrylate (superglue) in a consistent manner can sometimes be a little hit and miss, so 'The Glue Looper' implements from the USA look like they have a lot of potential. They are formed from photo-etched metal and feature a small loop (in varying sizes) on their tips. Thanks to surface tension, the loop will hold a small quantity of glue, transferring it to the model's surface when gently applied to the gluing area. Two types are available, the regular 'Looper' with a closed loop for low viscosity materials and the 'Thick Looper' with an open loop, for thicker glues. All fit into a clamp-type modelling knife (X-Acto, etc) and thus are easy to manipulate. MN

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New Releases A selection of the latest full kits in plastic, resin, metal and more!

What’s in the box?

AD; ACETATE DIALS, AP; ACRYLIC PAINT, CC; CAST CERAMIC (PLASTER), CMA; CAST METAL ALLOY, CP; CHROMED PARTS, CPS; CLEAR PLASTIC SHEET, DT; DRY TRANSFER (DECALS), EM: ELECTRIC MOTOR EPS; EX MC; METAL CHAIN, MMA; MACHINED METAL ALLOY, MR; METAL ROD, MT; METAL TUBING, MW; METAL WIRE, NM; NYLON MESH, PB; PAINT BRUSH, PCM; PRE-CUT MASKS, PE; PHOTO ETCH, PEBM; PHOTO-ETCHED WC; WOVEN CORD, WD; WATERSLIDE (DECALS), WS; WOODEN STRIP

REVELL, EUROPE

STAR WARS AT-AT www.revell.de/en SCALE; 1:53 MATERIALS; IM KIT NUMBER; 06715 Everyone loves the Imperial All-Terrain Armoured-Transport ‘ATAT’ walker, surely? It must be one of the most famous film vehicles ever and there have been a fair few kits of it over the years. Revell’s 1:53 release is in the ‘Easy Kit’ line which means it has a glue-free assembly, ideal for a beginner’s kitchentable build with parents. The kit will certainly appeal to the more experienced modeller too, with some quite nicely formed surface detail. The model parts come as bare grey mouldings but with some weathering effects pre-applied, so it does look a little plasticky; with a coat of light grey paint and some new, airbrush applied weathering it could look very cool indeed and at 378mm in length, it’ll make an impressive display model. MN Classic Star Wars subject and a good sized model too Pre-applied weathering is ok but the model will come to life after a new coat of grey paint and some custom dirtying-down

ICM, UKRAINE

MIG-25 RBT FOXBAT RECONNAISSANCE PLANE www.hannants.co.uk SCALE; 1:48 MATERIALS; IM, WS ITEM NO.48901 As you’ll read in this month’s ‘Editor’s Page’ I have developed something of a ‘thing’ for the MiG-25 Foxbat. This superbly pointy machine makes a superb subject for a model kit and that’s just what ICM must have thought too. This is a completely new model that uses high-tech mould toolings to create some extremely fine detail and it really shows; some of the finest parts have the look of aftermarket resin in terms of sharpness and precision. The airframe is rendered with beautiful recessed lines and access-panel fasteners, but the flush rivets have been omitted, probably a good idea. The cockpit wall and console detail has to be seen to be believed, as does the instrument panel. ICM have seriously upped their game here. MN

A fantastic-looking aircraft that translates brilliantly to 1:48 kit form. Stunning detail throughout No pilot’s seat harnesses supplied

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Kit Reviews

CTRIC MOTOR EPS; EXTRUDED PLASTIC SECTION, F; FABRIC, IM; INJECTION MOULDED (PLASTIC), ITL; INDIVIDUAL TRACK LINKS, LC; LIQUID CEMENT, LCC; LASER CUT CARD, LLT; LINK AND LENGTH TRACKS, PEBM; PHOTO-ETCHED BADGES/MIRRORS, PMP; PRE-ASSEMBLED METAL PARTS), PS; PAPER STRIP, R; RESIN, SVT; SOFT VINYL TYRES (OR TUBING), VF; VINYL FIGURES, VFP; VACUUM FORMED (PLASTIC),

REVELL, EUROPE

BMW ISETTA 250 www.revell.de/en SCALE; 1:16 MATERIALS; IM, SVT, CP, WS KIT NUMBER; 07030 The little Isetta ‘bubblecar’ is a motoring icon and must be universally loved for its cute looks. It had a 298cc engine and a two-person bench seat, with a rack on the back for a suitcase. Revell have created this new kit to celebrate the vehicle’s design, which was in production from 1956 to 1962. In 1:24 it would be pretty small, so they chose 1:16 to show it off to best advantage and it was a wise choice as so much more has been packed in. It comes with a detailed replica of the single-cylinder, four-stroke engine plus a very good representation of the rear suspension and steerable front wheels. The tiny cabin comes with all the driving controls (LHD of course) plus other neat details like open/closed sunroof and a three-part suitcase for that aforementioned rack. Lovely! MN

Fabulously kitsch and historic design which translates very well into kit form. A marvellous model from Revell Little to fault here, it’s a thoroughly charming production with loads of detail

REVELL, EUROPE

MERCEDES-AMG GT www.revell.de/en SCALE; 1:24 MATERIALS; IM, SVT, CP, WS KIT NUMBER; 07028 The mighty AMG-GT is Mercedes-Benz’s top sportscoupe, competing for sales with the Porsche 911. Its long bonnet is very striking and you can’t fail to miss it, especially in bright yellow! Revell’s new kit is a fully detailed production that includes a lovely miniature of the V8 engine and rearmounted gearbox, plus an authentic-looking cabin interior ‘tub’. As with the new McLaren 570S previewed on page eight this issue, Revell have included conventional wheels and tyres with the AMG which is far better than the odd arrangement in earlier kits. Left and righthand drive dashboards are provided, plus number-plates for UK, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Austria, Russia, Switzerland, France, USA and, of course, Germany-registered cars. MN

A dream-car in miniature and a very appealing kit, with plenty of detail Tricky to paint chrome main grille TMMI 256 February 2017

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New Releases

Kit Reviews

A selection of the latest full kits in plastic, resin, metal and more!

