FineScale.com
HOLY COW! 12 expert reviews & builds > p. 50
September 2019
Make America’s first tank Tips for converting Takom’s Renault FT
Ron Poniatowski explains techniques for massaging a Takom Renault into a U.S. M1917. (Part 1) – p. 20
You can create Make Schürzen this folded-wing from yogurt wonder p. 26 lids p. 40
Refine a WWII German truck with crane p. 30
SPECIAL! Show & reader galleries p. 34 BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE PAGE 3 Vol. 37 • Issue 7
CONTENTS September 2019 /// Vol 37 /// No 7
ONLINE CONTENT CODE: FSM190 Enter this code at www.FineScale.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content
50
FEATURES
KIT REVIEWS 50 Eduard Tempest Mk.V
16 Form & Figure Master eyes to create an emotive face RICH ERICKSON
20 Re-create America's first tank
52 Panda M1296 Stryker Dragoon 53 Azur-FrRom SNCASE SE 535 Mistral
20
Part 1: Convert a Takom Renault FT RON PONIATOWSKI
56 Ryefield Schützenpanzer Puma 57 MiniArt Fl 282 V-23 Hummingbird
26 Intruder alert Make your own folded-wing wonder FRANK CUDEN
58 Italeri The Colosseum 59 Sword McDonnell F3H-2 Demon
30 Refine a Büssing-NAG 4500 Straightening jigs, detailed washes create a contest-winning truck DENNIS GERBER
26
60 Wingnut Wings Halberstadt CL.II 61 MiniArt Soviet ball tank "Sharotank"
34 Show gallery
62 Revell Antonov An-225 Mriya
2019 Mad City Show FSM STAFF
63 Dora Wings Percival Proctor
IN EVERY ISSUE
40 Schürzen from yogurt lids Update an old-school tank with scale-thin skirts GARY MAJCHZAK
54 Italeri T-34/85
30
5 Editor’s Page 7 Scale Talk/Reader Tips/Q&A 10 New Products 44 Reader Gallery
42 Airbrushing & Finishing A do-it-yourself cleaning pot ROBERT BEARY
64 Classified Marketplace 65 Hobby Shop Directory 65 Advertiser Index
34
66 Final Details
FineScale Modeler (ISSN 0277-979X, USPS No. 679-590) is published monthly (except for June & August) by Kalmbach Media Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187. Periodicals Postage is paid at Waukesha, WI and additional offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to FineScale Modeler, PO Box 8520, Big Sandy, TX 75755. Canada Post Publication Mail Agreement #40010760.
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4 FineScale Modeler September 2019
EDITOR’S PAGE By Mark Savage
Back to a little of everything
A
nniversaries come along to utor Frank Cuden delves into how to help us focus on various improve an Intruder with folded stages of our history. This wings. Frank always has a few tricks year we’ve already marked the 75th up his modeler’s sleeve. anniversary of D-Day, and last issue Then there’s Dennis Gerber’s build we celebrated the 50th anniversary of of a German WWII truck with the miraculous first moon walk and heavy-duty crane built into the tail Apollo 11 mission with a collection of end. If you’re looking to make somereal space builds. thing a little different, Ah, but this issue we get this how-to is for you. This issue back to our usual round Rich Erickson also robin of modeling. We shows us how to create an we get delve into armor, aircraft, emotive face on the bust of back to a military trucks and figures, a war-worn soldier. And real round plus deliver an absolute there are a variety of tips robin of explosion of kit reviews. and techniques in this issue, modeling. Ron Poniatowski plus instructions of how to wrote an in-depth how-to make your own airbrush on modifying a World War I Renault cleaning pot. FT into America’s first tank. The And lest you think we just sit story was so detailed we had to divvy around modeling all day, Aaron and it up into a two-parter. We hope I have been traveling to several large you’ll enjoy part one this issue, and shows. You can see a gallery from watch for the second part in October. one, which was in our own back Meanwhile, FSM regular contrib- yard, the Mad City Modelers’ show
Look for an AMPS gallery in the October issue.
in Madison, Wis., starting on page 34. More from the AMPS and WonderFest shows will roll out with the October and November issues. One more thing: You’ll want to order a copy of Great Scale Modeling, our special issue this fall that will highlight some of the best model builds we’ve seen at this year’s shows.
editor@finescale.com
Off the sprue: Who has been your best teacher? Why? Life, it has been said, is our greatest teacher. But sometimes, we experience individuals who set the bar a bit higher, motivating us to do better.
Editor Mark Savage msavage@Kalmbach.com
Senior Editor Aaron Skinner askinner@FineScale.com
Digital Editor Elizabeth Nash enash@FineScale.com
Editorial Associate Monica Freitag mfreitag@FineScale.com
I had a lot, especially in high school in Indy. One of my favorites was Miss Ross, an English teacher who was nearing retirement and would read to us in Middle English and make it sound so beautiful that we couldn’t wait to sink our minds into Shakespeare. Her enthusiasm was contagious.
I had several good teachers in high school and at uni, but the one I remember most fondly is Ms. Bennett. She taught English at Indooroopilly High and gave me an appreciation for the written word that has stayed with me. Her classes refocused my career goals from meteorology to journalism.
My Taekwondo instructor always encouraged us to push ourselves. The point was never to impress anyone else, but instead to prove to yourself that you could do some pretty amazing things. His attitude was always, “Why, yes, as a matter of fact you can kick that high, jump that far, move that fast.”
Easy, Miss Mary Lou Jellen my high school English teacher. One year I took Creative Writing with her. She had a way of encouraging you to express yourself on paper with words, to think outside the bounds of professional writing. Poetry was also part of her plan. She introduced it in a way we could understand it, and learn to love it. www.FineScale.com
5
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EDITORIAL Senior Editor Aaron Skinner Digital Editor Elizabeth Nash Editorial Associate Monica Freitag
ART Ele fan t w i t h Cu s to m A poxie ® Scu lp t Zim m er i t by, Jo e Por ter
Senior Graphic Designer Scott Krall Graphic Designer Samantha Primuth Illustrator Kellie Jaeger Photographer William Zuback Production Coordinator Cindy Barder
REGULAR CONTRIBUTING MODELERS Paul Boyer, Andy Cooper, Raúl Corral, Chris Cortez, Frank Cuden, Chuck Davis, Jonas Dahlberg, Walt Fink, Tom Foti, Phillip Gore, James Green, Ted Horn, Joe Hudson, Mark Karolus, Rick Lawler, Ulf Lundberg, Chris Oglesby, Bill Plunk, John Plzak, Darren Roberts, Chuck Sawyer, Mike Scharf, Cookie Sewell, Bob Steinbrunn, Karel Sutt, Matthew Walker, Jim Wechsler, Adam Wilder, Jim Zeske
KALMBACH MEDIA Chief Executive Officer Dan Hickey Senior Vice President, Finance Christine Metcalf Senior Vice President, Consumer Marketing Nicole McGuire Vice President, Content Stephen C. George Vice President, Operations Brian J. Schmidt Vice President, Human Resources Sarah A. Horner Senior Director, Advertising Sales and Events David T. Sherman Advertising Sales Director Scott Redmond Circulation Director Liz Runyon Art and Production Manager Michael Soliday New Business Manager Cathy Daniels Retention Manager Kathy Steele Single Copy Specialist Kim Redmond
EDITORIAL 262-796-8776
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT
From FineScale Modeler, the all-new Fall 2019 issue of Damaged features nine outstanding builds from premier modelers. — Learn how to add interior detail PROJECTS • Batmobile and apply dramatic pre-shading to finish the INCLUDE: Dark Knight’s Tumbler.
• Volvo F12 — All kinds of weathering is key to modeling a rig that’s seen better days. • Flag of Our MaKs — Build a 1/20 scale Maschienen Krieger diorama inspired by a famous World War II photo. • Minotaur: King of the Labyrinth — Learn how to paint an a-maze-ing 75mm figure from Greek mythology. • And more!
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Order the Fall 2019 Issue at KalmbachHobbyStore.com/FS14 Free standard shipping to U.S. addresses only. Canadian and foreign addresses add $4.95 for shipping and handling. Batmobile is a trademark of DC Comics. Volvo is a trademark of Volvo Trademark Holding AB Corporation.
6 FineScale Modeler September 2019
888-558-1544 Advertising Sales Representative Michael Wieloch, Ext. 630 Advertising Services Representative ads@FineScale.com
RETAIL, TRADE ORDERS, AND INQUIRIES Selling FineScale Modeler magazine or products in your store: Phone 800-558-1544 Outside U.S. & Canada 262-796-8776, Ext. 818 Fax 262-798-6592 E-mail tss@Kalmbach.com Website www.Retailers.Kalmbach.com
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SPECIAL EMAIL & WEB ADDRESSES Ad Sales adsales@FineScale.com Letters to the Editor editor@FineScale.com New Products mfreitag@FineScale.com Reader Gallery Contribute.Kalmbach.com Reader Questions questions@FineScale.com Reader Tips tips@FineScale.com ©2019, Kalmbach Media Co., all rights reserved. This publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Printed in the U.S.A. Allow 6 to 8 weeks for new subscriptions and address changes. Subscription rate: single copy $6.99; U.S. 1 year (10 issues), $39.95; 2 years (20 issues), $74.95; 3 years (30 issues), $94.95. Canadian: Add $8.00 postage per year. Canadian price includes GST, payable in U.S. funds. All other international subscriptions: Add $12 postage per year, payable in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank. BN 12271 3209 RT. Not responsible for unsolicited materials.
SCALE TALK
Your voice in FSM FineScale.com
Harrier turns 50: Paint and arm
this icon > p. 46
July 2019
One Small . Step..terrifi c to building real-space models! • Improve Tamiya’s Apollo modules p. 26 • Launch a Mercury-Atlas p. 18 • Scratchbuild a shuttle launch pad p. 30 • Your Space Race build photos p. 36
PLUS: Metallic details for a Soviet IS-2 p. 41
Joe Hudson shows how to put a scale Neil Armstrong on the moon! p. 22
Special: Jaxcon photo gallery p. 52 $7.99
07
74369 01260
In the July issue we asked our staff members for their Apollo 11 memories. Here are a few from FSM readers too! Do you have some you’d like to share?
Vol. 37 Issue 7
Apollo 11 memories ... I enjoyed reading the Apollo 11 memories of the FineScale editorial staff so permit me to share mine. A bunch of us guys were sitting in a dry rice paddy eating a noon meal from green tin cans when my RTO nudged me to say that on the battalion radio net they were reporting NASA had landed men on the moon. Unbelievable, I thought, if they can land a man on the moon why can’t they rocket me out of here. – Dan Kirby Arlington, Va.
Q&A Repainting a toy figure
Q
I recently bought a toy figure to use in a current project. I believe it is made of soft vinyl. I plan to modify and repaint it. Should I remove the paint already on it, and if so what should I use to do that? What primer and type of paint would work best? Some of the figure also needs to be painted with metallics. – Brian Alexander, Chesapeake Va.
A
Without seeing the figure it’s difficult to give a definitive answer. If it’s possible to remove the existing paint, it’s best to do that. Either way, priming is crucial; not only will it cover the remaining paint, but the plasticizers in soft plastic can prevent paint from sticking. Look for a primer that is designed to cover plastic (like that made to paint outdoor plastic furniture, www. rustoleum.com/product–catalog/consumer–brands/specialty/plastic– primer–spray/) as it should cover the soft vinyl. Once that is on, you should be able to paint the figure as normal. – Aaron Skinner
... sitting on a runway Great FSM! Your editorial question, “What are your Apollo 11 memories?” stirred mine. I was in the runup area for Runway 32 in Omaha, Neb., at the flight engineer’s panel on a 727 — and we didn’t need a runup. Taxiing out, we were listening to the moon landing on the ADF, and the captain said, “I’m not going anywhere until we hear the outcome” so he pulled over and set the brakes. We only had to wait five minutes or so, which was probably good because I’m sure a delay for that wouldn’t have been welcomed by the company schedulers. He then made an informative announcement to our passengers and we took off for Chicago. – Walt Fink Woodstock, Ill.
Old issue keeps on giving! After my wife complained about my new order of model kits from Squadron, I went to my collection of kits and started looking through them. Some I discarded simply because of missing or broken parts, bad paint jobs, and other issues, but some were partially completed and ready to have work continued on them. One kit I opened was the HobbyBoss M4 high–speed tractor. The work was well under way and looked good. To my surprise, inside the box was an issue of FineScale Modeler dated April 2008 opened to the page that has a review of the kit. I obviously was using the review to guide me in the build. Surprises on many levels, including an 11-year–old issue of FSM to reread! Ironically, the kit’s selling price has gone up one dollar a year! Thank you for a great modeling magazine that keeps on giving!
some French army officers. The second location was in an old railroad station. Both locations are impressive. I was allowed into the second location alone with no supervision. That was my best museum experience ever. I would love to go back, but at 87 that’s unlikely. I am a little slow on building these days, but true to form my stash is still expanding. – Bob Caswell Watertown, N.Y.
FSM and modeling = happiness Just wanted to drop a note and say how I enjoy your work and the pure enjoyment of FSM. I get a number of periodicals that discuss world issues and challenges, but the publication that gives me the most pleasure is FSM. It’s all about a hobby that I enjoy doing and I enjoy seeing what others accomplish. I was fortunate to spend a career as a U.S. Army armor officer and commanded a number of tank units. I can still hear the chatter of the radio and smell the engine exhaust. Now in semi–retirement, I got back to the hobby and enjoy researching and building Allied tanks, as a small way of preserving the legacy of those veterans. I have a grown son who is a U.S. Air Force pilot and two younger boys who love dad’s collection. Fingers crossed, I hope to keep building for a few more years! We are a military family and my wife is still serving! – Bart Howard Lago, Patria, Italy
– Charles Palia Lisle, Ill.
A7V replica in Germany I enjoyed Great War Scale Modeling very much. There is one omission in the building of the A7V story on page 54. It is true that only one original A7V exists in Australia, but a complete replica exists at the Deutsches Panzermuseum in Munster, Germany. I have been there and seen it. The museum is the German army armor museum and is very nice. There is also a museum at Koblenz which is very good. I also have visited Bovington in England and the French museum at Saumur, which is in two locations in the city. It has been a long time since I was there, but I found out about the second location by accident in conversation with
Bart offers these beauties, a 1/45 scale M4A3EB (top) from the Korean War, and a 1/35 M4A3 late model Sherman as it was in Europe in 1945. Both are Tamiya models built straight from the box and sprayed with Tamiya acrylics. www.FineScale.com
7
ARA Press The Spaceship Enthusiasts’ One-Stop Data Shop!
SCALE TALK
Available Again! This book may seem horribly out of date since it spends most of the time describing how to adapt compact film cameras for flight. This includes building large payload bays and methods of mechanically and/or electrically triggering the cameras.
Here’s a look at Mel’s busy workbench. Look familiar?
Finding the right tools Only $14.95 ea! (plus shipping)
Seize The Sky A Builder's Guide to Model Rocketry by Mario Perdue
x 244 pages, Softcover x Color cover w/ B&W illustrations x Over 400 photos and diagrams A project-oriented guide to the rocket hobby, primarily for people interested in rockets in the A to G motor range. There are tips for hobbyists of every skill level so that it will continue to prove useful as the reader gains experience in the hobby
I’ve been doing more model–building over the past 15 years, and your mag has contributed enormously to my enthusiasm and to developing my skills. Something I find intriguing is getting glimpses of other modelers’ workbenches and equipment, particularly the repurposing of everyday objects, and how my own workspace has similar, often identical odds and ends from hobby shops, art supply stores, Home
Depot, electronics suppliers, Staples, cosmetics counters, Safeway, thrift stores, junk stores, flea markets, toy stores, and discarded food packaging. I thank FSM for clueing me in to a lot of this. This also reminds me that, if my models don’t quite resemble the winners table at the local IPMS meet, I can’t blame my tools. – Mel Kennedy, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Now at www.FineScale.com
Only $19.95! (plus shipping) Visit our website to order on-line. All Credit Cards and PayPal accepted. Call or write “info@arapress.com” for shipping options. Sales Tax added for CA orders Follow us on Facebook!