What’s in the box?

AD; ACETATE DIALS, AP; ACRYLIC PAINT, CC; CAST CERAMIC (PLASTER), CMA; CAST METAL ALLOY, CP; CHROMED PARTS, CPS; CLEAR PLASTIC SHEET, DT; DRY TRANSFER (DECALS), EM: ELECTRIC MOTOR EPS; EXTRUDED PLASTIC SECTION, F; FABRIC, IM; INJECTION MOULDED (PLASTIC), ITL; INDIVIDUAL TRACK LINKS, LC; LIQUID CEMENT, LCC; LASER CUT CARD, LLT; LINK AND LENGTH TRACKS, MC; METAL CHAIN, MMA; MACHINED METAL ALLOY, MR; METAL ROD, MT; METAL TUBING, MW; METAL WIRE, NM; NYLON MESH, PB; PAINT BRUSH, PCM; PRE-CUT MASKS, PE; PHOTO ETCH, PEBM; PHOTO-ETCHED BADGES/MIRRORS, PMP; PRE-ASSEMBLED METAL PARTS), PS; PAPER STRIP, R; RESIN, SVT; SOFT VINYL TYRES (OR TUBING), VF; VINYL FIGURES, VFP; VACUUM FORMED (PLASTIC), WC; WOVEN CORD, WD; WATERSLIDE (DECALS), WS; WOODEN STRIP

EDUARD, CZECH REPUBLIC EDUARD, CZECH REPUBLIC

MESSERSCHMITT BF109F DUAL COMBO ROYAL CLASS www.eduard.com www.creativemodels.co.uk SCALE 1:48 ITEM NO.R0014 Eduard’s 1:48 Bf109F is a sublime model kit, depicting one of the most interesting variants of the ‘109, the ‘Friedrich’, which served in the North African desert as well as Italy, Sicily, the Soviet Union and other theatres of operation. The airframe features recessed panel-line detail plus lines of incredibly fine engraved rivets which looks absolutely wonderful on the Bf109’s tiny airframe. In this ‘Royal Class’ offering, we find two whole kits in the box, each with plentiful optional parts to represent the subtle variations between the F1, F2 and F4. All control surfaces are moulded individually (leading-edge slats too) and multiple sheets of photo-etched parts are provide to add that all-important touch of refinement that only thin metal can. To top it all off, a bag of resin wheels/tyres, opentipped exhausts will also be found in the box, along with pre-cut masks and no less than fourteen markings options! MN A gorgeous kit of the Friedrich with everything the ‘109 modeller could ever want; beer glass included! Just too nice to go looking for faults here, this is serious Bf109 luxury

P-47D DOTTIE MAE www.eduard.com www. creativemodels.co.uk SCALE 1:32 ITEM NO.11103 I guess I should really concentrate on the kit inside the box rather than the boxtop artwork, but in this case it is so stunning that I just have to talk about it. Painted by the wonderful French illustrator Romain Hugault, the boxtop provides us with a mouthwateringly punchy image of a parked-up P-47D in overall natural metal, a yellow cowling and ‘Dottie Mae’ nose-art plus, it would seem, the eponymous heroin incarnate sitting on the wing. The USAAF chaps are mightily happy about this, as is this reviewer; it’s certainly a ‘cut out and keep’ example of model kit packaging. Ok, let’s look in the box. Deep joy! There’s a larger sized print of the artwork rolled up inside! Hasegawa provide the plastic here and it is still very good quality indeed; Eduard provide their fantastic photo-etch, weighted resin main and tail wheels/tyres, canopy masks and an exquisite three-option decal sheet by Cartograf. MN Thunderbolt? perfect. Boxart? Perfect. Eduard’s additions? Perfect The illustration is so cool I’m not going looking for faults!

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Book Reviews GOT A NEW BOOK? IF YOU ARE A PUBLISHER WITH A NEW MODELLING RELATED TITLE TO PUBLICISE, WHY NOT SEND IN A COPY FOR REVIEW HERE?

M60A2 MAIN BATTLE TANK IN DETAIL VOLUME 1

CHRIS MROSKO, BRETT W AVANTS, SABOT PUBLICATIONS Order direct from; [email protected] or through good hobby shops and booksellers worldwide. Bookworld in the UK (www.bookworldws.co.uk) and Sprue Brothers in the USA (spruebrothers.com) plus other outlets ISBN; 978-0-9973774-2-2 The M60A2, sometimes known as the 'Starship' due to its futuristic turret design, makes a very interesting modelling subject. Tamiya released a kit many moons ago and much more recently. Dragon released their take on the vehicle. Popular opinion seems to suggest that AFV Club's model, released most recently, is the best of all but even that will need those all important refinements of detail. Volume 1 of Sabot's recently published series on the M60A2 provides an 128+ pages of high quality black and white photographs of the machine in close-up and on deployment. Particularly fascinating is the sequence showing the turret being removed, which offers some superb views of the interior and the turret itself. MN

M60A2 MAIN BATTLE TANK IN DETAIL VOLUME 2

CHRIS MROSKO, BRETT W AVANTS, SABOT PUBLICATIONS Order direct from; [email protected] or through good hobby shops and booksellers worldwide. Bookworld in the UK (www.bookworldws.co.uk) and Sprue Brothers in the USA (spruebrothers.com) plus other outlets ISBN; 978-0-9973774-3-9 In Volume 2 on the 'Starship', Sabot present us with a further 128+ pages of photographs – in colour this time – of the tank in action (manoeuvres) in West Germany, crossing rivers and generally getting muddy beyond belief. The images give real insight into the operations of US tank units during the Cold War period in continental Europe, with some fantastic diorama ideas. In many shots we can see the pattern of the tracks' inner pads imprinted in mud on the rubber of the roadwheels, something well worth replicating on a model. In the second half of the book, we have a very extensive walk-around of the preserved M60A2 that was once part of the Littlefield collection, fitted with T-97E2 chevron track. These photographs are perfect for adding all those finishing touches. Purchased together (which we recommend) these two volumes provide an invaluable reference source on the M60A2 and they come very highly recommended. MN

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BINDERS

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO ● KIT NO.1198

MODEL

CLIPPE

T

he Supermarine Spitfire has been a favourite subject of the modelling community for a long time. Its appeal is based on a wide variety of reasons; the significance of its impact on the Battle of Britain, the number of variants produced, the variety of paint schemes and markings, and (for me anyway), its graceful lines and shapes. My favourite version has always been the Mk.XVI with clipped

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wings and bubbletop canopy. The Mk.XVI was nearly identical to the Mk.IX with the exception of the engine; the Rolls Royce Merlin 266 built under license in the USA replaced the Merlin 66 familiar to the Mk.IX series. The slightly larger intercooler and rearrangement of some of the engine accessories resulted in a larger upper cowling with slightly modified shape. A total of 1,054 Mk.XVIs were built with

both the bubbletop canopy and the high-back fuselage. The majority of period photographs of Mk.XVIs reveal clipped wings which made them more suitable for ground attack roles.

THE KIT

Much to my delight Eduard continued their excellent 1:48 Spitfire series with the release of a Spitfire Mk.XVI in 2015. The kit is now available in several boxings including a Weekend

Edition, Dual Combo (including both the bubbletop and high-back version), 'Rise of the Bubbletops' combo (with a complete Fw-190 Dora), and Post-War version. For the aftermarket junkie (like me!) there is also a full complement of excellent resin and photo-etched accessories from the Eduard Brassin range as well as Ultracast and BarracudaCast. The Eduard Spitfire Mk.XVI Dual Combo Limited Edition used for

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DELLING THE

PPED-WING 'SPIT Jeremy Moore adds Ultracast and BarracudaCast to Eduard's superb 1:48 Spitfire Mk.XVI

this build is an outstanding value in today’s world of ever-increasing kit prices. In the box you get two complete kits; one of the early production Mk.XVI with the traditional high back fuselage and the other a later production Mk.XVI with redesigned rear fuselage and bubble canopy. Also included is an extra set of wings to model an even later version that had an additional bulge or blister above the main wheel well

due to redesigned wheel geometry. Each kit consists of a little over 200 parts moulded in grey styrene and a clear sprue of eleven parts. Also included are a complete set of pre-cut masks for the two canopy styles, dedicated photo-etched sheets for each version, and a choice of fishtail or round exhausts. The Mk.XVI bubbletop also includes a set of three-spoke wheels to go along with the late version wing. There are also a number of extra parts

included in each kit that will satisfy the spares box of any Spitfire aficionado. The overall quality and engineering of the kit is, well, nothing short of excellent. Sometimes kits look really nice when the parts are still on the sprues but construction reveals another story of frustrating fit and finish. I’m happy to say that is not the case with this kit; it builds easily and the parts fit is excellent. Eduard has maintained the

high standard achieved with the release of their Spitfire Mk.IX series several years go which was followed by the equally superb Mk.VIII. I’ll be honest right up front – I’m normally an armour modeller and haven’t finished an aircraft in probably eight years or so. As a result I was a bit nervous at the start of this project but I’m happy to say the kit has sparked a renewed interest in winged things. So without any more delay, let’s get started!

U

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO ● KIT NO.1198

The author incorporated BarracudaCast’s excellent Spitfire ‘Snapshot Upgrade’ in this project and in the photos above we can see the replacement resin parts in pale yellow. The set provides useful enhancements that include a new pilot’s seat with a realistic Sutton harness plus control stick with wiring

V CONSTRUCTION As with most aircraft kits,

construction begins with the cockpit. Since I have a bit of an aftermarket addiction I incorporated one of BarracudaCast’s excellent Spitfire Snapshot Upgrade sets into this build. The set includes some very prominent and useful enhancements to the kit parts including a new seat with an excellent Sutton harness, control stick with incorporated wiring, cockpit door with separate pry bar, and numerous other items expertly cast in resin. The Eduard cockpit does an excellent job right out of the box with the BarracudaCast parts adding that extra bit of detail to make the model stand out. Assembly was straightforward and the only deviation was the fabrication of a new armoured plate behind the pilot’s seat from styrene using the kit part as a template; this was necessary only because the holes in the photo-etched Eduard plate didn’t match the mounting lugs of the of the BarracudaCast seat. I’m normally not a fan of pre-painted photo-etched parts but the included Eduard pre-painted instrument panel was too good to pass up and definitely looks the part. I also added some wiring using fine solder to enhance the kit detail even further. All throughout these initial construction steps the fit of the parts was excellent, so good in fact, that in some cases a couple of layers of paint made some parts difficult to get together. As an example, the notches in the cockpit sidewalls for the instrument panel needed the paint scraped away before they would fit properly.