ARA Press 785 Jefferson Ave. Livermore, CA 94550 (925) 583-5126 www.arapress.com 8 FineScale Modeler September 2019
Wingnut Wings’ Halberstadt ready for takeoff You may be ready to takeoff too, at least ready to take down that current wallpaper and add a new one like this beauty of the 1/32 scale Halberstadt CL.II. Snag a new desktop wallpaper You’ll find dozens of computer backgrounds, like the Halberstadt above, that you can download for free on FSM’s website. Freshen your monitor to fire up your inspiration.
Watch Aaron and Elizabeth now! That’s right, Aaron Skinner and Elizabeth Nash are giving you a peek inside the box of the latest kits in our twice–monthly video review, New Product Rundown.
Reader tips
Putty concerns One of your books suggests that Silly Putty can conveniently be used to mask curved areas. I urge caution. I had cut out paper sten-
cils on previous kits, but this time decided to try Silly Putty, as it seemed easier. Because of the relatively large surface area that I needed to mask, I used the putty only to mask the edges, then filled in the middle of each area with masking tape. The method worked easily and provided the desired soft edge. Imagine my surprise, though, when I removed the masking and found that the paint covered by the putty was noticeably different (see photo). Yes, the paint (all Tamiya acrylics) was fully cured before I started this. Thinking the paint might have absorbed something volatile, I left the model overnight in my
dryer at about 95 degrees. This didn’t help. I guess it’s possible this would have evened out with sealer coats, but not wanting to take that chance I remasked and repainted. (Who wouldn’t want to spend a couple of hours doing that, right?) Problem solved. The Silly Putty was not the time saver I’d hoped it would be. Your readers should be alert to possible issues. – Mike Christie Phoenixville, Pa.
Cutting edge technology Here’s a way to protect yourself from that sharp No. 11 hobby blade. If you have dogs, then you probably have waste disposal bags. The spools that keep the roll in place are about the same diameter as a hobby knife. Just slip the spool over the blade and now you won’t get poked or sliced or knicked. – Leo Limuaco Las Vegas, Nev.
NEW PRODUCTS Compiled by Monica Freitag & Aaron Skinner
Spotlight
New enamel paint maker offers wide range If you like enamels, but have been disappointed by the shrinking Testors racks, check out the new colors from True North, truenorthpaints.com. At present, the range comprises two sets of colors as well as thinner. The company says the paints also can be thinned with mineral spirits and lac-
quer thinner. Series 1 is matched to Federal Standard with common colors like camouflage gray (FS36622) and insignia blue(FS15450) as well as some now less common, including modern USN deck gray (FS36008) and F-35 glass gray (FS36170). Series 2 presently includes
World War II paints, with many colors for U.S. and British navy vessels as well as American and Luftwaffe aircraft. The series eventually will extend to 150 colors, in the near future including 10 Royal Air Force camo shades, 10
AIRCRAFT
more Luftwaffe colors, and paints used by the German and Japanese navies. The paints come in 16ml (about ½-ounce) bottles with plastic screw top bottles. Each costs $4.99.
1/144 SCALE
1/32 SCALE
IJN Type 96 A5M4 “Claude” from Wingsy Kits, No. D5-02, $79.98.
Douglas C-133A Cargomaster from Roden, No. 333, $39.99. WBR
Avro Lancaster B Mk.III Dambuster from
OTHER SCALE
Hong Kong Models Co. No. 01E011, $329.95.
1/48 SCALE
IJN Type 96 A5M2b “Claude” from Wingsy Kits, No. D5-03, $79.98.
1/72 SCALE
Junkers Ju 87D Stuka Squadron from UH-1N Twin Huey from Kitty Hawk,
Warlord Games, No. 772211001, $32. Blood Red Skies/Bolt Action.
No. KH80158, $69.99.
Sukhoi Su-30SM “Flanker-C” from Zvezda, No. 7314, $38.99.
IJA Type 99 Ki-51 “Sonia” from Wingsy Kits, No. D5-04, $79.98. WBR
Workbench Review Look for a detailed review in an upcoming issue of FSM. WBR
10 FineScale Modeler September 2019
Focke-Wulf Fw 190D ‘Dora’ Squadron from Warlord Games, No. 772211004, $32. Blood Red Skies/Bolt Action.
Panther Ausf G (late production) with IR and air-defense armor from Takom, No. 2121, $94.95. Includes full interior.
Messerschmitt Me 410 Squadron from
T-34/76 Mod. 1943 Uralmash from Zvezda,
Warlord Games, No. 772211002, $32. Blood Red Skies/Bolt Action.
No. 3689, $38.99.
1/72 SCALE Lancia 3Ro Italian truck from IBG Models,
ARMOR
No. 35052, $TBA.
1/35 SCALE
TBMP T-15 “Armata” Russian heavy infantry fighting vehicle from Zvezda, No. 5057, M46 Patton from Takom, No. 2117, $69.95.
$29.99.
WBR
M-16 Generatorwagen (Wehrmacht) from Plus Model, No. 514, $241.20. 279 resin parts, photo-etch sheet and decals
SU-85 Soviet tank destroyer from Zvezda,
Type 2 Ho-I Japanese infantry support tank from IBG Models, No. 72056, $TBA. Two
No. 3690, $38.99.
figures included.
Panther Ausf G (mid-production) with steel wheels 2n1 from Takom, No. 2120,
Renault FT 75 BS from FlyHawk Model,
Hummel (late production) from Tamiya, No. 35367, $64. Military Miniature Series.
No. FH3009, $TBA.
$94.95. Includes full interior.
BL 8-inch howitzer Mk.VI from Roden, No. 813, $49.99. World War I. WBR
Welcome New Manufacturers: Hong Kong Models www.hk-models.com/hkm
Doll & Hobby LLC GA www.dollandhobby.com
Wingsy Kits www.wingsykits.com
Skyhorse Publishing www.skyhorsepublishing.com
www.FineScale.com
11
NEW PRODUCTS 1/100 SCALE
SCIFI 1/48 SCALE
Ki-45 Kai Tei Toryu “Nick” landing gear for Zoukei-Mura, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 32146, $18.95.
SdKfz 251/1 Ausf B German heavy rocket launcher from Zvezda, No. 6243, $6.49.
Land of the Giants from Doll & Hobby GA, LLC, No. 1816, $34.99. Plus printed backdrop.
SHIPS
FIGURES
1/700 SCALE 1/48 SCALE F-14 Tomcat crew Aero Line from Plus Model, No. AL4089, $18.10.
Nieuport XVII landing gear & V-Wing struts for Copper State Models, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 32147, $17.95.
HMS Kelly (1940) from Flyhawk Model, No. FH1119, $TBA. Full hull.
OTHER SCALE German ace pilot Hans Dortenmann from Warlord Games, No. 772211005, $20. Blood Red Skies.
Sikorsky HO3S-1, R-5/S-51, Westland WS-51 Hr.2/3 landing gear and rotor parts for AMP, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 48366, $15.95.
German ace pilot Eduard Tratt from Warlord Games, ORP Garland (1944) G-class destroyer
No. 772211003, $20. Blood Red Skies.
from IBG Models, No. 70007, $24.95.
AIRCRAFT DETAILS 1/32 SCALE
HMS Ithuriel (1942) I-class Destroyer from
More at www.FineScale.com
IBG Models, No. 70012, $24.95.
Avro Lancaster B. Mk.I landing gear for Hong Kong Models, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 32145, $24.95.
12 FineScale Modeler September 2019
Hawker Hunter F.6 landing gear for Airfix, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 48368, $15.95.
Check out New Product Rundown, the twicemonthly video series where FSM opens the lids on kits: www.finescawle.com/videos/ new-product-rundown
Tempest Mk.V landing gear for Eduard, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 48367, $15.95.
McDonnell-Douglas FG.1/FGR.2 from Hannants, No. X48200, $10.25.
CF-188 2018 Demo Team 60 Years of Norad from TwoBobs Aviation Graphics,
U-2A Dragon Lady landing gear for AFV
No. 48-264, $22.
Club, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 48368, $16.95.
1/72 SCALE
1/144 SCALE
F-15E Maximum Effort Eagles from TwoBobs Aviation Graphics, No. 72-109, $15. Also available in 1/32 32-070 $25.
C-133A Cargomaster landing gear for Roden, from Scale Aircraft Conversions, No. 14429, $15.95.
McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 from Hannants, No. X48201, $10.25.
AIRCRAFT DECALS 1/48 SCALE
Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 Collection Part 1 from Hannants, No. X72307, $10.25.
McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 from Hannants, No. X48202, $10.25.
McDonnell-Douglas Phantom FG.1/FGR.2 from Hannants, No. X48199, $10.25.
www.FineScale.com
13
NEW PRODUCTS The Complete Guide to German Armored Vehicles, $35, by David
Tank Destroyer Achilles and M10 — British Army AntiTank Units Western Europe 1944-1945, (Tank Craft Series),
Doyle, hardcover, 322 pages, all B/W photos, ISBN: 978-1-5107-16575. From Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.
$22.95, by Dennis Oliver, softcover, 64 pages, color photos, ISBN: 978-15-26741905. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
Legends of Warfare: Ground — Sherman Tank Vol. 1, $19.99, by
Blackburn Buccaneer S.2 Collection Part 1
David Doyle, hardcover, 112 pages, color and B/W photos, ISBN: 9780-7643-5567-7. From Schiffer Publishing Ltd.
from Hannants, No. X72308, $10.25.
ARMOR DECALS 1/35 SCALE
British Military Test and Evaluation Aircraft — The Golden Years 19451975 (Flight Craft Series), $24.95, by Malcolm V. Lowe, illustrated by Mark Rolfe, compiled by Neil Robinson and Martin Derry, softcover, 72 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 978-15-26746719. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
M1A2 in Europe 2017 from Sabotcals, No. SAC35002, $5.
SCIFI DETAILS
The Jeep — Second World War (Land Craft Series), $22.95, by Lance Cole, softcover, 64 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 97815-26746511. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
M2/M3 — American Half-tracks of the Second World War (Land Craft Series)
2001: A Space Odyssey EVA Pod from ParaGraphix, No. SAC35002, $64.95. PE.
BOOKS Images of War — Fallschirmjäger: German Paratroopers 1937-1941, $24.95, by François Cochet, softcover, 111 pages, all B/W photos, ISBN: 97815-2674006-63. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
14 FineScale Modeler September 2019
$22.95, edited by Robert Jackson, softcover, 64 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 97815-26746559. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
Chieftain — British Cold War Main Battle Tank (Tank Craft Series), $22.95, by Robert Jackson, softcover, 64 pages, color photos, ISBN: 978-1526741424. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
German Destroyers (Ship Craft), $24.95, by Robert Brown, softcover, 64 pages, color photos, ISBN: 978-1526724922. From Seaforth Publishing.
M551 Sheridan — U.S Army AR/AAV In Detail, $35, softcover, 130 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 978-1947552-11-1. From Sabot Publications.
F-8 & RF-8 Crusader in detail & scale (Vol. 8), $35, by Bert Kinzey, art by Rock Roszak, softcover, 106 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 9781-092227-7-42. From Detail & Scale Aviation Publications.
Panther Tanks — German Army and Waffen-SS Defence of the West, 1945 (Tank Craft Series), $22.95,
German and Russian Tank Models 193945, $34.95, by Mario
by Dennis Oliver, softcover, 64 pages, color photos, ISBN: 978-1526745902. From Pen & Sword Books Ltd.
Eens, hard-cover, 128 pages, all color photos, ISBN: 978-1-61200-7359. From Casemate Publishers.
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FORM & FIGURE By Rich Erickson
Create an emotive face A picture-perfect bust is worth a thousand words — if you get the eyes and skin tone right
R
ealism is the name of the game with this 200mm (1/10 scale) World War II U.S. 101st Airborne bust from Nuts Planet. One can’t deny the likeness to a character from the Band of Brothers miniseries. The bust is incredibly detailed and has few mold lines. Having more of a sci-fi and fantasy background, I set out to research proper colors for this project. After much headscratching at all the inconsistencies online, I reached out to a few friends who have access to actual uniforms. It seems that there were a bunch of variations in the fabrics and dyes used. So, I focused on the techniques more than color accuracy.
Rich used a variety of skin tone colors and washes to paint a bust of Damian Lewis as Dick Winters from the Band of Brothers miniseries. The figure’s sculptor is Jun-sik Ahn.
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1 I primed the bust with black followed with white highlights. I applied more white to the flesh to keep it lighter than the uniform.
4 With a steady hand and thin, pointed brush, I painted the netting with Formula P3 Menoth white. I made sure to cover all of the molded texture so that the netting looked like fabric.
7 The first highlight I airbrushed was Scalecolor pale flesh. To get the placement accurate, I angled the brush downward so the paint naturally hit the top of the nose, cheeks, and chin.
2 On the helmet, I airbrushed a base color of Vallejo Model Air U.S. dark green.
5 The burlap scrim was painted with Vallejo chocolate brown, yellow green, and Menoth white. Then it was washed with several coats of Agrax earthshade.
8 To add shadows, I did the opposite, holding the airbrush in an upward motion and spraying Scalecolor Indian shadow.
3 A wash of Citadel Nuln oil and Agrax earthshade added realistic shading that wasn’t too dark.
6 I kept the helmet off to paint the face, which I first covered in Scalecolor basic flesh. Everything I did to the face was repeated on the hands.
9 Now done with the airbrush, I started handbrushing darker shadows in the deeper crevices with Vallejo charred brown.
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10 Vallejo ivory filled in the eyes and added the uppermost highlights.
13 The eyes are what bring the model to life so I was extra diligent about getting their shape right. I blocked out the pupil with black mixed with a dark blue.
16 Finally, a tiny dot of white in the upper corner added a needed twinkle.
18 FineScale Modeler September 2019
11 After the rough highlights were laid out, I used thin layers of the ivory mixed with pale skin to blend it together. It takes quite a few layers, so I took my time and let each additional layer dry completely.
14 The iris is Citadel Russ gray. To get the look of light shining off the watery eye, I made the bottom part of the eye a little brighter than the top.
17 The base color for the jacket is Vallejo green brown mixed with 10% yellow green and 20% ivory. The webbing straps are Citadel Rakarth flesh with charred brown pads.
12 After the rest of the bust was painted, I realized that he was too orange. To color correct this, I added blue and green shading to the lower face and under the nose. Thin glazes of dark purple on the cheeks helped as well.
15 Then the very tippy top of my finest brush added the black pupil. It’s not a big deal if you mess up, just clean it up with the surrounding blue-gray color.
18 The slung ammo pouches are U.S. dark green. A heavy wash of Agrax earthshade darkened the jacket slightly.
19 I then dry-brushed the jacket with the original color mix.
20 Here is the jacket after an overall dry-brushing.
21 I added more ivory to the mix and gave the whole thing another light dry-brushing.
23 22 To tone down the harsh highlights, I airbrushed thin Vallejo dark khaki green. When the highlight become too muted, I simply added more ivory until it was right.
To finish up, I painted the shoulder badge and all the buttons and clasps. If you’re interested in how I painted the gun, go online to the Extras section of FineScale.com for a step-by-step tutorial. FSM
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Converting Takom’s Renault FT into an M1917 Part 1: The hull and nothing but the hull BY RON PONIATOWSKI
A
s age creeps up on me, I find that 1/35 scale is getting a bit small for my eyes and hands. So, you can imagine my enthusiasm when 1/16 scale armor kits with interiors came onto the market. One of my favorites has been Takom’s Renault FT. Building several of these spurred me to consider converting one into the M1917 Six-Ton Light Tank, a U.S. license-built near copy of the FT. At first glance, it seemed an easy project; after all, there are just a few minor details to change, right? Well, not really. Aside from obvious differences — armor around the driver’s head and a relocated muffler — many rivets and smaller details were in different places. In addition, the driver’s controls and seat, engine, ammuni20 FineScale Modeler September 2019
tion racks, and other details are different. I planned to use almost all of the kit, modifying the Renault engine to resemble the M1917’s Buda, for example, and get the interior as close as possible without a lot of scratchbuilding. Still, all of this took time and my two-month project stretched into six; I spent about 200 hours building the little vehicle. That doesn’t include research. I photographed an M1917 and measured an actual tank located a few hours from our home (accompanied by my very patient wife!). This proved to be valuable in many respects, especially in reference to exterior details. Books were pulled from the shelves or bought and contact was made with Hayes Otoupalik, an M1917 owner. (The best thing I learned from Hayes was that the bullet marks on an M1917 weren’t due
to them being on a target range, but were the result of firing weapons at the armor to prove it.) Takom has several FT-17 kits on the market. I used kit No. 1003 with the Berliet “Omnibus” riveted turret. The initial “cast turret” kit will work if you don’t mind scratchbuilding the entire octagonal turret. After I’d started work, Takom issued a 3-in-1 kit with both the early wooden and late steel idler wheels and two turrets representing both cast and riveted types with both the 37mm cannon and machine gun, although without post-World War I mounts. I suggest purchasing this kit (No. 1004) for this project because you can modify the later steel idler wheels into passible M1917 types. Besides, you get two turrets with armament!