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The main undercarriage wells build up from three mouldings to form an accurate inner wall

The cockpit was basepainted by airbrush with Tamiya XF-71, diluted with lacquer (cellulose) thinner

Above/below; the detail on the cockpit walls was touched in by hand in the appropriate colours. A very neat approach has been taken here and it looks superb as a result, the weathering being kept to a minimum

The Spitfire’s seat was made from a Bakelite-like material, hence its dark red tone

Eduard’s multi-layered instrument panel looks absolutely superb and highly realistic

The completed cockpit looks extremely convincing; it’s hard to see how it could be bettered in this scale

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The kit-supplied exhausts were replaced with Ultracast resin parts which, unlike the plastic mouldings, can be conveniently ‘plugged in’ once painted

The replacement resin parts seen here are not essentials, but do make the assembly and painting of the model somewhat easier

The BarracudaCast resin upper cowling eliminates the join line that runs the length of the injection-moulded kit parts

Master Model Spitfire Mk.IXe/ Mk.XVIe Late version cannons were used on the model (AM-48-103)

The centreline 500lb bomb rack was sourced from Eduard’s excellent Brassin range; it was specifically designed for their Spitfire kits and adds a touch of refinement to the underside

THE CRUCIAL POINT

And now for that critical moment in any aircraft model – closing up the cockpit in the fuselage. As I mentioned earlier the fit was tight until I removed some paint using a micro chisel from the various tabs, notches and corresponding grooves in the cockpit sidewalls. The tailwheel mount, firewall, and spinner plate are also sandwiched between the fuselage halves and everything went together very nicely with a huge sigh of relief and no gaps or ugly seams. Again, excellent engineering on the part of Eduard results in a great fit. At this point I also chose to deviate from the kit parts for two items: the exhausts and the upper engine cowling. In both cases there’s really no need for them to be replaced, but both BarracudaCast and Ultracast have come up with excellent products

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO ● KIT NO.1198

V to make life a little easier

and satisfy the aftermarket junkie in you as well. The kit supplied exhausts are very finely moulded and are an excellent representation of the real thing. One drawback to their design, however, is that they must be assembled and cemented to the fuselage early in construction making it somewhat difficult to paint and weather them later on. Enter Ultracast with their very cleverly designed resin replacements which are designed such that they can be inserted and removed from the fuselage with ease allowing painting and weathering at any time. Eduard also provides a two-piece upper engine cowling that, due to the nature of mould design, leaves a seam running along the length of the cowling that needs to be sanded smooth when cemented together. This results in a loss of detail on either side of the seam that would need to be repaired. BarracudaCast has done the hard work for you and offer a one-piece cowling cast in resin that is a drop-in replacement and fits perfectly. With these two items in place, the fuselage can now be joined to the wings. The fit was near perfect and required only a small amount of Mr. Surfacer 500 on the lower fuselage-to-wing join.

UNDERCARRIAGE

The landing gear and tailwheel assembly were also assembled at this point and I made another deviation from the kit parts at this stage by substituting the kit wheels for a set of Eduard Brassin four-spoke Spitfire wheels. These are a fantastic addition and include a set of pre-cut masks to aid the painting process. The wheels and landing gear were left off until painting was complete to prevent breaking them. The spinner and four bladed propeller were also replaced with excellent resin castings from Ultracast (I told you I’m addicted to aftermarket!). These parts offer a little bit of finesse over the Eduard parts and are drop-in replacements requiring no modifications. The Ultracast spinner, in particular, is a gem of a

58

resin casting and adds some additional rivet detail not offered on the kit part. The final step in assembly was the addition of armament to include the underwing bomb racks and wing cannons. The underwing racks are very The painting process nicely depicted and as began with an well as the 250 lb. bombs. airbrushed layer of The fin assemblies were Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Gray 2 (RAF) thinned to a more scale thinned with Tamiya thickness with the aid Lacquer Thinner of a jeweller's diamond bead reamer. Here again my aftermarket affliction struck and I replaced the kit supplied Hispano 20mm cannons and .50 calibre guns with turned brass items from Master Model. In an effort to fully capture the role of the ground attack Spitfire I also opted to add a centreline 500 lb. bomb rack sourced from the excellent Eduard Brassin range and specifically designed for their Spitfire kits. This was a kit in itself and includes no less than 6 parts, a sheet of decals as well as a small fret of photo-etched parts. The results are a highly accurate bomb and rack that look very cool when mounted!

The lower portions were masked off and the upper fuselage and wings then sprayed with Tamiya XF-82 Ocean Gray 2 (RAF)

PAINTING

With construction complete it was time to get on with my favourite part; painting! I began by airbrushing the underside of the wings and fuselage with Tamiya XF-83 Medium Sea Gray 2 (RAF) thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner. I added a fair amount of X-22 Clear as well for a semi-gloss finish that would aid with the application of decals and weathering process later on. Once dry, the lower areas were masked off and the upper fuselage and wings were airbrushed with Tamiya XF-82 Ocean Gray 2 (RAF) again thinned with Tamiya Lacquer Thinner and X-22 Clear added as well. And now for the challenging part; masking the upper surfaces of the wings and fuselage in order to apply the hard-edged camouflage scheme. For this I borrowed an idea from Brett Green and printed out colour profiles from a Tamiya 1:32 Spitfire XVI colour and marking guide (that was conveniently in 1:48 scale)

U

Masks were cut from 1:48 paint plans which were printed out onto self-adhesive film and applied to the model

Mr. Colour 361 RAF Dark Green thinned with Mr. Colour Levelling Thinner formed the green areas of camouflage

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The result of the careful masking job is clear to see here; well worth the effort in masking

The yellow leading edges were masked off painted and airbrushed with Tamiya XF-3 Flat Yellow with a few drops of XF-7 Flat Red added

The markings are now in place and look rather smart; weathering will follow

Future floor polish was airbrushed over the whole model to prepare for the decalling process

Weathering began with the application of a panel line wash using a new product from Ammo by MiG called Panel Line Wash. The glossy surface allowed the wash to come off with just very light pressure and a paper towel.

The author applied some Prismacolor paint chips to the spinner and propeller and was quite proud of his work only to discover after posting photos on his Facebook page (and receiving quite a bit of feedback) that Spitfire props were made of wood and not metal! Luckily with the help of a pencil eraser most of the chipping was removed from the prop to bring it back to a more realistic and accurate finish

Mini Review... QUICKBOOST 1:48 P-51B/C/D MUSTANG PROPELLER W/TOOL ITEM no.QB 48 707 www.quickboost.net

Tamiya’s 1:48 P-51 Mustang kits are from a few years back but are still some of the very best examples around in this scale. The models can be enhanced with a new propeller and Quickboost have the solution in this resin set. The four blades are cuffed and beautifully thin with the correct ‘twist’. The pack comes with a resin jig for the perfect alignment and angle-setting for each blade, an extremely thoughtful touch.

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FULL-BUILD: MILITARY AIRCRAFT EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK.XVI DUAL COMBO ● KIT NO.1198

The exhaust areas on the sides of the fuselage were airbrushed in layers, beginning with heavily thinned Tamiya XF-55 Deck Tan followed by a black/red brown mix and finally heavily thinned black

The model is nearing its final assembly here, with all sub-assemblies painted and ready

The well-weathered undersides after their treatment with panel line washes

V on Avery #6470 'Removable

Full Label Sheets' using my inkjet printer. These were then carefully cut with a sharp #11 blade and pieced together on the model. Some of the tricky areas in terms of compound curves were masked with Tamiya tape. This was a rather slow process that took several evenings to make sure things looked right. Once satisfied with the masking job, I held my breath and airbrushed Mr. Colour 361 RAF Dark Green thinned with Mr. Colour Levelling Thinner. Once the paint was dry I removed the masking material and was relieved to find no bleed-through and nice sharp demarcation lines. After allowing everything to dry for a few days the yellow leading edge bands were masked off and airbrushed with Tamiya XF-3 Flat Yellow with a few drops of XF-7 Flat Red added. As a final touch I lightened the three respective camouflage colours and airbrushed random highlights on the model. The bombs, landing gear, wheels and spinner/ propeller were also painted at this time using various

60

Further subtle weathering was applied to the upper airframe in the form of streaking

Tamiya and Gunze acrylics. After letting everything dry for 24 hours I airbrushed several thin coats of Future Floor Wax over the mode and subassemblies to prepare the surface for decals and weathering.

DECALS

Eduard supplies decals for no less than five different Bubbletop versions of the Mk.XVI; I selected the mount of Polish (RAF) No.131 Wing Commander Gabszewicz for its unique nose art. The decals performed very well and a little Micro Sol was used on the roundels to make sure they settled into panel lines. While a full sheet of stencils is also included I opted not to use them for the sake of simplicity. Once the decals were complete and allowed to dry overnight everything was once again sealed with several light coats of Future to protect them from subsequent weathering. Eduard has definitely raised the bar in recent years with their kit releases and the Spitfire Mk. XVI is no exception. The engineering, ease of assembly, and countless options make it a

The finished 500lb centreline bomb and 250lb underwing bombs have been paint and weathered

very appealing subject and attractive model to boot. I’m happy to add the model to my collection and this armour modeller sees more winged things in his future! ●

TECHSPEC... EDUARD 1:48 SPITFIRE MK. XVI DUAL COMBO KIT NO.1198 - Eduard 1198 Spitfire Mk. XVI Dual Combo - Eduard Brassin; Spitfire Wheels 4 spokes (648115), Spitfire 500lb Bomb Set (648109) - BarracudaCast; Spitfire Mk.XVI Snapshot Cockpit Upgrade (BR48197), Spitfire Mk. XVI Seamless Upper Cowling (BR48192) - Ultracast; Spitfire Mk.IX 4-Blade Propeller & Spinner Cone (48260), Spitfire Mk. IX Flared Exhausts (48262) - Master Model AM-48-103 Spitfire Mk.IXe/ Mk.XVIe Late Version Cannons (for Eduard) Paints and weathering products: - Tamiya XF-82 Ocean Gray 2 (RAF), XF-83 Medium Sea Gray 2 (RAF), XF-71 Cockpit Green, XF-1 Flat Black, XF-84 Red Brown, XF-2 Flat White, XF-3 Flay Yellow, XF-7 Flat Red, XF-85 Rubber Black, X-22 Clear Gloss - Mr Hobby; C361 Dark Green, Mr. Colour Levelling Thinner - Vallejo Acrylics (various colours) - Ammo by MiG Blue-Black Panel Line Wash A.PLW-1617 Availability; - Eduard models and accessories are widely available from good model shops and online. www.eduard.com www.creativemodels.co.uk - BarracudaCast; www.barracudacals.com - Ultracast; www.ultracast.ca - Mr Hobby; www.albionhobbies.com

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Posed with the canopy back and access door open, Eduard’s Mk.XVI looks ready for action. This is an extremely sophisticated kit that rewards careful assembly

Held by the author, we can see the detail of the undersurfaces, all subtly weathered

This low-angle view shows the bombs and their detailed racks to good effect. The exhaust streaks are just enough to suggest that the fighter has been flown recently

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Contact details for companies featured in TMMI... ● ACCURATE ARMOUR/ ARMOUR DISTRIBUTION Units 15-16 Kingston Industrial Estate, Port Glasgow, Inverclyde, PA14 5DG Scotland. Tel; 01475 743 955 Fax 01475 743746 www.accurate-armour.com

● DRAGON MODELS (The Hobby Company in UK) Dragon Models Ltd, Kong Nam Ind. Building B1-10F, 603-609 Castle Peak Road, Tsuen Wan NT, Hong Kong Fax (HK) 4110587 www.dragonmodelsltd.com

● THE AIRBRUSH COMPANY Ltd 79 Marlborough Road, Lancing Business Park, Lancing, West Sussex, BN15 8UF, +44 (0) 1903 767800 www.airbrushes.com