Remove: Scribe:
2 Fill: Scribed Line:
Before shaving unwanted parts, I made a simple bench stop that kept the cutting on the plastic and off of my fingers.
Remove:
Springs
Turret Smaller rivets on angled plates larger on hull
1
Fill:
3
With photos and measurements in hand, it was time to figure out which details could stay and which had to be shaved off. Bolt heads that were in the wrong place were chiseled off, then saved to be placed where others were missing. Discarded pill containers work well for this.
4 The M1917’s “triangular” armor by the driver’s head has to be scratchbuilt. After removing the FT’s side armor, I used an index card to create patterns for the replacement plates.
6 I beveled the edges of the plates to prevent gaps on the exterior; I didn’t measure the angle, just eyeballed it. Take your time and don’t worry — if something goes awry, you can always make a new plate.
This illustration shows the pattern of armored plates on either side of the driver on the M1917.
5 After transferring the pattern onto styrene, I cut out the plates. Don’t outline the pattern. Rather mark the pattern at each end. I place the tip of the knife into one of the marks to align the straight edge.
7 It’s important to fit the styrene plates to the side they’ll be used on.The front bottom edge of the side plates should align with the forward edge of the cut-outs for the kit’s horizontal fillets (nos. C12 and D12). www.FineScale.com
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8 Be sure to use a straight edge to align the front plates so they appear correct from the side. Any cant inward or outward and the plates won’t look right.
10 I built a replacement bulkhead with thin styrene detailed with Grandt Line bolt and rivets and photo-etched brass mesh vents. Taping it to the frame confirmed the fit before I glued it in place.
12 The driver’s seat, controls, and shifter were converted or scratchbuilt as were the exposed control linkages. M1917s lacked the raised floor of the FT. Instead, a simple piece of bent diamond plate acted as a partial floor, but it is often removed, so I left it out of my model. 22 FineScale Modeler September 2019
9 The bulkhead between the engine and fighting compartment needs to be rebuilt. I cut away everything but the frame using a jeweler’s saw. The starter crank chain was separated and attached to the transmission.
11 Most of the kit drivetrain was used straight from the box except the engine. That I cut apart and reassembled to resemble the M1917’s Buda, which is almost a mirror image of the Renault powerplant.
13 Most of the molded bolts were replaced with new heads cut from hexagonal styrene rod. It’s easy to see how these stand out more like the originals. The steering laterals sport new knobs made from BB’s.
14 I converted photos of the hull sides into line drawings using Adobe Illustrator, then taped them to the model as patterns for locating brackets, footman loops, and such.
15 I marked the holes with the point of a divider to prevent the drill bit from moving as I opened them.
16 Rather than the FT’s towing clevises, the M1917 used four hooks. Two additional lifting hooks were added to the center top of each hull side and were strong enough to support the entire tank for lifting by cranes.
17 I modified the kit mounts to accept scratchbuilt hooks; the upper lifting hooks had to be entirely scratchbuilt using spare rivets from the kit’s sprues to finish them. For the latter, it’s necessary to remove four rivets from the upper center seam of the hull armor, but this is easy to do.
18 The M1917 trail is similar to the FT, with the only readily noticeable difference being the replacement of cross braces on the upper section with a single perpendicular piece of angle iron. I filled the locators for the kit braces and used styrene for the replacement. www.FineScale.com
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Remove
Relocate
Data Plate
19 The kit’s rear plate needs to be modified with the seam running across the middle filled, rivets relocated, and a data plate added.
21 The final hull section, the engine covers, required simple modifications. I scribed a line across it along the tank’s centerline and filled the tool mounts as they were no longer needed.
20 I made the grille for the cooling fan from styrene strips glued to scrap styrene. Once it dried, I simply cut it off and cemented it to the cover. 24 FineScale Modeler September 2019
22 The kit’s muffler was used for the M1917 with minor mods, including scratchbuilt styrene mounts and exhaust holes drilled along the front.
Renault FT versus M1917
M1917 Nose
Remove All
THE M1917 WAS BASED on plans Rivets replaced in the M1917 pattern.
M1917 lower nose plate.
Add
Remove
Move to match M1917
23 Both upper and lower nose panels needed rivets removed, replaced, or added.
supplied by the French for the U.S. to manufacture the Renault FT. Unfortunately, the plans were metric and American manufacturers were geared for the U.S. Customary System and Society of Automotive Engineers, both of which used inches and feet. In short, the tank’s plans had to be converted for ease of manufacture and mass production. The result was the Six-Ton Special Tractor, which became known as the M1917 Light Tank. The tanks are almost identical in length and vary a little in width. According to one source, the height of the M1917 is 7 inches taller than the FT. But measurements revealed that both are almost identical in height as well. My thought is that a radio antenna mount on the turret’s ventilation hatch on the M1917 provided the extra height since it would have to be taken into consideration by the troops using the tank for overhead clearance. Visual differences include: replacement of the upper armor plate by the driver’s head with three triangular plates on either side, relocation of the muffler from the right to the left side of the vehicle, as well as changes to the adjustment system for the compensating idlers, the support roller assembly’s rear support, drive sprocket, and the gun mount. In fact, gun mounts vary between early and late production M1917s. Both tanks were mostly bolted together. Externally, these look like rivets, but internally, they have nuts, rather than rivet heads.
Next Issue 24 As a final step, I added proof marks (thanks Hayes) with a heated paperclip sharpened with a file. Use photos to decide where and how many holes to place on plates. FSM
I’ll finish my M1917 conversion with the suspension and turret as well as painting. Look for Part 2 in the October 2019 FSM, on sale Sept. 3.
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Intruder Alert Make Italeri’s EA-6A into a folded-wing wonder BY FRANK CUDEN
Frank Cuden used online photos and more references to accurately detail a 1/72 scale Italeri EA-6A Intruder.
W
hen Italeri delivered a fine 1/72 scale EA-6A (No. 051), the early twoseat electronic warfare/electronic countermeasures version of the Intruder, the kit stirred my interest. Once I started the Electric Intruder, I never looked back. Even in 1/72 scale it’s a big model, so its separate folding wings were a nice option that would allow me to save space in my showcase. However, gluing those folded wings in place would elevate my stress level late in the build as I could have used three hands! Still, I wanted a folded-wings version, 26 FineScale Modeler September 2019
and this would build into a sharp Intruder. Here’s how it went.
Starting the build I started by assembling the 4-part kit seats, 1, then tried EA-6B seats from Aires (No. 7629), but they were too short, 2. Luckily, I then found photo-etched (PE) pull rings in an old Reheat set that I could substitute for the overly thick kit parts. I also substituted its PE seat belts and shoulder harnesses. That finished, I realized this could easily become a tail-sitter, so I super glued buckshot in the nose cone. Next, I moved to the wings. The fold
detail is acceptable, although I had to widen the “finger” slots a bit to ensure a good fit when they intermeshed, 3. The kit wheels had a couple of small “dings” in them after I sanded off the center seam line, so I reverted to pre-internet days of typewriters and used Liquid Paper as a filler, 4. It works well for minor depressions and sands out easily, plus it’s a faster drying filler than modeling putty. After significant time spraying and hand-painting detail, the cockpit was taking shape, 5. In the end, the kit seats, with some PE detail added, really came to life. Now it was time to button up the fuselage,
1 The kit’s seats fit well and go together fine, but benefit from added detail.
4 Sanding and filling the wheels’ dents is best handled early on to ensure they aren’t damaged.
7
2 My EA-6B seats from Aires were too short (seat at right), so I doctored the kit seats (far left) with PE seatbelts, shoulder harnesses, and pull rings.
5 Here we see the cockpit coming together after PE was added and other tweaks were made.
8
3 Widening the “finger” slots in the wings is key making the the folded feature easy later.
6 With the nose full of buckshot and the cockpit nearly complete, it’s time to assemble the fuselage.
9
The inner wings fit well, and I sprayed the underside with Testors white enamel.
Next, I used poster putty to help me create a fine line with my airbrush when adding light gull gray to the upper surfaces.
Masking is the key to a great looking nose and vertical tail tip radomes, and the cockpit’s antiglare panel.
and add the cockpit components and nose cap full of buckshot, 6. The updated ejection seats would be added toward the end of the project.
(No. 1000355) from my local Ace Hardware. It’s designed to replace hooks to hang small pictures on walls. This poster putty helped me because my airbrush wouldn’t produce the tight demarcation I needed. So, I reverted to making small rolls of the flexible material and attaching them to the fuselage sides using slight pressure, 8. I masked over them and sprayed the upper surfaces with Testors Model Master gloss light gull gray (16440). Spraying directly down on them produced an in-scale camouflage separation line, 9. The result was acceptable and, with additional masking and spraying, helped
me paint the nose and vertical tail tip radomes as well as the antiglare panel. Floquil engine black covered the vertical tail and anti-glare panel and both radomes received a coat of Testors radome tan. I used red decal stock for the intake splitter plates to avoid tricky masking were I do have sprayed those hard-to-reach areas, 10. I picked up that detail when I read Aerophile Extra No. 2, Grumman EA-6B Prowler & EA-6A Intruder, by James Wogstad and Phillip Friddell (, ISBN 978-0-93866-401-7). Next, a red Sharpie took care of the wing-fold edges, and Floquil caboose red
Time to paint & mask Now, it was time to add the inner wings. They fit well, and I sprayed the undersides, horizontal tails, folded wing bottoms, and upper control surfaces with Testors white enamel, 7. I use it because it does not yellow over time. The, a wet basement from monsoontype rains delayed my build for a month, but that gave me time to buy Ace Paper Tac
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10 Red decal stock helps detail the intake boundary layer splitter plates and was easier than masking and spraying the areas.
13
11 Deepening panel lines with a soft-lead artist pencil is best to do at this stage, before all the parts are attached.
14
12 Gray pastel powders are brushed on to give the appearance of wear and dirt.
15
Adding little extras, like the radiation warning symbol on the aircraft’s nose really bring the model to life.
A paper punch is useful in creating protective covers for the jet’s jamming pod nose vanes.
A reamer then will help you increase the center hole’s size so the disc remains snug on the model.
was applied to the fuselage dive brake bays. I hand-brushed Floquil dark gray on the instrument panel shroud, and then applied a thin strip of Tamiya tape to the intake leading edges and hand-brushed Floquil engine black with good results. The horizontal tail and wing leading edges were masked and sprayed using Floquil’s Wisconsin Central gold. Before I started adding ordnance and the folded wings, I drew in panel lines with a soft-lead artist pencil. This set the stage for final construction, 11.
Sharpie and glued them on at the same time. The black stripes on the tail hook also were hand-painted and received a pastel dust treatment. The first of the tanks to be fitted was the belly tank. I had to enlarge the holes to accept the pylon pins, but doing so created a good fit.
Some of the covers I saw online were painted interior zinc chromate and some were red. I opted for the chromate, feeling that added a nice detail to an already busy model.
A weathering we’ll go The pencil-aided panel lines had been applied to the folding wings and ordnance before assembly as it was much easier to do that in stages than it would have been with everything glued in place. I also lightly weathered the underside before I began adding the remaining parts. With less being more as my philosophy, I added gray pastel powders to the underside’s surfaces, 12. I also brushed the powder into the wheel wells and dive brake indentations. The landing gear legs also received this treatment. Then the wheels were glued on after being painted with Vallejo tire black. I edged the landing gear doors with a 28 FineScale Modeler September 2019
Decals add interest With the exception of the individual plane numbers and national insignias, I used the kit decals throughout. You can see the nose radiation warning symbol in the photo, 13. That little gem came from a MicroScale EA-6B low-viz sheet (No. 72-533), that I had on hand. Luckily, it was printed in black while everything else on the sheet was gray. Now I added the bang seats. Their detail added a lot to the overall model’s appearance, minus the folded wings, naturally. During my pre-build research, I found photos that showed jamming pod nose vane protective covers. I wanted to replicate those, so using a paper punch, I made a pair from .010-inch sheet styrene, 14. I then drilled a small center pilot hole so they would fit over the nose of the vanes on the front of the pods and then increased the hole’s size with a reamer to ensure the fit was snug, 15.
Details, details! Next up were the fine details needed to complete the model before adding the folded wings. I sprayed the dive brakes red on the inside and used Alclad II stainless steel on the outside. A black wash was applied to the indented circles on the brakes. The length of the hydraulic rams was reduced a little because I saw in photos that the brakes were not fully opened and that was the look I wanted. Those images also showed the small details on the instrument panel shroud. I duplicated them with three small sections of styrene strip along with short sections of fine solder, 16. I then painted the edge of the kit’s heads-up display with Tamiya clear green and mounted it on the shroud in front of the pilot’s seat. Three small dots of clear red and orange adorned the little warning lights — yet another added detail that makes the instrument panel pop. Later, I sprayed the boarding stairs Floquil caboose red and scratched up the
16 Fine solder and three small sections of styrene strips were used to improve the instrument panel shroud.
17 Here is another view of the shroud and the ejection seats. Floquil caboose red paint makes the boarding stairs stand out on this busy model.
18 The Intruder’s body is now mostly finished and ready for finishing touches — oh, and wings.
19 Getting the folded wings to set in the proper, or nearly so, position is a bit of a trick. Learn from my mistake.
stairs with a Prismacolor silver pencil, 17. Other photos showed a small vent pipe just behind the boarding stairs, so I used a slice of plastic tubing to replicate the pipe. A small red light on the antiglare panel was used to illuminate the refueling probe during night operations. I sliced a short length of .035-inch styrene rod, tapered the end, and added a drop of Kristal Klear for the lens. That was followed by a touch-up with silver and a drop of Tamiya clear red on the lens. I had reached a point where no additional work was needed on the airframe so it was time to add the final parts, 18.
Final push The kit canopy and windshield were used as masters, and new ones were vacuumformed from K&S .015-inch clear sheet styrene (Part 1304). I masked and sprayed the frames using Floquil engine black. Having earlier refined the wing fold fingers, they slid into place easily. I used Gator’s Grip white glue to position the folded-wing support struts and Tenax 7R liquid cement to secure the wings in their folded position. The Gator’s Grip glue allowed time to position the support struts correctly, or so I thought. After the wings and support struts
Ultimately the model went together well, but the Intruder was a busy build, especially after adding all the ordnance.
were glued in place, and dry, I realized I should have shortened the rods as the wings should have been closer together when folded. I trusted the kit parts to be correct and was fooled, hence the wing positions, 19. Live and learn, I guess. I did see photos of the wings folded as I have them, but without stowage support struts in place so they’re “kind of ” correct. Italeri provided a deck inside the canopy and I was able to glue it to the vacuumformed copy. Unfortunately, when glued in place in the open position, the canopy hid some detail on the turtle decking behind the seats. The yellow wire stands out and is just visible. With the Shrike missiles glued to the outer wing pylons, and two scratchbuilt rearview mirrors glued under the canopy framing, the model was all but complete. I had notched the wingtips earlier to accept a couple of coats of Micro Kristal Klear,
which built up the navigation lights. A coat of Tamiya clear red and green, followed by a coat of Tamiya acrylic clear provided a glass lens appearance. The finished model accurately portrays the brutish look of the electronic warfare aircraft that was a mainstay of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps air wings during its time on active duty. By adding so much ordnance this may seem a complex build. However, minus the ill-fitting folded wing support struts, everything went together well. This is a busy model, but reflects the period’s engineering design for its role as an ECM aircraft along with all the external stores that it could carry. The aircraft was created to do a specific job and it performed well. The EA-6A is both ugly and beautiful. But stealthy, it was not! FSM
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Dennis spent considerable time straightening the resin parts of this crane before making the windows and beating it up with chips and scratches.