● ECHELON FINE DETAILS Available from; wwwaccurate-armour. com & http://pachome1.pacific.net. sg/~kriegsketten/

● AIRCONNECTION Box 21227, RPO Meadowvale Mississauga, ON L5N 6A2, Canada Tel (905) 677-0016 Fax (905) 677-0582 [email protected] [email protected] www.airconnection.on.ca ● AIRWAVES Via Hannants www.hannants.co.uk ● ALBION ALLOYS Spacemaker House, 518 Wallisdown Road, Bournemouth Dorset, UK, BH11 8PT Tel: 01202 511232 Fax; 01202 539967 From outside UK please dial Tele; 0044 1202 511232 Fax;0044 1202 539967 ● ALCLAD II No.5 St Georges Close, Bacton, Norfolk, NR12 0LL. www.alclad2.com Tel; 01692 652166, Fax; 01692 652334 ● AMMO OF MIG JIMENEZ S.L. Navarra (SPAIN) www.migjimenez.com www.theweatheringmagazine.com Email [email protected] In UK; Creative Models ● AMPERSAND PUBLISHING (via Historex Agents in UK) 235 NE 6th Avenue #4 Delray Beach, Florida 33483-5543, USA Tel; 561-266 9686, Fax; 561-266-9786 ● ARCHER (Historex in UK) PO Box 1277 Youngsville, NC 275961277, USA www.archertransfers.com ● BADGER AIRBRUSH 9128 W. Belmont Avenue, Franklin Park, IL 60131, USA 800-AIR-BRUSH • Fax: 800-57BADGER www.badgerairbrush.com [email protected] ● BISON DECALS Available from www.hannants.co.uk and www.pdi-model-supplies.com ● CAMMETT AND CO (Lifecolour, Scale Caliber) Unit 5 Forest Road, Greenfield Industrial Estate, Hay-on-Wye, HR3 5FA, United Kingdom Phone; 01497 822757 Email; [email protected] www.cammett.co.uk ● CLASSIC PUBLICATIONS Midland Counties Publications, 4 Watling Drive, Sketchley Lane Industrial Estate, Hinckley, Leics UK LE10 1YF Tel: +44(0) 1455 233 747, Fax: +44(0) 1455 233 737 [email protected] www.classic-publications.com ● CREATIVE MODELS LTD (Mig Productions, Vallejo, Accurate Miniatures); Unit 6-10, Honeysome Industrial Estate, Honeysome Road, Chatteris, Cambridgeshire PE16 6TG Tel/Fax; 01354 760022 www.creativemodels.co.uk [email protected] ● CZECH SIX PUBLICATIONS 48 Station Road, Stoke D’Abernon, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3BN UK Tel; 01932 866426 www.czechsixpublications.com

(For 1:6 Action Figures, please contact Amerang in UK)

● EAGLE EDITIONS Ltd PO Box 580 Hamilton MT 59840 USA406 Tel; 363 5415, Fax; 406 375 9270 [email protected] www.eagle-editions.com ● FANTASY PRINTSHOP The Palms Oasis, New Portreath Road, Bridge, Cornwall, TR16 4QL ● FROME MODEL CENTRE 1/2 Catherine Street, Frome, Somerset, BA11 1DA, UK +44 (0) 1373 465295 www.frome-model-centre.com [email protected] ● GRAND PRIX MODELS 4 Thorpe Close, Thorpe Way, Banbury, OX16 4SW. Tel; 01295 278070 Fax; 01295 278072 www.grandprixmodels.com [email protected] ● GREENHILL BOOKS Park House, 1 Russell Gardens, London NW11 9NN, UK Tel 020 8458 6314 Fax 020 8905 5245 www.greenhillbooks.com [email protected] ● GUNZE SANGYO (MR HOBBY) Albion Alloys in the UK ● HANNANTS Harbour Road, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR32 2LZ. Tel 01502 517444 Fax 01502 500521 www.hannants.co.uk [email protected] ● HIKOKI PUBLICATIONS LTD Ashtree House, Station Road, Ottringham, East Yorkshire, HU12 OBJ, UK ● HIROBOY (Zero Paints) Unit 59, Basepoint Business Centre Oakfield Close, Tewkesbury Business Park, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8SD UK Tel: 01684 252310 (UK office hours only) www.hiroboy.com ● HISTOREX AGENTS Wellington House, 157 Snargate Street, Dover, Kent, CT17 9BZ, UK Tel 01304 206720 Fax 01304 204528. www.historex-agents.co.uk [email protected] ● HOBBYLINK JAPAN Sano-shi, Kurohakama-cho 162-1 Tochigi 327-0813, Japan www.hlj.com ● HUSSAR PRODUCTIONS, CANADA www.airconnection.on.ca ● ITALERI (The Hobby Company in UK) Via Pradazzo, 6, I-40012 Calderara Di Reno, Bologna, Italy, Tel 051 726037 www.italeri.it ● IWATA AIRBRUSHES The Airbrush Company 79 Marlborough Road (East) Lancing Business Park Lancing, West Sussex BN15 8UF Tel: +44 (0)1903 767 800 www.airbrushes.com. ● JADAR-MODEL Zielna 8/103, 00-108 Warsaw, Poland www.jadar.com.pl [email protected] ● MODELLING TOOLS Uncle Jacks, Lavendon Road Olney Bucks, MK46 4HH, UK www.modellingtools.co.uk Tel (+44) 01234 711980