Refine a
Büssing-NAG 4500
Straightening jigs and detailed washes take this little-known truck to the contest table BY DENNIS GERBER
T
his oddity of a vehicle, the LKW BÜssing-NAG 4500, was a prime mover and heavy recovery truck used by the Germans in World War II. It was modified with a Bilstein 3-ton crane and performed engine changes and other heavy work. I'm not going to lie, this Azimut Productions’ 1/35 scale resin kit (No. 35029) was challenging from the start. The parts were warped and required a lot of cleanup. However, the pieces, including white metal and photo-etch (PE), featured excellent detail that I was excited to show off. I’m glad I put the work into it, because what started off as a pain ended as the unlikely winner at several contests. 30 FineScale Modeler September 2019
1 Construction began with the main parts taped together on a jig to check the fit. I spent a long time and quite a bit of my patience attempting to get the chassis parts and running gear straightened out.
4 I held the cable in place with a jig made from a bent thin metal rod. I froze the cable in this stretched state with super glue, making sure to get rid of the fuzzy bits that would be a dead giveaway it wasn’t made of steel.
7 Here, the headlights and their mounting brackets have been added. The front bumper is very fragile, so I was careful when drilling holes for Aber brass width indicators.
10 … masked the window opening with Tamiya tape. Then I removed the cab and painted the interior desert yellow. Now I had the exact shape of the windows stamped on the tape.
2 Nothing could be done to permanently unbend the warped chassis — even a heat gun proved ineffective! In the end, I glued brass strips to the sides to force things into proper alignment. Here, everything is on straight.
5 All major parts are dry-fitted together here. I checked several times that all the wheels were straight and rested on the ground simultaneously.
8 Once the tape was removed, all of the subassemblies were washed and dried in preparation for painting! I used Testors Model Master paints throughout.
11 I stuck my tape template on the sheet plastic, which has been marked with a silver arrow here. I dry-fitted the cab and storage box one more time to double check the fit.
3 I got a break with the crane assembly; it went together easily and featured a lot of detail. Everything was pinned together with removable pieces of brass rod to ease the painting process.
6 Now that everything fit, I added the whitemetal details and PE to the crane. The jack and shovel are from Tamiya. The storage box cover is made from resin flooring I found in my spares box.
9 I mounted the truck in my trusty Tamiya revolving paint stand before airbrushing the seat with leather. I wanted to make new windows out of clear sheet plastic, so I first …
12 Scissors cut out the plastic rectangles, then fine sanding film and files cleaned the edges. With the windshield cut out it was ready for dry-fitting. www.FineScale.com
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13 Using tape as a template worked! Once I was satisfied the plastic fit snugly, I set it aside until after the truck was painted.
17 Chips and dirt were applied with muddy Vallejo acrylics and a fine brush. Then I piled on washes of Winsor & Newton artist oils. The gear shifter is from Aber.
20 I applied the same color to the underside.
14 I used the same process for the door windows, but fashioned one rolled down for added interest.
If I was going for the brand-new look, I might have stopped here, but dirt, chips, and rust were on the way!
32 FineScale Modeler September 2019
Here’s how the window openings looked once masked for painting.
18
21
Before I could glue the cab together permanently, I had to finish the interior. To weather the seat, I dry-brushed it with tan, keeping the middle of the two sections lighter to show more wear from contact.
Once the base coat was dry, I airbrushed desert sand lightly, letting the base color show through.
22
For a 3-D effect, I airbrushed lightened desert yellow on the middle of the panels. Note that the fan in the background helped speed the drying time considerably.
Faded black covered the wheels, then a light dry-brushing of gray highlighted the treads. A wash of burnt sienna oils gave them a used look.
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19
The base coat is raw umber cut with lacquer thinner. This darker color covers nicely and will give the finished model a dingy metallic hue.
24 23
15
To bring out the crisp molding of the crane deck, I brushed on a thin brown filter with a wide sable brush.
25 Hand-held circle templates masked them for the yellow. I didn’t worry about overspray because the full-scale vehicles had some as well.
26 A fine brush dipped in acrylics added chips and scratches. Weathering like this is only realistic if you show restraint and try not to go crazy with the damage.
27 Not all damage has to be dark — some of the final chips I applied were light desert yellow.
30 The crane cables were painted with oils and rubbed with a pencil for a metalized effect. At this point I attached the wheels.
28 With my Büssing-NAG properly beat up, I could now attach the crane and tool box. Acrylics and a lead pencil finished weathering the shovel.
31 I loaded down the bed with tarps made of lead foil. Tools and tool boxes found in my spares box added more detail.
Admittedly, I shelved this truck numerous times due to the warped resin. But I’m glad I finished it because it was the only Büssing-NAG on the contest tables! It ended up winning Best of Show, First in Softskins, and Best Armor at the Desert Classic in Lancaster, Calif., as well as Best Military Vehicle and First Place for Miscellaneous Military Vehicles at OrangeCon. Not too shabby. FSM
29 I installed the windshield with thin white glue. While it dried, Tamiya tape strips held it in place.
32 The jib cable was weighted with a rusty necklace chain. I dragged the truck across a big piece of sandpaper taped to my bench, sanding the tires until no “daylight” showed through.
SHOW GALLERY
Mad City Show 2019
Despite a late-season snow storm, modelers from across the Midwest traveled to Madison, Wisconsin, in early March for the IPMS/Mad City Modelers' 24th Annual Show. This year’s event doubled as the IPMS Region 5 Convention, attracting a bigger crowd than normal. FSM editors Mark Savage and Aaron Skinner hit the road to see the models, take photos, and talk to the builders. Here’s a small selection.
Want to see more? Look for a gallery of even more images from the Mad City Modelers' show in Great Scale Modeling 2019 on sale Nov. 19.
Pre-order a copy today at KalmbachHobbyStore.com 34 FineScale Modeler September 2019
JESSE BENDA DE PERE, WISCONSIN Sgt. John Basilone received the Medal of Honor for holding off Japanese advances for two days with a machine gun position during the Battle for Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. Jesse finished R.P. Miniatures’ 200mm bust of the Marine with Vallejo acrylics; the face was painted with filters of color over pre-shading.
▲ BOB STEINBRUNN
PHELPS, WISCONSIN Bluejacket Ship Crafters’ 1/48 scale Elco 80-foot PT Boat kit was just the beginning for Bob. “Yes, this wood, brass, and Britannia pewter kit has several thousand extra parts from Shapeways, Master Model, RB Models, Eduard, and Aires, as well as scratchbuilding, mostly for the guns,” he says. After sealing the wood with Testors clear lacquer and priming with two coats of Floquil gray, he airbrushed the camouflage with Floquil lacquers. The boat is marked as PT-187 of the MTB Squadron 12 at Morobe, New Guinea in March 1943.
▲ SCOTT MURRAY
COTTAGE GROVE, MINNESOTA Scott’s Panther Ausf A sports a camouflage-wrapped turret from PanzerArt, R Model tracks, an Aber machine-gun barrel, and RB Model antenna. To match the resin turret, he added Zimmerit to the Dragon 1/35 scale kit with Durham’s Rock-Hard Water Putty and artist heavy-body paint. The tank’s camouflage is all Tamiya colors with weathering applied using Ammo by Mig Jimenez pigments and artist oil washes.
KIRK SORENSON MADISON, WISCONSIN Kirk’s shiny Nakajima Ki-44 Shōki started as a 1/48 scale kit from Hasegawa that he detailed with Eduard photo-etch. The natural-metal finish is Alclad II lacquers with Tamiya acrylics for the trim.
SHOW GALLERY
RICHARD SLIWKA WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI Richard built Niko’s 1/700 scale U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Eastwind out of the box except for the rigging. Using Testors Model Master acrylics, he painted the ship in the camouflage it wore in World War II, when it ferried U.S. troops to capture the last German weather station in Greenland.
VLADO JOVIC GREENFIELD, WISCONSIN Vlado’s additions to Academy’s 1/32 scale F-16CG include aftermarket wheels, wheel bays, exhaust nozzle, weapons, targeting pod, and angle-of-attack and pitot tubes as well as scratchbuilt fuselage plates and magnets to hold the weapons on the pylons. He painted the Fighting Falcon with Tamiya and Testors Model Master colors as an aircraft from the 8th Fighter Wing at Kunsan AFB, South Korea.
36 FineScale Modeler September 2019
▼ ROGER SAMS
BELLEVUE, NEBRASKA Roger modified Tamiya’s 1/35 scale Citroën Traction 11CV for German army service with dents in the fenders and open vents on sides of the engine compartment. After painting and weathering it with Tamiya, Vallejo, Hataka, Winsor & Newton, and Army Painter products, he placed it on Celluclay groundwork with a scratchbuilt fence.
ERIC TRIPKE MADISON, WISCONSIN Modeling a Russian air force Su-34 in Syria in 2016, Eric built Kitty Hawk’s 1/48 scale “Fullback,” filling two vents on the stinger to reflect current service. Two Bob’s decals over Mr. Paint acrylic lacquers marked the bomber; Flory Models dark dirt and Tamiya black washes deepened panel lines.
STEVE SHAFFER HASTINGS, MINNESOTA To re-create a scene from the pilot miniseries of the new BattleStar Galactica where Starbuck saves Apollo, Steve used two Moebius 1/32 scale Mk.II Vipers adding battle damage to both. Styrene rod and parts from a F-16 kit engine replicate damage where the wing has been shot off of Apollo’s fighter. Testors Model Master acrylics finished the diorama.
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SHOW GALLERY MAYNARD J. NIGBOR WAUSAU, WISCONSIN The unique camouflage on Takom’s 1/35 scale G6 Rhino is the result of Maynard stretching and tucking an orange sack over the model. Rubber bands held the mesh on the surface to mask between layers of Testors Model Master enamels.
ANZO LEE MADISON, WISCONSIN In 1/72 scale, Eduard’s Stripdown Fokker D.VIII is just more than 3 inches long, but it’s crammed with details both from the kit and Anzo, who added control cables and Tom’s Modelworks guns to replace the kit’s armament. After priming the photo-etched metal parts, he painted the fighter with acrylics from GSI Creos and Vallejo.
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◀ DEAN HERVAT
KENOSHA, WISCONSIN After building Airfix’s 1/48 scale Spitfire Mk.V out of the box, Dean painted it with Tamiya acrylics. Black Tamiya Panel Line Accent Color helped details pop.
TOM SCHRY OSHKOSH, WISCONSIN The finish on Tom’s Diamond Select 1/9 scale Deadpool is handbrushed craft acrylics over Tamiya primer. The base came with the kit and properly shows the Merc with the Mouth creating havoc.
Schürzen
from yogurt lids Upgrade an old-school tank with scale-thin, inexpensive skirts BY GARY MAJCHRZAK
O
lder armor kits often require a little help in order to stand out. Often you’ll have to add what’s missing and update what’s needed most. One of the ways I like to revive old armor is by dressing it in new, thinner skirts. While most kit-provided skirts are thick and clean-looking, period photos show them as thin, mangled, uneven strips of metal. Believe it or not, one of the easiest and most inexpensive ways to re-create this look is with yogurt lids! Two or three foil caps per model should do. To demonstrate this technique, I’ll use a kit released in 1987 — a 1/76 scale Fujimi Sturmgeschütz III Ausf.G, stationed on the Kursk front in 1943. See, if you eat healthy then you can model more!
1 Working from the center toward the edges, smooth out wrinkles by gliding your finger across the foil. Be sure to use the fleshy part of your finger, not the nails. 40 FineScale Modeler September 2019
Save those foil lids from your yogurt containers and re-purpose them into realistic armored skirts.
2 To get four separate panels out of one lid, place the kit-supplied skirt on the foil and trace a sharp hobby knife along the top and bottom edge of the two middle panels.
3 Reposition the skirt so that its top is lined up with the bottom cut just made. Slice the blade across the bottom edge again. Remove the sections with vertical cuts before halving them.
4 Now you can carefully shape the square pieces of foil around the skirt’s irregular edges. Move slowly and gently to shave away the excess edges.
7 Test-fit the hanging rail to the tank hull. If adjustment is needed, you can either jockey the hangar around a bit or make notches in the rail you just glued onto your panels.
10 Next, take a pin vise and select a bit to yield holes in the skirt, worthy of any anti-tank gunner’s efforts. You may also want holes on the other side. A hobby knife widens and pushes in shards of skirt steel.
5 Here are my newly shaped panels. Note: If your panels come from different yogurt lids, be sure to shape them out of similarly colored and textured lids — that way you’ll avoid unwanted discrepancies.
8 Apply a primer to each side of the skirts. Once dry, add the brackets bolted to the outside. These are also made of Evergreen strip styrene. Cut a small strip to size and add some Grandt Line bolt heads to finish the look.
11 Airbrush olive grun pattern on the outsides then highlight the edges of each panel with silver. Now dry-brush the front panels with steel paint to show road wear from high brush and such.
6 Fashion the hanging rail out of 020-inch Evergreen strip styrene. Flip the panels over and lay the rod exactly as you see it on the plastic skirt. Super glue it down and keep its position because, once it hardens, you own it!
9 Here I have airbrushed Testors Model Master dunkelgelb on both sides. Do not be concerned about small dents, scratches, or other imperfections. Those shabby spots will blossom into some excellent-looking battle damage!
12 Light brown on the lower panels mimics spotty road dust. Finally, a generous punch of black into the shell holes adds realism. With its scale-thin Schürzen complete, I nestled my Stug into Silflor’s meadow grass. FSM www.FineScale.com
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AIRBRUSHING & FINISHING By Robert Beary
A do-it-yourself cleaning pot Recycled materials make airbrush service easy
I spent less than $1 and under an hour building this airbrush cleaning station. My health is worth that investment. Is yours?
U
s modelers use various materials that can be harmful to our health. Nowhere is this more apparent than when using an airbrush. The fine mist of paint that we want for a smooth paint job also disperses the chemicals into the air. Without proper precautions, such as a vented spray booth and a suitable respirator mask, 42 FineScale Modeler September 2019
those can affect our health. The same problems occur during cleaning with some of the solvents being particularly unpleasant and unhealthy. For example, lacquer thinner is more harmful to our health than water-based solvents. But we should limit exposure to any solvents as much as possible. In order to confine cleaning solvents, I devised an effective
airbrush-cleaning station that is inexpensive and easy to make. Using found materials, mine cost well under $1. To start. You’ll need a suitable plastic container with a broad base for stability and preferably a shoulder of some kind. I used an empty coffee container, but you can find something similar at a discount store.
1 The next thing you need is a soda bottle that flares just below the flange. Cut off the mouth of the bottle about Âź inch below the flange so you get a little of the flare.
4 Next, it’s time to create a port to insert the airbrush. The size will depend on what you use as a grommet; I found one at a homeimprovement store that fit my airbrush and had a groove around the circumference.
7 A filter inside the lid will prevent paint particles escaping. You can make one from a thin layer of kitchen sponge, scrubber, or cloth as I did. Cut a circle of the material to fit inside the cap.
2 Using dividers or calipers, measure the outside diameter of the neck just below the flange. Mark a circle this size in the lid of your container. Then, using a drill slightly smaller in diameter, drill a hole. This hole needs to be precise, so starting smaller allows you to gradually increase the diameter to the marked line with sandpaper wrapped around a dowel.
5 I measured the diameter of the grooved portion and drilled a hole of that size in the side of the container. Again, accuracy counts here for a tight fit. The grommet easily pushed through the opening and was held in place by the groove.