● MIG PRODUCTIONS C/ Santiago Rusinol 7, Pral 2a, 08750 Molins de Rei, Barcelona, Spain www.migproductions.com In UK; Creative Models ● MODEL DESIGN CONSTRUCTION Unit 3 Hillstown Small Business Center, Mansfield Road, Bolsover, Derbyshire. S44 6LE. Tel; +(44)1246 82 77 55 [email protected] www.modeldesignconstruction.com ● MODEL WHOLESALE UK LTD Unit 3 Dean Close, Raunds, Northants NN9 6BD Tel; 01892 680009 Fax:01892 522526 [email protected] www.modelwholesaleuk.com

● SQUADRON.COM Squadron Mail Order 1115 Crowley Drive Carrollton, TX 75006 - 1312. USA ● STUDIO 27 (Grand Prix Models in UK) www.studio27.co.jp ● SCALE MOTORSPORT No.3 Topside Lane, Newtown, Connecticut 06470-2023, USA www.scalemotorsport.com In UK; Grand Prix Models ● THE SMALL SHOP PO Box 580, Kalama WA 98625, USA Tel/fax; (360) 673-1255 [email protected] www.thesmallshop.com

● MODUNI VERSAND GMBH Böttgerstr. 2-14, 65439 Flörsheim, Germany Tel; 06145 5456-0 Fax; 06145 5456-11 [email protected] www.moduni.de

● SYLMASTA Halland House, Dale’s Yard, Lewes Rd, Scaynes Hill, West Sussex, RH17 7PG Tel; +44(0)1444 415027, Fax; +44(0)1444 458606. Email; [email protected]

● MONROE PERDU Monroe Perdu Designs, 3168 Renee Court, Simi Valley, CA 93065, USA. www.monroeperdu.com

● TAMIYA JAPAN Tamiya, Inc., 3-7 Ondawara Suruga-ku, Shizuoka 422-8610 Japan www.tamiya.com

● PANZERWRECKS PO Box 164, Heathfield, Sussex TN21 8WA, UK www.panzerwrecks.com

● TAMIYA UK; THE HOBBY COMPANY LIMITED Garforth Place, Knowlhill, Milton Keynes, MK5 8PG, UK Tel; 01908 605686 Fax; 01908 605666 [email protected] www.hobbyco.net

● PEGASUS HOBBIES (Selected items via Pocketbond in UK) 5515 Moreno Blvd, Montclair, CA 91763 USA www.pegasushobbies.com ● PLUS MODEL (Creative Models in UK) Jizni 56, 370 10 C. Budejovice, Czech Republic. [email protected] www.plusmodel.cz ● POCKETBOND Bachmann Europe PLC Moat Way Barwell Leics LE9 8EY Tel 01455 841756 [email protected] ● POL MODELS 64 Cumberland Road, Acton, London, W3 6EY UK [email protected] ● PRO-ART MODELS www.proartmodels.be ● QUICKBOOST www.quickboost.net ● REVELL UK Revell UK, Unit 10, Old Airfield Industrial Estate, Cheddington Lane Tring, Herts, HP23 4QR, UK [email protected] ● RZM PUBLISHING (Greenhill Books In UK) PO Box 995, Southbury, CT 06488 USA Tel; (USA) 203 264 0774 www.rzm.com ● SCHATTON BARRELS Industriestrasse 6, 94347 Ascha, Germany, Fax 09961 910 7826 www.modellbau-schatton.privat.t-online.de email; [email protected] ● SCHIFFER BOOKS Schiffer Publishing, 4880 Lower Valley Rd, Atglen, PA, 19310 USA www.schifferbooks.com ● SCHIFFER BOOKS in UK Bushwood Books, No.6 Marksbury Avenue, Kew Gardens, Surrey TW9 4JF, UK. Tel +44(0)20 8392 8585, +44(0)20 8392 9876, email; [email protected]

● TANK MODEL, RUSSIA www.tank-model.ru www.afvmodeller.com ● TANK WORKSHOP 345 Wynbrook Drive McDonough, GA, 30253 USA Tel; (770) 573-1409, Fax; (770) 573-0479 www.tankworkshop.com ● TRUMPETER www.trumpeter-china.com Pocketbond in the UK ● TUNGSTEN DRILLS Allan Sidney No.6, Park Gardens, Holbeach, Lincolnshire, PE12 7PJ [email protected] ● U-MODELS 1103, rue de Feucherolles 78630, Orgeval, France www.u-models.com ● VALLEJO (Creative Models in UK) Acrylicos Vallejo, SL Apartado 337 08800 Vilanova i la Geltrú, Barcelona, Spain Tel; (34) 93 893 60 12 Fax; (34) 93 893 11 54 www.acrylicosvallejo.com ● WORLD WAR TWO BOOKS Military History Books Ltd (Mail order address, callers by appointment) 2 Cysgod Y Bryn, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, SY23 4LR, United Kingdom Tel; 01970 623778 [email protected] www.worldwartwobooks.com ● WIDESPREAD SOLUTIONS Unit 1 Levens Hall Park, Lund Lane, Killinghall, Harrogate, West Yorkshire HG3 2BG, UK. Tel; +44(0)1423 522836 Fax; +44(0)1423 525656 [email protected] www.graphicair.co.uk

● SCHUMO KITS Axel’s-Modellbau-Shop Axel und Bernd Schulze OHG Braustraße 2a 37170 Uslar, Germany Phone: +49 (0) 5571 919 100 Fax: +49 (0) 5571 919 101 www.schumo-kits.com

■ Please mention ‘Tamiya Model Magazine’ if you make contact with any of the companies listed above - thanks!

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NEXT ISSUE

The next issue of TMMI is March 2017 (No.257), on sale February 16th

LATE-WAR WÜRGER

We revisit Tamiya’s superb 1:48 Fw190A-8

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

MPC’s breath-taking, twenty-two inch Eagle Transporter, full-build

OLIVER’S ARMY

Tamiya’s 1:35 Cromwell tank gets a Friulmodel make-over

...AND MUCH MORE, OF COURSE! Due to the many factors that can influence the appearance (or non-appearance) of a model in TMMI, the items listed here are shown on a provisional basis. We endeavour to bring you these articles, but please be patient if they do not feature! Thank you for your understanding.