8 The second bottle cap is used to seal the container between uses; it is unaltered. Fumes are always present when cleaning so use the pot in a vented spray booth. I am also careful about where I leave rags and containers to avoid spontaneous combustion.
3 Now insert the bottle mouth into the hole in the lid. It should slide through and pop back into shape, but may require finessing. If the hole is just the right size, the fit should be pretty much self-sealing or you can run a bead of silicone around the inside.
6 To cap the container, I prepared two soda bottle caps. In one I drilled a series of small holes to allow air to escape and prevent back pressure building up while spraying cleaner through the airbrush.
9 I found a small rubber stopper that fits the grommet to seal that opening. There you have it. Even if you have to buy the container this can be built for under $2 and in an hour. FSM
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READER GALLERY
▲ B.J. VAN DE MAAT
RIJSSEN, OVERIJSSEL, NETHERLANDS B.J. modeled a Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16A with Hasegawa’s 1/48 scale Fighting Falcon. A plethora of resin parts were added to the cockpit, intake, exhaust, and Sidewinders. A reconnaissance pod is positioned on the centerline station. He painted with Vallejo, Revell Aqua-Color, and Alclad II paint. Decals are from DACO.
▶ BRAD SHINN
HATFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA Brad dropped the flaps and slats on Otaki’s 1/144 scale L-1011 in Delta livery. Some fanciful camera work placed it outside on the tarmac.
44 FineScale Modeler September 2019
â–˛ KENNETH MOUTON
HENDERSONVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Lots of details were scratchbuilt on this 1/48 scale Roden Pilatus Porter aircraft. Kenneth added headphones in the cockpit, hinge points on wings, static dissipators on the wings and tail, scratchbuilt landing gear struts, and turned an aluminum spinner on a lathe. He intends on placing it as the tow plane with sailplanes on a flying field diorama. www.FineScale.com
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READER GALLERY
▲ CHRIS FILTZ
WAUSAU, WISCONSIN Here is an Italeri re-boxing of Esci’s 1/9 scale Kettenkrad, which Chris completed in four days. He painted with Rust-Oleum black primer under Krylon wild oats matte, both from the can. Craft paints and washes were used to weather the vehicle. It also was drybrushed with craft metallics on the tracks and dusted with various tile grout colors. Mounds of tile grout formed the mud.
▶ JAY SMITH
SOMERSET, KENTUCKY This intimidating duo is a combination of two 1/9 scale kits: The figures are from Model Cellar’s “Kettenhund” set, and the motorcycle and sidecar is AMT/Ertl’s Zϋndapp KS 750. The brick wall and street are hand-carved foam board. Jay painted with various oils and Vallejo acrylics — notice the long shadow effect on the man’s face.
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▼ DOUGLAS CORP
CHARLES TOWN, WEST VIRGINIA Douglas added head and taillights to Meng’s 1/35 scale British Husky TSV. He painted it a Vallejo sandy color so it would blend in with his desert base. Mig Productions pigments helped weather it just enough to create a realistic finish.
▲ ANTONIO THUEMLER
▲ JUSTIN RYAN
MIAMI, FLORIDA Antonio had some fun building Erwin Rommel’s deathly ride — a heavily modified Hanomag halftrack frame with a Mercedes limousine body. He built Monogram’s 1/24 scale “Rommel’s Rod” and painted it with Tamiya acrylics. He then weathered the vehicle with Masters Touch oil paints to place it squarely in the North African desert, where Rommel and his capable driver prowl the sands. You can almost hear that engine growl.
HATBORO, PENNSYLVANIA Justin hosted a group model build with his Cub Scout group, Pack 17, in Hatboro, Pa. He says they had an excellent turnout, even though many of the scouts had never constructed a model before. They each built Revell’s 1/72 scale SnapTite A-10 Warthog. In the wake of this build, it was requested that the pack do more of these as regular events. Justin says that the parents seemed to be just as excited as the kids to get involved in modeling! www.FineScale.com
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READER GALLERY SEND US YOUR PICTURES! Shouldn’t your model be in Reader Gallery? FineScale Modeler is always accepting new material from around the world. Upload high-resolution digital images (preferably unedited, RAW format) with complete captions at www.Contribute.Kalmbach.com, or burn it all on a disc and mail it to FineScale Modeler, Reader Gallery, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Be sure to tell us the kit manufacturer, model, scale, modifications, paint and finishes used, and reason for choosing the model, along with your name and address. We look forward to seeing your work!
â–ś MAXWELL WAGNER
CINCINNATI, OHIO Here is a Maschinen Krieger SAFS (Super Armor Fighting Suit) in 1/20 scale from Wave. Maxwell painted the armor with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics and weathered it with oils. Check out the chipping on the hand and feet. Extra details made from stretched sprue and wires borrowed from an RC car also were used to enhance details.
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▲ ROLANDO CRESTON
LEGNAGO, VERONA, ITALY This 1/144 scale Millennium Falcon from Revell was a present from Rolando’s colleagues for his retirement. He painted with GSI Creos acrylics and washes of a highly diluted dark gray oil. The base is polystyrene with little pieces of stone collected on mountain hikes. ◀ PATSY SCHWAB
ROCHESTER, NEW YORK If you’re wondering why the whiskers on the 1/6 scale four-legged resin panther from Resin Realities look so realistic that’s because they are sheddings from Patsy’s 1/1 scale feline! Standing next to the big cat is Black Panther in resin by Kotobukiya. Patsy perched them on a base made of Celluclay and painted with Krylon course stone texture paint. Scene Scapes’ 6mm pull-apart static grass give it a wild finish.
www.FineScale.com
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WORKBENCH REVIEWS FSM experts build and evaluate new kits
Eduard’s new-tool Tempest a hit
T
he Hawker Tempest was an update of the Typhoon that incorporated a re-designed wing, a fuel tank relocated to a stretched forward fuselage, and tail fillet to stabilize these changes. Eduard’s all-new Tempest (this isn’t the same Tempest kit Eduard first released 20 years ago) provides a great reproduction of this beast. It includes clean moldings and fine recessed surface details. There’s also a full fret of photo-etched (PE) parts — and you’ll use it all! Unused plastic parts, including a second prop and spinner, tires and hubs, and rockets, point at other versions being released. Ed: Since FSM received this review sample, Eduard has offered the Series 2 variant. Construction was absolutely straightfor50 FineScale Modeler September 2019
ward. In the cockpit, the seat with PE belts, cockpit floor, rear bulkhead, and joystick go together without problems. The kit includes optional PE rudder pedals, but they are fragile and fell apart; I installed the plastic pedals instead. (Once the fuselage was closed up they weren’t visible anyway.) Eduard provides three options for the instrument panel: all plastic with molded dials, a blank panel with decal instruments, and an all PE panel, which I used. The tubular side frames for the cockpit, parts D17 and D4, were extremely fragile. One was broken when I got the kit, the other broke during assembly. There’s a lot of PE detail for the cockpit side consoles, including panels and levers. It’s time-consuming to add but looks great when done.
Be careful bringing the cockpit components together. As I said, it’s fragile especially if you’re working with fractured framing. The radiator assembly went together easily. It, the cockpit, and the tail wheel fit perfectly into the fuselage halves. The only hiccup in the otherwise trouble-free wing assembly was the inner gear door retraction struts (parts E79), which are exposed and easily broken. After joining the wing and fuselage, I had to fill and re-scribe where the rear of the wing meets the lower fuselage. Landing gear and associated doors went together without a hitch. There’s a choice of plastic or PE antennas, but I used the plastic. The PE was too delicate — if it gets bent, it’s ruined.
I was concerned that the PE tail stiffeners were too thick, but after a coat of paint and the application of a wash, they didn’t look too bad. The gorgeous Cartograf decals include six marking options, from which I used a D-Day fighter (VF-K) from No. 3 Squadron. These were some of the best decals I’ve ever worked with. Overall, Eduard’s Tempest is a nice kit. I spent 32 hours building it, but it would have been less if I hadn’t had to deal with broken parts. Despite that, it was an enjoyable build. – Larry Schramm
Kit: No. 82121 Scale: 1/48 Mfr.: Eduard, eduard.com Price: $59.95 Comments: Injectionmolded, 250 parts (62 PE), decals, masks Pros: Nearly perfect fits; great decals; nicely detailed cockpit Cons: Some small delicate parts molded in fragile, brittle plastic
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WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Panda M1296 Stryker Dragoon
H
urray for Panda Models! The M1296 Stryker Dragoon IFV is its first foray into the Stryker family, and the release is timely. This is the latest Stryker upgrade, adding a 30mm Bushmaster cannon in a turret, and the first of the real vehicles was just delivered to the troops at the end of 2018. Detail is crisp, especially on the upper and lower hulls, but there is a small amount of flash on some parts. All of the hatches have detail on the inside, but there are some nasty knockout marks that must be addressed. Vision blocks, light lenses, and optic lenses are molded in clear plastic. Tires are molded in hard vinyl and have good sidewall detail. In addition, a sheet of photo-etch (PE) is included and contains
Kit: No. PH35045 Scale: 1/35 Mfr.: Panda Hobby Price: $59.95 Comments: Injection-molded, 529 parts (16 PE, 8 vinyl), decals Pros: Crisply detailed molded hull detail; PE easy to work with Cons: Directions had too many errors; vinyl tires difficult to use
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engine screens, optic guards, suspension screens, and various brackets. The PE is soft and easy to work with, which allows easy bending to make corrections. The instructions are a major disappointment with too many errors to list. Even some of the corrections are wrong. So, take your time and test-fit parts before gluing. A color profile sheet includes five views of the vehicle as well as a color reproduction of the box art. I found myself looking at the box art when placement of parts was vague in the directions. I prefer gluing the upper and lower hulls together first, then adding detail to avoid breaking fragile parts. But before gluing the halves together, the four vision blocks (GP1) need to be glued in place in the upper hull and the four forward shock towers (E45) need to be glued to the lower hull. The locating rings (E45) are not formed so care needs to be taken to properly align them in the lower hull. Fit between the upper hull, lower hull, and rear panel was good. Next, I added the bolted-on armor. Some of the plates are not labeled with part numbers, but through a process of elimination, you can properly locate them. At the bow, I glued the nose (B2) and tow shackle brackets (E18) first, then glued on the armor plates. This allowed me to space the plates evenly since the alignment pins on B7 were not formed.
The undercarriage is complex. I prepainted the drivetrain channels, underside of armor plates, and various components. Wheel assembly was frustrating. The tires seem to be a combination of vinyl and styrene that is less flexible than vinyl tires. If you follow the directions, you’ll break the rims trying to snap the tires into place. I recommend gluing the front rim (E14) to the tire, then gluing the rear rim (E17) in place. There are many small parts to add to the highly detailed upper hull, but first I had to fill two sink marks. The directions do not mention placement of the door hinges (C36) for the top crew hatches, or the brackets (D49, D50) that hold the drivers hatch in place, making it workable. So be aware. I struggled to build the front light assemblies. Directions are vague on placement and the rear bracket (D98) looks nothing like in the directions. Also, the parts used for the light assembly on the engine side of the hull are not mentioned. I glued each base plate on the hull first, then attached the lights. I had to guess as to how the side light brackets were mounted since they look nothing like those in the directions. I glued the side view mirrors in the folded position since the mounting point on the driver’s slide of the hull is small and there is not enough surface to get a good bond; there’s no spot for it at all on the other side. The turret (B26) had fit issues, too, with gaps at the rear and around the box that holds the optics (B21). The PE antenna base (PE 8) disintegrated as I tried to roll it around (D25), so it’s not on my model. The ammo belt (PE 3) looks nothing like the directions. It’s
too big and does not match the ammo chute on the roof or the ammo tray on the machine gun. Do not mount the turret until the end of the build as it clicks in place and cannot be removed. One marking choice is provided for a vehicle of the 2nd Calvary Regiment, however, there are extra vehicle names on the decal sheet — check your references. I painted it with Vallejo and Tamiya acrylics. Images show the vision blocks to be a light purplish color, which I tried unsuccessfully to mix it with Tamiya clear paints. I used clear blue as recommended. The decals were easy to position on the model over a gloss coat, but there was a small amount of silvering and the carrier film was visible under the flat coat. Detailing is strong on the Panda kit and really comes to light when weathering is complete. It took me 45 hours to finish this model with a lot of the time spent on those small turret bolts. Other than the wheels, error-filled directions, and headlight assemblies, this model would be suitable for any intermediate modeler. But be sure to test fit and take your time. Advanced modelers may wish to add the missing anti-slip texture to the hull and turret as well as add straps along the hull’s side that is present in internet photos. – Mike Scharf
Azur-FrRom SNCASE SE 535 Mistral
O
ne of the earliest jet fighter designs, de Havilland’s Vampire is pretty well-known and reasonably well-represented in the modeling world. However, the re-engined French version made by SNCASE, the SE 535 Mistral, is less well-known. Azur-FrRom is known for re-boxing Special Hobby kits with new parts and decals for French versions. To make the Mistral, 11 injection-molded plastic parts were added to Special Hobby’s Vampire, along with a nice resin ejection seat. All the marking options are essentially the same — silver overall — with either red or yellow trim. A nice sheet of decals with comprehensive stencils provide the major markings, but the builder is on their own for the trim. The instructions were clear about which parts to replace for the Mistral, but they were less than clear in some cases about the placement of those parts. For example, the instructions suggest a vague position for a side console (Part B47) that ended up interfering with the instrument panel. I trimmed the bottom of the instrument panel to get it to fit the floor, a consequence of the Mistral specific parts I assume. The instructions make no mention of removing the seat mounts on the floor of the cockpit. Left in place, they force the ejection seat up which pushes the canopy out of alignment. (I had to carefully remove them with a chisel after I discovered this late in the build.) The separate nose allows the builder to add nose weight after most assembly is complete. You will need as much as you can pack in — maybe slightly more; adding some in the front of the included drop tanks may be a good idea. The lower fuselage half has clever additions for the intake trunks that fit very well
and prevent a see-through look. The boom assemblies and stabilizer came together without issues. Squaring off the mating surfaces on the fuselage improved the booms fit, but filler was still needed. I didn’t care for the poorly fitting clear wingtips, but I appreciate the idea. The lower left wing is missing a landing light that shows up in the painting instructions. I quickly formed a depression with a drill bit and filled it with Micro Krystal Klear to replicate it. After painting and masking the yellow trim, I sprayed the entire plane with Testors enamel steel (not Metalizer) to achieve the painted silver finish of the real Mistral. I applied the decals using the placement guide in the instructions; much of the time was spent placing the many stencils. Azur-FrRom has supplied modelers with a unique take on the familiar Vampire that’s easy to build and has very nice decals. Take care with fit and adjust for the missing information in the instructions and you’ll have a trouble-free build. – Chuck Davis
Kit: No. FR0041 Scale: 1/72 Mfr.: Azur-FrRom, frrom.com Price: $21 Comments: Injectionmolded, 82 parts (1 resin), decals Pros: Decent fit; clever molding of intake trunks Cons: Instructions neglect removal of tabs on interior; poor placement diagrams for interior
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WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Italeri T-34/85
U
p-arming the successful T-34 with an 85mm anti-aircraft gun gave the Soviet Union a tank capable of taking on German Tiger Is and Panthers. While Italeri has previously re-boxed Zvezda’s T-34/85, this is an all-new tool that replicates the Zavod 183 Mod. 1944 variant. Features include interior details for the engine, fighting compartment, and turret, optional link-and-length or vinyl tracks, photo-etched (PE) screens and straps, and markings for four vehicles. The build starts with the lower hull. I painted the interior and exterior before installing walls and suspension.
The engine comprises just the upper half with valve covers, intake, and radiator tops. Since it will be visible on the finished tank through the screens, louvers, and posable hatches, I painted it and applied a dark brown wash. Next came the transmission and starter, which went together easily. The clutch and brake assembly came in two pieces with a large seam that needed to be cleaned up. The fighting compartment’s seats, driver controls, and ammo storage boxes were painted and set aside. After consulting my primary reference, T-34 Mythical Weapon by Robert Michulec and Miroslaw Zientarzewski (Air
Connection, ISBN 978-0-97810-910-3), I strayed from the directions and painted the air cylinders blue instead of black. No ammunition cans or racks are provided for the bow machine gun. Several locating holes need to be drilled and louvers attached from underneath before the upper hull is attached to the lower section. The axles for the nicelymolded half-spider pattern road wheels were too big, so I bored out each wheel’s mounting hole for fit.
Kit: No. 6545 Scale: 1/35 Mfr.: Italeri, italeri.com Price: $79.99 Comments: Injection-molded, 422 parts (27 PE, 2 wires, 2 vinyl) Pros: Optional link-and-length or vinyl tracks; relatively low parts count for a tank with an interior; simple assembly Cons: Link-and-length tracks do not fit; no clear headlight; axles too big for road wheels
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When I went to attach the one-piece link-and-length tracks, I found they were too short using the number of parts called for in the instructions. I tried adding two extra links per side — T-34 track links are paired so you can’t add just one — but the tracks look sloppy. So, I used the vinyl tracks instead. Next, I painted the tools and ice cleats and attached them to the hull. Warning: The PE belts were fiddly. I cut off the buckle pin and slid the belt through, which made assembly easier, but it still took an hour just to add these. The intake screen consists of two parts, the screen, and the frame. I glued the screen first, let the super glue cure, then added the frame. I rolled one edge of the screen over a paintbrush handle to match the curve. When working on the turret, be
aware that the ready rounds are molded together in sets of three. In Step 21, be sure to attach the gunner’s seat and sight assembly to the turret after the gun’s breech has been lowered into its cradle. As with the bow, no racks or magazines for the coaxial machine gun are provided. The main gun barrel is molded in halves. After painting, I used Tamiya weathering pastel snow to add the patchy wintry camouflage to the upper surfaces. I spent 42 hours building Italeri’s T-34/85. For anyone looking to build their first tank with an interior, it would be a good choice as it offers plenty of detail and is a fairly straightforward build. – Tom Foti
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55
WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Ryefield Schützenpanzer Puma
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eveloped as a replacement for Germany’s aging Marder APCs, the Schützenpanzer Puma comes in two versions, the basic “a” model and the up-armored “c” model. Originally there was to be a “b” version but it was dropped when the “c” model came in under the max weight for rail transport. The additional armor of the “c” version simply bolts on the basic Puma allowing easy conversion between the versions. Ryefield Models’ Puma represents the up-armored “c” variant. Molded in tan plastic, it features excellent detail. Especially nice is the delicate nonslip texture on many of the hull panels and the finely detailed add-on armor. Other features include individual-link tracks, clear plastic periscopes, lights, sensors, and armored glass for the rear hatch. A small photo-etch (PE) fret provides small details as well as the front and rear mud flaps and warning placards that German vehicles use when operating on civilian roads. A small decal sheet provides markings for just one vehicle, but there is also a blank number plate and individual numerals if you want to make a different vehicle. The instructions feature large diagrams but a few are cluttered and it is sometimes difficult to see exactly were some of the parts go. The painting and markings diagrams are small and the complex NATO camouflage doesn’t always match between top and side
Kit: No. 5021 Scale: 1/35 Mfr.: Ryefield, ryefield-model.com Price: $68.50 Comments: Injectionmolded, 801 parts (20 PE, wire) decals Pros: Excellent detail, especially the nonskid on the hull; easy to assemble individual-link tracks; good use of PE Cons: Lack of track assembly instructions; small, soft marking and painting diagrams
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views. The diagrams printed on the side of the box are better, but lack a right-side view. Assembly begins with the turret, where you have the option of posing the coaxial machine gun compartment open or closed. The main gun can elevate and the covers for the sensors can be shown open or closed. I left off the sensor array and beacon until final assembly. Assembly of the lower hull was quick and easy. I left off the running gear until painting was complete. Surprisingly there were no instructions for assembling the tracks. I later found out that they are on a separate sheet that wasn’t included with my kit, but I found them online. Track assembly is pretty easy for individual-link tracks and went quickly. The instructions call for 71 links per side, but that was very tight, so I added an extra link on each side. You could omit the upper run of tracks as they’ll never be seen under the side armor. I prefer not to add details before the major components are assembled, so I diverged from the instructions and added the main upper hull piece (Part D1) to the lower hull and main rear plate (Part B1) right away. In hindsight, if I had followed the instructions, I might have avoided the fit issues I experienced with the side armor. I wound up with some small gaps at the front mainly on the right side. All of the hull’s main hatches are workable, but in the absence of any interior, I glued them shut. The armored sides were built up but left loose so I could install the running gear after painting. I added the rest of the
details leaving off some of the more delicate pieces such as the mirrors and the rear slat armor. These were painted off the model and added during final assembly. I used AK-Interactive Real Color NATO acrylic lacquers mixing them with Tamiya lacquer thinner. The colors looked great and the paint sprayed well. I applied the decals over a coat of clear gloss and they responded well to Microscale Micro Set and Sol. Once dry the model was sprayed with Tamiya flat clear. Finally, I added the parts left off. For some reason, the PE front mud flaps and warning placards were curved on the fret. I was able to straighten them by applying my Mk.1 thumb and forefinger. I spent about 32 hours building my Puma. The finished model matched perfectly the dimensions I found online and verified at a couple of websites. With its small parts and many subassemblies that need to fit, this kit is definitely for the experienced builder, but the finished model was worth the effort. I wonder if, with all the working hatches, Ryefield might be planning on releasing a version with an interior? – John Plzak
MiniArt Fl 282 V-23 “Hummingbird”
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he Flettner Fl 282 Kolibri (Hummingbird) was the world’s first helicopter to be used in a military role. It was first flown by the Luftwaffe in 1941 and featured an open-air cockpit and intermeshing rotor design. MiniArt’s Fl 282V-23 is the first plastic kit of this scout helicopter in 1/35 scale. While the lower part count makes for a fairly quick build, beginner builders will have to be careful of the rather fiddly and fragile plastic. The silver lining is that the thinness of the parts makes everything look in-scale. All the plastic has been molded in light gray. Included in the box are 13 photo-etch (PE) parts and five different marking options. Construction began with the rear section of the airframe, where the engine and transmission live. These components go together quickly as they are comprised of only 10 parts. Still, these few pieces have been molded with a good amount of detail. The crispness of the engine and transmission stands out with nicely molded cooling fins on the cylinder heads. Next, I built the frame around the engine, which required much more
care as the part is fragile. The part did not feel secure until it was fully attached to the cockpit section. The cockpit went together quickly — I just had to be careful of the petite controls and connections. With most of the airframe constructed, I could then move on to adding details, such as the last of the panels, as well of the landing gear. Many of these parts had already been put to use in the dry-fitting stage so I knew exactly how they were to be attached. The last step of adding the propellers required a gentle touch as the plastic is scale-thin and extra fragile. This is not the time for rough hands or quick motions. I painted my Hummingbird with Tamiya acrylics. The decals chosen depict a U.S. Air Force scheme from 1947. I would recommend this interesting helicopter to a modeler with intermediate skills due to the higher number of fragile parts. It only took me 20
Kit: No. 41004 Scale: 1/35 Mfr.: MiniArt, miniart-models.com Price: $77.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 175 parts, (13 PE), decals Pros: Parts are scale-thin; intricate detail on frame structure; unique subject Cons: Small details on frame are fragile
hours to complete and I enjoyed that time thoroughly. The unique subject would be perfect for any World War II or helicopter collection. The five different marking options offer plenty of variety, so a modeler should be able to build what they want. – Chris Cortez
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WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Italeri The Colosseum
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taleri’s “World Architecture – the Most Famous Monuments” series features some interesting subjects, but the latest addition is a big one even in 1/500 scale. It’s The Colosseum as it appeared in 82 AD at the height of the Roman Empire. In its heyday, the Colosseum looked very much like a modern football stadium. However, instead of football players, the kit provides four gladiators as well as a lion and a bear to entertain the crowd. The “stadium” portion is an impressive one-piece molding resembling a Tupperware container. Clever design work simulates the numerous statues present in alcoves around the arena’s exterior by printing them on heavy cardstock. The walls consist of twenty sections molded with
Kit: No. 68003 Scale: 1/500 Mfr.: Italeri, italeri.com Price: $86.50 Comments: Injectionmolded, 143 parts (20 printed card) Pros: Clever design; printed card a great idea to represent the numerous statues Cons: The fit was a bit off especially the “running track” upper surface which was difficult to install well
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sturdy mounting posts for the base and pins designed to hold the cardstock backdrops in place. A well-done pamphlet includes a comprehensive history and the instructions; painting instructions are provided using color photos of the model instead of diagrams. Construction of the base requires trimming some substantial sprue gates. The framework that mounts the stadium portion to the base has a bit of play, so I left it unglued until the stadium was prepared. A large sprue gate right in the middle of the arena required careful trimming and filling to hide the large divot. Then the stadium was flipped upside down and the mounting framework attached. All joints were glued while the stadium was upside down. Italeri suggests attaching the columns that support the upper works — looking for all the world like an elevated running track — but I wanted to firm up the stadium’s perimeter, so I installed wall sections next. The instructions say to paint the walls and install the printed cardstock to the stadium before assembly. But the cardstock is easy to install at the end of the build. I used a strap to cinch and hold all the wall sections in place while they were glued. Deluxe Models Perfect Plastic Putty was used to fill seams since it can be removed with water, avoiding damage to the molded stonewalls. Be careful removing the column supports as there are two
types that look very similar. I was worried about the alignment but they installed easily. One type mounts to the stadium and the other type to the upper level. The upper level “running track” was installed next but the joints were very visible. I filled them with Tamiya putty then smoothed the work with a motor tool — I didn’t want anyone tripping as they ran laps. For the base color, I used Krylon colonial ivory from a spray can. Details were painted with various Tamiya colors including flat red for the main trim areas. The stonework was emphasized using Flory Models dark dirt wash. As the final step, the statue cards were prepared by cutting along the lines indicated and using the tip of a hobby knife to cut tiny slits for the mounting posts using the printed marks as a guide. Each card segment has a printed number corresponding to its position on the model. The wall sections have numbers molded into their reverse faces to match. The accuracy of the trimming and slitting marks was perfect, and the slits allowed the cardstock to stay in place. Just to be safe, I added a drop of glue at each mounting peg. It took more than a day to build the Roman Colosseum, but only a little over 18 hours total. While it is a difficult kit to make into a finely finished scale model, it is cleverly designed and would likely make a good souvenir or a challenging historyreport project. – Chuck Davis
Sword McDonnell F3H-2 Demon
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cDonnell’s first shot at a supersonic, radar-equipped fleet-defense interceptor, the F3H Demon was handicapped by the development of its powerplant, the infamous Westinghouse J40. A redesign with a better engine resulted in an adequate fighter, but it was bettered by its contemporary, the Vought F8U Crusader. Eventually, Demons were replaced by the iconic F4H Phantom in the early 1960s. Sword’s new kit surpasses earlier efforts by Emhar, RAREplanes, and Airmodel. It features fine, recessed exterior detail, a good cockpit with choice of resin ejection seats, two-piece canopy, Sparrow and Sidewinder missiles, and a pair of drop tanks. The decal sheet in this boxing provides markings for two Demons. A second boxing with different decals is labeled as the F3H-2N/M and contains identical plastic parts. Assembly starts with choosing one of two resin ejection seats. It’s nice that Sword offers the late Martin-Baker seat as an alternate, but it was equipped in late Demons with BuNos of 146709 and later, and none of the Demons offered on the decal sheets in either boxing were late jets. So use the two-part early seat (parts U1 and U2). The fit of the finished cockpit to the forward fuselage is not precise. The instructions do not indicate a need for nose weight, but I added some lead BBs to the nose cone just in case. You’re faced with another choice in Step 9. The fuselage is molded with the Demon’s early long beaver tail, but a separate later shorter beaver tail is provided, too. The short tail belongs on Demons with BuNos from 143403 and later, correct for the aircraft depicted on the decal sheet. My sample’s short beaver tail had deep sink marks that needed to be filled and sanded. There’s trouble in Step 13. The assembly diagram shows a small, unnumbered block added to the rear deck (Part 34) behind the ejection seat. There is no part in the kit, so ignore it. However, the diagrams show an
incorrect assembly of the rear deck. The deck should be installed flush in the assembled fuselage, covering the opening behind the seat. Part 36 should be glued inside the rear of the canopy. Unfortunately, you’d have to shave off much of the raised detail from the deck to allow Part 36 to clear it with the canopy closed. Sword provides several photo-etched (PE) brass parts for thin, flat details, including the braces inside the intakes and the shell deflector plates behind the gun ports. I chose to duplicate these items with pieces of 0.010-inch styrene strip so I could glue them in place with solvent cement. The emergency barrier snags are molded onto the leading edge of the wings. PE brass snags also are provided, but using them would involve cutting into the leading edge with a razor saw and attaching them with super glue. I passed on that option, but did install the large brass wing fences. The perforated spoilers are also brass and I installed them after painting and decaling. The kit comes with a pair of Sidewinders, but they look like a later type than the Demon carried. I rounded off the noses to partially correct them. You also get a pair of Sparrow I test missiles and a pair of Sparrow III production missiles. The tiny pins on the missile pylons and shallow holes in the wings make attaching the weapons stores difficult. Also, the diagrams show the shorter pylons being attached outboard, while photos show they should be inboard. I left off the drop tanks as they were rarely carried. The nose gear strut represents a compressed oleo section, but the model sits correctly despite it. Missing is one retractor strut and the two shrink struts that are in front of the main strut. Sword provides the static pressure boom on the right wing, but there is no pitot tube in the kit. It should be at the base of the windscreen. Also missing is a small tube on
Kit: No. 72122 Scale: 1/72 Mfr.: Sword, swordmodels.cz Price: $17 Comments: Injection-molded, 114 parts (4 resin, 22 PE brass), decals Pros: Fine recessed panel lines; good interior and shapes; colorful markings Cons: Confusing and conflicting detail behind the seat; poorly represented nose-gear strut; some details in instructions not provided in kit
the leading edge of the fin. I’ll make them from thin stainless steel tubing someday. Funny, all of these details are shown in the markings diagrams but are not in the kit! I painted with Mr. Color lacquers and kit decals seemed thicker than previous Sword releases and were easier to handle. The model looks fine despite missing bits. I put 19 hours into my Demon. When I build another, I’ll redo the nose gear strut to better represent its unique structure. – Paul Boyer
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WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Wingnut Wings Halberstadt CL.II
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rmed with fore- and aft-firing machine guns and a plethora of grenades and other droppable weaponry, the Halberstadt CL.II was a nasty opponent. A two-seat combat aircraft, the CL.II performed what we would today call battlefield interdiction and escort duty for other two-seaters. Wingnut Wings’ latest 1/32 scale release, the Halberstadt CL.II (Late) provides modelers with optional engines, weapons, radio, and generator positions. The kit includes five paint schemes, all of which use pre-sized lozenge decals for the upper and lower wings. Four of the five options require the modeler to apply stippled paint over the final camouflage colors — a technique explained in the Hints section of the Wingnut Wings website. In true Wingnut fashion, the interior comes fully detailed, including optional photo-etched (PE) cooling jackets for the machine guns. Two engine options are provided along with multiple propeller choices;
Kit: No. 32062 Scale: 1/32 Mfr.: Wingnut Wings, wingnutwings.com Price: $129 Comments: Injectionmolded, 201 parts (9 PE), decals Pros: Great fits; complete instructions; clear rigging plan Cons: Fuel tank vent seen in photos is missing
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all include decal details. Pay close attention to the comprehensive instruction booklet, because there is a lot of information about parts and options. Check fits and decide assembly sequences; some parts may seem to float in midair, but they all land somewhere later in the build. If you deviate from the build sequence, make sure you can still reach attachment points to install parts later. The cockpit includes some fragile framework — be careful removing parts from the sprues. This is especially true for the aileron linkages (G2). Having built 20 Wingnut kits, I knew the fit would be tight enough to not require glue for fitting the interior into the fuselage. I also left out the engine until I’d finished painting and decaling the fuselage. There’s a lot happening up front on the CL.II, so be careful with alignments and make sure all attachments are fully engaged. Trim all slots square and make sure all holes are fully opened after painting. There is a small step or gap where the lower fuselage plate attaches, but don’t worry, it’s invisible behind the wings. After attaching the fin and stabilizer — but not the fragile rudder — I painted the wing center section and fuselage in a random pattern of the five colors mentioned in the instructions, mixing colors as directed. This was then covered with a “cloudy yellow” stipple effect by diluting the paint to a consistency appropriate for airbrushing and dialing the pressure back (about 5 psi) to achieve a consistent spatter pattern. The tail surfaces were masked and painted white. After an undercoat of gloss black, I applied the lozenge decals to the wings using a hair dryer to shrink them to the underlying details. All other decals also went down well and wrapped details with a touch of setting solution.