Order online now at; www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com ISSUE No.256 FEBRUARY 2017 PUBLISHED ON JANUARY 19th 2017 Editor; Marcus Nicholls Consultant Editor (USA); Stan Spooner, Editorial Assistant; Matt Benfield Publisher; Alan Harman Graphic Design; Alex Hall TMMI Website; The Doolittle Media web team Advertising Manager; Sean Leslie Office Manager; Paula Gray Administration Manager; Hannah McLaurie Administration Assistant; Julie Lane Wave ‘em like you just don’t care; Hans Zupinda Ayre Printed by; Henry Stone Ltd., Oxfordshire, UK Distributed by; Seymour Distribution, 2 East Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PT Tel; 020 7429 4000 Newstrade; Select Publisher Services, 3 East Avenue, Bournemouth, BH3 7BW Tel; 01202 586848 Email; [email protected] Tamiya Model Magazine is published on the third Thursday of each month by Doolittle Media Ltd. Editorial enquiries; [email protected] All other enquiries to; [email protected] Tamiya Model Magazine, Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK. Telephone; +44 (0)1525 222573 Editorial enquiries;+44 (0)7904 635 694 Fax; +44 (0)1525 222574. Back Issues; From £4.20 Inc. P&P. Back issues from #75 onwards (excluding #79) are available from the UK address below, or online at www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com

Reproduction in part of any text, photograph, or illustration without written consent from the publisher is strictly prohibited. While due care is taken to ensure the contents of Tamiya Model Magazine is accurate, the publishers and printers can not accept responsibility for errors and omissions. Advertisements are accepted for publication in Tamiya Model Magazine only on Doolittle Media’s standard terms of acceptance of advertising, copies of which are available from the advertising department. Please write to the address below. All editorial, advertising, circulation and subscription enquiries should also be directed to the UK address below.

Subscription rates are; 1 year (12 issues); £44 UK, £56 Europe, £69 Worldwide Binders; £8.50 + P&P (UK-£2.45, Europe-£4.45, Worldwide-£6.45). All prices include postage and packing. For all orders, please call (UK) +44(0)1525 222573 or visit www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com Digital subscriptions available from www.pocketmags.com

✁

TO MY NEWSAGENT... CONTACT INFO: Tel: +44(0)1525 222 573 Fax: +44(0)1525 222 574 Editorial enquiries: +44(0)7904 635 694 Doolittle Mill, Doolittle Lane, Totternhoe, Bedfordshire, LU6 1QX, UK www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com Editorial email: [email protected] Other enquiries: [email protected] www.tamiyamodelmagazine.com

Please order Tamiya Model Magazine International for me and reserve/deliver a regular copy starting with issue:-

Name: .............................................................................................................................................................................................. Address: ...........................................................................................................................................................................................

The paper used on this title is from sustainable forestry

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TMMI 256 February 2017

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The Editor’s Page...

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The Editor takes a fancy to a foxy Foxbat

OBSESSING OVER COLD WAR JETS?

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have a new love in my life. It’s not a person, a car or flavour of ice-cream. I haven’t found a new band that I have liked since about 1986 and I haven’t got myself another cat. No, my new infatuation is a Soviet, Cold War era fast jet, the MiG-25 Foxbat to be specific. It’s not my normal thing at all – I usually prefer my aircraft slow, radial-powered and American – but tthere here is just something so cool-looking and slightly sinister about the MiG-25 that I have become fascinated by it. I think this fixation was triggered by the new 1:48 kit from ICM, which arrived recently. My first action upon opening the box was to inspect the kits parts; 100% good, to my eye. Then, it was straight onto the internet to look for images of the machine to get some painting and weathering ideas. Plenty to see there! With some creative paintwork and weathering, this kit has the potential to look spectacular. ● See you again next time [email protected]

Photos of full-sized MiG-25; Wikimedia

Editor's Choice

ABC BRUSHES I get through many, many brushes over the course of several model builds and finding affordable replacements can be a challenge. These days I shop for many of my modelling ‘consumables’ online and that’s where I came across ABC Brushes. This British supplier offers bundles of brushes that are perfectly suited to the needs of scale modellers and their prices are great; I recently bought a bundle of twenty-two high quality brushes for £25, at least half the price in an art store. Check them out, the next time you’re on eBay. Available from; eBay.co.uk for abcbrushes

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A Mega Kit for the aSpace ig G s o r t c A s e d e c r e M

Italeri 1:24 Mercedes Benz Actros Gigaspace Truck Cab #3905 With the Mercedes Benz Actros MP4 GigaSpace model in 1:24 Scale, a new generation of truck kits are born, inspired by the latest trucks and trailers that are seen on the roads every day. This wonderful scale model of the famous German heavy truck features 325 individual pieces, 6 rubber tyres, and a high quality decal sheet. The kit accurately captures the technology and enhancements of the new truck, both in design and detail.

The Engine

The cutting edge technology of the new Actros Euro VI engine (with maximum power of 460 kW and maximum torque of 3000 Nm) is highly detailed by this impeccable kit.

The Italeri GigaSpace stays true to the original, using the same software and calculations used to design the original truck! The GigaSpace, the successor of the MegaSpace has been expanded, optimised and equipped with a new 6 cylinder Euro 6 engine with a Maximum Output of 625 HP depending on desired specification. The Actros range was first introduced in 1995 and quickly achieved significant commercial success as a suitable truck for both long distance and heavy duty haulage duties.

Sign Up to our Newsletter on www.hobbyco.net Find us on facebook search Plastic Kits UK

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

20/12/2016 14:43