The struts and wings attached easily. Be warned: the center struts require some careful manipulation. Luckily, the outer interplane struts are flexible enough to handle some bending during assembly. I rigged the plane with E-Z Line following the included rigging plan. I waited until the rigging was almost complete before installing the completed landing gear. Once the glue was dry, I attached the last of the rigging. The rear gun, prop, exhaust, and other fragile details were added last, so I didn’t accidentally knock them off. The easy rigging plan, comprehensive instructions, one-piece lozenge decals, and quality of engineering make this kit a possible first step into the world of Wingnut Wings. The most worrisome part for me was the unique stippled camouflage, and that turned out to be simple by following Wingnut Wings instructions. I spent just under 45 hours on the CL.II, less than I expected. I’ve added an interesting airplane to my shelf with a unique paint job, and that’s saying something for a World War I aircraft! – Chuck Davis
MiniArt Soviet Ball Tank “Sharotank”
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odel companies are always trying to find something no one else has made, thus the many so-called “paper panzers” on the market. Now MiniArt rolls out a Soviet ball tank or “Sharotank.” This vehicle is fictional, but a captured German ball tank is in Russia’s Kubinka Tank Museum. The plastic here was less brittle than previous MiniArt kits I’ve built, and I only broke one part removing it from the sprue. The kit’s directions do a good job of calling out the proper color for most small details and give color recommendations for nine paint brands. The tank consists of an inner frame containing an engine, crew seats, and track rollers. This is sandwiched between two half spheres that contain the armament, ammunition, radiator, and fuel cells. Construction starts with the detailed engine, but the oil pan needs filing to sit flat. There’s play in the placement of the motor mounts (C13 and Ca17). If they are not glued evenly the motor will not sit properly on its frame. There’s not much surface area to glue the engine to the frame, so glue the drive wheel housing in place on the frame before the engine. Seats for the anti-tank guns are small with their footrests hitting a 1/35 scale figure behind the knees. Once interior components are painted, the two frame halves are glued together. The housings for the machine guns and cannons are meant to be movable, but I glued them in place for ease of painting. Be
Kit: No. 40001 Scale: 1/35 Mfr.: MiniArt, miniart-models.com Price: $77.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 221 parts, decals Pros: Interior included; easy assembly; detailed color callouts for nine paint brands Cons: Clear parts marred by bubbles; decals difficult to work with; headlight mounting bracket missing
careful though, if the guns are mispositioned they may interfere with the inner frame once the spheres are in place. Also, be sure to glue the shell racks tilting down or the shells will not fit. The doors can be posed open or closed. Step 37 shows the headlight being attached, but the part does not have the base shown in the picture. I made one from styrene strip. The clear lens was marred by a bubble. Separate slide-molded flash suppressors allow the machine guns to slip through the hull. I drilled a shallow hole in the suppressor’s back to improve the bond. After the outrigger wheels are glued together, they are supposed to slide into the fenders, but I had to sand the sides for fit. The tracks are supplied in four solid sections that attach around the frame. Gaps
showed up between them that I filled with scrap styrene. You’ll also need to sand the tracks flat for the tank to sit properly, if not on its base. There are six marking choices, four Russian, one Polish, and one for a captured German vehicle. I chose markings for a mobile checkpoint of the Belorussian front, 1944, painting the camouflage with Tamiya and Vallejo acrylics. The decals didn’t want to come off the backing, so I let them soak longer than usual. However, they are thin and disappear under a flat coat. My decal sheet was damaged, so I hand-painted touch-ups to cover the mishaps. This was an enjoyable build of an unusual model. I spent 33.5 hours on it, most of the time spent painting and weathering the interior. The build was not complex. Anyone with a few kits under their belt should have little problem building it. – Mike Scharf
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WORKBENCH REVIEWS
Revell Antonov An-225 Mriya
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he Antonov An-225 Mriya is a strategic airlift cargo plane designed by the Antonov Design Bureau in Ukraine in the 1980s. Powered by six turbofan engines, the single finished Mriya is the heaviest aircraft ever built with a maximum takeoff weight of 640 tons and a 290-foot wingspan. Even in 1/144 scale, it is a big airplane — over 2 feet in wingspan and slightly less in length — so set aside some major display space. Packed in a large box, the parts are nicely molded with fine panel lines and little flash, however, there are some sink marks on the main fuselage. The upper and lower wing parts are fragile near the trailing edge, so be careful handling them. The kit also provides two sheets consisting of 55 decals each. Good thinking, Revell. There’s also a 31-page instruction booklet with 94 steps, some of which might not be used, depending on what version you build. However, there are helpful colorcoded guides to help builders differentiate between the four build versions. Version 1 is the in-flight build and is the quickest and easiest. It saves you 32 wheels, 20 gear struts and six doors along with the loading ramp assembly. I built version 2, with wheels down and cargo bay closed. Version 3 has the nose door open to reveal the detailed cargo bay, and version 4 has the door open with the aircraft kneeling forward and the ramp extended. Inner fuselage assembly goes well through Step 6 but must be aligned exactly so that the outer fuselage pieces fit while
Kit: No. 04958 Scale: 1/144 Mfr.: Revell, revell.de Price: $117.95 Comments: Injection molded, 215 parts, decals Pros: Subject and size are a win; helpful multicolor instructions; multipart decals fit perfectly with each other and conform well to nose pieces; build options Cons: Multipart fuselage a bit tough to align
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leaving the least amount of gaps to fill. You may have to sand or slightly file parts 60-63 on the outer surfaces to get the outer fuselage pieces (10, 11, 18, and 44), to fit properly with no large gaps. This was the build’s most difficult segment. I used rubber bands to hold the four outer fuselage pieces to the inner frame so I could tell where I needed to adjust fit. In Steps 28 and 29 I had to adjust the fit of the wing before cementing so there would be no gaps. A little sanding of part 16 did the trick. There is no need to add nose weights as the model sits nose wheel down with no problems. If you are building an open-door version, I suggest putting parts 80, 81, and 82 in at Step 6 to make the build easier. I also assembled, painted, and put decals on the engines and rudders before attaching them to the airframe. There are a lot, so pay close attention to pages 28-29 in the instructions. I then used Testors Model Master semigloss white enamel, over sprayed with Pledge Floor Gloss (PFG) to help when applying decals. I started with nose decals,
first cutting a small extra slice between the ones that were already on the sheet to make it easier and better to aid in wrapping the decal around the curve of the nose piece. That was followed by Micro Set and Micro Sol. For the rest of the long pieces, I followed the side view of the decal instructions exactly. The decals were thick and didn’t fall apart, although some did silver from not applying enough PFG. I then masked the bottom of the fuselage, taking care to keep a white gap line between the dark blue decal that almost runs the fuselage’s full length. For masking, I used removable clear wall-safe tape to keep the decals from lifting, which still happened in spots. A big thank you to Revell for the spare decal sheet. It was needed. I then applied Testors gloss light blue (RM11081) enamel to the plane’s underside. Overall this build took about 55 hours, but there still may be some gap filling needed in spots on the fuselage. The kit is well engineered and produces
Dora Wings Percival Proctor Mk.III
I an impressive model. Photo-etched ladders and ramp details would help if you were to build the open-door version and the An-225 would be an excellent diorama subject. I recommend this kit for experienced builders. – Ted Horn
had never heard of a 1/48 scale Percival Proctor, so figured this Dora Wings kit was worth a look. The box art is a nice painting of the Royal Air Force Proctor Mk.III (L2766) from the collection of the Imperial War Museum at Duxford. The decal sheet provides markings for this aircraft and four others, including another RAF, a USAAF liaison plane, and two post-war aircraft in Dutch and Danish service. The 106 plastic parts are cleanly molded with little or no flash and surface detail looked appropriate for the scale. With the exception of the canopy and the cowl with the engine installed, parts fit was excellent. The 12-page instructions include a brief history, parts maps, and 21 assembly steps. No color callouts are included. Assembly begins with the instrument panel and its housing, followed by installation of the photo-etched (PE) seat belts. I noticed right away that the seat belts were narrow compared to many kits and aftermarket seat-belt decals in 1/48 scale. Assembly of the tail wheel, main gear fairings and wheels, the rudder, and the stabilizers and elevators went smoothly. Steps 9 to 11 cover engine assembly. It’s quite small making PE parts 6 and 7 difficult to install. I had no problems assembling the wings and control surfaces, but the profile of the clear landing light covers doesn’t match the leading edge. I used filler, but wasn’t happy with the result. Assembling the canopy was a challenge as it’s not a single piece. Rather it builds from six parts. All of the joining surfaces fall along frames so they will be hidden with paint, it was still necessary to join eight thin edges without getting glue on areas to remain clear. After all that, the assembled canopy was wider at the bottom than the cockpit opening. So, I used a bar clamp to align the bottom edges of the canopy while the glue set. The cockpit presented a few issues. Parts E99 and E93 are incorrectly labeled; they
should be E29. The rudder pedals (E18) are small and fiddly. Part E1 should be mounted in the center of the floor between the seats; this part isn’t identified. In Step 18, parts E43 and E44 fit into the wing openings in the fuselage, but they don’t seem to have any purpose. The assembled engine was too wide and flared the bottom of the nose. In Step 19, a tiny PE piece must be bent in two directions around the front of the cowl just behind the spinner; I failed. I airbrushed with Testors Model Master RAF colors: dark earth, dark green, and trainer yellow. The well-printed decals went on perfectly, but I floated each one into a puddle of water on the model to prevent the thin markings from folding under. My final touch was an antenna wire stretched from the kit’s clear plastic. I brushed on a light coat of Metalizer burnt metal to eliminate shine. Because of the engine installation problems, the trouble with the canopy parts, and a mistake I made installing the landing lights, I put in 50+ hours on this model. However, it measures accurately and it looks OK sitting on the table, even if mine is not contest-quality. – Allan F. Jones
Kit: No. 48006 Scale: 1/48 Mfr.: Dora Wings, dorawings.com Price: $49.99 Comments: Injectionmolded, 141 parts (19 PE), decals Pros: Generally good fits; excellent decals Cons: Difficult clear parts; PE seat belts too small for scale; some vague assembly drawings
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This section is open to anyone who wants to sell or buy scale modeling merchandise. FSM reserves the right to edit undesirable copy or refuse listing. For FSM’s private records, please furnish: a telephone number and a street address. Coming Events Rate: $35 per issue (55 word maximum). Ads will contain the following information about the event: state, city, sponsoring organization and name of event, meet, auction or show, dates, location, times, admission fee, name and/or telephone number and/or email of person to contact for information. Word Ad Rates: 1 insertion - $1.13 per word, 5 insertions - $1.08 per word, 10 insertions - 99¢ per word. $20 minimum per issue. Count all initials, single numbers, street number or name, city, state, zip, phone numbers each as one word. Payment must accompany the ad. To receive the discount you must order and prepay for all ads at one time. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. Send Your Ads To: FineScale Modeler – Classified Marketplace, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. Phone toll-free: 1-888-558-1544, Ext. 551, or fax: 262-796-0126. E-mail: onlineclassads@kalmbach.com
COMING EVENTS AL, HUNTSVILLE: Huntsville Plastic Modelers’ Society 43rd Annual Model Show. August 24, 2019, 8:00am-5:00pm. Jaycees Building 2180 Airport Road. Free admission. Model Registration: $10 for the first 5, $1 each additional. Vendor tables: $25 each. Vendor info: Tom Clark 256-270-0820, hpmswebmaster@gmail.com General info: http//www.hpmsonline.org. IL, SCHAUMBURG: The Military Miniature Society of Illinois holds its 45th Annual Chicago Show Saturday, October 12, 2019 at the Chicago Marriott Schaumburg, 50 N. Martingale Road, Schaumburg, IL, 9:00am-4:00pm. For more information contact Show Chairman Pat Vess (pat@livezey.net 630-730-2492) or visit our website: military-miniature-society-of-illinois.com IL, WHEATON: 74th ILLINOIS PLASTIC KIT & TOY SHOW. Dupage County Fairgrounds, 2015 W. Manchester Rd. Zip 60187. September 29, 2019, 9:00am-2:00pm. Adults, $5.00, 12 and under $2.00. 150 tables available, BUY/SELL/TRADE/OR JUST BROWSE. Come out and have a great time. Cars, Trucks, Airplanes, Trains/Military/Fire/Police, Muscle Cars. Re-live your childhood memories. Past-Time Hobbies, Inc. 630-969-1847.
64 FineScale Modeler September 2019
PA, GETTYSBURG: PENNCON 2019 Model Show and contest. Eisenhower Complex, 2634 Emmitsburg Rd., Gettysburg, PA 17325. September 21, 2019, 9:00am-5:00pm. Show Theme: The Cold War, 1947-1991. “Make & Take” for kids 15 and under. For more info go to: http;//www.cenpennipms.com/ or contact Chet Mohn, 717-774-4803, Email: Magus47@aol.com TX, AUSTIN: ASMS Capitol Classic 2019. Presented by Austin Scale Modelers Society. Travis County Expo Center, 7311 Decker Lane, Zip: 78724. Saturday, October 5, 2019, 9:00am-5:30pm. Show Theme: “Summer of Love” Model contest, vendor tables, door prizes, and Make & Take for kids. Visit: www.austinsms.org for vendor tables & more information.
FOR SALE AVIATION ART STORE Famous American, Allied and Axis Aviator limited edition prints. Rare signatures of French, Italian, and Japanese aviators. Aviationartstore.com CANOPY MASKING AND MORE! WWW.EZMASKS. COM List $3.00. Chris Loney, 75 Golf Club Rd., Smiths Falls, ON, Canada K7A 4S5. 613-283-5206, ezmasks@gmail.com CUSTOM MODEL BASES AND DISPLAY CASES: For ships, aircraft and armor. In cherry, walnut and mahogany. Laser engraved or painted logos, insignia, awards, name plates, to your custom specifications for any scale and any size. Enhance your display and protect your hard work. Website at basesbybill.com, call 920-478-8214 or email: info@basesbybill.com SHIP AND AIRCRAFT MODELS. Built for display. For additional information contact, Ray Guinta, PO Box 74, Leonia, NJ 07605. www.modelshipsbyrayguinta.com
WOODEN SHIP MODEL KITS: Inside every BlueJacket kit, all the parts are first quality, historically accurate, and exquisitely detailed. They’re produced using the latest laser, photo etching, die casting, and wood shaping technologies. All the parts fit together perfectly - the first time. And, the plans and instructions are clear and concise. These assurances are in every kit and goes out our door. Find out how this attention to quality, authenticity, and detail make a BlueJacket model ship kit a more satisfying simpler build that you’ll be proud of! Move up to wooden ship modeling! www.bluejacketinc.com or 800-448-5567.
WANTED AIRCRAFT, ARMOR, SCI-FI, FIGURES, AUTO, ETC. Buying kit collections, large or small, worldwide. Top prices paid. Call Jim Banko 610-814-2784 or mail list to 122 Independence Ct., Bethlehem, PA 18020, fax 610-439-4141. E-mail: cth1@prodigy.net BUILT PLASTIC MODEL COLLECTIONS: Planes, cars, boats. Contact mike@peterson-picture.com or 773-387-1400. I WANT TO BUY YOUR UNBUILT MODEL KITS: Any size collection. Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington St. Owosso, MI 48867.989-720-2137, Fax 989-720-0937. Email: dean@deanshobbystop.com MODEL CAR AND TRUCK KITS. Unbuilt or built. Any size collection. Good prices paid. Please contact: Fred Sterns, 48 Standish, Buffalo, NY 14216. Phone: 716-838-6797. Fax: 716-836-6057. E-mail: fsterns@aol.com
MISCELLANEOUS
THOUSANDS OF MODEL KITS for sale. All types from Old Aurora to new releases. Send a $.70 SASE to: Dean Sills, 116 N. Washington, Owosso, MI 48867. Specify Military List. Phone: 989-720-2137. Fax: 989-720-0937. E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com
1ST AND ABSOLUTELY THE BEST MUSEUM-QUALITY MODELS. IPMS Nationals winner building aircraft and armor to your specification, including conversions and scratchbuilt. Call BC Models for quote and information at 913-385-9594 or visit www.bcmmodels.com
Classified Closing Dates:
FINESCALE MODELER AUTHOR and IPMS medalist will build your favorite aircraft, specializing in metal finishes. Contact John Adelmann at 563-556-7641 or jjadelmann@yahoo.com
October closes July 15, November closes August 12, December closes September 17.
NEED SOMEONE TO BUILD: Scale model cars from kits for me. Call Herb: 561-501-7182 or email: herb7379@aol.com
Local Hobby Shop Directory Local Hobby Shop Directory listings are available for the next ten issues for $275 (payable in advance) or at $37 per issue (billed to established accounts for a minimum of ten insertions). Ads will be set in standard listing typography. All insertions must be consecutive and may be invoiced if you have credit established with us. No mention of mail order business permitted. For information call 888-558-1544, ext. 551. Closing dates listed in Classifieds section.
ARKANSAS • Jacksonville
RAIL & SPRUE HOBBIES
501-982-6836
CALIFORNIA • Burbank
818-848-3674
CALIFORNIA • Garden Grove
Rewards program for 10% back on purchases. Plastic aircraft, armor, ships, cars, decals, books, paints, tools, miniatures war-games. Mon-Thur 11-8, Fri 11-midnight, Sat 10-midnight, Sun 11-7 www.brookhursthobbies.com
BROOKHURST HOBBIES
714-636-3580
CALIFORNIA • Hollister
Model planes, car, ships & figures. Model train scales: Z, N, HO, O & G. Paints, tools. R/C & parts, incl. service. Craft & educational kits, supplies, products. Clinics available. Tu-Sat 116; Sun 12-4. www.debbiebartunek@mac.com
B.C.T. HOBBY & CRAFTS
201-C McCray St.
831-635-0537
COLORADO • Aurora
Large inventory of models from the world over! Detailing accessories, research publications, games, trains, R/C, tools, and supplies. Easy access from D.I.A. http://www.colpar.com
COLPAR HOBBIES
1915 S. Havana St.
860-646-0610
CONNECTICUT • Milford
Extensive selection of armor kits & Verlinden accessories. Military, auto & aircraft plastic models. Photo-etched parts. O gauge train sets. Open Tues - Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5. www.HQHobbies.com
HQ HOBBIES
394 New Haven Ave., Unit 1
203-882-1979
Huge selection of Models, Figures, Paints, and Modeling Supplies. Iwata and Badger Airbrush Dealer. www.CompetitionMinis.com
COMPETITION MINIS
8803 Orchard Tree Lane
410-561-6324
800-876-0414
CONNECTICUT • Cos Cob
HOBBY BUNKER, INC.
33 Exchange St.
781-321-8855
MASSACHUSETTS • Norton
6,000 model kits, old and new: Autos, armor, planes & sci-fi. Reference books & supplies. Open T-Th 11-7, F 11-8, Sa 10-5. Rt. 495 to Rt. 123E, behind Dunkin’ Donuts. www.mymummy. com E: mummy@mymummy.com HARRY’S HOBBIES & COLLECTABLES 250 E. Main St., Rt 123 508-285-8080
MICHIGAN • Owosso
DEAN’S HOBBY STOP
989-720-2137
MICHIGAN • Traverse City
HOBBYTOWN USA
4590 W Sahara Ave Ste 103
702-889-9554
NEW HAMPSHIRE • Dover
ELITE HOBBIES
603-749-0800
KENVIL HOBBIES
973-584-1188
NEW JERSEY • Magnolia (Camden) Huge foreign & domestic model selection all scales. Automobiles, aircraft, ship, books, wargames, scenery, diorama supplies, parts & tools. Open 7 days
AAA HOBBIES & CRAFTS
706 N. White Horse Pike
856-435-1188
NEW YORK • Astoria
RUDY’S HOBBY & ART
718-545-8280
Excellent selection of lead miniatureshistorical and fantasy. Plastic models, wargames & modeling supplies. Books and magazines.
MEN AT ARMS HOBBIES, INC.
134 Middle Country Rd.
631-924-0583
TRAINS & THINGS HOBBIES
231-947-1353
MICHIGAN • Ypsilanti-Metro Detroit
Visit our in-house Aircraft Model Museum. Foreign and domestic plastic and wood kits. Open 7 days.
JAN’S HOBBY SHOP, INC.
1435 Lexington Ave.
212-987-4765
OKLAHOMA • Owasso
Planes, tanks, cars, ships, rockets, plastic and wood kits. Trains. Authorized Lionel dealer & repair. Die-cast, RC, slot cars, structural and diorama supplier. Special orders welcome.
Your single stop model building shop. Michigan’s largest selection of new and vin-tage kits in all genres plus everything needed to build them. Wed - Fri 11-8 Sat 11-6, Sun 12-5 Visit us on Facebook. www.modelcave.com
Oklahoma’s largest plastic kit, paint & aftermarket inventory. Planes, cars, trucks, armor, ships, trains & sci-fi. Special orders welcome! Tue - Fri 10-5:30, Sat 11-5, Closed Sunday & Mondays. Web site: www.topshelfmodelsllc.com
ANN’S HOBBY CENTER
MODELCAVE
TOP SHELF MODELS
405 E. Putnam Avenue
203-869-0969
Ad Index
We believe that our readers are as important as our advertisers. If you do not receive your merchandise or a reply from an advertiser within a reasonable period, please contact us. Provide details about what you ordered and the amount you paid. If no action is obtained after we forward your complaint to the advertiser, we will not accept further advertising from them. FineScale Modeler magazine, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha, WI 53187. The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to FineScale Modeler magazine readers. The magazine is not responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.
103 W. Michigan Avenue
Large Selection New & Used Kits Tools, paint, airbrushes & scratch building supplies. Full line hobby shop open Tue, Thur & Fri 10-5, Wed & Sat 10-2 www.CoolTrains.com
COOLTRAINS TOYS & HOBBIES
106 W. Main Street
717-898-7119
HO & N, Lionel trains. Complete line of plastic kits, military and architecture supplies. Open 11am-6pm M-F, Sat. 10am-5pm www.gandgmodelshop.com
G & G MODEL SHOP
2029 Southwest FWY
713-529-7752
TEXAS • San Antonio
Scale modeling from beginner to expert. A wide selection of aircraft, armor, autos, figures, ships, & sci-fi. Lots of reference material, detail parts, decals, tools, & eight lines of paint. Open Tues-Sat 10am-6pm.
DIBBLE’S HOBBIES
1029 Donaldson Ave.
210-735-7721
TEXAS • SAN ANTONIO
Car, Plane, Military, Models, Trains, Paints, Tools, Diecast. Art Supplies, Wood & Wood Models. Open Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat. 11:00 to 6:30. 3516 30TH Ave
503-644-4535
TEXAS • Houston
Full service hobbies, a full line of HO, N, 3-Rail, military, cars, boats, planes, dollhouses, scratchbuilding supplies, plus details-details-details! 590 Rt. 46
TAMMIES HOBBIES
12024 SW Canyon Rd.
PENNSYLVANIA • Landisville (Lancaster)
Best plastic, resin & balsa kits from around the world. Scratch building & diorama supplies, reference books, large paint selection including Humbrol, Citadel & Testors #334 90 Washington St.
Complete full line hobby shop. Z, N, HO, O, Lionel, and LGB. Open Mon - Fri 10-8, Sat 10-5, Sun 12-5.
ONE STOP SHOPPING FOR PLASTIC MODELS! Stocking Aircrafts, Armor, Car, Ship and Sci-fi models and detailing accessories. Full lines of Tamija, Vallejo, and Alclad Paints.
HILL COUNTRY HOBBY
9355 BANDERA ROAD STE. 109
210-681-2007
WASHINGTON • Seattle
Plastic Model Specialists. Largest selection of plastic models in NW! We have Aircraft, Armor, Auto, SCI-FI, and Gundam, along with great paint selection. Email us at skyway@nwlink.com or look us up at www.skywaymodel.com
SKYWAY MODEL SHOP
12615 Renton Ave. S.
206-772-1211
NEW YORK • Upr Eastside GR Manhattan CANADA–ON • Toronto
Let your imagination run wild! Aircraft, ships, cars, armor, special orders, diecast cars, model railroading Z to G and more... 210 East Front St.
OREGON • Beaverton
While in Las Vegas, come see our wide selection of models and detail accessories. Less than 5 miles off the Las Vegas strip Hours Mon-Fri 10-7, Sat 10-6, Sun noon-5.
NEW YORK • Middle Island
Thousands of model kits from old Aurora to new releases. Mon 4pm-7pm, Tues - Fri 11:30am-5pm. Sat 11:30am-4:00pm E-mail: dean@deanshobbystop.com 116 N. Washington Street
NEVADA • Las Vegas
NEW JERSEY • Kenvil
Largest store in area, easy access via I-93, Rt. 1, and the T. Complete line of model kits & supplies, plus toy soldiers, figure kits, games, etc. Open 7 days a week. Shipping available. Info: hobbybunker.com
BURBANK’S HOUSE OF HOBBIES
12188 Brookhurst St.
TIME MACHINE HOBBY
71 Hilliard St.
MASSACHUSETTS • Malden (Boston)
Large selection of plastic kits, paints, and supplies. Special orders no problem Visit us in person or online www.houseofhobbies.com Secure online ordering
911 S. Victory Blvd.
Largest hobby shop in NE. Military, cars, trucks, plastic models, diecast cars, trucks. Planes, RC planes, cars, trucks, slot cars, rockets, Breyer, Detailing supplies, games! Mon-Wed 10-6 Th-Fri 10-9 Sat-Sun 10-6
MARYLAND • Towson
Headquarters for scale hobbies. Models; N-HO-O trains; gaming; tools; paints, etc. Discounts & special orders. Open 10-6, closed Sundays and Wednesdays 1200 John Harden Dr.
CONNECTICUT • Manchester
734-316-2281
119 S. Main St.
918-274-0433
Large selection of new & out-of-production kits. Accessories & finishing products. Servicing the hobbies since 1986. We buy kit collections. www.wheelswingshobbies.com
WHEELS AND WINGS
1880 Danforth Ave.
416-752-0071
Run your Retail Directory ad in the next issue of FineScale Modeler!
Call 888-558-1544, ext. 551 for more information.
ak-interactive.com _____________ 4
Dean’s Hobby Stop ___________ 64
Megahobby.com _____________ 64
Alpha Precision Abrasives, Inc.___ 4
Evergreen Scale Models ________ 4
Michigan Toy Soldier Co.______ 64
ARA Press___________________ 8
Fantastic Plastic Models _______ 64
Paragrafix Modeling Systems ____ 4
Aves Studio __________________ 6
FineScale Modeler ___________ 67
Squadron Mail Order __________ 2
Colpar’s Hobbytown USA-
FineScale Modeler Books _______ 9
Tamiya America, Inc. _________ 68
Aurora CO ________________ 64
Glenn Hoover Models, LLC ___ 64
TotalNavy.com ______________ 64
Damaged Fall 2019 ____________ 6
Great Scale Modeling _________ 15
Xuron Corporation ____________ 4
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65
FINAL DETAILS By Michael Farina
Michael’s students spent three days building their Academy 1/72 scale P-40B Warhawks.
Modeling 101 Editor’s note: We hear a lot at club meetings about teaching today’s youngsters to build models. Well, Michael Farina, a Virginia teacher, has taken the challenge seriously. Here’s his story.
I
’m a longtime modeler, so when Carroll County Public Schools in Hillsville, Virginia, received a grant to add an intercession program in the fall and spring semesters, I got an idea. I wanted to teach my students to build models. The intercession program is enrichment classes where teachers pass along their personal knowledge on subjects they enjoy. Modeling was my first choice. I organized the classes into three-hour sessions for three days. There were two sessions a day and we would build an Academy 1/72 scale P-40B Warhawk. I began with an in-box review of the kit. We went over parts, instructions, and decals, and I showed the students how plastic models are made. Next, we learned to
Meet Michael Michael is band director at Carroll County High School. His dad introduced him to modeling as a youngster and he says, “it has been in my blood ever since.” 66 FineScale Modeler September 2019
remove parts from the sprue with sprue cutters, clean the parts with hobby knives and sanding sticks/sponges, and test-fitted the pieces. Thankfully none of the students cut themselves during our three days. For painting, I added a little Tamiya thinner (X-20A) to Tamiya cockpit green (XF-71). I later realized that this is IJN interior green. Oops! We used only Tamiya paints. The students hand-painted the cockpit and intake, then allowed them to dry before gluing the parts together. By the end of the first day, each builder had the majority of an aircraft assembled. We placed our models in shoeboxes overnight to dry. On day two, I showed the students how to mask the canopy using Tamiya 6mm masking tape and their hobby knives. This was their least favorite step, but they were excited to hear that pre-cut masks are available. After masking we worked on spray painting. I don’t spray paint much myself, but felt it important to demonstrate. We used Tamiya U.S. Air Force light gray (AS-16). This served as a primer and as the underside color to save time. While the paint was drying, I introduced the students to airbrushing. We used Badger 155 Anthem siphon-feed and Paasche Talon gravity-feed airbrushes. First the students were allowed to get used to the
Students were introduced to airbrushing.
airbrush’s feel by doodling on newspaper. Then we painted the propeller caps. On the third day I brought in a few of my builds to show the students, then they finished theirs. I had planned to have the students camouflage the top of their P-40Bs with buff (XF-57) and dark green (XF-61). But to save time they picked just one, masking their model’s undersides and airbrushing the top. While that was drying, I showed them how to use clothespins to hold small parts, such as landing gear, for painting. We painted the main wheels and landing gear with chrome silver (X-11) and used flat black (XF-1) on the tires. Paint dry we removed the masking tape and added decals, finishing just before the bell rang to end day three. Perfect! My students worked tirelessly throughout the three days, even asking to bring their lunches in so they could continue working in their free time. I believe a few are interested in taking up the hobby. That certainly was one of my hopes whe n starting these classes and I plan to launch a modeling club at school soon. FSM Note: Special thanks to Megahobby.com for helping organize the materials for the class and to FloryModels.co.uk for a donation of sanding sticks and sponges. Thanks to FineScale Modeler for providing magazines and guides.
HAVE YOU EVER ADMIRED A MODEL AND
WONDERED “HOW?”
Subscribe to FineScale Modeler and Learn How! FineScale.com
Harrier turns 50: Paint and arm this icon >
July 2019
p. 46
One Small Step... to building terrific real-space models! • Improve Tamiya’s Apollo modules p. 26 • Launch a Mercury-Atlas
p. 18
• Scratchbuild a shuttle launch pad p. 30 • Your Space Race build photos p. 36
P36130
PLUS: Metallic details for a Soviet IS-2 p. 41
Joe Hudson shows how to put a scale Neil Armstrong on the moon! p. 22
Special: Jaxcon photo gallery p. 52
When it comes to building models of aircraft, armor, ships, and even sci-fi and figures, nothing compares to FineScale Modeler — delivered right to your home. From start to finish, each issue includes clear instructions and step-bystep photos that show you how to better assemble, paint, and finish kits. You’ll also find: • How-to articles by experts. • Galleries from shows and readers. • Unbiased kit reviews and • Exclusive online content and product news. helpful tips. • Valuable tips for every skill level. • And much more! When you learn from the best, you save time and money by avoiding unnecessary steps and purchases. Your year of inspiration starts today!
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